19. Still Broken

Sorry it has taken me so long to update but school and work have been getting in the way so yeah, but hopefully it will calm down and I can update more often.

A small bell signaled her entry as she walked through the door. The room had a smell to it that was not unexpected but was overwhelming and made her head spin a little. She walked over to the counter and waited for someone to come see her. Not too long after a smiling woman walked over.

"How may I help you?" she asked

"Make me different," instructed Esmeralda.

"Will do."

"So why did he invite us again?" Averman asked for the tenth time since they had stepped in the elevator.

"I told you." Phoebe sighed. "Leo is a good judge of character; he likes you guys and said he would love to have you at his party."

"Averman, just be glad he invited you at all," Russ told him as the other boy went to open his mouth.

"Hey, Phoebe, have you seen Essi?" Maria asked her sister as she fiddled with her hair.

"Not since she left the dorms this morning. Why?" Phoebe replied, frowning in confusion.

"Well I saw Elliot and he said Essi left their rehearsal thing early, saying she needed a change."

The elevator door opened and the group walked out into the foyer. Loud music was drifting through the thick door, preventing people inside from hearing their knocks.

"A change? How so?" Phoebe asked, knocking on the door as she did.

"No idea, but I can think of why she would want a change." Maria pointedly looked at Adam behind the Ducks back before turning to look at the mirror on the foyer wall.

"Maria, you look fine," Connie assured upon seeing the older girl fixing her appearance.

"I know, but… I don't know. I could have sworn Kristy was flirting with this girl in Science."

"Maria, Kristy would never do that. She was probably being her usual bubbly self," Phoebe assured her sister. She had her phone to her ear, seeing as no one inside could hear them. "Clover, hey, open the door, please."

Within a minute of Phoebe hanging up, the door opened to reveal Clover. Her blonde hair was curled and framed her face, and she wore a dark purple dress with light purple poke-a-dots over it. "Sorry to make you wait. The music is blaring. Thank god Kevin isn't here. He's out with my parents."

"I was just about to ask that actually," Phoebe admitted.

"I guessed that. Come on, Leo is somewhere among the mob." Clover led them inside before wondering off to talk to other friends.

"Hey, Adam, last year mom said I could have one drink at the party. She told us you could have two," Phoebe started to explain. "Now if you want to loose count of the amount, Maria and I won't tell mom and seeing as you are spending the night at Charlie's with his mother out, mom will never have to know. But if you don't want to, then remember that the sodas in the fridge are mixed drinks and the sodas in the cooler are non-mixed. Maria made that mistake last year and she ended up having the room spin."

"Okay." Adam nodded his head, showing he understood.

They found Leo over near the pool table, leaning against it and not minding that he might be disturbing the game. He had a forest green button up shirt on with dark blue jeans, and a beer was resting in his hand.

"Hey, you made it." He smiled upon seeing them and hugged Phoebe and Maria when they stepped forward for one.

"Happy birthday," chimed Phoebe as she handed over her present. It was a blank button up shirt with a silver pattern on it, much the same style as he already wore.

Leo thanked her as Maria handed him a smaller parcel. It turned out to be a black necklace with a shark tooth on it.

"Thanks, Phoebe, thanks, Maria." Leo kissed both the girls on the cheek before tucking his presents under his arm.

"Sorry, but we didn't know what to get you," confessed Russ, feeling guilty for coming to his birthday party with no gift.

"That's alright. I told everyone not to get me anything but the girls like to spoil me."

Both Phoebe and Maria snorted and shoved Leo, making him bump the pool table.

"Hey!" one of the players scolded.

"Sorry, Kegzy, didn't mean to, mate," Leo apologized with a kind smile.

Someone in the shadowed end of the pool table laughed. "Don't apologize, Leo, his loosing anyway." The girl walked around the table to come up behind the white ball. As she leant over the table, Portman gave a low whistle, although it was doubtful anyone but the people standing next to him could hear it over the music. He nudged Luis and pointed to the girl's behind.

The girl either had had enough drinks to impair her judgment; she didn't realize how short her skirt was, or she just didn't care but the black, pleated skirt she wore was not the best for playing pool. Along with the skirt she wore black, knee-high boots and a red halter top. Her thick hair fell to about in between her shoulder blades and she had a side fringe, with one red streak on the side opposite her fringe.

When she stood and turned, the group gasped. Even with the new clothing, new hair style, the dark eye shadow and the blood red lipstick coating her lips, they could still recognize her. Esmeralda McGill.

"Essi?" Phoebe questioned, her eyes wide in disbelief. The girl just nodded at her best friend. "But… but… your clothes, and your makeup… and your HAIR! What did you do to your hair? It used to be halfway down your back."

"I got it cut… don't you like it?" Esmeralda looked worried at her friend's reaction.

"It's not that." Phoebe groped for words. "It's… it's…"

"Different," finished Guy.

All of them knew that Esmeralda was shy about wearing eye-catching and sexy clothing, which was why her choice in attire was shocking.

