I hath made you all a playlist of music on YouTube for the party, to really get the feel of it. Start it when you get to DJ Danny, and skip ahead through the songs if you need/want to.

Mits' head peeked around the corner, eyeing her target. She slowly placed one paw ahead of her, keeping low. Slowly moving forward, she stalked her prey, stalking her prey, eying it for any kind of reaction and making sure it hadn't spotted her. She stayed low to the ground and moved closer and closer, getting ready to pounce. Lowering herself further, she jumped forward, and jumped forward towards that what had been taunting her for so long. But as soon as she got close her victim shot away from her paws, just as it had for the last few hours.

I chuckled as Mits crashed into the wall where the red dot had been just seconds earlier, and Fluttershy joined in, giggling. We had been sitting together, just chatting together for the last couple of hours and getting to know each other better, properly, while we waited for Steven to arrive. I'd even convinced her to tell me about some of her adventures.

"So Pinkie really fired cake mix from the confetti cannon and cooked confetti in the oven?" I asked incredulously.

Fluttershy giggled, smiling happily. "Yes, and Cranky wasn't too happy. Though, Pinkie said he wasn't actually very happy anyway, before she found Matilda for him." Fluttershy gazed down in thought as she recalled the memory.

I saw Mits getting dangerously close to the red dot, and swung it away quickly before she got it. Fluttershy had been amazed at Mits' reaction to the small particle of light. I saw the dot resting on the top part of the door and realized Steven should be here within minutes, if kept up his usual spot-on time keepin; giving me an idea. An evil, hilarious idea.

I pointed the dot onto the opposite side of the flat and watched Mits ran across the room and hide underneath the coffee table. I tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder.

"Watch this." I whispered, grinning as my idea formed fully in my head. Fluttershy watched me curiously as I walked over to the door and carefully and quietly unlocked it, keeping the laser aimed at the other side of the room. The door clicked, but Mits didn't notice, all her attention spent on the laser. I left the door shut but unlocked and crept back over to the sofa, before finally sitting down next to an inquisitive Fluttershy.

"Now we wait." I said simply.

"But, haven't we already been waiting for a while?" She questioned. "Not that I don't like talking to you." She added quickly. "It's relaxing stopping and talking to somepony so kind. Er, someone." She corrected herself.

I smiled at her. "Thanks Fluttershy. You're right actually; it's nice just to slow down. Even if my life wasn't exactly speeding by before I met you. Or found you in the woods, anyway" I pointed the dot up at the ceiling just as Mits pounced towards it. Fluttershy turned and giggled as Mits landed half on the coffee table.

"She's so adorable." She cooed.

I heard footsteps outside the flat and instantly pointed the laser at the door. Mits dropped from the table and stalked over to the flat's entrance. Fluttershy peered at me curiously as someone knocked on the door.

"Hey Jamie, it's me, Steven. Can I come in?"

"Sure. It's unlocked." I called back as Mits dropped low and got ready to pounce.

The door swung open and Steven appeared as he stepped forward, holding his helmet in his hands. "So, are you bo-" He was cut off as Mits pounced at the red dot, now sitting on his chest. She landed on him and clung onto his neck, making him scream. "OH GOD! Satan cat, get it off, get it OFF!" He stumbled backwards through the door, scrabbling at the bundle of fur hissing into his face.

Fluttershy gasped in surprise and covered her mouth with her hands, but I heard her giggle and even saw a flicker of a smile through her hands. I couldn't resist joining in, and started laughing before I finally jumped up and ran into the corridor to assist the frightened Steven.

"Demon cat! Kill it! It's evil!" Steven finally pried Mits off him with a gasp, but she kept wriggling and swinging around in his hands as she tried to break free. The sight only made me laugh harder, but Steven just glared at me, failing to see the funny side. I jogged up and took her off him, hands around her midsection, and she swiped at Steven. He flinched instinctively, then bent double, breathing heavily.

"Jesus, Jamie. That cat is insane! I don't know how you put up with her." Steven gasped.

Mits hissed at him, and I stroked her behind the ears to calm her down. "She's fine with me and Fluttershy."

"But no-one else. Especially your postman."

I cringed. "Don't remind me."

Steven straightened up. "If I have a heart attack I'm blaming you. Anyway, are you and Fluttershy ready to go?" he asked me. Then he muttered "You're lucky I'm still taking you after that."

"Sure." I turned and led Steven back to my flat before someone came to investigate the kerfuffle.

Fluttershy's head peeked around the door, now wearing her wig, and I could see she was trying to hide a smile. "Is everything alright?" She stifled a giggle.

"Other than Jamie and his evil cat taking ten years off my life, sure." Steven muttered.

Fluttershy giggled again, openly this time, and even Steven smiled. Just a little.

I mentally clapped my hands together, unable to do so physically. "Shall we make our merry way to this 'do' then?" I asked.

"Let's." Steven nodded.

"Okay. Let me just put Mits back." Said bundle of fur swung herself up and tried to escape, but I knew her tricks all too well.

"I could do that for you Jamie." Fluttershy offered.

"Nah, it's fine. Besides," I held Mits against my chest with one hand while I grabbed the laser pointer from my pocket, switched it on and pointed it inside with the other. "It's easy to get her in when you know how."

I let Mits fall to the floor and, landing on her feet, naturally, I watched her run into my flat after the red light. I grabbed my wallet with my keys and from the door table and shut the door before Mits could run back out again. It wouldn't be very far, and there were no main roads between here and the party, so it wasn't worth taking the helmets and jackets. I locked the door and pocketed the keys and my wallet before straightening up and turning to Steven and Fluttershy.

"Let's go."

Steven nodded and started walking down the stairs, leaving Fluttershy and me to follow.

"So Jamie, didn't you say you were visiting that art gallery today, to sell some art or something?" Steven asked as he rounded the corner of the stairs.

"Yep. And thanks to Fluttershy here they bought it, and gave me a job to boot." I grinned at the events that had happened just earlier today.

