Avery laughed as JD pulled her down onto his lap. He laced his fingers around her growing belly and kissed the back of her neck.
"Get a room," Lo grinned, sliding into the seat next to them.
"Not a bad idea," Avery joked. "Hey, so, what did you get me?"
JD smiled. "Nothing. Me being here is present enough."
"Ohoo, buddy, that better be a joke," Lo warned. "The blondes? Yeah, we like the presents. Oh, hey guys!"
The other blonde got up to greet the new arrivals.
"Stephen! Don't!" LC squealed, as she ran across the hall with a tall boy on her trail.
"Don't what?" he called back, still chasing her.
"I swear, those two..." Taylor sat down in the seat that Lo had just vacated. "Hey guys."
"Hey Tay-Tay," Avery replied. "No Tyler?"
Taylor shook her head. "Nah, he went to Mammoth this weekend with Cedric. Oh and J-Wahl. Have you met him yet?"
"I think he's been pointed out to me. Talan's best friend, hey?"
"Yeah. Those types always hang out together."
Libby
Libby, Trent and Matt arrived at the party, presents in hand. They stepped inside just as Stephen and LC ran past.
"I could handle this kind of party," Matt said.
"Dork," Libby said. "Oh, there's Aves!"
She bounded over with the boys not far behind.
"Happy Birthday, Avie. Present!"
Avery and Lo
"Thanks, Lib!" Avery stood and hugged Libby, then was swept up in a sea of arms as Jacob and the rest of his friends wandered in.
"You're getting old, kiddo!" Jake greeted.
"Pfft, you're one to talk," Avery shot back, grinning.
Lo walked over, arms linked with Trey. "Hey guys!"
Libby
Libby grinned as Avery was flooded with friends, then she stopped to look around.
"Josh and Dan here yet?" she asked.
"Doesn't look like it," Trent replied.
Lo and Avery
LC and Stephen joined the group and threw her arms around Lo's neck from behind.
"Hi baby," Lo greeted, leaning back against her best friend. "Oh, Talan's here."
"Hey man," Stephen high fived the new arrival.
"Hey guys," Talan said, waving. "Happy birthday blondies."
"Blondies?" Avery and Lo said in unison.
"It seemed appropriate," Talan shrugged.
"Get him!" LC cried, and the three girls pounced on him.
Libby
"That looks like fun," Matt said brightly.
Libby looked at Trent and thumbed at Matt.
"Did we really have to bring him along?"
"Avie was the one who invited him."
"Hmm."
Avery and Lo
Avery looked up. "No, I didn't!"
Lo giggled. "Never!"
Libby
"Wait... you didn't?" Libby asked. "So that means you just decided to tag along, Matt?"
Matt grinned broadly.
"You are so lame."
"You love me anyway."
"No, we tolerate you. Sometimes."
"Aww."
Avery and Lo
"Food!" Avery cried suddenly. "Food for the pregnant girl!"
And with that, she charged off to the other side of the room, JD, Taylor and Talan following behind.
"Crazy pregnant girl," Lo grinned. "Ok. We have food. We have music. We have streamers. So, it's officially a party."
LibbY
"Yay!" Libby cheered.
"Food is good," Matt agreed and followed Avery to the other side of the room.
"And guests," Trent added. "Can't have a party without guests."
Lo and Avery
"You can have one person parties," Lo told him.
Trey snorted. "You can?"
"Yes, if you try hard enough!"
Avery nodded at JD. "Crackles, Jay. Crackles."
"Food of the Gods?" he suggested.
Libby
"It might be a little lonely though," Trent mused.
"Not a problem tonight though," Libby said.
"True."
Matt picked up picking up pieces of finger food at random.
Avery and Lo
Avery sat down at another table with a plate of food, JD dutifully by her side.
Talan and Taylor followed along, chatting amicably.
Lo looked at Trey. "Trey-Trey, dance time."
Trey laughed. "You owe me, Lo."
Libby
Libby and Trent raided the food too, then sat down on nearby chairs. Libby tapped her fingers on the table in time with the music.
"Sherbies!" Matt cried. "I love sherbies! Whoever bought the sherbies rocks!"
Avery
"We are good food buyers," Taylor said, nodding at LC.
LC grinned. "We should have years of experience, what with the crazy amounts of parties we throw."
"Us?" Stephen asked, pretending to be shocked. "We're the most anti-social group in the world."
"Whatevs," Avery interrupted. "Specially you, Stevo. Your family is ALWAYS entertaining."
Libby
Libby giggled.
"Hey Libs," Matt said. "Wanna dance?"
Libby gave him a Look.
"I'll take that as a no."
"Eat your sherbies, Matt."
