"What do you mean you're not fine? You just said you weren't in trouble" Art was lost now. Asher was making zero sense to him.

"He sent a letter to my parents with Cara. It probably says that they should give him a talking to as well. Ugh I am so dead….You two will come to my funeral right?' she looked with puppy dog eyes at the two.

"Of course bro, I will come and help dig the grave for you. Just don't expect flowers, cause I have a terrible green thumb." Art shook his head while giving Asher a pat on the back.

"But you already explained things to your mother right? She should know that you have already learned and wouldn't intentionally do anything like that." Jane tried to be reassuring however she knew well that the wrath if a mother was not something easily quelled.

The entire walk toward the house Asher dragged his feet. 'At least I got those cookies as a last meal.' His thoughts in sweeter times before him and Art said their goodbyes to Jane.

Jane gave Asher a thumbs up trying to make him believe that it wouldn't be so bad, however he thought betrayed her as she walked down the street. 'Yup he is totally getting grounded for the rest of his life.' That was exactly what her parents would do.

"Come on let's go." Art pushed the front door open since Asher had seemed like he was frozen in front of it. Looking forward Asher felt his last bit of freedom escape.

The two dropped their shoes and left their bags by the stairs. The sounds of Asher's parents and sister talking in the kitchen brought shivers to their spines. Art knew he was not in trouble but he could still feel the amount of pain that came with an impending scolding.

"Asher! Hurry up and get in here!" His mothers voice rang out towards the two boys who had just come in the door. Asher gave Art a pleading look, but it was too late they would have no where to run to now.

Asher sucked it up and walked in to the dining room with Art at his side. 'Art thank you for staying by my side' Asher said this silent thank you whole trying to avoid looking on his parents eyes. Even Cara was sitting at the table looking at Asher.

"Ehm, we received a letter for your principal today…" His father started off the ball rolling with the words he expected. "… We are so proud of you Asher!"

"I know I am sor- Wait what?" He was dumbfounded, wasn't he supposed to be yelled at or something?

"We never thought that the principal would put in a recommendation for you to go to camp jewel three days early. Your sister did the same thing. I can't believe both of our children are so talented to get the principal's recommendations. " His mother started off gushing about how happy and proud she was.

"But wait, what do you mean camp early? I thought I was in trouble?" Asher still couldn't understand what was going on at all. Art was right next to hum equally stunned by the turn of events.

"Oh did the principal not fully explain this to you?" Cara sounded annoyed that she would need to explain things to him. "Remember when I first went to camp I left school three days early? The principal is allowed to send a few promising students to certain camps three days early to receive special course options while there. You and I both received the nomination to camp jewel. You don't have to go but if you waste it you will be stuck behind me forever." This seemed to be a prospect that Cara did not mind at all.

"Oh pfft yeah I knew that. I was just trying to make a joke. Right over your head I see." Cara did not buy Asher's bluff for a second.

"Well that's settled I will go to the same camp. If you are getting three extra days I will need to bother you when I get there so that you can catch me up." Art saw the perfect opportunity to gain the same training that Asher received just at a slightly later time.

"Oh I can't wait, I am going in to the kitchen to finish cooking. I am so excited." His mother left the table and went to the kitchen where aromas had started to waft over.

"I can come help, I am a master chef after all!" Asher immediately tried to follow, making his mother smile much more brightly.

"NO!. I mean, you need to relax and enjoy. This is a little celebration for you Asher. I will go help." Art stopped him and made him sit back down in to a chair.

While Art rushed off after Asher's mother he could swear that Art was saying something in a whisper to his mother. 'Must be planning some special desert since he brought home those cookies.' Asher was clueless that Art was warning Asher;'s mother of the terror in the kitchen that Asher was.

Asher's mother on the other hand felt that the world had played a cruel joke on her. Both of her children were hopeless at cooking, how would they ever survive the real world. The three left in the dining room could smell the fresh scent of herbs and roasting chicken. Every once in a while they could hear Art surprising Asher's mother with his skills. She was proud to have someone with cooking ability making the meal and going above and beyond.

"Asher, why didn't you tell me that your friend has such a talent for food? He is whipping up a five star meal in there with the roasted chicken that I started earlier. You really need to study from him." She seemed like she had just found rescue while trapped at sea. The entire family was puzzled, 'had she really hated cooking so much?' each and every one of them was asking themselves this question.

Just a few moments passed before Art started to bring out plates. "I hope this looks good, I copied the style that one of my families sheds used and then I changed up the flavors a bit." Art held plates that were wildly out of lace on an average family's dining table.

"I sliced up the roasted chicken and laid it over some garlic mashed potatoes. Then I took the fats and juices from the chicken and made a quick gravy. On top I have some bacon wrapped asparagus. I hope it is good enough for everyone."

Art's explanation sounded like mystical magic to the entire family. 'Since when has our dining room been a five star restaurant?' Cara was looking at the food then to Stay and back again. He could not figure out how in the world he had done something like this so easily. "It isn't worth it if it doesn't taste good." She put on her best I don't care face and tried a bite.

The feelings of pure bliss washed through her, Cara was experiencing the best food she could remember ever having. The mashed potatoes were like silk in their mouths and the bacon wrapped asparagus were the perfect balance of crispy and fresh.

"You even added a little kick to my herb roasted chicken. I love it, you will need to show me exactly how you did it." Asher's mother was positively over the moon with how things had worked out. 'My son is a terrible cook, my daughter is a terrible cook, and my husband can't even use a microwave. But our new house guest is a master chef. I win.' Asher's mother was thinking this as Cara seemed unhappy.

"You will show me how to make these mashed potatoes or will beat you to death, got it?" It was so rare for Cara to want to cook anything that everyone but Art flinched away at the table.

"You got it, just tell me when and I will come running." She smiled widely since his food was good enough to make Cara one of the top students in the entire school to want t o eat it again. This was an accomplishment if there ever was one.

The dinner was devoured almost as if no one had ever seen food before. However Art was not done. He still had a whole bag of cookies left from today's cooking class. "These are the chocolate chocolate chip cookies I made in class today. I save the ones just for dinner tonight." Art placed them down after after shifting them from the bag to the plate.

"I'm taking a picture of this." Cara wasn't even going to hide it, she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the magazine cover worthy cookies. Art was so overcome by this he thought that he was about to die. Yet before his Asher's mother snapped on up and started to bite into it. She reached the peak of happiness in that moment alone.