Chapter Seventy-Six


    “Daniel?” Lila called, knocking on his bedroom door. He’d come home about half an hour after she did and closed himself in his room immediately. While Daniel being shut up in his room was not exactly unusual, he at least would normally wander around the house, grab some juice, maybe chat with someone at home, and watch a little bit of TV before doing so.


    He didn’t respond, so she knocked again.


    “What?” he snapped through the door.


    “Can I come in?”


    “Why?”


    “I… want to talk to you. Check in.”


    “I’m fine.”


    “I’m coming in.”


    He didn’t protest, so she opened his door and entered his room. It looked much the same as yesterday, though the assortment of juice boxes seemed to be decreasing. He was sitting at his desk, the Square reader set beside his laptop. She could see that he had the Square website open. A notebook was also splayed on his desk.


    “Doing some admin?” she asked lightly, crossing the room and sitting down on his bed. He shrugged noncommittally. He turned back around towards his laptop and began typing.


    “… What happened?” Lila asked softly. He stopped typing for a second before resuming.


    “Livi left just after you did. She couldn’t handle being in the room for the rest of the day. It was a good thing I shut it down for the whole day, otherwise, I would’ve needed to do the reception work. That’s… not exactly ideal.”


    “I see,” Lila breathed, picking at her nails. Daniel certainly seemed withdrawn towards her this afternoon.


    “Aside from me slapping her… was there anything else that I did wrong?”


    Daniel sighed heavily, spinning in his chair to face her.


    “I’m pissed,” he said plainly. “Not necessarily at you, sis.”


    “That’s a surprise. I somehow always manage to piss you off.”


    Daniel snickered. “Pretty sure that’s your right as my sister. Just as it’s my right as your brother to piss you off.”


    Lila smiled at Daniel. “True.”


    Daniel pursed his lips for a second before continuing. “I’m pissed at Livi. But I also feel bad for her. Your slaps hurt, dude. Then… of course… I don’t know how to feel about Asher anymore.”


    Lila straightened up, squinting at him in confusion. “Okay, I feel like I can get the first two points… but what do you mean about Asher?”


    “I didn’t know he had a girlfriend,” Daniel said quietly. “Emphasis on had, I guess.”


    He suddenly looked uncomfortable as he squirmed in his seat. “I… well… working with Asher these past few days… I guess he kinda turned into my role model. Kinda like the big brother I wish I had. Not that you and Clare aren’t… mediocre enough sisters,” he smirked as he said that and Lila rolled her eyes at him.


    “So what’s changed?” she asked, crossing her arms.


    “Sis, are you dead certain that he’s been telling you the truth?”


    “I feel like there’s more to unpack than just that. If he has been lying, so what?”


    “If he’s been lying, then I can’t support you dating him.”


    Lila blinked at him, bewildered. “That came outta left field. And I’m not dating him.”


    “I… may have been trying to encourage him to go for it,” Daniel said hesitantly.


    Lila felt the heat rising in her cheeks. “W-Why?”


    “It’s so obvious that you like him,” Daniel said sharply. “Makes me wanna vomit.”


    “That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”


    “It’s a figure of speech or whatever. Besides… you seem to really enjoy his company. And he’s given me a load of advice, not just about… this,” Daniel gestured flippantly at his set up on his desk. “You’ve done a lot for me, even though I wanna punt you down the stairs half the time when you take forever in the bathroom.”


    “Thanks,” Lila interjected drily.


    “Despite everything, I do actually want to see you happy. And I thought Asher could do that. But… after this… I’m not convinced.”


    “He’s not lying,” Lila said firmly. “You don’t need to worry.”


    “Don’t get me wrong. Asher’s a good dude. But… trouble seems to be following him,” Daniel said disapprovingly. “I know that it was him in the photos that were spread around. And the only reason why you were stalked by that psycho was because you were getting close to him. And I know that you’ve been going over to his place a lot, and I’ve seen you come back shell-shocked and depressed, or extremely happy - kinda like he’s got this insane sway over your emotions. But now this? If he is the father, you’re going to have to deal with his baby’s mother, and even I know that’s a lot. And if he did dump his pregnant girlfriend, and mother of his child, over the fact that she got pregnant, then I’m sorry but he’s a horrible person. There’s no two ways about it. Livi’s right. He could be lying.”


    Lila stared at Daniel. “You’ve… put a lot of thought into this. You sound really mature.”


    “I’ve had to be,” Daniel shrugged. “When you’ve got several employees working under you, a business to run, and schoolwork to do, you’ve gotta get your shit together. Besides, I’ve been thinking about you and Asher getting together for a while now. Not just over this past week.”


