~* After-Party Slumber Party *~ Nicole smiled as she turned to me. “Robin… Can I ask you a reeeeally big favor?” Her pleading stare melted my heart. I’d probably have cut off my right hand right then if she’d asked it of me. I nodded. “Sure, Nikki. What is it?” “Remember how Jen helped you with your bad dreams awhile ago? Well, I was wondering if… I mean…” she fumbled and started to blush. Jennifer cleared her throat. “Ally? Let’s go brush our teeth. Up. Stairs.” she nodded toward the stairs.

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Author's Note:
I'm sorry for the length of this. It took me awhile just to get this far. You can see my latest blog entry for specifics, but I'm trying to get back into writing again. :-)

With love,
~ Zoe

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The smell of fresh-baked cookies permeated the warm air that rushed past as I opened the front door to the Jones’ house. I could hear Rachel and Natalie giggling with Allison in the kitchen so I headed straight there, setting my bag down at the doorway.

Rachel and Natalie stood leaning against the counter facing Allison who had changed into loose sweats and a plain t-shirt, as they happily chewed fresh-baked pumpkin-shaped-and-colored cookies.

I grinned, bringing my finger to my lips as they took note of me, as Allison apparently hadn’t heard me come in. Taking their cue, Natalie smiled as I crept closer.

“Hey Ally, how’s school?”

“It’s going pretty-EEK!” she squealed as I lightly tickled her sides. She spun around to glare at me, but couldn’t seem to hold a straight face and started to laugh. She stuck her tongue out. “Help yourself to the cookies. Mom’s been busy.”

“Thanks,” I offered as I stepped over to the stovetop, where a large platter of pumpkin-shaped cookies lay waiting. “I thought your parents had a big Halloween party every year though. Wasn’t that the whole point of Nikki’s party?”

“Yeah, normally, but one of Daddy’s coworkers has a new condo so he offered to hold it there this year. Of course, Mom loved the idea of not having to clean up this year, but she didn’t tell Dad that.” She giggled. “Oh that reminds me, she stayed home for our annual trick-or-treaters, but we have some left over candy if you guys want some.”

Rachel giggled. “No thanks. I can just look at candy and gain ten pounds. I have to run a mile every morning just to keep my figure. Oh that reminds me, you guys are doing the walk-a-thon thing next week right?”

I nodded as I happily chewed one of the still-warm sweets. “Yeah, everything’s all set. I feel kind of shallow though. This whole thing came about as a means to help Mrs. Beaumont, but as an aside it gets Jason off my back.”

Natalie shook her head. “No way, Robin. That’s not being shallow. That’s being human. I mean, I had like, ten people spreading crap about you CITs, even while you were fighting to honor my best friend, remember? And look where that got you?”

I smiled a little as I stepped closer to hug her. “Thanks, Nat. I think I needed that.”

She smiled as she returned the hug, taking care not to drop her cookie in the process. “I can never repay you for what you’ve done to help me get over Crystal’s death. You don’t have to thank me.”

“Oh man, that smells good! Who’s been baking?” Jennifer called from the kitchen door. I turned in time to see both she and Nicole now dressed quite casually, a drastic change from our Halloween escapade earlier in the evening. Jennifer had a new white gym bag slung over her shoulder.

“Mom baked cookies. Help yourselves.” Allison grinned. Nicole rushed right past me to grab a couple, only returning to wrap me in a frigid hug, literally, after. She giggled.

“The wind really picked up. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t snow by next week. Hey, next girl scout meeting we’re going to bring up a ski trip for the troop since Robin’s never, y’know, actually seen snow.”

Natalie and Rachel both stared blankly at me, the latter adding, “You’ve… never seen snow.”

I shook my head. “Only on TV.”

“That’s like… never seeing a rainbow,” Natalie added with some minor disbelief. “You really are a Cali girl aren’t you?” She shot me a teasing smile, causing me to laugh.

“My heart is here in Alpine Springs, but my core body temperature is one-hundred percent California. Granted I spent all my time under the AC in summer before this last summer too. We’re not all French bikinis and tans,” I giggled. Nicole rested her head on my shoulder and smiled a little, reminding me, albeit unintentionally, about her dad.

“Hey, have you heard anything more from your mom?”

“Yeah. She called while we were at Jen’s house and said she’d probably stay at the hospital. The nurse said the doctor will check in on him tomorrow, but he might be able to come home as early as Wednesday. He’ll have to take it easy for awhile after that, but the medicine and diet change should help. Anyway,” she paused, grinning at Rachel and Natalie, “If you guys have time, Jen grabbed her copy of the Occupant Evil movie trilogy.”

