Author's Note: Look it didn't take me forever this time to update. Please review. I would like to know what you think.

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"Jeremiah was a bullfrog! Was a good friend of mine!" The door opened right when Joy to the World started playing. Avery chuckled because it was good timing. The person who opened the door nodded and let them in before joining his group. They smiled at people as they made their way further into the house.

"Peter! I have to talk to you," a girl to their right said. Avery watched as she went toward the guy, Peter, and started telling him that she loved him. The girl that he was with scoffed and walked away. The guy looked like he wanted to go after her, but he didn't.

"Ok," Avery muttered. "Talk about a high school matter." Ralph caught her eye and smiled a little. They moved on, and Avery started to mouth Hotel California. Avery gasped in disgust when she saw this girl puke before she even got to kiss the guy she was with. "That's gross."

"What?" Ralph asked, thinking she said something. When Avery pointed to the guy and girl, Ralph made a face. "Not good." Avery agreed.

After a few more minutes of searching for a familiar face, they finally came upon Julia, Val, Holly, and her fiancé, Chad, Angie and Liz. When everybody stopped their surprise hellos, Avery told them they decided to come over.

"Well, I'm thrilled you're here," Holly replied, "I might be the only one who hasn't met Ralph yet."

"No, we haven't," Liz said, pointing to Angie at the same time. "It's finally nice to meet you."

Ralph nodded. "I'm thinking you're Liz."

Liz made a surprise face and looked at the girls. "I'm impressed. How'd you know?"

"Well, Avery mentioned that a friend found out she was pregnant a month ago. Angie…" he turned to her, "just had a baby three months ago and the baptism was a few weeks ago."

"I like you," Liz said. "Very impressive."

To their left, there was a bunch of yells. A group of guys had set up some cups at the bottom of the stairs and decided to sled down them on a garbage can top. When they hit the cups, the guys stood up and gave each other high fives. The group around them yelled as well.

"If I had known this party was a going to be a kegar, I would have stayed home," Angie said, rubbing a temple.

Holly asked, "Didn't Darren say to go out?"

"Yes, he did," Liz replied. "He wanted to spend some alone time with the baby. I'm pregnant and not worried. Why are you?"

"Guys, this is her first time away from her baby boy," Val remarked. "I don't blame her."

"Angie, you're out. Enjoy it," Liz said.

"Oh come on," Angie sighed. She turned to Avery and Ralph. "I wasn't here for five seconds and a guy had already hit on me." She pointed to her ring. "Do I look single?"

Julia smiled. "I believe he might have been drunk." She look a sip of her drink.

"He didn't seem like it," Angie argued.

Julia put a hand on her shoulder. "Angie, nothing is going to happen. If someone comes up to you, flirting their butt off, it's not like you're going to go to hell for it. You didn't commit adultery."

Angie rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Ms. Monroe."

"You're welcome," she replied.

Avery looked at Ralph and they shared a quiet laugh.

"Wet t-shirt contest!" A yell came from outside a few seconds later.

Angie groaned. "Where's the phone?"

"No! No phone call. Don't ask for the keys," Liz said, wiggling a finger at her.

Chad looked at Ralph, and they left the girls to let them talk about whatever. The girls kept convincing Angie that everything was fine. When they realized the guys weren't there, that's when they started to talk about Avery and Ralph. The girls yet again asked what made them come over to the party.

"Ralph couldn't get his mind off of practice today," Avery told them. "He feels like he wouldn't be able to help the team in February."

"Oh," Holly replied.

"I told him he wouldn't be on the team if Herb didn't think he'd help," Avery mentioned.

"That's true," one of the responses was.

"It's sad that he thinks that," another response.

After a couple minutes of catching up on Avery and Ralph's relationship, they started talking about the party, and then Holly's upcoming nuptials.

"Mary has been giving me grief about having to pay for her own dress," Holly told them.

"What?"

"See Mary is going to be one of those brides that get so worked up about little things. That isn't right," Liz told her. "I bet she's complaining you're like that."

"What's she supposed to think? That since the bride is paying for everything that the dresses should be paid by her as well?" Angie asked. "It's called helping out."

"Not that Mary issue again," Chad groaned when he came up and caught the last part.

Avery looked over at Ralph and smiled. He entwined his fingers with hers and they watched the group for a while before they decided to walk around. She asked where Chad and him went to and he told her they didn't go far. They talked about t he practices, the games, what Chad does. They reached the kitchen and wasn't surprised that there was all kinds of drinks.

