Courtney stood in front of the bathroom mirror, intently studying her now plump figure; she missed her old slim frame. Her new jeans, with the added bonus of an elastic waist, weren't anything special, and her long sleeved sweater, which flared out at the stomach, was gray with intricate beading around the neckline.
"Court, I need to use the bathroom too."
"I'm not stopping you am I?"
Duncan entered the bathroom and walked to the sink. He readied his toothbrush as he gave Courtney a once over.
"You look hot."
"I do not look hot. You can't look hot when you're the size of a whale," Courtney replied, angrily running a brush through her hair.
"You don't look like a whale, you're glowing. What's the occasion for all of the hotness?"
"I'm going to Lizzy and Kellan's for a late lunch, early dinner thing with my old bridal party."
"When are you gonna be home," Duncan questioned after spitting in the sink.
"I don't know exactly. Why?"
"Well it's now a little after noon and I have a meeting at two. So I figured I could bring home something to eat. You know how you like to have late night snacks."
"Oh yes, let's give the fatty more food."
"For the last time you're not fat, you're pregnant, there's a difference."
Kissing her quickly Duncan turned to leave.
"Promise me you'll try to have fun with the girls?"
"Whatever."
Lizzy and Kellan's apartment was one of the most upscale buildings Courtney had ever seen and she had seen many in her privileged life. The studio apartment was a little smaller than Courtney and Duncan's house with each apartment taking up its' own floor. The inside was completely modern, with stainless steel appliances, eccentric colors, furniture, and light fixtures. It suited its' two inhabitants well.
As Courtney made her way up the walkway she noticed many cars parked in front of several houses lining the street. Immediately she figured someone was getting ready for a major party; and then she thought better of it and froze. It would be just like Lizzy to go behind her back to throw her a party or a more probable baby shower.
She mentally groaned. Her unpleasant hormones had begun to slowly creep back now that she was in the beginning of her third trimester. This fact made her a fairly unpopular person to be around. Courtney wasn't entirely sure she could fake through several hours of happiness with Lizzy constantly shoving fattening foods, which she couldn't turn down anymore, at her.
Sighing heavily, Courtney plastered a smile on her face and rang the doorbell. When the door didn't open immediately like it usually did (Lizzy was usually on top of the door, she was so impatient) Courtney's fear of something going on was confirmed. The door was finally opened revealing not Lizzy or one of the girls, but her brother Kellan.
"Baby sister, I've missed you!" Carefully, Kellan pulled Courtney into a hug.
"Oh big brother I've missed you too!"
Placing his hand on her stomach and leaning in close he questioned, "And how is my nephew or niece doing today?"
"He or she has been doing gymnastics all day."
Ushering his sister inside Kellan responded, "Or maybe he's practicing his mad hockey skills so he can take after his Uncle Kellan."
"Oh I'm so sure."
"Please, you could be harboring the next Wayne Gretzky. You can't tell me that it hasn't crossed your mind?"
"Of course, when Duncan and I decided we wanted to have a baby it was solely so we could exploit its' natural talents," Courtney said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"Awe, you're going to be a great mom," he joked. "The girls are in the living room, have fun!"
"We'll see," Courtney mumbled.
She braced herself as she turned the corner and heard someone whisper a harsh "Shhh!" She walked into the room and was fully prepared when she was met with shouts of "Surprise!" Courtney did her best to truly act shocked and she believed she did a good job.
"Oh my God this is so awesome! Thanks guys!"
It was set up much in the same way her bridal shower had been two years prior, but with Lizzy in charge Courtney knew it was going to be completely laidback and for that she was grateful. All of her bridal party was in attendance, Lizzy, obviously, Katherine, and Maureen and her friend the baker Sherry, as well as all of her friends from TDI. Over the past two years the former cast mates had been able to forge new friendships and strengthen old ones. The entire cast was more united now than when they had been in teams on the show during their youth and the irony was not lost on them now.
As the day progressed Courtney's mood brightened considerably. By definition baby showers aren't the most fun gatherings in the world, but she was happy to be able to spend some time with her friends instead of at the doctors.
After eating and opening baby presents (Courtney mostly received adorable baby clothes and bath items), Beth stood up clutching her purse and smiling.
"I have another surprise, but it's not just for Courtney. We're all going to be able to enjoy this."
Beth walked over to Lizzy's entertainment center, turned on the television and pulled out a DVD. After putting it in the player she giggled and practically skipped back to her seat between Lindsay and Heather, the latter of which she had been able to reconcile with. The screen flashed for a minute before Chris MacLean appeared introducing a new reality television show and, as Maureen and Katherine began to laugh, the women of TDI either gasped or groaned.
No cast member owned the episodes of TDI; they had never been sold in stores and the producers never gave them copies for fear of them ending up on the Internet for download, which would've made them lose money.
"I can't believe it," Courtney laughed. "How did you find this?"
"I have my ways," Beth said cryptically. "I thought it'd be funny to relive it all."
"All? You have every episode," Heather practically shouted.
"Oh this is going to be awesome," LeShawna grinned.
They didn't get to watch every episode (to watch every one they'd need at least twenty-four hours), so they did highlights of each episode, but most of the remarks from the viewers were apologies. Bridgette apologized to Courtney for breaking her violin, Katie and Sadie apologized to each other for their first fight, and Heather apologized to everyone for…everything.