    Lila turned an interesting shade of scarlet. ‘Has everyone been trying to get us together?’ she thought to herself, pulling her arms in close to her body. After a beat, she reluctantly sighed.


    “I’m still serious,” she said, pulling her knees to her chest. “He’s not lying.”


    “How can you be so sure, though?” Daniel asked seriously. “It’s not like you were watching his every move between him and his ex.”


    “He… he’s really honest with me,” Lila offered lamely. “It’s not just that, though. He was so brokenhearted over it. I could hardly hold the pieces of him together as he cried. His chef was panic-baking before he even knew what happened to Asher. And the struggle and pain that he’s told me about… his hurt is real. Genuine. If he was just a deadbeat dad, wanting to have nothing to do with his baby, then he’d hardly feel anything, let alone be crying over it even now.”


    Lila paused, glancing at Daniel who was giving her his undivided attention. “And… this would probably be embarrassing for him to know that I told you, but I saw his search history immediately after it happened when I went over unannounced. He… obviously seemed to be embarrassed that I saw, but neither of us mentioned it. He’d looked up stuff like ‘can you forget your first time?’ ‘did I forget sex’ and ‘how to get pregnant without sex’. He also looked at stuff about cheating girlfriends. He blames himself all the time, and even asked me a couple times why he wasn’t good enough for Holly that she had to cheat on him.”


    Daniel fell silent as he considered Lila’s information.


    “Is… that what he was crying about yesterday?” Daniel eventually asked. Lila nodded.


    “Yeah.”


    Daniel gave Lila a pitiful look, shaking his head. “Poor guy.”


    “I know.”


    “I’ll believe you for now. It’s pretty compelling, especially after adding in the search history that you saw accidentally when he didn’t know you were coming over.”


    Daniel leaned back in his chair as he looked at the ceiling contemplatively. “I guess it’s a good thing that I got to see the flaws in my idol like this,” he lamented. “It makes him feel even more real. Definitely more relatable, at least.”


    He then looked down at Lila. “Just to be clear. You do like him, right?”


    “I do,” Lila confirmed, holding her face in her hands. “I… really do.”


    “I could tell,” Daniel chuckled. “That defence of Asher against Livi today could only come from you liking him. Why aren’t you guys together?”


    “He doesn’t like me in that way,” Lila replied softly. “Isaac told me.”


    “When was that?”


    Lila shrugged. “Last month or something. Maybe longer. I didn’t write it down.”


    Daniel snorted. “Well, it’s bull. He obviously likes you.”


    “Please don’t get my hopes up. I’ve been trying to confess to him all week, but something keeps happening and I lose my courage. I… don’t want to be convinced that he likes me only for him to burst out laughing or throw up or something. It’d hurt a hell of a lot more.”


    Daniel pressed his lips together before nodding slowly. “If that’s what you want.”


    “Besides,” Lila added with a harsh exhale, “with his whole ex thing, and the rumours going around school about him being a teen dad, I already know nothing’s going to happen.”


    “So why confess?”


    Lila averted her gaze from Daniel as tears began to fall from her eyes. He seemed alarmed as he fussed around his desk for some unused tissues and passed them to her. She gratefully took them and dabbed her eyes, trying to hold herself together so she didn’t just fall apart in here.


    “E-Even though I know nothing will happen,” she said through shaky breaths. “I can’t help but hope with my whole heart. T-That’s why I don’t want you to give me any more of it. I’ll break if he says he doesn’t want me. But if I don’t tell him… then I definitely will break. I’m suffering, keeping it inside. He’s my best friend, and I’m terrified of ruining it and losing him. But I can’t keep going on like this. Especially since we’re so close.”


    Daniel seemed to have absorbed all this information before his face turned grim. “Alright. I’ll support whatever the outcome is. But, just know, I don’t reckon you need to be as afraid as I think you are.”


    “I’ll keep it in mind,” Lila said quietly. “But I need to protect myself, too.”


    Daniel sighed. “Can’t argue against that I guess.”


    Lila made to leave, but Daniel spoke again.


    “… I see why Asher wanted to avoid Livi. Is she always like that?”


    Lila lowered herself back onto Daniel’s bed, her lips pursed. Considering Livi was technically Daniel’s employee, would telling him what Livi was up to with their guests impact the business?


    “She… definitely likes to mess with Asher and I, at least,” she finally said carefully. “Somehow, she manages to say the right things to rile us up.”


    Daniel tapped his chin briefly before looking at Lila again.


