Sure Thing

"Remind me exactly why I'm friends with you again?" Ashley laughed as she picked up a French fry from the deep fryer—immediately dropping it into the sink.

"Because you love me. Come on, I promised to feed you. You promised to help me." Amelia said, rearranging the glasses in the cabinet while standing on a stool.

"I didn't know you meant laundry." Ashley scrunched her face up as if saying the horror!

"So what exactly did you think I was calling you for?" Amelia turned off the deep fryer.

"I don't know." Ashley hopped on the counter. "Maybe so I can watch your life flash before your eyes." Ashley squealed as Amelia slapped her bare thigh with a wet napkin.

"Get off the counter. I've been cleaning all afternoon."

"Don't you have to go to work?"

"That's tomorrow. All day tomorrow. Louise gave me the night off."

"See," Ashley smiled, "even your old grey boss knows you have a life to live."

Amelia said nothing, she'd actually been talking to Harry and Sarah that she had too much work to do at home. Laundry piling up, she hadn't been able to collect her groceries from Mrs. Marshall—somewhat because of her avoiding Kyle, and then being too busy to move—dirty dishes in the sink, the week's schedule.

Amelia's fingers trembled.

"What's wrong?" Ashley became alarmed. She didn't know Amelia to ever shake.

She was the steadiest person she'd ever met.

"I don't know. Maybe it's the sleep."

"Sleep?" Ashley's eyes narrowed and grew cold.

"I haven't...I haven't been sleeping so well."

Ashley crossed her hands across her chest, bringing her ample bosom underneath her chin. Amelia almost laughed.

"Not sleeping well? Or not sleeping?"

"What difference does it make?"

Ashley backed away to the phone as Amelia lightly salted the fries and put them in a basket, then fried the nuggets they'd been waiting on to thaw.

"I'm gonna call your grandmother."

Amelia stopped her with a glare. "Don't you dare take that phone up."

Ashley smiled, a genuine smile, Amelia was somewhat baffled. Her best friend could be a little...a lot irritating but she smiled again so readily. Ashley walked over and opened the freshly cleaned fridge that had nothing but bottles of water and lemons.

"It's a ghost town."

"Yeah we'll, I haven't collected my groceries from up the street." Amelia didn't explain further.

"Ah," Ashley smiled as if that explained everything. Amelia took two plates out and shared the fries and nuggets, then opened a drawer and took a handful of ketchup packets and threw them on the table. "Where did you get all these?"

"Fast food restaurants. Not just my job."

Ashley hopped on a stool and grabbed a plate. "Thanks."

"No problem. I'll be back."

She started walking out of the room, she was looking behind her the entire time.

"Where are you going?"

"Just sit down!" She heard Amelia yell.

***

You are one deaf son of a bitch!