Freddy chomped down another lot of candy, looking about expectantly for more. He spied a bowl of corn candy and began to reach across the table to grab it when a sudden force from behind caused him to stumble forwards.
"Hey!" Freddy yelled, turning around to scowl at the culprit.
"OhPleaseDon'tHurtMeIDidn'tMeanToIDon'tWantToDiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!" Jamie wailed, hiding his head in his arms and giving a small squeak of fear.
"There he is!" a jock yelled, storming through the crowd to where Jamie sat, huddled on the floor. "You little freshman punk! I ought ta ring your neck. Try to pick up my girlfriend! I'm gonna hurt you so bad you won't even be able to think straight!"
At the sight of Freddy the jock slowed, obviously trying to figure out whether the little pip-squeak had friends in high places. Or large places. "You stay out of this Fred," the jock warned, trying to sound machoistic but ending his sentence with a small squeak , which he tried to cover with a rough clearing of his throat.
Freddy looked from the jock to the cowering Jamie and made his decision. "And what if I don't want to stay out of it?" Freddy folded his massive arms across his broad chest and gave the jock an evil glare.
"Ahhh," the jock's eyes darted nervously.
" 'Cos I might just have to," Freddy stepped forward, smacking a fist into the palm of his hand.
"Maybe I should just give him a warning and walk away?" the jock gulped, tugging at his shirt collar as he did so.
"That's right," Freddy grinned easily. "And give him a hug too. He looks like he could use one."
The jock gave Freddy a doubtful look. Freddy made a motion of smacking a crowbar into his hand.
"Okay!" the jock yelped. He put on his bravest face and then said in a high voice that trembled slightly, "you stay away from my girlfriend or I'll kick your ass. I mean, I won't kick your ass? I'll threaten to kick your ass? Oh god please don't hurt me Fred!!"
"Hug him," was all Freddy said.
The jock leapt forwards and gave Jamie a quick hug before leaping back and dashing away, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder as he did so.
"Yeah you better run!" Jamie yelled after his, rising to his feet unsteadily, "or I might come back there and kick your ass!" He turned to Freddy, "you know, when I was a junior scout we chased away much bigger beasts. Yep. Nooooooooooooooooooo squirrel could ever get the better of Jamie Madox." He spun on his heels and almost lost his balance. "Rrrrrrrrrun little squirrel rrrrrrrrun!" At that Jamie began to giggle.
Freddy frowned. "Aren't you a little young to be drunk?"
"Whatcha say?" Jamie turned back. "I ain't drrrrrrrrunk. I just drrrrrrank, drink?, sprite. Heh heh. The purrrrrrty blllllonde lady gave it to me. She had a scarf. Scarves are for ladies. That's why she had one..........what was I talking about?" He scratched his head confused. A girl in a school girl outfit blew past. "Heeeeeey baaaaaby!" Jamie crooned after, almost falling over as he tried to catch hold of her dress, "Who's yerrrrr daddy?"
"Maybe you should stay with me," Freddy said, watching the death glare given by the girl's boyfriend.
"Okay. We can be like Simon and Garfunkle. Sonny and Cher. John and Lennon." Jamie smiled then laughed. "Heeheehee.....John and Lennon were one person but I made them twooooooooo."
"Yeah............" Freddy said. "Let's get you a little less drunk huh? Have some bread. It'll soak up the alcohol."
- - -
Pietro grinned as he opened the bathroom door, falling against the frame as he put his glasses back on and wiped the lipstick off his neck and lips. From behind him came a pitiful, "Pietro you're not leaving are you? I thought we were gonna b - " before the door swung shut and the speedster was gone; stumbling over to a group of girls gathered by the couch.
"Pietro! Hi!" one of the girls simpered, waving a hand at the New Yorker.
Pietro snatched up her hand and kissed it, pressing the tip of his tongue to her skin as he looked up at her, watching her cheeks tinge and that coy giggle slip through her glossed lips.
