Avery stood next to Dave, watching Jake connect their iPods to the stereo system. She rested one manicured hand on his shoulder, her shoulders level with his, thanks to the added height of her silver stilettos.
Her long blonde hair feel straight down her back, a side fringe just barely skimming her blue eyes which were emphasised by the short pale blue and white Diane Von Furstenburg dress she had on.
"It's so handy having him around," Dave grinned, reaching behind him for his cup.
"I know, he's like a walking manual or something," Avery replied, before taking a bite of the carrot stick she had been holding. "So who else is coming, do you know?"
"The rest of our group," Dave started. "Your other friends. And just randoms we invited along the way."
"Hot." Avery finished the carrot and turned to pour herself a drink. "And we have some kero and stuff."
"Mmmhmm, it's how we roll."
Libby
Libby, Matt, Josh and Trent rocked up to Avery's party.
"This is very cool," Matt said for the umpteenth time. "We've gotten invited to a party with older people. Very, very cool. Ha! The Reds will never be able to live down our way coolness."
"Matt, if you don't shut up, I say create a sim just like you, and destroy his life. I shall make him endure every bad memory I can. I shall send him to Uni and make him drop out just so I can get the extra Fear slot, so that I have all the more fears to fulfill. I shall fulfill all your fears. You shall be permanently in the red."
"Libby?"
"Yes Trent?"
"I think you take that game way too seriously."
"Ha! If they ever make a sim basketball court, then you'll know how seriously I take it," Libby replied. "Aves!"
Immediately upon spotting her friend, Libby made a beeline towards her.
Avery and Lo
Avery looked up after hearing her name and smiled at Libby.
"Hey, I'm gonna help Jake before he blows himself up," Dave said to her, then kissed her cheek as he left.
"Hey guys," Avery greeted.
Josh and Trent were still exchanging looks over the Dave thing, but Avery ignored it.
"Hey, cool idea," Matt said, practically beaming.
Avery nodded and ate another carrot stick.
"Who else is invited?" Trent asked.
"Well, all the cool people, obviously," a new voice said.
Avery grinned as Lo appeared behind the group, clad in a short green Marc Jacobs dress. She grinned at the new arrival.
"Guys, this is Lauren, or Lo," Avery introduced. "This is Libby, Trent, Sposhie and Matt."
Lo waved at them all, moving up to stand with Avery, before grabbing a carrot stick to munch on.
Libby
"Hey," Libby said.
"Sposhie?" Josh repeated.
"Hee hee, Sposhie-Joshy," Matt teased.
Trent was too busy checking out Lo to comment.
Avery and Lo
"Is Dan coming?" Trent suddenly asked, feeling like he better say something.
"Yeah, he said he'd be around after dinner," Avery replied.
"When did he get back?" Josh questioned.
"Like this morning," Avery told him. "We ran into him after breakfast."
"He's mega cute," Lo put in.
"Oh yeah," Avery agreed.
The two blondes giggled for a moment, then Lo pulled out her camera. They instantly went into pose mode, hugging, as Lo took a self potrait for them.
Libby
Libby grinned.
"What, cuter than me?" Matt said.
"Everyone's cuter than you," Libby replied.
"That's a lie!"
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Is not."
"Is -"
"Nope, Libby's definitely right," Trent said. "Everyone's cuter than you, Matt."
Lo and Avery
"Hey Aves, Lo-lo," Ross called out from across the hall, where he'd been unfolding another table.
"Bossco," Lo called back, waving.
Ross wandered over and put his arms around the two girls. "Where's Dave?"
"Annoying Jake," Avery replied, jerking her head in their direction. "Jas is working till 9, and Emoo's probably getting ready still."
"Probably," Ross laughed. "Adam's showing up tonight and we all know how she feels about him."
"Ross, we all feel like that. Adam's hot," Lo informed him.
"Hadn't noticed," Ross joked. "So, hey, you're Josh, right?"
"Yeah, you're friends with my brother, hey?" Josh replied, beaming slightly.
"Yeah, he should be coming, should be around, probably chatting up a girl," Ross grinned. "Anyway, I'm going to go pick up more kero and stuff, so I'll catch you guys later."
"Thanks," Avery called at him as he left.
