The Party Scene Got The Best Of Us...And Look Where We Ended Up.

Around six o'clock Friday night, the three families, plus Travis, started to arrive at the Merrick household. The Dawsons were first to get there, carrying two large trays of brownies, both of which were piled high in Kara's arms.

"Hey!" Sarah greeted, kissing Rian, Kara and lastly Shae on the cheek, "how's your week been?"

"Eh, pretty good. You?" Rian answered, heading into the living room where Zack was. Kara and Shae followed Sarah into the kitchen, where just as soon as the brownies were set down, the front door could be heard opening.

A loud voice was heard from the foyer, yelling something having to do with a party but that was otherwise un-comprehendible.

"I'm guessing the Barakats are here?" Shae laughed, watching as Jack burst into the kitchen enthusiastically.

"Someone called?"

"Hi to you, too," Sarah answered, laughing. "Hi, Persephone; Emmy!"

Everyone exchanged waves and hugs, and then dispersed into the living room to greet Zack and Rian.

Travis was next to arrive at the Merrick's, looking tired and more and more like his father.

"Hey, Sarah," he said, nodding his head in her direction. "Dad says he can't make it again; maybe next week."

Glancing at him sympathetically, Sarah smiled. "Maybe next time." Travis nodded and went to the living room to join the other boys.

The Gaskarths were last to arrive. Alex greeted the girls in the kitchen with sloppy kisses on their cheeks, before leaving them to hang out with the guys.

Ian trailed behind his father, looking tired and worn out, just like Alex. He glanced at Shae and gave her a sideways smile before he hugged her, holding his arms around her just a little longer than necessary. She blushed as he pulled away, and Kara gave her a knowing smile as Ian disappeared through the doorway after his father.

The girls followed after him shortly, all gathering around the TV to watch as Zack and Rian played some surfing-themed videogame. Zack was winning, skillfully controlling his character to execute perfect twists and turns, while Rian's character's movements were sloppy and uncoordinated. Red numbers appeared on the screen, counting down the final seconds before the round was over. Rian leaned back and forth with the controller, mumbling to himself and his character. The time stopped and announced Zack as the winner.

Rian threw his controller down. "Shit, man, you're good!" he said to Zack, capturing him in a half-handshake, half-hug.

Zack grinned, flashing his teeth. "Bro, it's nothing compared to the real thing. We've gotta get back out to Cali sometime soon."

Rian grinned and nodded, handing his controller over to Ian, while Zack gave his to Travis. Sarah warned them that dinner was fast approaching, and left for the kitchen. The two boys battled it out, yelling and screaming at each other the entire time, while everyone else watched, occasionally cheering one of them on.

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The girls were all in the kitchen, finishing the last of the details on dinner. Shae and Emmy were placing the little bit of vegetables that were left to go in the salad, in the bowl while Bryony made the potato salad by heart. The older females were just checking on everything, making sure the lasagna was fully baked and the bread was cut.

Kara, being the closest thing to a mother that Bryony had, went to the young girl and decided to praise her for her work. She couldn't explain how the teen knew the recipe without looking at it, but she had a feeling that somewhere deep down, it was her mother shining through her, because the job Bryony was doing, was her mother Kayla's, long before the mess of the Gaskarth household came about.

"Looks good, sweetie," Kara encouraged, looking over Bryony's shoulder.

Bryony shrugged with indifference, "Thanks. I hardly get to cook at home."

The girls all stopped movement, a little shocked at this, knowing Bryony enjoyed cooking and that her father, brother and herself needed to be fed properly.

"Why's that?" asked Persephone.

With a shrug, Bryony kept mixing the ingredients, "Dad doesn't like it. He doesn't talk about it, like at all, but I have a feeling it has to do with mom. He won’t even talk about her and doesn't show me pictures or anything and just...I don't know. Hate's me."

"Why do you say that?" Sarah asked concerned by the way she was feeling due to her father’s actions.

Bryony sighed, still not looking at her aunts, "I know I remind him of my mom. I know it because I look nothing like him and he honestly has a hard time looking at me. It's just... sometimes I wish I didn't have to be such a miserable reminder for my dad."

