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Out of the many possibilities that Ashley could’ve imagined, acquiring a girlfriend as a teenager wasn’t one of them. In fact, the young witch thought that she would never find a partner, even as a fully grown adult. But that must’ve not been her destiny since here she was at Joe’s Diner just days shy of her 14th birthday with Penny Crygor, one of her co-workers at Warioware Inc, and they were celebrating their 6-month anniversary of when they first started dating. Ashley pinched herself several times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming and in fact she indeed wasn’t, this was reality for her shockingly. As the two adolescents sat across from each other eagerly waiting for their food to arrive, the witch decided to mentally recall how they got to this point.
So, 6 months prior, Dr Crygor, a scientist, employee at Warioware Inc, and Penny’s grandfather had to go out of town overnight for a conference along with his karaoke loving robot, Mike. This meant that Penny had to spend the night somewhere she wouldn’t be home alone. Many of Penny’s co-workers had offered to have her stay at their houses, but it wouldn’t work out in the long run. For Instance, Mona was too busy with her many jobs and her rambunctious pets to look after the teen girl, 5-volt and 9-volt’s house was too crowded with 18-volt having a sleepover there as he does more nights than not, and staying with Young Cricket and Master Mantis meant training late into the night which did not seem pleasing to the young scientist. Oh also, Kat, Ana, and Lulu were all far too young to have a sleepover and some of Penny’s other co-workers such as Jimmy T and Dribble and Spitz had to work the night shift at their particular jobs on this particular night. And gosh knows what Orbulon was up to. This left Ashley and her Imp sidekick Red. Now Penny didn’t mind this too much as she got along fairly well with both of them. Red, while a scaredy cat, has always been very friendly and easy to talk to, not to mention his wicked sense of humour. Meanwhile, Ashley who is Red’s opposite on the surface, took a good liking to Penny Crygor, due to her being the absolute sweetest to the lonely witch in training. Penny along with her grandfather, Red obviously, all the volts especially 5-volt, Mona, Young Cricket, and Master Mantis always treated Ashley with the respect she deserved every second they were around her. Not that the other employees treated Ashley badly which sadly couldn’t and still can’t be said for her school peers, they were just more distant towards her than all the formers. Ashley and Penny had become quite good friends in the past few months leading up to this day. Not only because they were close in age, it was also because both their interests; wizardry and science have a sort of correlation to each other, making it easy for the witch and the scientist to understand each other’s hyper fixations. Anyways, when Penny arrived at Ashley’s mansion with her sleepover bag, she was a little nervous. Not because she, who had a love for pink and hearts, was creeped out by the gothic aesthetic of the mansion. She was used to it as she’d been over there several times in the past few months. It’s just that spending the night over there for the first time gave her anxiety as she figured Ashley and Red would stay up late trying out spells and brewing potions. That left a good possibility of summoning a monster from a different realm of some sort. That thought terrified Penny. Luckily, Ashley nor Red never suggested going to their spellatorium down in the basement all evening which made Penny relieved. The first thing they did after Penny arrived was eat dinner which Red prepared. It was actually pretty good with the meal being filet mignon and fries. For the drinks, they had virgin strawberry daiquiris, and ice cream sundaes were served at dessert. They finished up eating after an hour or so since neither of the girls were that talkative and thankfully, Red got the hint and didn’t yap about random stuff the entire meal which definitley was pleasing to Ashley.
“Hey Ashley do you need me to take care of washing the dishes for you guys?”, Red asked cheerfully.
“Actually, since I’m in a good mood right now, Penny and I will handle the dishes so you get to have a break tonight.”, Ashley replied as she got up and began to collect everyone’s plates, glasses, and utensils.
“Aww Yeah!!”, Red exclaimed with excitement. “Still, please let me know if you gals need help with anything.”
“Okay we will.” The girls headed into the kitchen where Ashley placed everything in her hands into the sink.
“Does Red do all the chores Ashley? I’m just wondering.”, Inquired Penny.
“Well, it actually kind of depends on the chore. Stuff like tidying the mansion, making beds, and going to the store I handle on my own but certain things like doing laundry, cooking, setting the table, and doing the dishes I have Red do since I am not great at doing those things. Just know that I totally would do those chores if I was competent at doing them.”, Ashley nervously laughed.
“Oh, it’s okay Ash, I’m not judging you.”, Penny reassured.
“Wait… Ash?”
“Oh, my bad, I like to give my friends nicknames but you don’t seem like the nickname type so I’m sorry if I upset you.”, Penny apologized.
“I am not but you know… I actually like Ash. It sounds cool and it matches my hair color.”, Ashley thought aloud while slightly blushing.
“Really, so is it okay if I start calling you that more frequently?”, Penny asked. Ashley sighed and smiled slightly before responding.
“I guess so.”, she giggled. “But please only use Ash when wanting to nickname me and nothing like Ash Ketchum or Home Store. Cricket calls me those all the time to tease me and it is starting to annoy me.”, Ashley warned with her tone becoming serious again.
“Who is Ash Ketchum?”, Penny asked confused. Ashley let out a sigh of relief. While she was a bit surprised that her scientist friend didn’t know who the incredibly popular Pokémon trainer was. But she then realized that Penny was never super into anime and was more into cartoons and true crime than anything else besides science and pop music. Ashley really liked the two formers as well. Regardless, Ashley was relieved since if Penny didn’t know who the character was, she would never associate him with her witch friend.
“Honestly Penny, part of me is glad that you aren’t into anime like Cricket is. I mean I respect his interests and he is a really cool guy but his anime talk can get reeaalllyy excessive.”, Ashley remarked.
“Ash, I saw you blush when you said that. Looks like someone might have the hots for Cricket and his anime talk.”, Penny teased light-heartedly.
“No, I don’t. Stop that!!”, cried Ashley with agitation as she swatted at Penny. Albeit, her agitation and her swat at her friend was meant to be playful banter. While Ashley may be rough around the edges and can be hostile when provoked, she would never intentionally hurt someone that she cares about and that includes Penny Crygor. However, after Ashley’s reaction, the scientist suddenly went quiet and seemed very uneasy. The witch wanted to ask her friend what was wrong, but she didn’t know how to phrase it so she stayed silent and continued to do so as they both cleaned the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. Once that was finished, Ashley tried to think of an activity she could do with Penny but she was having a hard time coming up with something so she needed to go somewhere for inspiration.
“Penny, do you want to go to the attic?”, The witch girl asked.
“Sure, as long as none of your witch craft stuff is up there since that stuff kind of scares me a little. No offense.”, replied Penny.
“Oh, it’s okay. I completely understand and don’t worry, all my potions, spell books, ingredients, and other items used for the dark arts are down in the basement for a reason. Now let’s go.”, Ashley insisted as she took Penny’s hand and they began making their way upstairs.
“Ashley! Can I come too?”, called out Red.
“Nope stay downstairs. Penny and I need some girl time alone.”, Ashley commanded without hesitation.
“But Ashley-
“You heard me Red. I did the dishes for you so I need you to stay downstairs for me.”, Ashley interrupted firmly. The familiar finally went quiet after that which made Ashley happy. What made Penny happy however was how her friend referred to their time together as girl time. This gave the scientist the understanding that Ashley didn’t just see her as a guest or a co-worker, she saw her as a close friend, maybe even a sister. Anyways, after the two girls reached the second floor, they went down a couple hallways until they reached a door at the end of one of the corridors. Opening the door revealed a stairwell going upwards nearly swallowed by a sea of darkness.