"All I'm asking is for a little respect! Just a little bit! Baby!"

Avery grabbed a coke and when she went to open it, the pop lid came off. "Ah man."

Ralph took the can, picked up a plastic knife and popped it open. He just smiled when giving it back to her.

"Woo!" A yell came from the living room. When they turned, they saw a group of guys standing around two girls who were kissing.

"This is some party," Avery remarked.

"Is it always like this?"

"Well, the last party I went to was…" Avery took a sip of the coke before continuing, "… when I was still with Steve."

Ralph nodded. "I believe it." He started to smile. "I'm glad I came along and broke you out of your routine. If I hadn't…" he stopped to take a drink of his beverage.

"What?"

"You'd still be at home right now studying."

"Right," she replied slowly.

Ralph took a sip of his drink, elbowed her lightly in the side, and smiled down at her when she looked up at him. Then he gave her a quick kiss.

"We were at a party, his ear lobe fell in the deep, someone reached in and grabbed it. It was a rock lobster."

A couple of girls came into the kitchen looking for the beer. When they saw Avery, they whispered stuff. They were surprised she was there. Avery just rolled her eyes and took Ralph's hand, not even hearing the surprised 'she's seeing someone' or she has a boyfriend?'.

"I swear, this party is starting to be like a high school party," Avery muttered.

"We could make-out…" Ralph pointed to a couple in a corner, "like them. That'll give those girls something to talk about."

It was Avery's turn to elbow him. "Right."

"Well, isn't it Coxie and his girlfriend." Christian came up. He took a sip of his beer.

"Hey Davey," Coxie replied.

Christian didn't even stop to talk to them. He headed into the kitchen. When Avery and Ralph came upon the dining room, there were a few people sitting around the table, smoking pot. Shouldn't they be in the basement? Avery asked herself. The group was laughing, eating chips, someone was eating peanut butter. When they passed another room, a girl was playing the piano for nobody.

"Avery…" a voice behind them said.

When Avery looked over, she let out a surprise hey. Steve Tesluck, her old boyfriend, was walking up to them. She wasn't expecting him to be there. She has seen him maybe six times since they broke up two years ago. They gave each other a hug before they asked how things were.

"Things are good." She turned to Ralph. "Ralph this is Steve, Steve this is Ralph."

Ralph shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you." Ralph didn't know what to think of Steve. He wasn't expecting a guy with glasses and a lonely pen in his pocket. In his mind he saw someone like… Jimmy. Surprise! He thought.

"How long have you been dating?" Steve asked.

"A month now," came the reply. "Are you still with Rose?"

"Of course, but she isn't here tonight. A friend of hers is having a basket weaving party," Steve told them.

"Basket weaving?" Ralph asked.

Steve nodded his head. "It's something she got into. Boring if you ask me."

"Oh come on. At least she's doing something she likes," Avery said.

"That's true. So Ralph do you go to the U?"

"I'm actually on the US Olympic hockey team," Ralph replied.

"I heard they were practicing on campus. How's it going?"

Ralph shrugged. "It's going. Coach is pretty tough. He knows what he wants though."

"At least he knows and isn't leading you to the unknown."

"That's true. So what do you do or going into?"

"I'm an accountant. I work at this firm, but I'm also getting my masters at the moment."

Ralph smiled at Avery and then at Steve. "Interesting."

"Numbers are my life." Steve had raised his arms up when he said that. "It's the only subject I'm good at. I might as well use it to my advantage."

Ralph smiled. "That's cool." He took a drink of his beverage.

Avery smiled as well. "In high school, he was in this math club. They would do these math tournaments. They won a few."

"Really?" Ralph wanted to laugh, but he didn't. He was so surprised that Avery, who he thought was beautiful, went out with a geek. What was the connection? He asked himself.

"Avery, are you still planning on getting that PhD?"

"Yes, but I'm thinking about taking a small break after I get the masters. I need a break."

"Well, that's good. You deserve it." Steve looked at his watch and realized what time it was. "I have to go. Rose will be done soon. Ralph it was nice meeting you. I hope everything turns out great in February. As for you, you look great, don't change."

"Bye. It was nice seeming you." She gave Steve a hug. "Say hi to Rose." When Steve was out of sight, she looked over at Ralph. He was smiling. "What?"

"So that's Steve," he said, "Totally not what I expected."

Avery turned a little pink. "Well… yeah. What did you think he was like before now?"

"Jimmy."

Avery laughed a little. "Not even close."