Dan sauntered in, not too long after Ross left and made his way over to his group of friends. "Howdy do, strangers. Any of y'all miss me?"
"I can't believe you just used the expression 'y'all'," Trent teased.
"Hey, it's coming back," Dan defended jokingly. He high fived and hand shook the other boys.
"Come on," Lo said, taking Avery's hand. "We better check on Hemmy."
"Yeah," Avery agreed. "Catch you guys later."
The two girls walked over to Jacob to go talk to him for awhile.
"Man, Lo is hot," Dan commented, letting out a whistle. "And Avery, she's gotten to that status as well. So much happens when I go away."
"That's not all," Matt informed him. "Josh has a crush on Avie."
Libby
"Yeah," Libby grinned.
She decided to emphasise the point by bringing back her heart-shaped bubbles again.
"That's getting old, Libby," Josh said, giving her a look.
"You're just sore because I always do it to you."
"Lo is very hot," Trent agreed.
Avery and Lo
Avery clapped happily when Jacob finally got the music working. She pulled Lo by the arm out into the middle of the room, where they started dancing together.
Josh watched the pair, trying not to look too obviously put out when Jacob danced over and lifted Avery up in the air, spinning her around while she laughed and playfully batted him.
"It's ok, man," Matt said, patting his shoulder. "She said they weren't doing anything."
"What? Who?" Dan looked confused.
"I don't know what you mean, I was looking at the disco ball," Josh said, shrugging. "Oh Avie? I couldn't care less, I don't like her that way."
Trent snorted.
Libby
"Yeah, right, Josh," said Libby. "Who are you trying to kid?"
"Still confused here," Dan said.
"Oh, Josh has a crush on Avie. Avie hanging out with new crowd. Matt gets the psycho idea that Avie hangs out with Jacob and that because she's having sex with him. Avie correct's Matt's misconception. Trent, Matt and I suspect that Josh isn't convinced, because we know she did with her ex, JD, and is insanely jealous because she did have sex with him first," Libby explained.
Avery and Lo
"I'm not insanely jealous!" Josh protested. "I don't even think of Avie that way."
"Sure man," Matt said, nodding. "Of course you don't."
Avery and Lo were posing for more photos again.
Dan snickered. "Well, you can double with me and Lo, Joshie."
Libby
"And won't you make such a cute couple," Libby said.
She looked over at Avery and Lo, and the feeling of being left out seemed to stab at her. She shook her head a little, telling herself she was being silly.
"Hmph," said Matt. "What about me? Oooh, we can have Libby, eh, Trent?"
"I thought I told you already," Libby frowned. "I'm not going to be your ho. Seriously. Get off it already."
"I think you should take out your threat to pulverise him," Trent advised.
Lo and Avery
Lo wandered back over to the group, as Dave took Avery off to meet some of his friends from his music class.
Dan smiled charmingly at her. "Welcome back, Lo."
"Why thank you, Dan-boy." Lo fluttered her eyelashes at him ever so slightly.
"Where's Avery?" Josh asked, acting nonchalant.
"Oh, Dave's showing her off to his musician friends," Lo said, waving her hand dismissively. "He's quite proud of her."
"What do you mean? Are they dating or something?" Josh's expression was perfectly blank.
"Oh no, just coz she's got the famous musician brothers and stuff, and knows a lot about record companies and independent labels and such," Lo explained. "But I scared you for a moment, didn't I?"
"What? No. Why would I be scared?" Josh questioned.
"Because you want her," Lo grinned. She turned back to Dan. "So, Ave tells me that you're quite the dancer."
"I am? Oh yes, I am," Dan replied. "I should show you. But I do work better with a partner."
He took her hand.
"Oh, well I'm always happy to oblige," Lo flirted, letting him lead her out to the dancefloor.
Josh's older brother, Chris, wandered into the party, two of his friends on either side of him. He spotted his brother and cousin, and came over to greet them.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Chris asked.
Josh indicated Avery. "She invited us."
"Oh that's right, she's only 14. I forget sometimes," Chris said. "Hey Libby, Matt, Trent-os."
"Cuz bro," Trent laughed, giving him a handshake. "No girls tonight?"
