Hi everyone!
Sorry for the wait! I've just been really busy between the Mid-Terms that are coming next week (so every teacher is busy shoving 20 paged review guides down our throats) and I've been suffering from a touch of writers block. I actually wasn't holding this chapter hostage. I just finished this...like thirty seconds ago.
So I hope you guys enjoy and thank you very much for all of the reviews that flooded my e-mail!
"Hey Ed!"
Ed turned to his left and saw, to his slight amusement, Jean hanging almost completely out of a slow-moving Jeep. The car was rolling along next to Ed; Ed leaned slightly to see who as driving: Roy.
"What's up?" Ed asked with a small smile on his face.
"How about you stop walking so I can quit using up gas!" Roy yelled from the driver's seat.
Ed stopped in his tracks and let Roy and Jean park against the curb. Jean opened up the side door and let his long legs hang out of the car.
"So what's up?" Ed asked.
"We were gonna go check out our booze options," Jean answered. "Wanna come along?"
"I don't know…" Ed muttered.
"What? You got a hot date or something?" Jean asked as he popped a new cigarette into his mouth and lit it.
"Speaking of date," Roy said while looking around the empty side walk, "Where's your little girlfriend?"
"She had a dentist appointment or something," Ed answered while ignoring the girlfriend comment. "She left during seventh period."
"Oh. Well come along for the ride!" Jean insisted.
"I don't know if I can…" Ed began. "My foster dad doesn't like it if I come home late…"
"Well we'll go to your place, you can drop off your shit, say whatever to him, and then we'll be on our way."
"Alright…" Ed sighed as he opened the back door of the Jeep and climbed inside.
Hell, it's Friday, Ed thought as Roy began speeding off to his house, maybe he already left to go drinking.
"You guys stay here." Ed said as Roy pulled into his driveway.
"Why is it that I've known you for years…and yet you still won't let me come inside your house?" Jean questioned as Ed slammed the car door shut.
"Why is it that you keep trying to get inside of my house even though I specifically ask you not to come in?" Ed asked as he sped off to the front door.
"Have you ever been inside of his house before?" Jean asked Roy.
"Yeah, loads of times."
"What the Hell! Why doesn't he want me in there then?"
"Well actually I haven't been inside of his house in a few years," Roy said as he thought about it. "Really I don't think anyone's been in his place for a few years…"
"Really?" Jean asked in a surprised but slightly relieved tone.
"Yeah."
"And here I thought he just didn't like me."
"Jeez, Jean," Roy sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"What?"
"Is that all you care about? Whether people like you or not?"
"Hmm….pretty much."
"Wow."
"I only care if people I want to be friends with likes me or not!"
"So that makes you slightly less shallow."
"I am not shallow!"
The two sat there for a few more minutes, during which Jean popped another cigarette into his mouth and Roy drummed his fingers on the dash board of the car.
"So do you know why people don't come over to Ed's or why Ed doesn't allow people to come over to his place?"
"Well…I do-or at least I think I do."
"Why is it then?"
Roy opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut his mouth with a snap when he saw Ed walking towards the car.
"I'll talk about it later," Roy quickly whispered before Ed was within earshot of them.
"So everything's okay?" Jean asked as Ed sat down in the back.
"Yeah…"
"So let's get going!" Jean cheered as Roy put the car into reverse and pulled out of the driveway.
"Roy! Mom said if you even look at her alcohol she would kick your ass!"
"I'm not here to try and get her liquor, Vanessa!" Roy insisted as he tried to make a move closer towards his mother's office/lounge.
"Well then why are you trying to get passed me?"
"I-I'm not!"
"Then what are you trying to do?"
Roy stared down at his tiny foster sister and sighed…there was no getting around that persistent little brat.
"Fine," Roy said as he turned around. "Come on guys, let's go."
Ed and Jean followed after him with slightly confused looks on their faces.
"Roy-"Jean began.
"Shh! Just get in the Jeep."
Ed and Jean gave each other a glance before getting in the car. Roy started up the car and backed out of the car.
"Can we talk now?" Ed asked in an annoyed voice.
"Yeah I guess you can."
"Well what the Hell was that about?"
"We're just changing our plans a little bit, that's all."
"Well what's the plan?"
"We'll drive around the block for a few minutes. And then we'll sneak through the lot next door and into the room through the window."
"Why do we have to wait a while?"
"Because my sisters are too damn smart and they expect this from me."
Ten minutes later, Ed and Jean were sitting in Roy's Jeep in the vacant lot near his house while Roy climbed over the tall wooden fence and into his back yard. After a few minutes of waiting, Ed and Jean were rejoined by their friend.
"So what'd you get?" Jean asked eagerly.
"30 bucks…should be enough…you guys are chipping in right?" Roy muttered as he shoved the bills into his wallet.
"Uh, won't your Mom realize that she's missing 30 dollars?" Ed asked.
"Maybe, maybe not. Anyways, I get paid tomorrow. So maybe she just won't notice."
"Yeah, just like maybe Jean here will become President of the U.S." Ed said as he sat back in his seat.
An hour later, after visiting a liquor store that had always been very lenient with ages, Roy pulled up in Maes' drive.
"So I have a question," Ed began as he helped carry bags filled with their illegal liquor.
"And I have an answer," Roy said. "What's up?"
"Did you tell Maes that there was a party going on at his house tonight or is this gonna be a repeat of Riza's 'Sweet Sixteen'?"
"Oh man, that was a good night," Roy sighed as he remembered the events of that wonderful Friday night from almost a year ago. "But, unfortunately, no. I told him this time. Besides, he should just expect a nice party when ever his parents are gone for the weekend."