“Uh Ash, please tell me the attic has lighting.”, Penny stuttered with fear. Ashley couldn’t help but giggle slightly at the redhead’s distress. Ashley is far from a narcissist or a sociopath, she just found Penny’s fear to be kind of adorable. Ashley gave the nervous aspiring pop-star a slight mischievous smile and pulled something out from under her dress, it appeared to be one of those clicker’s that their teachers used to go from slide to slide when doing PowerPoint presentations with the class. She then pressed down on the clicker and almost immediately, the once dark attic was now greatly brightened. This made Penny feel a lot better and more willing to follow Ashley up the staircase. When reaching the top, Penny was surprisingly pleased. The light source was fairy lights strung around the attic walls and slanted roof. Right in the middle of the floor was a large round purple plush rug with a bunch of throw pillows that matched the gothic aesthetic but still looked very cozy and comfortable. The attic also consisted of several clay and origami sculptures, books scattered on the floor, A video game system, and a shelf full of board games.
“Ashley…. This is really nice looking for an attic. Do you use this area often?”, Penny wondered.
“Thank you and I actually use it quite frequently, typically when I need a break from Red.”, replied Ashley. The witch’s response led Penny to ask a type of question that she normally wouldn’t ask.
“Do you dislike Red?”, Ashley seemed taken aback by Penny’s question. She was silent for a few moments before responding.
“No not at all. I get really annoyed with him at times but he is a great friend and assistant and I consider myself very lucky to have him around. What made you wonder such a thing?”, Ashley replied confused.
“Well, it’s just how you didn’t want him coming up here with us and speaking of up here, you say you come up here to avoid Red. I also notice at work that you seem to act coldly or indifferent towards him.”, Penny voiced. Ashley took what the bespectacled girl said and took it into consideration. Based on what she witnessed, Ashley decided that Penny certainly wasn’t wrong for making those assumptions. However, she needed to explain a few things.
“Okay first of all, I don’t want Red coming up here with us since if he does, he will be extra and overstay his welcome since he won’t stop talking about random stuff unrelated to the situation the entire time. Secondly, those things I listed are reasons I need space from him sometimes. I love and care for him deeply but as a person who has bad social anxiety and who gets overwhelmed a lot, I need my space sometimes from people like him, even though he is my best friend. So, I come up here since he is afraid of the attic. Finally, I just don’t really like to show a lot of affection towards others in public. I know it might seem like I don’t show Red any affection at all but believe me when I say that I do very much so when it’s just him and I alone and he understands that.”, clarified Ashley. Penny finally seemed to understand it all.
“Oh Okay, that makes sense Ash. And I’m also glad you don’t like to do PDA since it is kind yucky to watch.”, Penny remarked making a grossed-out face which made Ashley chuckle slightly and nod her head in agreement.
“Glad someone finally gets me when it comes to PDA. Also, you know me Penny, if I didn’t like Red, I wouldn’t have him residing with me and accompanying me to most places.”, The dark-haired witch giggled. Penny giggled too and muttered “Oh I know.” After that, Penny made herself comfortable on the rug while Ashley searched through the shelves to find a game that she and Penny could play together. Problem was, most of the games she had were meant for more than just two players and getting Red to join in wasn’t an option according to Ashley. Eventually, she found a Ouija Board but she then decided that it might be too scary for her friend and also since she was a witch, she was concerned that she could accidently summon an evil spirit just by saying a few words. She had seen “The Exorcist” enough times to not take that risk. Ashley just decided it was best to keep the Ouija Board out of their agenda. She was almost about to give up when she all of a sudden thought about a popular sleepover game that has been trending on the internet.
“So, Penny, have you heard of the game Red Door, Yellow Door ?”, Ashley asked as she sat down besides Penny who in response just shook her head.
“No, what is it and how do you play?”, Inquired the bespectacled girl.
“I heard about it on the internet and it’s apparently popular at sleepovers. Let me pull up instructions so I get refreshed on how to play the game.”, replied the spooky girl as she pulled out her smartphone and began browsing it. “Aha, here they are so this game requires two people, which we have, and one person will be the subject and the other will be the guide. The guide will sit down with a pillow on their lap on which the subject on their back will lie down on and is supposed to be made comfortable by the guide.”, Ashley read aloud. So far, this game didn’t sound too interesting to Penny. Did Ashley think that she was too faint hearted to play a game that wasn’t made for small children. She hoped not. As Penny was about to become uninterested in the idea of this game, Ashley continued reading aloud the rules. “The subject will keep their eyes closed the entire game. Then. With the subject’s hands raised in the air, the guide will start to massage their temples while chanting ‘Red door, Yellow door, any other color door’ over and over again so the subject will enter a trance. It probably will take several minutes for the subject to fully enter the trance and start visualizing the hallways and doors.”, Penny was now intrigued, Ashley continued. “Tell the subject to lower their arms when they see doors in their mind. Set a timer for 10 minutes so the subject isn’t in a trance for too long. Once they are fully in the trance, start leading the subject through the house in their mind by asking them what they see. Ask the subject to describe what they see in each room or hallway. Tell the subject to go through a door or inside a room if they feel positively about it.”
“Wow this game actually seems pretty fun Ash! It seems simple too.”, Penny praised with excitement. She then began preparing for the game by trying to leave the attic to try and find a pillow that wasn’t a throw pillow when Ashley stopped her.
“First of all, if you need something from downstairs, leave it to me to retrieve it. This mansion is large and I don’t want you getting lost even though you’ve been here several times.”, Penny couldn’t disagree with the young sorceress on this one, while she has been over at the mansion several times, she has only really been on the main floor as Ashley wasn’t comfortable with her going to a lot of other places in the mansion, in fact this was the first time Penny has ever been upstairs in the mansion. “Secondly, there a still a few more rules about this game that I need to explain before we start playing.”, reasoned Ashley. Penny sat back down next to Ashley on the rug as she continued explaining the rules. “Here are now spotting signs of danger as a subject.” This made Penny a bit nervous. “Number one: avoid interacting with people at all times even if the player knows them in real life since they don’t know what their intentions are and they could be evil and/or trying to trick the player. Number two: if the player comes across a room full of clocks or they walk into a room and a bunch of clocks start appearing at once, the guide should say to leave it immediately as clocks can trap players in the room so they can’t get out. Number three: Go upstairs instead of downstairs in the house. While the player can go wherever they like, it’s best to go up and not down. Number four: move towards light things and light colors instead of dark things and dark colors. It’s better to go through brightly colored doors and rooms rather than dark colored doors and rooms. Number five: the player should try to wake themselves up if they find themselves trapped in a room like if the door disappears or they can’t find the way out. If the player doesn’t, they might be trapped in the trance forever. The guide can try to wake them up as well. Finally, End the game if the player spots a man in a suit since it’s said he can be very dangerous and unsettling. Pay attention to what other people are wearing in the game. If the player sees a man wearing a suit and they are worried by the sight of him, this is a sign to end the game.”, Ashley explained. Penny was processing all the rules and possibilities of this game.
“This is all very interesting. I’ve never heard of a game like this one before.”, Penny commented amazed.
“I know right”, Ashley remarked. “I’ll go downstairs to get a pillow. Stay here and I’ll be back shortly.”, Ashley announced. When Ashley left the attic, Penny began to anticipate for this game. She felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. She wanted to play but at the same time she was a little scared to. She waited anxiously until Ashley arrived back with a large soft pillow, presumably from a bed. She sat down next to Penny with it.
“So, who’s going to be the one in a trance?”, asked the redhead. The witch thought for a moment before smirking and replying.
“You know, since you’re a scientist, you’re always using others as your 'test subjects' or 'Guinea pigs' so I think it would be fun if for once, you are the test subject.”, Ashley challenged. Penny gulped. She felt a slight urge to protest against the witch’s suggestion but she was worried about facing her wrath if she denied so she just accepted her role in this game. Ashley placed the pillow in her lap and motioned Penny to rest the back of her head on it which she did without a word. Penny actually thought it was quite comfortable resting on top of Ashley’s lap like this. Even if there was a pillow between their bodies, it was still relaxing.
