Disclaimer: I don't own the Host.

A/N: This is the After Party where Jared is first introduced, and I'm skipping the Honeymoon for obvious reasons. After this chapter, it pretty much goes: months later... and plunges into the real storyline, the backstory left behind.

Okay, anyway, you may, or may have not noticed that today I updated all 13 of my stories. It is because today is a very special day, which is the 21st of July. This time last year I joined as Sheerio4ever. And here I am. So as a mini celebration of the last 12 months, I have decided to update all my stories, and maybe update my profile :) Enjoy.

Melanie's P.O.V:

The After Party:

"Well, how are you, Mrs. O' Shea?" Wanda said, nudging me with her elbow. Her sugar rush had mostly died down, and Jamie and Ian were in charge of keeping her away from anything sugary or with alcohol in. Unfortunately both men were a bit soft on her, so she was standing in front of me with a Wispa in one hand, and a glass of wine in the other.

"Wanda, we went through this like a million times before," I sighed. "I am going to keep my last name. I'm Melanie Stryder, nothing else."

"We did?" She looked at me confused. "Ahh... we did. How does Kyle feel about this?"

"He's okay with it," I answered. "As long as I agree to remember that I am still married." I grinned at her. "As if I could forget that I'm married with the ring."

Wanda rolled her eyes. "You can take the ring off Mel, you know."

"I know, but I don't want to," I sighed happily. "I'm married to the man of my dreams... Hey, who is that?"

"Where?" Wanda looked around, her blonde curls bouncing. "Who?"

"That guy talking to Jamie, I don't recognise him," I said, squinting. "Actually I do, but I can't put a name on his face."

"Talking to Jamie... talking to Jamie... Oh my God," Wanda's jaw dropped.

"What Wanda?" I snapped. "Who is it?"

"I don't know," Wanda answered. "He seems familiar but I can't seem to remember... go up to him if your that curious."

"Then why did you say 'oh my God'?" I asked, sighing.

"Ian didn't tell me that there was a chocolate fountain here!" Wanda squealed, beginning to skip away after handing me her wine glass.

"Wanda!" I cried. "Don't you dare ruin that dress!" I turned around and bumped into someone and ended up spilling the wine that Wanda had left all over their white shirt.

"Oh my God," I put the glass down on the nearest table. "I am so, so sorry."

"It's okay," a deep voice that I didn't recognise answered. "It was an accident - and at least it didn't ruin your dress, that would be a disaster."

I looked up at a tall man, about six foot, with tan skin, dark blonde hair, eyes even lighter than his hair and a big, beamy smile. It was the guy that Jamie had been talking to. I still couldn't remember who he was.

"Melanie Stryder," I said, holding out my hand. "But you probably already knew that." I looked at the big banner with my name under Kyle's. He looked at me strangely, but took my hand.

"Not Melanie O' Shea?" He asked.

"Do you know how awful that sounds?" I laugh. "I'm keeping my maiden name." He smiled wider.

"Jared Howe," he grinned. My eyes widened at the name.

"No way, not the Jared Howe," I smiled at him widely. "Where have you been all these years!"

Jared, Wanda and I used to be friends from kindergarten to eighth grade, but then Jared's family moved, and we lost contact.

"Oh you know, doing this and that. I came back here for a few weeks and I heard that you were getting married, and I decided to come along, to say hi." We smiled at each other for a few minutes.

"Hello wifey," Kyle bounded over. "My second favourite part of today is coming up. Cake time!" I rolled my eyes at him. "And what's the first part?"

"The honeymoon." I glared at him. "I mean... the uh, saying I do part." Jared laughed. "Hey, who's this? Are you going to introduced me?" Kyle tightly smiled. He didn't like being laughed at.

"Kyle, this is Jared Howe, an old school friend of mine. Jared, this is Kyle O' Shea, as you can see, my husband." They shook hands briskly.

"I don't remember you talking about inviting a Jared Howe," Kyle asked me confused.

"She didn't," Jared confessed. "I was visiting some relatives around here, and I heard about the wedding, so I decided I should say hello and congratulations before I leave New York."

"So you gate crashed?" Kyle asked. The atmosphere grew tense automatically.

"Hey come on," I hissed at Kyle. "Time to cut the cake!"

"It was nice meeting you," Kyle drawled.

"Yeah, you too," Jared answered carelessly.

And I dragged Kyle to the cake stand.

. . .

"What even is this song?" I asked Kyle, as we waltzed (or something that passed for waltzing) around the dance floor nervously. I didn't know how to dance, Kyle didn't know how to dance, and we were basically winging this... and we were both incredibly nervous.

"I don't know, mum picked it out." He whispered back, holding me.

"If you drop me..." I threatened.

"I won't drop you," he reassured me.

"You'd better not."

It was awkward for the both of us. Dancing on an empty dance floor when we didn't know how, with absolutely everyone watching...

Until finally, there came a miracle distraction in the form of Wanda.

"Come on Ian!" She cried. "Let's dance!" And the dance floor started to fill up.

"Thank God," I muttered. Kyle nodded.

"Remind me to tell her that I love her," he said, relieved.

"No," I teased. "You can only love me now."

"That's unfair," he mock pouted. "I let you love other people."

"Like...?"

"Like... that guy you are always listening to... umm... on the radio..." he stuttered.

"The Imagine Dragons?" I asked.

"Yes, them." Kyle answered as I rolled my eyes.

"They are musicians, I love their music, not them. Well... I love them too, but that isn't the point." I told him.

"Whatever wifey," he grinned. "Everyone knows that in this marriage, I'll be the nice one."

I slapped his arm.

A/N: So, as I said, next chapter isn't going to be the past. It is going to be plunging into the plot line.