Chapter 6
"Well I got to thinking and... well maybe we ARE at the vacationing together stage so I booked a flight and here I am." Hailey sat on the couch while everyone but Kirsten stared at her open mouthed. Jimmy broke into a large grin, "I'm so happy you're here." He bent down and kissed Hailey on the cheek and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Later they were all in the middle of coffee and Jimmy turned to Hailey realising something, "Hey where are your suitcase? Did you book an apartment?"
"No. I'm staying with you. My cases are in the bedroom. Actually I think I might go now and get unpacked while you guys unwind."
"Hey you know we had actually all better get going." Jimmy said while collecting everyone's empty mugs. Sandy stood up and helped him, "Hey why don't we all have dinner tonight? I mean Kirsten and I and you an Hailey," Sandy turned to Seth, "You kids don't mind spending the night without us do you?" Seth shook his head vigorously and Summer's face broke into a smile. "Cohen we can have a romantic night out... in the Bahamas!"
Kirsten massaged her stomach and prayed for it to stop churning, "Sandy I think I might have food poisoning." Sandy looked over at his wife who was standing in front of the mirror in only a towel. He smiled, "You'd be in worse condition than that if you did," he paused for a moment and cleared his throat, "Uh honey? I don't wanna scare you or anything but do you think your uh... tummy ache could be something else?" Kirsten spun around and frowned, "No don't even think it. You might jinx us."
"I was just asking... could it possibly be..."
"I'm not pregnant Sandy but... if it'll make you feel better I have a test in my bag."
"What? Women carry those things around?"
"No. I thought that might be it as well so I went out and bought one today. I just haven't done it yet."
"Well what's stopping you?"
"I'm scared. But hey I don't think we really need to take it. I mean how can you hide being pregnant I mean I'm gonna get fat right?"
"Take the test honey."
"You take it!"
"Kirsten!"
"Okay! Okay I'll go now. God talk about pressure. I probably won't be able to go now."
Kirsten emerged from the bathroom with the white tube behind her back so as the boys wouldn't see. She entered the bedroom to find Sandy almost dressed for dinner. "So?"
"We have about another two minutes." Sandy breathed out heavily, "Well you know it's unlikely that's what it is. We always use protection... or at least you do."
"Right. You're right we cannot be pregnant. No way. Couldn't be."
Two minutes passed and Kirsten busied herself with her make up. "Time's up." Sandy said. They both stared at each other and Sandy flipped the tube onto its side so as they could see, "So... a pink strip is positive and a blue strip is negative?"
"Right," Kirsten said breathlessly, "It's..."
"It's..." Sandy interrupted.
"Blue." Kirsten finished.
"Yeah. That was...intense," Sandy breathed. He looked over at his wife who looked rather crestfallen, "Honey? Are you okay?" Kirsten smiled at her husband, "Yeah I'm just relieved and a little overwhelmed."
"Did you wanna be pregnant?"
"No... I just I mean I know I don't want more kids. But for a day I got to be... pregnant again. I thought about it all day and I just felt like I had this little life inside me."
"Oh honey... I'm sorry. Does this mean you want more kids?"
"No of course not we have two and I'm getting a little old now don't you think?"
After Kirsten and Sandy left the apartment Seth and Ryan waited for the girls to arrive. When they heard the knock at the door Seth answered to find Marissa and Summer looking less than dressed up. "We decided to stay in tonight." Summer said loudly before pushing passed Seth and dumping three plastic bags on the kitchen table. "We ordered in!" Marissa said excitedly as she kissed Ryan on the cheek. Seth walked into the living room and frowned at his girlfriend, "Why are we staying in?"
"We can have more fun inside." Summer said smiling over at Marissa. Ryan pulled open the bags and set a variety of containers on the table, "Indian food?"
"Yeah it was the closest take out place we could find. You like Indian right?" Marissa said while chomping on poppadoms.
"Yeah. Sure."
Marissa and Seth cleared away the empty containers as Summer and Ryan lay on the couches clutching their stomachs, "Ugh... I think I ate too much." Ryan said. "Me too!" Summer groaned. Marissa and Seth exchanged glances and Marissa said, "Well I guess you two aren't used to the spices or something but... I have something that'll make you feel better." Marissa made her way across the room and reached into her bag where she pulled out a bottle of tequila. "Where did you get that?"
"I bought it at the supermarket today. Come on it'll be fun."
Summer sat in Seth's lap giggling uncontrollably. Marissa had her head resting on Ryan's thigh. They all looked around the room looking for something to do. Summer's eyes scanned the kitchen table when they fell upon the pack of cards that Kirsten and Ryan had discarded the day before. "Strip poker anyone?"
Seth sat alone at the table and shuffled the cards. "Hey guys what are you doing? Hurry up, I'm about to deal."
"Just a minute!" Marissa called. When the three of them entered the kitchen Ryan, Summer and Marissa were kitted out in a number of different sweatshirts and a variety of pants and shorts, "Hey no fair!" Seth said outraged, "Cheating! Where's the fun?" Ryan laughed and tripped over summer's shoe, which was strewn on the floor. He landed with a thud and Marissa fell to her knees next to him. She started to pull off his layers, "Seth's right. I'd rather see you in your underwear than in three sweaters." Ryan started to do the same to Marissa, "Me too." He laughed. Summer was already seated at the table with all her own layers stripped off. She was back to her original outfit and she was searching through her cards, "These suck Cohen! You'd think you'd give me a good hand considering I give you a good h..."