"Oh that was fantastic," Gwen said hours later wiping tears from her eyes as Beth removed the DVD. "I haven't laughed so hard in ages."
"I know right," Lindsay agreed. "I forgot how hot I looked with my hair long."
"Honestly I don't remember Chris being as devious as he was shown," Eva said.
"Oh he was more devious," Izzy interrupted. "He was always all 'Grr I'm going to destroy you campers' and we were like 'Ahh, no you're not' and he was all 'I was sent here to destroy you' and we were all 'We will prevail.'"
"Yeah okay crazy girl," Heather mumbled under her breath which only Gwen heard.
"You can say that again."
Heather turned to Gwen and said, "Listen I know I've apologized for this already, but, again, I'm really sorry for the whole diary thing. I don't know how you didn't kill me."
"Well, I'm not gonna lie, it took a lot of restraint."
"I bet," Heather laughed.
"But it's all water under the bridge now, so don't worry about it."
"Thanks Gwen."
"Hey," Courtney shouted. "Sorry to break up the little love fest in the corner, but the rest of the room was discussing Owen's party after he won."
"Oh man it was off the hook," LeShawna exclaimed.
"Oh my gosh, do you guys remember when Harold and Chef Hatchet had that beat boxing contest," Sadie questioned.
"Yes," Katie agreed with her bfffl. "Harold totally schooled him!"
"My man's the best," LeShawna bragged. "But what I remember the most is how Trent broke his leg."
"It was an accident," Lindsay screamed.
"Oh now I've got to know what happened," Maureen stated.
"Gwen," Bridgette giggled. "How 'bout you take this one."
"Fine," she huffed. "From what I understand, and Linds feel free to interject if I'm wrong, but Lindsay was in the food pantry room in Owen's kitchen getting a bottle of ketchup."
Lindsay nodded in agreement, so Gwen continued.
"And Trent walked into the pantry for more paper plates and she got startled and turned too quickly and hit the low light bulb breaking it and plunging them into darkness because the door had swung shut behind him on accident."
Again Lindsay nodded.
"Well Lindsay thought she was going to be attacked by, I don't even know, so she tackled him into the shelves and started beating him with the ketchup bottle."
"Oh my God," Katherine shouted, trying to rein in her snorting laughter after Maureen smacked her arm lightly.
"Continue," Maureen giggled.
"That's pretty much it," Gwen said. "If I remember correctly Bridgette and Geoff were looking for a private place to make out and found Lindsay and Trent in the pantry. He was all covered in ketchup and his leg was bent back in a weird way from how he fell after the tackle."
"That is incredible," Lizzy laughed. "Who knew nice, good guy Trent could be thought of as an assailant."
"The best part is that it wasn't the first time Lindsay had severely injured him," Courtney said, taking a bite out of her cupcake.
"What do you mean," Sherry questioned, passing out more of her made from scratch chocolate cupcakes.
"Well," Bridgette jumped in to explain, "we did this challenge on the show where we had to cook this Japanese poisonous blowfish dish for our partner and hope you didn't poison them. Let's just say Trent was Lindsay's partner and he ended up in the infirmary hooked up to all these IV's."
The whole group laughed at the story as Lindsay turned beat red and tried to defend herself.
"Shut up it's not like I wanted to hurt him. I really tried to cut that fish up good and he knows I'm still really sorry."
"Wanna know the kicker," Gwen questioned. "Every birthday of Lindsay's that passes, Trent buys her a baby blowfish!"
"No way," Izzy giggled.
"How many do you have then?" Eva questioned.
"Um, eleven," Lindsay responded. "Well Trent's given me eleven, but some of them have babies, so in total I have sixteen."
"Where do you keep them all?" Maureen questioned in awe.
"In a tank, duh."
"Yeah, we understand that," Katherine said. "But it has got to be a big tank. Where is it in your house?"
"Oh, it's in my room. They keep me company when Tyler doesn't stay over."
"That's almost sweet," Courtney muttered.
"You know," Lindsay said, turning towards Gwen, "I didn't think I'd get a fishy this year because he was on tour."
"Please," Gwen snorted. "It was all he talked about for like a week. Where we would be able to find a blowfish was a constant topic of conversation."
"Awe, yay!"
The group continued to chat for an hour and a half until Kellan interrupted the party.
"Hello ladies. I think it's time to pack up the party. I think your husband might be missing you."
"Ugh, he's probably happy to get rid of me for a couple of hours."
"Couple of hours" Kellan said incredulously. "Try ten. You've been here for like ever. Seriously, Duncan's probably wondering where the hell you've been all day."
"Please, he knows I was here and honestly where else would I go six months pregnant?"
"True, true."
"Say your good-byes, girls."
The women said good-bye and Courtney thanked them for the great party, the trip down memory lane, and for getting her out of her sour mood, as Kellan loaded up the baby gifts into Courtney's car. Beth made sure to give Courtney a copy of the TDI DVD and promised the rest of the girls that they would receive their own copies in the mail.
After stealing her away from the clingy women, he escorted her to the car.
"Drive carefully Court and call me when you get home. You know—"
"Yes, I know how you worry. You're so funny when you get all protective of me."
"What can I say, I'm the next Mike Myers," he joked. "Seriously though, I know D's been working late, so if you need anything do not hesitate to call."
"Okay. Thanks big bro."
"Anytime little sis."