"Meeting up with Sam later, she's just come back from the surface, so she's gotta unpack and stuff. She'll probably head here, it's where all the cool kids are."
Libby
"Ahh," Libby nodded. "That explains why Ivan and Hunter aren't here. Because, as is clearly obviously to everyone, they aren't cool."
"You were looking out for them?" Trent asked.
"Well, they're the right age."
"Hey, Trent," Matt said slyly. "I think Libby's got a thing for Hunter."
"Umm no."
"Yeah!" Trent agreed.
"Does the word 'eww' come to mind?"
"Hey, Avie's after the older men, why not you too?"
"Because I'm not."
Avery and Lo
"Avery's not after older men!" Josh protested.
"She kinda hinted that she was," Matt pointed out.
"Yeah but like, I think that was coz we were ganging up on her," Josh said.
"Oh Josh, just get the balls to ask her out already," Trent told him, rolling his eyes slightly. "It's so obvious and to be completely honest, we're all sick of you mooning about over her."
"I'll do it when you admit you are gay," Josh retorted.
Avery and Dave had joined Lo and Dan on the dancefloor.
Libby
"I'm not gay, therefore saying I am would be a flithy rotten lie, and thus not a true admission," Trent replied.
"I'll do it for you if you want," Libby said to Josh. "Except she might think I'm not being serious. Besides, you should be a man and ask her for yourself."
"Yeah, Sposhie," Matt said. "Be a man."
Avery and Lo
"Just step up to the plate," Trent said, trying to be helpful. "You never know."
"I don't care about her that way," Josh protested weakly.
Just then, Dan and Lo sauntered up.
"We're trying to get Josh to get the balls to ask Avie out," Matt explained.
Lo giggled. "Cool, cool."
Avery walked over to the group and put her arm around Josh casually. "What's up, bitches?"
"Not much," Matt waved, nudging Trent.
"Aves and I are heading down to the surface in a few days. Going to Laguna, so she can meet my epic friends from back home," Lo announced.
"And hook up with Talan," Avery joked.
"Oh yeah, coz you have to. He's made out with every cute girl in Laguna!" Lo grinned.
"It'll be so good, just you and me, staying with LC," Avery told her. "We're gonna come back to tanned."
Libby
Libby froze slightly for a moment, then told herself she was being silly again: she didn't know Lo, so why would Lo invite her over when she invited Avery?
"Cool," she said. "Sounds like fun."
She gave Josh a grin.
"So, Joshy-Sposhie," she said. "I believe you have something to ask Aves."
"Yeah!" Matt agreed, nodding energetically.
Avery and Lo
"No, I don't," Josh said, shooting them both dirty looks.
"Really? Ok." Avery shrugged slightly, then removed her arm from his shoulders. "I'm gonna..."
"AVERY!" Emma made her prescence known from across the room. "LO- LO!"
"EMOO!" Avery and Lo exclaimed, leaving the group to go say hi to Emma. They met in the middle of the dance floor, chatting and giggling, before Emma was grabbed by Adam for a dance.
Avery sauntered up to Dave and he put an arm around her waist, still talking to his friends from music class.
Lo followed her over, leaning on Jacob's shoulder as they listened intently.
Dan gave the girls a glance. "You missed your chance, dude."
"I don't want a chance," Josh protested. "We're just friends."
Libby
"Yeah, right," Libby said, holding the bridge of her nose between her finger and thumb. "Joshy, Joshy, Sposhie."
"I think he's in denial. And I'm not talking about a river in Egypt," Trent nodded.
"Yep," Matt nodded in agreement. "Okay I can see we're going to have to be sneaky and underhanded. We need a shapeshifter."
"What for?" Libby asked.
"Well, first the shapeshifter can pretend to be Josh, and ask Avie out, and then he can pretend to be Avie and ask Josh out."
"Except now you've announced this plan in front of Josh, so it won't work."
"... Curses! Foiled again!"
Lo, Avery and JD
Josh made a face. "Look, I'll ask Avery out the day Trent gets the balls to ask Libby out for real."
Trent made a "pfft" noise.
"Dude, just take the plunge, I'm gonna," Dan said, nodding at Lo. "When I know her for longer than an hour, I think."
