| The country club isn't always open to those who aren't members, but there are occasions others are invited. This is one of them. Its not an overly elaborate affair, especially if one happened to attend Isabelle Dalton's birthday bash last year. This year's party is a more casual setup in one of the clubhouse's ballrooms.
Tables along one wall are spread with a gourmet pizza buffet (all cooked on the clubs in house wood fired oven of course), snacks of various sorts and plenty of carbonated beverages. Another table is set aside for gifts, and of course there's cake to be cut and served later. While there are places to sit and chat, a large portion of the floor has been cleared for a dance floor and on the end of the room opposite the food a live DJ is playing all the popular songs and ready for requests.
The birthday girl herself is near the gifts table gossiping with a couple of her close friends who are admiring the cheerleader's new bracelet. Her dress isn't exactly what most would call casual, but its fitting and not overly fancy either.
Kaicee definitely isn't a member, far from it. Never having set foot in the posh club, she looks out of place, wearing clothing that looks as if it were purchased at Hot Topic. Even more possibly, she wasn't even invited, but she's here to crash the party with Donny. Casting Donny a glance, she leans in a little. "So, what do you do at a country club party?"
Donny makes his way in. He actually cleans up pretty good. Mint green polo shirt and a pair of khakis end in a pair of black loafers. "I dunno.." He looks around nervously and spies the DJ. The air in his lungs escape, as if he deflated. "Great.. It's Daft Duck, not even a live band, so I can't even ask about gigs." He looks around. "Do you notice anyone from school who isn't fake?"
Shane may not have been invited to Isabelle's birthday party, but Rebecca 'Becca' Fowler was. The senior girl is dressed appropriately for a party at the country club. Tagging along behind her, or being practically dragged by an invisible leash, is the much more underdressed Shane, who is wearing a pair of faded jeans, a grey, long-sleeved thermal shirt under a black tshirt with an abstract design on the front. Becca starts to head over to the gift table, as she is carrying a metallic pink and silver striped gift, stops and turns to Shane. "Please, do not do anything to embarass me." Becca flashes him a big, bouncy yet strangely predatorial smile. "Thanks." She then spins and heads over to where Isabelle is standing. "Isabelle. Fabulous party. The parents made me bring the new foster brother. This is Shane. Shane, this is Isabelle. It's her party." Looking a touch shell-shocked, Shane offers a bit of a smile. "Um.. hi.. happy birthday..."
Etienne seems to fit in well enough here, having properly groomed after a morning in the stables and on the riding paths, dressed in something a little more toward Country Club normal, though the top few buttons of his button-down shirt are undone and he still wears the somewhat bohemian-looking black cord around his neck, though the charm on the end of it is hidden below the land of ironed white. Khakis, dress shoes, a blazer of muted blue, it all looks about right. Nobody's dragging him into the room, yet he's not particularly well-acquainted with the birthday girl, aside from the classes they share. It was his grandparents, members of the club, who thought it would be the right thing for their grandson to attend the club function and give birthday wishes to someone of standing in society, and so he's obliging them with all due filial piety and grace, entering with the poise of someone who's at least been to a society function or two in the past. He smiles broadly as he recognizes Shane before even the birthday girl, and, since he's over where the presents are, he heads in that direction, bearing a smallish box wrapped in paper of swirling hues of cream and peach to add surreptitiously to the collection.
Isabelle laughs, turning as Becca joins the little group and a couple others move off in search of food or to take to the dance floor with various others. "So glad you could make it, don't worry about it," she waves the bringing of the foster brother off with a wave of hand - which shows off the sparkling bracelet on her wrist. "The more the merrier, right?" Of course there are some they'd all rather not have show up. "Nice to meet you Shane," she greets the boy, offer a hand and a smile.
"Describe fake." Kaicee says deadpan. Course about every teen she knew from school had been called that at some time or the other. "Uh. I didn't bring a gift. I think I have a pack of gum in my car." Crossing her arms over her chest, she watches the reunion over by the gift table. "You wanna go say Hi?" The question is asked in a dubious voice, a hesitance there. "Oh hey, forgot to tell you, you look nice and stuff." Isn't that how dates worked?
Donny holds up the gift bag in his hand, tissue paper neatly sticking up out of it. "Got it covered. Even when crashing a party, never go empty-handed, Mom always says." He looks around and slides behind a new crowd making their way to the gift table in order to stealthily drop off the present. "And you look great too, without even having to fit the mold. As for saying hi... I think that might be a bad idea. There's being ballsy and then there's being stupid."
Shane takes the offered hand, returning a somewhat nervous smile. "Thanks... Nice to meet you too..." He gives a 'wassup' chin up when he sees Etienne. "Hey, man..." He looks back to Isabelle, "Thanks again for letting me crash your party..." He sees Becca giving him the 'behave look' once again. "Well, I'm sure you have a lot of people to meet and greet.. " Becca gets pulled away chatting with someone for her class.
