1 Chapter 1: Ash & Lulu

The stench of fire scattered throughout my kitchen. I could hardly see two feet in front of me with the thick smoke going everywhere, and I knew they were done for. There was just no way I could rescue the last three pieces of bacon I bought at the farmer's market from their fiery death on the pan.

I activated the fan and began waving the smoke up. I just hoped that awful smell wouldn't stick to my house or, worse, my uniform. But I knew all too well that I was late. I had already learned just how powerful burnt food could stick to the furniture.

I stopped trying to push the smoke up and let the fan take over as I threw the pan into the sink. But not before snatching the least burnt bacon. I knew what I was about to do would be foul, but I was also curious to see how bad it could be.

So, ripping a piece off and throwing it in my mouth, I decided to find out.

One bite.

That was all it took for me to spit it out and turn the faucet on, trying desperately to wash my mouth of that horrid taste. But even after scrubbing my mouth with water and chucking some juice, the taste remained ever-present.

"Note to self, don't ever do that again! You idiot," I whispered to myself as I sat down at the counter.

"What are you not going to do again, idiot?"

"Ahh!"

Lulu had crept up behind me. It wasn't the first time she had gotten the better of me, but it had been a while since she made me scream like a full-on little girl.

"Will you please not do that while I am eating!"

"Didn't know spitting out the food is pure and utter disgust was part of eating nowadays?" she smiled, poking fun. "Guess I missed yet another new trend."

"You know I don't know how to cook!"

"Then buy something for breakfast before you go to school instead of wasting food and making your dad yell at you for stinking up the whole house! Again!"

"I—"

The phone rang, and I thanked the world as it saved me from Lulu as I lacked a comeback. She was right, I should just buy some food, but there was no way I would admit defeat that effortlessly to her.

Lulu bounced to the phone in the other room as I walked over. I picked up right before the last ring finished, and she placed her ear as close to the phone as she could to hear.

"Hey, Pops," I answered, catching his phone number on the caller ID.

"Ash!" he shouted. "I just got an alert that smoke was detected in the kitchen. How many times do I have to tell you to stick to something simple, son! And something that doesn't require the use of fire. You know that you and fire don't mix."

"And how do you know it was me, Pops?"

"Unless you let in a stray or something, and they're the one making you breakfast, you're the only suspect. Now, I know I left you alone, but can you please let me have a home to return to."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Pops. Can't let the only person who ever wanted me as their son down, now, can I?"

"Ash..." he grew silent but quickly riled back up, "Oh, no! You're not going to guilt trip me into buying you yet another game you want! Get a job and buy it yourself if you want it so bad! You're seventeen already, so you can work!"

"Damn! And here I thought it would work again."

"Hey!" Lulu whispered even though she didn't have to. "Tell him to get that book I was talking about, the one we saw on the TV last night."

"I am not going to ask him for that!" I whispered back, covering the bottom of the phone.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing, Pops..." Lulu put on her best puppy face and, in a moment of weakness, I asked, "Hey...dad, before you come back home, there was a book I wanted to see if you could buy for me?"

"A book? Well, I guess I can. Hey, wait! It's not one of those fantasy books again! Don't you have hundreds of them by now?"

"But this one is new, and they're only selling them near where you're at."

"Alright, fine! But promise me you won't touch the stove until I get back."

"Promise!"

"Alright, tell me the book's name. And yes, I have a pen and paper before you ask."

"Alright, it's called, 'I Died A Tragic Death Working To The Bone, But Life Didn't Get Any Better When I Was Reincarnated As A Skeleton In The Demon Army' by Kisi Grant."

I could still hear him on the line, but he didn't say anything.

"Dad?"

"I'll buy it, Ash, but I am hanging up the phone now."

"Thanks! Talk to you later, Pops!"

We hung up the phone, and Lulu began to jump around, knowing she had secured yet another book to her precious collection of Kisi Grant's books.

"Thanks, Ash!" she shouted and smiled, hitting me right in the soul.

"Yeah, no problem. Anything for my fair maiden."

"Oh?" she got uncomfortably close to my face, "So, I'm your fair maiden? And here I thought I was just a fair maiden. Didn't know I belonged to you."

"Okay, anyway!" I backed up and walked back to my seat. "I'm going to finish my breakfast now, and then we can head to school."

I began to eat some toast I had made earlier, avoiding eye contact with her as she grinned and laughed. Partly because I was flustered that she had gotten so close after I had made a dumb joke that backfired on me and the other because she knew she would be getting another book soon.

"So, Ash, are you not going to say anything about how I look today?"

She had green emerald eyes that effortlessly outshined the genuine gemstone. White hair, free of any color, freely flowed down to the midpoint of her back. She had a slender face, free of any blemishes, and a somewhat petite body that made her seem like a model or actress famed for her beauty. She wore a dark blue skirt with horizontal stripes, a light sky-blue blazer, and a cream white dress shirt, and her bow was the same color as my red tie—all of it, the standard-issue uniform of my school.

"The skirt is still way too short, so you'd definitely get a dress code for that, and the bow is crooked to the left by about six degrees."

"Wow, real mature!"

"But it suits you, Lulu. It's like they made the uniform for you to wear."

"Oh..." she blushed, making me blush. She turned not to face me anymore and quietly spoke, "Thank you."

I finished up my breakfast, grabbed my bag off the chair next to me, and headed out, Lulu shadowing behind me. I stepped out, locked the door, and noticed my neighbor was outside taking care of her roses.

"Good morning, Mrs. Lis."

"Ash! Good morning. Are you heading to school?"

"Yes, if I don't go early, I get there late."

"Oh, that's terrible, dear! You should get going then."

I kept my eyes on Mrs. Lis, but I saw Lulu try to reach out to the rose in the corner of my eyes, stopping short of touching it.

"It needs more water, Ash," she said apathetically.

"Mrs. Lis, I think it would be best to give your rose some more water."

"My roses?" she turned to look at them, and Lulu moved out of her way as she touched them. "You're right! Poor things are dry. It looks like you have some good eyes on you, Ash."

"It's nothing, really. It was just a lucky guess anyway. Well, I should get going now, or I'll be late for the bus."

Lulu had moved over to the white tulips Mrs. Lis also grew. They were her favorite flower, and she didn't stop short from trying to grab them this time.

But her hand passed right through it.

Right—I had gotten so carried away that I had forgotten.

No, it was more like I didn't want to remember.

For the past sixteen years, only I have even been able to see Lulu. I wanted to forget that she had no tangible form in this world and couldn't even touch the flowers she adored. But reality hit me.

"One day, Ash. One day, I'll touch them for real."

I walked away from Mrs. Lis and stood next to Lulu.

"I promise you, Lulu," I spoke under my breath so that only she could hear. "I'll swear it to you as many times as I have to until it comes true. I will find a way so you can touch everything you have ever wanted and get others to see you. After all, I think sixteen years of hogging your beauty is long enough."

She didn't look up, but her ears grew red as I felt my face warm when the words I said finally caught up to me.

I just started walking. I was going to be late if I didn't start moving.