Avery and Lo
"Yeah, no talking, Matt," Avery said, nodding.
Lo wandered over, Trey in tow.
"So, we were thinking," Lo started.
"No, she was thinking," Trey interjected.
"Details! Anyway, we should totally play twister."
Libby
"Fun," Libby said.
"Twister?" Trent asked incredulously.
Lo and Avery
Lo giggled.
Avery grinned a little. "Trust me, you'll like how we play. Well, Matt will."
Libby
"I will?" Matt asked, his face brightening.
"All of a sudden I'm worried," Libby said.
Avery and Lo
"All depends how dirty we want to play it," Avery mused.
Taylor held her hand up. "Ok, the last time we played it dirty, J- Wahl ended up with his hand on my giney."
Talan burst out laughing. "Smooth moves."
"Hey!" Taylor protested. "Jess didn't talk to me for weeks for that little stunt."
"It was pretty funny," Lo said. "Sorry Tay. But... the look on your face. Priceless."
"Didn't think you'd complain about it being dirty, Lo Bo," Stephen said, grinning. "Especially because it got you quality grope time with yours truly."
"Oh dream on, Colletti!"
Libby
"Now I'm really worried," Libby said.
"I think it sounds like great fun!" Matt said.
"You would."
Avery and Lo
"Although," Stephen continued. "I have to admit, even though we got caught that one time - "
"So awkward!" Avery chimed in. "Man, I couldn't look at your Mom for weeks after."
"I could," Dieter joked. "Karen is hot."
"Dieter!" Stephen yelped.
Lo snorted.
Libby
Matt chuckled and Libby shuffled towards Trent, whom she considered the one safe person in the room. trent tried not to look to startled (or pleased).
"So how dirty are we going to be?" Matt asked gleefully.
Avery and Lo
"I think maybe later," Avery suggested. "When we all know each other better."
"Or when we're in someone's room," Lo put in. "Trust me, you don't want any random walking in on it. It doesn't look the greatest."
"Because it's such an innocent game," LC joked. "That's why we play."
Libby
"Aww," Matt pouted.
"You are so pathetic," Libby replied. "Why am I even friends with you?"
"Oh, well, you're not actually friends," Trent said solomnly. "See you know how he came to the party uninvited? Yeah well, he hangs out with us univted too."
"Ahh, it makes so much sense now."
Avery and Lo
"And here come Dan the man and Josh the... sposh," Avery said, looking towards the door.
"What is a sposh?" Talan asked.
Lo grinned. "Something sposhy?"
Libby
"Hey, and here we were starting to think you weren't coming tonight," Libby greeted them.
Dan shrugged.
"Karate."
"Ahh."
Avery and Lo
"Lo Bo," Avery said, signalling her friend. "With the thing."
"Toasted," Lo replied, nodding. "Did we get a cake?"
LC nodded. "Stephen and I picked it up."
"We are good friends," Stephen put in.
Libby
"Cake!" Matt exclaimed. "You're awesome friends!"
Trent leaned over to Libby.
"See? He's just going to start hanging out with them not, you watch."
Libby snickered.
Avery and Lo
"Um no," Taylor said, wrinkling her nose. "We already have Dieter."
"Hey!" Dieter protested, mock offended.
"It's kinda true, Diets," Avery offered.
Lo snickered. "Yeah, like when you said your V-Day was going to be strictly sexy."
Libby
"Hey, I like that idea," Matt joked.
"It'll never work," Libby shook her head. "No one will ever want to get that close to you."
"Aww."
Lo and Avery
"It'll never happen for Dieter either," Lo joked.
"Hey!" Dieter protested. "Remember Jessica?"
Taylor and Avery both snorted.
"I'm not going to say anything," LC put in.
"Yeah, sorry man," Stephen said, as his friend looked to him for solidarity. "But Jess was pretty lame."
Libby
"Y'know, I think I know a way we can solve both your problems," Libby nodded.
"Yeah?" asked Matt.
"You both can become gay lovers."
"I don't think so."
Avery and Lo
"I'm all about bro time, but no," Dieter said.
"Plus, he's still pining for Jess," Stephen added.
"Am not!" Dieter protested.
"You shouldn't," Avery told him. "You should think about Cami or something."
Lo giggled. "Nah. She's too young!"
Libby
"We could just get both of them blow up dolls," Libby went on cheerfully.
Trent snickered.
Lo and Avery
"Hey," Trey started. "Didn't we do that to Polster?"
Lo laughed. "Yeah, for his birthday last year."
"And inflatable sheep for Christmas," Avery added. "Who found those?"
Talan put his hand up.
"Typical."
Libby
Libby laughed.
"Inflatable sheep?" Trent repeated. "Hey, Matt..."