"You..........taste lllllike sweetness," Pietro purred drunkenly, letting go of her hand and tilting his head to one side. His sapphire eyes were dreamy with alcohol.
"What about me?" A dark-haired Latin girl extended her hand. Obligingly Pietro took it.
"You taste like........." he paused and though. Tasted her hand again. "Strawberries and cream."
"Wanna taste me?" another girl asked.
"And me!" purred another.
Pietro's face split into a grin and he slurred out, "I............would lurrrrrrrve to taste you. Allllllllllll of you purrrrrrrty ladies."
- - -
Toby awoke quite slowly to the feel of someone running their fingers through his dark hair. He kept his eyes closed for a while, his misty mind trying to make sense of the situation. He was lying on something. Hard. Wooden. It came back to him then, the glasses, Pietro's drunken grin..........the gin. Gin? The sensation of fingers continued.
"Pietro?" He murmured, tilting his head to the side and opening his icy eyes to stare fuzzily at the person.
"No silly!" Mindy beamed down at him, her face swimming in and out of focus. "How're you feeling gorgeous?"
"Bad. Go. Hurt." Toby answered, waving a hand at her.
"Oh that's great!" Mindy chirruped. "I'm glad you're feeling so much better! Come drink with me!!!" She snuggled up against him, smiling sweetly. "It'll make you feel so much better. And maybe...later...we can," she toyed with a strand of his hair, "you know."
"Eh?" Toby said, rubbing at his eyes as he tried to get his brain back into gear.
"Oh you're so funny!" Mindy squealed, "have a beer Toby-kins." She shoved the beverage into his hand smiling.
Toby stared at the bottle as if it might change into something else if he watched it hard enough. "Wuzzah?" he managed, his mouth still not functioning properly.
"Drink."
"Oh." He tipped the beer back and things gained a little clarity, though his head gave an angry thud of protest as the dull forewarning of tomorrow's hangover loomed. "So," he slurred, trying to make conversation with the blonde, "you live around here often?"
- - -
Lila pushed her way through the crowds, glancing back and forth in search of Pietro or Toby. Instead she spotted Todd and Reggie, the two holding each other upright as they laughed about nothing in particular.
"Good enough," she murmured, squeezing between two dancers and coming to a staggering halt in front of the two teens.
"Heeeey!" Todd waved a finger at her, "hell-oooooooooo Lila. Where's your shadow?"
"Huh?" Lila wrinkled her nose, "like, whatever. Have you seen Pietro?"
"Fock dat man!" Reggie exclaimed, "I'm telling yo' know gurl, there ain't nothin' bedda than me and mah boy." He gave a tactless grin.
"Except your 'muffins,' " Todd grinned, thumbing his nose at his friend.
"Yeah! Dat's right! Ain't nobody gon beat dat shit!" Reggie and Todd exchanged high fives.
"Oh you bake muffins?" Lila grinned, completely forgetting about Pietro for a second.
"Oh yeah. Like I said, best muffins yo' ever gon see gurl. Ain't dat right Todd ma man?"
"Oh yeah."
"So like, what makes them so great?" Lila asked, tilting her head to one side.
"Well, I ain't gon tell no one but you," Reggie edged closer and whispered into her ear, "this is jus' 'tween yo' and me aight? Special 'erbs is what makes it good aight? Wanna try one?" He gave a docile grin.
Lila gave a flustered blush and said, "oh like, I don't think I should. That would be like, so totally against what I believe in......"
"Come on Lila," Todd wheedled, "Pietro will think you're so cool."
"He will?" Lila asked.
"Damn gurl he'll think yo' a god damn goddess!" Reggie slapped Lila on the back.
"Well..............okay."
"Dat's mah gurl," Reggie beamed.
- - -
"Ninety-five bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-five bottles of beer! Take one down, drink it down...err fifty-three bottles of beer on the wall!" Jamie sang, waving his fingers in time with his tune.