Kara sighed and rubbed her fingers against her temples, "Sweetie, you should be proud to be so much like your mother. You are just as strong and as beautiful as her. Your father...he's just as stubborn as a mule."

The girls of the kitchen all let out a laugh at how Kara had kindly worded her father’s actions.

"Thanks Auntie Kar. By the way, I was wondering if you all could help me with my family tree project? I can't exactly get the facts down about my mother..."

Their faces brightened, excited that they would finally get to let Bryony in on her mother a little, but knowing Alex wouldn't want too much revealed and that they would have to respect his wishes.

"Sure!" Sarah told her happily. "We can have a girls' night here after the boys leave and I can dig out my old photo albums!"

"I love you guys," Bryony said with a smile. "Thanks."

"No problem," they chorused together.

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After dinner, everyone once again retreated to the living room, this time breaking out Rock Band for an All Time Low reunion show, as Jack was calling it. Each of the guys picked up their respective instrument (or, in Rian’s case, sat at), while Alex chose the song: Blink 182’s “Dammit”.

“Just for old time’s sake,” he claimed, facing everyone else in the room rather than the TV.

One song turned into eight, including but not limited to Alex’s choices of OK Go, More Blink, Jimmy Eat World, Weezer and even some classic rock. Each and every time they boasted about scores (which, with each beer were going downhill), and argued playfully over who needed to improve.

Finally, Alex tossed down the microphone, only to have it snatched up greedily by Ian. Travis got the hint and took the guitar from Jack.

“Hey, can I play bass, guys?” Alec asked, seeing no one else was jumping up to do it.

Ian smirked. “Sure, would you just grab me a Rock Star out of the fridge, first?”

“Hey, one for me too?” Travis added.

“Girls?”

Emmy was the only one to nod, not seeing the mean look in Ian’s eyes.

Once Alec was in the kitchen, Ian posed his next question. “Shae, you wanna play drums?”

She nodded, and took Rian’s seat, while Ian tossed the bass to Emmy, telling her she could play until Alec got back.

While in the kitchen, Alec saw Kara getting ready to warm up the brownies.

“Oh, hey Al. What’s up?”

“Just getting’ drinks for the guys.”

“Gotcha. Would you send Alex in here when you’re done, please?”

He grabbed what he needed out of the fridge, nodded, and returned to distribute drinks and tell Alex Kara’s message. He also saw Emmy playing bass, but chose to ignore it, figuring he’d get a turn eventually.

“What’s up, Kar?”

“Alex, why won’t you tell Bryony about Kayla?”

“That’s why you wanted to talk to me?” He turned to leave, giving Kara the best death glare he could.

“Alex-”

“Fuck off, Kara. She’s my kid; I'll raise her how I want.”

“Kayla was –is– her mother, Alex! She has a right to know!”

“Whatever,” Alex spat, grabbing another beer out of the fridge. “It’s not like she’s ever asked, anyway!”

“She thinks you hate her, Alex,” Kara nearly whispered. Alex, though he heard, chose to pretend he didn’t and walked away before he let his emotions get the best of him.

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By the end of the night, Alex was still pissed off, and Bryony was walking on glass around him. He was pretty tipsy, and she had overheard a good portion of his and Kara’s conversation earlier –right then she wanted to be anywhere but near him. She was almost relieved when he told Ian to put down the microphone because they were leaving early. Bryony quickly told him Sarah invited her to stay for a girls’ night, to which he grunted an approval.

Just before they left, Ian pulled Shae off to the side of the foyer and whispered something in her ear. She leaned back from him, nodding and blushing, before giving him a quick hug and running back into the living room.

Travis left with them, saying quick goodbyes to everyone, and the Dawsons, sans Kara, followed not long after.

Seeing as the Barakats were last to leave, Alec still hadn’t played Rock Band, but had, however, done whatever Ian asked him to without complaint. Soraya was sitting on the couch, waiting patiently to go home. She was full from dinner and dessert, and now tired with it nearing eleven thirty. Just as she was about to doze off on the Merrick’s plush couch, her phone buzzed in her hand, signaling she had a text message from her closest friend, Danielle.

Flipping open the screen, she read it quickly. Only after reading it for the third or fourth time did the message really sink in, to which the only thing she had to say was,

“Oh, shit.”