.Our Family. (ALL OZ PEOPLE)

[JENYFER SALAS-ORTIZ]

OUTFIT OF AN EXCITED JENY!!!

Jeny was excited.

There really was no doubt about it.

Today she was throwing a barbeque, that was just going to bring everyone together. And it would be perfect. Because God help whoever made this NOT perfect. Rose was back from her... vacation, and her swollen pregnant belly as BEAUTIFUL! Mason should be arriving rather quickly, as Jeny's date, and Guillermo would probably play nice due to the flip in his moods since his love's return. Seth would be there, Rose's cousin would be there, Mallory would be there with her DARLING little cousin. Not that Jeny really knew he was darling personally, but the things that she had heard: FREAKING ADORABLE. Even Jeny's psychology teacher might show up, if he took her up on her invitation. There would be friends, and family, and food, and light social drinking, and perfection.

Ever the party planner, Jeny was buzzing around the roof of Jacob's apartment complex. It was one of those warm, late, afternoons; probably one of the last of the year. The smell of fall was in the air, the trees were golden below. She tied balloons to near every tie-able surface, the international signal for 'Party of Hurr!!!' The streamers and table cloths MIGHT have been too much. But go big or go home, right?

Near the grill was a variety of meat: chicken, beef, steaks, pork, some fish, hot dogs. Even tofu, in case they got one of those hippie dippies. Then all of the typical barbecue foods: a variety of crisps (barbeque, sour cream and onion, salt and vinegar), pickles and pickle wraps, deviled eggs, potato salad, dips, corn on the cob. Anything you could think up for a barbeque, Jeny thought of it.

This was exactly what they needed, Jeny was sure. Something to finish uniting them all together! Guillermo and Jeny didn't have a very big family, especially in comparison to their friends back home. But in New York... they seemed to find others who wanted family. Craved it as much as they did. And even if Guillermo was a giant butt head a lot of time, Jeny wasn't going to let him deny this. If, nothing else, the babies needed ties.

Jeny was a bundle of nerves, and would be until she saw everyone having a good time. From behind her hipster glasses she didn't really need, her round brown eyes scanned over the surroundings. Part of her was worried that she didn't look personally up to par. Mason, who had been doing some courting, seemed like the sort who held a great amount of weight on looks. Not that he was shallow or anything. Jeny certianly hadn't been glamorous looking the day they met. Besides, she looked cute. Light make up, simple cloths. Wine colored skinny jeans, gray boots, grey sweater, dark teal tank shirt. Her hair fell to her butt, held out of her eyes with a hessian band that wrapped around her forehead. Yes, she decided, she looked cute, as she chewed on her blue painted nails.

Mega cute?

Mega cute.

And it wasn't like this was a date date anyway.

Oh, she hoped Guillermo played nice. And that Mason didn't push his luck. And that Rose didn't get too hormonal. And that Ripley acted like a normal human being. And that Professor Osbourne showed up, as he seemed the lonely sort. And that River would come out of her bubble (OMG GEDDIT) and make a cameo. And that Seth would forget that he's being pissy with Rose, and have a good time.

And...

And...

No.

Everything was going to be perfect.

She just needed to freaking breath.

Breathing was good.

(Just start throwing them in there people! Let's DO THIS!)

[RIPLEY "TRAMP" GWYNN]

So Jeny was throwing a barbeque, eh? She had been told she could invite one person, and that was hard to decide between Angel, Wes, and Xander. In the end, she had gone with Xander, wanting--for some strange reason-for Guillermo and Rose to give the stamp of approval. Originally, Tramp had started out with a little black dress, and a pair of stilettos. Until a text from Jeny requested that she dress 'normal', that she be 'normal'. And dressing classy, was not normal for Tramp. So rather than stress her darling little friend out, Tramp resorted to her normal clothes.

Which included a black bikini top, and a pair of old, ratty faded shorts that sat almost too low on her hips. The lack of shirt exposed the four anchors that were set in her hips, and a tiny little jewel that hung from her bellybutton. The look was made complete with a pack of cigarettes poking out of her pocket, and one hanging from her lips. It was warm, not too cold, but when the sun went down, it might get a bit of a chill, so when Tramp went up to the roof, she tossed a thin black hoodie over the back of the chair. In one hand she helf up a blue bowl, over her head, "Jeeeeny! I've got the guacamoleee!" Tramp sang out, walking over to the table and setting it down near the chips.

