"Hello," Julia answered. "What's going on over here?"

"What do you mean?" said Pat. She was about to shut the door when Diana came through the threshold. Yolanda noticed that instead of exchanging a knowing glance like they usually did, the cousins ignored each other. Diana swept past Pat and Pat turned away quickly to shut the door.

"What time did you get back?" asked Julia.

"Actually, we were kind of late, because we were dropping some people off," Pat said.

"I thought you all drove in the same car," said Julia.

"Well, Diana wanted to ride home with Maria," Pat said primly.

"Your mother said you were supposed to be home by ten," Julia said. "Now, when she asks, I'll have to tell her what time you got home."

"Yeah, sorry were late," said Pat.

"Where's Brian?"

"Brian? Umm, upstairs," said Pat. She turned to Yolanda. "You told Troy to tell him that Julia was here?"

"Yeah right, umm, they're upstairs."

"He's acting weird," said Melissa.

"You look weird," Yolanda said, pointedly raising her eyebrows.

Troy knew what Brian's problem was the minute he smelled Brian's clothes. He and David had often been up when David's brother Greg and his sister Lisa came home from their parties. Sometimes they threw up or dropped off to sleep suddenly. David always made a drinking motion to Troy behind their backs. Upstairs, Troy was watching Brian repeatedly rinse out his mouth with mouthwash.

"Don't you think gum would be better?"

"You don't know anything about it, okay?" Brian said as best he could with his mouth full. He spit the mouthwash out and rinsed the sink out. Troy followed Brian from the bathroom into their room. Brian moved around their room anxiously, changing his shirt and glancing in the mirror above the boys' dresser.

"Why are you trying to hide your breath anyway?" asked Troy, watching him.

Brian paused with exasperation. "Troy, for once, don't be a pain in the ass, okay? I'll tell you everything, just do this okay?"

"Fine," Troy said, sitting calmly on the bed. "I still say you should chew gum. I can smell the mouthwash from here."

"Look whatever, do you have any gum?"

"Maybe," Troy said.

"Troy come on, I'm not playing with you, Julia's downstairs! Do you have gum or not?"

"Okay, okay." Troy leaned over and opened the drawer to his nightstand. He pulled out a pack of gum. Brian took three pieces, shoved them in mouth and chewed rapidly.

"Nice shirt," Troy said.

"What?" Brian looked down.

"It's on backwards, doof."

"Oh," Brian turned his shirt around.

They heard Yolanda calling from the bottom of the stairs. "Brian! Julia wants to see you!"

Brian turned to Troy. "Don't say anything; I mean it."

Troy was casual. "What am I going to say? You chewed gum and put your shirt on backwards?"

Brian spit the wad of gum into a piece of paper, balled it up and threw it on his desk. "All right then, c'mon."

Troy jumped up and followed Brian out of their room. As they went down the stairs, Troy noticed Brian carefully hanging on to the railing instead of running down the stairs at his usual pace.

"Hey!" said Brian when he reached the foot of the stairs.

Across the room, Yolanda saw Pat stiffen as they watched Brian walk towards them.

"Brian, what time did your mother tell you to be home?" Julia started over again with her inquisition.

"Yeah, I was talking to Anne and she and this guy got into a fight and so, I guess I just lost track of time and made us late."

"Oh," said Julia. "Because Pat said you had to take some people home."

Brian gave her a patient smile. He and Pat obviously had no time to get their stories straight, thought Troy. He and Yolanda were lucky. If they didn't have matching lies they could just use their acting skills.

"Well I did," Brian said, "but uh, I drove them home after that. Diana doesn't know because she rode home earlier with Maria, 'cause she didn't want to wait."

"Well, you got that part of the story right," said Julia. She folded her arms and from Brian to Pat. "But you obviously didn't figure out all your details."

"Aw c'mon Julia," Brian said, coming over to her.

Not too close, thought Troy. He raised his brows. Miraculously, Brian saw him and stopped.

"We weren't doing anything, we were just late, that's all. We'll tell Mom and Dad what time we got home, okay?"

"You had better be here the rest of the night," Julia said.

"We will!" answered Brian. "Call! Seriously! We'll be here!" His voice was getting way too loud.

"I mean it Brian, don't go anywhere until they get home."

"We wont!"

"But what about my math meet tomorrow?"

Everyone turned and looked down at Melissa.

"I'll take you," Julia said.

"We wont go anywhere, promise," said Brian. "Okay?"

"Right," said Pat.

"Not even for food," added Troy. Pat stepped back and landed squarely on his toe. Troy winced, still smiling.

Julia shook her head and walked towards the door. Diana turned and stalked after her. Pat shut the door after them and stood on her toes to look out the small window until Julia and Diana got back to their own house. Then she turned and slumped against the door.

