Chapter Text
It was so early that the air was cool, a stark contrast to the scorching afternoon heat that every summer in Johto brings. The wind blew through the windows, ruffling the stubborn, unruly hair of young Gold, who lay asleep in his bed.
The naive Aitaro, watching the boy from the head of his bed, was awake. He nudged the trainer’s face with his paw, but was unable to wake him. On the other side of the room, the family’s Sandslash tried to help the Ambipom wake Gold by scratching his head with its claws, but still to no avail. With all the commotion, a few other Pokémon approached the bed—and the quiet Politaro leaped forward, sticking out his big tongue and hitting Gold in the face. The boy furrowed his brow and squinted before waking up.
“Come on, Politaro?” He propped himself up in bed, still waking up. His tone sounded slightly irritated, like someone who’d love to sleep for another five minutes. He ran his hand over his face, wiping away the Pokémon’s saliva. His expression changed completely after that; the boy just started laughing at the situation.
“'Morning, guys. Why did you have to wake me up like this?” He looked around, taking in each Pokémon near his bed. Soon, his gaze fell on the wall, where a calendar was hanging.
“Oh, that’s it! How could I have forgotten?” He freed himself from the sheets and took off his pajamas, changing into more appropriate clothes.
The calendar, in fact, had today—July 21—circled: his birthday.
Now, Gold was no longer just a boy, as he was turning 18—a milestone he’d been looking forward to. It’s the age when they say boys become men, although Gold believed he’d done that a long time ago.
It was obvious that today would be an incredible day. He could already hear the Pidgeys chirping outside, the sun beginning to take over the day, and, of course, it was his birthday. But on top of that, Gold had a birthday party planned for tonight at his house—and his friends were invited, so he could hardly wait. It had been a long time since he’d last managed to get everyone together in one place, so he was sure nothing would ruin that night.
However, thinking about the party made him wonder how his friends would behave inside the house. He would trust each of them enough with his belongings and with what they might say around his mom… if he didn’t know them so well. He couldn’t talk to each of them personally about this right now, so an idea popped into his head.
His Pokégear was on his desk; he quickly grabbed it and added all the guests’ contacts—except his mother’s—to a virtual group called “GOLD PARTY.” His intention was simply to send a few messages letting each of them know; the group now included everyone who had confirmed they’d attend his birthday party: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Silver, Crystal, Bugsy, Whitney, Ruby, and Sapphire. With them in the group chat, Gold began sending the messages.
GOLD:
Hey, everyone! Do you know what day it is today?
He sent the message. It was very early, so maybe no one would see it right away. Until another message popped up right after his.
BLUE:
What’s up?
BLUE:
I just woke up.
RED:
the 21st
Yeah. But that wasn’t quite the right answer.
BLUE:
Of July.
Well, at least two people are awake and can see Gold’s messages as soon as possible.
SILVER:
whats this
YELLOW:
Good morning
YELLOW:
It’s your birthday, Gold!
GOLD:
Morning, everyone!
GOLD:
That’s right, Yellow. It’s my birthday.
RED:
oh right happy birthday gold
GOLD:
Thanks.
GOLD:
I created this group because I had a few things to say before the party.
BLUE:
What things?
GOLD:
A few rules. Nothing major.
GOLD:
It’s just that I don’t want anyone to make a bad impression on my mom today. Or do anything inappropriate at my house.
GOLD:
You know how it is.
RED:
no problem go ahead
GOLD:
Great! I’ll start sending them out.
GOLD:
Rule number 1. Silver, Whitney, Bugsy, and maybe Green: you can’t wear shorts that are too short or those whore socks.
GOLD:
Oh, and Ruby, too.
BLUE:
Can I?
GOLD:
NO
GOLD:
Rule number 2. Red can’t wear tight clothes because he’ll look way too sensual. The girls can, but not Red.
GOLD:
Rule number 3. Blue can’t talk about Red.
GOLD:
Rule number 4. Green and Blue can’t bring alcohol.
GOLD:
Rule number 5. Yellow can’t leave Chuchu on the table because otherwise she’ll eat the whole cake.
GOLD:
Rule number 6. Silver can’t kill anyone, mention criminal records, or talk about suicide or violence around her mother-in-law.
SILVER:
mother-in-law?
GOLD:
Rule number 7. Crys, just be Crys. My mom loves you.
GOLD:
Rule number 8. Blue can’t talk about men, and Green can’t talk about women (including Red and Yellow)
GREEN:
Is this a birthday party or a church?
GOLD:
Rule number 9. Don’t talk about mint, drugs, rare candy whatever it is you guys use, cigarettes, vapes. NEVER talk about inappropriate things around my mom. You hear me, Green… and Blue.
GOLD:
Rule number 10. You can’t make out or something close to that near my mom.
GOLD:
Rule number 11. You can’t get into my bed to use it.
GOLD:
Rule number 12. You can’t touch my skateboard or my mom’s stuff. Only if she says it’s okay. So ask her first.
GOLD:
Rule number 13. Don’t eat my Pokémon’s food. I know you guys don’t eat pet food, but I can’t trust you to do anything right.
GOLD:
Rule number 14. No jokes about killing others, and no jokes about sensitive topics.
YELLOW:
Wow, who does that?
GOLD:
👀
WHITNEY:
Everyone in the group except me, Bugsy, and you, Yellow
BLUE:
You can’t even say anything. What’s your mom, a nun?
GOLD:
Rule number 15. Everyone has to wear a gold accessory because it’s my birthday.
BLUE:
No fucking way.
GREEN:
You can’t do anything, you can’t have fun. I’m not even coming
RED:
but guys he just laid out the basics for how to behave in front of his mom hes right
BLUE:
That's true, Red
GREEN:
I hope you two die
GOLD:
You can't say that at the party either
GREEN:
??????
SILVER:
hi everyone
GOLD:
Hi, Silver. Did you read all the rules I sent?
SILVER:
no and i dont really want to read them actually
GOLD:
Oh, but you’re going to have to read them
SILVER:
you think youre the boss around here?
GOLD:
Rule number 16. You can’t disobey Gold because it’s my birthday
BLUE:
I think this has stopped being about your mom...
Gold smiled at the Pokégear, even reacting to his own messages. His focus shifted when he felt a tap beside him while still sitting on the bed. He looked in the direction of the tap and saw Aitaro, looking apparently upset and holding something in his hands.
“What’s up, buddy?” Gold set the Pokégear aside immediately.
