Thank you for reviewing. As always, it means a lot. Also sorry I didn't update yesterday; I was enjoying my day off and well…I was feeling lazy, hehe.

A/N: I'm not feeling well so please bear with me! I just really wanted to get something out to you all. :-)

Disclaimer: Same as always.

Keeping it Together, Ch. 25

Katie walked down the stairs and over to James, "It's um…hi." She blushed, not knowing what to say.

He nodded, "Yeah it is," he said, knowing what she wanted to say.

"So…" She stood there awkwardly, not knowing if she should shake his hand, hug him or what. She didn't know until…

"I've missed you," he said as he slowly put his arms around her and hugged her.

She had to contain her glee. "Me too…I mean I've missed you too," she said as she looked into his eyes.

Chad tapped Taylor on the shoulder, "Look," he said quietly.

She smiled when she saw her son and Katie. "They are so…well I don't want to say 'cute' because they're too old for that…but they're just so…"

"Cute together?" Chad finished for her.

She nodded, "Yeah."

Kellie walked back over to her mom, "Okay I feel fine now," she said with a small smile.

"That's good to hear," Taylor said as she picked her daughter up. "Can you say hi to Jason and Kelsi?"

She turned her head so she was facing them, "Hi," she said softly. Kellie had always been on the shy side, even when it came to seeing people who were practically family.

Jason guided everyone out to the backyard. "I figured I'd start grilling in about 30 minutes," he said as he looked at his watch. It was 4:30. "Does that sound good to everyone?"

"Sounds great," Chad said.

Katie and James found a place on the lawn to sit down and just talk about anything and everything.

"I'll get it," Kelsi said when she heard the doorbell. She had yet to walk into the yard. She walked over to the door and opened it, "Hi!" She said happily when she saw Ryan, Gabi, Theresa, Michael, Angie, and Liam on the other side of it.

"Hi to you too," Gabi said as she hugged her friend. "How have you been?"

She nodded, "Pretty good. How about you all? It's been so long for some reason."

Ryan smiled, "Yeah it has…we've been good thanks," he said as he hugged and kissed Kelsi on the cheek. (The kind of kiss you give a friend, sheesh! ;-))

"That's great." She smiled at Liam who was focusing on his sippy cup. She tried not to laugh when he frowned and shook the cup. "I'm guessing you need a refill," she said to him.

Liam looked up at his mom, "No mowe juice," he said still frowning.

"That would be a yes," Gabi said. She took another cup out of the bag, "Here you go honey."

"Thank you mommy." He took the cup and began to once again drink from it.

"Now that that crisis is averted, would you all like to come into the backyard? That's where everyone else is," Kelsi said.

"Who else is here," Theresa asked.

"Chad and Taylor," Kelsi answered for her as they walked through the kitchen and out to the patio, "Look who's here."

Taylor turned around, "Gabi!" She hurried over to her best friend and hugged her, "How have you been?"

"Pretty good," she said as she leaned into Ryan.

He nodded, "Yep, life is good."

Theresa, not wanting to be by the adults, but also not wanting to be by the little kids, walked over to Katie and James who looked as though they were just talking. "Hi," she said.

The two looked up, "Hi!" Katie said as she gestured for her to join them.

She sat down, "Hi James," she said as she smiled at Katie.

"Hi Theresa. It's good to see you again."

She nodded, "Yeah, same here." She smiled when she saw Katie and James take each other's hands.

Katie looked at her, "What are you smiling at?"

"Oh I'm just admiring my handy work. Had it not been for me, you two would have never gotten together."

Katie nodded, "It's true," she said to James. "Miss Matchmaker here put us together."

"And we thank you for that," he said still smiling.

Troy got out of the car and walked around to the other side to help Sharpay.

"Troy I'm fine," she said rather irritated.

"I'm just trying to help."

"Well if you're trying to help, the next time we go somewhere, please check to see just how much gas we have in the car before going straight to the destination," she said as she got out of the car.

He shrugged, "I thought we would be able to make it." They had made it about halfway to Jason and Kelsi's when he noticed the little fuel light go off. Even though Sharpay told him before they left to stop for gas, he said that they would be fine.

"Get me out of here," Ana said quietly.

"Are you sick," Larissa asked her.

She nodded, "Sick of them fighting about nothing."

Larissa covered her mouth as she laughed silently, "Yeah me too," she managed to get out.

The four kids decided to leave their still arguing parents behind and walk up to the house. "I want to do it," Kayleigh said as she reached for the doorbell.

Jason, who had just wandered back into the house walked to the door, "Well hello there."

"Hi Uncle Jason," Kayleigh said.

"Where are your parents," he asked.

Larissa pointed to the car, "Over there. They're having one of their stupid fights over nothing."

"I see," he said with a small smile. "Well would you guys like to come in? I'll wait for them out here."

Zach nodded, "Yes please."

Jason let them in and told them where everyone else was. He then decided to watch and see if Troy and Sharpay were going to notice their children…or lack thereof.

"And another thing…" Sharpay looked around, "Where are they," she asked as she looked in the car, the sidewalk, and the surrounding houses.

"Hey lovebirds," Jason called, getting their attention. "Looking for some missing children," he asked as he walked over to them.

"We knew where they were," he said as he shook Jason's hand.

"Of course you did," he said as he led them up to the door and inside. "How are you feeling Sharpay?"

"Other than feeling like killing Troy, I feel fine," she said with a grin.

