Chapter One Hundred and Nine

Lila woke far earlier than she intended to, shivering intensely under her blankets. It was a disgusting 10 degrees Celsius in her room, and therefore a massive slog to get herself sorted for sport. While she knew, logically, that hockey practice would help defrost her, her main concern was actually doing the practice whilst feeling so cold.

As she begrudgingly hauled herself to the shower, she could hear the wind lashing against the windows of her house. So, not only was it cold, but it was also windy. A match made in hell for someone living in Forestglade.

Quivering in her sports uniform after having left behind a cloud of hot steam in the bathroom, Lila flicked on the ducted heater for the top floor of the house. She hoped that she’d be able to feel the heat by the time she had to go, but it was awfully slow going despite the loudness of the yawning fan of the system.

With nothing else to do, Lila packed her overnight bag with trepidation. She’d confirmed with Asher last night that she would be staying, and he’d responded happily enough… but was he actually happy that she’d be staying over? He’d suggested it, but it seemed to be more out of convenience than anything else.

It still seemed as though it would just be a casual hang out over the weekend, so she packed with that in mind. A book or two, some comfortable pyjamas, and casual clothes, along with toiletries…

She glanced at her desk before remembering, with a rush of embarrassment, that she’d need to pack the Pill as well – something that she hadn’t needed to last time. She pulled her current packet out from her desk drawer and slipped it into her toiletry bag as though someone was watching her do something nefarious. Of course, she was entirely alone, but it still felt as though… well, as if it confirmed what was on her shameful mind over this past week.

She’d have to take it when Asher wasn’t looking, in case he thought she was expecting something to happen. Which, she wasn’t. Expecting and wanting were two very different concepts, after all.

With a sigh, Lila continued to rummage through her belongings, triple checking that she was packed and ready for the weekend as well as hockey. With half an hour to spare, she brought her bags and hockey stick down, mentally running through her manoeuvres and skills that she’d been learning, along with tactics that she’d need to employ against St Peters.

There was only so much thinking that she could do about hockey, however. As time ticked closer and closer to when she needed to leave for practice, it also meant that time ticked closer to staying over at Asher’s place. Heart throbbing in her chest, she desperately tried to run through her list of things that she could do with Asher that didn’t involve looking too closely at him, or just giving in to the idea of being friends with benefits. Perhaps it wasn’t as bad of an idea as she’d thought, despite her sister’s warning. Maybe it’d help her stop from going insane from having to suppress all these desires.

Lila clapped her face with both of her hands, dispelling the thought. She would stand firm. She’d never felt this way about anyone else – emotionally, romantically or sexually. It was of utmost importance for her to do things right – to give it the best chance at succeeding. After all… if they tried to start dating and it didn’t work out, Lila had no idea what she would do. Would it ruin their friendship? She couldn’t have that outcome, either. So, she needed to be strong – not give in to what she was feeling, no matter enticing the idea of acting out her thoughts was.

She wondered if perhaps that was why Asher was lingering on the idea of dating, too. Was he just as concerned as she was about it all?

“You’re going to get so many wrinkles,” Clare’s voice drifted to Lila, breaking her out of her thoughts. Bemused by the comment, she turned to Clare, who was still dressed in her pyjamas and stretching her arms by the entrance to the living room.

“You’re frowning up a storm,” Clare explained with a yawn. “Ready to go?”

“I thought Mum or Dad was taking me,” Lila replied, obediently picking up her bags. Clare shrugged.

“They were, but I asked to drop you off.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say, with the look on your face when I walked in here, I’m glad I took the burden off our parents,” Clare smirked, swinging her keys on her index finger. “Do you need a hand?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

Climbing into Clare’s car was a mission, owing to the number of bags Lila had, as well as her hockey stick.

“Looks like you’re running away for a week,” Clare snorted, helping Lila place her bags in the back from the driver’s seat.

“I’m just preparing,” Lila replied sulkily.

“For what? War?”

“Maybe.”

Clare laughed, clipping her seatbelt on. “Have you reached your limbo limit? If he doesn’t ask you out, you’re gonna fight him or something?”

“No…” Lila sighed, clipping her seatbelt on too, watching the scenery slowly change as Clare backed out of the driveway. “But… it would’ve been helpful to have an estimate as to how long he’d take to decide whether or not he’d want to date me.”

“Hearing you say that kinda stuff makes me feel worse about the Alex situation,” Clare mumbled as they turned around a roundabout. “I never told him how long I wanted our break to be.”

“Did you find out if he’s available this weekend?”

Clare tightened her grip on the steering wheel, looking intently at the road. “Chickened out.”