The Ambipom held out the object it was holding: a small, blank notepad that Gold had been using lately to draw. Drawing had become a hobby of Gold’s over the past few months; the pages were almost entirely filled with pencil sketches of whatever he felt like doodling. But he didn’t understand why Aitaro was holding it. He tried to get a better look at the Pokémon’s face, and in fact, it seemed more embarrassed than upset, as he’d thought before.
“What’s wrong with my notebook?” Gold asked.
The Ambipom pulled the notebook closer to itself and began flipping through the pages until it landed on a specific one. It was just a drawing he’d made a few months ago of his friend Silver. It was a bit cartoonish and showed the girl full-body, wearing her usual clothes, with a happy look on her face and her Weavile near her feet. It wasn’t one of his best drawings. Gold still didn’t understand what Aitaro meant by that.
“What about Silver?” he asked again.
Aitaro looked sheepish and held the notebook closer to the trainer, tapping his paw on a specific spot on the page: the drawing of Weavile.
“Silver’s Weavile?” Gold continued.
The Ambipom lowered the notebook and nodded, flashing a smile.
Ever since they’d started hanging out together more often, Aitaro and Silver’s Weavile had become practically inseparable. Almost as if they were best friends, just like their Trainers.
“Did something happen to him?”
He shakes his head.
“Do you want to see him?”
He smiles and nods.
“Oh, Aitaro,” he laughs, placing his palm on the Pokémon’s head. “Relax, Silver’s coming over to our house today. I’ll ask her to bring him.”
Aitaro drops the notepad and celebrates, jumping up and down and clapping his heels together.
“Gold?” says a voice from the doorway. Gold turns, meeting his mother’s gaze as she stares at him, her hand still on the doorknob.
“Oh, hi, Mom! 'morning,” he says, picking up the notepad Aitaro had dropped.
“Good morning, Gold. I sent Aitaro to wake you up, and you’re not even up yet?” She put her hands on her hips.
“I’m already awake!” He closes his eyes. “It’s just that I had to do a few things before…”
“Happy birthday, son!” She interrupts, hugging the boy. “My little boy is all grown up!”
“Thanks, Mom,” he smiles, returning the hug. “Where’s my present?”
“Wasn’t conceiving you present enough?” She steps back from the hug.
Gold doesn’t answer; he just stares at her with a confused look.
“I’m just kidding, son,” she laughs. “Get up.”
Gold and his mom then leave the room and head toward the kitchen. For this birthday, she’d made a special breakfast for him. Plus, that afternoon he’d have to help her set up the party space, since the house would be hosting all ten guests that night.
Gold knew he’d be busy all afternoon until it was time for the party, so first he grabs his Pokégear to see if anyone else had commented on the rules or asked him anything.
GREEN:
Why can’t I bring alcohol, too?
BLUE:
It’s an 18th birthday party.
GREEN:
In some regions, you can already drink at that age
BLUE:
Yeah, but his party is in Johto.
RED:
i cannot wear tight clothes because they’re too sensual
GREEN:
Of course you can't Don’t you remember what happened the other times?
RED:
oh right sorry sometimes i wear them without realizing it
BLUE:
You can come if you want, Red.
GREEN:
Do not listen to Blue
YELLOW:
Chuchu’s going, but I’m going to keep her far away from the cake.
RED:
cool she and Pika are going to meet up
YELLOW:
Yeah!!
YELLOW:
Him, Chuchu, and Pibu.
CRYSTAL:
hi, everyone
CRYSTAL:
what a group
CRYSTAL:
Is Gold calling the shots?
RED:
to behave around his mom
CRYSTAL:
oh, right
CRYSTAL:
I just saw ittt
CRYSTAL:
have you guys gotten a gift yet?
GREEN:
The party’s today, who hasn’t gotten a gift yet?
CRYSTAL:
I got mine yesterday
CRYSTAL:
I just wanted to know if I was the last one to get one :^
YELLOW:
What are these symbols?
CRYSTAL:
It’s a keyboard emoji :)
YELLOW:
:)
YELLOW:
That’s cool!
RUBY:
I already bought the perfect gift
BUGSY:
Mine wasn’t hard to figure out...
CRYSTAL:
good morning, everyone
SAPPHIRE:
what did u guys get
SAPPHIRE:
i only know about rubys
RUBY:
Better not say anything. Gold’s in this group
CRYSTAL:
true
SAPPHIRE:
got it
He kept smiling as he read the messages, but he didn’t finish reading them or get a chance to reply to any of his friends because his mom had called him, shouting his name from the living room. He knew it was time to help her prepare for the party, so he put down his Pokégear. At least, he headed to the living room with a smile on his face, knowing he’d be getting some really cool gifts that night.
.:.
The afternoon was almost over when the preparations were finally done, which meant Gold had plenty of time to get ready. He took a shower, put on an orange shirt and black capri pants—different from what he usually wore. He smoothed down some of the messy strands of his hair in front of the mirror, ignoring how they sprang back into place after he fixed them, and with the time he had left, all he had to do was wait for the first guest to arrive.
And it didn’t take long for him to come.
Gold heard the knocking at the front door from his room. His mother quickly called out to him as Gold ran to the door, with Aitaro right behind him. Opening the door, Gold was greeted by the first guest: his good friend Red.
Red smiled, then signaled, Good evening, Gold. Pika was perched on his shoulder, also greeting him with a characteristic smile. Lately, Red had been communicating only through sign language—which wasn’t much of a problem for Gold, who knew the language. But it had become a bit difficult for others, like Blue, who had gone out of his way to learn sign language just to understand Red.
“Hey, Red!” He smiled, greeting the other boy.
Red’s cap covered his head; he hadn’t taken it off even at the birthday party. He was carrying a gift bag over his shoulder, but Gold’s smile faded when he looked down at Red’s clothes. Red was wearing a tight T-shirt.
“Oh, my,” Gold began, putting one hand to his head, with no idea how to finish his next sentence.
Red pointed at himself with a confused expression. He clearly didn’t know what was wrong.
“Did you see what I sent in that group chat?” Gold asked, narrowing his eyes and turning his attention back to Red’s face, who nodded.
“Then why did you show up in a shirt that’s so… Um… tight?” He finished the sentence quickly. A slight blush spread across Red’s face, and he looked down, examining his own T-shirt more closely.
I swear I didn't notice, he gestured, followed by Sorry.
Red looked incredibly embarrassed as he replied. And Gold couldn't help but sympathize with the way he reacted.