“Uh Ash, can you promise that you’ll wake me up if I get trapped in a room or run into that man with the suit or whatever?”, Penny pleaded quietly.
“Of course. You know that I would never let anything bad happen to you would I.”, Ashley reassured in monotone and because of her tone of voice, Penny still felt a little uncomfortable. “Now close your eyes and hold your hands up.”, Ashley instructed and Penny did as so. She took a few deep breaths to try and relax her nerves. She soon felt something that felt like human hands touching both of her temples. Shortly after that, she began to hear a familiar voice chant “Red door, Yellow door, any other color door” as the human hands rubbed her temples. As the chanting and massaging of the temples continued, Penny began to feel as if she was being put under anesthesia. Everything became more and more fuzzy. After what seemed like forever, she found herself in a dim hallway with white walls, beige carpeting, and three doors all on one wall. Penny placed down her hands right then and there and she then began hearing Ashley’s voice. “What do you see? Be specific.”, Ashley insisted.
“I am in a small dimly-lit hallway with white walls, beige carpet, and three doors on the wall I am facing.”, Penny replied.
“What color are the doors?”
“The one to the very left is bright red, the one in the middle is yellow-orange and the one to the very right is navy blue.”
“Go through the yellow-orange door.”, Ashley instructed. Penny did just that. She carefully and quietly opened the yellow-orange door. “What do you see now?”
“I see a split staircase, one leading upwards and one leading downwards.”, Penny described.
“Go up.”, Penny then carefully ascended the upwards stairwell and stopped when she reached the top. “Now what do you see?”
“a very small hallway, probably the size of an average bedroom with pale blue walls and puke-colored green carpet. There are two doors on opposite walls. A lime green one and a lilac one.”
“Hmmm. Just to be safe, go through the lime green door since green is generally brighter than purple.”, Ashley suggested. Penny then complied with caution and Ashley of course asked her what she saw when she went through the lime green door.
“I am in a bedroom. There is one queen-sized bed, a dresser, a bedside table, a desk, a few paintings on the wall, and one analog clock right above the bed.”
“Is that clock the only clock in the room?”
“Yes.”
“Then stay and explore the room some.” Penny was actually in the room for quite a bit. She opened drawers and looked under surfaces. She did actually find some pretty interesting items but Ashley advised her to only inspect them for a few moments before putting them back where she found them. However, when Penny looked at the wall above the bed, there were now three clocks instead of one. She turned to the other wall and saw five clocks that weren’t there before.
“Uh, a bunch of clocks are starting to show up that weren’t here when I first walked in.”, Penny confided nervously.
“Leave Immediately!! They will try to trap you!!”, Ashley barked with panic. Penny bolted out of the room like Sonic the Hedgehog. She went so fast that she landed face first on the carpet in the hallway, which was not only puke-colored, it was also sticky and coarse. So, Penny was left with a slight rug burn on her face. She just managed to pull herself up when Ashley asked her another question. “Where are you now? Did you make it out of the room?”
“I am back in the hallway I was in before I entered that last room. So yes, I made it out but barely since the lime-green door has now completely vanished.”
“Is the lilac door still there?”
“Yes.”
“Proceed through it.” Penny did so now with a lot of anxiety after the experience with the last room. This new room however, was completely empty with the exception of a humanoid figure standing against the back wall. When Ashley inquired about what Penny saw, she answered with this.
“This room is completely empty, all with the exception of this humanoid figure near the back wall.”
“What does the figure look like?”
“It looks like a little girl. It actually looks a lot like Ana. It has fair skin, orange hair in pigtails, and a white dress.”
“If there’s nothing else in this room, then it’s best to leave it. While that figure may look like Ana and looks like it will be a friendly face, you don’t know what it’s true intentions are so don’t interact with it at all. “Ashley instructed. Penny followed the instructions and also followed with “Where do I go now?” To which the witch replied. “Go back down the split staircase, but don’t just stop at the landing where you were before, go all the way down.” Penny started to do so. She noticed as she went down the staircase a sense of bad aura began to increase. Penny felt tempted when she saw the original landing to stop at it but she followed Ashley’s instructions and kept on going downwards. When she reached the bottom, it was so dark that she had to use the flashlight from her heart-shaped barrette in her hair to see just a small amount. The light shined on a door. Penny moved it around to see is she could find another door, passageway, or staircase of some sort but she couldn’t. The door was the only thing there. “What do you see down there?”, asked Ashley.
“I only see one door and it looks to be dark red. Like a maroon or burgundy color.”
“Go through it.”, Ashley ordered. “Ignore the fact that it’s darkly colored.” Penny carefully opened the door and crept inside. The room inside the door was also very dark with the exception of one small pilot light hanging from the ceiling. The floor was concrete and the walls were plaster. The room appeared to be a storage room of some sort. However, Penny was indeed not alone in the room. She ended up shining her light on a tall slender figure whom from afar looked like Slenderman. Looking closer, Penny noticed the figure was a man with a mustache, a black fedora, and a suit of the same color. She knew immediately that this was a bad sign and that she should tell Ashley to immediately end the game, however she stayed and examined the man for a few moments. Suddenly out of the blue, the man pulled something out from behind his back… a shotgun… and he pointed it at Penny who of course began to panic and start screaming.
“I SEE THE MAN IN THE SUIT AND HE HAS A GUN!! GET ME OUT GET ME OUT PLEASE BEFORE HE SHOOTS ME HELPP!!”, Penny screamed out in terror. She never felt so scared in her life. She was so preoccupied with her panicked state and her screaming that she didn’t realize that Ashley had woken her up and that she was back in her attic. Penny still was sobbing hard so Ashley sighed before pulling the girl into a tight hug and rocked her trying to calm her down. She always did the same for Red whenever he had a panic attack which happens to him many times. Penny immediately rapped her arms around Ashley’s neck but was now not only crying but also hyperventilating. Her face matched the color of Ashley’s dress and the name and color of her familiar. It was also puffy and dry. Ashley had never seen the scientist who was always so bubbly and positive like this before. Guilt climbed up Ashley’s back and into her head. Penny was having a full-blown panic attack… because of a game, which was known to be creepy, that Ashley wanted to play. This bothered the witch who immediately wished she opted to be the subject instead of forcing Penny into it. It was so selfish of her. Now Dr. Crygor was probably never going to let her host Penny ever again and Penny was in severe distress. Ashley knew that since this might be the last time she would ever get to spend quality time with Penny, she had to make it alright. She typically wasn’t the type to be super affectionate or warm towards other human beings but she knew that this time she had to give in, Penny needed her comfort.
“Shh Penny it’s alright. You’re safe now. The game is over. No one is going to shoot you.”, Ashley cooed reassuringly while not loosening her grasp on her friend in the slightest bit. Ashley continued to hold and warmly reassure Penny for the next several minutes. Gradually, Penny calmed down, stopped crying, and her breathing returned to normal. Yet, her face was still red and she still looked distressed. “Do you want to go to my bedroom and hang out there for some time?”, offered Ashley. Penny was silent for a few moments before opening her mouth.
“Sure, that’s fine. As long as there are no creepy men in suits in there.”, Penny said quietly. This was so unlike her to be quiet and deadpan. She sounded just like Ashley who knew that this wasn’t normal.
