Pandora~2

The girls walked up to Pandora's house at the end of a quaint court.

"Mum's done the signal so everyone knows where my party is!" Pandora proudly pointed over to the balloons tied to the mailbox. Tess's mum did indeed do this for her birthdays — but when she was 7.

"How many people did you invite?" Katie asked.

"Umm... 5. You, Eff, Tess, Emily and Naomi!" She cheered happily

Katie's face soured, "Naomi? Why would you invite her?"

"Well Ems says I had to otherwise she wouldn't come" Pandora explained with a shrug

"Aww Sweet" Effy added almost mockingly,

"Just try to get along Katie," Tess pleaded "For Emily?" but Katie stayed silent already miffed.

"Come on. We can do brownies, and then lick our bowls out" Pandora said innocently.

Pandora led them into her freakishly clean house, directing them to take their shoes off and chuck them in the shoe box which Tess did reluctantly. The living room was laced with pink details and pretty things that looked like they got a new coat of shine every other day.

"MUM!" Pandora suddenly bellowed, startling the girls and probably half the street. Her mum rushed in, wiping her hands on her apron, her face twisted in discomfort.

"Blastification! Drat! Drat! Fiddlesticks! Panda, we have spoken about shouting like a goat in the house." She said as she fussed over her daughter.

Panda continued- still quite loudly "Sorry. Look mum, Friends!"

"Still shouting, Pandora. Calm time, please." Her mother's lips were tight, but she joined her daughter in a synchronised, deep breathing ritual. "I'm calm... I'm calm..." Tess was shocked- weirded out by the routine. Katie just raised her eyebrows, trying not to burst out in laughter.

"So this is Effy, Mum!" Pandora stated as soon as she had finished her little ritual.

"Pandora has told me so much about you." She said sweetly.

Panda interrupted, "Yeah, you know, Eff', your missionary work." Tess figured Pandora's mother had no idea what any of them got up to. Effy being Effy, of course just played along.

"Yes, I try to do as much of that as I can." She smiled fakely but Pandora's Mum didn't seem to think anything of it.

"That's good. There are so many bad things in the world. Boys, drugs and guns, alcohol. Boys." She repeated, "Evil things. I'm glad Pandora's found a channel she can pour her energy into."

"Well, yes, all the seamen like her." Effy said a small smirk escaping her mouth.

Pandora's mother blinked "Seamen?"

"Oh, yes. Loads of seamen. Some of them are homeless as well. We'd love to see Pandora get her own missionary position." Effy said mischievously but her mother seemed almost oblivious.

"Right, lovely. And who are these two?" She asked, pointing to Tess and Katie.

Pandora introduced them "That's Katie and Tess!"

"Well, that's wonderful. We're not used to having so many friends, are we, Panda?" She beamed.

"No. And I've got more. Heaps more.Two more." Panda jumped and Tess couldn't help but feel a bit bad for the girl.

"Five friends. Goodness. We're going to have a wild old time, aren't we? I hope you all like playing Monster in the Dark!" She laughed

Tess gave a half hearted grin "Looking forward to it."

Tess found her entertaining to say the least. She wore an apron with delicate flowers on it, her hair was up in a perfect ponytail and there were house slippers on her feet? She looked like the type of person to iron her socks and underwear, which to be fair Tess's mother had never even attempted.

-------

The girls gathered in the spotless kitchen, diving into brownie-making under Pandora's mothers watchful eye. They stirred, measured, and, true to Pandora's word, eagerly licked the bowls clean.

At some point, her mum began singing "London's Burning," her voice bright and cheerful. Katie rolled her eyes but joined in, followed by Effy, humming along with an amused smirk. Tess tried to resist, finding the nursery rhyme a little odd for a group their age, but eventually joined in.

Just as their voices hit a crescendo, Tess's ears picked up a faint knock at the door. None of the others seemed to notice, so she volunteered to check, still shaking off the surreal singalong as she walked down the hall.

