Heading to The Forest (I)
David and Veronica rushed up to Ben and Ashley's side. Even they couldn't believe what they just saw too.
"How did you do that, Ben! You almost look like your mom just now!"
"Well, you're exaggerating David, I'm not quite there just yet."
Veronica and Ashley wanted to say something too, but the crowd of people seemed to be coming out of nowhere as fast as reproducing bacteria.
"I think we should get out of here and head back to my place."
The gang agrees and flees the scene.
---
The gang slows down a bit when they thought they went far enough. Veronica walks up to a stand to buy all of them, each a mask. "Hello, hello. Can I buy these four masks please!?"
"Sure, you can!" The stand owner puts the masks inside a bag, gives her change, and waves goodbye. "Thank you and please come again some time!"
"We can leave the festival without being noticed too much from the commotion Ben made." Veronica hands them their masks that look like a trent face with a flower growing on its face. "Though too bad we couldn't enjoy the festival long enough."
"At least I got to learn about Ben first-hand, even though David has been telling me stories about him I didn't believe them."
"Me too!" Ashley's eyes look at Ben like a magnifying glass for some time through her mask's eye sockets. "Were you this strong Ben?"
"I'm strong? Nah, no way. I'm not that strong-- above average at most." Ben shakes his head in denial. "There are plenty of people who are way stronger than me."
David looks at Ben and grabs his shoulders, "Ben stop being humble. You were pretty good out there!"
"Okay, okay." Ben looks at him with amusement and just agrees with him. "So, what type of food do you all want? I have some fish, pork, ribs…"
The gang slowly walked out of the festival's entrance and back to Ben's house. They continued to talk and thought about the foods that they wanted to eat with much enthusiasm.
"We want to eat something other than fast food!" David and Veronica grins at each other. Veronica answers, "Though we have eaten a little bit of Mexican food and some Chinese food before."
"I have tried a lot of Mexican and fast food too." Ashley squeezes her stomach. "I think I gained some weight!"
"So?" Ben pinches the bridge of his brow and asks. "Do you all want to try authentic Chinese dishes, right-- or other Asian cuisines such as: Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, or Japanese?"
"Can't we just go to those restaurants to eat?" David stares at Ben as he scratches his cheek. "It's just that…"
"Don't tell me that you don't trust me too, David?"
"Well, I have never seen you cook before, Ben."
David deters and looks frightened by Ben. "What if you make food like those anime girls and moms? So, I'm a little bit afraid to even try a bite."
"David, at least have some faith in me."
The gang and Ben laugh at each other. Ben smirks and cracks his knuckles, "Fine, I just have to show off to you all my cooking skills!"
Veronica switches her gaze between Ben and Ashley. "So~ How was your little dance between you two?"
Ben and Ashley were both like a deer caught in the headlights.
"W-what you saw!?" Ashley stutters.
"Yes, I did~" Veronica smirks and hides behind David. Curious like a baby joey, she peeks out a little to see Ben's and Ashley's reactions. "Both of you were cute together."
"So, are you two going to date now?"
Ben's eyes seem to glow as he looks at Ashley, waiting for her answer.
"Ben, don't look at me like that." (Chinese) [1] Ashley covers her face, but leaves a small opening for her to see Ben.
"Woah, you've been practicing Chinese?" (Spanish) [2] Ben grins ear to ear and gives her a thumbs up for her efforts. "Impressive, with little to no accent, too."
"Thank you, but why did it take you this long Ben?" Ashley comes up to Ben's ear and whispers. "Do you know how long I waited?"
Ben wraps his arms around her and their masks tap against each other, "I'm sorry, Ashe."
As soon as Ben and Ashley were in their own world, a few people passing by started to: point, aww, scrunch their faces, clapped, put their thumbs up, or walked away from the two of them.
---
"Hmm~" Veronica looked like a proud mom, while holding David's arm. She asks, "How long are you two going to stop being lovey-dovey with each other?"