“It will be fine. Trust me.”, Ashley reassured as she pulled Penny up and took her by the hand out of the attic. Penny began to blush. Ashley being hand in hand with Penny walked until they reached Ashley’s bedroom. Ashley carefully opened the door and turned on the light. Penny followed in after her witch friend and was fascinated by the room. It was fairly small and had an attached bathroom. The whole room had a witch girl aesthetic. There were several wall hangings including dream catchers in different shapes, bats, and one big one that had all the moon phases. There was also a poster on one of the walls that was themed around kitchen witchery and had several ingredients with visuals listed on it. There were a couple shelves on the wall as well. They held a LDE sign that spelled out “BOO!!”, some plastic skulls which Ashley had decorated, and a handful of different colored crystals. Ashley’s bed matched the theme of the room. It was a double-sized bed with both a back and foot-board. The comforter had a spider-web pattern on it and there were a lot of Halloween throw pillows on the bed as well. What really caught Penny’s attention was Ashley’s desk. She noticed that there were several art supplies such as sketch books, packs of colored pencils and markers, paint kits both acrylic and watercolor, packs of clay, and an origami kit. This sight made Penny’s brain form a lot of questions but she decided to not spill them for now.
“Ash, is it okay if I sit down on the bed?”
“Sure, fine with me.”, Ashley replied sitting down on the bed and patting the spot next to her for Penny to sit down. The latter sat down right next to the former and also noticed a bookshelf full of books that weren’t spell books which Penny found interesting since she thought Ashley only read spell books. Guess she couldn’t be more wrong. She examined the books and concluded that pretty much all of them were fantasy or dystopian novels, however she did recognize some of the book series on the shelf such as Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games, Fablehaven, and… Harry Potter. Oh, Penny just gained so much respect for Ashley now.
“Ash, I see that you have Harry Potter on your bookshelf. Do you like the series? I really love it”, Penny inquired with hope that her witch friend would say yes. Ashley suddenly turned to Penny and stared wide-eyed at her.
“Like it… I don’t just like it… I LOVE IT!! IN FACT, I AM CURRENTLY HYPER FIXATING ON IT RIGHT NOW SO GLAD YOU ASKED!!”, Ashley cried out with excitement in a weird obsessive tone of voice, which is very unlike her. When Ashley calmed down, she noticed that Penny seemed weirded out. She once again felt guilty and decided to make it right. “Oh… sorry about that. It’s just that no one has really inquired about my interests besides witchcraft before, let alone share that they have something in common with me so I guess I got a little too excited.”, Ashley chuckled apologetically. Penny gave her a tender smile in response, showing that she understood and sympathized with the witch.
“Oh, Ashley it’s okay don’t worry. I completely understand why you reacted the way you did. Someone else inquired about one of your favorite pieces of media and also shared about how they enjoyed it as well for the first time so I get why you got really excited. You probably don’t have really any other people to talk Harry Potter with, do you?”, Penny stated with bucketfuls of empathy. Ashley then frowned and shook her head, answering Penny’s question. Penny then lightly wrapped her arm around Ashley’s shoulders. Lightly since she figured that Ashley would be sensitive about people touching her and the girl genius didn’t want to deal with a white-haired, glowing eyed Ashley all night. “But the good news is, if you ever need to get your Harry Potter related thoughts out, then you’ll always have me from now on.” Ashley then smiled again.
“You’re right. In fact, I think we have a lot to talk about so make yourself comfortable because we are probably going to be here for a while.”, she giggled. Penny giggled as well. The two girls did indeed make themselves comfortable and yapped about everything Harry Potter for the next couple hours. It was around 10:30 pm when Penny put the conversation to a screeching halt.
“Um Ash I’m really sorry but I am feeling kind of under the weather so I think I want to head to bed now.”, Penny announced tired.
“Oh, it’s okay Penny. I’ve been getting tired to even though we just had a really fun conversation.”, Ashley chuckled with understanding. “Do you know where you’ll be sleeping tonight?”
“Oh yeah. I placed my overnight bag in one of the spare rooms. It has a bathroom so I’ll stay there.”, Penny answered. Ashley then nodded and got up to hug Penny who returned the hug.
“Well good night, Penny, I hope you sleep well. If you need anything, please come see me. I’ll be right in here.”, said Ashley.
“You too Ash.”, Penny responded. They parted and Penny then closed the door as she left the room leaving Ashley in there alone with her thoughts. Oh boy, did she have a lot of them about her evening with Penny. On one hand, she felt good as she finally felt like she was finding a good friend in Penny. On the other hand, she was a bit nervous about Penny’s reaction to the Red Door, Yellow Door game. She would probably get in big trouble with Dr. Crygor if he found out about the game and how she forced Penny into a trance, which can be very dangerous. The thing is, while Ashley may be distant towards most people, she actually really likes being around Penny and being able to talk to her. So, if she had that taken away from her, she would feel… upset. Ashley decided to read for a while to distract herself. She picked up a book from her night stand titled “The Tips and Tricks for Making Friends”. She bought this book in the psychology section of the local bookstore a couple weeks back. She felt like she needed it since she wanted to make more friends, but she didn’t know how. This book actually served quite helpful to Ashley. In fact, some of the social interactions she had with Penny this evening were inspired by the book’s advice such as comforting your friend when they are in distress, check: she comforted Penny while she was having a panic attack, Engaging with your friend when they ask questions, check: she answered Penny’s questions about chores and about her opinion on Red, Find common interests between you and your friend, check: the two girls just had a very lengthy conversation about Harry Potter, and making sure that you understand and respect their boundaries, check again: Ashley never once suggested going down to the spellatorium since she figure it would make Penny uncomfortable. But then again… Ashley didn’t ask Penny first if she was okay being the subject which isn’t respecting her boundaries, so instead of checking off the box, Ashley put a question mark. After this, she decided that she was feeling tired and went to get ready for bed herself. She took of her tiara, undid her ponytails, changed into her white nightgown with the red necktie, brushed her teeth, washed her face, used the restroom one last time, and called down to Red that it was bedtime. By the time Red entered, she was lying in bed clutching her stuffed bunny.
“Ashley can you please tuck me in?”, Red pleaded. She chuckled.
“Sure, I don’t see why not.”, Ashley pulled out a dog bed from underneath her own bed and then went to the linen closet and grabbed a blanket and pillow and then placed them on the dog bed. She motioned for Red to lie down in it. Once Red laid down, she made sure his head was propped up against the pillow and then pulled the blanket over him. “Goodnight, Red. I love you.”, Ashley cooed as she placed a kiss on his forehead.
“You too Ashley.”, She went to turn off the lights, close the curtains, and turn up the thermostat. She then removed the throw pillows from her bed leaving just much softer plain crème pillows and sheets underneath. Still clutching her stuffed bunny, she pulled the covers over herself, made herself comfortable, and just laid there staring off into space with her stuffed bunny in her arms. With Penny no longer in the room with her, Ashley felt a sense of emptiness. She felt lonely again, even with Red asleep in the bed next to hers. She already missed Penny’s bubbly personality. Her presence lit up any room she was in. Why didn’t she ask Penny if she wanted to sleep with her. Probably because she felt like it would’ve been coming on too strong. As much as she wanted Penny to be lying in bed next to her right now, she also knew that it was too late to go and ask her and also it was best if Penny did have some time to herself since she wasn’t feeling her best. Sleep eventually did catch up to Ashley and she drifted off. She wasn’t sure for how long she was in a subconscious state before she was abruptly woken up again by the sound of knocking at her bedroom door. Ashley was still half-asleep so she thought the knocking was just her hallucinating at first. She ignored it until it got louder. That is when she realized that the knocking was real.
“Ash, can I come in?”, Penny’s voice said softly through the doorway.