Tess opened the door to Naomi and Emily but she felt like she was interrupting something.

Naomi looked visibly horrified.

"Did I just hear London's Burning?" Naomi asked, eyebrows arched.

"Worse," Tess laughed, "We were singing it."

Emily smiled apologetically. "Sorry we're late—we got a bit caught up."

"Uh-uh, shoes off first," Tess said, imitating Pandora's mom's tone.

"Oh god, it's one of those households?" Naomi groaned, reluctantly slipping off her shoes.

"Just wait till you meet her mum," Tess warned with a grin.

Right on cue, Pandora's mother bustled into the room, a beaming smile on her face. "We've been so looking forward to this, haven't we, Panda?"

Pandora nodded, looking pleased. "Yeah."

Her mother glanced around, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Are you all chums, then?"

"Yep! Ems and Naomi are real good friends," Pandora confirmed.

"Yeah really good." Tess smiled, but Emily just shot her a look

Pandora's mother studied Emily closely. "Hang on... aren't you Katie?"

Pandora laughed, delighted. "That's the amazing thing, Mum! They're twins! C'est incroyable, baby."

Her mother looked puzzled. "Sorry?"

"It's French, Mum. Thomas taught me," Pandora explained head lost in the clouds. "He's such a blinking dream... oh, bugger."

Her mother's expression shifted immediately. "Thomas? Who's Thomas?"

Pandora stammered, "Oh, you know..."

Pandora's mother folded her arms, her face stern. "Pandora, I do hope you haven't been defying me on the subject of boys."

Naomi interjected smoothly, "Thomas is my boyfriend, actually. He does, um, excellent French."

Pandora's mother gave her a once-over. "Right. Well, Pandora knows my opinion on boyfriends."

Pandora nodded solemnly. "They just want to get into my box."

Her mother gasped, straightening up. "Yes, and I hope you all know that in this house, we do not allow unruly males at parties. I'm sure your parents would say the same thing."

"Yeah, boys, ugh" the girls said in a chorus, all shaking their head, knowing it was far from the truth. 

------

Pandora excitedly led Tess, Naomi, and the twins up to her room. The walls were covered in ballerina wallpaper, and her bed was buried under a mountain of pink pillows and frilly quilts. Tess couldn't help but feel a strange pang of nostalgia—like stepping into a fever dream from Year 3.

"I'll be back with the PJs" She said, practically skipping out of the room

"I'll be back with the PJs!" Pandora announced, practically skipping out of the room.

The four of them exchanged looks as they sat down on the bed, mildly entertained by the over-the-top decor.

"Twister? Are you shitting me?" Naomi groaned, eyeing the board game on the floor.

"Relax," Katie said with a sly grin, leaning in. "I spiked the chocolate brownies with MDMA."

Emily's jaw dropped. "You what?"

Katie shrugged, smug. "Yeah. Appreciate it, alright? There's forty quid's worth in there."

Emily looked genuinely horrified. "Are you serious? You think that's funny?"

Naomi snorted. "It is kind of funny," she muttered, her mouth twitching despite herself.

Tess scoffed, "It's Pandora's party. All she wanted to do was play board games, eat jelly and learn how to fuck boys. Not get shit faced!"

"It'll be a laugh. Besides I think you need some loosening up girl. Enter into the spirit, Tess," Katie coaxed, nudging her with a wink.

Just then Pandora bounced over, holding up a set of mismatched pink pyjamas. Each top was embroidered with slogans like "Sexy Poo," "Brainy Poo," and, of course, "Panda Poo" for herself. She beamed proudly. "Hey, guys! What do you think? Mum made them specially, and look!"

Naomi blinked, half-amused, half-horrified. "Jesus."

Pandora grinned wider. "So you can have Sexy Poo... or Brainy Poo. And I've got Panda Poo! Mum and I sewed them ourselves. It was a wacker job, I'm telling you."

Naomi shook her head, backing up a step. "I'm not wearing that."