“Clare…”

“I know, I know. I said I’d try… but it’s terrifying. Honestly, the fact that he agreed so easily to a break scared the shit outta me. Like I was being rejected already.”

“You won’t know until you ask,” Lila replied sensibly. “Working up the courage to tell Asher I liked him was really scary, then he laughed at me. But… I guess it’s been fine in the end. So far. Well, besides the fact that he’s been confusing me.”

“You’re not really selling this whole being brave thing.”

“Sorry.”

Clare sighed deeply, shaking her head. “I’m just being silly, I know. I’ll ask if he’s free once I drop you off.”

“Good.”

Their silence was punctuated by Clare’s EDM beats for a minute or so before Clare spoke again.

“Have any luck with beating back your thoughts?” she asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“No,” Lila said sullenly. “I actually think it’s gotten worse.”

“What, you’re thinking even dirtier thoughts?”

“No… my anxiety about this whole weird situation I’m in with Asher. I briefly considered just going for a friends with benefits thing, to stop from going crazy over here. But… I don’t want to ruin the potential of our possible relationship. Like… if I give it up too easily, without dating properly, what’s the point in dating for real? Then, of course, what if our relationship, if we do start dating, ends up failing? Do I lose my best friend then?”

“I know it sounds hypocritical of me, but I think you need to just take this all one step at a time. You’re worrying about a future that’s not even an option right now, ‘cause you’d have to date him first for it to fail. Not that I think it will fail.”

“You don’t think it will?” Lila’s voice was small and hopeful as she cradled her phone in her lap, thumbing the side for comfort.

“Definitely not,” Clare smiled confidently. “He’s liked you for too long, and you two work so well together despite this weird situationship you’re in. I can only imagine how it’ll go once you get over this hurdle. You just have to make sure you communicate as best you can. Otherwise, you’ll be like your hapless older sister.”

“You’re not hapless. Just silly.”

“Haplessly silly. Either way, do as I say, not as I do, alright? That goes for most things, including being a dancer at a club.”

Lila half-heartedly smiled. “Alright, sis.”

“Good, good.”

They spent the rest of the drive talking about Lila’s upcoming game and avoiding the topic of Asher entirely. Lila suspected that this was intentional on Clare’s part, so didn’t try to bring him up.

Then, Lila was suddenly at Jacoval, laden with her bags and hockey stick, about to say goodbye to an encouraging Clare.

“You’ll be fine,” Clare said out the window with a firm nod. “Thoughts are just thoughts, after all. You’re not any worse for having them, even if they’re frustrating you. If you keep worrying about it, their power over you will just increase.”

“Thanks, Clare,” Lila sighed, hoisting her bags on her shoulder. “I’ll try and keep that in mind.”

“If you need rescuing, I’m sure Mum or Dad will come get you. Unfortunately, I’m working tonight.”

“You better follow through on your promise to try,” Lila said, narrowing her eyes at Clare. Clare bashfully smiled at Lila.

“How about I text you what he says when I ask if he’s free so that you can see that I did try,” Clare suggested. Lila nodded enthusiastically and Clare chuckled before saying, “See you on Sunday.”

“See you then, sis.”

They both waved at each other before Clare slowly rolled out of the carpark. With a deep breath, Lila turned towards the changing room and dumped her bags inside, before leaving with a water bottle and hockey stick in her hands.

Stepping onto the field, Lila was incredibly upset by the fact that she was so cold, so early in the morning. She placed her water bottle in the grass by the collection that was already there and immediately launched into some dynamic stretches, including jogging on the spot, in an effort to keep warm.

As she stretched into a deep lunge, her hands on her hips, she looked over towards the soccer team, wondering if Asher had arrived yet.

With a skip in her heartbeat, her eyes landed squarely on him, laughing with Isaac as they stretched. She smiled, glad to see that he was in high spirits this morning. Suddenly, they both looked in Lila’s direction before they both glanced at Mr Kovac, who seemed to be busy on the phone. They quickly sprinted towards her, with identical grins.

“Morning!” Isaac called.

“Hey, Lila,” Asher added, stopping short of her, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

“Morning, Asher. Morning, Isaac,” Lila grinned, standing up from her lunge. “You two seem happy this morning.”

“You know,” Isaac began before Asher swung a leg out, connecting with his shinpad.

“I know what?” Lila asked, looking between them both with a raised eyebrow.

“Don’t worry about it,” Asher said quickly, avoiding her eyes, instead looking up at the sky. “Just glad that the soccer season’s heating up again.”

“I’m glad too,” Lila nodded. “Though, I’m not keen to face off against St Peters.”