"Aren't you the picture of cuteness?" There was something about Jeny that utterly urked the hell out of Tramp. However, Tramp hadn't been rude to her--if anything, passive agressive. Which was all the more hilarious. At times she felt bad, because Jeny could be such a sweetheart, but she seemed like she should be in some sort of floofy gown singing while animals crowded around her. And people like that drove Tramp bonkers. "So, I invited my....friend Xander. He should be here pretty soon, couldn't miss him. Super crazy curly hair. Like, for real. Corkscrew curls, totally adorable." Tramp looked around curiously, before scratching her head. It appeared that, again, today she had forgotten to brush her hair. It had been so long, that her hair was actually starting to form natural dreds, locking together. She had taken a special effort, and used a bit of strawberry kool-aid to tint some of her blonde hair pink.

Tramp wandered over to the side of the roof, and pulled up an old can that had previously been used for coffee, and pulled out a joint that she had rolled for the occasion. She pushed the can back under a chair, and flicked her lighter to get it started. She had snuck her stash back into the house for the evening, she wouldn't put it past someone to find it out here on the roof, and she'd be flat out furious if all of her weed went missing because of some inconsiderate imbecils. Tramp stuck the joint in her mouth, and inhaled slowly, then slid her eyes over to Jeny, "So where is everyone, Princess? They bail on you?" She asked, flicking a balloon with her finger, eyeing it warily.

Trampalicious threads![/size]

[SAM HADLEY]

Social gatherings freaked River out. She had been living in an apartment complex with people her age for months now, and she only really knew one person. Seth had become a confidant, a friend. He came over all the time, and they just sat there, watching telly, playing video games, and smoking. It was nice to have a friend, and Glinda hated him for some reason, so she stayed away. Jeny was nice, but River and her rarely got the chance to hang out, something that River felt guilty over. So when Seth invited her to the barbecue on the roof that Jeny was planning, River vowed to be there. It's not like she was doing anything. Miss Sinclair had given her the weekend off as per usual, and she had finished her homework Friday night. Which was a depressing thought, come to think of it.

So, she was now in her apartment getting ready, breaking out all her girly shit. Glinda had spent loads of cash on the lethal looking items, and was so upset that River never used them. Although River never really cared all that much about looking pretty, for some reason, she wanted to look nice. No second chances on a first impression and all that. However, she was finding eyeliner to be a problem. "Ow! Bloody-! Fuck me that hurt! Shit, it's stinging." Her eyes started to water, and she blinked rapidly a few times, going to rub her eye. "No!"

[/b] Glinda cried, her hand shooting out to catch River's wrist. "You'll mess up the top line, and your eyeshadow. Give it here."[/b] River sighed, and handed Glinda the evil Kohl stick, letting the witch apply her makeup like a professional. Fifteen minutes later, she looked in the mirror, and instantly hated how pleased she was with the result. Her eyes were a smokey green, with a seductive cats eye flair from the eyeliner. Her lashes were wide and long, and seemed to make her mossy green eyes pop. Her lips were a glossy shade of red that matched her hair perfectly, and her skin was smooth and gorgeous looking. Begrudgingly, she turned to a gloating Glinda. "Thanks. It looks...good."[/b]

Before Glinda could be too insufferable about the praise, River was already storming off to her bedroom, where she ignored the disgusting pink party dress Glinda had laid out for her, and grabbed a nice pair of jeans and a green button up blouse from her drawer, tugging them on. When she went to find her shoes however, she could only find a pair of high heeled converse that a friend back home had bought her for her birthday. Her annoyance exploded from her in a rush. "Glinda! Are you mad? Heels plus River on rooftop means PLUMMETING TO MY DEATH."[/b] No answer. Ugh. Whatever. River pulled on the blasted shoes, and stood, wobbling and shaky. "I instantly regret this."[/b] She muttered miserably, tugging a pale knit hat onto her head and walking out.

The trek to the roof was problematic, she was gonna break her ankle, she just knew it. She stumbled through the door to the roof, barely catching herself on the uneven ground. She looked up, blushing, and saw that she was only the third one here. Fuck. Well, there was Jeny, maybe she could make small talk until Seth got there. She made her unsteady trek over, staring at the other girls outfit. First of, it was slaggy. No lie about that. Secondly, HOW WAS SHE MANAGING TO LOOK THAT GOOD AND SLAGGY AT THE SAME TIME? Hell, if River wasn't so sure she was all about the Sausage, she'd take the little blonde for a ride. She shook her head, and smiled at Jeny as she came up. "Alright Jen? Who's your friend?"[/b] She looked down self consciously. Seriously? What pitiful small talk. She could do better than this. Where the hell was Seth?[/blockquote]

OUTFIT;;

[XANDER SYKES]

Xander was actually excited for this barbeque. For the most part, it was because Tramp had invited him, and God, did he love hanging out with Tramp. But there was also the fact that he... well, he kind of wanted to meet her family. It was weird. Though he'd barely admit it to himself, much less to other people, he really wanted approval from them. Like, as a friend. Who was a boy. Yeah.