    “Got any examples?”


    Lila shifted uncomfortably before standing up. “N-None that come to mind.”


    “That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one,” Daniel said dubiously. “C’mon. I’m just curious. I won’t do anything with it.”


    “… well, when we went to get food with Isaac, Grace, and Elise there as well, Livi asked Isaac to rate me as a girlfriend. Despite all the other stuff she’d been saying, that was what made Asher leave.”


    Daniel frowned. “What do you mean, rate you as a girlfriend?”


    With a horrible sinking feeling, Lila realised that she hadn’t told Daniel that she’d dated Isaac. And now she had to explain that as well. She buried her face in her hands.


    “A couple years ago, Isaac and I dated.”


    “And… judging by the fact that Asher came to his rescue… Isaac is one of his good friends?”


    “Best friend, actually.”


    Daniel gave a low whistle. “Way to give a man insecurity.”


    “Huh?” Lila looked up in confusion at Daniel, lowering her hands. He rolled his eyes at her.


    “I know you’ve got a brain in there,” he said impatiently. “If Asher likes you, he’ll probably keep wondering why you chose Isaac instead of him.”


    “That was years ago,” Lila replied defensively. “It’s not like I like Isaac now, nor will I in the future.”


    “Sure,” Daniel nodded. “But it’s not as though insecurities are rational. You’ll probably need to address that at some point after you confess. Even if Asher doesn’t return your feelings, it’s probably on his mind. It’d be on mine if I was in his situation, at least.”


    Lila rubbed her face, a frustrated yell halfway to her lips. She stopped herself and instead stood up.


    “Thanks for the chat,” she said abruptly. “I’m just going to go to my room.”


    Daniel opened his mouth briefly, as if to say something else. He shook his head and swung his chair around to face his desk again.


    “Alright. Just don’t start crying or something. I’m trying to concentrate. It’s the first time I’m figuring this out without Asher here.”


    Lila left without another word, though she could tell from the tone in his voice that he wasn’t entirely serious. Though he was still the annoying little brother that she’d always had, there was something distinctly different about him. Daniel really was growing up…


    <hr>


    “How’d yesterday go?” Grace asked at morning tea the next day, dipping a small celery stalk into her hummus dip.


    “Did what we needed to,” Lila replied noncommittally, though the embarrassment at having slapped Livi flashed across her face in the form of a grimace.


    “I’m glad,” Elise smiled. “I’m guessing Livi accepted the payment plan Asher suggested?”


    “What?” Lila blinked momentarily before realising that was part of the cover story she’d concocted. “Oh, yeah. Said it was fine.”


    “That must’ve been a relief,” Elise grinned. “Did Livi say anything weird?”


    “She… kinda taunted Asher about being a teen dad.”


    Grace wrinkled her nose in displeasure. “That’s a low blow.”


    “Damn. What’d he say to that?” Elise enquired, her full attention on Lila. Lila inhaled deeply, her embarrassment only festering even more within the pit of her stomach.


    “Well… he didn’t actually get to say anything ‘cause I ended up slapping her.”


    Neither Grace nor Elise said anything for a moment. Then, Elise started howling with laughter.


    “You slapped her?” Grace asked incredulously, her face pale. “Are you gonna get in trouble?”


    “I doubt it,” Lila responded feebly. “At least, Livi didn’t fight me back.”


    “If she tried, you might’ve done worse than slap her,” Elise wheezed, wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes. “God, she deserved it.”


    “Probably knows it, too. That’s why she didn’t fight back,” Grace added wisely.


    “I was half-expecting her to get super mad, but she just seemed more shocked than anything else,” Lila admitted quietly.


    “How’d Asher react?” Grace queried, leaning forward with keen interest.


    “He… also said she deserved it,” Lila stated hesitantly. She wasn’t going to go into the fact that he’d told the Grade 12s that he never had sex with Holly, hence why he couldn’t be the father.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    “Must’ve been a ride for Daniel,” laughed Elise. “Bro just wanted to sort out his debt.”


    “Yeah. I did end up talking to him about it. But, man, that was embarrassing,” Lila lamented, picking at her nails. “Livi’s whole group was there. Plus, I lost my cool in front of Asher.”


    “I doubt he minded,” Grace said comfortingly. “Though, with all those witnesses, I’m still a bit worried that a teacher might come and talk to you.”


    “I mean, if someone did want to report Lila, surely they’d need to talk about why she did it, and what they were doing in the science lab,” Elise suggested pensively.