“Eugh,” Isaac shuddered. “Tell me about it.”

“A-Anyway, we should head back,” Asher interjected, looking towards Mr Kovac, who was still on the phone. “See you after practice.”

“See you,” Lila replied softly, watching them jog back towards their side of the oval. She saw Asher lightly bop Isaac on the head before they returned to their stretching routines.

Despite the gruelling practice, Lila could hardly keep her eyes off Asher. There was something about him today, with the way he carried himself, that constantly drew her attention. He seemed so full of life this morning, his dazzling beam and laughter without fail acting as a magnet for Lila’s eyes. He even seemed to be joking around with Theo and Zack, which surprised Lila to no end.

Then, of course, as the morning wore on, and his face turned pinker, the sweat catching in his chestnut-brown hair, Lila found herself wildly attracted to his appearance. Her mind began to race as it wondered in what other scenarios he could look like this-

“OW!” Lila cried as a slap rang out from her left thigh, dropping her hockey stick and herself to the floor. A bashful Willow jogged over to her, apologising profusely, ignoring the hockey ball that had flown off in the distance from the impact.

“I thought you’d get out the way,” Willow gasped, sucking in the air as though she’d lost all her breath. She extended her hand out to Lila to help her stand whilst saying yet again, “I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t be sorry,” Lila winced as she accepted Willow’s hand, gingerly applying some weight to her left leg. “I was the idiot who’s not paying attention.”

“Still lost in your thoughts?” Willow asked with a small, sympathetic smile. “As much as I want to encourage you figuring it out, perhaps you should try and focus on practice instead.”

“Yeah,” Lila mumbled, her face burning a bright red. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Willow winked, walking over to the hockey ball. “Let’s practice.”

Willow roped Alice into completing a few drills with Lila as well, which helped Lila refocus her mind on hockey for now. It did also help that every time her eyes strayed towards the soccer field, Willow or Alice admonished her – even if it was embarrassing.

Finally, practice was over with a final pep talk from Ms Wright in preparation of their match against St Peters next Saturday. Lila trudged off Jacoval, feeling no more inspired than before Ms Wright’s speech, the anticipation of hanging out with Asher eating away at her stomach. Should she say she was sick and go home?

Before she could get very far in this half-baked plan, the sound of wet footsteps rushing through the grass towards her caught her attention.

“Hey,” Asher said breathlessly, his chest heaving against the water bottle he’d brought with him, stopping a metre or so in front of her. He was still sweaty, his face glowing from a good workout, a fact that Lila tried to miss but was too irresistible to ignore. “How was practice?”

“P-Practice?” For a moment, Lila’s mind was blank as to which practice he was talking about before settling on hockey, rather than practice at keeping her thoughts in check. Which she was sorely failing at. “Uh, it… was alright.”

“Saw you got clobbered by a hockey ball,” Asher observed, his breathing more regular. He looked down at her legs before quickly looking away, his right hand jumping to the back of his neck. “You alright?”

“Fine,” Lila replied automatically. She awkwardly cleared her throat and added, “I mean, yeah it hurt for a minute, maybe, but it’s okay now.”

“Good,” Asher trailed off, looking towards where the rest of the soccer boys were meandering. “Uh, I didn’t bring anything with me besides this water bottle. I’m guessing you brought some stuff?”

“Yeah,” Lila nodded, glancing at the changing rooms. “I’ll go grab it.”

She began to walk away, hockey stick in tow, before Asher grabbed the back of her hockey stick. “Let me take this and your bottle,” he insisted.

She let the hockey stick slip from her grasp and handed him her water bottle, now suddenly unsure about what to do with her hands. She settled for holding them together, swiftly spinning around and marching towards the changing room.

Lila didn’t even peek at who else was in the changing room, scooping up all her bags as quickly as she could and hurrying back out immediately. She almost bumped directly into Asher, who had evidently followed her to the hallway outside.

“Whoa,” he chuckled, taking stock of all her bags. “Here, give me one.”

Lila shook her head. “I’m good.”

“I know you are,” he said seriously, “so am I. C’mon.”

Lila reluctantly allowed him to take the top bag, pulling the other two onto her shoulders. With a satisfied nod, Asher gestured for Lila to head towards the carpark.

Isaac emerged from behind the external corner of the changing room, grinning from ear to ear.

“Excited for the weekend?” he asked, walking backwards ahead of them both. Lila shrugged.

“Guess so,” she said, looking behind Isaac’s shoulder rather than at his devilishly mischievous face.

“Probably should-”

“Isaac,” Asher sighed, his tone in between resignation and admonishment. “We’ll see you next week.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Isaac threw his hands up in the air, feigning a look of absolute innocence. “Yeah, yeah. Alright, I’ll piss off.”