"Oh, I didn't really do anything." Fluttershy said, her cheeks pinking as her flip flops slapped against the stairs. I'd offered her high heels, but she hadn't liked them when she took them for a test walk. As the weather had taken a surprisingly warm turn for this time of April, especially after the drizzle that had been present since the start of the month, she had chosen instead to wear a pair of cheap flip-flops Jas had left behind

"Other than being my muse and inspiring the idea for the drawing that got me the job?" I asked, smiling back at her.

She didn't have an answer for that, so she just sheepishly smiled and blushed more.

"You really got a job?" Steven asked, surprised.

"Oh, thanks." I muttered sarcastically.

"You know what I mean. But congratulations man, good job! All the more reason to go to this party, eh Fluttershy?" Steven asked, recalling her previous reluctance to accept his invitation.

"Speaking of which, how many people will be there?" I asked. Steven walked out the back door of the building and waited for us. I saw the door was propped open with a brick to let cool air in; that was how he had gotten in without getting me to unlock it.

"I'd guess maybe twenty or thirty." Steven shrugged.

"T-thirty?" Fluttershy stammered.

I stopped outside the door and let Fluttershy catch up, like Steven had done. "Don't worry Shy, I'll be there with you. Besides, you don't have to even talk to them if you don't want to." I said, trying to reassure her.

She nodded, so she and I followed Steven across the small stretch of car park towards my dirt bike and his… bicycle.

"Steven, how are you supposed to lead us there on a bicycle? You do know a dirt bike goes faster?"

Steven turned and stared at me as though I were incompetent. "Jamie, this is a five hundred quid racing bike, and I keep myself in good health. I can average forty miles an hour if I wanted, but I won't because I'll get sweaty and ruin my clothes." He clipped his helmet on with finality. "Now hurry up. We have a party to get to."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, before straddling my own transport and starting the small engine. I felt Fluttershy get on behind me, so I turned and gave a thumb up to Steven. He nodded back and made his way to the car park's exit, and I did the same with my dirt bike. He cycled out and shot down the street, leaving me with no choice but to follow, the engine revving as I sped up.

I slowed the bike and swerved around a puddle left from the rain, stopping in front of the house Steven had directed me to, and cut off the engine. He'd led us into the suburban area of Lincoln, about a mile past the fish and chip shop Fluttershy and I had visited yesterday. His house was nearby, which would be handy for taking him home drunk as I always had to when I went to a party with him.

A few seconds later Steven himself stopped next to Fluttershy and me. He got off his bike and wheeled it up the driveway of the house, and I did the same. I pushed the standing leg down and turned to Fluttershy to see if she was alright. She was looking around wearily.

"Are you okay Shy?"

She nodded. "It's just… I get a little nervous around new pon- er, people."

I rubbed her shoulder reassuringly and looked around. I saw the road was mostly empty, bar three cars parked in front of the house, clearly belonging to people at the party. It was pretty quiet too, no music or regular party sounds.

"Don't worry Fluttershy it looks pretty empty here."

She smiled back at me, and I turned to Steven. "Steven, where is everyone?"

"Not here yet." he said. He looked at his watch. "The party doesn't start until seven."

I looked at mine. It was six forty-five. "Then why are we here so early?"

"So it's quieter. For Fluttershy."

I thought for a second. That actually made sense; Steven had thought of a good idea.

"Thank you Steven." Fluttershy said to him.

"Yeah, good idea Steven. Now, shall we go in? Looks like there's only about five people here."

"Sure. Let me just lock this up." Steven pulled a bike lock out of his pocket and snapped it around a fence post and the bikes front wheel.

I pocketed the keys and kicked down the bike's stand before getting off the bike to stand next to Fluttershy. I looked up and admired the weather; for once there was barely any clouds, and the ones that were up there were simple little wisps.

Steven elbowed me in the arm. "Come on, let's go."

He walked up to the door, and Fluttershy and I followed. I wondered what this party was in aid of. I noticed Fluttershy looking around warily again, so I put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. She smiled back at me gratefully. The door opened ahead of us.

"Hey Steven, good to see ya. Are these two your guests?" a voice greeted. A head peeked out to join the voice, and I vaguely recognised him.

"Chris, long time no see." I grinned, stepping up and shaking his hand. He was another friend of mine, but unlike with Steven I hadn't seen or heard from him since 6th Form. They'd clearly stayed in contact.

"Same mate. How's life been treating you?" he asked, releasing my hand and letting us all in through the door, then through another into the front room. Before I could say anything though, he held up a hand. "One second." He said simply before turning to Fluttershy and smiled. "You haven't introduced me to her yet." He held a hand out to her. Fluttershy, in response, tried to shyly hide behind her temporary brunette hair.

"You'll have to forgive her, she's very shy." I explained, stepping in. "Her names Florence, she's visiting from America."

"America, huh? What part?" Chris asked.

Uhhh. "Indiana. Right Flo?" Indiana's a state, isn't it? Fluttershy simply nodded.

"Indiana? Cool. Anyway, nice to meet you Florence." Chris held out his hand. Fluttershy gingerly reached out and accepted it, gently grasping it and let Chris shake it up and down. "Anyway, you're here early aren't you?" Chris asked us all.

"We thought we'd get here early before it gets packed." Steven said. Fluttershy and I nodded in agreement.

"Cool, cool. Well, feel free to enjoy yourselves, have something to eat or drink, talk to people, just have fun." He smiled at us, then walked back over to the door to meet some other guests.

Steven stepped up closer to Fluttershy and me, forming a group huddle of sorts. "So, uh, what do I do now? I'm not very good at parties." Fluttershy admitted meekly.

"What do you normally do at parties? Pinkie has a lot of them, surely you go to at least a few?" Steven asked her, whispering.

Fluttershy nodded. "I do, sometimes, but usually I just stay away from the other ponies."

"Well, stay with me and Steven, we'll look after you." I told her.

"Though there's someone I want you to meet." Steven added.

Fluttershy nodded, but I could see she was worried.

"Don't worry Shy, it'll be fine." I reassured her.

She didn't look too sure.