“Sure Penny.”, Ashley responded with a sleepy voice as she was still waking up. She saw the door creak open and Penny stood there in the door’s entryway wearing a magenta nightshirt with a big pale-pink heart on it and matching pajama pants. Her hair was also let down from her braids and she wasn’t wearing her glasses. Ashley took one look at her and knew immediately that something was not right. Penny looked very pale and weak. She was also hunched over and clutching her stomach with one of her hands. “Penny… What’s wrong? Are you okay?”. Ashley asked concerned as she got out of bed and walked towards Penny who looked upset and guilty.
“Ash, I don’t feel well at all. and I kind of made a mess in the spare room.”, Penny stuttered.
“What do you mean by ‘made a mess’ in the spare room?”, The witch asked confused. Penny sighed.
“Come, I’ll show you what I mean.”, Penny said as she gestured her hand towards the hallway. Ashley put on her bunny slippers and then went to follow Penny. The inventor lead Ashley down the hallway until they reached the room where Penny had been sleeping in. Even before walking into the room, Ashley noticed a very strong garlic-y like smell. When she walked into the room, she detected the source of the smell. There was a massive brown-green puddle of chunky liquid all over the floor. The smell was so pungent that Ashley gagged and held her nose. Her face was in knots. She now knew what Penny meant by ‘making a mess’ She turned to Penny in shock. “I’m sorry Ashley. I tried to rush to the toilet or a trash can but I couldn’t make it in time.”, Penny trembled. Ashley wasn’t mad. She knew what it was like to have the stomach flu so she couldn’t get upset with the sick girl.
“Here Penny, let me take you back to my room.”, Ashley said firmly as she took Penny’s hand. She led the stumbling girl back to her bedroom. She turned on the lights and sat Penny down in a massive plush chair with Coraline-themed pillows. She grabbed another blanket from the closet and threw it over Penny. She also pulled a trash can that was beside her desk to right near Penny just in case she had to toss her lunch again. Amidst all the chaos, Red unsurprisingly woke up.
“Ashley… What’s going on?”, Red asked only being partially awake.”
“Penny is sick and she vomited in the one of the spare rooms.”, Ashley replied. “Could you do me a favor and stay here with her while I clean up the mess and get her some medicine?”
“Sure, Ashley will do!!”, Red happily agreed now much more awake. Ashley then left the room leaving Penny alone in there with Red. The little Imp flew up from his dog bed and stationed himself right by Penny’s side. Red considered anyone who was a friend of Ashley’s a friend of his as well and Penny was indeed no exception. It pained him deeply to see a friend of his in a state like this. He wanted to make sure that he made Penny feel safe. Not only because Ashley told him so, He also did it because he really cared about the young scientist and her well-being. “Is there anything I can do for you Penny?”, he asked with generosity.
“Could you please get me some water? My throat burns and I also just want to get the taste of vomit out of my mouth.”, Penny croaked. Red cheerfully nodded as he went to the sink in the adjacent bathroom and filled up a plastic cup with cold water before handing it to the ailing girl. “Thank you, Red.”, Penny croaked with appreciation. Red just gave her a cheerful smile and continued to sit with her. Guilt overtook Penny. Ashley and Red should be asleep right now, not having to deal with her and her illness in the middle of the night. Penny felt terrible not just physically but mentally as well. All she wanted to do was go home and not be a burden to Ashley and Red anymore. These thoughts made tears well up in Penny’s eyes plus her face turned bright red and scrunched up.
“Penny what’s wrong? Do you need to throw up again?”, Red asked noticing her face. Penny couldn’t hold it in anymore. She burst into tears.
“Just call my grampa and tell him to pick me up okay!! I don’t want to be a bother to you guys anymore!! You guys didn’t choose for me to spend the night here!! I’m sure you two would rather be asleep right now then dealing with stupid sick little me!!”, Penny shouted while sobbing. Red was shocked at the girl’s words. Penny, who was known for being positive and upbeat, was speaking like this. He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to tell her that nothing she was saying was true, but he didn’t know how. So, he just hugged Penny’s arm with sympathy and stayed there while she bawled her eyes out. After a while, Red heard as Ashley yelled out some spell, probably to clean the puke up. Shortly after, Ashley returned to the bedroom holding two bottles, one with a still pinkish liquid, and the other with what looked like a clear fizzy drink. Penny was still crying which concerned the witch.
“Penny is everything okay?”, Ashley asked worried. Red then flew towards Ashley and whispered something in her ear which made her gasp and look at Penny with surprise and guilt. She then gave Penny a soft smile as she approached her with the pink liquid while the fizzy one sat on the floor. She sat down right next to Penny, wrapped one of her arms around her as the other held the pink liquid up to her lips. “Please don’t cry. It will make your illness worse. Also please drink this entire liquid but don’t chug it as it might further upset your stomach.”, Ashley instructed.
“What is it?”, whispered Penny. Ashley smiled more.
“It’s an anti-nausea potion I made. If you’re worried about drinking it, I’ve made it several times before and I’ve also used it on myself in the past so I can say that it’s perfectly safe.”, She assured. She then took the bottle lid off, instructed Penny to open her mouth, tilted her head back, and poured a bit of the potion into Penny’s mouth.
“Ugh This tastes like expired medicine.”, Penny complained.
“I know it doesn’t taste good but still drink it since it will help you feel better.”, Ashley pleaded. Penny nodded and they continued the process of Ashley pouring a bit of the potion into Penny’s mouth and waiting for her to swallow before repeating. It was a slow process involving some groaning from Penny. Once she finally drank all the potion, Ashley placed down the bottle and then picked up the one with the clear fizzy liquid.
“Please tell me it isn’t more yucky medicine.”, Penny whined.
“It’s not it’s Sprite, it will help get rid of the gross potion taste and carbonated drinks actually help ease the stomach. I drink this whenever I have an upset stomach.”, Ashley explained. Penny trusted Ashley so she slowly began sipping the drink and it was actually pretty good. The lemon-lime taste was really refreshing. While Penny really didn’t feel like drinking much at the moment, she couldn’t resist the Sprite. She savored every sip of it and now the potion taste was gone. For the first time in a tad, Penny finally felt refreshed and calm. When she was done, Ashley took the two empty bottles and washed them in the bathroom sink before placing them on the sink counter to air dry. She then crawled back into bed however she then did something unexpected. She scooted over and patted the spot next to her smiling.
“Wait Ash, you want me to get in bed with you?”, a surprised Penny asked. Ashley smiled and nodded in response. “Oh, Ashley you don’t have to-
“No, I insist, I can’t leave you all by yourself when you are sick. That would be cruel.”, Ashley stated firmly. Clearly Ashley wasn’t going to back down so Penny reluctantly crawled into bed next to Ashley who pulled the covers over both of them. Red then shut the door and turned off the lights before getting back into his own bed. Penny couldn’t fall asleep though. Not only because of how physically uncomfortable she was, she also felt guilty. First, she ruined Ashley’s game by having a panic attack. Secondly, she woke her and Red up in the middle of the night all because she threw up and couldn’t make it to the bathroom in time, and now Ashley, a shy and socially anxious girl, felt obligated to share her bed with her. Other things that bothered her in her life began to enter her mind as well. It wasn’t long before Penny burst into tears again. She tried to stop herself but she just couldn’t. As she was crying, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and pull her closer to the owner’s shoulder. She also felt a stuffed animal being brushed against her chin. Penny rested her head on Ashley’s shoulder and continued to cry into the silky fabric of the ladder’s nightgown. Ashley meanwhile, massaged her fingers through Penny’s long fluffy orange hair and rubbed her back to make her feel comfortable.
“Penny… Do you feel like a nuisance to Red and I right now?”, Ashley asked softly. “Be honest please.” Penny sighed and nodded in response, still producing tears.
“How do you know?”, Penny finally managed to muster out.
