Boys and Girls, Part II: Prince Charming

Chapter 13 – Happy Birthday

Stephanie picked a piece of lint off of her peach-colored party dress. The short skirt billowed around her, and she felt like a total Barbie doll – in the good way of course. She had clipped her hair up, so that some messy ringlets of gold curled around her face.

Stephanie had finally decided on the peach dress after much deliberation with Delaney and Jacy. Much to her surprise, Stephanie decided that she hadn’t wanted all the other outfits she had bought. She donated a bunch of them to various charities and gone very low-key with her party decorations, opting for some scented candles and some streamers. She also decided that instead of ordering from her favorite vegetarian catering service, she would order pizza; everyone liked pizza.

Stephanie had done another little thing, as well. She had asked Jason for the number to Joe’s family’s house. Joe’s mother had picked up, and Stephanie introduced herself as his friend. It wasn’t a total lie. They had been friends, once. Then, Stephanie had asked to speak with Maxine, who she instantly hit it off with. After talking with Maxine for what was probably a whole hour, Stephanie requested that Maxine send the link for the dress she had wanted via e-mail. Maxine sent it, and Stephanie ordered it for her. That had been on the night after her talk with her father. She hoped that it had arrived by now.

The doorbell sounded. Stephanie ran over to open it. It was Jacy, looking very cute in a denim skirt and a lavender peasant blouse.

“Please don’t tell me I’m the first one here.”

Stephanie laughed and pulled Jacy inside. Jacy helped Stephanie straighten up the apartment but not before she mentioned her aching back and how the cleaning products were making her nauseous.

Pretty soon, Stephanie and Jacy were joined by Delaney, Jason, and Ryan. No Joe, however. Big surprise.

Everyone was shocked when the pizza guy knocked on Stephanie’s door.

“Where’s this five-star vegetarian gourmet I was waiting all week for?” Ryan asked jokingly.

“I decided that you guys might prefer this to a few measly carrot sticks served on a big fancy plate,” Stephanie answered.

The group ate and talked about everything going on in their lives. Well…not everything. Stephanie spilled the beans about her parents but wisely omitted all the information about Joe.

As if Ryan could read her mind, “Where’s Joe?”

“He said he would be cramming some defensive plays for tomorrow,” Jason answered, taking a bite of his pepperoni pizza. “That asshole…he makes me feel like a total slacker.”

Delaney punched Jason lightly in the shoulder, but he laughed and kissed her on the cheek. Stephanie tried not to look so wistful. Watching Jason and Delaney so happy together made her feel so crummy, as much as she hated to admit it. Furthermore, she was pretty sure it wasn’t a book of football plays that was keeping Joe away from her party.

After they finished eating, Stephanie opened her presents. Nobody except Jason had actually heeded her demands and gotten her a present from the list. He had bought her a new Juicy Couture purse. Ryan had gotten her a very nice white Armani Exchange belt. Delaney had bought Stephanie a special edition set of the Eloise books since they had been her favorite reads growing up. Jacy had presented Stephanie with a gift certificate to Fusion Music and included an little something extra – pepper spray.

“You never know,” Jacy warned.

Even though Stephanie hadn’t received the gifts she had asked for, she honestly couldn’t have cared less. She wouldn’t have traded the gifts she received for everything on that damn list she had made.

“Thanks guys,” she answered, choking up.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Delaney added, reaching into a large paper bag near her purse. “Lani sent this to me to give to you.” Delaney pulled out a rectangular box wrapped in Hawaiian patterned paper and handed it to Stephanie. “She said that you had to open it as soon as possible and that you had to use it while everyone was here.”

“Maybe it’s a vibrator,” Jason joked in un-Jason-like bad taste. That earned a smack on the head from Delaney and a roll of eyes from Stephanie and Jacy. Ryan surprisingly kept his comments to himself. Jason rubbed at the sore spot and kissed his fiancée who couldn’t stay mad for long at all.

Stephanie opened the present. She blinked in surprise. It was Pictionary.

