This time she got home in time. When Delia entered the kitchen she was
startled
to see her mother bustling around the kitchen, frantically opening and closing the
refrigerator.
"Mother? What are you doing?" inquired Delia as she dropped her backpack on
the floor.
"Pick that up!" she barked immediately. Delia obeyed.
"Now, Delia, we need to get this house straightened out. We're going to have
company soon."
"Company?" Delia repeated stupidly. They never had company. Maybe it was
because Delia was afraid to invite anyone over. It had never occurred to her that her
mother didn't ever talk about any friends.
"Who's coming?" she asked.
Her mother turned away from scrubbing the table for a second to respond, "An
old friend of mine that I re-met at the gardening club today. I love it so far. And the best
part, there are no men. Unfortunately, she's married now, so her husband is coming with
her."
Delia bit back a retort over the crack about men. Sure, her father had been an
idiot. But there was no proof that the rest of them were like that. Not that I'll ever find
out, she thought. Not as long as I'm here.
"Delia, I want you to start making dinner. Use one of the recipes you learned in
cooking class."
"Okay, Mother," she said cheerfully. Cooking was great fun, even though she felt
as if she were doing it like a servant to her mother.
She decided to make chicken and dumplings, her favorite recipe. Luckily, her
mother left her alone after that so she was free to hum to herself in the kitchen without
listening to her scolding.
Around 5:00, the doorbell rang. "There she is!" cried Mrs. Ketchum, rushing past
her to answer the door. From her post in the kitchen, Delia heard excited voices in the
parlor. One of them was a woman's.....and the other was presumably her husband,
sounding strangely familiar...
"Delia!" called her mother from the dining room, "come in and meet our guests!"
She entered the door leading into the dining room and gasped. Her knees went
weak, and a second later the steaming pot of chicken and dumplings she held went
crashing to the floor, its contents spilling all over the carpet.
Her face burned bright red as she stood there with the mess stewing all over her
feet. "Professor....?" She whispered, her cheeks flaming. Delia wanted to run, get out of
that room, with her mother glaring at her in a appalled way, and Mrs. Oak's pitying gaze.
So she did.
"Delia!" screamed Mrs. Ketchum as she fled from the dining room, "get back
here right now! Clean this up!"
She didn't answer. Her mother would yell at her and Professor Oak. what did he
see her as? A clumsy girl who couldn't even hold onto her own homemade meal, that's
what she was. And besides, he was already married.
She slowed down when she reached the basement. Her mother would never think
to look for her here, and by this time she probably wouldn't try. She collapsed onto a pile
of salt bags and began to cry. She could never live this down, not ever, not in a million
years....
"-Difficult girl. I don't know why she does things like this," came her mother's
voice distinctly through the furnace pipes. "She could be so much better.."
"Don't be too hard on her," responded the professor's voice. "she's a pretty good
girl in class. A little dreamy, but it seems like all of them are like that."
She held her breath, waiting for him to inform her mother of the thirty three
percent. But he said no more about school.
Her heart swelled with sudden pride in Professor Oak. What a nice guy, she
thought. He was an adult, but he defended her nonetheless. And against her mother, the
tyrant. Delia could feel herself flushing again, and her heart fluttered madly. There was
No Way On Earth she was going back up there, because if she did her heart would surely
go on overload....
After awhile she heard voices echoing down the stairs. Quickly she sat up and
tried to remember how long she'd been sitting there. Looking around, she saw her mother
looming over her like some sort of medieval dragon.
"Delia. Get upstairs. Right now."
She figured there was no point in arguing, even though she wondered what her
mother could do to her. Ground her? As if she already wasn't grounded permanently.
When she ushered her up to face Professor Oak and his wife, she hissed,
"apologize to our guests, Delia!" Delia was blushing madly, but she managed to squeak
out a quick, "I'm sorry. Professor, I'm sorry for ruining your and your wife's meal. I'll be
careful next time, I really will!" she couldn't look either one of them in the eye.
Mrs. Oak wife laughed. "Delia, dear, it wasn't your fault. It is rather shocking to
see your school teacher in your house, is it not?"
She decided instantly that she liked Mrs. Oak, even though she was the
professor's wife. Delia giggled nervously. "Yeah, yeah, that was it! Hahahahaha." She
glanced up and saw the professor looking at her, and quickly averted her eyes towards her
shoes again.