"Don't even think about it," Matt replied darkly.
Dan chortled.
Avery and Lo
Avery rubbed her stomach. "Ok, too much food."
"No such condition," Stephen told her.
"I have to agree with that," JD said.
Lo chuckled.
Josh and Dan
"Speaking of food," said Josh, and made his way over to the food table.
Dan followed suit.
Lo and Avery
Lo pointed at Trey. "Trey, we have Guitar Hero, and this time, you are so not going to win."
"Um yes I am," Trey replied.
"Oh, it's on like Donkey Kong!" Lo grinned, and the pair of them went to where the PS2 had been set up.
Avery rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Nerds!"
Libby
"Guitar Hero?" Libby repeated.
"Just remember," Matt said before Libby could say another word, "You play sims."
"I don't need to remember that."
"Before you pass judgement on other games you need to."
"Uh huh. So, you bought Guitar Hero didn't you?"
Matt opened his mouth to object, then look at Avery and sighed.
"Yes, yes I did."
JD and Avery
"Hey," JD said. "Avery plays quite a bit of it herself."
Avery grinned. "Um, guilty?"
Libby
"Yay!" Matt cheered. "See? I'm not the only one!"
"Obviously," Libby said, thumbing at Lo and Trey. "I thought this had already been established."
"Silence, ye who knows not of the wonders of Guitar Hero!"
"You're not in one of those moods again, are you?"
Avery
"It's kinda addictive," Avery admitted.
Taylor nodded. "Tell me about it. Alex has just gotten into it."
Libby
"I think we should have a Guitar Hero tournament or something," Matt nodded.
"Guitar Hero?" Josh repeated as he and Dan returned with laden plates of food. "I love that game!"
"You too?" Libby asked.
Avery and JD
Avery laughed. "You'd be surprised at how fun it is."
"I think you only like it because you'd had previous experience at playing a guitar," JD told her.
"Yeah, but I didn't play an actual guitar very well. There is a reason why my brothers didn't invite me into the band," she joked.
Libby
Libby giggled.
"Wanna go watch?" Trent asked Libby. "Maybe we figure out what the attraction is?"
"You don't play already? Oh good," Libby replied. "I was beginning to think I was the only one."
"Nah, Trent's been busy trying out the Sims," Matt replied, trying to hide a smirk with no success.
Trent raised his eyebrows, giving Matt a disgusted look.
Avery
As soon as Trent and Libby had moved away, Avery high fived Matt.
"First and last time I'll ever do this."
Libby
"Aww," Matt said. "She touched me! She touched me! I feel so loved!"
"I think Libby's right. You are a dork," Dan said.
Libby and Trent settled themselves on nearby chairs to watch Lo and Trey at play.
Lo, Avery and JD
"Hit me with your best shot," Avery sang, tapping her foot to keep the beat as they played.
"Is our young Lo a Pat Benatar fan?" Trey teased, eyes focused and fingers moving rapidly.
"Hey, she rocks," Avery put in, wandering over with JD. "You guys are only playing medium?"
Lo nodded, eyes never leaving the screen. "Trey's not up to expert yet."
"Some of us actually do school work," Trey protested.
"Weak!" Stephen called.
Libby
Libby smiled.
"Yeah," she said. "I mean, getting an education? Why would you want a thing like that?"
Avery and Lo
Avery cheered when Lo beat Trey, who stepped back in disbelief.
"Oh, Trey-Trey," Avery said, patting his shoulder, then taking the guitar from him. "Watch the masters."
Lo laughed, flicking it over to expert setting. "Watch it and weep, Trey."
Trey made a face. "So not fair."
Libby
"Hey you can do better than me," Libby said cheerfully.
"I'm sure that's a huge consolation," Trent said solomnly.
Avery and Lo
"There you go, Trey, you can do better than someone who's never played," Avery said, laughing.
Both Lo and Avery were concentrating intently, fingers flying over the keys at a rapid speed.
"Nerds," Stephen joked.
"Hey, you play too," LC laughed.
Libby
Libby grinned.
"What?" she joked. "No time to throw and smash the guitar? Play it while on fire maybe?"
"They're play on the expert setting Libby," Trent said. "Not the 'I'm a rock star who has way too much money' setting."
"Ahh."
Avery
"Also," Avery said a little scornfully. "A real guitar player has trouble smashing a guitar."
She paused to finish the song.
"Ike could never do it intentionally."
Libby
"Oli plays guitar," Libby said. "He sometimes plays it on fire just to show off. But he does have pyrokinesis, so he doesn't actually destroy it."
"Convienient that," Trent considered.
Avery and Lo
The group played more games and threw more insults around for the rest of the night, only stopping to eat way too much cake.