“No problem, Red. It's not like you can go change. Breaking a little rule here and there doesn't hurt,” he concluded, stepping aside from the doorway so Red could enter.
The boy stepped inside with a relieved smile on his face. Gold’s mother was nearby and greeted Red, without seeming to notice the outfit that Gold deemed 'too sensual' by the rules—so that would be the least of their problems.
Gold pushed the door lightly to close it, but just as it was about to touch the frame, something prevented it from shutting.
“Hey, don’t close it!” a voice exclaimed from behind the door. What was preventing Gold from closing it was a sneaker on the floor. The person pulled the doorknob, revealing Crystal standing behind the door.
“Hey there, Crys!” Gold greeted her.
“Hi, Gold. Happy birthday!” She smiled.
The girl had her usual hairstyle; her white jacket covered her red shirt, and a silver star pendant on her chest glinted in the light from inside. A long denim skirt fell to her feet, and she was carrying a simple box in her hands.
“Crys!” Gold’s mother arrived at the door to greet the girl.
“Hi, Auntie!” Crystal exclaimed. “Before I forget, where should I put the present?”
“Over there on that table,” she pointed. “Come on in.”
Inside the house, Red also seemed a little confused about where to put the presents. The good part was that he listened to Gold’s mother and put his own gift on the table.
Gold closed the door for a moment, figuring no one else would show up for now. Most of them live far away, so he didn’t expect everyone to arrive right on time.
He spent some time just chatting with Crystal and Red. Then he heard more knocks on the door, a little louder than Red’s. Gold opened the door to welcome the new guest.
“You guys know I have a doorbell—” Gold paused, getting a better look at the girls in front of him.
“Good evening, Gold! Happy birthday, bitch!” Green greeted Gold, holding a gift bag in her hands. She tapped her white boots on the floor; she was wearing a black outfit consisting of a turtleneck with a generous neckline paired with a skirt of the same color, held in place by a chain belt. In fact, Gold couldn’t tell if it was a separate outfit or a dress. Besides, she was carrying a small, unassuming purse that swung with her arms as she moved them.
“Thanks, Green,” he replied, a little awkwardly. It didn’t matter much, though, since his eyes had settled on the girl next to her: his friend Silver.
She didn’t seem to want to draw much attention to herself, her silver eyes resting on everything but Gold. An open blue hoodie covered her white blouse, which featured some lace patterns. The blue skirt she wore fluttered in the wind along with her long hair and the bag similar to Green’s in her hands, and… Was that makeup?
Green headed inside, and Silver followed her. She went in, but left the redhead behind when Gold stopped her.
“Come on, aren’t you going to say hi to the birthday boy?” He smirked.
“I thought I’d talk to him after I got inside his house,” Silver retorted.
“Wow. Well then, go on in, princess,” he said, closing his eyes and making a courtly bow. Silver would have retorted again, but she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t gotten used to Gold’s jokes over the past few months.
He broke the pose and closed the door for good, just as another guest arrived. Meanwhile, he followed Silver over to talk to her.
First of all, the girl held out the gift bag she was carrying to Gold.
“What’s that?” he asked without thinking.
“Oh, um… Hah, it’s my Weavile’s barf,” she said, touching one hand to her neck. Gold laughed.
“All right, then. There’s a place to put the gifts, put your ‘barf’ there,” he replied.
Silver doesn’t say another word; she just takes a step in the direction she was heading. Gold, behind her, feels something nudge his leg. It’s Aitaro, whom Gold had almost forgotten was nearby.
“Hey, Silver, wait!” He follows her. “Did you bring Weavile?”
“What do you want him for?” She stops.
“Did you bring him or not?”
“Yes, I did. But…”
“Can you let him out of the Poké Ball, please? Aitaro wants to see him.”
Silver raises an eyebrow, but pulls a single Poké Ball from her pocket and releases the Pokémon. She doesn’t look back before continuing on her way, and Gold is surprised when Weavile playfully jumps onto Aitaro. They really seem to have become best friends.
The next guest knocks on the door aggressively. Gold opens the door, already a little annoyed by the rudeness.
“I have a doorbell—” Gold muttered before seeing Whitney standing at the door.
“Hey, Gold,” she said, adjusting a large, clipped gift bag on her shoulder. The gust of wind ruffled her pink hair, styled as usual. She was wearing a gray tank top with white lace detailing at the neckline and denim shorts with a black belt wrapped around her hips. Gold narrowed his eyes when his attention fell on the stockings covering the girl’s legs: they were fishnet stockings, the kind he’d referred to as “whore socks” earlier.
“Did you read the group chat?” He stared at her face.
“I did,” she smiled before sighing deeply. “Look, I don’t think your mom will mind. The holes are so small you can’t even tell from a distance,” she replied confidently.
Gold’s gaze returned to the stockings. They weren’t very sheer, and from a distance, they really could pass for regular pantyhose.
“Couldn’t you have picked out a different pair of stockings?”
“These were the ones I had to match the outfit. Are you going to let me in or not?”
Gold looked inside the house and saw his mother talking with Crys and Red while glancing at whoever was at the door. She didn’t seem to want to intervene.
“Okay, breaking one little rule won’t hurt.” He stepped aside from the doorway.
“Thanks.” She walked in. The bag in her hands made a clinking sound as she walked.
“Wait. Are those milk bottles?” he interjected.
Whitney responded by putting a finger to her lips and saying “shh” as she entered the house. Gold slapped his palm against his face while reaching out with his other arm to close the door.
The door didn’t close. Something was blocking the opening. Gold looked down again and spotted someone’s heel, encased in a black shoe. The boy opened the door, which first revealed the back of a boy wearing baggy jeans. It was Blue, who turned quickly to look at Gold. Such elegance.
“Happy birthday, Gold,” he said.
Finally, someone who wasn’t breaking the dress code. The necklace around Blue’s neck matched the spiky style of his hair. He was wearing a dark red T-shirt with a cream-colored print of something Gold didn’t bother to look at. And he was holding a shoebox with one of his arms.
“Hey, Blue!” he greeted him.
“I’m a little late. I hope it’s not time for ‘Happy Birthday’ yet,” he teased.
“Not at all, there aren’t many people here yet,” Gold said, waving his hand dismissively.
“Has Red arrived yet? I don’t see him,” he said, looking over Gold’s head as Gold snorted.
“Yes, Blue. In fact, he was the first to arrive,” Gold grumbled.