Matt grinned. "Nah, you don't even need her name. Just be like 'hey wanna go someplace?'. Like that. Girls are so shady these days, plus she's from California."
"And that makes them different?" Dan asked.
"Well... yeah."
Lo had moved on, yet again, talking to a new bunch of people happily, when she noticed Avery appeared to have frozen in spot, staring at the doorway.
"Aves?" she called.
Avery didn't answer, just continued to stare at the new arrival.
JD walked slowly inside, heading straight for Avery, eyes determined.
Avery turned on her heel and started to walk away, only to find she wasn't going anywhere by her own will, rather JD was using his power to bring her to him.
"What do you want?" Avery asked, struggling to keep her voice even.
"To talk," JD replied. "And this time, I'm not leaving until we do it properly."
"Fine whatever. Talk."
"Let's go somewhere quiet."
JD took Avery's hand and she recoiled, pushing him away from her as they left the room.
Josh, who had been watching the whole exchange, made a face. "Who do you think that was?"
"My guess? The ex boyfriend," Matt put in. "Just from the way she froze him off."
"You better work fast, Josh," Dan advised.
Libby
"Think we need to rescue her?" Libby asked.
"Nah," Matt replied. "Aves can take care of herself."
"Hmm..."
"How about, if she doesn't come back in after... say, I dunno, twenty minutes, we go after them?" Trent suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. Say... has it occured to you that we don't know a thing about this guy?" Josh said.
Lo
Lo came wandering back over to the group and threw her arm around Dan carelessly.
"So, that was Avie's ex. Kinda cute, in a dorky way. Wonder if they're heading back for a reunion."
"Do you honestly think she'd take him back? She froze him off pretty badly," Dan said.
"Sex is sex, Danboy," Lo replied, shrugging her head. "And angry break up sex is just what that girl needs for closure."
Libby
"Angry break up sex?" Libby replied, blinking. "Closure? Does that seem like an oxy-moron to anyone else? I mean, if you're broken up, why would you have sex with them?"
"This is an interesting point," Trent said. "I think we should ask an expert on morons. Matt? What do you think?"
"What makes you think I know anything about oxy-morons?" Matt asked.
"Well, you are a moron for starters. Takes one to know one, and all that."
"So sad. He's such a moron, he doesn't even realise he is one," Josh grinned.
Lo
Lo shrugged. "It's just sex. It's not a big deal. Sometimes you need to go one last round to get all those feelings out of the way."
"But won't that create more feelings?" Josh questioned.
"You don't have to love someone to have sex with them, Sposhie. My guess is Avery and him won't do it again, just because... ha, just because," Lo stopped and smiled winningly, then danced over to Ross.
"Do you get the feeling she knows more about Avery than we do?" Trent asked.
Libby
"I think she knows more about sex than we do," Libby muttered.
"First hand experience?" Matt suggested.
"Probably," Libby said. "She seems to know all about break up sex."
Avery and Lo
Avery walked back into the hall a few moments later, eyes determined and a little bit more of a strut in her walk. She headed for Lo and whispered something in her ear and they hugged briefly, before Avery headed over to Libby and co.
"Hey," Josh greeted warily.
"Yo," she responded.
"What was the deal with..." Trent trailed off.
"Oh nothing, I don't want to talk about it, coz it's just lame and boring. And I want to have fun, not be boring, you know?" Avery waved her hand dismissively. "So, you guys having a good time?"
"Yeah, it's cool," Matt said, giving her a thumbs up. "There are heaps of people we don't know here though."
Libby
"That's because they're all older and cooler than us," Dan joked.
"Don't laugh. Someone might agree with you," Libby advised.
Avery and Lo
"That's because Jake organi - " Avery was cut off by Lo, who had come running over.
"Hey, you should see who Adam brought! Remember his really cute friend? The twin? Well..." Lo squealed slightly and pulled on Avery's arm. "And they're single. Avie, come on."
Avery grinned and let Lo lead her over to the boys.
"Something tells me that Lo may not be a good influence on young Avery," Dan said, laughing. "At least not when it comes to boys."
"I think AVERY isn't a good influence on Avery lately," Trent responded. "I think she lost the voice in her head that said 'wait, bad idea'."
"Her older brothers?" Matt grinned. "Hey, if I were here away from my family, I might go slightly rebellious as well."