Xander walked up to Jacobs and found that there was a buzzer thing. Maybe people would already be up at the roof? Ah, fuck it. He pressed all the buttons, hoping someone would buzz him in. Luckily, someone did, and he stepped inside and made his way up to the roof.

When he got there, he saw that only like three other people were there. Thank God one of them was Tramp. He immediatly walked over there to talk to her and....

Who the hell was that?

Xander stopped and stared at the girl for a good thirty seconds, before shaking it off, realizing Tramp was there. It wasn't a romantic thing, it was just.... unexplainable. Yeah, let's talk to Tramp now, save that odd feeling for later and oh my God what was she wearing? So. Much. Skin. It made him hopeful as to how this barbecue would end. "Hey, Tramp," he greeted, still a bit thrown off from that whole thing. Yeah, whatever.

OUTFIT

[RAY JONES]

Now, normally, Ray would have passed up an invitation to do anything other than head over to someone else's apartment for a quick smoke or to make pot brownies and just chill out and listen to some music or something. In fact, he was finding it hard to think of the last time he had gone against that rule of life, but this was an exception. Unlike most events that he had mentally blacklisted, such as going out to a movie which involved sitting still in the dark and paying attention to boring plotlines while it was socially unacceptable to make more than two runs out of the theater for additional food, or art gallery showings where the art could be pretty psychedelic but the waiters always looked at you funny if you ate one too many Hors d'oeuvres. Nah, this was the one exception that he would allow, and that was what sounded like it ought to be a fantastic barbecue. See, the whole point of a barbecue was that they served food there. And not just any food. Mouthwatering delicious, fantastic, charred food that made angels weep at the juicy, delicious taste.

Climbing up to the roof of the apartment complex, however, he was kind of regretting the whole decision. Seriously, why did there have to be so many stairs? Didn't these inconsiderate building designers understand that some people simply weren't made for being stairmaster athletes? Nontheless, he could smell some positively delectable scents wafting through the air the closer he got to the rooftop. Needless to say, this was motivation enough for a particularly hungry guy to make it p the last few steps onto the terrace.

Thankfully it was a pretty small gathering so far. Sure, of the small handful of people there he seemed to be the most under dressed in his pair of old ratty jeans and gross stained sweatshirt, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about that now. It wasn't like he really cared what any of these strangers thought about his sense of fashion. Of course, the only person he knew was Jeny, but that was kind of to be expected, right? She had just mentioned that it was some big get together that she was putting together when she had mentioned it to him. Considering the fact that he had hardly had time to get to know her all that well (though he certainly liked her well enough now that she had invited him to this fabulous barbecue) it was only natural that he was going to have to make some friends today.

The moment he saw the food table, all worry about being a socially awkward add on to this family bash instantly left him. Social norms be damned, he knew what he would be doing all night, and that was NOT talking with new people and making new friends. That was hanging out at the food table and inhaling as much meat as physically possible.

"Hey, Jeny, nice little shindig you got goin' here. Is that real beef?" It wasn't the most congenial greeting to the host of the barbecue, but honestly she should have felt honored that she even got that when there was so much food set out like a banquet offering. "Is anyone in charge of cooking or would you be cool if I started in on that? I'd be happy to help or whatever." Not really waiting for an answer, he strode over to the barbecue, bending down on one knee to try and fiddle with it until it miraculously lit and he could get to working his magic.

[MALLORY TORRES]

Today would be the first day that Mallory Torres would actually smile again. She’d enjoy herself, finally. It had been almost two months that her parents had been back, and she had yet to surround herself with people that truly loved her for her. She had seen Jason, even spent the night with him, but that wasn’t enough. It was close, but she needed others like Jason. People like Guillermo, Jeny, and Seth. Honestly, she needed Rose. It had been far too long since they just sat down and talked about life. Europe was exciting and much needed, but they hadn’t seen one another since and Mallory hated it.

