Carmen and Esme walked into the ballroom. It was their 21st birthday and there was a huge party waiting for them.
"Oh my gosh!" Carmen gasped.
"Hey, isn't that Monkey Business?" Esme asked. "What are they doing here?"
"They wanted to wish you a happy birthday," Babsie replied, smiling.
The band was on a stage providing the music. Later Carmen got a chance to talk to them.
"I though you didn't do birthday parties."
"We don't," Dylan replied. "But we figured we could make an exception in your case. You were the reason we got signed. Nine years ago."
"Eek, has it been that long? Oh yes it has... scary."
"Very."
At the party there was, of course, plenty of family, and many of Carmen and Esme's friends.
"You know," Babsie said. "Xavier had industry people at his 21st, Carmen and Esme have industry at theirs..."
"Will Cosmo, Duke and Matt want industry people at theirs?" Isaac asked with a grin.
"Exactly."
"Well, you have to admit, the musicians here are friends of Carmen's."
"Hmm, I wonder how Esme feels about that. Carmen getting the, erm, more exciting guests at their birthday party attributed to her."
Babsie waved a hand.
"It makes them even. Esme's always had more friends than Carmen."
"I suppose, but there's a difference between us knowing that, and Esme knowing that."
"Point. But I don't think we need to worry. At least not about that," Babsie nodded in Esme's direction. "That boyfriend of hers is who we have to worry about."
Isaac stared at her.
"You're worried about him?" He gaped. "I mean, I knew I was but you?"
"Hey, just because I haven't told Esme I have a problem with that lazy slob doesn't mean I don't have one. He's always causing trouble at the teen bar, well... until he got banned," Babsie smirked. "And well, now he's not a teen, so it doesn't matter any more, but you know."
"Mmm. Any ideas?"
"I suppose anything I come up with has got to be better than what Zac's doing with Hope, huh?"
"Now that's a mess. I've tried talking to him, but he won't listen."
"I know. I think everyone's tried talking," Babsie paused. "Maybe we should stop."
"Excuse me?"
"Look, the more we talk and tell him what he should do, the more riled up he's going to get, and the less likely he'll try to make amends. So we should stop talking to him about it and let him figure it out on his own. "
"Think it'll work on Esme?"
"Right now I think that's the only thing we got."
"Then we'd better hope she doesn't fall in love and get herself engaged."
"Hmm..."
"Okay, what are you plotting now?"
Babsie was silent for a moment, getting her thoughts straight.
"We don't openly show our disapproval of him, right? But we make sure she gets to parties and stuff where she can meet other guys. We have enough of them, it can't be that hard to do it without getting her suspicions up."
"Hmm... I like it. You schemer, you."
"Flatterer."