10) Friday 6 Sept 2013 – The Aging Process

A resounding "Cheers! To Gilly!" could be heard all around the bar. A couple of minutes earlier the music had stopped and a bald and rather chubby man in his thirties, who John Paul had seen talking to Gilly and Darren earlier, had appeared on the stage. The moment he'd started speaking both Craig and John Paul had almost choked on their drinks. It was Rhys.

"Yeah, you didn't see that one coming!" Kris joked.

"Oy, it's not all of us who manage to stay thin as a rake as we get older!" Zac had snapped back at him.

It was true, John Paul thought. Zac had got quite a bit rounder in the time since he'd seen him, but that wasn't all that surprising considering the copious amounts of lager his Scouse friend could (and probably did) consume in a week. Still, he was nothing compared to Rhys who looked as if he'd eaten all the leftovers in the pub ever since he started working there for his dad. John Paul knew that neither him nor Craig should be the first to throw stones — it wasn't as if they hadn't gained a bit around the middle in the past year, with all the junk food their schedule had forced them to eat and the lack of exercise connected to said schedule. He'd heard his partner blame it on marital blizz when teased by his oldest friend in Dublin, his previous flatmate Adam. Whichever the reason was, their new life in Hollyoaks would soon put an end to this lifestyle, John Paul had decided as he'd watched (not listened to) the bride's eldest brother and the groom's best man give a drunken but thankfully short speech to commemorate his best mate's last night of freedom. Now, there would be healthy food on the table at dinnertime and they'd start the day by going to the gym together. And no booze on school nights!

"Thank God for that! I was scared he'd go on all night!" a relieved Elliot sang in his Welsh accent. "Do you remember his own twenty-fifth birthday?" he asked Kris and Zac, but didn't wait for their answers before explaining to Craig and John Paul, "I'm certain Rhys is the only person ever to give a speech to celebrate his own birthday! He went on for what felt like hours but was in fact 'only' twenty-three minutes!" Elliot emphasised the word with two fingers on each hand.

"Some things never change, balloon boy or not. Rhys will always be a prat!" Craig said. "I can't believe Steph actually shared a bed with him for six months!"

"Well, she soon found out that being alone was better than being with that!" John Paul and Craig turned to where the statement came from, realising Jake had just joined them. "She had a hard time for a long time, going from one guy to the next, trying to find what she had with Max!" He paused for a couple of seconds. "Actually he treated her rather well. In fact, I think he has helped her a great deal since they broke up, especially with Tom. He hasn't been all that easy since hitting puberty! Oh, come here, you!" He turned to his brother and hugged him. "John Paul, good to see you!"

John Paul took the extracted hand of his brother-in-law and shook it politely. The shock of Jake actually pulling him in for a hug made him stumble and almost fall into the arms of the man who'd once despised him.

"What is the world coming to?" Kris said to no one in particular as John Paul steadied himself and gave Jake a tentative hug.

"I won't bite you!" Jake said jokingly. "I'm well over it! Craig's gay, he's with you, and he's happy! End of!"

John Paul noticed his partner about to comment and quickly gave him a look which Craig clearly understood as 'Now's not the place! Let's just be happy that he's finally accepted it!' Craig couldn't help but smile at his partner's insight into his mind, and nodded as he put his right arm around him and pulled him to his side.

At the same time a loud siren went off in the bar and the music stopped. A spotlight appeared on the stage as a young woman dressed in police uniform stepped onto it.

"My timing's always perfect!" Jake grinned at his brother and their mates. "Stripper time!"