"Oh." Esmeralda moved closer to Leo. "Move your ass, Leo."

Leo did as he was told and Esmeralda took another shot, missing. "Portman, Averman, stop looking at my ass."

"Sorry, but you have my compliments," Portman said, not sounding sorry in the least.

"Yeah, whatever." Esmeralda grabbed her Jim Bean off the edge of the pool table as Kegzy lines up the white ball. "Oh, this is Elvin Keg, but everyone calls him Kegzy."

"Hi," Kegzy greeted absentmindedly. Just as he went to take the shot Esmeralda knocked the table with her butt as she took a sip from her bottle. "Hey!"

"What?"

"Bitch." Kegzy laughed, obviously not minding that Esmeralda almost ruined his shot. He moved the white ball back where it had been and lined it up again. Unfortunately for him he sunk the black ball, which made Esmeralda double over with laughter.

"Come on, Kegzy, she's had enough to make her see double, how could you loose?" Leo exclaimed, an amused smile on his face.

"Not true!" Esmeralda piped up, finally calming down. "One and a half thanks."

"Hey, where are the drinks?" Adam asked, looking blatantly at Leo.

"That way." As he pointed with the hand clasping his beer, the group saw the white gold ring on his finger that had a dark blue stone set in it. Seeing the group admiring it, he smiled. "Nice huh? My dad gave it to me. It's been in my family for years."

"Yeah, it is nice," agreed Adam. "What drink do you recommend?"

"Jim Bean is my favorite," Esmeralda told him.

"Yeah thanks," Adam replied in a deadpan voice before he walked off.

Esmeralda had a wounded expression before Leo spoke up, taking her mind off what happened. "Essi, do you remember our deal?"

The brunette dancer looked around before groaning and putting her head back. "Do I have to?" she whined, with a childish stomp of her foot for good measure.

"Yes." Leo grabbed Esmeralda's hand, the one that wasn't hold her drink, and pulled her to where people were dancing, just as Aimee, or Jamie came out of a thick of people.

The Ducks realized that Esmeralda had a deal with Leo to keep the Mc'Son twins away from him. The group ended up splitting off. Maria found Kristy in the crowd and went over to her, Phoebe saw Jesse and shyly walked over to him, and the rest of the group went their separate ways.

"Esmeralda, what's wrong?" Leo asked the girl as he pulled her close.

"Nothing." Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as Leo put his hand on her back.

"Stop lying, love, and tell me what is wrong," demanded the musician.

"I broke him!"

"Broke who?"

"Him!"

"Oh, well why did you do that?"

"It had to be done, but… I changed to… fix myself but if his still broken then I am too." Esmeralda sniffed and took a sip of her drink. "But I don't want to ruin your birthday."

"Oh, Love." Leo kissed her cheek. "You could never ruin my birthday. Friends always come first in my book. And you and Adam will be fine, just give it time."

"Thanks, Leo."

"No problem."

The party was still raging on five hours later. It was close to midnight and yet no one was looking ready to go home. Esmeralda was dancing with Phoebe and Bianca Bradley, who was a cheerleader that was dating Kegzy. The three girls were singing at the top of their lungs as they danced. The song was 'If It Makes You Happy'. Phoebe wasn't drunk but the other two girls were well on their way.

"Well, O.K. I made this up!" The three girls sung.

"I promised you I'd never give up."

"If it makes you happy,

It can't be all that bad.

If it makes you happy,

Then why the hell are you so sad?"

Leo came over laughing as Phoebe spun Bianca. "Who let you three near the karaoke machine to choose the music?"

All three girls just shrugged before Esmeralda went to take a step and stumbled. Thankfully the still laughing Leo caught her. "Too much to drink?"

"Compared to last year I am behaving myself," Esmeralda defended herself with slurred words.

"That's true," Phoebe agreed. "You were drunk practically all the time last year; you even went to school drunk once. But you decided to make a change and you have really stuck to your resolve. I'm really proud of you."

"Admittedly I'm proud of myself."

"Yeah, the only down fall is you won't be dancing on the table any more." Leo snapped his fingers in mock disappointment.

"That was a dare," Esmeralda reminded him.

"So, Essi, what's with the change anyway?" Phoebe tested. She knew that Esmeralda was a truthful drunk.

"I felt broken and like I had no way to change it so I made a step to try and fix it." She didn't even seem to notice what she was saying but Phoebe's next question registered in her intoxicated mind.

"Why did you reject Adam?"

Esmeralda's face turned sorrowful. "Three broken ribs, seven skull fractures, arm and/or leg broken five times, multiple concussions and hospitalized twice. That's why."

Before Phoebe could question Esmeralda further, the brunette walked off, out onto the balcony.

He was actually having a lot of fun, although admittedly he was slightly intoxicated. Adam was standing in the kitchen with Fulton and Ken, along with some people he had only met that night. There was Elvin Keg, from earlier, Chelsea Tracy, a hockey player from Cutlan they had actually versed, Freddie Lindsey, a cheerleader, whose full first name was actually Frederica, Nelson Trink, who was in Leo's band, and Anthony Devlin, who was Elliot's half brother.

