Title: High School Years

Author: Mary Kate

Chapter 3: The After Party

Author's Note: This was a really weird chapter for me to write, and I don't like how I ended it but I couldn't come up with anything else. I'd also like to mention that there is underage drinking in this chapter, it's not that big of deal but I just wanted to warn you. Please read and review.

The crowd in the Lyman backyard was beginning to thin out once the food was gone, and soon there were only two groups left. One consisted of Sam, Charlie, Toby, CJ, Josh, Mallory, Zoey, Donna, and Will (the new kid that Sam met in his AP speech class.)

The other was the parents or at least the 21 and over group. They were in the kitchen sitting around the table sipping wine and talking about old times.

They younger crowd was outside on the deck that was off of Josh's parents room and had stairs that led down to the back door of the basement.

The first day of school barbeque was a tradition among the Lyman family, ever since Josh could remember. And ever since Freshman year the after party, party had become tradition as well.

Josh and Donna were sitting closely on the porch swing while the others were spread out sitting where ever they could. Zoey was sitting on Charlie's lap, while CJ and Toby were sitting comfortably on a 2 Adirondack chairs. Will, Sam, and Mallory were atop the railing. All had a beer in hand.

"So when's the first school dance, CJ?" Asked Sam, he didn't really care, he was just trying to make conversation.

"Now why would you automatically assume that I knew?"

"You're the President, isn't it your job to know that stuff?" questioned Charlie.

"Yeah, but you never know, I could be a really crappy President and not go to the meetings, and when I do just sit in the back and smoke."

"But you don't, so when is it?"

"When I become President I'm going to send Charlie to Iceland. I'm going to fabricate some evidence that you're Icelandic and here illegally, so you will get deported! And it's on September 16."

"Wow, CJ's a mean drunk." Will told Sam.

"She's pretty much mean to men all the time, drunks got nothing to do with it." Sam told him in a whisper so CJ wouldn't hear him and hit for his comment. However he forgot that Mallory was on her team and was smacked anyways.

"Damn it! I'm never prepared for that." Sam says once he's finished choking on his beer that he was swallowing mid-slap.

"That really kind of sad, but you should really be used to it by now, because it happens to you a lot." Donna commented as she and the rest of the group laughed at him.

"Can't you make her stop?" Sam said to Josh.

"I can't make her do anything, and you should probably stop talking before you get pushed of the railing."

"I'm starting to see why everyone thinks you're so smart." Said Zoey pointing her beer at Josh.

"Why thank you!"

"Everyone shut up! Someone's coming!" She said loud enough for everyone to hear her but not so loud that the person on the other side of the door would be able to hear her. "Hide the evidence."

The door opened and Joanie and Jake came out.

"False alarm." Toby said while everyone took there drinks out from under there chairs or behind plants.

"When did this start?" Joanie asked laughing at her students.

"You've been away for a long time 'sister dear.'" Josh said while holding his Coors up in a toast to her.

"Seeing as how half of you are my students, I don't think I should let you drink."

"How are you going to stop us?"

"By telling your parents."

"If you rat me out to Mom and Dad, I'll tell them why you really moved back here." Josh threatened.

"You don't know why we really moved." Joanie said, thinking she was calling his bluff.

Sam's eyebrows raised in curiosity, wondering how far Jake would let this go.

"Actually he probably does." Jake whispered in her ear, with a guilty smile.

"How would he know?"

"I told Sam, and by the look on his face, I'd say that he told Josh."

"Oh crap, fine. You guy just go on and pollute your livers." Joanie said as she tapped Toby on the shoulders silently telling him to get up so she could sit down. To CJ's surprise he actually got up, but to her dismay he told her to scoot over and sat next to her.

"You want one?" asked Zoey as she and Charlie were the ones sitting on top of the cooler, the unofficial bartenders of the bunch.

"Sure." They both said as Joanie adjusted herself so she was comfortable on Jake's lap.

"Is it weird that were getting drunk with our teacher?" Donna asked .

"It pretty much is." Will stated

"Just remember one thing tomorrow," said Toby " Since we have your class first period, were going to be pretty hung over, and if you be nice to us about it, we'll be nice to you about yours."

"Yeah, that works for me." Joanie said nearly finishing her bottle in one pull.

"Why weren't we out here from the beginning?" Jake asked his wife. "It's really boring being an adult and listening to Leo's Vietnam stories for the 50th time."

"If you think that's bad, try being his daughter. I could give a first hand account of what it was like to be in the Vietnam War." Said Mallory proving that they had nothing on her.

"Alright you win, that would suck."

"Yes, it does suck. And Samuel it's very important to remember that I always…" She was cut off because Sam started kissing her.

Jake nodded in approval of his younger brother's actions. "Nice. I'm not allowed to do that anymore."

"You're married you're pretty much not allowed to do anything any more." Josh said with a big old goofy grin on his face. That quickly disappeared when Joanie's sandal came flying at him.

"Alright now you had to know that was…" Donna was cut off in the same manner that Mal was only she broke it off. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I thought Sam had a good idea."

"Okay, I can get on board with that." Donna replied as she started kissing him again.

Five minutes later both couples were still making out and Charlie and Zoey had joined in. "Do you think Josh and Donna are breathing?" CJ asked moving closer to them to see if she could hear anything.

"Probably, I don't see how you couldn't." Joanie said as she too examined the two teens mauling each other.

"I think I found out how there relationship went public so fast." CJ commented once again. "They couldn't keep there lips off each other. This is getting really creepy, Toby, Will, are you ready to go?"

All three got up and headed towards the door. "CJ, are you okay to drive?" asked Joanie, slipping back into teacher mode.

"Yeah, I only had one. See you tomorrow."

"Bye CJ" Donna said parting with Josh for as short of time as possible.

"Bye"

Thirty minutes after their friends had left Noah and Leo came out to break up what had become a make out party.

"Well if we would have known that you guys were necking out here, we would have broken this up a lot earlier." Leo commented with a smile on his face, when he saw the red faces of the teens in front of them.

"Hi Mr. McGarry." Josh said, not making eye contact with his father's friend.

"Zoey!" Leo looked at her in surprise, he was sure Jed would've told him if his youngest daughter had a boyfriend.

"Yeah?" She questioned timidly.

"Does your father know you have a boyfriend?"

"Would I actually be able to come out of my room if he did know about Charlie?"

"No."

"Well then, lets assume that he doesn't." She said with a smile, as Charlie kissed her neck.

"Mal, your mom's getting tired, lets go."

"Alright, see you guys tomorrow." She said, then gave Sam a kiss and a hug.

"Bye."

"Everyone else, get out of here I want to go to bed." Said Noah, while motioning them all towards the door.

"Are my parents still here?" Asked Sam.

"Nope, they left awhile ago, they said you drove yourself and some friends here."

"Okey Dokey. Everyone who needs a ride come with me."

"Oh God we're going to die." Groaned Charlie, as he, Donna, and Zoey followed Sam out to his car.

Well that's all for now. I have to say I don't really like it, but it is what it is. Please review and let me know what you think. I also have two questions for you guys:

1. Do you think I should do a chapter where they are hung over at school or should I move on to the next event?

2. This may seem like a strange question to ask but why is Mallory's last name O'brien? Does it ever say anything about that on the show?