"Why do you have to be like that," Troy asked as they walked through the house.

She looked at him, "Be like what?"

"So persnickety," he said as they walked into the yard. What Troy did not realize was that he said that loud enough for everyone to hear. He looked up and saw all eyes on him. "Um, hello," he said feeling quite awkward.

"Persnickety," Chad asked with a strange look on his face. "Since when do you use that word?"

Troy smiled, "Great to see you too," he said as he greeted his friend.

"Sharpay you look…"

"Don't start," she warned Chad.

He shrugged, "What, I was going to say great."

"Oh." She smiled, "Well in that case thank you; you look pretty good yourself," she said as she hugged him. She walked over to Taylor, Gabi, and Kelsi.

Larissa who had found Theresa, Katie, and James shook her head, "I cannot believe he just said that!"

The other three were too busy laughing to comment.

"Thanks for your support," she said sarcastically.

"So," Katie said as she regained composure, "How's David?"

James looked at the two, "Who's David?"

"Larissa's boyfriend," Theresa said in a sing-song like voice.

James looked at her, "Cool…but aren't you only…"

She nodded, "Yes I'm only 11," she muttered. "But we don't even really date so it's not that big a deal," she said, lying through her teeth.

"Sure it isn't," Theresa said in the same tone.

"Will you stop," Larissa said now blushing.

Kayleigh giggled as she walked over to Angie, Maddy, and Kellie. "She has a boyfriend."

"Ew," Angie said. "Boys are yucky. They have…boy germs," she said.

Maddy nodded, "Yeah…" She looked over at Katie, "Yuck," she said when she saw Katie and James holding hands.

"Boys are cute," Kellie said as she looked at Zach and Michael.

Zach looked over and saw that Kellie was looking at him, "Not again," he groaned.

"What," Michael asked. He looked over at the girls. "Oh them." He shrugged, "They're okay."

"Most are," he said. "But Kellie talks way too much," he said.

Kayleigh stopped Kellie from walking over to Zach, "He's probably talking about basketball."

She shuddered, "Yuck…I hate basketball." She stayed where she was.

"I like it," Ana said as she walked over to them.

"It's for boys," Kellie said.

"It's for girls too," she countered. "I play it."

Kellie made a face, "But you get all sweaty and you have to wear uniforms."

She shrugged, "So?" She walked away from them and over to her mom.

2 Days Later; 4th of July…

"Let's sit over here," Jennifer called to her family when she found a spot in the grass that wasn't too wet or cold.

"If we had to change her middle name it would definitely be 'picky,'" Taylor said to Gabi as they walked over to Jennifer. "This spot looks good."

Troy nodded, "Yeah I think this'll do just fine."

Larissa slowly walked over to them. She was looking for David and his family causing her to fall far behind the others.

"Larissa come on," Sharpay called.

She sighed and walked over to her parents. "He probably forgot," she said to herself as she sat down.

"Who probably forgot what," Sharpay asked.

"Nothing." She looked over at Katie and James who were sitting next to each other. "This isn't fair."

"What isn't fair," Theresa asked as she sat by her.

"David lives in Albuquerque and Katie's boyfriend lives in California. Look who got here first." She picked some grass and threw it.

She shrugged, "Maybe they got stuck in traffic. I mean look at this place; it's packed."

"Maybe."

She sighed and looked up, "Larissa."

"Not now," she said, still looking down.

"No really now would be a very good…"

"I said not…" She looked up and saw David walking over to her. "Hi," she said as she stood up. She was now smiling.

He smiled at her, "Sorry we couldn't find a parking spot," he said to her. He gestured to his parents, "This is my mom and dad by the way."

"Ahem," a girl who looked to be a little younger than Zach and Kayleigh said from behind David.

He rolled his eyes, "And my sister Rachel."

Larissa smiled, "Hi, nice to meet you."

Rachel frowned at Larissa, "You can't like my brother!"

"Rachel relax," David's mother said as she picked her up.

Sharpay saw David, "Hello," she said as she walked over to Larissa. "I'm Sharpay Bolton," she said as she extended her hand. She motioned for Troy to come over.

"Nice to meet you; I'm Leah and this is my husband Jacob."

"Wow you're lucky," Larissa said as she and David sat down while their parents talked.

"What do you mean," he asked.

"You only have one sister."

He shook his head, "No actually I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. My sister Jamie is 16 and my brother Derek is 18…Rachel's 5."

She nodded, "Well it is probably a lot quieter there."

He laughed, "Yeah right; my sister is always on the phone, my brother is always yelling at her to get off the phone and my parents are always yelling at my brother about his grades. And Jamie always rubs it in his face since she is a genius." He shook his head, "Trust me, it's not quiet."

She giggled, "Okay point taken. So where are they?"

"Who knows," he said. "Besides I don't really care about that," he said as he smiled at her.

An hour later the fireworks finally began and they were not only flying in the sky. Katie had set her head on James's shoulder, "They're so pretty," she said.

He nodded, "Yeah…but not as pretty as you."

She looked at him, "Thanks," she said blushing.

He slowly leaned towards her and kissed her gently.

Once they were over, Larissa and David stood up, "Well I had a lot of fun," David said.

She nodded, "Me too."

He leaned in and was about to kiss her cheek when she moved her head, causing him to kiss her on the lips.

Hmm, seems as though I haven't lost my evil side even though I don't feel well. ;-) Anyway I hope you liked the chapter. Please review! Thanks.