Isaac gave Lila another grin before spinning around and sprinting away, both arms splayed beside him like bird wings, his shoes tossing up blades of grass in his wake. Lila could have sworn she heard him make a plane sound but tried not to think too hard about it.

Asher shook his head, sighing deeply.

“What’s up?” Lila asked, glancing at his face. His eyes seemed strangely guarded as they flickered elsewhere ahead of them.

“Nothing,” Asher replied. “Damn, what’d you pack in this bag?”

“A couple textbooks.”

“Jesus, Lila,” Asher laughed incredulously. “I thought we weren’t studying this weekend.”

“I just… brought them along, just in case.”

“In case of what? Emergency maths problems that you have to solve?” his voice was light – teasing. His eyes crinkled in mirth as he looked at her, and she nudged him.

“Don’t be rude,” she said playfully. “I thought we could be productive for a change.”

“Productive, huh…” Asher’s face turned a slight pink shade as he led Lila towards the carpark. Lila wondered what he was thinking about that would turn his face that colour – surely the idea of studying wasn’t blush-worthy, even for the Dux.

After a few seconds of silent walking, Asher spoke again. “By the way, Gabriel’s cooking at home today.”

“Oh, why?” Lila asked, trying not to sound too excited. She was starting to get rather hungry, now that her body had cooled down from exercising.

Asher shrugged, surveying the carpark carefully. “Beats me. Sometimes he does that. Maybe he’s taken leave from the club?”

“I see.”

Asher glanced at her, his eyes twinkling. “I can see you’re really pleased about that fact.”

“What can I say? His cooking’s brilliant and I’m starving.”

“Starving, you say?” Asher repeated, looking thoughtful. “I mean, I can ask if he can get lunch ready by the time we get there, but I really want to shower and get changed.”

Lila looked down at her uniform, which was decidedly rather gross after she’d gotten her head back into practice. “That sounds like a good idea.”

“Good,” Asher murmured. Then, he pointed out Marlene’s car. “Let’s get going.”

As usual, Marlene pleasantly greeted Lila and Asher, waiting for them to get settled into the car before setting off in silence towards Asher’s house. Lila stared out the window at the surroundings as they flashed past, her mind wandering to what they’d be doing for the rest of the day. Well, besides… showering.

She’d showered at his place before, but that was without the insistence of her intrusive thoughts. Now that she’d had some time to sit with them, she begrudgingly allowed herself to call them what they were rather than dancing around the issue – unequivocally lewd. Awful, shameful and embarrassing to confront that side of her, but… there was no use pretending otherwise.

The revelation of such, of course, coupled with the idea that she’d be naked in his house, made her feel incredibly awkward. Clare’s assertion that it was normal at her age was the only thing that allowed her to keep going – otherwise, she would’ve either died of embarrassment inside this car or requested to go home.

Then… there was Clare’s other assertion… one that made Lila’s heart flip with a heavy thump. The one where… perhaps… Asher was thinking similar things. If that was the case, then she’d be okay to keep having these thoughts, daydreams and desires – they weren’t unpleasant by any means by themselves, after all.

But what if he wasn’t? Then she was the weird one.

She folded her arms across her chest, sighing in abject frustration.

“Everything alright back there?” Asher asked, turning around in his seat to look at her. She squeaked in response, huddling close to the window so he couldn’t see much of her.

“Y-Yeah,” she stammered. “All good.”

He looked doubtful but didn’t add anything else, instead returning to his original position. Lila’s heart raced – that had been a close one. If he was a mind reader that could specifically read her mind when her guard was down, her life would be over.

Now looking at the scenery, Lila could tell that they were very close to his house now. Though it was still ridiculously cold outside, Lila contemplated taking a cold shower – one that would knock the thoughts right out of her from shock.

“Alright, let’s head upstairs,” Asher suggested as he unbuckled himself. Lila wordlessly followed suit, bringing her belongings with her.

Lila placed her feet in the slippers left aside for her by Marlene and shuffled her way to the stairs connecting to the rumpus room, her legs suddenly feeling weighed down, as if her blood had been replaced with lead.

“Lila!” Gabriel’s cheery voice called out to her as she approached the kitchen. She turned to face him with a smile. He was dressed in his usual cheffing attire, his face adorned with the widest beam that she’d ever seen from him.

“You look to be in a good mood, Gabriel,” Lila smiled, the lead slowly draining from her legs.

“I’m in a wonderful mood, Lila. Best mood I’ve had for a very long time,” Gabriel confirmed, his beam still as wide as before. “In fact, I think this is the best mood anyone’s ever had in the history of ever.”

