Chapter Nine: Loneliness and Limousines

Grey Mansion 7:30PM

Ted was sitting in the living room by himself, for some reason he felt kind of miserable and sort of lonely. He sat staring at his phone. He'd received literally hundreds of birthday wishes only a few of them meant anything to him. Today had been kind of empty and boring. That's why he'd come home so early he'd been dressed since 6:00PM. He wore all black except for his grey tie and shoes.

"Look at my handsome boy!" Ana said she entered the living room in her royal blue strapless dress. Ted dragged himself off the couch and hugged his mother. "Happy Birthday Teddy," she uttered softly and Ted squeezed her tighter. She pulled away so that she could view his face. "Something's wrong."

"No mom, I'm just waiting to go." Ana gave her son a half smile. She knew he was off balance, she wasn't sure it was because he was anxious about the event or if it was something else entirely.

"Are you excited about tonight? I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised." Ted smiled brightly even though he just didn't fell it.

"I can't wait to see what you've pulled together mom," he said and then his phone buzzed and he swiftly pulled his phone from his pocket. It was just another random happy birthday text from a foreign number he didn't recognize. Ana looked at her son's perturbed face, he was waiting for something and just as she was going to ask what he was expecting Phoebe and Ave came down the stairs. Ava was wearing a lovely magenta dress and Phoebe was wearing black, she always wore black.

"Happy Birthday big brother," Phoebe said with mild excitement. Phoebe had a very posh persona because she was spoiled rotten, however she loved her family rotten, however she loved her family very much.

"Hey Phebs, thanks." Ted released his mother so that he could embrace his sister and then his cousin. "So ladies how's Harvard University?" Phoebe responded to his question with an overly dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. "That good huh?"

"I don't know why she's complaining, she fabulous in all over classes, and I kind of hate her for it." Ava pouted playfully and then smirked. "Oh Happy BDay cuzzo."

"Yeah Thanks, so where's Blane?" Teddy teased her and chuckled. Blane was decent dude. He was only guy that Teddy would actually talk that was close to his age because he was laid back. He met Ava her senior year of high school and they had been hooked on each other ever since.

"He's coming with his parents, and I'm not really happy about it," she huffed, "anyway he said he should be at the club around 9PM. It sucks because I wanted to experience everything with him, mom said there were going to be big surprises throughout the night starting with the journey there … but his parents are so controlling."

"Please Ava; I'm sure you'll live without yet another opportunity to be spotted with your beau. When you two break up you're going to hate Google Images because he's gonna be all over your name search." Phoebe chuckled and Ava was really annoyed by Phoebe's constant negativity regarding her relationship.

"Just because you can hold on to anyone doesn't mean we'll all suffer the same fate! You're just jealous!" Ava scoffed.

"And you're living in a bubble that's bound to pop!" Phoebe pretended like she was popping bubbles.

"Enough, Phoebe!" Ana exclaimed. "Not all couples are doomed to fail. Your father was my first only love … things like that happen."

"Mom, you're the exception to the rule. True love for the most part is a myth." Ana just shook her head. She understood why her daughter felt this way, she'd had so many relationships and in every single one the guy had dumped her.

Ted found himself disconnecting from this drama. He pulled out his phone checked the time. He was trying to prove something to himself but he was about to fail, there would no personal victory today. He moved out onto the foyer and started to text his friend.

Ted: Where r u?
Tam: Took you long enough to check on me lol
Ted: Where r u Tam? :-S
Tam: Jeez open the door ya big dummy :-P

Ted quickly approached the front door of the house and Tamera was headed up the walk way towards him. He found himself smiling despite himself.

"You've been MIA Ms. Black!" He said as he opened the door wider so she could walk through. As she walked past him he took the opportunity to gaze upon his friend in her tight clingy charcoal grey dress, she'd paired it with a black tuxedo jacket in an attempt to cover some of her curves. As she walked past him she took a second to try and pull down her dress.

"Aw, I missed you too Grey," she murmured after she finished fidgeting.

"So, new hair?" He stepped up and played with a lock of her golden brown hair with blonde highlights. She smirked and nodded.

"Yeah I thought you'd get a kick out of it." He took a moment to appreciate the change of appearance.

