Treehouse

Chapter 7: Party

TJ had to drag Amber to her car so she could drive them to Andi's party.

"You can't just stand her up, Ambs," TJ told her.

"I'll just tell her I'm sick." She faked a cough and a sneeze. "See? Pretty convincing! Got me through a lot of school days."

TJ gave her a stern look. "Amber-"

She cut him off with a huff. "I know, I know. You two will be there for me, blah blah."

"We will. You're going to be fine, Amber, now can you please start driving?" Marty asked. "You're the only one with a driver's license here, and I don't want to keep Buffy waiting."

Amber sighed and started driving, turning on the radio so the car ride wouldn't be so dull. She would have to face her eventually.

Amber was driving like a turtle, so Marty got out of his seat and leaned over the center console. "Can you at least step on it? At this point, we'll show up after the party's over. And put some good music on."

"Put your seatbelt on, Martin," Amber said. "Or I will go slower."

"Ok, mom," he scoffed, grabbing ahold of her phone and sitting back in his seat. He put his seatbelt on and put a rap song on Amber's Spotify.

"Aren't you always fashionably late anyway?" TJ asked. "You say it's part of the 'cool life' or whatever."

"Yeah, but this is Buffy we're talking about!" Marty said. "Plus, I live for the party, and I'm not going to miss it."

"You do know it's not a party, right?" TJ looked back at his friend. "It's just going to be us and the GHC."

"Everything's a party when I'm there. Hello, I'm Marty from the Party!"

He had earned the nickname after a 6th-grade class party. TJ had dared him to chug the whole punch supply they had, so Marty, being the guy he is, could not turn down a challenge. He threw up right away, and he was deemed Marty from the party ever since, though that was mainly by TJ.

They entered Andi's house, Amber walking to a nearby table when she noticed Andi talking to the rest of the GHC.

"Hey, you guys came." Andi walked towards Marty and TJ as she noticed them.

"Yeah, with Amber," TJ said, nodding towards his sister, who was now stuffing her face with Cheeto puffs. When Andi kept staring at her, TJ told her, "I heard what happened, and I think you should go talk to her."

Andi looked back at TJ and Marty. "Yeah, I think I should. Thank you guys for coming."

She went over to Amber, who was now chugging down a glass of punch.

"Hey. I uh, read your text, and I was hoping we could talk." She fiddled with her ring, hoping she would want to talk to her, but instead, Amber stood there frozen and speechless.

"Um, maybe we can go to my room." She supplied, and when Amber still stood there frozen, she grabbed her wrist and dragged her to her room.

Meanwhile, TJ and Marty went to Cyrus, Buffy, and Jonah.

"Hey guys," TJ put his arm around Cyrus, Marty doing the same with Buffy.

"Hey," Jonah said with his same bubbly smile as always. "I was just telling these guys that we've been helping you practice for the open mic on Friday."

"Watching me practice," TJ corrected. "I don't recall you guys playing with me. Marty, you can't even play the piano."

Before Marty could protest, Bowie emerged from nowhere. "Is this what I think I'm hearing? You're gonna play at open mic?"