Her mother's face had softened a little by this time. "So, then, what should we eat
for dinner?" she asked as she took a seat at the table.
They began to discuss dinner plans, and Delia found herself staring at him, again
and again and again. He's married. He has a wife . He's older than you. You're just one
of his students..
But her heart refused to listen to her. I don't care what you say, it told her. I'll do
what I want.
Her mother and Mrs. Oak began a discussion over flowers and the correct sunlight
for them, and Delia felt her eyes drooping with the dullness of it. She glanced over at
Professor Oak and saw him looking bored rigid. "I'm going to do my homework,
everyone." She got up and left the table, but soon she was aware that Professor Oak was
following her into the living room.
"I told your mother that I was going to help you with your homework," he said as
she took a seat on the sofa. "But I really just wanted to get the heck out of there. They
were boring me to tears."
"I know! I like flowers, but not that much!" Delia felt her heart fluttering happily.
It was just her and Professor Oak here. Ki would be so jealous when she heard about it
tomorrow.
"Well, I'll do the homework you gave me! Hahahaha! That way you can help me
with it!"
The professor said, "Well, I would assume so."
She got out her textbook and stared at the pictures as if they were alien drawings.
"You have to tell what kind of Pokemon this is. Is it nocturnal, or does it hunt
during the day? Tell what it eats and if it is hunted..Delia, are you listening to me?
Were you even listening in class when I explained this?"
"Of course I was! I just.....forgot. Yes, I forgot." She knew there was no way she
would be able to concentrate with him sitting right there...breathing the same air as
her, his fingers touching the images on the textbook softly, his voice talking about.well
who knew what? But the point is, she thought, is that he's right here and I don't care
beans about this boring lesson.
He then gave her a lecture about paying attention to him, and she agreed
mechanically. By the time they left, two hours later, she'd finished about three problems
out of twenty.
"Delia, you'd better have this done for me tomorrow, or you'll fail the pop
quiz......" He warned as they walked out the door.
"It's not pop anymore! Now I know about it!" she chirped and pranced back to
the living room. She couldn't wait until the next visit-two weeks from now, said her
mother. In fact, she felt as if she would die waiting..
Keep the reviews coming! Stay tuned for more eldershipping ahead!
X~ Aurora chan
to see her mother bustling around the kitchen, frantically opening and closing the
refrigerator.
"Mother? What are you doing?" inquired Delia as she dropped her backpack on
the floor.
"Pick that up!" she barked immediately. Delia obeyed.
"Now, Delia, we need to get this house straightened out. We're going to have
company soon."
"Company?" Delia repeated stupidly. They never had company. Maybe it was
because Delia was afraid to invite anyone over. It had never occurred to her that her
mother didn't ever talk about any friends.
"Who's coming?" she asked.
Her mother turned away from scrubbing the table for a second to respond, "An
old friend of mine that I re-met at the gardening club today. I love it so far. And the best
part, there are no men. Unfortunately, she's married now, so her husband is coming with
her."
Delia bit back a retort over the crack about men. Sure, her father had been an
idiot. But there was no proof that the rest of them were like that. Not that I'll ever find
out, she thought. Not as long as I'm here.
"Delia, I want you to start making dinner. Use one of the recipes you learned in
cooking class."
"Okay, Mother," she said cheerfully. Cooking was great fun, even though she felt
as if she were doing it like a servant to her mother.
She decided to make chicken and dumplings, her favorite recipe. Luckily, her
mother left her alone after that so she was free to hum to herself in the kitchen without
listening to her scolding.
Around 5:00, the doorbell rang. "There she is!" cried Mrs. Ketchum, rushing past
her to answer the door. From her post in the kitchen, Delia heard excited voices in the
parlor. One of them was a woman's.....and the other was presumably her husband,
sounding strangely familiar...
"Delia!" called her mother from the dining room, "come in and meet our guests!"
She entered the door leading into the dining room and gasped. Her knees went
weak, and a second later the steaming pot of chicken and dumplings she held went
crashing to the floor, its contents spilling all over the carpet.
Her face burned bright red as she stood there with the mess stewing all over her
feet. "Professor....?" She whispered, her cheeks flaming. Delia wanted to run, get out of
that room, with her mother glaring at her in a appalled way, and Mrs. Oak's pitying gaze.
So she did.
"Delia!" screamed Mrs. Ketchum as she fled from the dining room, "get back
here right now! Clean this up!"
