CHAPTER 11:

Helping Seth with his French Ashley completely lost track of time. Until she suddenly heard a knock on the door. Both Seth and she looked up from the book as Kirsten, Seth's mother, walked in.

"Hey you two", she started. "Hope I am not interrupting anything but I just wanted to ask if Ashley stays for dinner."

"Dinner?", Ashley repeated as she jumped up. "I can't, that's late, I should be home by then." She looked on her watch and saw it was already dinner time, for her anyway. "O man I am in trouble", she said. "What time do you guys eat anyway that you ask me now if I want to join you?"

"In about half an hour", Seth replied. "As long as it takes for the Italian, Chinese or Tai delivery guys tobring us the food."

"Ow okay", Ashley said, still looking at her watch.

"See", Seth grinned as he whispered to Ashley from the back of his hand "mom can't cook and..."

"Seth", Kirsten said stringent, hearing very well what he was whispering about.

"Sorry mom", Seth replied with a huge grin on his face. "So ehm what about you? Shall I ask dad if he can bring you home, or do you want to call your parents to tell you're eating here."

"Just stay here", Kirsten repeated with a reassuring smile. "You can call your parents, that is no problem. If they want I can tell them my husband will bring you home tonight."

"Ehm...", Ashley said looking from Seth to his mother and back. She liked to stay, she was late for dinner at her home anyway. It was just she didn't know how her dad would react on this. "Well I need to call anyway, because I am late, I'll try to ask it, okay?", she said as she walked towards Kirsten.

"Sure sweetie", the other replied as she led the way to the house phone.

Ashley followed Kirsten and took the phone from her hands. "Thanks", she said as she tried to remember the number. Since they didn't live here for long, she also didn't had this phone number for long and she had to think for quite some time before it suddenly hit her. Dialing it she thought of how to start the conversation, but before she even got the change of thinking of something the call was answered.

"Jack McAnderson."

"Hey dad, it's me."

"Ashley? Where are you, shouldn't you be long home from school?", Jack asked worried.

"Yeah I am ehm helping a class mate with his French. Did those months in Paris finally pay off", she tried to joke.

"Okay, where's that? Shall I pick you up?"

"I don't know the name of this street, but they offered his dad would bring me home", Ashley stopped before she tried carefully "After dinner. I mean of course if that's okay with you. I mean dinner here, not home."

"Of course I don't mind", Ashley's dad said after a short silence.

He might say he didn't mind, but Ashley heard the changing in his voice. A disappointed voice. She knew what it was about, at least she thought that. About the fact that he was worried and she didn't tell him where she went, and that already in her first week she skipped dinner without telling him long before. "I am sorry", she softly said. "I'll be home as soon as possible after dinner okay?"

"It's okay Ashley", she heard her dad answer, but she felt it wasn't and after a quick goodbye she hang up the phone. She sighed deep before she walked back to Seth's room and forced a smile on her face. "It's settled", she said quietly. "As long as your dad can bring me home as soon as we are done with dinner."

"Great", Kirsten said, who had joined Seth again after pointing Ashley to the phone. "So I'll ask your dad to order some Greek today", she went on as she she looked at Seth"and I'll just make a salad".

Seth stood up from his bed and shook his head. "No no no, mom let me do that okay? I mean you and..."

"Seth", Kirsten said as she gave him a look that said it all.

"Fine", he replied. "Just don't expect me to eat anything of it."

"Ehm maybe I can help?", Ashley carefully interrupted. "With the salad I mean."

"Sure you can", Seth said relieved. "We were done with French anyway for today, right?", he asked hopefully.

"Pretty much."

"Good, so mom it seems like you have an extra pair of hands in the kitchen today, I ehm will be just hear. Cleaning up and stuff."

"Okay, come with me Ashley", Kirsten said to the girl.

They walked out of Seth's room, to he kitchen, and Seth on his turn made himself comfortable onhis bed with an old issue of Comic Book Profiles in his hands. This one was about Gene Colan, who was famous for his work on Daredevil, The Iron Man and much more comic book characters.

While Seth was taking a break from the work Ashley went to the kitchen to help Kirsten with the salad, wondering what anyone could do wrong while making that. It was one of the easiest things to make, at least she thought so. But the comments from Seth weren't a joke earlier. Exaggerated yes, butthey didn't order food every day if Seth's mom could cook.

"Hey there, and you are?"

Ashley shook up from her thoughts when she suddenly heard a male's voice talking to her. When she looked up she saw the man staring at her.

"Ashley. I am Ashley, I mean."

"Well I am Sandy", the man went on. "Youcame here to make your homework with Seth, right?", he asked.

"Yes. And now I am ehm gonna help with dinner. Well the salad."

"O well that's a nice change", Sandy replied as he rose an eyebrow to his wife. "You weren't planning on doing anything by yourself were you?"

"We have a guest Sandy, why not?"

"O boy", Sandy said as he shook his head. "Well Ashley I am very glad you're here to help her." He took a flyer from the table and walked passed them "now if you two excuse me I am going to order some food".