While getting ready, she remembered what Jeny told her, ‘Dress cute, but remember: It’s only a barbeque.’ Mallory had literally spent an hour in her room going through different outfits, but everything looked too fancy. She couldn’t disappoint Jeny and she needed to go shopping. She slipped out the house without so much as the click of the door closing behind her. She hailed a cab and told him the directions to a small store where Jeny got her outfits. It was nothing like her normal boutiques and the mannequins in the window weren’t dressed how she had hoped. She took a few moments to internally battle against going in, but she ended up pushing the glass door and hearing the ding of the bell.

She was approached by an older woman who must have bought the clothes in the store, but how she accessorized actually made the outfit look decent. The woman and Mallory actually hit it off and the woman dressed Mallory down to her shoes. Her OUTFIT was simply… well, simple. She left the store actually quite pleased, but she still had to get Tommy and Jason, both of which had possibly forgotten about the barbeque. The cab pulled up in front of Ice Palace and Mallory got on her cellphone and called Tommy. Luckily, he had just finished showering and was getting dressed. While she waited for him to meet her in the cab, Mallory called Jason, who had forgotten, but promised to be dressed and proper by the time she got there.

The cab ride to Jason was normal. Just Tommy and Mallory talking about his anticipation for high school and Mallory’s fear of college. When they got to Jason’s place, Mallory run up to the building and buzzed him. They spoke briefly, yet Jason made it to the cab in one piece and dressed to the T. Mallory smiled and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. They made it to Jacob’s Apartment Complex and Mallory ushered them out the cab before paying. Tommy ran ahead as Mallory’s hand took Jason’s hand. She pulled him along, reassuring him that everyone was fun and friendly and that Mason wouldn’t bother them. She told him about Rose and Guillermo’s twins and about Jeny’s anticipation of getting everyone together.

They finally made it to the rooftop and Mallory kept Jason in tow as she made her rounds, starting with Jeny. “Jen!” Mallory yelled a bit as she took her friend into a hug. “This is Jason. Jason, this is Jeny.” Mallory gestured and let them be. She approached some blonde girl that must have been ‘Tramp.’ Jeny warned her. “Hi. I’m Mallory. You must be Tramp.” Mallory extended her hand and offered her sweetest smile to the girl. Mallory’s eyes wandered on the darker haired fellow that stood a bit behind Tramp. He must have been Tramp’s friend. Hopefully, Tramp would introduce them. She also saw a rather attractive male by the grill. Well, she would definitely have to meet him… in due time.

[MASON HOWARD]

Damn Jeny and her schemes. Honestly, what the hell was she thinking? It was a little early to meet her family, didn’t she think? He’d told her that, of course, the second she’d mentioned the dreaded words “older brother,” and he’d actually felt a bit like a deer in headlights. Not once, in all his years and various flings back in California, had that ever been a good idea. In fact, he’d learned to take every possible precaution to avoid meeting brothers; he’d gotten quite good at it, truth be told. Parents were easy. He could do parents any day, having learned to deal with Mallory’s—and besides, they were just easier to fool. Even the fathers. Just a polite tone and a smile (not too many, though) and a firm handshake and a well-dressed persona (not difficult in the slightest) and a general knowledge of current events and what he wanted to do with his life, and he was in. Mason had always been under the impression, pompous as it was, that parents usually wanted to like him, somewhere deep down.

Older brothers, on the other hand…Well, the idea of them made his skin crawl. And he knew exactly how they felt, too, being the older brother of a pretty seventeen year-old girl himself, as much as he would have rather Veronica dressed in sweatpants and baggy sweatshirts like some sort of public school spawn. He knew exactly the almost overwhelming desire to smash someone’s face into the dirt when they came home for dinner with his sister. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite as good at handling older brothers as he was parents. They were always determined to see right through you, in the end. And when it wasn’t he himself doing the nitpicking, Mason often joked to himself that they would rather see their sisters grow up to be lonely old spinsters than actually settle down and be happy. He tended not to mention the fact, even to himself, that he’d had absolutely no intention of ever settling down with any one of the girls whose older brothers he’d met. Probably why they didn’t like him all that much.

Still, he linked Jeny enough. Unfortunately. And maybe he had something to prove to himself. He really didn’t have any idea why he was coming.

The walk up to the roof of the apartment complex felt like the green mile, and he was beginning to dislike Jeny more and more with each step. When he got to the top, he positively loathed her. Why, she was practically out to fry him alive, when it all came down to it, and he bet she knew exactly what she was doing, too. If Jeny was anything, it was smart, and definitely smart enough have invited him simply to watch him squirm under Guillermo’s—fuck. She’d done worse.