Libby
"It might be genetics, or their bad influence," Libby suggested. "I mean her brother Zac, is it? He has like, a million kids. To different women. Which is why the Adige find him so attactive. Weirdos."
"Does he? I didn't know that," Matt said.
"Well, I only know because Yvette and Ivan and Oliver are friends with them."
Avery and Lo
Josh looked over at Avery and Lo and made a face. "I remember when Avery was content to just hang and watch tv and eat."
"Dude, you didn't start liking her until she came back looking like this," Matt pointed out.
"That's not the point," Josh said, brushing over the subject. "And besides, I liked her before, she just came back looking better, is all."
"Nice," Dan laughed. "I wouldn't say that to her, unless you want to drive her to an eating disorder or something."
Avery and one of the twins were sneaking looks as they disappeared from the room.
Lo giggled and walked back over to the group. "So, how's everyone going?"
"Good," Dan said, sidling up to her.
Libby
"Good," Libby echoed.
"Standing around chatting mostly," Trent added.
"Mostly about Avie..." Matt said, grinning at Josh.
Lo
"Well, sorry to break it to you, Sposhie, but, Avery and one of the twins, I can't remember which, have disappeared to make out. And or have sex," Lo shrugged.
Josh looked slightly crestfallen for a second, then shrugged. "Why would I care?"
Matt snorted loudly.
Libby
Libby frowned. Twice in one night with two different guys? Surely Avie wasn't turning into some kind of slut... was she? She wouldn't have thought that she was like that, but... but maybe she was just like her brother after all?
"Because you loooooove her," Trent replied, grinning at his cousin.
Lo
"I do not!" Josh snapped. "Maybe I'm just a good friend and am worried about her, unlike you guys."
And with that, Josh stormed off.
Lo whistled slightly. "Well, that was awkward."
Libby
"Nah," Matt said, waving it off. "He's just annoyed because this time we're teasing him about something he really does care about."
"I might go after him," Libby said.
"I'll join you - " began Trent.
"No, don't," Libby replied. "If more than one of us go - he'll just get more upset. Especially if it's you, yon cousin."
And on that, Libby hurried after Josh. Matt grinned at Trent.
"Lover boy," he said.
Trent just rolled his eyes.
Lo and Avery
Lo grinned as Avery re-entered the room, still looking presentable, but the boy nowhere in sight.
"Hey Aves!" she called.
Avery wandered over and grinned, high fiving Lo.
"So how was it?" Lo asked.
"We relived his youth and played 7 minutes of heaven," Avery laughed. "Just kissing, nothing major."
"That's my girl." Lo threw her arm around Avery.
"Where's Josh and Libby?" Avery asked, noticing the absentees.
"Josh had a bit of a spaz out and Libby's gone to look after him," Trent said, as tactfully as he could.
Libby
Libby finally caught up to Josh.
"Hey," she said.
At Josh's refusal to even acknowledge her, Libby put her hand on his shoulder.
"Hey," she said again. "I'm worried about her too."
**********
"Yes 'look after him'," Matt said maliciously.
"Matt?"
"Yes Trent?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a deviant?"
Matt grinned.
Avery and Lo
"Ok, well awesome," Avery said, not really paying attention. "Hey, Jacob's brought tequila and Jas is bringing the lemons and salt from work, you up for it?"
"Oh totally!" Lo told her. "I'm crashing at yours, right? I don't think my parents should see me come home trashed as."
Avery giggled. "Crash at mine."
~*~*~*~
"Whatever," Josh said. "Sometimes it seems like I'm the only one that gives a crap that she's killing herself."
Libby
Matt, Trent and Dan looked at each other.
**********
"Hey, I care," Libby said. "I know I tease you about you liking her and all, but y'know... I... I'm just as concerned as you are about what's happening to her. I... I still like her, but I don't know if I really like this Avery better than the old one. I know people change and all but..."
Libby trailed off and shrugged, not really sure how to express what she meant to say.
Lo and Avery
"Come on, let's go dance, bitch," Lo said, tugging Avery's arm.
"Kk. Catch you guys later," Avery told the boys, waving one hand as she and Lo left.
"Do you get the feeling we're not really included in Avie's new life?" Matt asked.