Lila laughed. “Really? Why’s that? You’re here on your day off, you know.”

Gabriel waved a hand jovially. “When you’re a private chef and run a night club, you never have a day off. No, today I’ve made a special appearance because I enjoy cooking and I heard you were coming for a visit.”

Lila grinned at Gabriel. “I feel honoured.”

“As you should,” he nodded, his eyes resting on Asher for just a moment. “Alright, I shan’t keep you. I’ve gotta get to work.”

Lila waved as he disappeared into the butler’s pantry, Marlene following closely behind him.

“He seems really happy,” Lila observed with a smile as she and Asher continued on their path to his rumpus room.

“Yup,” Asher muttered. “Sure does.”

“Anything good happen to him?”

“Beats me,” Asher shrugged noncommittally. “I’ve hardly seen him all week, remember.”

“Ah.”

Lila pursed her lips as they ascended the stairs, trying to think of a plausible reason for Gabriel’s mood. Perhaps whatever Asher’s Dad had said to him, after Gabriel yelled, was good news. Except… the only good news that Lila could think of, in relation to Gabriel essentially being lied to as to the status of Asher’s Mum, was that Asher’s Dad said she was alive and okay… but that seemed very unlikely, over six months since her disappearance. Plus, Asher would’ve surely been the first to know that information, yet he hadn’t said anything of the sort.

Asher opened the door for Lila and she headed inside the rumpus room, crossing it immediately to the spare room and placing her things down next to the bed. Those textbooks certainly weren’t light.

Asher appeared in the doorway just as she placed the bag containing her clothes and toiletries on the bed, his expression oddly anxious.

“You can have a shower first,” he said, staring at a spot on the wall behind Lila rather than meeting her eyes.

“Okay,” Lila replied, her voice incredibly soft.

“I… I’ll be in my room,” Asher added, still avoiding eye contact. He began to fidget with his hands before shoving them in his pockets. “I’ll, uh, hear when you’ve finished up. So don’t worry about telling me you’re done.”

“Alright.”

They stood there for a few moments, not even looking at each other, before Asher nodded, turning curtly on his heel and disappearing into the rumpus room. Lila waited for the sound of his bedroom door to close before rummaging through her bag and pulling out what she wanted to wear. A nice, maroon turtleneck and some loose jeans looked to be the ‘fit for the arvo.

She brought her outfit and toiletries to the bathroom, setting them down with a sigh. She slowly undressed, facing the shower. Thankfully, Asher was in his room rather than just a couple metres outside on the couch. It helped to ease Lila into her shower routine with far less nervousness than she’d expected.

‘Just go through the motions. Get in, get out. If you’re quick, you won’t have time to dwell,’ she thought firmly to herself as she opened the tap for the shower.

She immediately decided against having a cold shower as the initial blast of water almost froze her hand off. The warmth of the shower she did end up having worked hard to soothe her aching muscles, and she felt much better overall. It also had the welcome side effect of erasing all thoughts from her mind – well, besides how the water felt against her skin.

She almost didn’t want to get out, but reluctantly did so once she was finished with her routine. Towelling herself dry, she set up the blow drier and dried her hair, the loud fan also having the welcome side effect of erasing all thoughts from her mind.

When she finally left the bathroom, a cloud of steam following her departure, Lila couldn’t see Asher anywhere, though she did hear his shower running. She scurried across to the spare room, placing her dirty clothes in a separate bag that she’d prepared earlier and squishing said bag deeply into her duffle so it wasn’t sitting on top. She wasn’t exactly sure why she did this, since it wasn’t as though Asher would go through her things, but it made her feel less anxious about him accidentally seeing things she didn’t want him to see.

Checking her reflection in the mirror, she supposed she was decent enough to hang out with him on the couch and trudged outside with a yawn. She still didn’t see him, but the distant sound of running water had halted. With a sigh, she selected a set of joycons and curled up in her usual spot on the couch, browsing absentmindedly through YouTube on the Switch.

Nothing was particularly piquing her interest, so she deferred to the list of games, considering which ones to try out after they finished the one they’d been playing. Once she was done with that, she checked out the News section to see what was coming out soon.

Just as she started up the trailer for Pikmin 4, set to be released next week, she heard Asher’s door open.

“Hey,” she said as she looked up, before halting altogether. Instead of something casual, like tracksuit pants and a t-shirt that she’d been expecting Asher to wear, he was in a carefully pressed white polo shirt and similarly neat, tan chino pants. His hair was also styled and he looked clean-shaven.