“Red told me. He said that you begged him to call Dr. Crygor to come collect you since you felt like you were being a burden and that you thought that we were upset that we had to take care of you in the middle of night.”, Ashley explained. “Is that all true?”
“Yeah Kinda.”
“Why would you feel that way?”, Ashley questioned with concern.
“Well, I feel like I’ve just been a bother all night. First of all, I ended your game early since I freaked out.”
“Penny, you were scared and you did exactly what you were supposed to do according to the rules of the game.”, Ashley countered.
“I also woke you guys up in the middle of the night and you ended up having to take care of me-
“You weren’t feeling well and I appreciate that you told me right when it happened so the vomit was easier to clean up and now the smell won’t linger throughout the mansion.
“Don’t forget, you now feel obligated to share your bed with me.”, Penny argued.
“Okay let me tell you something. When you went to bed, I actually began to feel alone. I missed your company and I had previously wanted to ask you if you wanted to stay with me but I couldn’t find the strength to. But now, we get to keep each other company and that makes me happy so I don’t mind you sharing with me.”, Ashley confessed blushing. Penny for the first time in a while smiled. She was surprised but in a good way. She blushed as well.
“Ash that’s really sweet. Thank you so much. Your words are already helping me feel better.”, Penny praised. Ashley smiled. She was glad she was helping out a friend.
“Now, was that the only thing bothering you besides your stomach?”, Ashley inquired. Penny sighed.
“Well please don’t judge me for saying this but I am also bothered by the fact that I don’t really have anyone my age to talk about science-related stuff with. I mean sure there’s grampa but he’s not going to be around forever you know and I will be all alone when he’s gone.”, Penny explained while beginning to tear up again. Ashley couldn’t believe that Penny thought she would judge her for having those thoughts. Ashley would be the first person that would understand Penny’s feelings, probably more than anyone else she knew, Even Mona whose parents are never home so it’s just her in a big mansion with her pets most of the time.
“Penny I just want to let you know that I understand you completely.”, Ashley said still hugging Penny.
“Really? I know you are often lonely but it never seemed to bother you.”, Penny replied.
“Actually, it kind of does. I might not show it but I would really like to connect with people and be around them more, it’s just that my… interesting hobbies and social anxiety hold me back from doing so.”, Ashley confessed. Penny took this all in. “Are people scared of you like how they are of me?”
“Nope. They just ignore me for the most part. At worst, they find me annoying. One kid once told me ‘Shut up Penny!! You’re such a dork!! Take your dumb inventions to the freak show’”, Penny remembered aloud. “All I did was share one of my latest inventions with the class.”, Ashley was shocked that anyone could find Penny, who was always so sweet and positive, annoying.
“Oh my gosh, that is so rude. How did you react? Did the teacher do anything?”, Ashley asked.
“What he said hurt my feelings but I didn’t react since I wanted to be mature.”
“Wow, you handled it much better than I would’ve, that kid would be a household object by now if he said something like that to me.”, Ashley giggled.
“The teacher didn’t really do anything. I wanted her to but she just told me to ignore him. I don’t think she had bad intentions saying that but it seems rather lazy and dismissive.”, Penny expressed.
“Teachers are just plain awful sometimes, and I’m one who can admit that firsthand since a little more than half of my teachers since kindergarten have been below average. In fact, my 5th grade teacher and I hated each other since she would constantly use me as a target for, I’m very shy and quiet. She got what she deserved though as during summer break I went to her house and turned her into a spoon.”, Ashley admitted smirking. Penny didn’t know whether to be afraid after what Ashley said or proud.
“Really all my teachers have been great and I’ve always been a favorite student. I think this particular one was just tired or something.”, Penny guessed.
“Anyways, the whole point of what I’m saying is that I know what it’s like to be different. And while it’s hard sometimes, I also believe that there is nothing wrong with it. My interest in magic might be considered weird by many but I still do pursue it anyway because I love it so much.” Penny was happy to hear Ashley’s words.
“You know Ashley, your words are like a sense of relief since I was considering dropping my inventing hobby and instead pursuing in something more popular among kids our age, but now I dropped that idea thanks to your helpful advice”, Penny admitted. Ashley felt good, for once someone found her life advice helpful.
“Thanks, and I’m glad I was able to help. I’m also glad you told me all this since to be honest, I felt like I was the only person I knew who had issues with making friends.”
“Actually Ash, that’s not the case.”
“You don’t know that”, snarked Ashley.
“Actually, I do.”
“Penny, don’t be a know-it-all.”
“Think about it Ash, 5-Volt loves to play video games despite also being a mother and well into her 30’s. Most people her age and gender let alone other mothers don’t have that in common with her. But she does it because it’s something she enjoys doing with 9-Volt. Speaking of volts, 18-Volt is much bigger than other kids his age and is also on the autism spectrum which in his case makes him fail to understand certain social cues and hyperfocus on one topic, this turns a lot of people away from him. However, he doesn’t dwell on this and instead uses his energy on loving the friends he does have. And then there’s me. I love talking about science and math when most kids I know loathe those topics. I still love Hello Kitty and Strawberry Shortcake and they’re my aesthetic even though people say those things are babyish.”, Penny explained.
“Oh, that makes sense.”, stated Ashley. “I also just envy the rest of you guys since you all parents and/or grandparents that love you and spend time with you since my parents abandoned me and I don’t think they ever loved me, I think I was just an accident.”, Ashley muttered. Penny gasped.
“Ashley don’t say that! Even if you were unplanned, that doesn’t make you a mistake, just a happy surprise. Also, you’re not the only one whose parents aren’t around. Grampa has raised me ever since I was born, Mona’s parents are never home due to work reasons.”
“Yes but you at least have your grandfather and Mona at least knows about her parents whereabouts, I don’t even know if my parents are still alive.”, Ashley argued. “I’m just like Annie, I keep on waiting for my parents to come back home only they never do, but unlike Annie I never got adopted by some bald rich guy.”, Ashley began to sniffle a little which served as a warning that she was going to break down into tears, which she eventually did. This was the first time Penny had seen Ashley cry. She hugged Ashley even tighter and even planted a small peck on her cheek, only Ashley didn’t notice as she was too busy burying her face into her stuffed bunny.
“We are emotional tonight, aren’t we?”, Penny laughed in an attempt to cheer up Ashley; it didn’t do much. “Also, Ash, you realize that you still have a family even though your parents aren’t around.”
“What do you mean by that?”, Ashley sniffled. “Red is my family but I just want to be part of a large family unit and that is not just a girl and her imp.”
“But you do have a large family.”, Penny argued. Ashley was going to argue back but then Penny kept talking. “All of us at Warioware Inc are your family, not just to you but we are all like family to each other.”
“I get what you’re saying Penny but A: we are all not blood-related to each other and B: It seems like a lot of our co-workers don’t even acknowledge my existence.”
“But family doesn’t have to be blood-related, family are a group of people who love and care for each other and that is our company. Also, as far as I know, I’ve seen every person in the company always ask about you to Red or someone else. We all care about you Ash, just not all of us know how to directly approach you.”, Penny countered.
“Yeah… I know I’m not the most approachable person in the world.”, Ashley sighed, “But I’ve been trying to become less intimidating and easier to be around which is why I’ve been reading this book recently.”, The witch explained as she grabbed the book off of her nightstand and handed it to Penny.
“So, this book is called ‘The Tips and Tricks for Making Friends’?”, asked Penny. Ashley nodded. “Hmm very interesting indeed.”, Penny commented with intrigue before turning her head towards Ashley’s desk or more like art studio. “Oh Ash, I didn’t know you were also an artist as well!”, She blurted out. Ashley then just stared at her blushing. Penny felt like she had made a mistake. “Oh, I’m sorry! Did I assume too much?”
