by Krystle

Created on: December 24, 2008

Ashley took a sip of the delicious caf macchiato she had just ordered. Dressed in a beige business suit, she occupied one of the outdoor tables at a caf called Wandering
where she awaited someone. The caf was clearly designed with The Garden of Eden in mind; trees grew from pots with red apples resting on the soil, tree branches with stray green leaves seemed to grow from every corner of the interior, there was a beautiful water fountain at the centre filled with coy fish, the menus were in the shape of what the designer thought looked like the Tree of Knowledge, with Adam and Eve seated under it covered with apples. For Ashley, she didn't care if the caf was designed with Hades' lair in mind; this place served the best coffee in Prestwich.

This place had been around for as long as she could remember, and she made it mandatory that she visited here every time she came to Prestwich from her current home in London. London was great, she thought, but she always missed her home, her family, and her coffee.

Ashley thought about Callum Hartwell, her lifelong best friend, her childhood neighbour, and her faithful companion every time she needed a coffee fix. She had the best of times with him, and as she sipped her macchiato, her mind drifted into a different place, right down memory lane.

It was just after her eleventh birthday. Callum had successfully torn her away from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It was a wet day, but he had insisted on practising his penalty kicks in her backyard, which was conveniently complete with a football net. He wanted to hone his skills so he could play with the other boys in the park. She agreed reluctantly, deciding that if she didn't do it, who would? So she dutifully donned the Manchester United football jersey her father had given her, and followed him out into the rain.

It was just the two of them, as it was most of the time when they played. Ashley was made keeper, and Callum, the penalty taker. He took his first shot, hitting the upper left corner that Ashley thought was pretty challenging even for a top goalkeeper. He grinned, running a hand through his soft brown hair. "Oh, come on, Ash," he said. "You've got to try, at least." She groaned as his second shot hit the upper right corner. She questioned why she was friends with Callum as the shots kept coming in mercilessly. Because he's always there, she answered herself silently.

"Last shot," Callum announced as he kicked the ball hard with his right leg. All Ashley caught

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