“Great,” Blue said, stepping forward and entering the house.
“Aren’t you breaking a rule here?” Gold asked, closing the door.
“If I did, too bad,” he replied, turning his back on Gold.
The house seemed to get more and more crowded with each guest who arrived. Whitney and Crys were chatting together; Green had taken a pink bottle out of her purse and was now showing it to Silver; Gold’s mom was talking to Red in sign language; and Blue had just arrived. Gold was about to strike up a conversation with someone else when he heard the doorbell ring. Finally.
“Hey…” Gold opened the door but had to look down to see the girl’s face. “Yellow! Good evening.”
“Hi! Happy birthday, Gold!” she said. Her long, flowery dress fluttered slightly in the breeze. A delicate golden necklace rested on her neck, and a pink beret covered her head—but not her ponytail. In her hands, she held a small cardboard box with holes in it. Just like Red, her Pikachu companion, Chuchu, was perched on her shoulder.
“Is that Yellow?!” Green asked from inside the house, approaching the two of them. “Hi, Yellow!” she waved.
“Hi, Green,” she smiled. Gold stepped aside from the doorway to let the girl pass.
After that, the next guests to arrive were Ruby and Sapphire together. Ruby arrived carrying a gift bag that looked far too fancy for such a small present, and Sapphire held a cardboard box in her hands. The last to arrive was Bugsy, who apologized for being so late, holding a box two times larger than their own head.
Even though Gold had spent so much time greeting other guests, his house seemed to have filled up in the blink of an eye. Now, the young people were alone, since Gold’s mother was busy in another room. But she’d be back soon.
Gold perked up when he saw that the pile of gifts was now much bigger than the last time he’d peeked. Besides, people seemed to be chatting normally, with no one appearing to be left out.
Red, Blue, Yellow, Ruby, Sapphire, and Crystal were talking. Next to them, Green, Whitney, Bugsy, and Silver were together—though Silver didn’t seem all that interested in what the others were saying. Some of them were holding glasses of soda or juice, which Gold figured his mom had served earlier. He set a glass down on the table for himself, listening to what the first group was talking about.
“I can’t believe I was the only one who wore something gold,” Yellow remarked. But her voice didn’t sound upset. “I searched my whole house for something like that.”
“What do you mean?” Sapphire asked.
“In the group chat, Gold set some rules and said everyone had to wear something gold,” Blue replied.
“Oh, right. I didn’t read the rules carefully,” Sapphire admitted.
“Wait, but I read them to you,” Ruby crossed her arms.
“I didn't...”
“If you read it, why didn't you wear gold, Ruby?” Crystal interrupted.
“I got distracted while I was getting ready. But it’s okay because almost no one cared about that rule.”
“I cared,” Yellow replied.
“Don’t worry, Yellow. My earrings are technically gold, too,” she said, pointing to the star-shaped earring in her ear.
“Hi, everyone,” Gold finally joined the conversation. Everyone greeted him as well.
“Happy birthday, man,” Ruby said again.
“Thanks,” Gold replied. “What’s today’s topic?”
“Your group chat,” Blue stated.
“Oh, the group chat. I needed to set some rules.”
“Let’s face it, some of them weren’t really necessary,” Ruby retorted.
“Oh, come on. I can’t really trust some of you.”
“Like who?” Sapphire asked.
“Red, did you wear a shirt like that on purpose?” Blue murmured, resting his arm on Red, who widened his eyes before shaking his head repeatedly.
“Like Blue! Did you guys hear that?” Gold exclaimed. The rest laughed.
“Come on! I was just asking!” Blue insisted.
“That’s literally the third rule,” Gold said, crossing his arms.
“It’s not like we’re going to break every rule, either,” Crystal commented. “If I’m not mistaken, there’s a rule about not eating the Pokémon’s food.”
“I said in the message, I don’t doubt a thing you guys do,” Gold teased, stepping out of the circle.
The boy heads straight for the second small group, looking confused as he sees Green hide a pink bottle in her bag the moment Gold arrives.
“Hi, girls—and Bugsy,” Gold waves.
“What’s up, birthday boy?” Green replies.
“Happy birthday, Gold,” Bugsy says.
“What’s the subject today?” he asks. Green hesitates before saying anything.
“About your Typhlosion,” Whitney replies.
“Huh?”
A large shadow falls over Gold’s body. The boy turns around and is surprised to see Explotaro standing behind him.
“Explotaro!” Gold exclaims, turning toward the Pokémon. The Typhlosion looked like it had just woken up from a nap. The boy was so distracted by the Pokémon that he didn’t notice how many people had gathered in the room when Explotaro arrived.
“Speaking of Pokémon, where are Chuchu and Pika?” Gold heard Crystal ask.
“Over there on the floor. They’re together,” Yellow points out.
“That phrase reminded me of Diamond,” Gold said, turning to the two of them. “It’s a shame he and Pearl couldn’t make it today.”
“Of course they couldn’t. Sinnoh is about two oceans away from Johto,” Blue remarked.
“I was just wondering,” Gold said, pausing to pet Explotaro’s head.
Behind Gold, he hears unusual sounds, as if someone were trying to stifle a laugh. He turns his gaze again and finds Sapphire with one hand over her mouth, watching the two of them.
“What’s the matter, Sapphire?” Gold puts his hands on his hips, thinking Sapphire was making fun of him.
“Nothing,” her voice trembled. “It’s just that Explotaro looks a little different from the last time I saw him.”
“What? What do you mean?” Gold took his hand off Typhlosion.
“He’s a little chubby, is all” she admitted.
“What?!” Gold turns around. Even Explotaro himself shot Sapphire a shocked look.
“Relax, Gold. He must be really happy to be like this,” she smiles.
“Sapphire, don’t call Gold’s chubby Pokémon ‘chubby,’” Ruby whispers. “It might offend him.”
“Explotaro isn’t chubby! Watch your mouth before you talk about him like that,” Gold exclaimed. Explotaro’s ears drooped at the comments.
“It’s okay for a Pokémon to be a little chubby,” Whitney interjects. “A well-fed Pokémon is a happy Pokémon.”
“Yeah, Pikachu are round, but they’re still cute,” Yellow says, picking Chuchu up off the ground to speak.
“I think we’ve had enough of this discussion about Explotaro’s physique,” Crystal interjected.
Red approached Gold and nudged his shoulder lightly. Gold turned around, and Red signaled, Where are your Pokémon?