    “From what I’ve seen, it’s a pretty sophisticated operation,” Lila added. “But it’s still not approved by the school. So I doubt they’d want to put it in danger like that.”


    ‘Plus,’ Lila thought to herself grimly. ‘They would want to tread carefully since I’m Daniel’s sister… and they’ve got their side gig to look after, too.’


    The girls sat in silence for a few moments, all seeming deep in thought. Lila bit into her apple with a crisp crunch, watching the grey clouds lazily drift across the sky.


    “Wonder what Isaac’s up to,” Elise commented idly, unfurling her legs and stretching them out before her.


    “Why?” Lila asked, taken aback.


    “No reason,” Elise replied awkwardly, looking up at the sky. Lila looked at her intently, watching as a faint blush rose on her cheeks.


    “Hold on,” Lila grinned. “You… don’t like him, do you?”


    Elise whipped her head around to stare at Lila, her eyes as wide as golf balls. “N-No.”


    Grace raised an eyebrow at Elise. “If you don’t like Isaac, then my name’s not Grace.”


    Elise’s blush deepened even further. “I-It’s not like that. He’s just… fun to be around. A bit weird, sure. But he makes me laugh.”


    “So you’re wondering what he’s up to because we’re not entertaining enough?” Lila teased.


    “Sure,” Elise replied petulantly. “Crack more jokes, guys.”


    Lila chuckled. She wasn’t necessarily surprised by the revelation, given how close Elise, Isaac, and Grace had become recently. Though… what Isaac thought about Elise… that’d be an interesting question.


    “Do you want me to ask Asher what Isaac thinks of you?” Lila smirked.


    “No,” Elise answered instantly. “I don’t wanna know. At least, not now.”


    “Surprised that you’re not dying of curiosity,” Lila responded lightly.


    “You’re one to fucking talk,” Elise snapped. Lila stared at her in astonishment.


    “Sorry,” Elise said quickly, looking down at her legs, her face much more reminiscent of a tomato. “I… sorry.”


    “It’s not as though I’m going to deny it,” Lila sighed after a brief pause. “… I’m going to do it.”


    “Do what?” Grace asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Lila blushed deeply, her face matching Elise’s almost perfectly.


    “… I’m going to tell him that I like him,” Lila explained quietly. “I’ve been trying to all week, but I’m going over to his place on the weekend. And I’m gonna tell him.”


    Grace and Elise both gasped, leaning forward towards Lila.


    “Finally!” Grace cried.


    “I’m so excited for you,” Elise nodded vehemently. Lila chewed on her bottom lip nervously.


    “I’m terrified, though,” Lila admitted. “He’s gonna laugh at me.”


    “You keep saying that,” Grace said softly, patting Lila’s shoulder. “I really doubt that’ll happen.”


    “I’m not supposed to like him,” Lila replied, hugging her legs to her chest and hiding her face behind her knees. “I was never supposed to. He’s out of my league, what with how smart he is, and I’m just me. That’s why he’ll laugh. ‘Cause he knows it too. He can get so much better.”


    “I doubt there’s anyone on this planet that’s better for Asher than you,” Elise said seriously. “I don’t like that you’re talking down about yourself like this.”


    Lila didn’t respond as she hugged her legs tighter.


    “You’re you, and that’s exactly who’s great for him,” Grace added with a soft smile. “If you guys like each other, then that’s all that matters. All this ‘league’ business. People who pay attention to barriers like that – well, that’s just sad. Who’d want to be blocked from potential love over something so trivial?”


    “Didn’t know you were that much of a romantic, Grace,” Elise chuckled. “You’re right, though.”


    Lila sighed again, though she did feel a little bit better. For now, her immediate problem was sucking up the courage to tell him on the weekend. Hopefully, given they would be at Asher’s place, there would be far fewer interruptions.


    “Either way, good luck,” Elise said after another pause. “If you’ve been trying all week and it hasn’t been working, then you’ll definitely need it.”


    “Thanks,” Lila replied tonelessly. She did appreciate it, though the reminder that she’d been failing only heightened her anxiety about trying again on Saturday.


    Grace pursed her lips before patting Lila on the head gently. “Even if it doesn’t go in your favour, we’ll be here for you.”


    “Thanks,” Lila replied again, this time with a bit more warmth. “I’ll be sure to tell you guys what happens, anyway.”


    “I’ll try to reply as soon as I can,” Grace smiled. “But I’m not sure how packed my schedule is in Adelaide. Maybe we should do a group call or something after?”


    Elise grimaced. “My schedule is hectic,” she said softly. “I don’t know if I’d be able to do a call. I have to get, like, my passport sorted, and I’m preparing for Germany by doing lots of winter clothes shopping and I’m working a ton to save up.”


