Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter; never will.

Author's Note: As you can see, I'm putting the last part of the previous chapter on each new chapter. I changed the last paragraph slightly. Enjoy!

On her bed lay a slightly yellowed envelope. She read the return address; it was from England. I wonder what this is, she thought. She opened up the letter and quickly scanned through it. She leapt up. 'Oh my gosh! This is way cool! Mom!' Ashley shouted. 'I've been chosen to go to England for three weeks!' She pounded down the stairs to show the letter to her mother.

'Wow, honey! Let me see!'

'Can I go?' Ashley asked.

'Of course, that will be a wonderful academic experience!'

Ashley rolled her eyes despite her content. She got to go to England by herself (without her foster parents) for THREE WHOLE WEEKS! And the group was leaving in about a week. Today was Friday, and the plane left on Saturday.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The phone rang. As Ashley suspected, it was Emily.

'Oh my gosh, Ash! I've been trying to call you for hours!'

Ashley rolled her eyes. Sometimes Emily could be so stupid. Not that Ashley hated her, she just wasn't....up to standard intellectual level.

'Where were you?' Emily demanded.

'On a date,' Ashley said slyly.

'With who????'

'Guess.'

'Not Zac Richardson!'

'Yup,' Ashley replied calmly.

'Shut up! Why didn't you tell us at school?'

'We were in class, Em.'

'Yeah, but you coulda told us at lunch!'

'Um, Em? We're not in the same lunch, remember?' Ashley asked exasperated.

'Oh, yeah...but you still coulda told us in the hall.'

There was no use arguing with Emily. She never made any sense. 'Alright, alright,' Ashley said. 'I'll tell you next time. I just wanted to have time to get a reaction.'

'Oh. Ok then,' Emily said. 'Well, anyway, how was it? What did you guys do? Did he kiss you? Come on, I need to know these things!'

'It was great! We went surfing, and I had this wicked wipe-out.'

Emily gasped. 'Are you ok? You're not bruised or anything, are you?'

'No. But thanks to Zac, I'm still alive!'

'WHAT??? HE SAVED YOUR LIFE!?!?!? THAT IS SOOOO ROMANTIC!!'

Trust Emily not to care about anything else. 'Yeah, I guess.'

'You GUESS??? It so totally is!'

'Yeah, sure. You're right. It is totally romantic.'

'So where did you go after surfing?' Emily asked, moving on to the next subject like she always did; she could stay on one subject long once you agreed with her.

'We went to get pizza and then he walked me home. And he kissed me on the cheek.' Ashley waited for the reaction.

Emily shrieked. 'You are sooo lucky,' she gushed. 'You just went out with the hottest guy in our grade; he saved your life and kissed you!'

'He just kissed me on the cheek, Em. It's not that big a deal.'

'It is SO a big deal! He kissed you!' Emily giggled.

'Ok,' Ashley said. 'Well, I gotta go, I'm gonna call Amy, ok?'

'Ok. Then call me back and let me know what happens.'

'Sorry, Em, can't. I have to get packed and stuff.'

'Packed?' came Emily's usual confused voice. 'Where are you going?'

'I got invited to England for three weeks. Mom said I could go,' Ashley explained. 'The group leaves in a week, so I have to pack now.'

'Are you serious? That is way cool! I wish I coulda gotten a letter, too.....'

Ashley cheered inwardly. Emily was not going! Three whole weeks without her ditzy friend!

'Ok, I'm gonna call Ames now; I'll call you tomorrow ok?'

Emily sighed. 'Alright....I guess that's ok.'

'Ok, I'll catch you later.'

'K. Bye.'

FINALLY!!! Gosh, sometimes Ashley just could not stand Emily, she was so ditzy. At least Amy was smarter, Ashley thought as she dialed Amy's number.

'Hey, Ash! Where were you?' Amy's voice came.

'On a date,' Ashley answered simply; like before.

'With who?'

'Zac Richardson.'

'Get out! Are you serious?'

'Dead.'

'Oh, you are sooo lucky! When did he ask you? Why didn't you tell us at school? Where did you guys go? Did he kiss you?' Ashley was bombarded with questions, just like before.

'Well,' Ashley answered. 'He asked me when we were at the bus stop, I didn't tell you at school because 1: we were in class, 2: we don't have lunch together, 3: I wanted to have time to discuss it with you.'

'Oh, ok. Thanks.'

'No prob. So anyway, we went surfing and to pizza, and yes, he did kiss me....on the cheek, though.'

'Wow! Gosh you are lucky,' Amy squealed. 'I'm so happy for you! I mean, how long have you had a crush on him? Since second grade?'

Ashley smiled to herself. Amy was so genuine. Even if she was a little silly at times, she was still sweet. 'Yeah. Hey, guess what I heard today?'

'What?'

'Derrik Thompson talking about you.'

'Are you serious?!?!' Amy shrieked.

'Yes, totally.' Ashley knew Amy would be excited to hear this. Amy had had a major flame for him for three years. What Ashley told her friend wasn't gossip, because Derrik had been talking to her (Ashley) himself.

'Well? What did he say?' Amy asked impatiently.

'Well.....he said he thought you were really cute, and he asked me if I thought that you would go out with him. He told me to mention it to you that he thought you were cute and that he really liked you.'

'Wow,' Amy said weakly.

'Yeah! Well, anyway, I have to go; I've gotta pack.'

'Pack for what? You didn't tell me you were going away.'

'Oh, right. I got invited to England for three weeks, and the group leaves in a week, so I have to pack,' Ashley explained.

'You're not serious,' Amy said in a hushed voice.

'Yeah, I'm totally serious. Why?' Ashley asked hopefully.

'Cuz I got invited too!!' Amy shrieked. 'And I'm allowed to go!'

'Alright! Way cool! Hey, listen, I have to go now.'

'Ok. Call me tomorrow.'

'I will,' Ashley promised.
Yes! No Emily for three weeks! Ashley thought it was very cool that Amy had gotten invited, too. Amy was actually much smarter than Emily. And she wasn't so focused on guys and kissing and that sort of thing.