"Shane," Etienne returns the greeting with a firm clap of hand on Shane's upper arm, a subtle 'hang in there' message latent behind the outwardly masculine form of salutation. "Good to see you again," he tells him with a smile. Maybe he's a little surprised to have run into Shane in this sort of environment, but, if so, he hardly shows it, and surely doesn't mention it. He looks from Shane to Isabelle, and inclines his head in a genteel fashion. "And best wishes to you, Miss Dalton, on your very special birthday," he wishes the birthday girl herself.
Tanner makes his way into the party. His family has a membership, but he's rarely at the club unless his father makes him come. He's dressed in expensive khaki shorts with a buttoned up dress shirt and tie on, a tattered old navy blue blazer on over that. He has his ever-present smile on, and waves around as he walks in carrying a little white box with an impeccable ribbon wrapped and bowed around it. He sits it on the gift table and grins, calling out to no one specifically, "Wassup was sup!"
"Hope you enjoy yourself," Isabelle comments in reply to Shane, "Plenty of food," she motions towards those tables, "and music." But he's right, there's plenty to meet and greet and be generally social with throughout the evening. Thankfully perhaps she hasn't noticed the party crashers just yet, instead turning a smile on Etienne, "So glad you could make it, but please. Isabelle," she says between a thank you to another present being added to the pile. "Your grandparents might prefer such formalities, but this is a party." Lighten up and have fun!
Kaicee is one of the sophomore class, sixteen, she's not into any sports or music. She takes the Auto Mechanics class at school and works at her father's shop, living in this town all her life. "You remembered to bring a gift?" Kaicee rolls her eyes, either at the gift or the mention of his mother's lesson. Her jaw tightens. She doesn't offer to accompany him to the gift table, preferring to lay low. "So do you always fit in to their cookie cutter mold?" A ghost of a smile crosses her lips, but it's brief and gone again just as quickly.
Donny makes his way back from the table. He swallows at the rebuke. "I..." He rolls his eyes. "No, not typically. I just didn't want to draw too much attention and get us kicked out." He shrugs. "If you wanna take off and grab a pizza or something we can do that." He tries to salvage things as much as possible. He looks around and spies Shane and nods a hello to the man from across the hall. Donny's a sophomore too, new to the school and the town.
Shane extracts himself from Isabelle's immediate presence. There is a mildly amused grin at Etienne's antiquated demeanor. His green eyes are then drawn to the somewhat outlandish entrance of Tanner, who apparently knows no other way of entering a room.
"Isabelle," Etienne repeats, obedient, but with a smile playful enough to give spirit to the word. He marks the bracelet she's seemed to be showing off. "Your bracelet. Was it a birthday present? It's quite charming," he remarks, of it, before beginning to follow Shane as he sneaks off, letting others step up to greet the birthday girl. "I hope you'll have a dance free for me, later," he tells her, by way of delaying further conversation 'til then, his attention marching straight after Shane's attention on its way to Tanner.
Tanner holds his fist up in the air, "Shane! Dude!" And he makes his way over towards Shane. "Hey, man! Looks like Isabelle Super-Fine totally managed to invite the noobs, too, huh?" He points at Donny, "The D-man's here, too! Right on!" He nods, approvingly, "Word."
Isabelle beams at the mention of her bracelet, lifting her hand to show it off to Etienne. "It was, from my parents of course. A full carat." A white gold tennis bracelet studded with diamonds and interspersed with sapphire. "Have Charlie add you to my list," she teases after the boy, sending a flutter of fingers after him. She can't be expected to remember all the dances she's supposed to save.
"Leave?" Kaicee echoes. "And miss the chance on getting thrown out of here?" She lightens up considerably, for now. "Like I said, you look great, but then again you did out by the bank too in your normal stuff." Tilting her chin towards the dance floor where people are jamming out to the DJ music, she smirks, "Dance, food, drink or want to go talk to your friend?" Course she probably knows most in the room on sight, but she doesn't greet anyone in particular.
Donny shrugs with a smile. "No reason why we can't do all of the above." He says as he reaches gently for Kaicee's hand. "Lemme introduce you to them?" He tries to make his way over to Tanner and Shane. "Hey guys."
Shane reaches up and brushes his hair back from his eyes with his fingers. "Tanner... Donny... " As Etienne moves over that way, Shane grins at him, "Hey... you know this is like totally not school work... How will you survive? I mean.. this is like two nights in a row..." He looks over to the girl with Donny, "Hey.. I'm Shane..." He gestures to the wild man with white boy dreadlocks, "That would be Tanner.. and if you don't know 'em... this is Etienne... "
"Isn't that what Sundays are for? On the seventh day, the Lord stopped partying long enough to finish his maths," Etienne recites to Shane with mock-solemnity, grinning at Tanner, the meanwhile, seeming unable to help the expression in the wake of such enthusiasm. "Hey," he greets Tanner, once he's been introduced, reaching out with a hand for a shake, or perhaps something less formal.