"Why not?" Pandora looked genuinely baffled. "It's a pyjama party."

Katie rolled her eyes but held her hand out. "What the fuck? Give it here."

Pandora squealed and tossed the pyjamas out. Tess caught the "Sexy Poo" one, holding it up with a smirk. "This is so stupid," she muttered—then pulled it on.

The others followed suit, though everyone was cracking up at the sight of each other in Pandora's homemade creations.

Pandora clapped her hands together, beaming. "Hey, Mum! Look, we're pretty in pink!"

"Oh, that's wonderful, girls!" she exclaimed dreamily, catching sight of their pyjamas. "And the brownies... just delicious. I think I've really excelled myself this time." She reached for a fourth brownie, munching blissfully as she spun back into her dance.

Katie stifled a laugh. "I'm telling you. That is fucking good shit!" she snickered, watching Pandora's mum sway, fully lost in the music.

"Oh, that's beautiful," she murmured, a dazed look on her face. Music blared from the stereo, she suddenly burst into a wild, interpretive dance, twirling and stretching her arms out dramatically, as though in some ethereal trance.

Effy, already starting to feel the brownies herself, couldn't resist and joined in, mimicking Pandora's mother's moves with exaggerated enthusiasm.

Tess stood frozen. "Katie. What the actual fuck have you done?"

Too late. The brownies were gone.

Katie and Tess burst into hysterics, joining Effy in the absurd dancing, limbs flailing to the beat of chaos. Even Naomi cracked up, arms crossed but clearly amused. Only Pandora stood back, eyes wide.

"Mum?" she asked, half-laughing, half-mortified.

Naomi nudged her. "Eat a cake, Panda. It's gonna be a long night."

Then, mid-spin, her mum suddenly wobbled, swayed once more... and collapsed face-first onto the bed.

Emily and Naomi exchanged a look before springing into action, dragging her limp form down the hall, still laughing as they stumbled over themselves.

Pandora, however, wasn't laughing. She stormed out of the room, tears welling. Effy followed close behind.

"Whoops," Katie said weakly, the tiniest hint of guilt in her voice.

Tess, choking on laughter, gasped, "You should... probably go sort that out."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Go grab the other batch of brownies, would you?" she said, already wobbling toward the door.

------

Still giggling, Tess wobbled her way down the stairs, gripping the railing as she tried not to fall. When she finally reached the bottom, she stopped short. Emily and Naomi were in the lounge room, sharing a kiss, completely unaware of her presence. Tess froze, her face heating up as she realised she was intruding on something private. Before she could turn away, she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye—the door was slightly ajar, and JJ stood there, eyes wide in shock.

Tess shoved him out of the door frame before he could make a scene. She shot him a warning look as she slammed the door shut, hoping neither Emily nor Naomi had noticed any of it. Her heart was still pounding, a mixture of surprise and laughter bubbling up as she steadied herself against the door.

"What the fuck JJ?!" Tess said a mix of confusion and concern.

"Oh my giddy giddy giddy Aunt..." He said breathing heavily.

"You can't tell anyone JJ. Alright?"

JJ just stood there clearly still shocked "But- but they were just.... Kissing!"

"Yeah I know. But you can't say anything... at least not yet. Especially not to Katie" Tess warned and the boy just slowly nodded.

"Hang on, what are you doing here anyway?" Tess asked only just questioning why he was at Pandas house.

JJ's face reddened even further as he shifted nervously, his eyes darting back to the house before meeting Tess's. "Oh, well, I... I thought maybe I'd, you know, pop in? Just to check out the party..."

"You were going to just drop by? Tess raised an eyebrow, "This was Cook's idea wasn't it?" She couldn't decide if she was more amused or annoyed by JJ's obliviousness.

JJ closed his eyes, his voice barely above a whisper. "Oh bollocks."

Tess let out a small, exasperated sigh. "JJ, you've got to stay clear of here. This isn't... Well, it's not a 'Cook party,' alright? It's Panda's special thing"

He looked almost relieved as he nodded vigorously. "Yeah. Right. That's... yeah. I'll just... go."

