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*Italic indicates thought
Chapter Twenty-Three: Beach-side Party
A/N: Hello! Update time! Yay! I hope you like this one! Hehe!
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." -Robert Frost
"You know," Jayden said to Tiara on their way to the party. "I'm pretty sure Ji suggested you come because he thinks I need a babysitter."
"Oh relax Jayden, I'm not babysitting you."
"Then why are you here?!"
"Relax. I won't cramp your style. Akito is meeting me there. I'll be plenty busy."
"Not to busy."
"Shut up."
Jayden laughed. "I still can't figure out what Ji's problem is. Anytime I mention Lorrie he gets all...stiff."
"Oh, don't worry about it. He'll warm up to her eventually."
"I hope so."
-Samurai Ranger Life-
When they got to the party, Jayden began to feel really nervous. He looked around for Lorrie, but there were lots of people there. He suddenly felt someone wrap their arms around him from behind. He whipped around and smiled in relief. "Oh, it's you."
"Just little old me," Lorrie smiled. "Glad you made it. This looks like fun, doesn't it?"
"Uh...I guess."
"You guess?"
"I told you I'm not much of a party-goer."
"Don't worry, just stick with me. Come on, let's get some drinks." Jayden followed her over to a table with some bottles people had decorated with duct tape in bright designs. "Someone was bored."
"Hey," a guy said. "You try sitting through hours without Internet. I had to entertain myself somehow."
"So you covered the drinks in duct tape?"
"Yes. Who's the guy?"
"Oh, Jayden, this is Tyson. He's in my neighborhood. Ty, this is Jayden. My date."
"Nice to meet you," Jayden said, extending his hand.
Tyson laughed. "Dude you need to relax. This is a party. Lighten up."
"Jayden doesn't get out much," Lorrie explained.
"Say no more. Here," he handed Jayden a bottle. "Enjoy. It'll loosen you up."
Jayden accepted it and sniffed it. He wrinkled his nose, and was about to say he didn't want it. But then he saw Lorrie watching him and decided he didn't want her to think he was too lame. He took an experimental sip and coughed. "Wow, that's strong."
"Oh yeah. See you two on the dance floor."
Lorrie smiled as she took Jayden's hand. "He's a nice guy."
"I see that," Jayden replied. He took another, larger, sip of his drink and nodded. "It's not so bad when you get used to it."
"Yeah."
"What is it?"
Lorrie was about to reply when the music suddenly got really loud. She smiled and shrugged when it was a obvious Jayden hadn't heard her. "Let's dance!" she shouted in his ear.
"I don't dance!" Jayden replied.
"Oh yes you do! Come on!"
Jayden took another couple of sips before he followed Lorrie to where people were dancing. He did his best to dance, taking sips of his drink as he did. Before he knew it, it was empty and he frowned. The guy from before, Tyson, saw them and smiled. "Refill?" he asked offer Jayden a new one.
Jayden nodded and took it. Lorrie swapped hers out too and raised her bottle above her head as she danced. As always, Jayden just tired to keep pace with her. He caught sight of Tiara a couple of times, but with so many people moving around it was hard to tell. He still felt nervous with this many people around him, but after a while something strange happened. He began to feel really calm. He took another sip and smiled. Man this drink must be magic. Whatever it is.
He danced more, not even remembering he didn't really know how. In his mind, his mystery drink was making him funnier since everything he said made Lorrie laugh. She was funnier too, he noticed. Anytime someone offered him another drink he took it. Lorrie suddenly kissed him and Jayden felt euphoria. He smiled and stumbled a little. "Whoa..."
"You...you ok...?" Lorrie asked him.
Jayden chuckled like an idiot. "Hehe...yeah...I-I feel...like I can fly. Like I'm a bird!"
"You look like a bird!"
This sent the two of them into a laughing fit. Jayden saw Tiara coming and smiled. "Hey Sis!"
"Jayden I've been looking for you! It's time to go home, come on!"
"Why?! The party just started!"
"Jay, it's almost midnight. The party's over. Come on." She reached down and that's when Jayden noticed at some point he'd laid down on the wet sand.
"How did I get here?" he asked as Tiara pulled him into a sitting position. She gasped when he spoke and let go. Jayden fell back and giggled. "Wee!"
"Oh god."
"Tiara?" Akito asked coming over. "Tiara is everything ok?"
"No! I think Jayden's drunk!"