“You look fancy,” Lila managed to say lightly, clearing her throat and adjusting herself on the couch to ensure he had room.

“Thanks,” he replied in a low voice, sitting extraordinarily straight in his usual spot. “Pikmin, huh?”

“Wh- oh, yeah,” Lila could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she looked back at the screen. “Uh, it… comes out next week. It looks like fun.”

Asher nodded, reaching for a set of joycons. “Should we get it?”

“We?”

He glanced at her before looking back at the trailer, which was still paused. “I-I mean, I wouldn’t be playing it by myself.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Lila trailed off, pressing ‘play’. They watched the trailer in silence, Lila’s heart beating strangely in her chest. There was something weird in the atmosphere again – something that she couldn’t quite articulate. Or was she just overthinking, after her obsession about what had been running through her mind recently? She must be overly sensitive.

“You look comfy,” he said after the trailer ended. “Did you want a blanket or something?”

“I’m fine,” Lila replied. “Thanks, though.”

“Is it alright if I have a look?” Asher asked awkwardly, pointing at the screen.

“Go for it.”

He flicked through the same things that she had, seeming uninterested in anything on YouTube, before turning to her with a grin. “Righto, let’s finish this game, yeah?”

Despite his enthusiasm for playing, something still seemed off. His aim was shaky at best, which lead to a few more deaths than necessary in their rogue-lite.

Asher tutted as his character died yet again and waited for Lila’s character to run to his and revive him.

“Asher, if you’re tired, we don’t have to play,” Lila said, her character idling nearby but still too far to revive him.

“I’m… not tired,” Asher said softly, staring at the TV. “But maybe we should stop playing.”

“Alright.”

Lila placed her joycons onto the coffee table, watching as Asher saved their game and looked through YouTube again. He seemed to have difficulty picking a video to watch, flicking between many different options before refreshing the page a couple of times.

He’d hardly clicked on one that seemed relatively interesting when the crackle of the intercom interrupted him. Marlene’s voice trickled through, inviting them down for lunch. Asher immediately jumped up, tossing his joycons onto the couch and crossing the room, thanking Marlene and confirming they’d be coming down.

“Were you that hungry?” Lila chuckled, meeting him at the door.

“Starving,” Asher replied, though he didn’t sound quite as playful as she’d expected. They headed to the dining room, with Lila trying to sneak peeks at him every so often. He avoided her gaze every time, though it felt as though his cheeks were incrementally growing pinker each time she looked at him.

They sat down in their usual spots, with Gabriel bustling in shortly thereafter, brandishing bowls of what appeared to be pumpkin soup. Marlene sailed in close behind, a board of cut bread and dish of homemade butter in her hands.

“Pumpkin soup with chili,” Gabriel announced gleefully, placing a bowl before Lila and Asher each.

“Looks delicious,” Lila smiled, looking down at the swirl of cream atop her soup. “Thanks, Gabriel.”

“My pleasure,” he grinned, hurrying away again only to return with more bowls. Marlene also left before coming back laden with a tray of a pinkish juice.

“Pomegranate juice,” Marlene explained, pouring them each a cup.

“Thank you,” Lila replied, taking a sip. It was quite delicious, the sweetness intermingling nicely with the lemonade it was mixed with. “I’ve never had pomegranate juice before.”

Marlene smiled, inclining her head politely before smoothing down her apron and taking her place at the table.

The pumpkin soup warmed Lila from the inside, the dash of chili enhancing the flavour of the soup by tenfold. She dipped some buttered bread into the soup, making it a delightful combination perfect for this winter’s day.

Everyone ate in silence for a time, until Gabriel spoke up, his face brilliant with shiny exuberance.

“So, plans for this weekend?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

“Might study,” Lila said with a shrug, dipping some more bread into her soup. “This is beautiful, by the way.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Gabriel winked. “I decided to make a lighter lunch today.”

“Doesn’t make it any less tasty. Though, now I’m definitely wondering how you’re going to follow this up for dinner.”

Gabriel glanced at Asher before simply smiling at Lila. “I have a few ideas – I’m certain you’ll enjoy what’s coming up.”

“How could I not?” Lila laughed. Then, a thought struck her, and she whipped her head to face Asher.

“W-What?” he asked, his eyes wide with confusion.

“Did you share the tocino that Mum packed for you?” she asked.

“O-Oh. Yeah, didn’t you try some, Gabriel? Marlene, too?” Asher enquired, his posture relaxing considerably, as though he’d been anxious that she’d ask him something else.

“I did,” Gabriel smiled widely. “It was very inspiring, Lila. I’ve never had it before, but I think I might have to add it to my repertoire.”