"I really like this, but I like your curly hair too. Tam, I did … I wanted to spend more time with you today." Again Ted felt weird confessing this. He thought that it was probably only due to his father's off the mark statement. Ted looked into Tamera's happy hazel eyes, and swallowed hard. His father was just in his head, he was determined to prove that his friendship with Tam was normal

"Weave takes time Teddy," she chuckled and she took a couple of steps back so she could look her good buddy over.

"Wow, Theodore you clean up so well! I'm sure you won't have any trouble with the ladies tonight." She tugged on his tie and he chuckled.

"Why thank you Tamera, and you are an absolute twenty in that dress. And by the way, I can drop panties in just about anything I'm wearing." He whispered and his friend just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"So it's going to be one of those types of evenings." Ted mouthed "Oh yeah", and then ushered Tamera towards the living room.

"Pheebs and Ava are already here," he said as he grabbed her hand before that entered the living room. Ava was sitting on the couch pouting and Ana was having words with her daughter.

"Hey Ava, hey Phoebe!" Tamera said as she surveyed the room.

"TAMERA WHOA, you look different … great, just wow!" Ava squealed as she hugged Tam and knocked her off balance.

"Whoa, that's Ava, you look great too!" God, you've both grown up so much." Phoebe stalked over and gave Tam an unexpected big hug. She was still a little bitter after her mother hand chewed her out for being so negative and rude to her cousin.

"You okay Phoebe," Tam whispered and Phoebe laid her head on her shoulder enjoying Tamera's sympathy.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good," Phoebe pulled herself together and drew herself away from Tamera. She loved from Tam and then to her brother. She noticed the how their outfits were coordinated and how Ted watched his friend with a very cautious eye. "Dude, you tell me the two you were dating Ted!" Tamera was quick to attempt to correct Phoebe but Christian and Taylor came in and alerted then that their vehicles were ready.

"Are vehicles?" Ted was confused. He thought he was going to be riding with Tam in her Cadillac. The crowd made their way outside and in the circular drive way there were now three limos, two black and the last one was silver. Mia and Ethan hopped out of the limo and quickly approached the crowd and hugged their nephew.

"I thought I'd said we wanted two limos Kate, who's the third limo for?" Ana had given Mia one thing to do and she of course had put her own spin on things.

"Don't get mad, I thought about this. I thought it would be cool if this guy here got his very own limo! The girl's would have their own limo and we could all ride in the front limo."

"I'm loving this night already! I just wish Blane was here with me, he love this!" Ava exclaimed as she pulled Phoebe to the middle limo. Phoebe looked back and mouthed kill me know. Ana and Christian chuckled and then followed Mia and Ethan back to the first limo where Grace, Carrick, Elliot, and Kate were already seated.

"Have fun Teddy," Tamera said as she went to join Ava and Phoebe in the middle limo.

"Uh, where the hell are you going? The limo is this way." Ted asked as he grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Ted, weren't you listening? That's all for you buddy, I'm a girl I'm supposed to be in the middle limo." Tamera tried to retrieve her hand as she watched her friend pout. "Teddy," she was going to try to convince him to let her go. It wasn't that far of a ride and he could call her if wanted to, but this was supposed to be his moment in the spotlight, his alone. Teddy easily pulled Tamera to him.

"I don't give a fudge what the others want. You be riding with me woman! I haven't talked to you all day and now you're here and you think you're riding with those bickering teens.

"But … Fine! I told myself as part of my gift to you I wouldn't argue with you tonight, let's go Grey!" Ted opened the door for Tam she scooted in as best she could without showing her unmentionables. Teddy laughed at how awkward she was scooting herself back into the limo.

"Yeah … it is a little short," he teased and he got in behind her.

"Ya think!" They drove off into the night, Teddy's night. A night Teddy, Tam and the others would never forget.

Author's Note: We are almost at the event! I'm so excited. I want to let you all know that I'm going to working on another chapter for one of my Twilight stories Missing Pieces before coming back to Black & Grey. I should be back in a couple of days. Also, check out the new Black & Grey Exclusive: Diva Hair! Please do read and review with no flames.