It was two hours before Zoey's mushroom party and Echo was still not ready. She had brought down clothes with her when she moved, and Kim had offered to share her clothes but...

Echo threw down the top she'd been looking at onto the large pile of rejects. "Forget it, I am not going." Echo collapsed face first into her pillows, letting out an angry sigh as Kim laughed.

"You have to, you suggested it in the first place!" Kim pointed out as Echo mumbled something inaudible. Echo lifted her head from the pillows to scowl at Kim.

"You look fantastic! I look ridiculous!" Echo complained as she rummaged through the few clothes she had left. Kim rolled her eyes. She was wearing a dark blue skirt with a black and white striped top; it was only close up you couldn't tell it wasn't a dress. Kim tutted and rolled her eyes.

"Well you'd better hurry up, we're going to have visitors soon." Kim said happily as Echo whizzed around.

"We have visitors? Why would we have visitors, we're going out?" She questioned, turning her remaining bag of clothing upside down in an attempt to find something. Kim was distracted from answering when she saw a flash of purple as she picked something out from the midst.

"Oh, this is beautiful Echo! You have to wear this!" She admired as she held up the purple cocktail dress. Echo turned and paused when she saw the dress.

"... It is beautiful..." She said reluctantly as Kim pushed her towards the bathroom, a knock on the front door below them as Kim beamed.

"Visitors!" She sang as she slammed the door in Echo's face, racing down to the front door and opening it hurriedly, putting on a frown.

"You're late." She lectured as Teep apologised, signing and motioning behind him. Kim turned her gaze on Rythian as he walked towards her, looking around him cautiously as he nervously patted his breast pocket.

"Rythian. Everyone is getting ready for the party, including us, so you can relax!" Kim lectured as she closed the door behind him, nodding as Teep signed to him.

"Teep said 'Don't pretend you're not happy to see us because we heard you sing 'visitors' as you came downstairs" Rythian said smugly, Kim rolling her eyes as she allowed herself to smile.

"Right... We've just got our hair and stuff to do, so you're safe to come up..." Kim teased as both Teep and Rythian looked at each other worryingly.

"Um, doesn't hair usually take a while?" Rythian asked, Teep nodding seriously. Kim sighed.

"Just get up here will you?" She complained as she stomped upstairs, Teep giving Rythian a mocking glance of terror before following her. Rythian stopped on the stairs to look at the pictures on the wall; he knew it hadn't been long since Echo had been with Kim, but still... It was strange to see lots of baby photos of Kim on the wall without Echo.

"I think this is the first time I've ever been in your house Kim!" Rythian called as he walked up the stairs, laughing as Teep stuck his head around the door to look at him with an unimpressed face and began complaining about the mess in the room.

"Teep, it can't be that bad..." Rythian smiled as he reached him and followed Teep into the room. Rythian paused. "I stand corrected..." He muttered as Kim hastily cleared the clothes off Echo's bed.

"In all fairness, most of this is Echo's... She's just trying on option one hundred" Kim grinned as she raised her voice. "We have visitors Echo!" She called gleefully as she heard the bathroom door open.

"Well they'd better stay downstairs because..." Echo's appeared at the door in the purple cocktail dress, halfway putting her hair up. She saw Rythian and Teep, shock temporarily passing over her face as she smiled.

"... So who forgot to tell me that we were all meeting up now?" She asked, looking at Kim as her face dropped.

"Didn't I tell you? Teep texted, said we were going to compare the notes?" Kim said as Rythian and Teep continued to look at Echo, stunned. Echo turned to them, tutting.

"Yes it's a dress... You can stop staring now!" She teased as Teep and Rythian quickly looked away, making objections. Kim pouted.

"No one said anything about my outfit..." She complained as Teep held up a hand, signing. Rythian nodded.

"True, Teep did mention you looked pretty when you opened the door... Might have forgot to mention that..." Rythian commented, Teep nodding earnestly. Echo suddenly jumped, remembering something.

"Oh, I got something for you Teep..." She said, running out of the room as Teep looked confused. Kim rolled her eyes and loaded up her computer, motioning for Rythian and Teep to join her.

"I put all the photos on the computer so we could look at them in more detail. There's a slight problem though..." Kim said reluctantly as she loaded up the pictures. "... The names of who wrote the food seemed to be on the back, so we don't know whose handwriting is whose." Rythian took out a piece of paper and handed it carefully to Kim as they heard Echo bounce up the stairs.

"I thought of a way around that!" Echo beamed as she came back, handing a wrapped up present to Teep. "Happy appropriate present day!" She laughed as Teep took the gift, looking puzzled.