"Anyway, let's get something to drink." Steven suggested, gesturing for us to follow him. He led us through a doorway we had come through, down the hall and into the last room on the right, the kitchen. It was clear this wasn't the first of Chris' parties Steven had been to.

The kitchens dining table was covered in an assortment of food, ranging from mini sausages on cocktail sticks to small, triangular sandwiches to bowls of crisps and biscuits. Next to the assortment of party snacks were the drinks Steven had promised, all as varied as the snacks. There were two glass pitchers, one filled with orange juice and the other blackcurrant with a couple dozen cups, more cups by the sink with a small hand written sign calling the tap an 'H2O Emitter', and at least half a hundred cans of beer and other alcohol. I decided it was in my best interest to warn Fluttershy about them.

"You might want to steer clear of these drinks Shy." I warned her. "Alcoholic."

She nodded in understanding.

"Do you want some orange juice?" Steven asked, picking up one of the sandwiches and taking a hefty bite.

"Okay." Fluttershy nodded. I picked up the pitcher and half-filled a glass for her. She nodded appreciatively and took it from the table while I poured myself a glass. Steven simply helped himself to a can of beer and finished off the sandwich.

Someone else entered the room behind us. "Hello Steven." a feminine voice said.

The group of us turned around and Steven grinned. "Brittany, nice to see you." He walked up and, still holding the can, hugged her. After a second he stepped back. "Jamie, Florence, this is Brittany. She's the person that I wanted you both to meet."

"Nice to meet the two of ya." She said with a soft Australian accent, holding out a hand. I shook it. "Nice to meet you Jamie." she said, releasing my hand. She turned to Fluttershy, doing the same. "And you must be Fluttershy."

I went wide eyed. How did this stranger know Fluttershy's real name? I turned to glare at Steven expectantly. He held up his hands apologetically.

"I probably should have told you sooner, shouldn't I?" He grimaced.

"Tell me what?" I demanded.

"Brittany knows the score. I explained it to her."

I dragged him off to the side. "You did what!?" I whispered.

"Look, as good company as I'm sure you and I both are I thought it would be nice if Fluttershy had a girly friend. While she's here anyway. She doesn't really hang out with stallions in the show, so why should we expect her to only hang out with us? Besides, I've known Brittany since year six. We can trust her." Steven said, taking a sip from his can.

I looked over to the two females on the other side of the room. Brittany said something I couldn't make out, and Fluttershy giggled softly, coming out from behind her hair.

"See. They're getting on fine." Steven noted, raising his can to them before taking another swig.

I shook my head and turned back to him. "So, is she Australian?" I whispered.

Steven spluttered on his beer, leaning forward. When he finally cleared his throat, he started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked, frowning.

"Nothing. It's just…" He broke down into further laughing. After a few seconds he calmed down. "It's just, I thought you'd be a little more angry. You threw me off with that." He snickered, wiping alcohol off his face.

"Well, as much as it pains me to admit it, you have a point. And Fluttershy does seem to be getting on well with her."

"You're getting on with her well too though, aren't you." Steven added quietly.

"Who, Fluttershy?" I asked. He nodded. "How so?"

"Outside. Are you okay, SHY?" Steven imitated me, emphasising the Shy.

"So?"

"Fluttershy only let's her closest friends call her Shy. You must be pretty close."

"Really?" I asked. I knew she thought of me as a friend, but I didn't think it was that good a friendship.

"Yeah. Anyway, yeah, Brittany moved here from Australia about four months ago."

"But you said you've known her-"

"Pen pals." He explained.

Fair enough.

"They're gonna be wondering what we're doing, let's get back to them." Steven pointed out.

"Alright, but I want to talk to Brittany first." I said.

Steven looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then nodded. "Alright." He said, allowing my request.

"And no telling anyone else about Fluttershy."

"Fine, you can trust me." He winked, then walked back across the room to the girls. I followed.

"Hey again." Steven said them.

Brittany nodded and Fluttershy gave a tiny wave of her hand.

"Brittany, could I have a word with you?" I asked her quietly.

"Sure." She replied, and followed me a couple of feet away from Steven and Fluttershy, bringing a beer with her.

"Okay Brittany. Now, I don't want to sound brutish, or douche-ey-"

"…but you've got to know you can trust me. I know." She finished.

I nodded seriously. "Pretty much. Look, you can't tell anyone about Fluttershy. God knows what could happen if other people found out."

"I know, I know. Besides, who would believe me?" She grinned, bringing the cup to her lips and taking a drink.

"I suppose." I nodded. "I just want to make sure nothing goes wrong. I don't want her to get hurt."

Brittany looked like she wanted to say something, so I kept quiet until she finished her drink. "You're really concerned about her, ain't ya?" She finally said.

I nodded.

"Why?" She asked.

That threw me off my train of thought. Why was I looking out for her? "It's the right thing to do." I decided aloud.

"Nothing else? You two seem to get on well." Brittany noted.

"What are you implying?" I asked her.

Brittany was silent for a second, then shrugged. "Nothin'."

I studied her for a second, then nodded. "Alright. Anyway, interrogation aside, it's nice to meet you Brittany." I held out my hand, now smiling. She took it and shook hard, surprising me.

"Same. And please, call me Brit, I hate people calling me by my full name. It just sounds so formal." She grinned.

"Will do. So, let's get back to them." I smiled, then turned back to Fluttershy and Steven and saw them walking over, both holding small paper plates with biscuits and crisps.

"This is where the food is, so there's gonna be people coming in and out." Steven explained. "I thought we'd be better off talking in the garden. Fluttershy and I have some food we can with us."

"Good idea." I agreed, taking one of his biscuits and eating it in one bite. Malted Milk, my absolute favourite.

"So, what where you and Brit talking about before I rudely interrupted?" I asked with my mouth full, before taking a sip of orange juice.

"Oh, Brittany was just telling me that she works as a veterinarian." Fluttershy said, sounding surprisingly at ease around said newcomer.

"Really?" I asked. I glanced at Steven, who just smiled and took yet another swig from his can. A little early to be getting drunk, wasn't it?

