Catch their breath before continuing

"Well, here's a thought," Jennifer harrumphed. "How about calling it off?"

"Oh c'mon." Hannah waggled her tongue at Jennifer. "That's no fun."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Sometimes, a few of you have made me wonder, but you're all adults, do what you want. Just don't blast the speakers so everyone in the next county can hear you."

"Music was half the fun..." Hannah muttered.

"Now who's the brat?" Ashley giggled, attempting to mold her hair to a state of untidy neatness.

"Hey, hey," Heather interrupted, rising from the floor with Kurt's free hand. "We can have a quiet, kickin' party. And if Jennifer is so concerned about our volume levels, she can stay."

"Excuse me?" Jennifer and Hannah bristled at their exact timing, then blurted out a series of thoughtful, compelling reasons why neither one of them thought that was a good idea.

"Miss Ranger Party Pooper will ruin...."

"Don't kill the messenger, Heather, and I've work to..."

"Stop!" Heather spat. "Jennifer. You trust Hannah?"

"Hell no."

"Hannah, you want the torches and pitchforks at that door?"

"Not planning on it."

"Then Jennifer stays put."

The stoic ranger and the playful college student eyed each other, then hissed a resigned sigh. "Fine," they, again, said in unison, and, again, they gave a slight sneer.

Guess we've got the odd couple here, Heather thought, straightening her dress and unfortunately looking out the door. The fact that Zack and Chloe emerged together shouldn't surprise her, and she would've even cracked a joke about it a week ago, but now it only reinforced a growing sense over his fickleness in women. He doesn't know what he wants... She placed a hand on her breastbone. And I can't make him.

Eyes rapped at Heather's consciousness. Peter, still tucking in his shirt, shook his head with grim sympathy. She glanced away, then nodded. You can't make them care...

"Hey, squirt." Kurt parted her stormclouds. She turned to him with his protruding welt. "Just wanna thank you there, with, well... putting things away."

Heather had to smile. "Welcome, Casanova. I could tell Lisa and Ashley had you all riled up."

"Well..." he drawled. "Wasn't just them."

Something tugged at the corner of Heather's mouth. "I could tell."

Kurt grinned, then wrinkled his forehead. "Wait... how? Is there a discipline of erection divination?"

"Trade secrets!" Heather then bounced away, with a confused Kurt in tow, brushing past the recently redressed shoulder of Lisa.

"So..." she regarded Ashley with a nervous smile.

"Yeah...?"

"About... that, well..."

"Look, like my sister says? Spur of the moment stuff."

Lisa grimaced. "Sure. Yeah, sure, okay." Unfortunately that didn't stop her from catching a peek down Ashley's dress... which the blonde promptly noticed, and returned with a blatant gawk at Lisa's posterior.

They both coughed and appeared to be interested in whatever was in the complete opposite direction of them. Sadly, their views weren't much better.

A low growl leaked from Ashley's lips as Brandon treated Victoria oh-so-gentlemanly, taking her to the couch, sitting down beside her, and even taking her hand into his?! The hell was this?! And what the hell did they do on the deck?! Some god damn friend you are, Vicky, the second there's any problems, you'll just leap to the chance--

Do you know what I would do for a boyfriend like Brandon? her mind intoned, and her anger diffused into melancholy. Victoria's words from long ago spun around her, and she knew she couldn't stand to see them anymore. Maybe Hannah's jests are right, maybe she was a brat that needed things to be all about her? How selfish was she? She has -- had, she corrected morosely -- someone who was devoted to her, in a way that no one else could be, and she threw it all away.

Don’t worry, Ash, I can see you love him, her sister's memory reassured. Only you can decide what’s best in your case.

Frowning, Ashley breathed. Come what may tonight. The morning will sort it out.

Lisa's view of Zack with Chloe in tow reminded her of all the old, painful jokes. What are they, fuck buddies? She grimaced. I swear, she spends more time with your boyfriend than you do. She winced. Her excuses were as long as the horizon is wide, but, deep down, her jealousy fermented. Chloe was her friend, no denying that, but in the end it was a trio, not a quartet. Chloe seemed closer to Zack than she ever could be, and she would be lying to herself if that didn't filter into the decimating conclusion to their relationship. Ashley's birthday party was the final straw.

But with Chloe and Zack, frazzled and flushed, wandering in like they've committed the ultimate sin, Lisa wanted to retch. Her heart thudded away, banging against her brain in a pugilistic reminder of how it felt. Damn the boy! His fucking penis is the only thing running the show. Dios mío, I bet they weren't fucking joking! I'm such an idiot!

"Lisa?" Ashley's worry was evident. "Your... eyes are red, you okay?"

Lisa sniffed. "Oh, just... men."

Ashley spat some air away. "Look, maybe... we should just forget right now. Sis is right, we should have fun here."

Lisa nodded glumly, following Ashley, behind two towering forms.

"Uh, well," Gavin sputtered. "Hey, uh, Taylor, I--"

She gave him a quick kiss and gazed up into his eyes. Such a treat for a change. "No, no, Gavin, I should apologize, god knows what I've done to you and Chloe, and I just... let myself go like that. I'm sorry, really."

Gavin looked past her, souring before her eyes. "Honestly, Taylor, that may a lost cause."

She turned to see her brother and his old friend/new girlfriend hand-in-hand. "Oh for the love of..."

"Should've guessed by how everyone was acting. Well, I did, but... fuck, whatever."

"Gavin, stop." She edged in closer, rather shamelessly but effectively focusing his attention. "That's not the guy I just saw a minutes ago, and sure as hell not the one who Chloe enjoyed some nights ago."

Gavin lit up like a stoplight. "Wha, she?! Hey, now, I--"

"Hush." She chuckled. "Maybe I shouldn't be apologizing, maybe... maybe Hannah's got a point and I should stop seeing you guys as kids. You're definitely not, Gav. I saw you as a man, a very handsome and passionate one, I'm not ashamed to admit." She smiled warmly, tracing a light circle on his chest. "You just need the confidence, and I know you've got it, you just need to let it come out more often."

Shawn peered at the others, squabbling like infants, from behind the couch. All that work, wasted! For weeks he'd explored search engines and message boards before making contact with well-credentialed practitioners of homeopathic treatment. Why, it said right there on the bottle, For Being Good In Bed! They were no charlatans! And now none of these fine specimens would want a sip of the aphrodisiac-laden punch.

“Kendra, go to the bedroom and wait for me.” He congratulated himself for preparing a backup plan, just in case.

“Why?” Shawn's plaything fumbled for her dress's zipper, far too worried about concealing her modest chest. “The party's not over yet.”

“Yes, look how much fun everyone is having. Now do it because I told you to.”

Dustin leaned in to help Kendra with the zipper. “Shawn, Kendra may be right. Allow some time for the others to decide before you slip away.” He took Kendra's hand, helping her up, and she kissed his cheek as they joined the group.

Content with sloppy seconds, brother? Shawn turned his eyes to the delicious Victoria. I believe I understand the appeal.

Hannah was similarly unsatisfied. She made great decisions when she was unsatisfied. “Truth or dare?”

Jennifer scowled at the irritating teenager. Adult, she corrected herself. In years only. “Really? This is what we're doing?”

Hannah shrugged. “Truth or dare?”

“No way I'm taking a dare from you, so truth.”

“When's the last time you played truth or dare?”

“It's been so long I can't even remember. At least ten years, when I was in high school.”

“Then it's time you got back in touch with your inner crazy teenager!” Hannah dragged Jennifer onto the carpeted "dance floor" where they'd cleared away the furniture. “Gather 'round and pop a squat, everyone! We're playing truth or dare!”