Mason froze about halfway to where Jeny was standing, unable to mistake that brown hair anywhere, even in that outfit. Especially with the guy standing next to her. He swore quietly under his breath, determined to have a rather heated talk with Jeny after this was all over about just how much torture she intended to put him through, and just how funny she thought it was deep, deep down in her obviously black heart. Still, he made his way over to the little group, giving the rest of the guests relatively friendly nods, although they were punctuated quite profusely by glances and glares in Jeny, Mallory, and Jason’s direction. When he reached them, he took no notice of Mallory, opting instead to give Jeny a quick kiss on the lips, which he told himself was in no way related how close Mallory and Jason were standing. “Jesus, you look stressed out. Why didn’t you call me and ask for help?” he furrowed his brow slightly, wrapping his arm around her tiny body as he turned to face the others. “Mallory,” he nodded curtly, eyes hardening as they moved to Jason, whose name he didn’t bother to speak. When he glanced down at the boy standing beside them, however, Mason couldn’t help but smile a bit. “And who might you be, Scruffy?” he nodded at the kid, tone a hell of a lot friendlier than when he’d been talking to the boy’s companions. There was something about him he liked already, and he extended a hand for the shaggy-haired brunette to shake.

When that was all said and done with, Mason turned his head back to Jeny, the hand previously wrapped around her waist now retreating to hold her hand. He looked her up and down, making sure not to send a single glance in Mallory’s direction, although all his other senses were pointed at her. “Did I mention how cute you look?” he smiled a slightly un-Mason like smile—fitting, for they were un-Mason like words—and continued, “So, are you going to introduce me to everybody, or are we just gonna stand here and watch him cook? I mean, I can help too, once I learn names,” his tone was warm, and easy going as he offered Ray another uncharacteristically friendly smile, glancing once in Mallory’s direction before focusing back in on Jeny.



outfit: Here because Scout is too lazy to make one and casual Mason is strangely casual but still sexy

[SETH FOXWORTH]

Damn Jeny, and her face.

He didn't want to go. He didn't want to go, and smile through his teeth, and watch Rose and Guillermo be all 'oh-lookit-us-we're-the-perfect-family-sans-the-shit-storms-we-constantly-bring-upon-ourselves-like-oh-I-dunno-being-pregnant-and-failing-to-mention-it-for-the-entire-first-trimester'. He didn't want to meet a bunch of people he didn't know, who he didn't care about, who were probably going to stare at him and wonder where he fit in in the uber happy family.

The one, slight, escape he had from the what-the-fuckery that was this situation was that River would be there. The little ginger was making life standable, and was a good friend to have around. He hung out with her, smoked with her, watched the television with her, ate frozen burritos and captain crunch with her. Even slept at her apartment a few times. Usually when Rose was at Guillermo's.

He wasn't even torqued at Guillermo. His only crime was getting his dick wet a few too many times, and not wrapping it. Couldn't hold it against him, couldn't judge him. But Rose... her selfishness couldn't be tolerated anymore, and Seth would not be moved on this. She couldn't just bat her pretty blue eyes, and pretend everything was cool. It just wasn't happening. Not with Seth, not anymore. He empathized with Guillermo's plight, because Seth too had been helpless against her. But that was over with. It was done.

He was done.

But, try telling that to Jeny. With her stupid brown eyes. Ugh, he'd have to kick her. Because, seriously, this was fucking stupid.

Climbing the stairwell, he made it to the roof, a heavy sigh crossing him when he saw that there were already a great number of people. Shit, crowds made him nervous. Reminded him of the yard, back in juvie. Not that any of these sorts seemed to be the type to shank him. No... wait. Retract that. The blond with dreadlocks and bikini top... she might shank him. But the rest seemed wholesome enough. Weaving through the crowd, he examined.

Some pretty blond boy was at the grill, already taking charge, seeming to not want to interact. Good man. Interacting was lame anyway. Then Mallory, with a mini boy Mallory, and a pretty boy with a perma-expression of a sheep. Dumb, but harmless. He offered her a smile, rather liking her, though not in a romantic sense. That didn't work out, at all. She was beautiful and charming and perfect, but there was no spark during their only kiss. Both felt it, or- well- didn't feel it. And that was okay. Then Jeny, the fucking evil little angel, with her beau wrapped around her waist like a fucking accessory. Everything about him said TOOL. Moussed up hair, fancy pants 'casual' cloths, that smirk. Ugh, yeah, Guillermo might get punch happy today. Then the possibly-shank-y blond, with her... person. Boyfriend? Probably not. She didn't seem to be the commitment sort. Especially since Seth knew her to be Rose's cousin.