"Appropriate present day?" Rythian questioned as Echo shrugged, smiling widely.

"You'll see in a moment..." She replied as Teep opened the wrapping carefully, revealing a rectangular box. Teep widened his eyes as Rythian gave a whistle of approval.

"To explain, I never do presents unless they're appropriate. I figured you'd like it and it'd be easy and quick to use..." Echo trailed off as Teep held up the electronic whiteboard in awe. He quickly turned it on, grabbing the metal pen and writing something.

This is amazing! I can write this...

Teep checked the instructions before shaking it slightly, accepting yes when a 'Clear' option came up. The screen went blank and Teep began writing again.

And now this! This is great!

Everyone laughed as Teep smiled happily, staring at his new gift. He frowned for a moment before writing something.

Echo, was this expensive? I can't accept it if it was.

Echo waved a hand dismissively. "It wasn't expensive so don't worry, alright? Besides, even if it was, it's totally worth it. I mean, it's perfect for you! Appropriate present... Ta dah!" She laughed as Teep gave her a hug, Rythian checking the packaging carefully as he noticed the price was still on it. He quickly took it off and gave it to Teep, smiling.

"It says you can save pictures or phrases too" Rythian noted as Teep immediately began writing.

Yeah... Echo, thanks.

Echo smiled before turning her attention to Kim, who was frowning at the screen. Kim wordlessly motioned the others towards her, looking thoughtful.

"Double check if you want, but there are three handwritings that look really similar..." Kim pointed them out, Rythian nodding in agreement as they checked them.

"So we're looking at either Pringles, Sausages or Chicken Rolls..." Rythian said sarcastically as Teep motioned towards them. Echo turned, remembering something else about the whiteboard.

"Teep, I think it also makes a small noise when you press that button on the side, to get people's attention" Echo pointed towards the button as Teep pressed it, making a small ping. Teep nodded happily before his face turned more serious.

Okay. Focussing now; those items are very common - I'd probably eat all of them at some point during the evening...

"Can't we just ask who brought what?" Echo questioned, Kim shaking her head.

"Zoey never reveals who brought what; she says it ruins the atmosphere if everyone knows who brought what or something..."

*Ping* Everyone turned and laughed as Teep smiled broadly, holding up the notepad.

Not going to lie Echo, this is the best present ever. But yeah, I guess we're just going to have to keep an eye on the plates and make a note of who eats the most of what. If it's their favourite food, they're going to eat a lot of it.

"Right... So we are basically going to stand by the food the entire evening? That's not going to work..." Kim admitted as Echo suddenly snapped her fingers.

"How about we take turns guarding the food? Do shifts and swap places until they've all been eaten?" Echo suggested, Rythian speaking up for the first time in a while.

"I think I should go."

Teep, Echo and Kim turned at him in surprise as he looked at them seriously.

"Zoey's got a hedge around her garden, I can stay on the other side with a pair of binoculars and keep an eye on the food all evening and make tallies. If I can't see what someone's taken, I text Teep, who then texts you, and one of you goes and finds out what that person just had." Rythian looked at them smugly.

*Ping* it's a smart plan, but a dangerous one. What if you get caught?

Rythian laughed dismissively. "It'll be dark and I'll be staying still - plus no one ever goes near the hedges, Zoey always keeps people near the party."

Kim looked at Rythian reluctantly. "It's a good plan but... If someone takes food and you text Teep whilst he's already talking to someone else, he's not going to be able to reply and tell us in time." Kim smiled innocently as Rythian immediately picked up on what she was saying.

"Nope. Absolutely not."

*Ping* She has a point Rythian... It would be far more efficient to let them have your number.

Rythian shook his head, looking very uncertain. Echo decided to take pity on him.

"How about a compromise? We have your numbers for tonight, and then tomorrow we delete them first thing." Echo tried to look as concerning as possible as Rythian sighed.

"...Fine." Rythian sulked as he turned on his phone, checking for his number.

*Ping* I know Rythian will be keeping tabs but I think we all need to keep an eye on one particular set of food too... Just in case Ryth loses count. We should probably count the total number of each at the beginning too, so we can compare who had large amounts afterwards.

"I'm going Pringles!" Echo claimed quickly as Teep began to write furiously.

"I take chicken rolls!" Kim shouted as Teep stopped writing, clearing what he said and writing sulkily.

*Ping* Fine. You guys do realise you're not allowed to eat any of them though, right?

Echo's and Kim's faces fell sadly.