Ch102 Whether she wants to or not

“Bye, Daddy,” Janet said, holding her father in a semi-death grip. Whether she wants to or not, she had to go now.

Jeff chuckled. “Honey, you’re just going to the movies, right? Not a trip to the moon.”

“Um…yeah, just…” Janet said, biting her lip.

“She’s going to miss you, Mr. Fummel, that’s all,” Wes said, taking her hand and tugging her outside before she changed her mind about going at all. “We’ll see you later.”

“She’s getting so weird,” Stevie said, shaking his head in exasperation as the door closed.

“So, what do you two want to do? Bowling okay?” Jeff asked.

“Oh, please! I haven’t been bowling in so long,” Cindy said. “Wes gave me money and everything, so I can pay for all of us.”

“Cindy, you don’t have to pay,” Jeff said, smiling at her enthusiasm.

“Okay, but I’m treating us all to ice cream!” she said.

“Sounds good to me. Let’s go!” Stevie said.

*****

Jeff had just stepped out of the ice cream shop and he held the door open waiting for the kids to stop bickering long enough to come out, when he spotted a car whizzing by which looked an awful lot like Wes’ snazzy little sports car and he was almost positive he saw Janet in the front seat. 

“Didn’t Jasmine say they were going to the Imax in Clifton Heights?” Jeff asked.

“Yep,” Stevie said. “Why?”

Jeff calculated in his head how far the kids would have gotten already had they gone straight onto the highway from home.  Unless they made a very long stop before hand—who knows what for-- they would be long gone and nowhere near West Castillo by now…if they truly went where they said they were going.

“No reason. I think we’re taking a little ride over to Cindy’s house before we go bowling, okay?” Jeff said, unlocking the car doors.

“My house? Why? No one’s there,” Cindy said.

“Oh, you know, just to make certain everything’s okay. While you, your brother and your dad have been away from it, anything could happen,” Jeff said. “Good idea to check on it.”

Stevie and Cindy exchanged bewildered looks, but shrugged and buckled up.

******

Janet was a nervous wreck. She’d never been to an unsupervised party before and she most certainly had never hosted one. Of course, Jasmine considered herself the actual hostess. She and Troy, bought all the food and drinks-- while Janet and Wes waited in the car--and set up the stuff in the kitchen and pretty much took charge with Wes supervising them, which was fine with Janet. She didn’t need the responsibility. 

Still she was worried. Before anyone showed up, she took inventory of knick-knacks, lamps and other delicate items and secured them in out-of –the-way places just like her mother always did before a party. No, it wasn’t likely this bunch of kids they invited would get wild and start breaking things, but why risk it? 

There weren't even that many of them coming. Ten all together wasn't very much at all. Hardly a party, right? That was what Janet was trying to convince herself, so she would stop feeling so guilty. 

It didn't work.

At the first ring of the doorbell, she jumped. 

Wes laughed. “Babe, it’s okay,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the door. He opened it and grinned. “Guess you guys don’t do the fashionably late thing, huh?”

“Are we too early?” Alana asked anxiously.

“I think he’s teasing,” Luke said, stepping into the house.

Janet’s nerves were eased after a quick hug from the two of them, followed by several others. “You guys come in packs?”

“Always!” Billy said, helping Joanne off with her jacket.

“Oh, Joanne, what a pretty dress! Is that one of your creations?” Janet asked.

“It is,” she replied doing a Vanna White pose, a turn and a pose again. “Like it?”

“It’s great!” Janet said. “My sister will love it.”

“What will I love?” Jasmine said.

“Holy Moly! How do they tell you apart?” Marc said, looking from one to the other twin with his mouth hanging open.

“Don’t be rude, Marc,” Amy said. “Stop staring.”

“It's like seeing double,”Marc muttered. “Spooky!”

Janet proceeded to introduce everyone to her sister and Troy.

“And this is Luke and Alana, his girlfriend,” Janet reluctantly said. She had left him for last on purpose, because she suspected her sister would completely ignore everyone else after meeting Luke and that's pretty much what she did.

“Oh, I know you anywhere, Luke. I’m so happy to finally meet you!” Jasmine gushed, completely ignoring Alana. She gabbered on for another ten minutes, much to Janet's dismay, but Jasmine would simply not take the hint.

“Thanks,” Luke said at last getting a word in, and already disliking her.

“Has Janet told you I sing, too? Everyone says I’m better than my sister and everything!”

“That’s nice, but I only need Janet for now,” he said, putting his arm around Alana and deliberately turning his back on her.

“Wes,” Luke said, when Troy could finally get Jasmine away from him. “Where is your dad?”

“My dad? Boston. Why?”

Luke’s jaw dropped. “You mean there are no adults here?”

“Yeah, is that a problem?” Wes asked.

“It is if Alana’s dad hears about it,” Luke said. “He’ll kill me! No, first he’ll castrate me then he'll kill me.”

