PARTY FAVOR

By MD, in response to the ATL DOT fic challenge

“Maria, it’s too hot.”

“Liz, we live in a desert. What else would it be in July? Besides, Michael

says he can have the AC in the Crashdown up and running in no time.”

“My parents would kill me.”

“Your parents won’t mind if you just have some friends over. Come ON girl,

you’re going to have a nice, cool air-conditioned restaurant full of food

and it’s all yours… not to mention that it’s like standard that when your

parents go on vacation you have to have a party.”

Liz could tell she was never going to win on this one. “Ok,” she conceded

with a shy smile. 

Maria was already clapping her hands and jumping up and down. Liz put her

hands on Maria’s  shoulders and tried to regain some control of the

situation.

“But just a SMALL party okay? Like not one of those open house things

where everybody breaks things and pukes in the deep fryer.”

“Liz, just leave it to me… this is gonna be so great!” Maria bounced out

of the kitchen.

*    *    *    *    *    *

“YOU CALL THIS A SMALL PARTY?” Liz shouted to her best friend over the

noise.

“Liz, it wouldn’t kill you to relax and have fun for once. Here, have a

margarita.” Maria picked up an icy green drink and handed it to her.

“Don’t worry, it’s virgin. You know, I think I saw Max standing over by

the air conditioner.”

“Maria, I –“ 

“Do not ‘Maria’ me, dear. GO!”

Maria watched Liz make her way reluctantly through the crowd, cautiously

sipping the bright green drink. Kyle was behind the counter mixing more

drinks. He held one out to her. “Here’s that drink you asked for, Maria.” 

“What drink?”

“The virgin margarita for Liz.”

“Wait a sec- that’s the virgin margarita? Which means I just-“

“Gave Liz Parker a chance at having a good time tonight,” Kyle said with a

chuckle. He picked up the tequila bottle when Maria wasn’t looking and

poured a healthy dash into the once innocent margarita. “Here, it’s all

yours,” he said. Spotting Michael across the room, Maria thanked him,

downed half the drink and walked off. 

Maria found Michael sitting in a booth by himself.

“You never were the party type,” she said.

“Yeah?” said Michael, eyeing the supershort hem of Maria’s dress. “Try

me.” 

Maria slid into the booth and gave her lover a kiss. Michael could feel a

slight tingle he’d never felt before. He looked at Maria semi-seriously.

“Have you been consuming alcohol, young lady?”

Maria smiled. “Nah, it’s just a virgin. Unlike some other people I know.”

Michael looked down and saw the way her dress had practically crept up to

her underwear. Under the table, his hand slid around the inside of her

thigh. “I thought I fixed the air conditioning,” he breathed.

 “You did.”

“Not well enough, I think.” As he moved in for another kiss, Maria pulled

away teasingly. “Well maybe all you need is a cold drink.”

Michael smiled before draining the rest of the margarita.

“Max, I am so glad to see you here,” said Liz, who had finally made her

way to where Max was standing by the AC.

Max smiled. “This isn’t quite what you had in mind, is it?”

“I told Maria I just wanted a few people, but of course she had to turn it

into… well, this,” Liz motioned toward the crowd. “I just wish there was

some way I could get these people out of here.”

“Is that what you really want?” said Max.

“Well, yeah.”

“Well then, your wish is my command.” Max discreetly waved his hand over

the air conditioner. It stuttered and stopped. 

A wave of groans washed over the crowd.

Half an hour later, everyone had cleared out of the place, except of

course Liz, Max, Michael, Maria, Isabel and Kyle.

“Well this blows,” said Kyle, kicking a stool. Kyle shot an annoyed glance

at Michael and Maria, who were inhaling each other in a corner booth and

seemed oblivious to the fact that the party was essentially over.

“I’m sorry, Kyle,” said Liz. “I just couldn’t handle all those people.”

Kyle looked at Max. “You broke the air conditioner on purpose?!”

Isabel saw she had to intervene. “Guys, guys, let’s not fight, okay?

There’s no reason we can’t have as good a time with each other as we could

with all those other people.”

“Yeah, well,” muttered Kyle. “It looks like those two are having their own

private party over there.”

“Not private enough,” said Isabel. “Hey you two, get a room!”

Maria and Michael turned to their friends as they came up for air. “Hey!”

said Maria, breathlessly. “Where’d everybody go?”

“Max here broke the air conditioning!” said Kyle. 

“You broke my air conditioning?” said Michael, swaggering woozily to his

feet. He staggered over to the AC and turned to Max. “Why I oughta…”

“You oughta what?” said Max, who was watching Michael with an amused

expression.

“I oughta… give you a big kiss.” And with that, he planted a big one right

on Max’s lips. 

Max shoved Michael away quickly in shock. “You know I love you man, but

this is a bit much. Ugh!” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Liz, mind if I get a sip of your drink?”

Isabel turned to Maria. “Maria? Exactly how much did Michael drink?”

“Drink? He didn’t drink anything, honey. That’s pure Deluca magic. He’s

putty in my hands.”

“Not just your hands!” said Liz. Everyone’s jaw collectively hit the

floor. Michael and Max were making out in the middle of the Crashdown. 

Kyle suddenly realized what he had done. “Oh my god, oh my god! I’m sorry

guys, I totally forgot… I mean I didn’t think they would...”