"God, you can totally tell Diana's been hanging around Maria too long," she said to the room in general. "Who does she think she is, standing around like she's our mother or something?"

"Yeah, no shit," Brian said. "What was she doing over here anyway, it was between us and Julia. I'm surprised she didn't totally rat us out about the car."

"Brian, shutup," Pat said.

"Oh no!" Troy said. "Both of you said you would tell us everything if we acted normal. We were the most normal acting ones in here."

"What? I was normal!" said Brian.

"Yeah right, Mr. Chewing Gum? Are your pants on right side out?"

To his surprise, Brian chuckled. "Shutup," he said. Troy laughed himself, and began to pantomime Brian's actions while they were upstairs.

"I told you Brian was acting weird," Melissa said as the girls took this in.

Pat whirled around. "Thanks for bringing that up to Julia, twerp! God, I ask you for one thing!"

Yolanda chimed in. "Well she was certainly acting normal," she snapped at Melissa, "she lives to get us in trouble."

"I do not!" Melissa protested. But her sisters ignored her and went into the kitchen. Brian and Troy followed.

Pat sat down at the table and Yolanda drew a chair up close her. Troy drew up two more chairs. Brian plopped down in the one next to Pat and Troy sat next to him. Melissa slid into a chair across the table and placed her chin in her hands.

"So where is our car?" Troy asked.

"Did you guys crash it or something?" asked Yolanda.

"Maybe Brian's acting so weird because he has a concussion," offered Melissa.

Brian laughed again as Yolanda sighed. "Melissa, shutup."

"What? My gym teacher said you could walk around with a head injury and not even know it, Yolanda."

"Melissa, this is serious, be quiet," said Yolanda.

"A concussion is serious!"

Suddenly, Brian stood up, and made a t shape with his hand by putting the tips of the fingers of his right hand into the palm of his left. "Time out!" he said. "I do not have a concussion and we did not crash the car. The car is fine; it's just not here."

"Duh, we figured that out," said Yolanda. "Where is the car?"

"Look, the car is still at Danny's, because Pat wouldn't let me drive it."

Troy rolled his hand. "And...why not?"

Brian paused and Troy dropped his bomb. "Maybe because you're drunk?" he said.

His announcement produced the desired effect. Pat and Brian looked at each other, then stared at him. Yolanda looked shocked and interested all at once and Melissa shouted, "Brian? Have you been experimenting with alcohol and/or drugs?"

Brian, Troy, Pat and Yolanda looked at each other and started laughing. "She sounds just like those movies in health class," gasped Yolanda.

"You guys, it's not funny! If he drove they could've been in an accident!"

"But I didn't drive, did I, Melissa?" said Brian.

"Brian, alcohol has serious effects on your brain," Melissa continued.

"I know, okay? But I don't think a couple of beers are going to fry my entire head, thanks anyway," Brian said. He ambled over to the refrigerator and opened the door.

Melissa got down off of her chair and left the kitchen. "I'll be back," she said.

When she was gone, Yolanda shook her head. "You guys shouldn't told her. She'll tell on us," she said, unconsciously involving Troy and herself in Pat and Brian's situation.

"We didn't tell her, Troy did," Pat said shooting an annoyed glance at her younger brother.

Troy shrugged. "I was just guessing, he didn't have to say yes or no."

Pat sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway, she would have found out somehow and then been mad because we didn't tell her. And since she got a ride to the math meet we can walk over early and get the car."

"Walk? How far?" asked Yolanda.

"It's not that bad, and it'll be faster tomorrow when he's in his right mind," Pat said, jerking her thumb behind her at Brian.

Yolanda looked at Brian, who was opening tupperware containers and sniffing their contents. "Hey Brian, what does it feel like? Is the room spinning?" Yolanda asked. To Patella: "How come he's not tripping over stuff and hiccuping?"

"Oh really," Pat said, as if she had had years of experience with intoxication instead of hours, "that's just on T.V. He's just moody for the most part, he laughs at weird stuff and gets pissed off easier."

"Yeah," added Troy. "Most of the drunk people at David's house just act dumb. This one guy took off his pants and ran around their yard."

"Well," said Pat, "at least Brian hasn't done that."

"Is he gonna remember this?" Yolanda asked.

"I don't know, is he?" Pat said, looking over at Troy, which pleased him.

"Umm, most of it, probably."

"You guys are talking about meeee...." Brian said in a sing-song tone as he stuck his head back into the refrigerator.

"Yes we arrrrreeee," Pat answered in the same voice.

Yolanda laughed. "A drunk opera! Brian, you are druuuunk!!!!" She sang.