Stephanie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She remembered hating this game because she had been so bad at it. She told Lani all about it the previous year, and Lani had promised to make Stephanie like the game. Stephanie managed a small laugh and read Lani’s card:


STEPH,

ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THAT RIDICULOUS LIST OF YOURS? I SWEAR, THESE GIFTS GET MORE EXPENSIVE EVERY YEAR! ANYWAY, I’LL BE HOME IN A FEW DAYS. WAIT FOR ME UNTIL THEN AND PLAY THIS GAME IN THE MEANTIME. I EXPECT YOU TO BE READY TO COMPETE WITH THE QUEEN OF PICTIONARY WHEN SHE RETURNS, GOT IT?

LOVE,
LANI

P.S. GIVE A BIG HUG TO EVERYONE FOR ME…EVEN JACY

That got a smile out of Stephanie. She opened the box and began setting the game up.

“What are you doing?” Jacy asked warily.

“I wanna play,” Stephanie said.

Jacy began looking around frantically for a sympathetic face in the crowd. “Guys?”

Jason shrugged. “It’s her birthday, Jacy.”

A knock sounded at the door. Stephanie got up to answer it. From the background, she could hear Jacy complaining about how you couldn’t play Pictionary without two groups of an equal number of people. Stephanie just smiled and opened the door.

“Happy birthday, Steph.”

And then, there were six.

****

“Man, I didn’t think you were going to make it,” Jason commented. “You really go all the way, don’t you?”

Joe was eating his sixth slice of pizza and nursing a lite beer. He spoke with his mouth full. “Can’t talk, eating.”

“You fucker,” Jason responded jokingly.

“Hey assholes,” Ryan’s voice grumbled as he prepared to draw. “Pay attention.”

The timer started, and Ryan began drawing something that looked like…Joe didn’t know what the hell it looked like.

“The sun?” Jason asked.

“An egg?” Joe offered.

“Some kind of…shit, I don’t know,” Jason complained.

Ryan looked annoyed. “You guys suck at this.”

“You’re the one who can’t draw, ace,” Joe pointed out.

Jason and Joe called out several more crazy guesses before the timer when off. Ryan frowned at them. “It’s a UFO, you jerk-offs.”

Jason and Joe looked confused. “That’s not a freakin’ UFO, Ry.”

The girls thought this was the funniest thing ever…especially because they were kicking the guys’ butts. The score was eleven to two, and the guys had scored points with prompts like “dog” and “flower.” Jacy was having so much fun, in fact, that she was starting on her sixth beer. Jacy was surprisingly good at the game, even when drunk. Stephanie was two seconds into her drawing when Jacy correctly guessed the answer.

“The Garden of Eden,” Jacy slurred.

“Yes!” Stephanie yelled triumphantly.

The guys all groaned, especially Ryan. “Are you kidding me? These idiots couldn’t get ‘UFO,’ and you guess that in, like, two seconds? Wait a minute, wait a minute. I want to switch teams.”

“You were the one who wanted boys versus girls,” Delaney pointed out.

“Well, that’s before I knew you guys were housing a Pictionary prodigy.”

Jacy hiccupped. “Only when I’m drunk.”

Ryan regarded her with fascination. “You’re kidding.”

Jacy shook her head rapidly. “Nope. I’m much more funner when I’m hammered.” She hiccupped again for good measure.

“Okay,” Jason called out, rising from the sofa. “I think it’s time to take Boozy back to her apartment.”

“I’m fine, pretty boy,” Jacy protested. Delaney and Ryan had to suppress a laugh at that. Even Jason had to keep from smiling.

“Can you walk, Jacy?” Delaney asked.

“I’m fine,” Jacy answered. She got up a little too quickly and nearly fell backward when Jason caught her.

“Okay, I’m going to carry you, okay?”

“Are you sure you can lift me?” Jacy asked, her eyes half-closed.

“I’ll be fine,” Jason reassured her. “Just…please don’t puke on me,” he added as he lifted her on his back.

Jacy rested her head on his solid shoulder. “I don’t make any promises.”

Delaney, Jason – and Jacy, by default – were the first to leave. Ryan stayed but left soon afterward. He gave Stephanie a quick peck on the cheek but seemed to be thinking about something else.