    “Either way, we’ll be there… instantly or not,” Grace said, somewhat unconvincingly. Lila laughed, shaking her head.


    “Whatever happens, I’ll probably need some time to process. You guys are more than fine to keep up with your regularly scheduled program. You two deserve a good break from school,” Lila insisted. Grace and Elise shared a solemn glance.


    “Don’t look too guilty over there,” Lila frowned, crossing her arms. “Once I’ve done my bit, I’m expecting you to start coming up with a plan of what you want to do about Isaac, Elise.”


    Elise immediately turned red again and she gently pushed Lila. “No fair. You need to give me at least, what, five months?”


    “Why five months?” Lila asked, pushing Elise back playfully.


    “’Cause that’s how long it’s been since Grace and I started watching you fall for Asher, you dummy.”


    Lila’s own face flushed as she considered this. Had it truly been that long?


    “What’re you doing with Asher on the weekend, then?” Grace asked curiously. “Besides… that.”


    “Just hanging out,” Lila replied hastily. “That’s all.”


    “Must be nice,” Elise chuckled. “Being close enough to your crush already to hang out with him on weekends.”


    “Well, you work with yours. That’s like hanging out. Just with a bunch of other people,” Lila pointed out.


    “Asher makes you work?” Elise raised an eyebrow. Lila bit back her almost automatic response – technically, yes, they were putting in work. Hanging out was more or less the consequence of researching, tailing, and investigating what was happening with Marlene and Asher’s Mum, rather than being the purpose of meeting up.


    “Well, sometimes we do, like, schoolwork and… whatnot.”


    Elise snorted. “Whatnot? Sounds like a euph-”


    “Looks like class is going to start soon,” Lila said swiftly, standing up. “Only a day and a half left before the holidays.”


    Lila’s conversation with Elise and Grace regarding her intent to confess to Asher kept playing on her mind throughout the next couple of classes. It was so vivid that she could hardly concentrate on the words Asher said to her as he handed her a lunchbox once lunchtime rolled around. She knew that he’d probably ask her what was up if she was silent, so she settled for idly making noises of agreement or disagreement depending on the context she could grasp on their way to the library.


    On the other hand, Asher seemed much livelier during lunch today than he had been for a long time. Within minutes of sitting down, he shovelled food into his mouth with zeal, before jumping into the conversation between Isaac, Elise, and Grace about exotic pets they’d like to have. They seemed as surprised as Lila felt about this, but the surprise quickly melted into warmth as they exchanged banter with Asher, his laughter pulling Lila’s attention from her thoughts each time. When Asher announced that he’d like an immortal jellyfish, Lila couldn’t help but grin.


    “That’s a lame-ass pet,” Isaac frowned. “Why not something like, I dunno, a giraffe?”


    “Where would I put a giraffe?” Asher countered with a smirk. “Doesn’t exactly fit in my room.”


    “You’re planning on keeping a jellyfish in your bedroom?” Elise asked, raising an eyebrow. “Just how big is your room?”


    Asher glanced at Lila before answering. “Well, I don’t just have a bedroom. I’d put him by the TV. I’d probably need power for the tank anyway. And it’s not just a jellyfish. It’s an immortal one. Maybe I’d be able to see it go into polyp form occasionally.”


    “So, out of all the exotic animals in the world that you could choose to keep, you pick a jellyfish?” Elise stated incredulously. “Based on practicality? I mean, sure, it’s immortal, but it doesn’t even do anything.”


    “I’ve been feeling a real fondness for ‘em lately,” Asher answered with a shrug, though Lila noticed a blush forming on his cheeks. “I’d love to watch it bob around. Plus, I’d have to actually be serious about touching it for it to hurt me.”


    “Laaaaaame,” drawled Elise. She turned her head to Lila with a lopsided grin. “What about you, Lila? What would you choose?”


    “Me? I… I guess I’d go for…” Lila trailed off, thinking. If she wanted to choose an exotic pet for practicality reasons, a jellyfish was a solid choice. But, if there were no restrictions…


    “I’d probably get a fennec fox,” Lila declared. “They’re really cute, with their massive ears. They also seem pretty soft.”


    “I mean, cute,” Elise nodded. “But that’s just like… a pseudo dog. It’s not even big or impressive.”


    “I like small animals, what can I say,” Lila nodded. “Besides, it’d probably feel at home with the heat here.”


    “Again with the practicality,” huffed Isaac. “God, you both are as boring as each other.”