Akito looked down at the older Shiba who was trying to make snow-angels in the sand; still holding a bottle in his hand. "I'd say so."
Tiara sighed. She grabbed Jayden's wrist and pulled him up so he was sitting. "Come on Jay. Let's go home."
"I wanna stay!" His head fell back and he laughed. "Tiara look at the birds!"
"Those aren't birds, they're airplanes," she told him as Akito helped her get him to his feet.
"Pretty birds!"
She shook her head. "Ji is going to kill you."
"I want Lorrie." He turned around and saw Lorrie who was being helped by a couple of sober people. "Bye Lorrie!"
"He's a very talkative person when he's drunk," Aktio noted.
"Tell me about it. Enjoy it now, because Ji's going to hang him."
Akito laughed. "That's a real shame. I like drunk Jayden."
Jayden looked at Aktio like he'd just noticed him. "Hey! You!"
"I'm right here, don't yell," Akito told him.
"I know you! You-you are dating my...sister! Yes! You and my sister!"
"Yes," Akito nodded. "I am."
"Don't be a jerk! Or I-I'll do...something..."
"I'll consider myself warned."
Tiara chuckled. Working together they managed to get Jayden into the SUV and buckled in. Tiara looked at Akito and hugged him. "Thanks."
"Anytime. I hope he lives to see next week."
"Me too. Night."
"Good-night my flower." He kissed her and walked off into the darkness.
Tiara sighed and got in the front. "Home please," she told the driver. She looked back at Jayden who was trying to stick his head out the window. "Jay, the window's not even down."
"I miss Lorrie," Jayden said suddenly; he seemed unfazed about the fact he'd just rammed his head into the window. "I-I like her."
"I'm sure you do."
Jayden giggled. "I love her."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I'm going to marry her."
"I think you need to think that one through."
"Yeah," Jayden continued like he hadn't heard her. "I-I'll marry her and it'll be a surprise. I'll hide it better than 'Tonio."
"What?!" Tiara asked sharply. "What about Antonio?"
"He-he asked me if he could propose to Lauren. An-an I told him yes-s. Then he had his mother's ring. It was really pretty. And he hides it in his room, but then Lauren found it."
"She did?!"
"Didn't want me to tell anyone. Shh! It's a secret!"
"Ok. It's a secret." Tiara sat facing forward again, mind racing. Maybe that was why Lauren broke up with Antonio. Maybe she thought that things were moving too fast between them. Maybe she hadn't wanted to get married. "None of this makes any sense." She heard a thump from the back seat and sighed. "Jayden the window is still up!"
-Samurai Ranger Life-
When they got home Tiara supported Jayden as they walked sin the gate. The door opened and Lauren came out. "What happened to him?"
"I think he's drunk," Tiara explained.
"Drunk?! Ji's going to kill him!"
"I know that!"
"I can yell too!" Jayden shouted. "Ahh!"
"Jayden shh!" Lauren scolded. "It's late."
Jayden started humming as his sisters lead him to the front door. He stopped suddenly and doubled over. "I don't feel good..." He then vomited on Tiara who gagged.
"Remind me that I'm never drinking alcohol. Ever!" Tiara told Lauren as they continued to the front door.
"Can do."
"I wouldn't like to be Jayden when Ji gets ahold of him. No no," she added as Jayden pulled at her shirt. "I'm your sister. Don't undress me."
"I don't feel awkward."
"That's because you're a walking, talking alcohol bottle," Lauren informed him.
"I can count."
"Good for you."
"One! Two!"
Lauren put her hand over his mouth. "Stop!"
"Lauren? Tiara?" Ji asked. "It's late, are you just now getting in?"
"Yes," Tiara admitted.
"Hi!" Jayden yelled.
"What's wrong with him?!" Ji asked.
"Um...he's a little drunk."
"He's what?!"
"I honestly don't think he meant to get drunk though."
Ji shook his head as he examined Jayden. One whiff of his breath though, and Ji knew Tiara was right. "Just take him to his room. I'll deal with this when he's sobered up."
"Right," Lauren nodded. They took Jayden to his room and he fell face down into his bed.
"Turn him on his side," Ji advised. "In case he gets sick, we don't want him to choke on his own vomit."
"Preferably," Tiara agreed as they rolled him over.
Jayden had pretty much passed-out at this point. Ji sighed and followed the girls out. "When you wake up Jayden, you will be in a world of trouble."
