It's a Buxaplenty Party

[Chapter One] /They got drinks in their hands and the room's a bust.\

[Chapter One]
/They got drinks in their hands and the room's a bust.\

Saturday arrived quicker than Timmy would have liked, and now there he was, standing in the midst of a crowded room with a bunch of people, bright lights, cologne and perfume clogging his sense of smell, and... his gaze fell to the drink he had been given by his mother, squinting at its contents. It didn't look like any of the beer or wine he'd see his parents drink on those rare occasions, but some part of him didn't want to take the risk.

"Timmy!" an excited voice pulled his attention from the glass, eyes resting on his two friends, Chester and AJ.

He couldn't help but smile at them, "Hey, guys," he greeted, the stone of anxiety from last night settling in his stomach, "You... got invitations too?"

He shouldn't have been surprised. After all, he had seen Vickey and Francis mingling with a few of the adults a while ago, but seeing them at the party made him all the more unsettled. What exactly was Remy planning to do? It had to be something big.

"Sure did!" Chester pulled out the beautifully decorated paper from his pocket, grinning wide, "My Pops even let me get a new suit for the occasion!" he gestured proudly to his dark brown suit, "Pretty impressive, right? And it only cost twelve bucks!"

AJ nodded his head, a smirk playing on his face as he glanced down at Timmy's outfit, "I see you weren't so lucky?" he couldn't help but tease, "Maybe if you were blond, it would work better."

Timmy felt his face flush in embarrassment, voice catching in his throat, "Wh—?" he huffed, "Look, it was all I had, alright!" he snapped, glancing down at his pink suit with mild annoyance before putting his attention back to AJ, "And what do you mean, if I was blond it'd work better?" he couldn't help but ask. Was that a reference to something he hadn't seen before? Probably an outlandishly smart thing, knowing AJ.

"It's not important," he waved off the question, "So, what do you think this is all about?" he asked, glancing around their surroundings, "I mean, other than the fact that they clearly want to brag about how rich they are."

"You think there's more involved?" Chester asked, shifting his gaze to AJ.

"Probably," Timmy muttered in agreement, "But the only way we're going to figure that out is if we talk to Remy," he glanced in the blond's direction, who was currently chatting up a storm with Tootie and Chloe, for whatever reason—they probably want to dance with him, now that Timmy thought about it, "Not like he'd tell us, though."

"That is true..." AJ hummed thoughtfully, "Maybe we could trick it out of him?" he proposed, "But how...?"

"Why don't we use Timmy?" Chester suggested, earning a startled noise from the brunette and a raised eyebrow from AJ, "Remy usually bugs Timmy the most, out of all of us, so..." he made a gesture with his hand, "Timmy could antagonize him until he spills?" he shrugged, glancing between his friends in hopes that he actually offered a useful idea.

"No way!" Timmy protests, "Why would he even want to talk to me?" he gestured to the blond, "He's clearly in the middle of being fond over by girls."

"Okay, fair, but you could interrupt them," AJ replied, only briefly glancing in Remy's direction.

+

It wasn't unusual for Remy to feel eyes burning in the back of his skull; it was something that came with years of jealous peers, eager investors and the more than occasional kidnapper. This pair of eyes, though, belonged to someone he had been planning to talk to since he noticed him arrive through the front door. He had to be tactful, of course; couldn't just approach him right away. That would seem rather suspicious, given his history. No, he needed Timmy to come to him first.

"I'm honestly surprised your parents let you invite so many people," Chloe's cheerful voice cut into his thoughts, "I mean, you invited the whole town," she pointed out, gesturing to their surroundings, "Didn't that seem like a bit much for them?"

"My parents didn't care who showed up, so long as they got to speak with possible clients," Remy explained, "Though, I suppose I may have gone a little overboard," he chuckled. All part of his plan. With so many people at the party, and a little alcohol in everyone's system, it would be easy for him to slip away unnoticed.

"You think Timmy showed up?" Tootie asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

Remy fought back the urge to grimace, stomach twisting with unwanted jealousy, "Oh, I'm sure he did," he sighed, "Knowing his parents, the poor bloke was brought here by force," he was unable to mask the sympathy in his voice.

"Yeah, that's true..." Chloe nodded in agreement, allowing a beat of silence to pass before speaking up again, "Well, we'd better get going," she smiled down at Tootie, "Wouldn't want to keep Timmy waiting," she teased, giving her friend a light nudge in the arm.

The implication earned a sharp glare from Tootie and a light swat in the arm, "Chloe!" she muttered.

"Yes, yes," Remy hummed, "I'm sure Timmy will be overjoyed to see the two of you," he waved as the two girls slowly drifted back into the sea of guests, "I'll be seeing the two of you later, I hope!" he called after them, turning his back to focus on the food that was currently occupying the table before him. Just wait, he told himself, and soon, he'll finally get the opportunity to spend some time alone with Timmy.

+

"He's alone!" AJ noted, nudging Timmy in the side with his elbow, "Now's your chance, before someone else starts talking to him!"

"But—" Timmy's protests fell on deaf ears as his friends grabbed onto his arms and began dragging him forward, "This isn't gonna work! Why would he even remotely listen to me?" he dug his heels into the floor as a failed attempt at stopping their advances, towards the blond, "Come on guys, just—"

Chester and AJ shushed him as they pushed him forward and darted off into the crowd, causing him to stumbling slightly. Timmy steadied himself, adjusting his tie as he stared at Remy's back, a weight setting in his chest, "Hey, Buxaplenty," he forced a grin, tucking his hands in his pockets, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.

Remy gave a small hummed as he spun around, a sly smile on his face that made Timmy's stomach churn, "Why, if it isn't just the man I wanted to see," he clasped his hands together, eyes falling on the suit Timmy wore, "I believe you stole my suit, Mr. Carraway," he joked, gesturing to said item.

Timmy raised an eyebrow at the name, "Who?"

"Never mind," Remy waved off the question, "I have much to discuss with you," he shifted so he was able to wrap an arm around Timmy's shoulder, earning a startled look in response, "Come along," he guided him through the crowd, towards a door that was tucked into one of the far corners of the room, "We don't have all night, after all."

"W—hang on a sec—" Timmy stuttered, glancing back at Chester and AJ, who were watching him being kidnapped from a distance, "Why—why can't we just talk about this here, huh?" he laughed nervously, stomach twisting in knots.

"I'm afraid the matter I'd like to discuss with you, Old Sport..." his voice grew dark as he shot a glare at the two boys trailing behind them, daring them to follow any further, "Is much too personal for prying ears."