    “Well, that’s rude,” frowned Lila. “For the record, I think you’d have a really hard time looking after a snow leopard in Australia. You’d make it suffer, plus it’d probably murder you.”


    “But, hear me out, they keep their tails in their mouths. And have you seen baby snow leopard paws? They’re like a billion times too big, they look like they’re wearing clown shoes. It’s absolutely adorable,” Isaac countered proudly. “Like I said before, I’d die happy if something so cute and fluffy was the one with Death’s scythe.”


    Grace shuddered. “You’re all insane. Why not something like a superb lyrebird?”


    “Superb?” chuckled Isaac. “Why not a subpar one?”


    Grace shot him a poisonous look. “That’s the name, idiot. They’re an Australian bird, actually, and they’re really good at mimicry. We’d be able to sing together. Plus, their tails are beautiful.”


    “You know what, that fits you incredibly well,” murmured Lila. “I’d like to see you singing with a lyrebird. What about you, Elise?”


    “I’d like a ring-tailed lemur,” Elise announced. “Mostly ‘cause of Madagascar. I want a lil King Julian buddy.”


    “You know they don’t actually talk, right?” Grace laughed.


    “Of course I do,” Elise crossed her arms, furrowing her brow at Grace. “Doesn’t mean I can’t give him a crown and pretend he’s talking.”


    “‘How long is this going to TAKE?!’” Isaac shouted, his impression of King Julian surprisingly rather accurate. Elise blinked at him before laughing heartily.


    “That was too good,” she giggled, her face slightly pink.


    “Who needs a ring-tailed lemur when you can just have Isaac as an exotic pet?” Lila said playfully, winking at Elise. Elise started spluttering as if trying to think of a comeback to this but failing miserably. Luckily, Isaac rescued her from her plight in refuting Lila’s suggestion.


    “Oi!” Isaac protested. “I’d hardly fulfil the requirements of being a pet. And I’m very much not exotic.”


    “There’s requirements?” Asher questioned.


    “’Course there are,” Isaac replied enthusiastically. “Firstly, you need to be adorable. I know I’m cute, but adorable? Nah. Not me. Secondly, you’d need to be fine with being by yourself at home all day. That ain’t for me. I need some company or else I go ‘round the bend. Thirdly, I don’t wanna be microchipped.”


    “Oh, is that all?” Asher smirked. “Good news, I’ve already microchipped you. You’re a third of the way there.”


    “Say it ain’t so!” Isaac gasped dramatically. The room burst into laughter, and Asher caught Lila’s eye. He smiled at her, and she found herself distracted enough from her stress-inducing plan for Saturday to genuinely smile at him back.


    At the end of lunch, Lila returned her lunchbox to Asher in the locker room and considered what she would need to bring for English and Maths. They were still watching The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas for English, but Ms Wang might expect them to try and learn something in Maths…


    She dumped her Maths stuff into her bookbag and closed her locker only to find Asher leaning against the locker next to hers.


    “Boo,” he said with an exuberant smile. She jumped – not because she’d actually been scared by him saying ‘boo’, but because she was instantly reminded of her mission on Saturday. Her heart leaped to her throat and she turned away from him, taking a couple deep breaths to try and steady herself. If she was going to react to him like this constantly, would she be able to confess?


    “Did I scare you that much?” Asher asked, the smile clear in his voice.


    “Yup,” Lila replied shortly. “So scary.”


    “Sorry,” Asher laughed, the clear, joyous sound sending a pleasant wave of chills down her spine. “C’mon, let’s go.”


    Despite the chilly cold front surrounding them on their journey to their English classroom, Lila felt incredibly hot. She pulled her scarf down slightly in an effort to cool herself down, but it didn’t work. Asher was jabbering on about a new Switch game coming out that he seemed to think she might like, but she couldn’t focus on any of the details. Ordinarily, his enthusiasm would suck her in, and she’d be hooked on listening to his passionate explanations and stories.


    Today, however, she would zone in and out periodically, her brain instead full of knots and half-baked plans on when, where, and how she’d confess on Saturday. Gabriel wouldn’t be home that day, and Marlene would be pottering around the house doing her usual weekend chores. Would it be a linen day? If it was, Marlene would be more occupied than usual, and far away from Asher’s rumpus roo-


    “Lila?”


    Asher gently tapped her shoulder and she snapped back to reality, her eyes meeting his with the force of a magnetic pull.


    “Yes?” she asked, breaking the eye contact with difficulty.


    “You’ve been really spacey today,” he said, concern evident in the tone of his voice. “Everything okay?”


