Third Floor Common Room [Friday, Evening]

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

Usually Chuck wasn't much for doing big things with his Friday nights. Hardly a big weekend party-goer.

However, it wasn't just any Friday night that a guy turned fifteen. So, tonight was for celebrating. Okay, so, making dinner with his sister might not be every guy's dream idea of a birthday party, but it was pretty traditional for them.

So far, food was in the oven, and now it was really just a case of waiting and trusting in Ellie's cooking skills (which were considerably better than his). He was pretty confident it would be great, and already flopped out on one of the couches eying the cake. That was the part he really wanted right now.

"You sure we have to be traditional with the first course eating first?"

[[awesomebigsis modded with permission. Patented Bartowski dinners involve a lotta food and all sorts of people dropping in, so.... Can definitely be open!]]

Comments

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Ellie replied, hovering over the oven. "Don't worry, the cake will still be there afterward."

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"You really can't know that for sure," Chuck said, sitting up a little. "Things have been going missing this week." It was cake, he was allowed to be worried.

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Well then we'll just have to keep an eye on it." Ellie spent a lot of time baking that cake. She wasn't going to allow anything to steal it.

"So, how has your day been so far?" she asked curiously.

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"Oh, you know, pretty good," he answered easily, nodding, and... yeah, keeping an eye on that cake. "There was class, and uh..."

"I survived playing basketball!" Always a cause for celebration.

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

Ellie raised an eyebrow. "You played basketball?"

She knew he was not the most well coordinated when sports was involved. "All the more reason to celebrate."

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"I... pretended to play basketball?" It was close enough. No one complained, so, he'd kept himself out of anything especially sporty.

"Apparently it's a manly manly sport and I should be playing." Chuck didn't agree with the 'should be playing' part of the sentiment at all.

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Could be a good way to get exercise" Ellie said thoughtfully. Compared to playing video games, at least.

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"...I smell food," Jennifer said, wandering into the common room.

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"I do take a sports class now." He did! The uniforms were awful. "I'd... really like not to do anymore a week than that."

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"A lot of food," Chuck amended for her. "And it's Ellie's cooking, so you know it's going to be good."

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Hey Jen," Ellie greeted. "There's plenty!"

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"Ooooh," Jennifer said. "Then I'm definitely sticking around."

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"Awesome," Jennifer said. "What's the occasion?"

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Once a week is good," Ellie said, nodding. "Are you liking it here so far?"

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Today's my little brother's birthday," Ellie replied. "So I decided to do a little cooking. And baking."

She pointed out the birthday cake.

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"...am I going to get into best friend trouble if I say your brother is cute?" Jennifer said.

[streetartsurfer.livejournal.com]

Zach was hungry.

Really, this wasn't an abnormal state of affairs. He was a teenager, after all, and a relatively active one with his skateboarding. It did, however, require an immediate solution.

Oh, look. There was a common room, with food! "Uh, hi," he said, stepping in. "That smells good."

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Nah," Ellie said, snickering a bit. "I think that might be because you are the best friend, though."

Anyone else might have gotten a glare. Maybe.

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"And there's plenty here," Ellie told him. "So please feel free to take what you want."

She offered a small smile. "You're new, right?"

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"Probably some going spare!" Honestly, Chuck didn't know, that was Ellie's side of this whole affair. "I think as birthday boy, I'm allowed to give it away, even if I didn't make it."

[streetartsurfer.livejournal.com]

"Is it that obvious?" Zach asked, with a bit of a wry smile. "Yeah, I'm Zach. Wright. You been here long?"

[knowsnokungfu.livejournal.com]

"More people, the better the party, right?" He'd heard that was supposed to be the way these things went. "I'm Chuck."

[streetartsurfer.livejournal.com]

"Oh, hey, happy birthday!" Zach offered. "I guess you probably are, yeah."

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"I'm Ellie. Been here since the beginning of summer," Ellie replied. "Nice to meet you, Zach."

[streetartsurfer.livejournal.com]

"You, too," Zach replied. "So, you cooked all this?"