~*~*~*~
Josh nodded.
"She's changed so much in such a short period of time. And it's gotten worse since Lo showed up on the scene. I mean, Avery was started to hang out with Jacob and stuff, but... partying like she is tonight? Hooking up with random boys, and drinking? This isn't her, and I don't think she's happy. She's doing it because she's not happy."
Libby
"Umm, yes," Dan said. "The thought had crossed my mind."
"Maybe we should back off," Trent said tentatively. "I mean... none of us really belong here."
He gestured around the hall to all the older 'cooler' people at the party.
**********
"Yeah," Libby agreed. "And I... what do we do about it? Like, can we, y'know, sit down with her and talk to her? Or would that just be futile and drive her further away? Or maybe we could... I don't know. I have no ideas. All I can see is that something is wrong, and I want to help, but I have no idea how. We don't even know what exactly the problem is. Something to do with JD I suppose..."
Avery and Lo
Avery and Lo were dancing their way over to the alcohol.
"Yeah... we should go," Matt said, making the decision. "I doubt Avie would notice if we left anyway. She doesn't seem at all concerned that Josh got upset about something."
~*~*~*~
"We could contact JD... but we don't know how. Avery doesn't exactly need to keep phone numbers and stuff, what with her telepathy," Josh pointed out. "Maybe it's just a phase."
He hoped it was just a phase. And he hoped she'd work herself out before she was found dead in a toilet somewhere from overdosing on something.
Libby
"Yeah," Trent agreed. "But we should probably wait for Josh and Libby to get back though."
**********
"Even if we could figure out how to contact JD... do you reallyt hink he'd tell us anything?" Libby asked. "Say, do you suppose his details would be in the YIRAAS directory? Oh, except that we don't know his last name or what JD stands for... so maybe not."
Avery and Lo
"Tequila?" Jacob asked, holding out a shot glass.
"Yes please," Avery said, taking it off him.
"We're gonna try mixing kero with stuff later, not quite sure how it's going to taste," Ross informed the girls.
"Mix it with vodka," Lo told him. "It tastes alright, we did it in Laguna. Or mix it with coke or something."
~*~*~*~
"I wish she'd never had that stupid fight with Dan!" Josh exclaimed. "That's when it all started. That's when she ran off the first time, and she went to stupid England and met stupid JD and then turned into this Avery that doesn't seem to give a crap about anyone, not even about herself!"
Libby
"Yeah," Libby agreed, nodding furiously. "Man, I can't even remember what that stupid fight was even about. But next thing we know, Dan's crying from pain at... whatever it was she did and..."
She sighed.
Avery and Lo
Avery and Lo were helping the boys experiment with mixing alcohol and kero, with the end result being a lot of disgusted faces when the drinks didn't seem to mesh quite as they'd expected.
"A word of advice, Aves?" Ross said, shaking his head. "Do not ever work in a bar."
"I'll keep that in mind when selecting my future career," Avery teased.
~*~*~*~
Josh scuffed his toe lightly.
"I guess we just have to accept that this is the Avery we have now. Even though she's different, underneath it all, she's still the Avery we met."
Libby
Libby nodded.
"Yeah," she said. "Aves was the first friend I made on the station. She introduced me to you guys. Kinda. I mean, she wasn't really friends with you at the time either, but she did know who you were and everything."
Josh
"Yeah, we more or less knew her because of the first guy she dated here," Josh put in.
He walked along for a few more steps.
"I just... it's hard to see her like this."
Libby
"I know," Libby nodded.
She sighed.
"I suppose we should rejoin the others now."
Josh
"You go, I'm just gonna go home."
Josh saluted her as he turned at the hallway junction.
"See ya tomorrow, I guess."
Libby
"See ya!" Libby waved.
She returned to the party and made her way back to the boys.
"Where's Josh?" asked Matt.
"He went home," Libby replied.
"We were actually just talkng about leaving too," Dan admitted.
He waved his hand around the room. "Not really our crowd. We doubt we'll be missed."
Libby nodded.
"Probably," she agreed. "Say bye to Aves first?"
"She's a little busy experimenting with kero and alcoholic beverages with Lo," Trent said.
"Ahh."
And the group departed.