A smile crept slowly across Isabel’s lips. “Kyle? What exactly did you

do?”

“I spiked Maria’s drink. I just thought it would be fun to see Maria get a

little… tipsy. I don’t know! I guess Michael had some.”

“But what about Max?” said Liz.

“Oh,” said Maria with an embarrassed smile. “I accidentally gave you a

drink with alcohol in it.”

Liz looked at her drink and at the two alien men snogging in the middle of

the room. “Kyle?” she said.

“I think I’m gonna need another shot.”

Isabel broke out the CDs and the six of them had turned the Crashdown into

quite their own personal party. The sound of their laughter was broken by

an all too familiar voice. “Guys? I  heard there was a big party over

here. Where did everyone go?”

“We didn’t like them,” said Isabel, who was dancing quite close to Maria.

“We made them all go home!”

“God it’s hot in here,” Tess whined. “My shirt is like totally sticking to

my body.” She attempted to throw a seductive glance at Kyle, but he was

much too fixated on Maria and Isabel’s gyrating hips to notice.

Tess pouted. “What is with all you guys?” 

“Oh shut UP already,” said Isabel. “And have a drink.”

Tess was about to protest, but she saw Max standing behind the counter

near the tequila bottle. Anxious for any excuse to talk to him, she sidled

her way over there. “Wanna pour a lady a drink?”

“I’d love to,” said Max. “But since you’re here,” he muttered. “I’ll have

to pour you one.” Only Liz, who was crouching behind the counter, heard

him. She was trying not to die laughing.

Max poured a tall shot for Tess and one for himself. “Shouldn’t we toast?”

she squealed.

“Ok,” said Max. “To getting what we deserve. You know. DESTINY.” 

“I’ll drink to that!”

Tess tilted the glass back, and the tequila was gone.

“Have you guys ever played Asshole?” said Liz.

“I will never be THAT drunk,” said Kyle.

“No, stupid,” she said, smacking him upside the head. “It’s a card game. A

drinking card game.”

Everyone looked at her in shock.

“I learned it while I was in Florida,” she said. “My, um, neighbors taught

it to me.”

“Isn’t that the game where everyone throws cards in, in number order, and

whoever has cards left at the end has to do what everyone else says?” said

Isabel.

“Yes, something like that. The person who gets rid of their cards first is

the President. Next is the VP, Secretary, and so on, down to the asshole.”

After several rounds, Liz was President and Tess was the Asshole. Tess

kept trying to mindwarp the others as to what her cards were, but they

caught on pretty fast. 

“Tess, there is no 11 of hearts.”

“It is fucking HOT in here,” said Michael. “I’m gonna fix the AC.” 

Maria and Isabel laughed. Michael could barely even button his shirt right

now, much less fix a large appliance.

“Oh my god!” said Isabel. “You know what I could do?”

“What?”

Isabel lifted her eyes to the ceiling. Following her gaze, Maria could see

gray clouds form along the ceiling. A cool breeze swept their faces, and

suddenly, icy white flakes began to fall.

Liz’s mouth fell open in amazement. “Oh my god, it’s snowing. It’s snowing

in the Crashdown!”

Pretty soon the place was comfortably icy and covered in a layer of white.

Kyle was gathering up what he could of the snow and trying to stuff it

down Maria’s shirt.  Michael was pouring Tabasco on it and making a rather

interesting snow cone.

Tess, by this time, had had about a dozen tequila shots. Her own powers

started playing tricks on her. A few times she had walked into walls

thinking they were doors. The best part was when Maria had convinced her

Max wasn’t there and she tried to call him up on a croissant. Max and Liz

were just about ready to wet themselves over that one.

“I’m right here, Tess,” said Max, trying to be serious. “And there’s

something I really really want to tell you.”

The floor was growing icy, and Max proceeded to slide around the room,

confusing Tess all the more. 

“Hey Tess!” said Isabel. “There’s Max. He’s right there.”

“That’s just a POLE.”

“No Tess! It’s Max! You see a pole?”

“Man, am I ever drunk,” said Tess. “Of course it’s Max.” She approached

the pole and looked it seductively in the “eye.”

From behind the icy support column, Max whispered: “Tess, do you know what

I’ve always wanted?”

“What’s that, Max?”

“To feel your tongue on my body. For you to lick me up and down.” 

“Oh Max, I’ve been waiting for you to say that forever. Here I am baby!”

She stuck out her fat pink tongue and put it right on the frozen metal

pole. “Uck! Ughunggauckere!” She pulled and pulled but it was useless. It

was like that Christmas Story movie all over again. 

They laughed at Tess for a long time, but after awhile they forgot about

her. Kyle and Michael were taking turns sliding across the icy Crashdown

floor trying to take down the girls. On a particularly treacherous skid,

Kyle ricocheted off Maria and flew into Tess like a pinball. Tess’s feet

flew out from under her and she was caught only by her tongue. Her neck

snapped instantly.

Liz gasped in horror. “Oh my god, guys – Tess!”

A silence fell over the room.

Liz removed her hand from her mouth and motioned at Tess’s lifeless body.

“Would you just look at the mess she made?”

“Not a problem,” said Max. And with a wave of his hand, everything was

back to normal.

The END

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