"Good," Tess replied, shaking her head with a grin. "And keep your mouth shut. Promise?"

"Promise." JJ saluted her, taking a step back. But before he could even think of slipping away, three cars came screeching around the corner and into the cul-de-sac, headlights blazing, bass-heavy music thumping out through the windows.

Both Tess and JJ were confused as to who it was. The cul-de-sac Panda lived on didn't exactly look like a place that attracted that much attention. Katie rushed to the door recognising the sound of the cars immediately.

Her face was a mix of dread and annoyance. "Oh, for fuck's sake." She muttered

Danny hopped out of the first car, followed by his usual entourage: a pack of boys spilling out in cheap tracksuits, arms loaded with bottles and half-finished cigarettes, with girls in high heels, already looking bored. Danny sauntered up, flashing a grin that faltered only slightly when he caught sight of Katie's less-than-welcoming look.

Katie hurriedly walked over, voice hushed. "You're not supposed to be here remember?"

Danny just looked at her for sympathy "Come on. Have a heart. We lost 7-0 again, innit? You know the lads... Tommo... Marco... How you doing, man?! Jonno... Sambo... Keeno... Danno... Paedo!"

Tess stifled a laugh at the absurd list of nicknames, though it quickly turned into frustration as Danny's friends barreled past her and JJ, pouring inside with the kind of bravado that signalled they had zero intention of leaving.

"Katie what the fuck get him out!" Tess hissed, "They can't be here!"

"Alright alright I'm trying!"

But the 'lads' couldn't be stopped. Soon the smell of cheap alcohol and sweaty men filled Pandora's once pristine house. They sure did make themselves comfortable. Settling into the couches, blasting their own music and raiding the cupboards for snacks — which they didn't find many of.

She glanced around, hoping to find Pandora, Effy, anyone who might help rein in this mess. Slipping upstairs, Tess called out, "Panda? Effy?" but the house seemed oddly quiet, the music from below muffling any response.

As she reached the end of the hall, Tess heard a thud—then another. Faint banging echoed from behind Pandora's mum's bedroom door. She paused, frowning.

"...Hello?" she called out quietly, not wanting to wake Pandora's mother, who'd passed out ages ago.

A muffled voice snapped from somewhere inside:

"That fucking doors locked itself hasn't it?"

Tess blinked.

"...Cook?"

Tess yanked open the wardrobe doors, revealing Cook tangled up inside, his jacket somehow twisted around a row of hangers and his expression one of complete nonchalance, as if this was exactly where he intended to be.

"Alright gorgeous?"

"Cook, what the actual fuck are you doing in here?" Tess whispered harshly, glancing nervously at the bed where Pandora's mother was thankfully still fast asleep.

Cook gave a crooked grin. "Well, I was planning to make an entrance, wasn't I? Not my fault Panda's mum has a bloody knack for sturdy locks,"

"Well you should have pulled, Idiot," Tess said, voice mocking. "Why are you even here? You know your not invited,"

"Oh, you know me," he said with a wink, "Never one to follow the rules. Plus, who'd miss the chance to crash a party this mad?" He joked sarcastically.

He jerked his arm, trying to unhook himself but only succeeding in getting more stuck. Tess sighed, reaching in to help untangle him.

"Come on. We've got to get you out before her mum wakes up," she whispered, clearly frustrated as she worked his sleeve free. "God how did you get in here in the first place" Cook was about to respond— "Actually I don't even wanna know."

But just as she managed to get him unhooked, Cook gave one last forceful tug and stumbled backward, colliding hard with the wall behind him.

There was a loud crunch, and before Tess could react, a section of the wall buckled. Cook's momentum sent him tumbling right through it, landing in a chaotic heap in the neighbour's adjoining room. A stunned silence filled the air for a second before he groaned and lifted his head, wincing.