    “Y-Yeah,” Lila replied, readjusting her bookbag on her shoulder. “Is the classroom open yet?”


    Asher cast a look behind him, towards the open door of their English classroom.


    “Well, it’s not closed,” he stated, his expression bemused. “You’re looking at the doorway, though.”


    “Right. Let’s go in.”


    She attempted to move past him but he blocked her way.


    “Lila, something’s not right. You can tell me. You’ve been a bit weird this past week,” he said softly. She was about to speak when he continued bashfully. “Not that I want to push you if you don’t want to tell me. Just that you can. If you want.”


    Lila was nowhere near ready to divulge what had been playing on her mind, so instead nodded.


    “I-I know,” she said quietly. “M-Maybe one day.”


    She sidestepped him before he could question her any further and scurried to her desk, sitting down and hiding her face in her hands. She heard him sit beside her and was grateful that they had the excuse of the movie to avoid talking to Asher.


    Friday proceeded much the same way as Thursday had, though there were far fewer students around campus. At lunch, Asher had enthusiastically joined in the latest debate arising between Isaac, Elise, and Grace – this time, it was about what foods they would happily eat forever.


    “I’ve got too many,” Asher lamented. “My private chef, as you can imagine, makes such good food.”


    “Hold up,” Elise sat up straight, staring at Asher. “You have a private chef?”


    “No wonder Lila’s constantly going over to your place,” Grace observed. “That’s insane.”


    “You didn’t tell them?” Asher asked, turning to Lila.


    “I-It slipped my mind,” Lila replied honestly.


    “Slipped your mind?” Elise queried theatrically. “So, what, it’s not Asher making your lunch every day?”


    Both Asher and Lila turned an interesting shade of red.


    “No,” Lila eventually said quietly. “But he is a good cook.”


    “Am I?” Asher seemed surprised. Lila nodded, her heart almost leaping out of her chest. Of course her friends noticed that Asher was giving her lunch every day. As she squeezed her hands together, she tried to think why she felt like this when it was brought up.


    There was a brief pause before Isaac cut in. “Well, anyway, narrow it down, Asher. C’mon. Gabriel’s food is really good, but now I have to know what your favourites are.”


    “I mean, butter chicken is my comfort food,” Asher said, tapping his chin, his usual colour returning to his face. “Pretty basic, I know. Oh, and Gabriel makes this slow-cooked lamb shoulder with ginger-mango chutney and sriracha sauce on pita bread.” Asher looked over at Lila in horror as he said this. “Wait, has he made that when you’ve been over?”


    Lila shook her head. “Not that I can tell.”


    “I’ll get him to make it, then. I’ll let you know when, but it’ll definitely be over the holidays. Then you can come over and have some.”


    Lila saw Isaac, Grace, and Elise all look wildly at each other, but Asher didn’t seem to notice.


    “Alright. I-If you’ll want me over by then,” she said tentatively, rosiness returning to her face. He tilted his head, looking distinctly puzzled.


    “If I’ll want you over by then? ‘Course I will. Why wouldn’t I?” he questioned.


    “N-No reason,” Lila stammered, looking down at her empty lunchbox. “Just… y’know. You might get sick of me.”


    “Impossible,” Asher emphatically shook his head. “Don’t be silly. Besides, if Gabriel’s making that, he’ll demand to see you. You’re his favourite customer.”


    Lila could see over Asher’s shoulder that Grace was hiding a smile behind her hands, and Isaac and Elise were high-fiving in slow-mo from a distance in order to not produce sound. Clearly, they weren’t bothered about hiding their enthusiasm after telling Lila the other day about their term-long plot.


    “Anyway,” Asher said pensively, looking down at his empty lunchbox. “There’s those two, but I’ve also been constantly thinking about Lila’s Mum’s tocino.”


    “You’ve had it?” Elise gasped. “That’s, like, a rite of passage in their household. She doesn’t make it for just anyone, you know.”


    “Really?” Asher seemed incredibly surprised by this notion.


    “You’re being overdramatic,” Lila interjected, though the mortification was twisting her stomach. “It’s not a rite of passage. It’s just… food.”


    “It basically is,” Grace disagreed sagely. “She doesn’t usually make Filipino food until she trusts you. If you’re not Filipino, of course. I guess it’s ‘cause Filipino food isn’t too common here, so people might reject her food for being ‘different’.”


    “I… never noticed,” Lila said truthfully.


    “’Course you wouldn’t,” snorted Elise. “You’re her daughter. It’d be weird if she gatekept Filipino food from you ‘cause she didn’t trust you.”