"HEY WHAT'S THAT SUMMER? YOU'VE BEEN DITHERING WITH TH IDEA OF STARTING A BAND? That's fascinating but let's stick to poker for now okay?" Seth yelled at the top of his voice. Marissa and Ryan joined them at the table and fanned out their cards.
Half an hour later Seth was left with only his boxers. Both Summer and Marissa, who had both been surprisingly lucky, were left with their underwear and tops and Ryan had his beater and boxers on. The discarded clothes lay in a pile a few feet away. Seth drained his glass and slammed it hard on the table, "Okay the next loser gets to show some flesh!" Ryan and Marissa exchanged glances while Summer tried to hide her smirk with her hand. Seth placed his cards on the table and everyone else did the same. Seth stared down open mouthed in shock, "What?!? Are you kidding me? I don't have anything else to strip off!" Summer jumped up off her seat, "Oh I can think of a few things!" She yelled through giggles. She ran around the table only stopping to let Marissa out who pounced onto Seth's back. She wrapped her arms and legs around his waist and tried to wrestle him to the floor. Summer grabbed his leg and the all ended up lying on the ground with Summer tugging at Seth's boxers. Ryan was still at the table bent double with laughter. "Hey Summer that tickles!" Seth was giggling in a heap on the floor. Marissa was sitting on his chest so as he wouldn't get away but Seth had a firm grip on his boxers, "Hey Summer how about I show you later huh?" he pleaded.
"Well I can see you all had a good time."
Summer let go of Seth and Marissa turned her head toward the two figures standing behind them. "Hey Mr Cohen. Mrs Cohen." Summer said innocently. "Summer," Kirsten said sternly, her eyes travelling to the pile of clothes in the corner of the room. Marissa and Summer jumped to their feet and tried desperately to pull on their jeans. The alcohol had made them clumsy and Summer ended up with her jeans on backwards and Marissa had somehow managed to lodge her left foot in one of the pockets. When the girls were more or less dressed Seth was scrambling on the floor trying to tug his shirt over his head. When he pulled up his pants he saw that they were Marissa's. He looked over and saw that Marissa had put on his instead of her own but he kept his mouth shut. "Ready?" Sandy said not able to hide the grin that was forming in his face. Kirsten let out a burst of laughter which she tried to disguise with a cough and Seth's head jerked up, "It's not funny it's..."
"Irresponsible?" suggested Kirsten.
"Juvenile?" Sandy tried.
"How about embarrassing?" asked Marissa.
"How about grounded?" Kirsten said again.
"We're on vacation!" Seth exclaimed.
"Fine when you get home you wont see daylight for two weeks!" Sandy yelled.
Summer looked over at Ryan who had been silent throughout this entire thing. She saw that he had passed out and was about to fall off his seat. She jumped up and ran toward him in attempt to catch him. He landed heavily onto her and Sandy came to her rescue. He lay Ryan on the floor and helped Summer to her feet. "Lets get you girls home."
"Sandy why don't they stay here tonight? It's really late and I don't want you walking back on your own." Kirsten said concerned, "One can sleep on the couch and there's a pull out bed that the other can sleep on." Sandy turned to the girls, "Suit you two?" Both of the girls nodded and Kirsten flipped open her cell. "I'll call Jimmy," she said. Marissa jumped to her feet as if to protest but was quickly tugged back onto the couch by Summer.
When Kirsten got off the phone with Jimmy she turned to the girls, "Your dad says you can stay tonight and Marissa will be punished when she gets home. And Summer your Dad'll be informed about this... his words not mine," she said with her hands up.
Sandy lifted Ryan's shoulders and tried to get him to wake but his head flopped down. He heard Seth vomiting in the bathroom and Summer and Marissa were changing into pyjamas borrowed from Kirsten. There was only one person fit enough to help him, "Kirsten?" he yelled.
"Yeah?" she called from the bedroom.
"Little help!" Kirsten came into the living room in orange striped pyjamas and an orange vest top. "You're kidding me! You seriously think I can lift him?"
"Well it doesn't hurt to try does it?" Sandy lifted Ryan's shoulders again and instructed Kirsten to get his feet. "I feel a little uncomfortable manhandling a drunk teenager dressed in only his underwear," Kirsten said as she gripped his ankles. The both heaved Ryan off the floor and went as far as they could without dropping him. Kirsten let go off his ankles and burst into laughter, "I guess it makes a change for you not having to peel me off the kitchen floor!" she said between giggles. When they got to the bedroom they realised they would have to get him high enough to lift onto the bed. Just then Seth wandered through the door in a daze, "Did I drink tonight?" he asked stupidly. "Seth help us get Ryan on the bed!" Sandy yelled. Seth walked over and helped them get Ryan up onto his mattress. He turned around and flopped onto his own. "Night mom. Dad." Sandy and Kirsten went into the living room to check the girls were okay and settled. Kirsten went into her bedroom and Sandy went back in to see Seth, "You four are all on breakfast duty tomorrow. Seven AM sharp. And your mother likes her bacon crispy."
Did anyone notice that the title of this chapter fits into Kirsten and Sandy's situation as well as the gang's situation...? Nah? Oh well never mind.
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