"First of all," Emma stated as she sat with the four boys in the common room, "you weren't even invited to Louise Graham's party and second of all you wouldn't even get any during it because she wouldn't let you in."

"That's where you're wrong," Jay spoke up. "She would so let us in."

"Well aren't you forgetting something?" Will asked. "It is someone else's birthday that day."

"Who? The Queen?" Neil asked and they all rolled their eyes as Emma nodded at Will.

"It's Will's birthday and we have to go to his dinner," she said. "He's our true friend."

"Is that real?" Neil piped up. "We actually have to go to a dinner party at your house?"

"Yes," Will said; holding his head up high with a nod. "And it would be nice if you could get a date too."

"Does your mum count?" Neil asked and Jay snorted once whilst Will stood up with his briefcase in his hand.

"No Neil. No she doesn't."

...

"Oh," Emma spoke once as she and the boys walked into Simon's house and she bumped into a tall boy with long black hair as he looked down at her.

"Bonjour," he stated and took her hand, kissing the back of it as Emma looked to the side and Simon rolled his eyes as the French boy walked off and they all stood in the kitchen, wondering what had just happened.

"Who was he?"

"Patrice," Simon said with spite in his voice. "He's my French Exchange and I have to look after him."

"Seems to have taken quite a shine to you Emma," Neil pointed out and the brunette shrugged once.

"Well he takes quite a liking to all of the girls around here so don't count yourself lucky," Simon warned her with a wagging finger as she held her hands up in surrender.

"Sorry," she said. "I didn't say anything but I apologise."

"He's French," Jay said. "She wouldn't want him...if she wants filth then she can have it right here."

"I think I shall pass on that window of opportunity Jay," she nodded with a sarcastic smile. "But thank you very much for the option."

"Don't know what you're missing out on."

"Oh I do."

"Anyway," Will snapped, "has anyone managed to get a date for my birthday meal yet?"

"I'm bringing your mum," Neil told him.

"My mum isn't going to be there Neil and you cannot ask her out on a date," Will replied quickly.

"People don't date her," Jay nudged Neil, "they just shag her."

"I'll have to bring Patrice though," Simon said and Will complained silently.

"Fine," he replied. "Bring Patrice if you feel you must."

...

"Salmon wrapped in parmesan," Emma wriggled her nose as she looked over Will's shoulder whilst he typed in famous dishes for his birthday meal and Simon rolled his eyes.

"Why can't we all have Happy Meals?" he asked and Emma chuckled.

"Didn't realise you were still into them. Do the kids toys entertain you?" she wondered.

"No," Simon replied. "I just find them...well...it depends what toy is on."

"Brilliant," Will chuckled whilst Emma poured them all a drink.

"So who do you plan to bring along to this meal then Emma?" Simon asked her, his arms resting on the table as he played with the sleeve to his top, pretending to not be interested in her answer.

"Can I bring my dad Will?" she wondered innocently.

"No you bloody well cannot!" Will cried out and she laughed as he looked at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. Patrice remained stood in the kitchen, flicking through a magazine as Emma stood next to him, pouring the drinks into a glass as she felt his hand rest onto her arse. She jumped slightly as he squeezed her and she quickly spun out from his hold with the drinks, coughing and turning red.

"You need to keep Patrice on a leash Simon," she hissed into his ear and he looked at her with a raised brow.

"He just felt my arse up," she whispered.

"Oh," a female voice interjected before anyone had a chance to say anything else. "I didn't realise we had company Will."

"Well I didn't know he would be coming either," Will spat out, looking at Simon as Patrice stood up tall, flicking his hair from his eyes.

"This is Patrice," Simon said quickly. "And Patrice this is Will's mum."

"Bonjour."

"Oh heck you're French!" she cried out. "Well I just came to tell you I was off to play tennis...yes...don't know why I said that..."

"Mum," Will complained.

"Anyway...I'll see you later. Au revoir Patrice."

"He's been in the country less than seventy hours and already he has made a move on most of the girls we know," Will muttered.

...

"I'd have brought wine but my dad wouldn't let me," Emma said to Will as he let her in and led her to the dining room where the four other boys sat and Patrice wandered into the bathroom, claiming he was off to have a good time.

"I'm surprised he let you out," Jay told her. "Didn't he give you a curfew?"

"Good one," Emma complained, sitting next to Simon and folding her legs under the table whilst Will sat down at the end of the table, pouring a drink.

"Can we at least try to have a civilised evening?" he asked.

"Not once your present arrives," Jay chuckled and Neil winked at him.

"What have you got him?" Simon asked.

"He's going to love her."

"Her?"

"Did you manage to get Charlotte round because Will couldn't do that?" Simon asked and they all chuckled once and Will shook his head as Emma drank her drink.

"We got him a stripper!" Neil exclaimed and everyone but him and Jay looked horrified.

"And how did you manage to afford that?" Simon asked.

"We'll just have a whip round when she gets here," Jay shrugged. "No big one."

"So you got me a middle aged stripper and expect me to pay for her?" Will asked and shook his head, leaving the dinner table as Patrice returned and he took the seat at the head of the table opposite where Will was sitting.

"Well my chicken is ruined!" Will exclaimed and waltzed back into the dining room and he sat back down in his seat.

"Oh," Emma replied. "Is there no way to save it?"

"No," Will snapped, downing his drink again.

"Then we can go to Louise's party?" Jay suggested.

"We weren't invited," Emma pointed out.

"It is irrelevant," Neil shrugged.

"It is a bit dull here," Simon complained.

"Fine!" Will snapped, slamming his fists onto the table. "We can go if it shuts you all up."

And so they all stood up and left the dinner table, walking down the streets of the cul-de-sac and noticing a woman in a black car pull into Will's drive as they left.