“Oh no not at all, because you are right.”, Ashley answered and then continued knowing her coworker would want an explanation. “You see, this book that I showed you stated that one of the best ways to make friends was to find people that had the same interests as you. Since I figured that most people wouldn’t be into witchcraft like I am, I decided to try out something much more popular; studio art, So for the past several months I’ve spent time trying out all different art mediums. I’ve now decided that watercolor is my favorite but all the different mediums are still relaxing and fun. Art is honestly just that way in general.”, Ashley explained.
“Well then maybe, you should take an art class.”, suggested Penny. Her voice still slightly raspy from being sick.
“Wait, you mean with other people or just private lessons?”
“Private lessons could be good but I was also thinking of a public one with other people. It would be very fun since you’re doing something you love while also learning something new plus giving you the opportunity to open up with others in an easy way.”, Ashley pondered about all of this. Her friend was right after all. To be frank, she was surprised she hadn’t thought of something like this sooner. Sure, while she wasn’t always an artist, there were certainly get-togethers for other adolescent wizards and witches and their familiar friends, she just couldn’t bring herself to attend one of those due to being cursed with laziness her entire 13 years of existence, besides also being wickedly shy of course.
“You know, I guess I could give those a try. It would be nice for me to get out of the mansion more anyways.”, Ashley caved. Penny clapped her hands showing her proudness for her shy friend who was slowly opening up to others. She then let out a fit of giggles which were followed by a large yawn which was a signal that it was time to hit the hay. The two girls didn’t have to say anything, they just knew so they laid back down and rested their heads against the soft pillows as Ashley pulled the covers back over them. Her stuffed bunny never once left her arms this entire time. They both felt at peace, a feeling that Ashley hasn’t experienced much recently. Right before she lulled into sleep mode, she made one last gesture towards Penny; she enclosed her arms around her torso. Luckily for her, the inventor did the same thing towards the witch as well. Their bodies were very warm. Not because Penny had a low-grade fever, but because she and her friend were holding each other close in a time where they both needed some comfort. Penny entered dreamland first. Ashley knew this because as she was holding Penny, she could hear her light breathing and heartbeat plus she noticed a cute innocent smile adorned on Penny’s adorable face. This sight alone was enough to allow Ashley to enter dreamland herself knowing that her beloved guest was finally at peace. The room was silent with two girls and an imp sleeping soundly. The only noise that could be heard was wind brushing tree branches against the windows and the air conditioner turning on for an hour or so every few hours before shutting off again. None of the sleeping beings in the room were huge snorers so even that was absent. It was just pure silence.
(Time Skip)
At dawn the next morning, sunlight seeped through the blue curtains of Ashley’s bedroom. This reactant for photosynthesis is what would end up causing the witch to awaken. She opened her eyes feeling unusually optimistic, sat up in bed, and stretched her arms and back. She felt relaxed and had a good feeling about today; this wasn’t normal for her at all since she would usually wake up in a somewhat bad mood even if she had a goodnight’s sleep. She was pleased with this surprise though. However, what surprised her next didn’t leave her pleased: When she turned, she saw that Penny was no longer in bed next to her. Ashley’s mind did a Mario kart race for an explanation. It reached the finished line when Ashley saw that her bedroom door was open. Ashley ended up concluding that Penny had gone downstairs for something to eat or drink and was just hanging out down there. She sat lying in bed awake reflecting about life for a while like she did every morning. Afterwards, she turned to look at Red who was still asleep in his own little bed. His tail was poking out from under the blanket but other than that, the rest of his body was covered. His hands were draped over the blanket and his tiny little legs were poking out slightly from underneath. A slight smile adorned his face. This sight was one of the few things that Ashley would’ve called adorable. She didn’t want to wake Red but she couldn’t resist the urge anymore. She lightly picked up Red and held him in her arms while rocking him softly as she sat back down on her bed. While an outsider may think that Ashley only sees Red as her servant and a pest, people who know her well know that she sees him also as her best friend, her closest companion, and that they are inseparable no matter how different their personalities may differ. After a while, Red awakened and gave Ashley a small lick on her face, which is his way of kissing her since he doesn’t really have lips.
“Aww, Red you are just the sweetest!”, Ashley gushed while blushing before giving Red a kiss on his face as well. They kissed and licked each other a couple more times with giggles coming out in between.
“Do you want me to go ahead and start making breakfast?”, asked Red.
“Actually, I need to find Penny first and I will try to convince her to eat out with me so you can catch a break.”, Ashley smiled.
“Wow Really?!”, Ashley nodded while maintaining the smile on her face and then carried Red to the hobby room which consisted of a large comfy couch, a pool table, a television, a Nintendo Switch, a jukebox, several shelves full of toys, and some bean bag chairs. She sat her imp friend down on the couch, tossed a blanket over him, placed her stuffed bunny next to him, and placed the TV remote in his tiny hands.
“I am going to go look for Penny now okay. Please stay up here for me or else I’ll use you as an ingredient in my next potion.”, Ashley announced while joking at the last part. Red however, took it seriously and started shaking a bit before trembling,
“Yes… Ash-Ashley”, Ashley just giggled and rubbed his head to show him that she was only playing around and that seemed to calm him down. She kissed him again before going back to her room to retrieve her slippers and then going to look for Penny. She searched the mansion for about 15-20 minutes looking for her guest. After that, Ashley decided to call out her name and if there was no answer, she would just have to accept that Penny had probably already gone back home much to her disappointment.
“Penny! If you hear me, please respond!”, Ashley called out. Only a few seconds passed before a response came out, much to the witch’s relief.
“Ash I’m down here!”, Penny called back. Ashley was very excited, which was an unusual feeling for her as well. Another bonus was that Penny’s voice didn’t sound raspy anymore, it was normal again, which meant that Penny was feeling better. However soon fear, which is yet another abnormal feeling for the witch, plagued her again when she realized that since she heard Penny’s voice come from somewhere below and that she herself was on the main floor, that meant Penny was in the basement where all her potion ingredients and magic stuff was. She panicked as she rushed to the basement fearing that Penny would hurt herself or cause destruction with no way to fix it since Ashley was still a learning and growing magician who only knew so much when it came to defense against the dark arts. However, her once rapidly beating heart settled when she reached the bottom of the steps and was faced with the sight of Penny, who was still in her pajamas as well and who’s hair was also still down, sitting beside the cauldron reading a spell book that she must’ve gotten from the library on the main floor. There was no spill, summoned creature, and Penny looked completely uninjured and calm. As Ashley sighed a breath of relief, The inventor finally noticed her. “Are you okay Ash?”
“Yes, I was just worried that you would get hurt down here.”, Ashley stated as she sat down beside Penny.
“Please don’t worry about me Ashley, I work in a lab all the time so I know how to handle spaces like this.”
“I know. I guess I just worry about you since you’re… my… friend.”, Ashley muttered. Penny blushed slightly. Honestly, she was just happy that Ashley considered her a friend.
“I’m glad you think of me as a friend because I consider you to be one of my friends as well, a close one in fact.”, Penny smiled tenderly. Ashley’s face was now as red as the necktie on her nightgown. This was indeed the first time that someone besides Red had called her one of their close friends. She always figured that she and Penny were at least acquaintances, but a close friend… this was surprising as she and Penny had opposite personalities, but then again, she was close friends with Red who was also her complete opposite so she guessed it was not as much of a shocker as she initially thought. She still was surprised though at Penny’s words.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what makes you consider me a close friend?”, asked Ashley.