“Oh, I have several,” he said, turning his head. “Pibu, in fact, is right there,” he pointed toward the door.
The little Pichu was watching the party guests from a distance, leaning against the door. Pika, who was on Red’s shoulder, hopped toward him.
That’s when a nagging thought crossed Gold’s mind. It had been a while since he’d last seen Silver. He began searching every corner of the room, but couldn’t find her.
If she’s not inside the house, she’s probably upstairs or outside, Gold thought. Silver would sometimes come over to Gold’s house, so she knew her way around. He first went out the door and headed to the front of the house. She wasn’t far from where Pibu was.
She was leaning against the wall. In front of her, on the lawn, were Aitaro and Weavile, battling without any commands. And as he approached Silver, he could hear her humming softly. He didn’t recognize the tune.
“Hi, Sil,” Gold said.
Silver, standing in front of him, nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Hi, Gold,” she said, turning around, a little embarrassed by her reaction.
“Seeing Aitaro and Weavile? Why aren’t you inside?”
“I got hot,” she replied without looking at him.
“There are cold drinks inside. Let’s go in!” He took her by the wrist and, without waiting for an answer, went back inside the house.
Inside, Gold’s mother had returned and set the birthday cake on the table. As always, it would be a while before it was actually time to eat, but that meant he’d have more time to chat with her friends.
Silver stopped to drink a cup of soda that was already on the table. Crystal and Yellow were standing together near the table, with the blonde carrying Chuchu on her shoulder. The trouble started when the Pikachu leaned over and jumped onto the table to get closer to the cake. Yellow, though surprised, managed to catch Chuchu in time.
“I told you not to trust Chuchu near the table!” Gold exclaimed.
“Sorry, Gold!” she protested, then lifted Chuchu up to face level. “I told you not to keep jumping on things!” she whispered to Chuchu, but laughed when she saw that the tip of the Pikachu’s snout was smeared with whipped cream.
“Gold,” Silver said from beside him.
"What's up?" Gold answers quickly.
“You haven’t let go of my wrist yet,” she says, staring at him. Gold feels his face flush when he realizes his hand is still firmly gripping Silver’s wrist through her sleeve.
“Sorry,” he says, letting go, embarrassed.
Gold’s gaze shifts to the floor as he watches Chuchu move away from the table and head toward Pika, smearing whipped cream on Pikachu’s cheek. Pibu, who had been standing next to Pika, stands up to lick the cream off his father’s face. Gold smiles at the scene.
“What’s up?” Silver asks.
“Nothing,” he mutters. “So, Silver. What do you think of the party?”
“It’s cool.”
“Is that all?”
“What else would I say?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Something very Silver…” He wraps his arm around her shoulder.
“Hey, isn’t that breaking rule number ten?”
“I’m not making a move on you. And… Wait, didn’t you say you weren’t going to read the rules?”
“I read them all so I can break every single one,” she crosses her arms.
“Very funny,” he replies sarcastically.
“Hey, Gold,” Bugsy calls out to the boy, pointing at something on a shelf. Gold steps closer. “I didn’t think you’d have one of these at home.” It was an old-fashioned figurine, perched on a high shelf.
“Oh yeah, my mom loves history. She has more in her room,” Gold replied.
“That’s cool!” Bugsy exclaimed.
“I think I stole one of those once,” Silver commented, still standing next to Gold.
“You’re crazy, don’t say that around her!” he grumbled.
Another group had formed next to them. Crystal was with Ruby and Blue, exchanging a few words.
“Mint is such a cute word, too bad they used it to name these things,” Gold hears Crystal say. He moves a little closer to the group to hear better.
“I can totally see someone naming their Pokémon Mint,” Ruby says.
“I’ve never used it myself,” Blue replies, “But—”
“Guys, didn’t I make a rule against talking about this around my mom?” Gold asks.
“Oops, sorry, Gold!” Crystal apologizes.
“Guys, shouldn't we keep our voices down?” Ruby suggests.
Gold, worried, tries to spot his mom in the room. She’s still there, but busy talking to the angel on earth who was Red. Gold sighed with relief, seeing that at least she didn’t seem to have heard anything.
Soon, his mother headed for the door and left the room. The young people were alone again. However, even without his mother around, no one could make too much of a mess in the house. Even a drink accidentally spilled on the floor would be on Gold’s head.
Green and Yellow stopped next to the boy, and he could hear what they were saying. The taller one took that same pink bottle out of her bag again. It was light pink and had a little Jigglypuff face drawn on it. With the bottle in her hands, she whispered something to Yellow.
“Do you know what’s inside?” Green asked.
“What?” Yellow murmured. Green opened the cap.
“It’s gin,” she laughed. “Just don’t tell Gold.”
“Huh? Green, you can’t bring that here!” Yellow said, a little too loudly.
“Don’t say that so loud!”
“Gin?!” Gold exclaims. Green quickly stashes the bottle back in her bag. “Come on, Green!”
“I didn’t even drink it!” Green retorts.
“Oh, really? Then why bring it?” Gold points to the bag.
“Well… I didn’t drink it. Whitney, on the other hand…” She rests her chin in her hand.
“I don’t believe it,” Gold facepalms. “Where is she?”
“She went over there,” Green points to one of the doors. Gold heads toward her.
“And you throw that away! Or save it to drink somewhere else. Not in my house,” he says, pointing at Green.
“I’m not crazy enough to throw that away!” She retorts.
“Yellow, get your girlfriend under control!” Gold concludes.
“M-me?” she asks. But Gold had already left the room.
Whitney was in that room, next to some bags of Pokémon food, with Sapphire by her side.
“What are you guys doing?!” Gold thunders.
“Whitney went crazy and started eating Pokémon food,” Sapphire explains.
“She’s drunk!” Gold complains. The girl’s remark began to sound ironic when he noticed a half-eaten Pokémon treat in Sapphire’s hand.
“Don’t tell me you joined her in eating Pokémon food? And my Pokémon food,” he said, pulling the bag of food away from Whitney, who grunted.
“Look, Gold, I just wanted to see if it was good,” she said.
“You what?!”
“If it wasn’t healthy food, I’d have you exchange it—simple as that,” she clapped her hands together, wiping her gloves. Gold took a deep breath.
“Okay, Sapphire,” Gold walks toward the door. “I deserve this,” he mutters.
“This one’s safe, okay?!” Sapphire exclaims.
“Alright,” Gold replies irritably before leaving the room.