“That’s the one based on the game with the weird camera angles isn’t it?”

Jennifer nodded, “Yeah. The lore-hounds hate it because the game’s main characters aren’t as prevalent, and Claire appears in the third one as a convoy leader, but as far as horror movies go, they’re pretty good.”

I never knew Jennifer was into video games. Granted, given the choice between spending money on a game or expanding my wardrobe, I tended to find more value in the latter, I’d sometimes find bargains on used games too though. The funny thing is I hadn’t even thought about any of that since Mom’s accident. I got so used to spending time with friends and enjoying being myself, not afraid to go out and do things.

“Sounds awesome,” Natalie responded. Rachel nodded.

“Ditto. I’ve seen parts of the first one, but that’s it. Plus we’ve got permission to stay out late just this once. Let me just call my step-mom and let her know what’s up.”

“Oh, good idea. I should call dad and let him know where I am and what we’re doing.”

As the two broke out their cell phones (Natalie’s a lovely ice blue, and Rachel’s a pre-paid model similar to my mirror-pink phone) Allison picked up the cookie platter, heading for the entertainment room’s stairs.

While Jennifer set up the first DVD, Allison pulled an end table from a corner of the room, dragging it along the carpet closer to the sofa, where she sat the cookies down.

“Hey, cool keyboard!” Rachel called from the stairs, Natalie following close behind her. I’d gotten so used to seeing it I completely forgot it was there until she mentioned it. Allison glanced over the back of the sofa with a smile.

“Yeah, it’s Kelly’s. She put it in storage when she went to college since she didn’t have room in the new dorm, but now that she’s living here again she decided to dust it off.”

“Wow. I didn’t know Kelly could play the piano,” I offered, helping myself to another cookie. I settled onto the floor in front of the sofa next to Nicole, who happily threw her arms around me and nuzzled into my shoulder.

“She started taking lessons when she started to transition. Her therapist said it’d be good for her to help her learn patience, plus Kelly says it made her feel a little more poised and ladylike.”

Rachel turned to stare at Allison. “Transition?”

Allison blinked. “Oh, that’s right. I never told you did I? Um… Kelly’s … like Robin. She was the same age as us when it all came out.”

Rachel and Natalie remained quiet for a few seconds as they contemplated that sudden revelation. Rachel finally shrugged and smiled. “Cool.”

Natalie added, “I’d never believe it. Then again when you guys told me about Robin, I didn’t believe that either.” She laughed as she sat beside me, playfully nudging my shoulder with hers. “You remind me of Crystal.”

I smiled as I wrapped her in a hug. “I’d like to visit her some day.”

“I can arrange that,” she responded with a smile. “I only live a couple of towns over, but since I can’t drive yet you’d have to come get me.”

Nicole grinned as Jennifer started the movie, stepping over me to sit cross-legged on the sofa behind us. “Mrs. Smith let me take Robin to New Haven for her appointment last Saturday, so I’m sure she’ll let me drive her.”

“Really?! God I’m jealous. Rachel’s the only person my folks will let me leave town with, and only on special occasions.”

Rachel lightly squeezed Natalie’s shoulder as she sat down beside Jennifer. “That’s what friends are for, babe,” she teased.

It didn’t take long for us to get completely lost in the movies. Jennifer was right that there weren’t many similarities between the movies and the games, but the gore and the zombie mayhem definitely made up for it, for us at least. Eventually though, I must have dozed off because I felt a familiar, gentle hand massaging my shoulder to rouse me. I stared from the hand up to a … zombie nurse?! I screamed, jumping back, right into the sofa. The girls exploded into giggles as the zombie spoke with Kelly’s voice.

“Robin, it’s just me!”

I groaned, rubbing the side of my face sheepishly. “… Sorry Kelly. Great costume,” I yawned. She giggled.

“Thanks! I just came down to check on you girls before I get ready for bed. You can blame these five for the prank,” she grinned mischievously at my friends, who all put on their most angelic smiles in return. She grabbed a cookie from the platter as she walked away, nibbling it. Nicole giggled as she wrapped me in a hug.

“It was that or dip your hand in warm water.”

“Or fun with sharpies,” Allison teased. Rachel giggled as she stood.