"Yeah. When Stevey here explained the situation to me, he told me Fluttershy here loved animals." Brittany explained. "We could always use someone like her at the animal shelter."

"Don't call me Stevey." Steven mumbled under his breath as we exited the house, quiet enough so only I could hear.

Fluttershy nodded. "Brittany says they get a lot of injured and sick animals coming in and that they haven't been able to keep up with the workload lately."

"So I was thinking, maybe Fluttershy could do a little bit of work here and there? I mean, she's obviously knowledgeable enough in the matter, and has incredible skill with handling animals. Maybe you could even teach me a trick or two." Brittany added with what I was coming to recognize as her trademark grin, addressing Fluttershy directly.

We stopped at the end of the smallish garden and sat at a picnic table under the shade of a tree, setting down our snacks. It was about twenty feet from the open floor-to-ceiling glass sliding door that served as the main entrance to the house from the garden, and was well away from the other guests.

"Wow, that's really kind of you Brit." I said, then turned to Fluttershy and saw her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "What about it Fluttershy?"

She nodded eagerly. "Oh, that sounds wonderful Brittany. Thank you."

"No problem Fluttershy. And please, call me Brit." Brittany said.

"The DJ is in the house!" A voice from the house called out, followed by a few shouts of 'Woo!' followed by the start of a song.

"And that would be DJ Danny. Chris always calls him round to DJ at his house parties." Steven told us.

"DJ Danny?" I asked curiously.

"His names Daniel, he DJs, add one and the other and you get DJ Danny." Steven explained.

"Avicci." Brittany noted with a bite of biscuit.

"What's Avicci?" Fluttershy asked.

"A band. They make music, and this particular song is pretty popular." I said, filling her in.

"You should hear the Mario remix. So much better." Steven added.

"Psh." Brittany scoffed. "You're such a nerd Stevey." She smirked, rolling her eyes.

I grinned as Steven frowned at her, and I heard Fluttershy giggle beside me. The fact she was getting on so well only made my smile broaden. Brittany noticed, seemingly looking at me and smiling.

"So, Fluttershy, what's it like living with Jamie here?" Brittany asked.

"Oh, he's very kind. He made a room just for me, and he's helpful, and-"

"So you like him?" Brittany interrupted. I didn't like where this was going.

Fluttershy nodded quickly. "I-I mean, yes, he's a v-very good friend." She said.

Brittany nodded. "So you're not dating then?"

Fluttershy and I blushed as Steven fell back laughing at Brittany's forwardness. "N-no." Fluttershy squeaked.

"Huh. You two seem like you'd make a great couple." She shrugged, looking disinterested.

I gave Brittany my harshest glare as both Fluttershy's and my faces got redder. "What?" She asked innocently.

Fluttershy soon followed up with a question of her own.

"What about you and Steven? Are you dating?" She asked, with what looked to me like a tiny, sly smile as she used Brittany's tactic against her.

Brittany, however, simply started laughing. "Me? And Steven? Please, I'm way out of his league."

"You wish." Steven scoffed, wiping a tear from his eye and crumpling his now empty beer can. "Curses, my broth hath run dry. I'm going to go get another. And some more biscuits seeing as Jamie here's scoffed half of them."

"What?" I asked, feigning innocence as best I could through a mouthful of Malted Milk.

Steven sighed, smiled and walked back into the house.

"So, if you and Steven aren't dating, does he have a girlfriend?" Fluttershy asked Brittany.

I chuckled as I finished eating the biscuit, and Brittany joined in. Fluttershy looked between us, confused. "What's so funny?" She asked.

"She doesn't know?" Brittany asked, starting to chuckle more, trying to suppress a full laugh, and I calmed myself down to explain.

"Fluttershy, there's something you need to know about Steven." I smiled.

"What is it?" She asked. Brittany couldn't contain herself and started laughing properly.

"You re-, really have no clue?" She asked Fluttershy between laughs.

Fluttershy shook her head.

"Well Shy, Steven's gay." I explained.

Fluttershy simply blushed once again in realization and understanding. "Oh, my…"

"So, what were you all talking about?" The subject of our conversation asked, walking back over with another plate of biscuits and another drink.

"Nothing." we all said quickly.

He stopped and looked around us suspiciously. "Uh huh. Well, I've got more biscuits." He sat down at the table. "So help yourself. Not that you need an invitation, Jamie." He glared at me, pointing to his previous, and now empty, plate.

"Of course not." I said, relieving him of a Custard Cream. "That was quick."

Before anyone could say anything else the roar of a sports car sounded up in front of the house, making all of us bar Fluttershy, who simply looked scared and hid in her hair, turn and look down the path that went from the back garden, down the side of the house and into the front garden. Through the open gate we could see a red Porsche roll past in the street, engine revving.

"And how could it be a party without a twat?" Steven asked, frowning towards the front of the house.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"That, Jamester, is Donavon. Spoiled little rich-boy. The kind that thinks he has 'swag'."

Oh god, I knew the type.

"What's swag?" Fluttershy asked, genuinely puzzled.

I chuckled slightly at the question, and Steven and Brittany grinned. It didn't seem like something Fluttershy would say.

"Something that makes people look like idiots when they think they're cool." Brittany said coldly, letting her grin drop.

"Oh." Fluttershy murmured, sensing the bad feeling towards Donavon.

"A lot more people here now." Steven commented after a minute, peering into the house. I followed his gaze and saw at least a dozen people in the living room, some even dancing to the music but most just standing by the sides and talking, holding drinks.

I noticed Fluttershy looking frightened, like a rabbit caught in headlights.

"Don't worry Shy, we'll stay out here. Where it's quiet." I assured her once again, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She smiled at me. "Thank you."

Brittany tipped her beer can up completely, emptying it. "Well, I'm empty too."

I looked down at my cup and saw just a dribble of orange juice left. Fluttershy's cup was the same.

"Serving up hot spring rolls! Chicken and vegetarian!" Chris' voice called out from inside.

"And now sounds like the perfect time to get another." Brittany clapped her hands together. "Anyone else?"