And then River, his bro, the cute little red head next door. He smiled at her, relaxing a little at his Comrade. Leaning up next to her, he crossed his arms, trying his hardest not to look as awkward as he felt. "How's it goin Murphy?" He asked, feigning a 'I'm-totally-fine' voice. Badly. The decorum wasn't his taste. Streamers and balloons. He half expected a clown to pop out somewhere.

Oh, sweet fucking Jesus on toasted wheat, there better not be a fucking clown. He hated them things. "Quite the turn out." No sign of the happy couple yet. "You think more are coming?" Maybe they wouldn't show. He hoped they wouldn't, though- at the same time- he hoped they did. Pissed though he may be, he did want to make sure they were okay. Not to mention the morbid curiosity of a pregnant Rose, as terrifying of a prospect as that might be.

Ugh. If you looked up the word masochist in the dictionary, you know what you'd find? No, not a picture of Seth. The definition of masochist in the dictionary, stupid, which he was.

[scarecrowsully]

It wasn't Jason's fault he was so forgetful.

Jason's mind was like a dog's--unfortunate, really, but also slightly endearing--in that he suffered from "ooh shiny!" syndrome. Or, like that silly dog Doug from the movie Up (Jason really did like Pixar films like that, but he never planned on telling anyone). He was always saying "squirrel!" and freaking out in the middle of the sentence. Jason was like that.

All he could do was thank god that he had just taken a shower. It had been an off day from practice, so Jason had stayed home, working out in one of the guest rooms he had converted into a mini-home gym. He had just got done "pumping iron" and taking a shower when Mallory had buzzed up. Immediately, his mind went racing. Oh shoot oh shoot I forgot about the barbeque, Mallory's gonna kill me... Jason sprinted about his apartment, throwing on casual, yet sophosticated clothes. As he made his way down, Jason ran a hand through his hair to make sure it wasn't sticking up all over the place.

While in the cab, Jason gave Mallory a large bear hug, silently revelling in her simple kiss on his cheek. Gosh, he was simply smitten for his best friend. The ride proved to be uneventful, but as soon as Mallory drug him up to the roof, Jason knew he would have fun for the night. Despite the fact that that stupid jerk Mason would show up. Damn him and their matching names.

"Hey, Jeny. I'm Jason. This is a great party," Jason smiled, eyes sweeping the roof. He was a bit taken aback by the girl in....to put it nicely, minimal clothing, but Jason didn't worry about it. He was the type of guy to look you in the eyes when he talked to you, he was the type of guy who had respect. One would think it would make him very likable to the opposite sex. Jason just wished Mallory would take more notice.

Dammit. There was Mason, stupid Mason. He was the only person in the world whom Jason truly disliked. Honestly, if he wasn't such a douche especially to Mallory, he might have been able to tolerate his presence. In response to his growing agitation, Jason's muscles tensed and his jaw hardened. He couldn't help but feel a little outrage at how cordial he was towards Tommy, Mallory's cousin, yet how curt he acted towards them.

This barbeque was bound to get interesting.

[DAN KAPLAN]

Tommy had barely been able to contain himself throughout the school day: he’d had to excuse himself from three different classes on the premise that Sparky had to use the bathroom, just to saunter out to the courtyard and skate wildly back and forth. A barbecue, tonight! A barbecue, with Mallory! And Mallory’s college friends! Her…her cool college friends. Tommy had never seen any of Mallory’s college friends, but he had to walk past Mallory’s college, Barrie University, on his way to school, and some of the guys he saw there looked pretty cool. Like, wicked cool. Tommy had always wished he could be as cool as the guys that Mallory was friends with.

The minute that the last bell had rung to signify the end of classes, Tommy had sprung onto his skateboard, flying through Baum’s network of corridors out the front door. He’d shot down the streets, Sparky galloping behind, maneuvering his skateboard expertly through the crowds of pedestrians. He’d showered in a heartbeat, then spent at least fifteen minutes in front of the mirror selecting his outfit. The college kids wouldn’t think he was cool if he wasn’t wearing a cool outfit, after all. And if cool kids liked you, that automatically made you way cooler, right? So appearances were everything, if you wanted to be cool. Or that was what he’d gathered from two months of living with Mallory.

