Dinner was surprisingly scrumptious despite the major and minor setbacks, mainly thanks to Timothy who took up the role of ‘head chef’ after the custard incident. They ate till there were no leftovers: not because everyone was that hungry but for the greedy anxiety that they wouldn’t be able to have more later, if they had stopped. After that, they lay there, unable to move under the weight of their own stomachs.

“So” Timothy said as he rolled sluggishly onto his side, “What now?”

Lois shrugged and looked about the rest of the room: Lane sat looking exasperated, his forehead nested in the crook of his arm, he seemed to be having trouble stopping his hiccups; Kenny had draped himself all over the recliner, staring deep into the patterns on the rug. He stretched, sighing loudly through his nostrils and suddenly caught Lane’s eye. He brisked the contact away immediately but smoothly enough for Kenny to not realize he did it on purpose. Yet, it was enough for Lois- enough for her to suspect that there was hot tea still steeping in the kettle. She pursed her lips and made a note to ask him later. Then again, people made awkward eye contact with other people every day…

“I might have a board game or two lying around” Lane opted. Lois narrowed her eyes and kicked up her feet in refusal. She was rather relieved when Kenny and Timothy groaned and shuffled about their seats as well. Lane slumped into the corner of the sofa in defeat and blew at a lock of hair that had fallen across his face, yet again with another “hicc!” that was starting to itch Lois’s patience.

“How can a sleepover be so uneventful?” Kenny mumbled and sat up. The right side of his layered hair stood erect having been bent the other way while Kenny’s head was against the sofa cushions, like a sideways cowlick, giving him the appearance of a lop-sided anvil.

“If you want eventful,” Lois yawned, “my ballet teacher fell down the stairs today”

Lane pulled back in his seat in surprise, “Excuse me, what?” He didn’t hiccup. The shock of the news may have solved them. She smiled at herself for being such a hero.

“Yup.” Lois said, “I didn’t have class today”. She failed to understand why her brother seemed so shocked. Then again, it may or may not have been because she had rather gone around the city gallivanting than come home and help him out with the preparations. In her defence, she wouldn’t have been much help even if she stayed- she was more yap and less cook.

“Is she okay?” Kenny asked worriedly, his eyebrows scrunched up above his nose and the corners of his eyes crinkled. He was clearly very concerned, as anyone would have expected Kenny to be- more or less the guardian among the quartet. Which was a good thing, considering how far a simple intrusive thought could have gotten them- especially when she and Timothy were put together. Even Lane, despite his calmer, more intuitive outlook would sometimes get in on the act. That didn’t mean that Kenny didn’t have his own unique moments where he was worse than all three.

“She broke her foot” Lois answered, “the girls and I took’er to the hospital”, then she grinned. “And then we celebrated!!”  

“How iconic!” Timothy chuckled.

“What do you mean?” Kenny said looking pale. It made Lois snort.

“Kenny, chill out” Lois said, waving her hand, “she is SUCH a fat-shamer! I have never heard such cancellable shit come out of a person’s mouth. Honestly, I think the karma got to her” she looked directly at Lane and made a sour, wrinkly face, “Look at you!” she said in a heavy Italian accent, all though her own Slavic kept getting in the way, “plumper than the king’s piggy! Too long, you are! Might as well save money and leave this class!”

“Yes!” Timothy said snootily, mimicking Lois imitating her teacher, “ninety-nine percent legs! No substance” he tutted. Lane sat up with a jolt. Of all the years of hanging out together, what Lois could never quite put a finger on was how Tim and Lane called each other ‘friends’. They fought a lot – all the time. Any second they had to spare with nothing to do was spent in trying to irritate the other. She rolled her eyes. This was going to take a while.

“All you are is a short disgusting hairball” Lane retorted, making fun of Timothy’s mess of curls, “I’ve seen Percy cough up stuff better than you.”

“ ‘Hi, I’m Lane ‘ ” Timothy squawked, making a little puppet with his hand, “ ‘I think I look so pretty and smart’. Well guess what?! Half of us don’t know that you look like a plastic surgery gone wrong because your face is too high up in space to see! You Flat Ass”