Autumn Panic

The Party

We had finally sold all our badges and handed everything over in the school office. We quickly headed over to the RSL sub branch to confirm the streets we had completed before heading home to prepare for tonight's fun.

Our rink cession started at 6:30. Quite a few of the girls arrived at 6:00 so that they could be fitted with shoes, knee guards and wrist protectors. They had to wait five minutes for the previous patrons to be hustled out. The boys in the main arrived five minutes before the start of the cession.

We had a large room allocated to us with two ginormous tables with fitted bench seats that could comfortably accommodate thirty people on each. The centre was still open to the public and my heart dropped as I saw our nemesis Lucy roll onto the rink.

My thoughts went back to our last visit to Daisy's and I couldn't help but think that something would occur to sour my birthday celebrations.

I pulled on a brave face and said "hey everyone let's get out on the circuit". Summer grabbed my hand and approximately thirty of us went out on mass rolling straight from the carpeted surface to the circuit floor.

It wasn't long before Loosey was rolling backwards in front of me sledging about a missing season and how lame we were. I was keeping my cool but Loosey was relentless and then without warning a black shape goes past my face and Loosey disappears uplifted and slammed into the sidewall. Legs and arms sprayed everywhere. From the entanglement I see Elly Morgan the Wolves catcher get up saying "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" turning and winking to me.

Elly wasn't known for tolerating fools and wasn't one to step back from a challenge. This was no accident Elly had deliberately taken Loosey out.

Loosey was untangled her body upright and her feat still spread out on the rink. Sputtering profusely "You idiot; what do you think you were doing?"

"I'm sooo sorry" Elly continued saying.

Two attendants came over smiling at the view that be fronted them. They helped Loosey up.

"You had better come with us so that we can examine you and make sure your OK"  they said to Loosey".

They looked at Elly "You need to hold hands with a partner until you manage to get better control."

Elly said "sure" and then proceeded to grab Ben Davies hand and skated off dragging him along.

Johnathon shook his head in stunned amazement as he watches his friend skate off.

Summer saw this as her opportunity and she grabbed Johnathon's hand and skated off with him.

When the two pairs came back around having completed one circuit the boys had wide smiles plastered to their faces. It was clear that each had no intention of letting go of the females that had snatched their attention.

Loosey skated off with her arms over the two attendants shoulders. She reappeared on the rink after about twenty minutes. We noticed her return and it was Summer who barged past her from the left. Johnathon then crossed from her right closely followed by Ben cutting straight across her path causing her to almost stop. This allowing Elly to swoop in and stop pivoting in front of her.

"Pull your head in and stay away from our friends. You got the message?!" was all that she said and needed to say as Loosey nodded her head and Elly skated away; smiling all sweet and innocent.

Mum arrived with the pizza soon after. I had just bitten into my second slice when I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Winter. I was overwhelmed with emotion and instantly my eyes welled up with tears. We hugged and after a period I simply said "How?"

"Yesterday I spoke with dad on the phone and tonight without any warning he arrived and told mum he wanted me for the weekend packed a bag for me and we left. So come over here and let me introduce my dad."

"Mr Johnson it's so nice to meet you and thank you so much" I excitedly rambled as I greeted him with a hug ignoring his outstretched hand.

"I truly don't think I can express to you what this means to me." I say as I release my hold on him.

 I introduced Mr Johnson to her. They went into adult dialogue and we escaped back to the crowd passing two attendants with smiles from ear to ear.

"Must be really good working here" Winter said.

I smiled back "Looks so. Though I think Loosey might be responsible for the smiles"

We had no more issues and it was all too soon before the session ended.

Mum impromptu invited everyone back to our house till 11:00pm. Phones were quickly put into action for those whose parents had not yet arrived or who had previously arranged transport from others attending.

Puppy dog eyes combined with mums skilful negotiation and a few parent invites saw most surprisingly return to my house for the extended party. Mr Johnson stopped off at Coles for soft drinks and nibbles.

I noticed as everyone started to arrive that there wasn't a boys group and a girls group as I had observed at other parties. There wasn't two boys standing together anywhere, they had either had one girl isolated or they were with a small group of girls. The only girls without a boy in their group was Winter and myself.

"I think mum has got more than she bargained for here" I say to Winter.

"Have you noticed there seem to be a lot more couples here than we had at the start of the night?"

"Obviously I noticed Summer and Johnathon; when did that happen?" she replied.

I told her how Emily crashed into Loosey and related how the rest unfolded. Slowly as the night went on more and more couples were being created. I had noticed a few but it wasn't until we got here that I noticed just how many connections had been forged.

Winter looked me straight in the face and said Autumn "By Monday word will all through the form. You are going to be so popular; everyone is going to want to come to your parties.

Eleven O'clock arrived too soon. Mum and the other parents made sure the party stayed in the Sun room and the living area subtly ensuring the bedrooms and outside areas were not visited. They turned a blind eye to the kissing that was occurring in the Sun Room. It was all pretty harmless but more than a few ongoing relationships had been started tonight.

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