“So…Lani’s coming back pretty soon, huh?”

“Yeah,” Stephanie answered. “In three days.”

Ryan nodded in understanding. “Cool. I guess the gang will all be back together then, right?”

Stephanie smiled, and Ryan wished her a happy birthday one last time. He addressed Joe who was still inside the apartment. “Hey man, see you at practice tomorrow morning?”

“Yeah,” Joe called out. He was in the process of grabbing his apartment keys from Stephanie’s coffee table.

“All right, man,” Ryan called out before saying good-bye and leaving.

Joe walked over to Stephanie’s front door and put on his shoes. Stephanie leaned against the open door and watched her ex-lover in the process of leaving her again.

“Thanks for coming.”

Joe regarded her with those serious brown eyes of his. “It’s your twenty-first, Steph. Although we didn’t get you drunk like we were supposed to.”

Stephanie shrugged. “If you’re best friends with Jacy for three years, you appreciate staying sober.”

Joe chuckled before remembering something. “Be sure to open your present. It was in the bag I brought.”

Stephanie’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was…well, hold on a minute. I want to open it while you’re still here.”

Stephanie walked over to the bag she had set on the coffee table. There was a lot of tissue paper inside.

“Sorry, but I sort of suck at wrapping presents,” Joe added apologetically.

“That’s okay,” Stephanie answered, digging through the tissue paper. Her hands touched glass, and she wondered what he had gotten her. She gripped the base, which felt like ceramic and pulled out the present.

It was a Disney snow globe. Inside, Cinderella was frozen in mid-dance with her prince. Stephanie located a small knob and turned it. “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” began to play.

“It’s not much, and I know it wasn’t on your list, but I –

“I love it,” Stephanie confessed. Her chartreuse eyes left the snow globe and looked up into Joe’s eyes. “I absolutely love it Joe.”

He smiled. “Happy birthday, Steph.” He leaned in for a kiss but decided that that was too awkward and instead, he pulled her into a tight hug. When they pulled back, Joe put his hands on Stephanie’s shoulder. “Thanks for getting that dress for my sister too.”

Stephanie looked stun. “How did y –

“A little birdie told me,” he answered with a smile.

“You’re not…mad?”

Joe shook his head, still smiling. “You appreciated my gift. It would make me a real asshole to scoff at your gift to my sister.”

“Th-thanks, Joe.”

Joe leaned down for another hug. This one lasted a little longer, though, but Stephanie didn’t mind. It felt like a big weight had been lifted from her shoulders. But when she began to pull back, Joe wouldn’t budge.

“Joe?”

“I’m sorry,” he answered almost inaudibly.

“What?”

“I’m so sorry for what I said and did to you that night, sweetheart.”

Stephanie’s heart began beating faster. “Joe, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” he countered. As he pulled back, he tried to wipe at his eyes, but they were tearing all the same. “I fucked up big time, and now, I’ve lost you.”

Stephanie was still confused. “What are you –

“I saw you and Jack kissing in front of Armani. I was so goddamn jealous Steph. I understand if he makes you truly happy, but please tell me that you didn’t go back to him to spite me, Steph. Tell me because I can’t live with the thought that I helped push you back into his arms.”

“Okay,” Stephanie answered. “You didn’t.”

Joe seemed to exhale a relieved sigh at that. “Jesus, thank God. Shit…I thought that maybe I…that I…

“Joe,” Stephanie interrupted. “Umm, Jack and I aren’t going back out.”

Joe froze. “What?”

“That day we were kissing? Uh…he kissed me. I basically left him after that. I haven’t seen him since then.” She casually placed the snow globe on the small mantle next to the front door.

Joe regarded her curiously. “Why?”

“Because…” Stephanie began nervously, averting her eyes. “Because…I

Joe gave Stephanie his complete attention, and Stephanie finally found the nerve to stare him in the eyes.

“Because I love you, Joe.”

****

A/N: Those of you who have read Part I know that Ryan gets weird around any mention of Lani. You guys also know how fun Jacy becomes when she gets a little tipsy. I loved writing this chapter because the entire group dynamic really gets a chance to shine. Please R & R!