Tess slapped a hand over her mouth, part horrified, part wheezing. "You just—Cook! You smashed through the wall!"

"I didn't mean to! The wall was flimsy. I'm the victim here." He sat up amidst the debris, dazed but still smiling like an idiot.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah... just—Oi. Tess. Look. You won't believe this."

Tess groaned and stepped through the broken wall into the musty old bedroom.

He was pointing at a dusty TV in the neighbour's room, which had come to life. A VHS tape was playing.

Tess turned. Then froze.

Onscreen, a moustachioed man smiled at the camera. "Hello. I'm Martin. And this is Angela. This is how we have sex."

There was a pause.

"...That's the moustache bloke from outside!" Cook crowed. "The one bugging me and J earlier!"

"And that's—oh my god. That's Panda's mum," Tess whispered, her face twisted in sheer horror.

"That's fucken amazing that is!" Cook cackled

She slapped his shoulder. "Don't just watch it, freak! Get up!"

Still laughing, he let her haul him through the hole in the wall. "Bit rude to walk out in the middle of their love story—"

"We are done here," Tess snapped, dragging him back into Pandora's house.

Cook trailed behind, grinning. "So, party any good without me?"

"No," she muttered, still flustered. "Katie spiked the brownies, Panda's mum's off her tits—"

"Hilarious. There any left?" He asked.

"No. Not for you at least" Tess said firmly, not wanting to deal with a heightened Cook.

Downstairs, Tess finally reached the living room, only to stop dead. The party had tripled in size. There were people on the windowsills, in the fireplace, and someone doing karaoke on a lamp.

Cook gave an impressed nod. "Now this is a proper shindig."

Before she could answer, he snagged a beer from a passing hand and dropped onto the couch like he lived there.

Tess stared at him. Then sighed. "Of course you're staying."

He raised the beer in salute. "What can I say? Life of the party."

Tess stood there for a moment, speechless, but then shook her head, realising she had lost the battle of getting him out.

-------

Tess slumped onto a stool in the kitchen, cracking open a beer with a resigned sigh. Between Danny and his rowdy crew, the wrecked living room, and the sheer chaos that Pandora's mum had unleashed—she figured a beer was the least of her worries.

She glanced down at herself and rolled her eyes. Sexy Poo. She was still wearing the ridiculous pink pyjamas that Pandora's mum had so thoughtfully created. Tess couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity. She'd never have let anyone see her in this on a regular night, but with everything so wildly out of hand, her pride took a backseat. Besides, the nickname had a twisted sort of irony. She wasn't feeling too sexy tonight—more like exhausted, defeated, and thoroughly done- done with Katie and her creep of a boyfriend.

The faint smell of chocolate drifted up from the counter, catching her attention. She spotted one of the infamous brownies, innocently resting on a plate. She hadn't even meant to, but before she could think it through, she picked it up and took a bite. The rich, chocolatey flavour hit her immediately, and she closed her eyes for a second, savouring it but someone interrupted her much needed break. She rubbed her eyes to wake herself up but when she opened them a figure was standing over her.

"Tess. Hello?? Tess!"

She blinked, opening her eyes to see Freddie standing over her, puffed out and clearly distressed.

"Freddie? What're you doing here?"

Freddie paced around the kitchen, his anxiety evident. "It's JJ. He said it's gone to a nine."

"What's gone to a nine?" Tess asked, feeling more confused by the second.

"Cook. Bloody Cook! I swear to god I'm gonna kill him," Freddie seethed, frustration shadowing his usually calm face.

Tess couldn't help but laugh a little. "You guys actually have a rating system for how out of control he gets?"

"Crazy... Anyway, I just saw Cook—or maybe it was a while ago, can't really tell. He was with Danny's mates because of fucking Katie—"

"No, I need to find JJ," Freddie said, worry intensifying in his eyes. "Like right now, Tess. It's important."

"Alright, I'll help. He can't be far," she replied, stumbling out of her chair.