God, he loved Mallory. Mallory was so cool, and all of her friends were at least as cool. Why couldn’t Tommy be as cool as Mallory or Mallory’s cool college friends? Tommy was nervous. Even with his Red Sox Baseball Cap, Tommy was pretty sure he wouldn’t be nearly as cool as any of the cool college guys that would be at this party. He began to feel the nervousness creeping through him, and he began to make minor adjustments to himself. Should his collar be open? He experimented with the height of his pants, deciding to pull them as far down as he could, because that was definitely the way that cool kids on TV wore them, and Tommy knew for a fact that even Mallory’s college friends weren’t as cool as the cool kids on TV.

The second he saw the cab pull up to the curb he said goodbye to Sparky, stashed his skateboard in the closet, and sprinted down the stairs, sliding in. The ride was about as boring as car rides got, Tommy’s fingers drumming restlessly on the window as he talked about boring school stuff with Mallory and Jason, Mallory’s friend. Okay, so he didn’t seem that cool. Still, as he adjusted his baseball cap to angle slightly more to the left, Tommy didn’t lose hope. There would be other guys, right? Cooler guys.

The first person they met after arriving was some girl named Jeny. “Jen!” Mallory yelled a bit as she took her friend into a hug. “This is Jason. Jason, this is Jeny.”

”And me!” Tommy added, jumping up to make sure that his head was even with the tall people’s. ”Hi! I’m Tommy! Don’t forget me!” Jeny looked cool. But she was a girl, and girls besides Mallory and his sister Luna were…well, Tommy wasn’t good at talking to girls. They always thought he was weird.

”Hi Tramp!” he called brightly, waving enthusiastically as he scanned the crowd of strangers for other people he knew. ”Hi uh…Tramp’s friend!” God, these people were all so much taller than he was. How was he supposed to be cool if they couldn’t even see him? Would they still vote for him for President if they couldn’t see him? Maybe he’d have to buy some stilts. Yes! Stilts! If there had been a Presidential election between a short candidate and a candidate on stilts, Tommy was absolutely certain that he’d have voted for the guy on stilts. Hands down. Stilts were just so much…cooler.

“And who might you be, Scruffy?”

A person! A person who actually wanted to know who Tommy was! Did this mean he thought Tommy was cool? Tommy hoped so. He shook the nice guy’s hand, standing on tiptoe to see his face. Even his face looked cool! ”Hi there! I’m Tomas Torres, Mallory Torres’ cousin. That’s Mallory Torres over, there if you don’t know her. She’s my cousin. What’s your name?” He pointed to Mallory, who was talking to Jeny and Jason. ”People call me Tommy. Or Tom. Or Thomas the Tank Engine, if you’re my older brother Vaughn. ” Tommy had always thought that show was stupid and totally not cool, so he hoped this guy didn’t decide to call him Thomas the Tank Engine. ”Do you live in the Ice Palace? Are you related to Mallory too?”

“So, are you going to introduce me to everybody, or are we just gonna stand here and watch him cook? I mean, I can help too, once I learn names.”

”Cooking?” Tommy’s ears perked up at the mention of the word. Tommy was starving. And cooking was totally the coolest thing ever, if Food Network shows were anything to go by. And cooking with a guy this cool? That was like…double cool. Like, cool to the second power. As cool as Tommy could possibly get. "Can I help you? I wanna cook! We can cook together!" Tommy hurried over to the grill, where some guy was trying to light it. ”Hi! I’m Tommy! Do you need help cooking? I’m starving. I’ve never cooked before, but I’m sure I won’t be too bad at it. What’s your name? I mean, I suppose I’ll need to know how to cook if I’m going to be President, in case they have a cooking contest to determine the winner of the election or something. Do you think they’d do that? A cooking contest? Hey, what’s this button do?” Tommy fiddled with a weird-looking knob on the right side of the the stovetop. God, this was going to be so much fun. Tommy was going to fit right in here, he could tell already!