The party was chaos. And Gold likes chaos, but not the kind where everything happens inside his own house. Even worse, he was the one in charge of it. He walked through the living room after the scolding he’d had to give, praying that he’d look up and no one would be making a mess or that the room wouldn’t have turned into a free-for-all the moment he left the room.
And, for once, it wasn’t. The noise was still the hubbub of all the topics being discussed in that room and the music they’d put on. Green and Yellow had disappeared, which made Gold wonder if they’d probably gone to throw away the drink.
He saw Silver and Crystal talking. Silver seemed to be listening more than speaking while Crystal led the conversation. Gold thought about going over to them, but decided against it. After everything that had happened, he needed to catch his breath a bit before resuming his role as host.
“No, but if someone did that to me, I wouldn’t have any other choice. There should be a law that allows ki…” Silver was saying. Gold caught part of her sentence as he walked past the two girls.
He crossed the room and then went upstairs. He walked down the hallway, past his bedroom door, and arrived at one of the upstairs rooms, which had a balcony.
During the day, he usually stays on the balcony when it’s not too sunny, or while he’s eating, but at night it offers a great view of the sky. He didn’t plan on staying there for long—after all, his party was happening downstairs.
Crystal finished speaking, and Silver smiled politely. Perhaps she hadn’t heard half of what Crys said because the music and the conversations of others going on at the same time drowned out any softer sounds.
Silver wasn’t the type to go to parties. It was the kind of place she could slip away from unnoticed, but there was no reason to do so when she was surrounded by friends and acquaintances and it was her best friend’s birthday—not some noisy place full of strangers. Even so, hearing the muffled laughter nearby made her realize that everyone there seemed to have fun more easily than she did. It was a strange way to feel out of place in a normal setting.
Silver excused herself. Instead of leaving through the front door, she went up the stairs. The sound of her footsteps was barely there; she knew the texture of the stairs by heart from all the times she’d climbed them to go to Gold’s room. But she was heading toward the balcony to get some fresh air, in silence.
What she didn’t expect to find was Gold, standing alone as the wind ruffled the stray strands of his hair. His gaze was fixed on the ground, but out of the corner of his eye, his eyes met Silver’s behind him.
“Silver?” Gold straightens his posture, turning to face the girl. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I just wanted to get some fresh air,” Silver replies.
She approaches and leans against the railing next to him. Gold keeps looking down, and Silver follows his gaze.
“I thought you were still downstairs,” Silver comments.
“I needed a break. Whitney ate Pokémon food,” he laments.
“She what?”
“She was drunk.”
“No, I already knew that.”
“You knew she was drunk at my party?”
“I saw Green bringing a bottle of gin over here. I just didn’t know Whitney was such a lightweight,” she admits.
“You knew Green was bringing alcohol?” He stares at her. Silver doesn’t answer; she just stares back at him. “Oh, of course you knew,” he laughs. The two of them start gazing at the neighborhood on the horizon.
“It looks like there are a thousand people inside. But there are only about nine,” Silver begins.
“At least it’s quiet up here, since everyone’s downstairs.”
“It’s been a long time since I last saw your balcony. We’re always in your room or the living room,” she says, gripping the railing.
“Oh, it’s summer. You can only come out here at night if you don’t want to get a tan.”
“Or get roasted.”
“Yeah.”
A Murkrow crosses the sky, flapping its wings silently, without obscuring the stars.
“I don’t think I’ll make it through to the ‘Happy Birthday’ part,” she says.
“Come on. Why not?”
“If I had to come up here just to breathe.”
“That’s true. By the time we go back down, someone’s bound to have died down there already,” he laughs.
“Who’d be the killer?”
“Um…” He thinks. “Blue.”
“The same Blue who hit on Red because he showed up in a tight shirt,” she smiles.
“Did you hear him say that?”
“Who didn’t?”
“Oh, I warned Red not to come dressed like that.”
“He probably didn’t even notice.”
“Blue noticed. Everyone noticed, actually.”
“Poor guy.”
From a distance, you could see that Murkrow had now landed on a tree. It was holding a Caterpie in its beak.
“Crys was trying to guess what gift Ruby brought earlier,” she says, tapping one foot on the porch floor.
“Did she guess right?” Gold asks.
“No, of course not. But even if she had, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“What’s yours?”
“Didn’t you hear what I said?”
“I was just thinking,” Gold says, grabbing the railing next to Silver. “I think Green still hasn’t thrown her drink away.”
“She wouldn’t throw it away even if her life depended on it. I don’t know what you were expecting when you invited her to the party.”
“Come on. I set very clear rules.”
“For Green.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I think at least she’s not offering it to others anymore.” He takes a deep breath. “It’s really hard being the host of this party like this.”
“Nobody told you to invite eleven people.”
“I invited ten people.”
“Blue’s two personalities count,” Silver replies. Gold laughs.
“For real.” Gold remarks. “Bugsy must have stopped to chat with my Pokémon about five minutes ago, too,”
“That’s why Whitney went to eat some Pokémon food. Her partner wasn’t there to hold her back.”
“Are they dating?”
“I dunno, sometimes it seems like it.”
“Oh,” he laughs. “There are already enough couples at this party.”
Silver doesn’t answer. She just looks up and stares at the stars, smiling.
Her hair blew in the wind, like seaweed drifting in the ocean. It created a beautiful contrast with the dark blue of the sky and her bright red hair. She wasn’t looking at Gold, but rather at the landscape ahead of them, which gave Gold the chance to watch her from a distance. But he stopped and looked up, gazing at the stars that filled the night sky.
The music playing at the party stopped, and a different song began to play in its place.
The Murkrow was now pecking at a Weedle’s body. On the branch next to it, a Hoothoot was wiping its beak on the wood.
“I could live here,” she says.
“Really?”
“Yeah, a house with a porch and surrounded by Pokémon. It seems nice.”
She looked happy.
It had been a while since Gold had seen her smile like that.
Her silver eyes gazed at every star in the sky. Gold’s did too, but he didn’t see what Silver might be reading in the constellations. He could only see the reflection of the stars in her eyes.
“You know what’s funny? The more I get to know you as a friend, the more I want to discover you in other ways,” he says, offhandedly.
Silver quickly takes her eyes off the stars and glances at Gold.
“What does that mean?” The beginning of her reply comes out shaky. Gold smiles.
“I… Oh, I don’t know,” he assured her. His smile faded when he realized Silver was staring at him with wide eyes and a slightly blank expression.