Freddie went to check upstairs while Tess scanned the crowded downstairs for JJ. The music was far too loud for her liking—some obnoxious remix that made the walls feel like they were vibrating—and she couldn't spot a single familiar face. Danny had really done it this time.

As she pushed her way toward the dining room—though it barely looked like one anymore, her eyes landed on Cook and Effy disappearing up the stairs together, tangled in each other, already kissing like they didn't care who saw. Tess felt her stomach tighten. It wasn't unexpected but it still stung. She looked away quickly, jaw tight, pushing through the crowd with more purpose now.

Finally, after elbowing past a group doing body shots off the table, she spotted JJ tucked into a far corner, shoulders hunched and awkward, like he was hoping no one would notice he was there at all.

"JJ, JJ!" Tess called, shaking him gently. "What's happened?" She was at a loss for what to do.

"FREDS!" she yelled. "Freddie, I found him! He's over here!"

Freddie hurried over, helping JJ to speak at last.

"G...G... got locked on, Freds. It's gone to a twelve, easy," he sniffled.

Freddie kept a comforting arm around him. "It's alright. It's alright. Come on, we're leaving. Yeah? Let's go."

As they made their way toward the door, JJ mumbled, "I didn't want to leave without him. It's an international incident. I thought he was gonna... gonna..."

"Fuck him, JJ" Tess said gently. JJ was too sweet sometimes.

Freddie kept his arm firmly around JJ's shoulders, guiding him out the door with a quiet reassurance that seemed to ease JJ's tremors. Tess stood by the entryway, watching them leave. She felt a pang of sympathy for JJ's distress, mixed with frustration at Cook for once again pushing things too far. She rubbed her temples, feeling the effects of the brownie creeping in as the house pulsed with noise and chaos around her. Her thoughts were cut off when she saw Effy emerge from the shadows. Maybe her and Cook hadn't hooked up tonight? 

Effy's gaze was far away, and her normally unreadable face had a flicker of sadness she couldn't quite hide. She gave a faint, almost resigned smile as she approached, her eyes landing on Freddie and JJ's retreating forms.

"Freddie," she said softly. "You came. Cool."

Freddie paused, glancing back. "JJ gets locked on. You have to look after him."

Effy shrugged, trying to mask her emotion. "I thought Cook... Cook's his friend."

Freddie's expression hardened as he replied, "I think Cook's your friend, isn't he?"

Effy looked down, almost as if she were contemplating it. "Not necessarily," she murmured. Then, a sad smile spread across her lips as she tried to lighten the moment. "Hey, you'll never guess what Pandora's mum..."

Freddie shook his head, stopping her with a gentle but firm tone. "We're going home, Eff. Come on J."

Effy's face crumbled slightly, her voice breaking as she confessed, "I didn't mean to fuck everything up. My parents are splitting up. I'm sorry. I got trashed."

Freddie's gaze softened even more. "I'm sorry about that. It's shit."

Tess stood in the middle of it all, feeling a wave of awkwardness and sadness as she watched the exchange. Effy's face turned away, as if hiding her emotions, but Tess could see the tears starting to well up in her eyes. Without thinking, she stepped closer, wrapping her arms around Effy in a quiet, comforting hug. Effy stiffened at first but then leaned into it, her walls dropping for just a moment.

After a few seconds, Effy straightened, wiping her face quickly and giving Tess a small, grateful nod. "I think I'll head home," she muttered, voice barely above a whisper.

Tess tilted her head. "You want me to walk with you?"

Effy shook her head, forcing a small smile. "No... I need to be alone. But thanks." She turned, slipping away into the night without another word.

Tess watched her disappear, the weight of the evening settling heavily on her shoulders. With a sigh, she headed back into the party, defeated. But as she walked back in, her eyes caught a guy in the corner who seemed to be watching her, his gaze lingering just a little too long. He met her gaze with a small smirk, giving her a nod.

Tess felt a flush of surprise and intrigue. After everything, maybe the night wasn't quite over yet.