    “I mean, I’ve never had it,” piped up Isaac. Everyone stared at him for a moment. “What?” he asked.


    “Have you been to Lila’s before?” Elise asked faintly. Isaac glanced at Elise.


    “Nah. Why?”


    “’Cause how is she going to make tocino for you if you’re not at Lila’s?” Elise queried impatiently, standing up.


    “I mean, Asher’s been giving Lila lunch, like, all term. Obviously, Gabriel makes it for her even though she’s not eating it at Asher’s,” Isaac replied defensively. Elise and Isaac began squabbling amongst themselves, effectively ending the conversation about favourite foods. Lila was slightly grateful for this turn of events – that way she didn’t have to force herself to join in again.


    “They’re like an old married couple,” Asher snickered, casting a brief look at Lila. “It’s kinda refreshing to watch.”


    Lila tried to keep her face neutral as she looked over at Elise and Isaac. Elise, at least, looked as though she was having fun, despite her angry tone. There was a sparkle in her eyes as Isaac served his own banter that Lila couldn’t help but smile at. Asher looked between Lila and Elise curiously for a moment before closing his lunchbox.


    “We should get ready for Study,” he announced, shattering the conversation between Elise and Isaac instantly. “Let’s go, Lila.”


    Lila’s stomach twisted again as she realised that they’d be sitting relatively alone together during Study. And they wouldn’t have any real studying to do.


    Study, though, wasn’t as bad as she’d expected. They’d signed in, laptops booted up and at the ready, when Asher suggested something he hadn’t before.


    “Well, now that there’s nothing else to do, do you wanna play Minecraft?”


    His eyes were fixated on his laptop screen, as though he wasn’t expecting Lila to have heard what he said.


    “I guess we could,” Lila replied, her tone quivering despite her attempt at sounding nonchalant. Asher’s eyes flickered to hers and he beamed, readjusting his sitting position with glee.


    “Heck yeah!” he exclaimed, rapidly clicking away on his laptop. “I’ll set up a server.”


    Lila grinned to herself – his usual enthusiasm whenever she agreed with one of his plans was comforting in the wake of the potential that she’d destroy it all tomorrow. They spent the rest of their Study block playing Minecraft, which mainly consisted of them messing with the Villagers, beating up cows, and hitting bedrock. Though, at one point, Asher suggested they build a house somewhere in the nearby giant spruce taiga biome.


    “Just one?” Lila asked, her fingers trembling on the mouse as she spun around to look at the patch of land they were standing on.


    “Well, yeah. More economical that way,” Asher replied, squinting at his screen. “Don’t need as many blocks. Over there looks good.”


    They both built the treehouse, with Lila in charge of the external fixtures and Asher in charge of the internal ones. Once Lila was happy with the outside, she popped in and took a look at what Asher was doing.


    “Where’s your bed?” Lila asked curiously as her character trotted around the house.


    “Over there,” Asher indicated. Lila brought her character over towards his, a blush rising on her cheeks as she stood next to his bed. She glanced at Asher over the top of her laptop lid and placed her bed down next to his. She saw his eyes flicker up at her before looking back at his screen. She could have sworn that his face was pink, but it was vastly obscured by his laptop.


    They continued playing some more until English was due to start. With a stretch, Asher closed down his laptop.


    “Last class of the term, and then we’re free,” he said breezily as Lila packed up.


    “Sure is,” Lila replied lightly.


    “What time do you want to come over tomorrow?” Asher asked as they started walking to English.


    Lila glanced at him. “I dunno. Whenever you want me to.”


    He pursed his lips, looking at her from the side of his eye, before looking ahead again. “9 sound good?”


    “Sure does,” Lila grinned. “I’ll be able to bully Clare into taking me, I think.”


    “I’ll have to say hi to her,” Asher smiled. “It’s much better now that she’s not glaring at me.”


    Lila chuckled. It definitely was better. “I’ll have to tell her that,” she smirked.


    Asher paled. “Please don’t. She might go back to glaring at me. It’s scary.”


    They both laughed together, and the remainder of their last day of school passed by with the conclusion of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Truthfully, there was a little bit left of the movie, but Ms Shard gave the class the option of staying to finish it or leaving immediately once class time ended. Lila took the latter option – sitting still, so close to Asher, even though they didn’t speak, was unbearable. Asher seemed surprised that she was leaving, but remained behind with a small wave goodbye.


    “See you tomorrow,” he said softly as she hoisted her bag over her shoulder.


    “See you then,” Lila replied, unable to meet his eye.