Chapter Like A Blue Shell:>Ep24
"You did WHAT?!" Courtney was clearly upset, swerving across lanes as she rocketed down the overcrowded Mass Pike.
"It's not my fault," Colin said, "she overheard me talking about a Mario Kart tournament with Zach and she got upset that she wasn't invited."
"So, you invited your little sister to a sex party," Courtney said. She honked at someone as she cut them off. Colin was having trouble watching the road. He knew she'd been looking forward to this - it was all Courtney had talked about since the last game. As the big day got closer she seemed to obsess over it more and more.
But her utter devastation at the news seemed to be nowhere near appropriate based on what was, at best, a minor obstacle. Worst was, they'd just do a normal Mario Kart party this time around and then do sexy stuff the next time. "We already waited a whole month," Courtney said.
"Look," Colin said, "You know how Paige is. She'd just badger me and badger me until we had to take her. Or worse, make my parents force us. It's fine. It'll be fine."
"You always did have a weird relationship with her."
"It's not weird. We're just close. You weren't friends with your siblings?"
"I never invited my younger sister to a sex party. No."
Colin sighed. After that weekend it had seemed so easy - they'd all just get together and do it again. But then the complications kept piling up. They took forever to pick a date, but then Sydney couldn't make it. In response, Taylor had apparently insisted that they needed more people, so they'd invited Zach and Zoe. Colin was excited to see Zach - though maybe not in this way, exactly - but his girlfriend was a fucking pill.
But, whatever, it had all still been workable until his kid sister, Paige, heard the words "Mario Kart tournament" and insisted that she be invited. He'd never seen a 20-year-old girl whine like that before. At least Paige had agreed to take her own car to Tim's. How else was he and Courtney to - once again - argue their whole way over to the apartment?
"Look," Colin said, "We'll make it work. She's a big girl. If Paige wants to, I don't know, tickle Tim's taint while Zoe cradles his balls or whatever, that's her problem."
Courtney laughed and looked up, smiling. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so worked up about this. Last time was fun and I'm sure this will be, too. But maybe we can convince Paige to leave after the drinking round." "Sure," Colin said. Though somehow he doubted it.
*
With seven people in the apartment, Taylor realized she had a bit of a problem. For one thing, they were way short of seating. Everything felt a little too small - she kept bumping into people or bumping into other things trying to avoid the people. And all that body heat was making the place feel a little too warm.
Or maybe that was her nerves.
More importantly, however, the numbers put a serious crimp in her Mario Kart planning. Taylor had set up perfectly for six. The seventh really seemed to unbalance things for some reason. She'd honestly considered racing out to Best Buy to get a second Switch, but Tim talked her out of it.
"So what," Paige said, "We just race each other and whoever loses, drinks?"
"Something like that," Taylor said. Colin's sister was cute, Taylor had to admit. The girl was slightly taller than her and had the tomboy kid sister thing down. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with Mario on it - dressed for the occasion, no doubt. She had her long brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Lips all pink and shiny with sparkly gloss.
Taylor could see Colin's face in Paige. His big brown eyes especially. They seemed to smile the same way, as well. It would have been easy to resent the girl, she'd basically invited herself, but Paige was so perky and bright, Taylor couldn't help but enjoy her company.
"Cool!" Paige said, "Can I help you set up? Or I could pour drinks. I'm usually the bartender at our sorority parties."
Of course she was. Taylor showed her where they kept the alcohol and Paige set right to work. Taylor looked around and saw that people were already getting a little sloppy and they hadn't even set up the Switch yet. It was probably the tension, she reflected. Drunk was always better than terrified.
*
Tim was two drinks in and feeling no pain. He and Zach had found a quiet (well, quieter) corner and were talking about work stuff.
"The job's fucking killing me, man," Zach said, "Killing me. All the politics and the bullshit. It's like, I'm 24 and I'm already thinking about retiring."
"Can't you just quit?" Tim asked, "There have to be hundreds of advertising agencies in Boston."
"They're all the same, man. It just sucks. I keep thinking about what really makes me happy and this isn't it."
"Have you talked to Zoe about it?"
"Yeah," Zach said, "She keeps telling me things are going to get better, but, I don't know."
"You guys are OK otherwise?"
"Yeah, man. I guess. How are you and Taylor?"
Tim laughed a little. "Things are definitely interesting."
Zach cocked his head.
"Just you wait."