"Oh yeah. So what did you see in him?"

"He made me laugh," she said before walking away. Ralph followed with a smile on his face. When they started walking by the stairs, they saw Jannie coming down them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Not much," Ralph replied. "So anything interesting upstairs?"

Jannie shrugged. "No, just couples."

Avery rolled her ryes, but she wasn't facing Jannie, so he didn't see. In the living room, this girl started dancing on the coffee table to 'She Works Hard for the Money." To Avery the whole thing was ridiculous, but the people around the girl were cheering. She sighed because the party was getting crazier by the minute and she was siding with Angie on this one. However, she didn't want Ralph to think she was a party pooper.

"If you two will excuse me, I see a girl over there looking for a little love," Jannie said pointing in the corner where a girl was crying. "Have fun, you two."

"I thought he liked older women?" Avery asked. She looked up at Ralph with some what of a confused look.

Ralph shrugged. "I don't know." Actually he did, but he didn't want to get into it.

Avery went to take a drink of her coke, but she had just finished it. "Another drink?"

"Ok."

When they got into the kitchen, there was a group of guys sitting around the kitchen table playing poker. It's amazing what happens when you leave a certain area only ten minutes before. One of the guys' girlfriends was also playing and it looked like she was the one winning big. Avery had decided to get a beer instead of a pop. Might as well she thought. The next thing she knew, an arm was around her shoulder, and Drew was giving her a hug.

"Avery!" Drew was drunk. "You came!"

Avery looked over at Ralph. Rob was next to him, shaking his head. She heard him tell Ralph that she saw Avery and wanted to come over. Looking back at Drew, she wanted to push her off and get her coffee. "Drew… you all right?"

Drew looked up and laughed. "Yes." Drew reached up and started to pet Avery's face. "I'm so glad you're here. I'm so glad you finally got the stick out of you ass."

Avery sighed. Drew didn't change and was now pathetic. She shrugged Drew's arm off of her, gave Drew a look and walked away. She heard Drew give a whimper and heard her say something to Rob. If that was the moment, then it's not what Avery thought it was going to be. Avery led them outside to the pool area.

The backyard wasn't any different then what was happening inside. There were couples making-out in corners and in the pool. A couple people smoking pit on lounge chairs, people dangling their feet over the edge of the pool, a couple against another in the pool playing chicken. Someone got pushed into someone, and that person fell into the pool. When they came up, they told the person they were an asshole.

"They have a lake?" Ralph asked leaning toward her ear.

"Yeah."

"Want to head down?"

"I don't mind." Avery actually wanted to, just to get away from the mayhem.

"Smurfette probably gets laid more than Velma does," one of the stoners said when they passed by them.

"Yeah, but Velma is a hip, hip lady," the response came.

Avery and Ralph almost passed by Julia and Jimmy, but they saw them before heading down the stairs. They only said hi, but Avery heard what they were talking about.

"She said she's seeing someone, but it's long distance. Do you know him?" Jimmy asked.

Avery let out a surprise gasp. "Ah oh."

"What?" Ralph asked.

Avery just shrugged her shoulders. Val's in trouble, she thought. When they got to the grass there were even people down there.

"This is one shindig."

Avery smiled. "Courtney doesn't start giving out flyers until the last minute."

"Ten bucks says the police will be here at three to break it up."

Avery laughed. "From what I've heard that's what happens."

"Woo!"

The two jumped a little and looked over at the group that was only a few feet away. The same guys that had sled down the stairs were stripping down toe their boxers. Actually, the whole group was. Within seconds they were in the lake. Avery shook her head and laughed a little.

"I see a dock over there," Ralph said pointing to it. "Want to head over?"

Avery nodded and they headed over to the dock. Lights were shining off of the surface as the water rippled. When they reached the very end, Avery decided to sit down, but after a few minutes staring at darkness, she lied back to stare up at the stars. They didn't talk, but after a few minutes, Avery pointed to the sky.

"Did you see that?"

"What did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you. It won't come true."

Ralph laughed. "Well, I'll tell you what I wished for."

"It's not going to come true."

"I think it will."

Avery looked over at Ralph. She was about to tell him not to again, but he shook his head. "What?"

"Actually, it was more of a question." Avery just looked at him. "Is it all right if I call you my girlfriend?"

Avery smiled. "Of course."

In the distance a girl screamed in excitement, and they laughed. When Avery stopped, she looked back over at Ralph. He was the one that sat up a little and leaned in. When fireworks started to go off, they didn't make a move.