“I think that sounded a little too romantic,” he says, placing his hand on his neck, embarrassed.
“I don’t think that’s ‘what's funny’,” she says, taking a step back.
“Sorry!” he laughs, trying to hide how tense his body had become at the comment.
Neither of them could think of anything else to say.
But he stopped and looked up, gazing at the stars.
The wind continued to blow between them. From the living room, the muffled laughter of his friends drifted up, mingling with the music playing downstairs.
Silver tilted her head toward the sky. Gold spent a few seconds staring at the floor, wishing he could take his words back.
“Gold! Come blow out the candles!” his mother shouted from downstairs.
“I’m coming!” he replied. Silver watched him for a few seconds as he left the room to go downstairs, and she followed right behind him.
“Am I interrupting something?!” Bugsy exclaimed at the door to Gold’s room. The boy heard a 'shh' come from inside the room itself.
“Shut up, Bugsy, you insectwink!” Green’s voice echoes from inside the room.
“You what???” he replies, incredulous.
“What’s going on?!” Gold asks. He notices that Bugsy is holding his skateboard in their hands, but he’s too preoccupied to look inside the room.
Sitting on his bed is Green. In front of her, Yellow is still standing.
“It’s not what you're thinking!” Yellow interjects.
“I told you not to use my bed!” Gold says, looking at Green.
While the commotion was going on, Silver took advantage of the distraction to slip out of the hallway without looking back.
“Okay, my bad!” Green says, getting up.
Gold stares at Bugsy beside him, then at the skateboard in their hands.
“Why are you holding that?” Gold asks, stepping away from the door.
“Uh, I…” Bugsy began. “Look, I accidentally tripped over it just now, and I think I broke it…”
“Huh?” Gold said as Green and Yellow left the room. Looking more closely at Bugsy’s face, their forehead was a little red from the fall they’d taken after tripping. But other than that, the skateboard seemed intact.
“Hand it over,” he says, taking the skateboard from Bugsy’s hands. “Where’s it broken?”
“It was one of the wheels…” they laments, pointing to one of the wheels. It was slightly bent and out of place. Bugsy stared at Gold with a very worried look.
“Oh no, that was already like that,” Gold replies. “It got bent the day before yesterday, but I didn’t have time to fix it because of the party.”
“Phew, that’s a relief,” Bugsy says.
“Now put it back where you found it,” Gold hands the skateboard back to Bugsy.
“I-I… I don’t remember where it was,” Bugsy stutters, holding the skateboard as if it were something very heavy.
“Leave it there, then,” Gold replies.
After that, he runs down the stairs as fast as he can, before his mom starts complaining.
Then came the long-awaited moment when Gold would blow out the candles on his eighteenth birthday cake. The birthday song went well—if you ignore the part where Whitney sang off-key on purpose. But it still made for some good moments.
Right after the singing, Gold’s mom stopped everyone to take a picture of the guests. Everyone started getting into position after Gold’s mom said that anyone not in the photo wouldn’t get to eat.
Then everyone started posing for the camera; Yellow held Chuchu in her arms, Ruby and Sapphire stood side by side, Pika climbed onto Red’s cap to be in the picture, and Blue almost gave the middle finger when he wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. Everyone was getting into position.
That’s when Gold noticed Silver was still looking for a place to fit in. It would be great to have Silver by his side for the photo, and there was a spot right next to him where Silver could stand.
“Silver, come here!” Gold exclaimed.
Silver looked at the spot, then looked at Gold. In the end, she crossed the table and positioned herself on the opposite side.
For Gold, it was a little disconcerting to see Silver act that way. It was hard to smile for the photo when he felt confused by it, but the photo session was over.
Finally, the participants were served. Soon, the voices began to drift apart again. Even so, Gold kept looking for Silver among his friends.
She was sitting and eating; Crystal had just sat down next to her with a smile on her face, and they’d started talking.
It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to talk to her after that, especially while she was eating. So Gold decided to join one of the small groups before doing so.
If talking in small groups wouldn’t bring him closer to her.
Even from there, he kept watching to see how she was doing—whether she was with Crys, Green, or Yellow; whether she was eating or had already finished. Then there came a moment when she was alone, so Gold approached her.
As soon as he got close, she didn’t look back at him; she just got up and blended into the crowd. Gold would have followed her, if someone else hadn’t pulled him into another group.
“So, Gold,” Crystal begins, “When are you going to start opening your presents?”
“Well…” He glances around. “I’m done eating, so I think I can go now.”
“Thank Arceus! I’ve been trying for hours to get Red to tell us what his present is,” Blue says, crossing his arms.
“I wonder why he won’t tell us, huh…” Crys remarks.
“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll start with Red’s present,” Gold says as he approaches the pile of presents and picks up Red’s bag.
Then a crowd of guests surrounds Gold, curious to know what the presents are. As usual, he shakes the bag, but hears nothing more than what sounds like something made of plastic mixed with something a little denser.
“It must be clothes,” Gold hears someone say.
“It’s clothes, and something else,” Gold replies. He opens the bag and takes out one of the items.
“A fan!” Gold exclaims. It’s a bluish portable fan. There was a button in the middle that Gold pressed, causing the fan to start working. “Thanks, Red!”
Red furrows his brow to signal, Summer is tough.
Gold takes the next item out of the bag, leaving the fan on the table. It’s a black T-shirt.
“I can’t believe it,” Blue says. The rest of the group seems to be laughing at the shirt.
“What’s the big deal?” Gold asks, seeing nothing more than a plain black T-shirt.
“Turn it over,” Crys says.
Gold turns his shirt inside out, and sure enough, it has a white print that says 'I’m 18.'
“Wow…” Gold struggles not to laugh “Thanks, Red.”
You’re welcome, he gestures.
“Pick someone for Gold to open the present.” Gold’s mom suggests to Red.
Red then looks around the crowd. He ends up pointing at Yellow.
“Me?” Yellow points to herself. Red nods in agreement. “Just a second,” she says, running outside.
“Where’s she going?” Gold asks.
“You’ll see,” Green replies.
Yellow quickly returns with the same box she’d been holding when she arrived. What set this box apart from all the others was that it had holes in it… and it chirped.
“Gold, guess what it is!” Yellow approached, holding out the box. It was easy to guess what it was from the constant chirping the box was making.
“Is it a… Pidgey?” Gold guessed. Yellow stepped back from him.
Of course, the box was too small to hold a normal Pidgey, but it could always be a mini Pidgey. Opening the box, Gold let out a surprised sigh when he saw a Torchic with a Poké Ball next to it.