"Yes, my sister, I knooooowwww!!!!!" Brian shouted with glee.

Pat rolled her eyes at Troy and he nodded.

"Honestly, you're worse than him," Pat shoved Yolanda in the arm as she giggled with Brian, covering her face.

"So was there anything else going on at this party, or was everyone like him?" Troy said, ignoring Yolanda.

"No, people were talking and stuff before, though you could barely hear anybody, they were blasting that group, Van Halen, I think? Anyway, he went out back by keg with Anne and this girl Suz and I was playing in a card game. When I went to the keg to fill up the pitcher..."

"Hold up, you were drinking too?" asked Yolanda.

"Not much, but you have to have beer to play this card game."

"What kind of game makes you drink beer? I've never heard of that."

"Just this card game. Anyway, by the time I saw Brian again he was yelling at Danny and them and we had to get out of there." Pat turned. "Hey Brian, what was Maria so pissed about?" she asked him. "...this time," she whispered to Yolanda, who smiled and nodded.

"I heard that," Brian said. He had found some leftover chicken and was piling it on a plate, licking his fingers. "Who knows why she's mad? She hasn't talked to me in weeks."

"Ooo, Brian, must have been something big," Yolanda said as he came to the table and sat back down.

"I told you, I have no idea," Brian answered. His voice had a little edge.

"Well, why didn't you ask her tonight? I saw you talking to her."

"Patella, Maria doesn't speak to me, remember?"

"But you guys were all by the door at one point..." Pat said.

"No we weren't!"

"He's also very moody," whispered Pat to the twins.

"Hey Brian, I have a crazy idea that just might work. Why don't you just go up and talk to her?" Yolanda said.

"Oh good solution starlet, I'll talk and she'll stare right through me, then say something sarcastic to Diana. Where have you people been, Timbuktu? You were there, Pat. She said she hates my guts," Brian said.

"Yeah well, that was after you told her to go polish the pole up her butt," Pat said.

"Oh man," laughed Troy. "I would have liked to see her face." Troy thought Maria was pretty but too bossy. She was always telling people what to do like a mother. Although, he admitted to himself, if she liked him, Troy, the way she supposedly liked Brian, he would put up with her too.

"Well that was real nice," said Yolanda, "I wouldn't like you very much either."

"Hey why don't you go talk to her Yolanda? You'll probably get farther than me."

"I will if you want me to," answered Yolanda.

"Oh God, I was being sarcastic! That's just what I need, my little sister trying to make peace."

"Sorr-y. God, remind me not to be an alcoholic." Yolanda said, leaning on the table.

"Okay, new topic!" Pat said. "Trust me, you don't want to get him mad."

Brian looked over at her and put down his chicken. "I wont get that mad anymore, I promise," he said quietly. He reached out and patted her shoulder. Pat nodded.

"I heard somewhere that if you take aspirin so you wont get a headache," Pat said. She got up to go to the cabinet.

"Oh, and Yolanda?" Brian said.

"What?"

"Just a reminder, don't be an alcoholic. He-he-he...." Brian said, laughing at his own intoxicated wit. Naturally, he started Yolanda laughing again. Troy grabbed Brian's wrist to prevent him from spilling his drink in his laughter.

"You weren't kidding about the moody thing," Troy said to Pat.

The three of them watched Brian finish his chicken.

"What?" Brian asked mid-chew, "You've seen me eat before."

"That's for sure," Pat snorted. Brian turned to her, displaying his mouthful of chicken. "Ugh! Very mature Brian!!!"

"He-He-He," laughed Brian with a snort. He ate his last bite of chicken and picked up his glass. He slung his head back and drained his glass, lifting it a few inches from his mouth to let the last of the drink drip into his wide open mouth. "Ach!!!" he said at the end of the performance. He rubbed his stomach.

Melissa came back into the room with her school notebook in her hand. "I found it. Look at this list of stuff, it's all right here."

"What is it?" Brian reached for the book that Melissa was holding out, but Pat stepped in between them.

"Come on," she said to Brian, "it's time to go upstairs."

"Melissa, put that away, this isn't the time," Yolanda said.

Pat and Troy began to lead a protesting Brian out of the kitchen. On her way out, Yolanda turned to Melissa, still standing in the kitchen with her book.

"Maybe later, okay?" she said.

"Liar," Melissa said. She tossed her book onto the kitchen table and sat down with a huff. She put her chin in her palms and didn't look at Yolanda.

"Melissa," said Yolanda.

"Just forget it."

"Okaaay..." Yolanda walked slowly out of the kitchen, waiting for Melissa to call her back. When Melissa said nothing she shrugged and followed the others upstairs.