"Hey I may not be that smart," Freddy interrupted, "but I think that it might be..." he paused and counted across his chubby fingers, "five, four....four! Ninety- four bottles of beer on the wall. Not fifty-three. At least that's what my fingers tell me............they've never lied before." At this he eyed them suspiciously.
"Hey hey!" Jamie tugged at his sleeve and leapt up and down on the spot, his brown eyes shining, "let's play a game!!!"
"Ahh, okay," Freddy nodded cautiously. "What kind of game?"
"Let's play, 'who can climb into the tree furthest!' " Jamie whooped, rushing forwards and leaping at the shrub that stood in the Brotherhood's backyard. Jamie bounced back and landed on his butt. Frowning the kid stood up, and leapt back at the tree yelling, "REVENGE!"
Freddy looked down at Jamie, crammed into the spidery branches of the tree and scratched his head.
"I fucking win!" Jamie whooped, punching the air and then giving a startled "woooah!" as the branches cracked and he came crashing to the ground. "Owwwee."
"Yeah.....I dunno about that game," Freddy answered.
Jamie ignored him and began to dance drunkenly about, an ironic Indian in his cowboy outfit, "Iiiiiii wiin, Iiiiiiii win!"
Freddy groaned. Why had he decided to do this?
- - -
Rogue scowled as yet another guy made his way towards her. At the sight of the sour face however he usually beat a hasty retreat. Not so this guy, who walked up to her as if he owned the place, hands deep in the pockets of his baggy jeans.
"Oh my god!" Evan squeaked, gripping Rogue's arm in a vice-like grip, "it's Tai!"
"Who?" Rogue asked, frowning at the look of awe that was plastered over Evan's face.
"Here! Hold my wig," Evan yelped, shoving the curled afro at Rogue.
"What? Wahy?" Rogue asked; but she never got an answer.
"Yo Tai," Evan jerked his chin up as the teen neared them, "s'up mah brotha."
"Whatchu talkin' bout bo-ay?" Tai frowned, "I ain't neva seen yo' in mah life."
Evan's face fell. "Ah sure you have!" he squeaked, "remember!? At your party, I served you drinks....." he paused and gulped as Tai raised an eyebrow. "I mean: Sho' yo' have dawg. I was there layin' it down for yo' boys and all."
Tai frowned, his brown eyes puzzling as he looked Evan over. "Oh! Nelly!" Tai grinned, pointing a finger at Evan and giving a brilliant grin, "yo' was a riot bo-ay!" He took in Evan's outfit. "An' whatchu spos'd ta be ta-night Nelly? Shaft?"
"Nah nah," Evan said, trying to cover his embarrassment at having been caught by Tai in a 70's outfit, "mah gurl here said I shou'd be wearin' des threads cos I be looking fine in dem. And yo' gotta please the ladies, know wha' I mean brotha?"
Rogue stared at Evan as if he'd just grown an extra head. "Ah so don't know yah," she snapped, her thick southern accent accentuating her scorn.
"Whatchu say?" Tai blinked, staring at Rogue in surprise.
"Oh ah sahpose ya'll want a recordang," she snapped, "well ah ain't gonna give yah nothang. Come fahnd mah when yah normal Evan."
"Damn!" Tai exclaimed, "that's sum freaky talk gurl! Like the black talk fo' the white gurl! Say somthang else!"
"Ah am not a parrot!" Rogue stamped her foot.
"That's tight!" Tai whooped, grabbing Rogue's arm and pulling her away, "bounce this way and say somthang else to mah brothers aight?"
"What?" Rogue blinked. "Yah crazy! Let go of mah!"
"Wait! Tai!" Evan yelped, scrambling after the teen as he lead an astonished Rogue through the crowds. "I thought I was gonna be posse again! Tai!?! TAI!!!"
- - -
Yup. That's all for now. This would've been up sooner but Fanfiction was down for a while......Ooh, what will happen to Lila and her experiment with the 'special' muffin? What about Toby trapped in Mindy's grasp? And Jamie? And Rogue? And Mel? And how are Kitty and Lance doing? All these will be answered next chapter!!! Laters, Becs.