“It’s a Torchic!” Gold held it in his hand. “Welcome, little guy!” he said to the Pokémon.
“Only Gold would get a Pokémon for his birthday,” Ruby commented.
“Take good care of it!” Sapphire exclaimed.
“I will,” Gold says, gazing into the Pokémon’s eyes for a few more seconds before putting it back in the Poké Ball. “Where’d you get one of those, Yellow?”
“It’s a long story,” Yellow replies. “Well, now I’ll pick out Blue’s present.”
“That’s great,” Blue replies.
Gold takes the box from Blue. He shakes it before opening it again.
“It’s not a shoe, it’s a…” Gold says. He opens the box easily and sees that it’s… a plushie. “Is that me?” Gold asks.
“Yeah,” Blue confirms. It was a small plushie of Gold.
“It even has my cap!” Gold exclaims in surprise. “Where’d you get this?”
“I asked a blonde girl to make it,” Blue replies.
“Thanks, man,” he says, continuing to stare at the toy.
“There’s another one,” Blue points to the box.
“There is!? Wow.” Gold picks up the box again; there was another plushie inside. This time, it was a Blue plushie.
“You?!” Gold asks. “Why is there one of you?”
“You deserve it,” Blue crosses his arms with a smug smile. “Now, I want the next one to be Ruby. He kept saying his is the best gift of all.”
“And it really is,” Ruby says.
Gold then picks up Ruby’s gift bag. He shakes it—it doesn’t make much noise, nor does it feel very heavy. He opens the bag and there’s…
“There are gloves!” Gold says, holding up a clear package containing fingerless gloves. He puts them on and wiggles his fingers. They’re just his size.
“I made them,” Ruby says, adjusting his glasses.
Gold opens the bag again. At the bottom, there’s another bag, which he opens to find a box—a pack of colored markers. Gold lets out a surprised sigh as he holds the package.
“Do you like it?” Ruby asks.
“I do!” Gold says. “Someone remembered that I draw! Now my drawings will have color,” Gold smiles.
“Now you’ll be able to be like that one Pokémon, Smeargle,” Ruby comments.
“I don’t have a great history with Smeargle, but thanks,” he said. Whitney snorted at the comment.
“Now I want to see Bugsy’s gift. The box they brought is really big,” Ruby said, putting his hands on his hips.
Gold took the box from Bugsy. It really was big, and whatever was inside had already shifted with Gold’s movement—he couldn’t actually shake it.
“What’s this?” Gold asks before opening the box.
It’s… an egg. A white egg with lilac spots.
“An egg! I didn’t see that one coming…” Gold holds the creature.
“What else could I give to ‘The Hatcher,’ right?” Bugsy replies.
“What species is this egg?”
“Well… That’s the problem,” Bugsy begins. “I couldn’t get in touch with anyone who could identify the species in time. So it’s kind of a mystery.”
“Huh?” Gold asks. Others around them asked the same question.
“Well, what I do know is that it’s from some kind of bug,” Bugsy says, scratching the back of their neck.
“Well, no matter what species it is, it’ll feel right at home here,” Gold smiled.
And that’s how the rest of the night went. Gold received several gifts; Whitney gave him ten MooMoo Milks, Sapphire gave him a simple ball, Crystal gave him an MP3 player along with a Typhlosion stuffed animal, and Green gave him a decorative dancing Cacturne. Each gift was given with at least a little thoughtfulness toward Gold. However, no one could stay that late at his house, so everyone said their goodbyes until Gold and his mom were alone at home again.
Gold was exhausted after the party, and so was his mother, so he decided he would help her tidy up the house the next morning.
Everything would have been fine for Gold, who was going to sleep after a tiring day—if it weren’t for a realization that popped into his head after the party.
After he started opening the presents, he hadn’t seen Silver again. She must have left right after eating. Which wasn’t all that unusual for her.
If no one had chosen Silver, where was her present?
He went back to look at the pile of presents—now all opened—and nothing new was there. And he was sure he’d seen Silver holding her own present when she arrived. So where was it?
He could always contact Silver the next day, so he let his sleepy mind take over his body to carry him to his room and go to sleep.
He would have fallen asleep immediately in his bed, if it weren’t for the bag of gifts that pressed against his back the moment he lay down.
Gold’s hands felt around the object, almost as if he were trying to make sure it was real and not just a figment of his sleepiness. He opened his eyes and sat up, staring at the bag.
Silver probably got the directions wrong and thought the gifts were meant for the bedroom, Gold thought. He opened the bag to see what was inside.
Honestly, he hadn’t expected the 'Weavile barf' that Silver had promised, but it wasn’t impossible. His hand reached for a plastic package. He lifted it up—it contained several stickers, the kind you stick on skateboards. Gold smiled briefly, putting the gift back into the bag—there was still something else inside.
He pulled out another item. It was a package of candy, still unopened. When he recognized the brand, his eyes widened.
About a year ago, Gold had mentioned in a conversation that this was his favorite candy. He spent a few seconds staring at the package.
…Does she still remember that? Gold thought.
He didn’t even remember saying that himself before that. He assumed that Silver had a very good memory.
Once again, he put the item back, searching for something else in the bag. The last item was something wrapped in aluminum foil. He unwrapped it, seeing that inside was another kind of treat. Probably some kind of cake. And probably homemade.
Not that he wasn’t going to do that anyway, but the aroma was too tempting for him to resist taking a bite.
The texture was delicate, and the flavor reminded him of dark chocolate, but it was sweet and appetizing—enough that Gold didn’t suspect anything was poisoned with the ingredients. It was definitely worth wrapping it up again and saving it for another day.
Gold smiled at the thought of her going to the trouble of making homemade candy for him as a gift.
.:.
Gold turned off the bedroom lights, now with only the empty gift bag at the foot of his bed.
Gold flopped down on the mattress, resting his head on the pillow, ready to sleep. He closed his eyes, continuing to think about the gifts he’d received, but Silver’s gifts kept circling his mind. Silver kept circling his miind.
Silver really does remember everything, he concluded.
He thought about the balcony for a moment.
I think that must have sounded way too romantic to her, Gold thought, lying on his side.
Did she take that too seriously?
He let out a short laugh.
No. Of course not.
Then he falls asleep.
He falls asleep without realizing that, at that very moment, Silver might be doing exactly the opposite—overthinking that single sentence Gold had said.