"I wouldn't mind a spring roll." I shrugged. "Something hot. As awesome as Malted Milks are." I said. "And a refill would be nice. Do you want anything Fluttershy?" I asked as the song ended.

"The vegetarian spring rolls sound nice." She agreed, nodding.

"Okay, let's go get some." I agreed, standing up. Brittany and Fluttershy followed suit as the next song started.

"Oh my god. Danny's really got this song?" Steven asked, looking back into the house.

"What's so great about it?" I asked curiously.

"It's straight out of GTA." Steven grinned.

"Really? Wow." I said simply.

"*coughnerdcough*" Brittany smirked, following me and Fluttershy back into the house.

"Hilarious." Steven called back.

"I thought it was." Brittany replied coyly as we walked in through the door and into the kitchen as people entered and left, holding all kinds of food. Now at the table's centre were two large, half empty serving dishes, piled with the promised spring rolls, steaming with heat and kindly labelled in the same manner as the 'H2O Emitter'.

I picked up two paper plates and began transferring the delicacies from the vegetarian serving plate onto them. I saw Fluttershy reaching for one of the vegetarian rolls, and reached out to stop her.

"Careful, they're hot." I warned, before picking one up and immediately dropping it. "Sod." I muttered, waving my fingers to cool them. I hated being right.

"What are they made of?" Fluttershy asked.

"Pastry, and a variety of vegetables." Brittany said, picking one up, blowing on it and taking a small bite. "And a pinch of spice, too."

I stared at her in awe. "How can you eat that? It must be like fifty degrees."

She simply scoffed. "Obviously you've never tried Australian cuisine." Brittany said, picking up five more and dropping them on her plate, quickly followed by running over to the tap and soaking her fingers.

Chris walked in a second later as I tried not to laugh, carrying a dozen forks. "Here ya go guys." He said to us, placing them down on the table then leaving.

I smirked and picked up a fork as Brittany silently cursed.

"What's the matter Brit? Too hot?" I teased. She glared back at me and I laughed. I scooped up a couple of the pastries in a spoon like motion and dumped them on Fluttershy's plate. I repeated the action until there were half a dozen of the steaming finger foods served up.

"Want any more?" I asked Fluttershy.

"That's enough, thank you." She said.

"Meet you both outside." Brittany said, walking past with her paper plate in one hand and another beer can in the other.

"'Kay." I nodded at her, starting to get myself a plate of the thumb sized pastries. Fluttershy stood by my side, looking over the rest of the food.

"Looking for anything?" I asked her, looking up myself.

"Not really. A lot of food here looks familiar, though." She reached out and picked up a small frosted cupcake, glittered with sprinkles.

"Wassup e'rybody!" Someone shouted from behind us in the doorway, enough to make Fluttershy drop the cupcake in shock. "Dis where the food at, right?"

I looked back, revealing a completely stereotypical chav: loose jeans hanging too low, rubbish Nikes, a too tight black shirt with #SWAG written across it in red, backwards baseball cap and enough gold jewellery to make a king jealous. Had it not been blindingly fake of course. The very sight made me cringe: no doubt he was the owner of the red Porsche out front: Donovan.

He strutted over to the other end of the table and started searching through the food, and I turned to Fluttershy. "Don't pay any attention to him, just ignore him." I warned her. She nodded and I got a couple more rolls, deciding I'd go solely for the veggie ones.

A second later I heard the chav wolf whistle. "Well hello there pretty face."

I looked out the corner of my eye to see him walking over towards Fluttershy, pushing someone out the way and making them yell, but he ignored them. I kept an eye on him as he stopped about a foot away from her, planted his hands on his hips and looked her up and down. "I never seen you here before gurl."

God, he even said girl like a twat, and he tried to speak like he was black.

"O-oh, I'm new here." Fluttershy answered politely.

"That so, gurl? Well, dat means you need ma number." He whipped out a card from his jean pockets and slid it into Fluttershy's pocket before she could answer. "Gimme a call sometime gurl, 'cuz you are fine."

I saw how uncomfortable Fluttershy was getting, and realized I'd had enough. I stepped up. "Back off."

He looked mock offended, and held his arms out, looking around. "Oh, big man? And who are you? Her boyfriend?" he asked, staring me down.

I returned the glare. "Yeah. I am."

Okay, I wasn't, but he didn't know that, and it was the only way to get the ego centred twat away from her.

It worked. He scoffed and stepped back, believing me. He turned to Fluttershy and grabbed a handful of biscuits, not bothering with a plate. "You could do better with me gurl." He winked at her, and even pinched her bum as he walked out. She responded with an "Eek!", jumping in shock, her entire face turning red.

I picked up my plate of Spring Rolls and put my other arm around Fluttershy's shoulders. "Come on, let's go back outside."

She nodded, picked up her plate and let me lead her outside. "Why did you say you were my boyfriend?" She asked quietly, getting over Donovan.

"Sorry I said that. It was the only way to get that wa- uh, jerk, to leave you alone."

"O-oh, I didn't mean to sound angry." Fluttershy apologized.

"It's alright, you didn't." I assured her as we walked outside into the sunlight, and I took my arm back from around her shoulder.

"Oh, okay. Thank you for making him leave me alone though." She said.

"It's alright." I said. Inwardly, though, I was kicking myself for not stepping in the second he entered the room.

"Nice of you to get back to us." Steven said as we approached the table.

"We got caught up with Donovan." I explained.

"That wanker?" Steven asked. "Sorry you had the misfortune of doing so."

I nodded as Fluttershy and I sat and her blush started to die down.

"What happened?" Brittany asked.

"He harassed Fluttershy. Even pinched her bum." I told them as me and Fluttershy set the paper plates down on the table.

Steven sat forward and frowned, utterly serious. "That isn't acceptable." He said gravely.

"Oh, it's okay. I don't want to cause any trouble." Fluttershy said quietly, scarcely above a whisper.

"Don't worry Flutters. We're going to get back at him." Steven declared, making a fist and slamming it into his palm, followed by snatching one of my spring rolls determinedly.