Tanner doesn't respond to any extended hands with a handshake, instead, immediately making them fist bump instead. "Rock on. Hey." He tilts his head a little, "What kind of whack name is Etienne? Is that, like, Jewish?" He laughs, "Let's turn on the MUSIC!" Then he looks at the other kids close to him, "Parties are just funerals with dancing. There's no dancing here yet. We're in trouble."
When her hand is taken, Kaicee looks a little surprised, but doesn't protest, just lets him lead her wherever he wants to be going. With her free hand she fiddles around with the zipper on her Five Finger Death Punch hoodie as he greets the others and they return the greeting. "Hey Shane. Tanner. Etienne." Gesturing to herself with a thumb, "Kaicee. Quite a party, yeah?" Tanner gets a quick laugh. "Funeral? I put the fun in funeral."
Donny waves to Etienne in greeting. "Hey. I'm Donny." He let's go of Kaicee's hand, only using it to guide. He laughs at Tanner's declaration. "We have music.. Got DJ Mickey Mau5 over there.." He gestures to the live DJ by the dance floor. He turns to Kaicee. "Well, expert.." he says, gesturing to the dance floor.. "Care to show us amateurs how to get the party started?"
Shane grins slightly at Tanner. "You know for someone who looks like a white Rastafarian... you really don't have a mellow setting, do you, Dude?" He shakes his head, at Etienne, "Even your smart alec remarks are too studious... " He elbows Eti jokingly, as he chuckles softly. "Nice to meet ya, Kaicee.."
Tanner nods at Donny, "A DJ is just a guy with a record player if he's playing music that sucks. Somebody needs to kick him up a notch." He laughs at Shane, "Mellow's my middle name. I just NEVER use it." He gives an overacted bow to Kaicee, "My lady," and then he heads for the DJ, apparently intending to have some words with him. "Hey! You with the tunes!"
Etienne closes his hand into a fist to make the bump, even making it look more or less like a natural gesture, at that. "So, what's this, dance or die?" he tries to get a hold of this hypothesis, grinning at Kaicee and nodding to Donny by way of greeting.
"Ha. I never said I was good at dancing, just fun." Kaicee smirks in reply to Donny, "Why don't we start with the punch, surely someone's spiked it by now." Inclining her head to Shane, she echoes, "Nice meeting you too, Shane." As Tanner excuses himself, she laughs at the way he bows. "Sure thing.. Sir." To Etienne, she nods, "Dance or die, you first?" Grinning back, unable to help it, she loses some of her solemnity.
Donny chuckles and nods to Kaicee. "Well then, M'Lady, the punch awaits." He starts the walk over to the food and heads for the punch bowl. If he's not followed, he grabs a couple cups and then makes his way back, handing one to Kaicee. "Here's to fun." He says, by way of a toast.
Becca Fowler, a senior and Shane's foster sister, walks up. "Okay, Shorty, we have to book. Mom called and said that we need to get home..." She doesn't really wait for a reply before she starts off. Shane sighs softly, offering up a shrug. "Well, guess that would be the end of the excitement for me tonight. Laters."
Tanner convinces the DJ to put on something a little bit louder with a dance beat, and then makes his way to the punch. He spends a bit longer there with his back to the room than perhaps one would think it would take him to fill his cup. But then, spiking punch isn't easy, these days. He carries his cup back over to where Donny is. "Where'd everybody go?"
Donny shrugs. "Shane had to go home and Etienne decided to go mingle with the crowd." Just as he finishes his statement, his cellphone rings. A smile reaches his face. He turns to Kaicee. "Sorry, I gotta take this. I'll be right back." He starts to walk away as he answers. "Hey mom. How's Cleveland?”
Accepting the punch, Kaicee smiles at Donny, "Thanks, Donny." Lifting it to her lips for a sample. The punch is good, not spiked, but good all the same. About to answer Tanner, she smirks when Donny does. "What he said." When he takes the call, she wiggles her fingers, watching him go, hearing the tail end of the hey mom part, before looking back at Tanner. "So.. what's up?"
"Lame," Tanner declares flatly. He smiles at Kaicee, then. "The refill on that punch will be better," and he winks at her, downing his entire glass in a quick chug. "Yeah. That's better." He grins and then asks Kaicee, "So, you and the Dman a thing?"
Donny returns from the lobby, ending the call. "Sorry about that. I.. don't hear from my mom often so.." He shrugs, afraid of being considered a mama's boy, but whatever. He notices the crowd thinning. "Should we get out of here before we're noticed?"
"Your mom?" Shoving her hands in her pockets now, Kaicee looks towards the door. "Want to get out of here?" Nodding in agreement to his own suggestion he had made before her. "Yeah, let's go. I'm not the country club type."
Donny shrugs and heads through the door. "Their loss." He says with a smile. "You ok?”
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