OUTFIT HUR

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"I hate people.."
Guillermo mumbled, sounding much like a whiny kindergartener.
This wasn't exactly true, of course. Certainly, there were people that he could stand, and people he couldn't stand.
He leaned against the wall in the hallway, waiting for Rose.
"I don't want to go and pretend to enjoy myself at Jen's dumb party.."
Rose, being one of the few people he could stand, would have to keep him sane tonight. He rather felt as if he might launch himself off the top of the building to escape his sister's friends.
Guillermo and Jenyfer had never had a large family. Sure, they had their father's brother and sister, Mateo and Susana, and their families, but they were living far away now. Last Guillermo had heard, Mateo had picked up and moved to Hawaii.
Lucky Bastard.
Anyway, their family had never been the kind to get together for an event, so he could see why Jeny was so into this.
She had insisted that everyone kind of dress the part. To the Tinman's dismay, Guillermo put on jeans and t-shirt. He wasn't going to dress up for strangers. Especially strangers that he probably wouldn't like.
Rose finished getting ready and he finally took her hand and began the dreaded march to the roof. When they came to the top, Guillermo saw the mass of people congregated there. He recognized Ripley, who he just couldn't get used to calling Tramp. He also recognized Mallory and Jenyfer, who had some guy wrapped around her.
He gave a low snarl. Back home, it was a well known fact that boys were not allowed to touch his sister. She was probably the most taken-care-of girl in Texas. But here in a bustling city, Guillermo couldn't protect her continuously. And she was an adult now. Perfectly at liberty to make her own decisions. But this guy had "slimy" written all over him.
In all fairness, Guillermo had used to be one of those guys. So really, he should give him the benefit of the doubt.
Good thing Guillermo didn't play fair.
With a sigh of relief, he spotted Seth on the far side of the roof, talking with some pretty red-head that Guillermo did not know.
He planned to maneuver over, but decided he had to be careful with Rose and his hijos.
As he walked over to Jeny, he wished once again that his scarred arms were also littered with tattoos. He didn't look nearly as intimidating as his friends back home. He made a mental note to tell Rose about Cecil and his new family.
"Hey Jen."
Guillermo tried to sound pleasant but there was a falseness there. It was nothing personal. He just wasn't a party guy.

[ROSE MERCER]

OUTFIT OF A PREGNANT ROSE! WOOT WOOT!

Even with the sunny disposition pregnancy seemed to bestow upon Rose Mercer, she was not thrilled about going to a party. But, try and tell that to Jeny. Not that she would kick and scream or anything. But, you'd be damned if those big brown eyes started welling up with tears and those heart shaped lips didn't start pouting...

It was easier just to succumb. Accept your fate, and hope that it was fairly painless and quick.

A mountain of cloths had appeared on her bed, as she sorted through what she could wear and no longer wear. Seventeen and a half outfits later, Rose settled on a snug long sleeve shirt, skinny jeans, and a vest. Pregnant Rose was strange to the eyes, especially to anyone who knew her. Being highly susceptible to stress and poor diet, Rose had always toed the line of healthy and under weight. Pregnancy had thrown that out the window, as the twins in her tummy ballooned her narrow frame, and breasts filled into a D cup. She missed her C's. They were nice. Now her back hurt almost always. And her arms and legs looked rather stringy in comparison to the new curvaceous body she had. Perhaps the fact that she was stubbornly clinging to the fact that she wanted to stay in heels through out this pregnancy was not helping.

Flats were ugly, work boots were for work, and sneakers were for exercise. THAT'S JUST HOW IT WAS.

So, dressed, her copper hair in it's plaited pigtails, nails painted black, and mint cum soothing her from her obscene lack of nicotine, she worked her way up the stairs. Guillermo was sulking, being even less excited than Rose about doing this. Socializing. People. It just wasn't their style, it would seem. Like trousers. Who needs em. Guillermo and Rose were more than happy to hermit up in one of their respective bedrooms. But, the thought on Jen's part was sweet. Family and all that jazz.

They were either very late... or everyone else was early. Still, it looked like Jeny went to the nines to put this together. And the smell of grilling food tickled Rose's acute nose, making Poncho and Coco dance cheerfully in her belly. Oh God. Were people going to want to touch her stomach? True, Rose put up with it for as long as possible, but... yeah. It got rather claustrophobic after awhile. Instinctively, her arm went around Guillermo as she heard him snarl slightly. Looking around, she saw the source. Jeny, with a Mr. So and So wrapped around her waist. Not a bad looking kid. Kinda blond for Rose's taste, but different strokes for different folks. Grinning, Rose pressed her lips against Guillermo's neck, murmuring gently. "Play nice, Love."

The pair crossed over, smiling at various people. Seth was there, chatting it up with some ginger girl. Well... good for him. Rose, who was a little bitter at Seth's bitterness, wondered if she should go and say hi. Be polite. But Guillermo was going to Jeny, who was near Mallory. Familiar faces! Excellent. "It all looks great Jeny." Rose smiled, before her blue eyes landed on her little cousin.

Her ward.

Ugh, that was weird. It was one of those things that didn't become less weird.

Nudging Guillermo, she nodded slightly in Ripley's direction, seeing the boy fellow with her, who was very interested on her displayed flesh. "Now those two, keep an eye on." She murmured again, in the same low voice she had just moments ago told Guillermo to behave in.