"That's the stripper," Jay nudged Neil and they both chuckled as Emma rolled her eyes and they noted Patrice had lagged behind.

"Simon!" she nudged him. "He's peeing in their drive!"

"Oh shit," Simon complained. "He's terrible for that."

"He's done it before?"

"All the time."

"I think we should run and leave him."

"I couldn't agree more," Emma spoke and they began to walk off quickly down the street only to see him gaining on them.

"Run!" Will exclaimed and Emma shook her head as they all began to run and Patrice then overtook her only for the five of them to stop a moment later.

"You could have run with us," Jay hissed when she caught them up.

"He's back and I was not running in heels."

"So who is going to knock?" Will asked and Emma shrugged.

"I'll go," she said.

"I didn't know you knew Louise," Simon spoke as she stood in front of the door.

"She's in my Law. I practically give her the answers and so she should let me in...and there is the fact I actually received an invitation directly and not indirectly through theft," she said as she looked at Jay and he rolled his eyes.

"Emma," Louise said when she opened the door. "You can come in...but your friends can't...but he can," she said pointing at Patrice. Emma walked in as Patrice pushed her forward and Will began to argue with Louise as she said they couldn't come in.

"Fine!" Will snapped. "Have a fun time Emma."

And then the door was shut and Emma was being led off by Louise into the kitchen.

"Emma," a sudden male voice said as Emma tried to make a run from the party and back to her friends on the street. "Long time no talk."

"There's a reason for that," she snapped back at Andrew as he stood in the kitchen, downing a shot of vodka as she looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"No need to be like that Em," he told her. "I broke up with my ex," he slurred. "The shagging wasn't that good."

"Horrific," Emma said, mocking complaint.

"I know...so why don't...you and me...upstairs..."

"I'm good thanks Andrew," she snapped.

"You'd be better with me."

"You're drunk and being a prick," she hissed. "But you're that even when sober."

"No need to be like that babe," he said and made his way to her, his hands resting on her hips as he drew her closer to him.

"Get off!" she snapped as people looked at them and she tried to get his face from coming closer to hers. "I said get off!"

"Hey!" Simon suddenly snapped and jumped into the kitchen, moving Emma from Andrew's grip. "Don't start anything."

"Or what?" Andrew snapped.

"Or I'll...I'll...beat you up!"

"I would like to see you try," Andrew snorted.

"Simon just leave it," she told him.

"Yeah Si...leave..." Andrew said, falling onto the worktop.

"I do not think we should be starting a brawl," Will spoke up and Emma looked at him and laughed once.

"What the hell are you wearing?" she asked and he looked at the black vest top he was wearing.

"I crawled through dog shit and my jacket was dirty."

"But still," Emma said with wide eyes.

The five of them spent the rest of the evening stood in the hallway, time going slowly as they knew no one at the party and yet Emma was managing to have quite a good time. Until she found herself throwing up in the front yard.

"How much did you drink?" Jay asked as he smelt the sick and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Only a little bit Jayey Bear," she chuckled and they all looked at her.

"I reckon she's got no ethics when she's drunk," Neil piped up.

"Well it is our job as responsible friends to keep her ethics," Will said proudly. "So what do we do with her?"

"I am ready to go back and Partay..." she declared, standing up and falling over.

"Well we can't take her to Gilbert in this state...he'll kill us as well as killing her..." Simon said.

"Well we were going to stay with you Si," Neil said. "Can't Emma come?"

"Maybe it will be for the best," Will said. "And I should come too. I am guessing my mum is still annoyed over the hooker."

"Either that or they're having a good time," Jay suggested and Will rolled his eyes.

"I doubt that."

"Come on then," Will said and they began to walk slowly down the street as Emma stumbled along with them.

"I don't wanna go home!" she moaned. "I wanna go clubbing Si Si."

"Well you can't Emma," Simon said as he dragged her along with her arms over his and Jay's neck.

"I think we should take her. It would be interesting," Jay said.

"Yes Jaysta!" she agreed with him. "Because we can party until the morning light and then until tomorrow night!"

"No Emma," Simon said as her drunken ramblings continued and he finally reached his house and unlocked the front door, handing her over to Will who pulled her into the hallway.

"We're at your house Siey," Emma said and Simon placed a hand over her mouth.

"Shut up," he said. "You'll wake the house."

Emma placed her finger onto her mouth when Simon let go and they began to take the stairs and Emma fell up, giving Jay a good view of the pants she was wearing under her black sequined dress.

"Ow," Emma complained. "Owy owy owy."

"Emma!" Simon hissed as the upstairs light turned on.

"Simon," Mrs Cooper's voice sounded out. "What is going on?"

"Emma got drunk and so we're bringing her here..."

"Sorry Mrs C," Emma said. "I'm a bitty tipsy."

"Well...just...try and keep it down," she said and shut her bedroom door once again as Simon opened his bedroom door and they all bundled into the room, dropping Emma onto the bed as she sprawled out on it.

"Oh," she said. "This is very, very comfortable."

"Glad you approve," Simon said and shut his door.

"So what should we do now?" Will asked.

"We could go to sleep?" Neil said.

"Screw that," Jay said. "I'm going to get us some more vodka!"

"Where from? You're under eighteen and can't afford any." Will said.

"So maybe we should just go to sleep," Simon shrugged and climbed onto his bed, pushing Emma up as she shut her eyes and he rested his head onto his pillow and the three boys looked at him.

"Now we can see why he's so eager for his bedtime," Jay commented. "He's into Emma."

"I am not," Simon replied. "I'm just tired."

"Right," Neil said, unconvinced as they all made makeshift beds and Simon felt Emma grasp onto his hand in her drunken, sleepy state.