"No, I'm serious, I fell flat on my face the first time I ever skated," Chelsea told them, making them laugh at the retelling of her clumsiness.

Nelson just slung his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Yeah but I bet you looked cute doing it."

"Shut up." The hockey girl elbowed him in the stomach lightly as she blushed.

"So, Ken, right?" Freddie asked, her eyes a little glassy from the alcohol.

"Yeah," the small boy answered.

"You were in the Olympics for figure skating, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was."

"Why did you change?"

"The shelf life for a figure skater is substantially shorter then that of a hockey player," explained Ken.

"Oh, alright."

"Yeah, and now he just can't leave the Ducks," added Fulton, the only one not drinking in their group, seeing as he was allergic.

"Now, you're Phoebe's brother, aren't you?" Anthony pointed to Adam.

"Yeah, I am. Adam Banks."

"I versed you!" Chelsea stated with an enthusiastic jump.

"I know."

"You're easily the best hockey player I have ever met!" flattered the red head.

"Thanks." Adam blushed at the compliment, not knowing what to say. He didn't actually remember her from the match, seeing as they all wore helmets and he was concentrating on the puck.

"Anyway," Anthony cut in. "If you find the Mc'Son twins as annoying as Leo does, I suggest you hide. They are coming this way."

"Thanks for the heads up." Adam left the kitchen and made his way to the balcony, not noticing the girl standing off to the side, leaning on the railing. He sighed and took a sip of his Jim Bean, drawing the attention of the girl.

"I see you took my recommendation."

With a jump, the blond boy looked over to see Esmeralda looking down towards the street below. "Yeah, I did. McGill, what are you doing out here?"

"Getting some fresh air and avoiding Phoebe's questions," she admitted. "Banks… I don't expect you to forgive me anytime soon. I think I'll actually loose respect in you if you did. But can you tell me that one day we'll be friends again? I hate not being your friend."

"McGill, I can't promise you anything at the moment for two reasons. One: I am drunk." At that moment he gave a slight, involuntary sway, making Esmeralda grab his shoulders to steady him as she giggled. "And two…" Adam moved closer to her so his nose brushed hers. "I don't think I can be just your friend."

Esmeralda nodded, not moving away. "Okay, but if we aren't ever going to be friends again, let me just assure you that I wasn't using you. I promise."

She went to walk back inside but Adam grabbed her hand and pulled her back, kissing her on the lips. "I never said we couldn't be friends one day," he whispered, his hot breath hitting her cheek and making her smell the alcohol she knew was also on her breath. "I just said I can't tell you tonight. Give me some time."

Esmeralda nodded again before slipping her hand out of the boy's grasp and walking inside. She walked through the living room, heading for the dining room which would then lead to the kitchen. As she entered the dining room, however, two, identical voices reached her ears.

"I can't believe it! She's such a skank."

"I know. We can't even make him hate her."

"Like, she had sex with Leo… well, at least Adam thinks she did. How can he not find her a slut?"

"She doesn't disserve him anyway."

"Maybe she told him how Kevin wasn't her son. Although it would be hard for the Ducks to believe seeing as he looks too much like her to just be her nephew."

As Esmeralda registered the meaning behind the words, anger started to make its way through her veins. She drunk the rest of her drink, set it on the dining room table and walked over to where the voices came from and surprise, surprise, she found Aimee and Jamie.

"Hi, girls," she said with a falsely cheerful attitude.

"Oh, hi, Essi," the two girls said together, in a condescending voice.

"Yeah, I'll drop the friendly act," she assured them. "Especially seeing as I have a great desire to hurt you at the moment."

"Why?" Jamie asked, trying and failing to look innocent.

"Because."

Before the girls could get Esmeralda to elaborate, the brunette pulled her arm back and punched Aimee, who was closest, in the nose. Aimee, who was standing in front of Jamie, fell back, hitting Jamie in the nose. Both girls laid on the ground, their noses bleeding as they cried.

"That is for spreading rumors about me to my friends," Esmeralda told them as Kegzy, Nelson and Dwayne came over.

"Going off, Essi," praised Kegzy.

"That was awesome," added Nelson.

Esmeralda, still being angry, ignored their complements and walked over to the closet near the front door, grabbing her jacket out of it.

"Essi, wait up," Dwayne demanded. He ran over to her as she reached for the door handle of the front door. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I've actually wanted to do that for years," admitted Esmeralda.

"Okay. I want to apologize for believing those two about Kevin. I should have asked you about it instead of listening to them."

"Yes, you should have," agreed Esmeralda. "But I forgive you." With that she opened the door and left the party.

There you are! She punched one and got the other as well. Talk about your two birds with one stone. Hope you liked it and seeing as my tests are finished I have about three weeks down time so hopefully I can write more.

If you like the way I portray the Ducks then check out my other story Portman Twins. You don't have to but a review to this story (the one you're reading now) would be great.

…o0Black-Sand0o…