“We should get going. I still have to drive all the way back to New Haven. Hey Robin, you guys have your first basketball game next week right?”

I nodded as I stood, exchanging a hug with both girls. “Yeah, against the Lady Vikings.”

She grinned. “I know. Don’t think we’ll go easy on you just because you’re my friend.” She winked playfully. “No, really though, I’m looking forward to it. Maybe we can go out for pizza after the game, winner buys?”

I had to laugh. “Don’t you mean loser buys?”

“Nah. Leave it all on the court, y’know? It’s a Girl Scout tradition that when we go up against someone we’ve made friends with, winner buys to show there’s no hard feelings.”

“Oh, that’s awesome. Oh, Natalie, I’ll call you this week. We’ve got the basketball game and then the walk-a-thon Friday, but we’ll work something out.”

She nodded, giving me another quick hug. “Yeah, we’ll figure something out. Thanks for inviting us. That was an awesome party,” she added as she and Rachel exchanged hugs with the other girls, promptly scurrying up the stairs as they waved.

Nicole smiled as she turned to me. “Robin… Can I ask you a reeeeally big favor?” Her pleading stare melted my heart. I’d probably have cut off my right hand right then if she’d asked it of me. I nodded.

“Sure, Nikki. What is it?”

“Remember how Jen helped you with your bad dreams awhile ago? Well, I was wondering if… I mean…” she fumbled and started to blush. Jennifer cleared her throat.

“Ally? Let’s go brush our teeth. Up. Stairs.” she nodded toward the stairs. Allison smiled as she hugged us both then practically bolted up the stairs after Jennifer. Nicole watched them leave, shaking her head.

“That so doesn’t help,” she whined, resting her head on my shoulder. I smiled as I held her close.

“Nikki… Do you want to sleep with me on the sofa again?”

Her eyes lit up as she squeezed my waist, nodding vigorously. “Would you? I just… I don’t feel really good right now with Daddy sick and everything. I just… need you to hold me for awhile.”

I leaned forward to kiss her forehead, nodding. “Let’s go get ready for bed.”

I followed her upstairs, giving her hand a squeeze as we parted ways, she heading upstairs and I heading back to where I left my bag of sleepover things. Kelly sat at the kitchen table, sipping a mug of what I at first thought was coffee, now dressed in a fluffy, pastel pink robe. She glanced at me and smiled as she raised her mug.

“Herbal tea. Helps me unwind before bed. How was the party?”

I smiled as I stepped closer. “The party was amazing. Almost perfect, except… Well…”

She shot me a comforting smile. “It’s okay. Nikki told me about her dad… Aria Blade.” she giggled.

“She told you about that too? How long was I asleep?”

“About thirty minutes, according to Allison. That’s really sweet, what you did for that little girl. Margie’s going to die when she finds out though.”

“Oh hey,” I responded, not at all trying to change the subject. “How happy are you with your job here?”

“Uh… It’s okay I guess. I kind of miss hospital work though, getting to really help people who need it. Why?”

“Well, I talked to one of the supers at the hospital. They’re super-shorthanded, and they’re even willing to pull people off days to work nights to get some new blood if you want a day shift.”

“They’re that desperate?” she asked with no small surprise.

“Yeah. They have some people wanting to work nights, but they said that a lot of their nurses are leaving for bigger hospitals too so they really need the help. I’m going to talk to Mom about it tomorrow too.”

She seemed to think about it for a moment, then turning up her mug, she drank down the last of her tea and stood, approaching to wrap me in a hug. “I’ll check it out tomorrow. Thanks Robin,” she smiled, kissing the top of my head. “Now go get ready for bed!”

“Yes ma’am,” I teased, squeezing her back. She laughed, following me upstairs. We passed Allison, Jennifer and Nicole in the hallway, dressed in their pajamas. Kelly turned to step into her bedroom while I slipped into their shared bathroom to change.

I found the girls in the basement with two sleeping bags set up, and a third lying completely unzipped on the sofa. Nicole smiled as I wrapped her in a hug, and as I shifted to sit, I pulled her down with me, causing her to squeal lightly. She giggled as she nuzzled into me, pulling the sleeping bag like a blanket over us.

Jennifer leaned down to kiss Nicole’s forehead. “You two behave,” she teased. Her tone reminded us she knew fully-well nothing would happen between us, but her warm smile was still a nice gesture. Allison giggled as she crawled into her sleeping bag next to the sofa, Jennifer lying down on the other side, and within minutes, we were all dead to the world.