The three teens walked up to the front door and repeatedly rammed the door with their knees, as their hands were already full, until the door opened.
"What the Hell was that for?" Maes asked as he let his friends' in. "Trying to wake up the dead?"
"We weren't that loud," Jean said as he jumped and landed gracefully onto one of Maes' plush couches before he motioned to the pile of occupied bags and said, "We brought you presents!"
"Hmm, thanks," Maes muttered before turning to Roy. "So did you call anyone yet or is it only the four of us?"
"No, they're coming. And you would've known that if you were at our table today!"
"Sorry! I can't help it! Gracia asked me to sit with her and come on, how can you say no to her? We really hit it off and she asked me out to a movie for tomorrow! I'm so excited I don't know if I can wait one more minute!"
"Yeah, yeah. We get it; you don't have to go all spazzy on us," Ed growled as he helped put the liquor into the fridge.
"So when is everyone coming over?" Maes asked once he had gotten rid of the dopey expression that graced his face moments ago.
"Uh…two…three-ish hours," Roy said as he consulted his wrist watch.
"Well that gives us some time to lock up all of my parents valuables."
"Don't be such a worry-wart, "Jean said as he stretched himself out on the couch. "We don't do that much damage to your place."
"Key words: That much," Maes said as he walked over to the kitchen to help Ed with the stocking of the liquor.
"Ahh! Bones said 'damn it'!" Sheska yelled while pointing at the television screen.
"Drink!" Jean shouted in case no one got the hint.
The seven teens, a few hours later, sat around Maes' living room while engaging in one of their favorite drinking games, the Star Trek addition. No one could ever really remember all of the rules for their game, so new rules were made up every time they played.
Ed turned his head and grinned at Winry. Roy had insisted that Ed and Winry to sit next to each other on the loveseat; something that everyone else seemed to encourage. Winry gave a big goofy smile back at him which caused his stomach to squirm slightly. Her cheeks were now bright pink and she giggled at almost everything. Ed wanted to tell her that he thought she looked unbearably cute, but, of course, he couldn't unless he wanted to be mocked for weeks on end by the other people in the room.
"He-he…this is so much fun Ed!" Winry giggled before she took another sip from her drink. "Are you havin' fun Ed?"
"Yeah." Ed said after he chugged the rest of his beer and tossed it in the growing trash pile.
"That's great!"
"Winry, quiet down! This is the best part!" Riza yelled from her spot on the floor.
"Sorry!"
"Uh…what do we do now?" Jean asked as he took the DVD out of the player and back into its case.
"Um…Ido know…" Roy muttered as he attempted to smash a beer can on the side of his head but resulted in him gaining a ring shaped red mark on the side of his face. "We could umm…"
"How about we just blast some music and see what happens," Riza suggested before she demonstrated to Roy how a person should smash a can with their head.
"M'kay," Jean said as he pried himself from the floor. "Yo Masey! Where'd you hide your stereo?"
"I didn't hide it. You're just too much of a dip-shit to find it," Maes said from his pot on coffee table.
"Well then help me find it!"
After a few moments of squabbling, loud music was bouncing off of every wall of the house. Ed was instantly pulled to his feet by Winry, who then grabbed his other arms and began spinning him around in circles, much to the amusement of their friends.
"Ahh! Winry! Stop!" Ed yelled as his friend continued to spin him faster and faster.
"Nooo!" Winry squealed just before she tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground, sending Ed with her.
"Oww…." Ed muttered as he rubbed his head.
"Ha…ha…sow-eee Eddie!" Winry giggled as she tried to roll onto her stomach.
"Geez Win, you look like a turtle stuck on its back," Riza commented as she watched the two.
"Well I definitely feel like a drunk turtle right now!"
After Ed had managed to untangle himself from Winry, he turned and tried to help her into a sitting position.
"Come on Win, I'm gonna need a little help here!"
"Ngmm…Ed…" Winry muttered as she attempt to sit up.
"What is it Winry?" He asked once he had finally managed to get Winry into a sitting position.
Ed stared at her face and instantly knew what her grey face meant.
"I'm gonna puke…"
"You better know?" Ed asked as he let go off her long blond locks.
"Uh-huh…" she whispered.
"Good."
Winry flushed the toilet before slowly crawling to a spot against the cool bathroom wall. Ed filled a cup of water for her to rinse her mouth with and joined her.
"Here." Ed said while handing her the paper Dixie cup.
"Thanks."
Once she had finished the water, Winry set the cup on the floor, leaned against Ed and placed her head on his shoulder. Ed felt his face heat up considerably as she moved closer to him.
"Ed…"Winry whispered, which caused Ed to jump slightly since he thought that she had fallen asleep.
"Y-Yeah?"
Ed looked down and saw Winry staring glassy eyed at him. She slowly sat up before moving her face closer to his.
"Uh…W-Winry?" Ed asked as she moved closer.
W-what's going on? This can't be happening!
All of Ed's thoughts were gone from his head the second he felt the soft lips press up against his own.
Winry broke the kiss after a moment or two when Ed didn't respond. Winry stared into her crush's shocked face for another moment before she spoke up.
"I really like you Ed…"
The loud music, the screams and shouts, all of the noise coming from downstairs…Ed heard none of it. Because Winry Rockbell, his crush for years, was kissing him…and he was kissing her back.
I do love me some Star Trek... :P (Fun-Sized Kirk...? Star Trek...? Hmm...?...)
So, tell me what you thought of this chapter cuz' I had some trouble with this one. Maybe cuz' it felt like a little bit of a filler to me...I don't know.
Whatever. I'll see you guys soon and make sure to review a lot!
-FSK