"You're taking this seriously, aren't you Steven?" I asked. "Don't get me wrong, though. I want to get back at him too."

"Same here. I hate guys who think it's okay to just walk up and harass women like that." Brittany said, scowling.

Steven leant further forward and clasped his hands together. "Alright, planning time. Now, how do we get back at a spoilt little rich boy?" After a few moments of thought and quiet, he clicked his fingers. "His car!"

"What about it?" I asked, finally getting to try one of the spring rolls. They'd cooled off considerably, enough to hold, and were delicious. I was no chef so I couldn't tell what kinds of vegetables had been used, but Brittany had been right about the spice. Scarcely any, but what was there made it even more delicious.

"His precious little Porsche. If we do something to the car, it's just as good as doing it to straight to him."

"Slash his tyres?" Brittany suggested.

"No, no. That would be illegal. Besides, he'd just make us pay for new ones." I said. Fluttershy was keeping quiet and decided to nibble on one of her spring rolls, unknowledgeable in the matter of cars, being from another world and all.

"Legal…" Steven muttered thoughtfully. He clicked his fingers again, sitting up. "I have an idea!"

"So? Don't keep us guessing." Brittany prompted after a second of Steven staying quiet, taking another spring roll from her plate and popping the whole thing in her mouth.

"Be right back. I have scheming to do." He simply said mysteriously, getting up and leaving.

"I wonder what he's up to…" I mused, tucking into the spring rolls.

His arm reached around me, making me jump, and grabbed another spring roll. "Revenge." he answered, before walking off into the house.

I shook my head, and turned to Fluttershy to rub her arm. "You alright now?"

She nodded slightly, chewing her pastry silently.

Brittany swallowed her spring roll and spoke up. "So, Fluttershy, wanna know more about the animal shelter?" She asked. I realized she was trying to change the subject, and I appreciated it.

It worked, and Fluttershy smiled and nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes, please."

Brittany smiled back. "Well, to start off, it's only a small family run shelter, not any of the big names like Dogs Trust."

Fluttershy raised a hand a few inches off the table questioningly. "What's Dogs Trust?" She asked.

"A charity that looks after abandoned dogs." I explained, then ate an entire spring roll. They'd cooled to the rather cool, but also just-been-cooked hot. The perfect kind of hot.

"Yeah, we look after all kinds of animals at our shelter, but we usually only get small animals. We got a veterinary license a couple of months ago, too, so we're getting a lot more people coming in with sick animals; too many for us to handle. Colin, the owner, has been looking to hire someone with experience with animals. And then I happened to talk to Steven, and on a spur of the moment thing I asked him if he knew anyone. You should have seen how his eyes lit up." Brittany grinned. "That's when he told me about you, and how adept you are with handling animals."

Fluttershy nodded eagerly. "I keep dozens of animals of small animals in my cottage, from cute little bunnies, to dormice, and dozens of birds." She told Brittany. It seemed as though she had completely forgotten the Donovan incident, being completely at home with talk of animal care.

"That's awesome. I'd love to have loads of bunnies." Brittany cooed.

Oh no. Girly stuff.

"Anyway, about your job. Where do you live Jamie?" Brittany asked.

I opened my mouth to tell her the address, but thought of something better. "You know where Filets Takeaway is?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I go there all the time."

I nodded, then continued. "Come out of there, turn right, turn left at the junction and keep going for a couple of minutes. It's the block of flats with the jungle halfway up. Ms. Begot is crazy about plants. It's on the corner of the third road you come to, on the left."

Brittany looked thoughtful for a second, memorising the details, then nodded. "Alright. I'll come by in the mornings to pick you up Fluttershy," She said, addressing Shy directly again. Being no longer involved, I tuned out of the conversation and focused on my finger food, listening to the music coming from the house. Definitely the kind you would hear in a club.

I almost jumped out of my skin as someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned back to see Steven grinning. Silently he waved his hand at me, gesturing me to follow. I shrugged; their conversation didn't involve me anyway. I stood up and followed him as he led me up the side of the house.

He stopped at the gate and turned to face me. "Alright, the enigma of genius that is my mind-"

"Modest." I interrupted.

"…has led me to a plan. When you said 'legal' it gave me an idea. Being the stereotypical twat that he is, Donovan doesn't care about road law. Look at his car." Steven pointed out the gate to Donovan's red Porsche, parked down the road and halfway up the pavement. "That doesn't look like legal parking to me." Steven nudged me. "Look at the road where he's parked."

I did so, and saw double yellow lines, starting just where Donovan had parked. Obviously he hadn't seen them.

"And the signs on the street-lights clearly say any vehicle parked on double yellows will get clamped." Steven grinned.

I thought it over. "Okay, so what now?" I asked.

"Now we need someone to bring about the law." Steven said.

"Obviously. Who, though? Know any policemen?"

"Nope, nada." Steven said, rolling back on his feet. "But, Chris is a traffic warden." He smiled as the plan came together.

"Wow, that's… surprisingly convenient." I mused.

"Indeed. And it should be easy enough to convince him to work out of hours if I tell him it's Donovan we're nabbing." Steven started walking away, but stopped and turned back around, a glint of his eyes.

"What are you up to now?" I asked.

He pulled something out of his pocket, his iPhone, and navigated through the menus. "Give this to DJ Danny and tell him to play the song on my signal. He knows me." Steven handed me the device.

"Je ne regrette rien?"

"Yup. It's gonna be great!" Steven grinned, before heading back into the back garden and into the house to find Chris. I shrugged and followed him, looking for DJ Danny. The five foot speakers next to a portable DJ deck looked like the sort of place you would find him. Sure enough, he was sitting on a stool right next to it, chatting up a blonde girl and letting the music cycle automatically onto the next song, Last Friday Night I think. He saw me coming and stopped talking to the girl.

"What can I do for you man?" he asked.

I handed him Steven's iPhone. "Steven told me to give you this, and to play the song on his signal."

Danny took it and looked it over. "I dunno. I know a lot of Stevens man."

"Steven Graham." I said.