She didn't answer. Her mother would yell at her and Professor Oak. what did he
see her as? A clumsy girl who couldn't even hold onto her own homemade meal, that's
what she was. And besides, he was already married.
She slowed down when she reached the basement. Her mother would never think
to look for her here, and by this time she probably wouldn't try. She collapsed onto a pile
of salt bags and began to cry. She could never live this down, not ever, not in a million
years....
"-Difficult girl. I don't know why she does things like this," came her mother's
voice distinctly through the furnace pipes. "She could be so much better.."
"Don't be too hard on her," responded the professor's voice. "she's a pretty good
girl in class. A little dreamy, but it seems like all of them are like that."
She held her breath, waiting for him to inform her mother of the thirty three
percent. But he said no more about school.
Her heart swelled with sudden pride in Professor Oak. What a nice guy, she
thought. He was an adult, but he defended her nonetheless. And against her mother, the
tyrant. Delia could feel herself flushing again, and her heart fluttered madly. There was
No Way On Earth she was going back up there, because if she did her heart would surely
go on overload....
After awhile she heard voices echoing down the stairs. Quickly she sat up and
tried to remember how long she'd been sitting there. Looking around, she saw her mother
looming over her like some sort of medieval dragon.
"Delia. Get upstairs. Right now."
She figured there was no point in arguing, even though she wondered what her
mother could do to her. Ground her? As if she already wasn't grounded permanently.
When she ushered her up to face Professor Oak and his wife, she hissed,
"apologize to our guests, Delia!" Delia was blushing madly, but she managed to squeak
out a quick, "I'm sorry. Professor, I'm sorry for ruining your and your wife's meal. I'll be
careful next time, I really will!" she couldn't look either one of them in the eye.
Mrs. Oak wife laughed. "Delia, dear, it wasn't your fault. It is rather shocking to
see your school teacher in your house, is it not?"
She decided instantly that she liked Mrs. Oak, even though she was the
professor's wife. Delia giggled nervously. "Yeah, yeah, that was it! Hahahahaha." She
glanced up and saw the professor looking at her, and quickly averted her eyes towards her
shoes again.
Her mother's face had softened a little by this time. "So, then, what should we eat
for dinner?" she asked as she took a seat at the table.
They began to discuss dinner plans, and Delia found herself staring at him, again
and again and again. He's married. He has a wife . He's older than you. You're just one
of his students..
But her heart refused to listen to her. I don't care what you say, it told her. I'll do
what I want.
Her mother and Mrs. Oak began a discussion over flowers and the correct sunlight
for them, and Delia felt her eyes drooping with the dullness of it. She glanced over at
Professor Oak and saw him looking bored rigid. "I'm going to do my homework,
everyone." She got up and left the table, but soon she was aware that Professor Oak was
following her into the living room.
"I told your mother that I was going to help you with your homework," he said as
she took a seat on the sofa. "But I really just wanted to get the heck out of there. They
were boring me to tears."
"I know! I like flowers, but not that much!" Delia felt her heart fluttering happily.
It was just her and Professor Oak here. Ki would be so jealous when she heard about it
tomorrow.
"Well, I'll do the homework you gave me! Hahahaha! That way you can help me
with it!"
The professor said, "Well, I would assume so."
She got out her textbook and stared at the pictures as if they were alien drawings.
"You have to tell what kind of Pokemon this is. Is it nocturnal, or does it hunt
during the day? Tell what it eats and if it is hunted..Delia, are you listening to me?
Were you even listening in class when I explained this?"
"Of course I was! I just.....forgot. Yes, I forgot." She knew there was no way she
would be able to concentrate with him sitting right there...breathing the same air as
her, his fingers touching the images on the textbook softly, his voice talking about.well
who knew what? But the point is, she thought, is that he's right here and I don't care
beans about this boring lesson.
He then gave her a lecture about paying attention to him, and she agreed
mechanically. By the time they left, two hours later, she'd finished about three problems
out of twenty.
"Delia, you'd better have this done for me tomorrow, or you'll fail the pop
quiz......" He warned as they walked out the door.
"It's not pop anymore! Now I know about it!" she chirped and pranced back to
the living room. She couldn't wait until the next visit-two weeks from now, said her
mother. In fact, she felt as if she would die waiting..
Keep the reviews coming! Stay tuned for more eldershipping ahead!
X~ Aurora chan