CHAPTER 9

Ashley blushed when Seth said such a sweet thing about her, even though it might all be a joke to him. They walked out of the class room and Seth's arm was still resting on her shoulders. Somehow Ashley didn't mind, not even when she saw another familiar face in the distance. It was Brian and he didn't look very nice when he saw she was with Seth. When they walked closer Ashley nodded friendly to him. "Hey, any idea where Marissa is?", she asked. "I have to ask her something."

"Nope", was all Brian said as he shrugged and quickly walked in another direction.

"Okay then not", she mumbled.

"Ignore him", Seth said as he looked in the direction Brian disappeared. "Sometimes he can be overly nice and sometimes it's just a jerk. Trust me when you see him and I am not standing right next to you he's mister nice guy again."

"Well that's weird", Ashley said out loud. "I mean, never mind", she sighed. "What's the deal between you and the others anyway?", she asked out of the blue.

Seth shrugged. "I honestly don't know Ashley. Usually I think they just don't know I exist and then something happens like a few days ago and I figure out they do know me. But why they seem so eager to keep me on a far distance I do not know", he finished sad.

"I won't do that to you ever again, trust me", Ashley said as she saw the sad look on Seth's face. "I really am sorry about the other day, but I thought that if I would ask you to join us Brian and Luke were gonna start a fight."

Seth gave her a cheesy smile. "It's okay. After all it was your first day and a lot of things happened."

"Yeah", Ashley answered as she looked at the floor. "But you know I do like Marissa, a lot. You don't think that that Brian guy and maybe Luke too are making me decide between you guys do you?"

"I don't know Ash, guess you just have to wait and see. But hey I do know Marissa a bit, after all she does live next door to me. Okay she might not know me, but I saw her around when I looked out for Summer. Ehm never mind. Anyway, I don't think that Marissa would just do what Brian or even Luke asks her too, she has a will of her own you know."

"Guess you're right", Ashley said as she felt a little more relieved. "I just have to wait and see."

When the last bell rang Ashley practically jumped of her chair to the hallway. She quickly ran to her locker and pushed the books into it before taking her purse, and other personal belongings she needed that day, out of it.

"Mademoiselle Ashley", she suddenly heard behind her.

"Bonjour Seth", she winked as she turned around. "I don't have to bring my books, do I? I mean you have them too I think? You may never bring them", she said as she playfully hit his arm "but I am pretty sure they are lying somewhere in that messy room of yours."

Seth looked shocked when she said that last sentence. "Miss Ashley have you been snooping in my room?", he asked with a dead serious look on his face.

Ashley continued looking even more serious "But of course. You don't think I would ever accept an invitation from someone who's practically a stranger to me, without checking first if he isn't a vampire or America's next serial killer do you?"

"Nope I sure won't, that's very wise of you. And what did you find out about me?", Seth asked as he led the way to the exit of the school.

"Well", Ashley started as she thought of what would fit Seth. "Like I said it was very messy. And ehm I did see you had angigantic collection of t-shirts from unknown musical artists. That might hint on an unknown desire to become famous yourself. Play any instruments?"

"No."

"Ow. Well I also saw a large pile of comic books", Ashley went on, remembering she saw Seth with a comic in his hands once. "That might mean you're actually a super hero with a hidden identity." She checked him up and down and said "You seem to have the profile of the regular - never in the spotlights - guy who at night flies around the city to bust some criminals."

"Well I don't have a Wonder Woman by my side", Seth said with a deep sigh. "So no again, are you sure you snooped in the right house? Or the right room for that matter?"

"Do you mean your dad is a wanna be musician who in is spare time helps the innocent?", Ashley asked surprised.

"Well", Seth said. "He does sing in the shower and he does help people out. He's a juvenile defender, see."

"Really?", Ashley said when she hopped on the back of Seth's bike. "That's so cool, so do you get those kids over in the house too?"

"Ehm no", Seth replied. "That would be weird, don't you think? I mean you never know if one of them really is a criminal. And then in Newport Beach? I don't think that would be such a good idea. Most of them are used to the tough world of one of the worst parts of town, like Chino."

"Well you can tell me everything. You know I am new around here, I don't know the city. For all I know Chino is some club where the youth goes to."

Seth smirked "trust me it's not. I have been there a few times with my dad when I was younger and it's not the place you wanna be." He stopped and got of his bike. Seeing Ashley doing the same he pointed to his house. "Anyway we are here, Cohen residence. Think you're ready to meet a family all as wacky as I am?"

"Hehehe I am pretty sure that's gonna be fine", Ashley said as she walked after Seth to his house.

A/N Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been very busy with other things and haven't updated any of my fics... Anyway I figured I owed everyone a complete update for once, so therefore the whole chapter. Don't know if I can keep that up. At least I'll try to update more frequently again.