“Don’t exaggerate, Luke,” Alana said, although she didn’t look too convinced of it herself.

“You know your dad hates me. He’ll use any excuse to keep you away from me you know. He’ll make you break up with me,” Luke said. “We should go.”

“Get a grip, Luke,” Marc said. “He’ll never know. We’re not about to tell him or we’ll get in trouble, too.”

“No brainer, Dude! Nobody’s ratting ya out. There’s nothing to worry about. You’re like totally safe,” Billy said, looking around. “Where’s the food? I’m starving!”

“You can’t be! You just had dinner,” Amy said, rolling her eyes as he headed for the kitchen.

“This is a great house, Wes,” Alana said. 

“What a beautiful piano. Do you play?” Amy said, looking past the living room into the next room across the hall.

“Sure. Mary had a little lamb when I want to annoy my sister  Chop sticks when I feel depressed and Heart and soul but only on a very good day,” Wes said.

Alana and Janet dissolved in giggles and Luke laughed.

“Music! Yeah, we need music,” Troy shouted, grabbing his Ipod as he went to the stereo system.

“Okay,” Luke said, sitting at the instrument.

“I think he meant like… real music,” Joanne said.

“What? I don’t play real stuff all of a sudden?” he said, thoroughly insulted.

The doorbell rang and Wes went to answer it. He opened the door and found two kids about his age, perhaps younger, on the door step. “Hi, may I help you?”

“Is Luke Tramaine here? I'm supposed to meet him here. I’m Peter Adams and this is Chloe Wiggins,” the boy said, smiling at his painfully skinny girlfriend.

“Uh…okay,” Wes said, allowing them entrance. He looked nervously down the street both ways as if expecting a hoard of crazed Luke Tramaine fans, but there seemed to be no more. 

“Good,” he said, closing the door again.

“Luke, Pete’s here!” Alana excitedly said.

“I was wondering if you’d come,” Luke said, doing some sort of half bro hand-lock with Peter while curiously looking at Chloe. “Hello, Pete never said he had a girlfriend.”

“Hi,” she said, smiling shyly.

“This is Chloe. You know my best friend Neal Wiggins from our football team, right? This is his sister, but she’s not really here, if you get me and she's not really my girlfriend, even though she is,” Peter said, an adorable crooked smile making a dimple appear on his right cheek. 

“Gotcha!” Luke said. “Janet, come here! She’s been dying to meet ya, Pete.”

“Me? Why?” Peter asked.

“Cuz you’re in the band and Janet’s our new backup singer. She’s real good, too,” Luke said.

“Really,” Peter said, as Janet came over and smiled at him.

“Hi, Peter,” Janet said. “Can’t wait to hear you play. Luke says you’re awesome.”

“Then he lied to you,” Peter said, laughing.

“I doubt that,” she said.

“We have to get together again and practice or we won’t be ready for the wedding,” Luke said. “It’s been two weeks since we got together, Pete.”

“I know, but my mom’s working now and I have to stay with my sisters,” Peter said.

“Janet and I only got one practice in and we have just a little time to go until the gala.”

“Did you get a drummer yet?” Pete asked.

“No, not yet,” he said, staring at Janet as she talked with Chloe.

“You’re not here and you're not Peter's girlfriend, huh?” Janet whispered to Chloe. “Um… why not?”

“My over protective brother thinks I’m home, and I’m not supposed to be with Peter…like ever,” she said.

“Oh….” Janet said, her eyes wide. “If you and Pete are supposed to be a secret…didn’t you just blow it coming here? Now we all know.”

“Pete didn’t figure anyone from Port Orianco high would care and… none of you from West- Castillo hang out with my brother’s crowd, so….”

“Yeah, we’re not the cool kids,” Janet said. “But you are, aren’t you?”

Chloe shrugged. “Just hang out with them sometimes cuz of Neal.”

“Well, I won’t hold it against ya!” Janet said, laughing. “Come and meet my boyfriend.”

“Wes, right?” Chloe said, watching him across the room as he talked with Marc and Amy. “I’ve seen you together at school. The yenta and the computer genius. You’re definitely no secret.”

“Uh…yeah, okay,” Janet said, a little taken aback.

“Janet, here’s an idea,” Luke said. “Let’s have a practice session here right now.”

She gaped at him. “Are you nuts? In front of everyone?”

“Almost like a dress rehearsal?” Chloe said.

“No, more like a practice concert,” Luke said.

“But…but I’m not ready,” Janet said. “We only practiced a few songs.”

“That’ll be enough. Pete can tell us what he thinks of them. Come on, please?” Luke said. “Everybody’s just hanging in the living room anyway. They won’t even notice us sneaking into the piano room.” 

Janet had been about to protest some more, but Luke grabbed her hand, pulled her away and gave her no choice.

They were putting on a show whether she wanted to or not.