On the Court #Wattys2015

Extra: The Other Generation

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Aurora, now thirteen, is attending her first party. Not a party where loud music would bang against the wall or booze being passed from kid to kid. It was a semi-mature birthday party. It was Joseph's friends fifteenth birthday and Toni said that if Rory can't go, he can't go. He hated that of course and has ditched her every possible way since they got there.

She was held up in a corner nursing some fizzy fruit punch. It was gross. Even more since she decided to go on a low sugar diet and sweets were foreign to her. Damn Ricky for not having water in his house.

"Hey, Aurora, come on!" she heard Tally say, an annoying classmate of hers who so happened to be Ricky's little sister.

"For what?"

"Playing stupid party games. I wanna play but I don't want to be the only eighth grader."

"Alright," Rory shrugged, following Tally into the living room. They all just lazed around on the couches and the floor. She sat next to Tally on the floor and looked at her surroundings. Seemed as if everyone was here, even Joseph, the worst brother ever, and Leo, no comment.

Growing up together was supposed to be a trio of sorts but instead Leo was just always caught in the middle of the two. Rory didn't understand how her and Joseph fell out. She remembered faintly that they used to be close. Then one day, Joseph just stopped liking her. She felt like she lost her best friend.

Leo was there for her though. He wanted all three of them to play together but took turns instead. Playing basketball with Joseph to playing Prince and Princess with Rory. He didn't mind either of them, especially when Rory and him would always kiss. Those princy games stopped about two years ago when they were getting a bit too touchy and Jeremy walked in on them. He was mad, yes, but Luna was deranged. She flipped bricks. Whatever lecture they both got that day worked because they haven't really hung out since.

Seeing him tonight though sort of made her happy because she felt like she was with her true friend again. Joseph, she knew, was a lost case but Leo was still a friend to her.

"Alright so, what? Truth or dare? Seven minutes?"

"Seven minutes!" All of them said at once.

Rory was bored. No one wanted to give up the only two eighth graders at the party. It's not like they were any huge gaps in age difference. It was the start of the new year and surrounded by a bunch of ninth graders she felt even more dumb.

It was Tally's turn to spin on who would go next. It landed on Rory. Rory side glared at her, silently telling her to pick someone already so she could get it over with. Tally grinned, "Leo."

Rory almost chocked on her on spit. "You little shit," she hissed.

"Uh..." Leo stammered, scratching the back of his neck. Joseph rolled his eyes but really wanted to say something about his friend going to make out with Rory.

"Go on!" Ricky urged.

Rory and Leo both left to the back room and stood awkwardly in front of each other. "We don't have to do anything if you don't want," Leo assured her. 

Rory raised her brow as a smile spread on her lips, "Oh really?"

A laugh escaped him, "I'm just saying."

"And what exactly are you saying?"

"You tell me, Princess Aurora."

"Oh shut up!" she laughed, slapping his arm.

"Joseph is spending the night Friday. You should come over Saturday."

"To hang out?"

"Sure," he shrugged.