Ben rubs the back of his head, while Ashley turns away as she covers her mask with her hands again.
"Okay, let's go back to eat." David rubs his stomach. "I'm very hungry."
"Me too and three." Both of the girls agreed with David.
David and Veronica walk ahead while leaving Ben and Ashley behind. Ashley jolts as she feels Ben holding her hand.
"Come on Ashe, let's go and catch up to them!" Ben laughs and drags Ashley along like a slow sea wave on the beach. "I think I'm ready to tell you about what happened to me when we head back home, okay?"
"Mm, okay." Ashley replied as her heart skips a beat and mentally prepares herself.
---
The gang arrives at Ben's home and takes off their masks. Ben unlocks the door, "It's good to be back home."
"Let me whip us some appetizers and a little something light."
Ben heads straight to the kitchen and the two girls go sit in the living room as David closes the door behind them.
---
The gang either read a book or played on their phones until they smell a strong and mouth-watering aroma coming from the kitchen.
"Oh, that smells good." David replies as he smells the air. "Ben, you weren't lying when you could cook."
"See I told you all didn't I?" Ben chuckles and invites them, "Come inside the kitchen and I'll serve you!"
The gang arrives and sees the dishes with utensils. They seat themselves while David asks, "So, what are we having for lunch, chef?"
"We have an appetizer of two egg rolls for each person and a light dish called Moo Shu." Ben said as he played along with David. "We have seconds if you want to eat more."
---
David pats his stomach and the girls sighed with content.
"Ben, the food was delicious and now I don't feel like going out to eat anymore."
The girls nodded their heads in agreement. Ben answers, "Thanks David, Ashe, and Vee, but I think we should talk about what happened to me."
The gang sit themselves up and focus on Ben.
"Why we couldn't keep Medieval was because …"
---
"Hey, Ben!" A girl shouted and waved at Ben who was far in the distance.
Ben waved back to her. "What's up Joyce?"
"I wanted to ask you what we're going to do with the game?"
"Oh, Medieval? We're going to continue developing it, right?"
"Oh, yeah." Joyce rubs her shoulder.
Ben looks concerned and asks, "What is it?"
"Mm, it's nothing. Let's go out and eat Ben!"
---
"I never got to see Joyce anymore after that day. I received a letter two weeks after and learned that she died due to an aggressive cancer."
"She also wanted me to go back home and not have regrets with people closests to me."
"So, your team broke up Ben?" Ashley asks and holds Ben's hand.
"The team was never the same without her and she even wanted to say that she loves me too." Ben shakes his head in remorse. "--But she already knew that I either had someone else in mind or she spared me for having too much guilt. Maybe both."
"It's okay, Ben." Ashley tightens her grip to reassure Ben.
"Thanks Ashe."
"Ben," David said as he looks at Ben. "I'm sorry to hear that. It's going to be okay buddy."
"Thanks David."
"Yeah, Ben, did you visit Joyce?"
"Yes, Vee. I already visited her last week and I gave her a birthday cake, too."
The gang already stopped talking as it was an awkward moment for them all. David breaks the silence, "Do you want to visit the Elmory Wilds, Ben?"
"Isn't that place where people have gone missing?" Ben raised his brow.
"Yes, but we're just going to drive to the outskirts and go back to your home." David answers. "It's for your to get things off your mind."
Ben thought for a moment and answers David, "Okay, let's go then. It will be nice before we meet again at Odette's birthday party."
[1] Ben, don't look at me like that (Chinese) - google translate:/ Běn, bié nàyàng kànzhe wǒ
[2] Woah, you've been practicing Chinese / Impressive, with little to no accent, too (Spanish) - google translate for the first sentence: Woah, has estado practicando china (feminine) or Woah, has estado practicando chino (masculine)
While the second sentence: Impresionante, con poco o ningún acento, también.
The first and second sentences in Spanish feel and sound pretty wrong to me.