Never Say Never

Chapter 13

 Steve stretched up on his toes, holding the banner in place so Jonathan could tape it across the threshold between the dining room and kitchen. Robin and Dustin were blowing up balloons in the living room while Nancy and Karen worked on the food in the kitchen. Ted was where he could always be found, leaned back in a recliner, watching television, oblivious to the fact that everybody was helping but him.

Honestly, Steve could not figure out how he and Karen were still together. He couldn't figure out how they'd gotten together in the first place. Nancy said her mom saw stability with her dad but they were the oddest couple he'd ever seen. And that was saying something considering who his parents were.

Karen was just so vibrant, upbeat, and full of energy. She still went to jazzercise three times a week. Her and Nancy had run a marathon last summer. She was the first to offer to help or watch Jere when needed. Ted was so boring and completely useless. Whenever he opened his mouth, everyone just stared at him because he added nothing productive to the conversation even when he actually decided to join in. He'd never shared those views with Nancy, obviously, as that was her dad but he was pretty sure she felt the same way.

Mike and El were up in Jeremiah's room, amusing the birthday boy with a round of Battleship while he anxiously awaited the arrival of his best friend. Jere had been systematically kicked out of every room in the house. He'd been kicked out of the kitchen after he'd knocked an entire tray of strawberries to the floor, causing Dustin to announce he could run to the store and grab more before Nancy had a meltdown. He'd then proceeded to pop six balloons as he karate chopped and kicked them as fast as Robin was filling them. By the eighth time of him asking Steve if it was time yet, Steve had practically begged the two of them to get him focused on anything else.

"So, Nancy told me your new girlfriend is coming to the party," Jonathan commented with a sly smile, climbing down from the stepladder. He was sure Nancy had relayed everything Jere or Steve had told her the minute she heard it. "Must be getting pretty serious if you're inviting her to Jere's birthday and introducing her to Nance. You've never brought a girl around Jere so quickly before." He stepped back to assess his work, high fiving Steve when they both deemed it good.

"I don't know. I mean, yeah. I want it to be serious. It definitely seems like it might be serious. But Jere had already met her before we started dating so her being around him this quickly doesn't really count. We met because she wanted to set up a playdate for the boys."

"You two exclusive?"

"Yeah. We agreed on that last week," he laughed, shaking his head. "You would have thought I was some fifteen year old boy who's never talked to girls. I don't know why I had such a hard time just asking her to be my girlfriend. I've never had a girl get me so tongue twisted before but I like her. I really like her, man. She's pretty amazing."

"Sounds like it. Jere says she's your Lois Lane."

"Of course he did. Always a superhero reference with that kid. But he's not wrong. I don't know. We haven't known each other all that long but it just feels...different, somehow. I've been in a lot of relationships, you know. Like, a lot, a lot."

"You don't have to tell me," snorted Jonathan. "We all started taking bets on how long each lady would last. I lost on Janet by a week. Lucas rubbed that one in my face for a while."

"You guys take...seriously?" Steve groaned, his hand slipping over his mouth and jaw. Of course his friends would make his sad love life into a game. "Please tell me no one is doing that this time. The last thing I need is her hearing that my friends are placing wagers on how long we last. I'm pretty sure she already thinks I'm some kind of lady's man."

"Nah, man. No one's doing that this time. For one, we haven't even met her yet. It's hard to judge before actually seeing the two of you together. And according to Robin and Dustin, they think this one might actually stick. If those two are saying that, then I have to believe it's possible. They'd be the first to call bullshit."