Chapter 8:Practice!!

As the two girls continued their conversation, Elijah could hear everything from the kitchen but tuned it out, focusing instead on cooking.

He stirred the sauce and boiled the pasta, trying to keep his mind off the mundane troubles of teenage girls and their romantic escapades.

He chuckled to himself as he watched the latest episode of "Punch Man" on his phone, feeling the tension of the day slowly melt away.

🎶🎶🎶🎶

[City streets are burning, chaos in the night, 

Punch Man's coming, gonna set it right. 

Villains running scared, terror in their eyes, 

One punch, one hit, nobody survives. 

Punch Man, he's the beast, bringing the pain, With a fist of steel, driving them insane. 

No one stands a chance, when he's on the hunt, Feel the power surge, Punch Man's front and blunt. 

Monsters in the shadows, hiding from the light, Punch Man hunts them down, brings the final fight. 

Crushing bones and sinew, justice in his hand, Hero of the people, savior of the land. 

Blood and thunder, breaking]

🎶🎶🎶🎶

---

Meanwhile, Ashley's conversation drifted to other topics, from the latest fashion trends to their plans for the summer. "By the way, did you see Sarah's outfit today? She looked like she raided a clown's wardrobe," Jenna said, laughing.

"I know! Sometimes I wonder what goes through her mind when she picks her clothes," Ashley agreed, shaking her head. She glanced at the TV, but her mind was on the food she could smell from the kitchen. It smelled delicious, and she realized she was actually looking forward to this dinner more than she expected.

'What am I even looking forward to, it's probably gonna taste horrible, I don't wanna eat it, whatever he's making but I don't want him to reject my favour.'

After a while, she hung up and leaned back. Elijah soon emerged from the kitchen with a steaming pot of spaghetti Bolognese. "Dinner's ready," he announced, setting the table.

Ashley joined him, and they sat down to eat. "T-this looks amazing," she said, genuinely impressed.

"Thanks. I hope it tastes as good as it looks," Elijah replied with a smile.

Ashley picks up her fork and for a brief moment she hesitates, but picks up a meatball and takes a small bite 'Oh my god, this is so good...I wonder how many calories this has though.'

'Looks like she likes it. As expected of myself.'

They ate in comfortable silence for a while, the tension from earlier gradually dissipating. After a few bites, Ashley couldn't help but ask, "So, what's your deal with cooking? You seem pretty good at it."

Elijah shrugged. "I've had to learn. With my mom always travelling, someone has to cook. I found out I enjoy it."

Ashley nodded, "Well, you're definitely good at it." More than good, this was better than some of the things her chef makes for her.

"Thanks," Elijah said, feeling a bit more relaxed. "So, what was that other favour you wanted to ask about?"

Ashley hesitated again, but the warmth of the meal and the casual atmosphere gave her the courage to speak. "I was hoping you could help me with something personal. It's...kind of embarrassing."

Elijah raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Sure, what is it?"

Ashley took a deep breath, ready to explain when her phone buzzed again. She glanced at it and saw a text from one of her other friends. Ignoring it for the moment, she focused back on Elijah. "I'll tell you after dinner. It's a bit complicated."

Elijah nodded, respecting her need for privacy. "No problem. Take your time."

They finished their meal, and as they did, Ashley felt a strange sense of relief. Maybe this favour wouldn't be so hard to ask after all.

----

[Date: September 26 - Time 7.13 Pm - Location Golden Gate City - Bakeres street - Number:111]

After finishing their meal, Elijah and Ashley moved back to the couch, sitting across from each other. Ashley seemed more confident now, her posture relaxed and her eyes meeting his with a determined glint.

"Okay," she began, "the favour I wanted to ask... it's about our kiss, the one we had, more specifically continuing that kiss." She said, her cheeks flushing a bit.

Elijah blinked, confused. "What?"

Ashley sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "The other day, my friends and I were talking about our first kisses. They were describing how it felt, the circumstances, and I kind of... maybe accidentally blurted out a lie about mine."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "A lie?"

"Yeah," Ashley admitted, her cheeks flushing. "My friends were shocked because they didn't know I had kissed anyone before. Which, I hadn't until you and I did. And now," she continued, noticing the smirk forming on Elijah's lips, "they think I had this amazing first kiss experience. With some wealthy tech billionaire son from Cabo."

"..." Elijah chuckled, and Ashley rolled her eyes.

"There's this party happening on Halloween at my house," she went on, "and the plan is for each girl who doesn't have a boyfriend to invite their first kisses to the party and try it again. But the guy I said I kissed... he's made up."

Elijah's smirk faded as he listened. "So, you need someone to play the part?"

"Exactly," Ashley said, relieved that he was following. "I thought, why not ask my actual first kiss to be my fake first kiss for the party? So, what I'm basically asking is if you'd be down to be my fake real first kiss on Halloween."

Elijah leaned back, considering her request. "That's kind of stupid," he said bluntly.

Ashley bristled. "Stupid? Really?"

"It's not that," Elijah said quickly. "I just hate lies. But I get it, you're in a bind."

Ashley remembered how upfront Elijah had been with her before about their situation, and she felt a pang of guilt. "So, that's a no, then?"

To her surprise, Elijah sighed and nodded. "I'll do it. I did technically say I owed you, and this isn't a hard request. But I have one condition: I want to wear a mask so no one recognizes me."