Danny's face lit up. "Oh, that Steven. Yeah, can do man." He nodded and put the small device down next to the DJ deck.

I nodded in thanks and walked back outside, the pounding music starting to drill into my head after only a minute. I never understood why it had to be so loud.

Fluttershy turned around as I sat back down next to her on the bench.

"What did Steven want?" She asked.

"Filling me in on his plan." I explained. "He's found a way to get at Donovan's car."

"Nice." Brittany approved, grinning.

"Yeah. Should be a few minutes though."

"Good, I can tell you what me and Fluttershy have worked out for her job."

I nodded and let her explain.

"I'll swing by each morning to pick Fluttershy up then take her to the shelter at about half eight." She said, addressing both Fluttershy and me. "We serve lunches there, so you won't need to pack a lunch or anything. I've told Fluttershy what she'll be doing there, and I'll drop her back off after work. The only problem is, I'm not sure when that will be. Sometime from like four to six o'clock, depending on how much work there is that day."

"And next week I'll be starting work at the art gallery, so I probably won't be back before half five, so I won't be in to open the door." I explained. "Actually, that's no problem. I have a spare set of keys I can give you Shy."

Fluttershy nodded and smiled at me gratefully.

"And finally pay. I don't know how much Colin will pay, but he's been looking for someone with Fluttershy's skill for at least a month, so it'll probably be decent. The shelter isn't made of cash, but it'll be quite a bit more than minimum wage." Brittany finished.

"Sounds good." I nodded.

Fluttershy nodded too. "Thank you so much Brit. It's very kind of you."

I turned around at the sound of footsteps behind us. It was Steven, a cheesy smile plastered on his face.

"The plan is set and the ball is rolling. Come on, let's go." he said, gesturing for us to follow.

Brittany smirked and stood up. "I've gotta see this."

"Alright, alright." I said, standing up as well. "You coming Fluttershy?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Steven and Brittany waited for Fluttershy to get to her feet before slowly heading towards the house, as Steven explained what would happen. "Chris called one of his friends from the council. Turns out Donovan went and parked his car it in front of a driveway that can't, under any circumstances, be blocked, so his car's going to get taken." Steven said, clapping his hands together gleefully.

"Donovan's getting his car towed?" Someone asked from the sliding doors.

"Yeah, don't tell him." I said quickly.

The guy grinned. "I won't. He bloody adores that car." With that he turned and walked back inside the house.

"Chris' contact better hurry up before Donovan gets wind of it." I noted as the guy who'd heard us told his friends as he passed through.

"Nah, he's out the other side of the house having a fag. By the time he's done his car will be halfway on the lorry." He clapped his hands together again, grinning. "This is going to be brilliant."

As soon as he said it Chris appeared in the doorway in front of us.

"The lorry's just around the corner. This is going to be an awesome joke Steven. Get back at everything he's done." he praised as we entered the house and made towards the front door.

"Are they going to take his car?" Fluttershy asked me quietly.

"Yeah, but not permanently, just move it. Then he'll have to pay a fine to get it back because he parked it in an illegal spot." I explained.

"Oh." Fluttershy replied.

I could sense her unease. I knew her well enough now to know she wasn't the sort to get revenge.

Wow, never thought I'd know a cartoon character like that.

"It's nothing too extreme. Just an annoyance for him. And technically we're doing the right thing, seeing as he's broken the law." I reassured her as we walked out the front door. More people came out behind us, news of what was about to happen spreading fast.

"Okay. That makes sense." Fluttershy nodded, now content that this wasn't just payback against Donovan for harassing her.

"Wait, where's Steven?" Brittany asked.

I looked around, but I couldn't see him. I saw one of the windows open out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to look properly, Steven's looked out and saw me. "Hey Jamie."

"Steven what on Earth are you doing?"

"Putting the icing on the cake with Danny." He said before disappearing back inside. I thought I heard a voice say something else, but couldn't be sure over the music.

I shook my head. A second later one of the five foot speakers appeared in the window, being twisted into place by Steven and someone else, presumably Danny.

I looked forward again as the tow lorry made its presence known with a hiss of brakes. There was a quiet cheer from the dozen people now assembled in front of the house. The lorry quickly manoeuvred into position behind Donovan's car, and the ramp on the back slowly slid back and tipped up, ready to pick up the car. One of the men got out and grabbed the equipment that would hold the car down in transit.

I turned to Fluttershy, smiling. She was timidly smiling too, but I could see she was getting uncomfortable being in the group of people spread out in front of the house. I tapped both her and Brittany on the shoulder and led them away from the main group and off to the side.

"Should be easier to talk here." I said by way of explanation.

"Good idea." Brittany nodded, folding her arms and leaning back against the house while Fluttershy smiled gratefully.

Suddenly the music behind us cut out and I could hear the chattering of everyone at the party, a few looking back into the house to see what had happened to the sound. No doubt everyone was here now.

Steven walked up next to us, standing between me and Brittany.

"Now we wait." He grinned, leaning against me jokingly, and I shoved him off.

Sure enough, just as the winch started to pull Donovan's car up onto the lorry, he came running from by the side of the house, shouting obscenities.

"Yo man what da fuck are you doing with ma car? You got any idea how much it's worth? I'll sue you!"

It was quiet enough to hear what the council worker said.

"I'm sorry sir. Your vehicle was parked in an illegal spot-"

"Like fuck it was! Gimme back my car!" Donovan shouted back, straight into the guys face.

"Sir, your car is being impounded. You can contact the council office on a weekday from ten am to five pm about having it returned." The man said with finality as the ramp levelled out, Donovan's car on top and held in place.

"You can't do this!" Donovan screamed. "I know people! I'll have your fucking JOB!"

The man just ignored him and climbed back into the lorry's cab. The second the door closed, recognizable sad music started blaring out of the speaker in the window, the kind you always got in French films when something loved was being taken away.

People started laughing as the lorry's engine revved and powered up while Donovan screamed further abuse at the men inside. I doubled over at the scene; never had music had such a fitting role.