“It was very nice,” Marlene concurred with a delicate bow of her head. “Please send thanks to your mother for sharing.”

“I will,” Lila beamed. “I’m glad you guys liked it.”

They continued to discuss tocino, whereby Gabriel asked what it was normally served with, until everyone’s plates were clean.

“Guess it’s time to head back up,” Asher’s statement sounded much more like a question as he looked over at Lila.

“Guess so,” Lila nodded, patting her stomach. “Thanks for lunch, Gabriel. Very nice to see you on a Saturday.”

Gabriel simply grinned at Lila, clearing the plates from the table with Marlene’s help. Lila followed Asher back up to the rumpus room, flopping on the couch with a yawn.

“Are you tired?” he asked softly, closing the door.

“A bit,” Lila admitted.

“Did you want to take a nap?”

“Nah. I… I want to spend time with you,” Lila murmured. Asher stopped in his tracks for a second before rediverting his path to the kitchenette instead of the couch.

“I-In that case… would you like some juice?” he asked.

“Yes, please.”

Upon passing her a cup of juice, he sat down in his usual spot, looking down at his own cup for a few moments.

“Uh, what would you like to do?” he queried, rubbing his index finger around the rim of his cup. Lila’s eyes focused on this movement for far too long, her cheeks slowly reddening as her mind began to imagine other things his slender fingers could be doing.

“N-Nothing in particular,” she managed to choke, coughing slightly. She sipped her juice, forcing her eyes to stare at the TV.

“Okay.”

He set his cup down and passed her a set of joycons and retrieved his own from where he’d left them on the couch. “How about some Mario Kart?”

“Feeling ready to be destroyed, I’m guessing?” Lila replied playfully, connecting her controllers.

“Always,” he smiled, their eyes meeting for what felt like the first time in a while. He quickly looked away again, and Lila wished that he’d allowed it to linger for just a moment more. She’d missed the way his eyes drew her in, as though they were only for her.

Without missing a beat, though, Lila’s attention changed to Mario Kart. Whatever weirdness was in the atmosphere rapidly melded into one of laughter as both Lila and Asher evidently fell into their normal, comfortable selves. They played a few rounds, with Lila pointing out that Asher had markedly improved.

“Have to give you a challenge every once in a while,” he responded with a smile, sipping on some juice as his character victoriously posed next to the gold cup. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have so much fun, right?”

Lila paused, the insinuation that Asher was trying to ensure that she still had fun playing on her mind for a moment. It was a sweet gesture, if he wasn’t just joking.

“I reckon I’d have fun no matter what,” Lila settled on saying, hitting the ‘next’ button. “Since I’m with you.”

“I… see,” he responded lightly. Lila glanced at him and he swiftly looked away, pulling out his phone and checking the time.

“It’s about… 3pm,” he observed. “Wanna watch something for a bit?”

“Sure,” Lila stretched her arms over her head before placing her joycons on the coffee table. “Actually, I’m thinking a blanket sounds great right about now.”

“Why, so you can fall asleep?” Asher quipped, instantly getting up to source one.

“Well, if you’ve got a scratchy one, I don’t think I’d fall asleep,” Lila chuckled.

“Unfortunately, no scratchy ones,” he said, passing her a fuzzy grey blanket. She unfurled it over herself, curling into a ball for comfort.

“Then I can’t guarantee that I won’t pass out,” Lila smiled. “This one is pretty comfy.”

“I’m glad.” His reply sounded genuine as he fell back onto the couch, fluffing his shirt so that it sat nicely on his torso.

“I’ve been wondering,” Lila piped up while Asher flicked through YouTube, “about why you’re wearing that.”

“This?” He looked down at his outfit, as though he was seeing it for the first time. “I… just thought it’d look nice.”

“It does,” Lila asserted with a firm nod. “But… we’re just hanging out at home. Surely that’s more a ‘going out’ outfit.”

“Is it?” Asher’s voice sounded slightly strangled. “I can change-”

“That’s not what I meant,” Lila interjected. “Just something I noticed, that’s all.”

“Ah.”

Asher resumed his browsing, landing on a video by a YouTuber they both liked. As they watched, Lila concluded that her hang out with Asher was quite a success. She’d managed to keep her hands to herself, and her thoughts relatively in check. She could be normal with him and simply enjoy his company and their banter.

They commented every so often on the video, laughing along, until it finished about an hour later.

“One more,” Asher smiled, selecting the next video – a challenge run that was only half an hour this time. Lila watched on, curious about the outcome of this challenge run, before her eyelids began to feel heavy.