“Well, I saw you as good potential when grandpa and I helped you make potions during the Caresaway Island vacation. I had a lot of fun with you… even though we ended up launching ourselves and everyone else onto that tour bus. I also always enjoy being around you, especially in the past few months of us hanging out. Not only because we are both girls and close in age, I also just love talking about magic with you since it is very similar to my science and inventing work. You are one of the few other people who understands my interests and who actually can reciprocate conversation about it rather than just listening. I mean sure, there’s grandpa but he can get very tiring to be around as much as I love him.”, Penny chuckled.
“I understand completely since as you know; I feel the same way about Red.”, Ashley chuckled which Penny found adorable. She then continued.
“I also consider you a close friend because of you took such great care of me last night, you and Red both actually. You guys made me feel very safe and comfortable when I was feeling so awful, the conversation about Harry Potter was one the best conversations I’ve probably ever had with anyone, and the medicine you gave me, as gross as it was, really helped me get better and now I feel great… because of you.”, Penny praised as she gave Ashley a hug. “Thank you so much Ashley. You’re just plain amazing.” Words cannot describe how good Ashley felt. Someone besides Red praised her like this. Penny’s words also awakened some feelings that Ashley has had for the past several months. The truth was Ashley has had a serious crush on Penny that has only snowballed recently. Penny has always caught her eye in the way that she was so positive, bubbly, and just an absolute sweetheart. Penny was always good about asking how everyone, including Ashley herself, was doing. She was very helpful and trustworthy. Plus, she was constantly giving gifts to everyone even when it wasn’t Christmas, Hannukah, or someone’s birthday. Her gifts always were made with good effort too. Ashley just admired all of this about Penny and the fact that she made being an excellent person look so easy. Little did Ashley know, Penny had feelings for Ashley too. First of all, she admired how brave Ashley was with growing monstrous plants with ease or fearlessly going into different dimensions to fight off dark lords. These two examples alone gave Penny a sense of security around the witch since she would be great at protecting her. Secondly, Penny found Ashley’s intelligence to be admirable as well; not to mention her quick-thinking. These were traits that both of them shared along with determination. Them both being ambitious made it easy for them to do projects such as developing microgames together. Despite them being polar opposites in terms of personality, they had quite a bit in common as well. Ashley felt impulsive all of a sudden. She needed to get some things out that she couldn’t hold in anymore.
“I love you, Penny.”, She blurted out while blushing rapidly.
“Aww, I love you too Ash.”, Penny replied thinking that Ashley just meant as a friend.
“No, I mean I love you more than just as a friend. I love you in… that way… if you know what I mean. You are just the sweetest to everyone, even to a cold witch like me. You’ve never judged me and always welcomed me. You were and still are one of the few people who is willing to talk to me. You have just been so great to me and you are also just really pretty and irresistible and all of that is what made me fall for you. You are just such a wonderful person and I want to grow old with you”, Ashley praised. It was dead silence after that. Both girls were very red. “Listen you don’t have to reciprocate my feelings or anything but-
“But I do feel the same way about you Ashley.” Penny interrupted. Ashley was shocked.
“Wait, you do?”
“Of course I do. How could I not?”, Penny cried out smiling.
“Elaborate on that please.”, Ashley requested since she couldn’t really fathom why any sane human being would fall… for her.
“Well, I just think you’re amazing in so many different ways. I know a lot of people don’t care for you but I for a fact, think that they are dead wrong. They just ignore the fact that you are incredibly smart and get good grades in school despite loathing it. You also have such admirable determination and bravery in the sense that you are able to conquer things that probably at least 99 percent of others couldn’t even imagine. You are also just really pretty in my eyes. You don’t need to wear makeup or anything, you just have this natural charisma about you. Like you’re a spooky goth girl, but you’re a really pretty spooky goth girl.”, commended Penny. This was also the first time that someone else referred to her as good-looking.
“Thank you, Penny, I think you’re really pretty too. I always loved red hair. I think it’s very pretty.”, Ashley flattered.
“Aww thank you Ash, I’m glad you feel that way and I’ve always loved your hair color as well.”, A sense of understanding then passed between them. They didn’t have to say anything, they just knew what each other was thinking. They moved closer to one another until their lips touched. Neither of them wanted that kiss to end. After parting, they then engulfed each other into a tight hug which they did not part from for a long time. “Ash, can I ask you a favor?”
“Sure, Pen.”, replied Ashley who decided to give the nickname thing a go.
“So, there is this convention that takes place at the Diamond City convention center every year.”, Ashley got a slight bad feeling since conventions meant huge crowds and lots of noise. “It’s a convention for people who are into innovation and coming up with new ideas. Since I’m an inventor, I of course would love to attend this convention and I totally would but there is one problem.”
“What’s that?”, asked Ashley.
“I am very socially awkward and grandpa does not let me go to events like that by myself. So, I tried to get him to come with me but he refuses for whatever reason so even though I want to go so badly, I never can.”, Ashley had a feeling about where this was going to go.
“You want me to go with you?”, asked Ashley.
“Hehe… Yes. Look I know you are not a crowd person but I figured since you work with magic and are using spells as life hacks, I just figured that it would be something fun that we could do together. You know, I feel bad for asking since-
“Oh, shut up Penny… I would love to go with you.”, Ashley replied with certainty but also bluntness. Penny was taken aback by Ashley’s response.
“Wait, you actually want to go? You aren’t being sarcastic?”, Penny asked shocked. Ashley chuckled.
“Yes, I actually want to go, and I am surprisingly not being sarcastic. I might get overwhelmed by the crowds and noise but it means more to me that you get to do something you enjoy with a friend. Plus, with you by my side, I will feel much more comfortable and less likely to have an anxiety attack. Additionally, I did some research on this convention just because and it turns out that many wiccans like me attend so that’s a yes in my book.”, the witch explained while giving Penny, who was moved, a peck on the cheek.
“Oh Ash, that’s so sweet of you. You really don’t have to do this just for me. It might be a lot for you.”, Penny warned.
“You’re right, it might be, but at the same time, it’s not just for you and I enjoy spending time with you so this convention is a great opportunity for us to spend more time together and for me to break out of my shell and open up more.”, Ashley explained with optimism.
“And I’m very proud of you for trying to open up more, in fact I think you’ve been doing a great job with that. Anyways, I will purchase our tickets when I get home. Just one more thing, can Red come too?”, Penny requested.
“You know what, I’ll say yes. I just need to break the news to him about our relationship but I’m not worried. You two have always gotten along well and he enjoys your company.”, Ashley replied happily.
“Great! So, three tickets it is!”, Penny exclaimed with excitement. The two girls couldn’t be happier now. They stayed down there for a while just enjoying each other’s company until Ashley suddenly felt hungry.
“How about we get dressed and go out to breakfast since I want to give Red a break from cooking. I will even bring him with us.”, Ashley suggested. Penny wrapped her into another embrace once again.
“That sounds wonderful. I love you, Ash.”
“I love you too Pen.”, Ashley cooed. The two then went upstairs to get dressed and ready for the day. They both were only 8th graders and were already in a relationship, but they didn’t care. True love is true love regardless. This was the best day of both of their lives.
(Time Skip: 6 months later)
As Ashley remembered that night, she felt pure happiness and gratefulness that it happened. Sure, Penny having a panic attack and throwing up wasn’t ideal at all but sleeping in the same bed and confessing all their bottled-up feelings certainly was. Now both of them are sitting across from each other at a table in a diner with Red also sitting at their table in a highchair celebrating their 6-month anniversary. All their friends have been very supportive of their relationship which just made it even better. Ashley was lost in her thoughts when she felt someone leaning towards her. That someone being Penny leaned closer until her lips touched Ashley’s. the latter wasn’t upset though, she just let the former and herself embrace in a deep long kiss that neither of them wanted to end.