"Turn that FUCKING music off!" he screamed as the lorry slowly drove off, too angry to try and speak like a chav. Donovan simply stood there, defeated, and watch as it stopped at the end of the road, did a three-point turn and drove back down the road, straight through the massive puddle I'd avoided upon arrival. A wave of dirty water rose up and crashed into Donovan, thoroughly soaking him.

Now everyone was laughing, even Fluttershy, and there were a few shouts of 'You deserved it!' and 'Take that!'

Donovan turned around, shaking with rage. "Fuck off!" He saw me laughing and his face screwed up, followed by him swiftly striding straight toward me.

"You! YOU did this!"

"Me?" I asked innocently. "I didn't park your car halfway up the path." I wiped a tear from my eye.

"You called the fucking truck though, didn't ya!?" he accused.

"No I didn't, actually." I said back. "It was probably the people whose drive you parked in front of."

He stopped in front of me, glaring, fists clenched. "Bullshit!" He screamed, shoving me back against the building.

There were shouts of outrage from the partygoers, and I heard Fluttershy gasp, but before a proper fight could break out Chris walked up to Donovan, brought his fist back and decked him square in the nose.

Donovan reeled backwards, getting ready to fight back, but when he looked up Chris had been flanked by several of the larger guys at the party. Chris put on a thin lipped smile.

"I don't appreciate my guests being assaulted. I'm going to have to ask that you leave."

Utter silence. The music had stopped now.

"You asshole! You punched me in the fucking nose! I know people! I'll kill you!"

"I asked you to leave." Chris repeated, his smiling veneer fading fast.

Donovan spat on the ground. "Fine. This party's shit anyway." He started walking away, holding his nose. "You'll pay for this!"

There was silence for a couple of seconds, then cheers erupted from everyone at the party.

"Let's go back inside. I'm ordering pizza." Chris announced, making the cheers intensify as everyone went back indoors.

"Are, are you alright?" Fluttershy stammered, reaching out to help me.

"I'm fine." I told her, standing up straight and brushing myself off. "I have to hand it you Steven, that was hilarious." I added.

"Yeah, nice job." Brittany agreed, high-fiving him.

"I'm just sorry it got violent at the end Jamie."

"Pfft, that wasn't violent. That was namby pamby boy getting angry. Besides, Chris dealt with him."

Steven nodded, still grinning. "Yup."

"Should we go back to that table?" Brittany asked.

Fluttershy and I nodded. "Yes please." She added.

We made our way down the side of the house as the music started again.

Fluttershy giggled softly while Brittany and I cringed at Steven's god awful joke. We were sitting back on the bench, and had been for about an hour. The sun had started to set a while ago, so the garden lamps were much appreciated in the sunset's glow. The music had been turned down and started playing softer songs in response. Fireflies, by Owl City, my favourite song, was on right now.

As the party had progressed, Steven had drunk another six cans of beer, and was quite drunk now. Being a happy drunk, we were stuck with his awful jokes. Brittany had been more reserved and only had two more cans, and I'd only had two. Fluttershy had stuck with orange juice.

I heard her yawning next to me.

"Getting tired?" I asked her. She nodded. "I guess we should go now then.

Brittany glanced at her watch. "I've gotta go now too." She stood up. "It was nice meeting you guys. Hopefully we'll see each other again sometime."

"Sure." I agreed.

"Bye Brit." Steven said.

"See ya." She nodded, then walked off.

I stood up and took a final swig from my can. Fluttershy followed, taking one last sip from the her glass of juice.

"You know, Brit's right. You two make would make a nice couple." Steven slurred, head resting in his arms.

"And you're incredibly drunk." I replied, patting him on the shoulder. I stretched my legs to wake them up after sitting down for so long. "Let's go Fluttershy."

"Okay." She agreed quietly, clearly embarrassed at Steven's statement. "She looked back into the house thoughtfully. "Jamie, what song is this?"

I nodded. "It's called Fireflies."

"It's really nice." Fluttershy smiled.

I sat down on my dirt bike and got the key out of my pocket as Fluttershy got on behind me.

"Thank you for taking me to this party Jamie. It was wonderful." She held me more tightly than normal, hugging me.

"It's fine. I enjoyed it too." I started the engine with and revved up, letting Fluttershy know I was about to go.

It was a quiet journey back to my flat, as it always was. Keeping the bike slow it took ten minutes to get back, but it was enough time for the sun to set fully so that it was completely dark when I finally rolled the bike to a stop in the car park behind the building.

Fluttershy and I walked up the stairs, quietly talking about the party. She was smiling happily, and it was clear she had enjoyed it. That made it all the better.

I opened the door and flicked the light on, looking about for Mits to make sure she didn't run out like she always tried. Curiously, though, she didn't.

"Mits?" I called. That always made her come running.

This time, though, it didn't.

As usual, thanks to ChancellorPuddinghead (aka jikilola) for editing, but more so this time because she did this entre chapter in ONE DAY so it was ready for me to upload before I left on holiday/vacation. This wouldn't be here it it weren't for her, so go thank her

TRANSLATIONS:

Hoo boy, a lot of translations today:

Biscuits - I suppose you'd call them 'cookies', though to us a cookie is a kind of biscuit in itself. Type Malted Milk, Custard Cream or Digestive in on Google Images if you're really curious, those are all biscuits.

Crisps - Potato chips, or 'chips'. Not to be confused with our word for chips, known to America as French Fries

50 degrees - That's in Celsius, so about 122 Fahrenheit

Chav - Someone who walks around wearing baggy imitation clothes, fake jewelry and baseball caps at 90 degree angles. (that's the shortened version. Check out Urban Dictionary for the whole thing, and visual aid)

Wanker/Twat - Offensive term for people we hate

Fag – While this is also an offensive slang word, it also means cigarettes (if a bit of a rude way of saying it)

Towed/Removed car – Instead of the hook under the bumper thing, we remove vehicles by putting them onto a flatbed lorry and driving off with it on top.

Lorry – Same as a truck, from medium sized vans to whole 'semi-trucks' or 'rigs'

Oh yes, and the Mario remix of Avicci that Steven was talking about: