12
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Location: Grocery Store
*Manon pov*
I've never been so excited to go grocery shopping. As Sophia and I walk through the aisles in search of the missing ingredients, we chat about different things, like music and food, and about going to watch Wicked one day. After finding everything and checking out, we head back to headquarters.
After a short drive, we arrive. I head to the kitchen with the groceries in hand and unpack them while Sophia starts preparing the dough. By the time I finish the unpacking, Sophia's kneading the dough. I smirk at my next thought. I sneak up behind her and reach my arms around her to help knead the dough. Sophia laughs.
"I can handle the dough. Start chopping the tomatoes and chicken, that way we'll be able to eat quicker."
"Aren't dates supposed to be all about romance, though?"
"Would you rather have romance or have food on the table sooner?"
"Chop, chop, I guess."
I take the chopping board and cut the tomatoes and chicken into small pieces while Sophia puts the dough into an oiled-up large bowl and covers it with plastic wrap.
After I finish chopping, I take a grater and grate the cheese into a small bowl. When I'm done, I put all the chopped-up ingredients into the fridge while the dough rises.
"How long do we have to let the dough rise?" I ask Sophia as she puts a pan on the stove.
"About an hour. I'll make us some ramen while we wait."
I take a seat behind the counter as she cooks two packs of ramen. I take out my phone and research how to make some tomato sauce for pizza. I briefly stand up to check if we have tomato paste. I breathe a sigh of relief when I find a can in the cupboard.
"Whatcha doing?" Sophia asks as she walks up behind me.
"Just checking if we have the ingredients for the tomato sauce."
"No need. I made sure to buy everything."
"Very good." I plant a kiss on Sophia's forehead, and suppress the smile that forms when she flushes bright red. You'd think she'd be used to my flirting by now, but she's still so shy.
"The ramen's finished. Let's eat," Sophia says to try to divert my attention away from her.
We sit next to each other in the barstools, both with a bowl of ramen in front of us. I sigh happily as the taste of the ramen hits my tongue. It's perfect. Not too salty, and not too spicy. I turn to Sophia who's also enjoying it. Her cheeks are filled, and her eyes are closed as she chews the noodles. I decide not to disturb her, and we finish our bowls.
When we're done, I wash the dishes and prepare the pot for the tomato sauce. I place it on the stove and add the tomato puree and chopped-up pieces with some salt while Sophia pre-heats the oven.
I stir the sauce and taste some before turning off the stove. Sophia rolls the dough and spreads out the tomato sauce on the surface. She then adds the chicken, cheese, and some bell peppers before putting the pizza into the oven.
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*Author pov*
Location: Daniela's room
"So, what's the deal?" Megan asks after Daniela closes the door.
"I'll help you win over Lara, but only if you help me apologize to Sophia."
"Why do you need help with an apology? Just tell them honestly how sorry you are. It's that simple."
"I caused her to get tortured for 3 days. She deserves more than a simple 'sorry'."
Megan nods. She weighs over her options. She can say no and try on her own to get Lara to notice her even though she has failed multiple times, or she can say yes and possibly get Lara to notice her while also making sure Sophia gets the apology she deserves. I think the choice is obvious. Megan holds out her hand, and Daniela takes hold of it.
"You've got yourself a deal."
Daniela squeals in excitement and starts jumping up and down, but Megan pauses her actions by holding a hand out in front of her.
"Just don't make it obvious, please. The last thing I want is for her to find out through someone other than me."
"Of course. I promise."
"This is totally off-topic...but do you smell pizza?" Megan asks.
Daniela smells the air, and her eyes go wide in excitement.
"I do. Let's go get some."
"Yes! I've been craving it for so long!"
And they run down to the source of the pizza aroma.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen Sophia and Manon are sitting at the table enjoying their home date with their pizza slices. Just when they think everything is peaceful, they hear people running down the stairs.
Manon tenses up, but Sophia places a calming hand on her shoulder. Manon explained the situation with Daniela to Sophia on the way home. Sophia told her to give Daniela a chance to explain herself fully, and Manon reluctantly agreed.
Daniela sees the duo, and pulls Megan's sleeve to signal her wanting to leave. Megan understands but gives her a look that says: 'you can do it!'. So Daniela takes a deep breath and musters up her courage before walking over to Manon and Sophia.
"Hey," she says nervously.
"Hi," Sophia kindly greets her back.
"I- I know saying this is not enough to make up for what I did, and I'll work hard to earn your forgiveness, but I'm so sorry. I now see what I did wrong and hope you'll give me a second chance?"
Sophia nods.
"Of course, I will," she says.
Everyone looks at Manon, waiting for her answer. Manon's head hangs low as she thinks about what to do. Even though Daniela hurt Sophia, she's still her sister and best friend. She looks up at Daniela and gives her a slight smile as she nods her head. Daniela squeals and goes in for a hug, but Megan stops her and shakes her head slightly. Daniela and Megan take a seat opposite Sophia and Manon and start making conversation as they eat pizza.
Just when the atmosphere was getting light and happy, Yoonchae came down to remind Megan and Daniela about their plane. So, after they pack their bags, they say their goodbyes and head towards the airport with Lara. At headquarters, Sophia readies her hacking equipment while Yoonchae and Manon prepare for the mission ahead.
*************
Location: beach in the Philippines
Daniela, Megan, and Lara look at each other. They're hiding in some bushes and are waiting for the signal to start from Yoonchae. Megan looks into Lara's eyes, staring at them as if this is her last chance to.
"Hey, are you okay?" Lara asks concerned. She noticed Megan staring at her and wondered if she was okay as she'd never seen Megan acting like this.
"Yeah. Just-" Megan is cut off by the vibrating of her phone.
It's a message sent by Yoonchae telling them to start. Daniela nods at Lara before quietly moving forward to start eliminating the guards. Megan looks at Lara one more time.
"Promise me you'll stay safe, okay?" She pleads.
"I promise," Lara says earnestly.
Megan places her hand on Lara's cheek for a second before dropping it and heading towards the action. The mission has now officially started.
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Hi guys! What do you think of this chapter? Share your thoughts 💬
This chapter is sooo late 𓆉
as I haven't been feeling well (girl problems), but I hope you liked it!
Spoiler: 2 more chapters 2 go ☕︎
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••dontmindmeimhot