“Hey,” Asher murmured, jostling her slightly. “I know I joked about you falling asleep, but I thought you wanted to spend time with me.”

Lila’s eyelids flew open, resting on his face which was mere inches from hers. He looked slightly nervous and he instantly sat back.

“Sorry,” he said, “I was a bit close.”

“You’re okay,” Lila replied, sitting up. “You’re right, though. Sorry.”

He continued the video, Lila now wide awake and slightly embarrassed at having been called out like that. She’d almost hoped that he would’ve forgotten her comment, but, clearly, that wasn’t the case.

The video ended not long after, and Asher sighed, turning the Switch off.

“What’s up?” Lila queried, drawing the blanket tightly around her. “No longer feeling the Switch?”

“I… wanna take a walk,” he said, his eyes darting to her before looking back towards the TV. He turned it off with the remote before glancing at Lila again. “Care to join me?”

Lila pursed her lips. She was rather comfy, wrapped up in the blanket on his couch, but at the same time… if he was asking her to join him on a walk, who was she to refuse? Staying here while he went on a walk sounded incredibly lonely, anyway.

“Of course,” she smiled, extricating herself from the blanket and placing it neatly over her spot on the couch. He returned her smile before turning around, opening the door to the rest of the house.

Marlene was standing on the landing, her customary washing basket on her hip. Lila thought that perhaps it was a bit early for Marlene to be doing the washing, but she couldn’t remember Marlene’s weekend schedule at the moment. After spending the afternoon immersed in various games, Lila thought, with an amused smile, that Marlene was rather similar to an NPC, what with her eerily precise timings and convenient placement around the house.

“Ah, Mr Wagner,” Marlene said upon noticing their entrance onto the landing. “Lila. Hello again.”

“Hello, Marlene,” Lila replied, trying to maintain a neutral expression.

“Hi, Marlene. Just taking a walk,” Asher stated smoothly. Marlene nodded, a knowing sparkle in her eye.

“Perfect time to take a walk,” Marlene responded, bowing her head. “Any particular route?”

“I was thinking that going into the outside world would be a bit dangerous,” Asher stated, moving past Marlene with a slight frown.

“Yes, you would be correct,” Marlene said sagely. “Might I recommend the backyard, then?”

Asher looked back at Marlene before nodding. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“Have fun,” Marlene called behind them as they began to descend the stairs.

“That… was a bit odd,” Lila noted once Marlene was out of earshot. “Don’t you think?”

Asher shrugged casually. “Seemed fine to me.”

Lila pressed her lips together as she tried to place why their interaction with Marlene felt odd. Perhaps it was because Marlene didn’t seem quite so interested in what they were doing most of the time. Though, every so often, Marlene would provide suggestions – including suggesting going to a café for a breakfast outing on ANZAC Day. With a sigh, Lila conceded that maybe it was part of the norm for Marlene to be like this.

They slipped their shoes on, having passed the empty kitchen, and Asher unlocked the front door, gesturing for Lila to go ahead.

Now that it was rather late in the afternoon, the chill had returned with a bite. Lila folded her arms across herself, attempting to retain some body heat.

“Cold?” Asher questioned, looking concerned.

“I’ll be fine,” Lila replied, waving a hand dismissively. “Especially if our walk is brisk.”

“Let’s brisk away, then.”

Lila chuckled, following behind Asher as he walked over to the side gate, opening it for Lila to pass through. She thanked him for his courtesy, her footsteps crunching along the stones strewn across the side alley.

“So, what’s up with the walk?” Lila queried as they continued along, looking through windows that she passed with mild interest – not that she saw anything she hadn’t already seen before.

“Just… felt like it,” Asher replied evasively. “Thought a nice sunset walk would round out the day.”

“Ah,” Lila’s heart thumped in her throat. A sunset walk? That sounded… oddly romantic.

‘Calm down,’ Lila thought to herself, crossing her arms even more firmly in front of her torso. ‘You’ve gone on plenty of walks with Asher before. This is no different.’

Then, a new thought occurred to Lila and she turned to Asher, who stopped walking altogether once she did so.

“Are we going to see the farmhouse now?” she asked, unable to quell the excitement in her voice. Asher blinked at her.

“N-No,” he finally uttered, his face paling. “I thought we were doing that tomorrow.”

“I thought so too,” Lila replied, turning back around. “Just figured you were mixing things up.”

“I… have been known to mix things up from time to time,” Asher said plainly. “I do prefer a solid plan most times, though.”

“That’s fair,” Lila commented. “Plans are good, too. Though spontaneity- what’s that?”

She couldn’t quite recognise what she was looking at for a moment, the surprise tossing any semblance of thoughts out of her mind.