"Don't you talk to your mother that way, young lady!"

"I is being doing what is bestest, and you is being a dummyhead!"

"Okay, don't talk to ME that way, either."

Now, she's 19, and she's aware of all of these things. And she is the ultimate problem solver.

"H'lo?"

"Carter!"

"Hey, Kat, just cleaning up here, I'm not going to be late tonight!"

"No, but I am. Look, I'll be there shortly, but there's an accident on the highway, and..."

"Say no more, just know that the Chee-tos and Mountain Dew are on you. I'll get her, you go grocery instead. See you in about, what, an hour?"

"Call it ninety minutes, and apologize to her for me."

She hung up and grinned.

Emily covered her mouth with her hand.

"You sure you think you're gay, Jeff? I mean, aren't gay boys supposed to have some rudimentary sense of style?"

"Augh! Nevermind. I dunno, who knows, I may end up being straight, but if you're the kind of girl I have to pick from, Sis, I think being gay is safer. C'mon, we gotta go, or we'll be late. Grab the bag, I'll go get our bikes."

Too nice to sit here.

He opened the car door, stepped out, and reached into the back seat to retrieve the folder, pencilcase and purple cloth bag with the gold lettering and pull string. It clacked comfortingly as he shook it with a grin.

He started up the sidewalk and saw a pair of bicycles swoop around the corner.

"Jeff! Emily!" he called out in greeting to the kids.

"Hey, Randolph," said Jeff as he came to a stop and just dropped the bike over on its side.

Emily sighed, parked hers properly with the kickstand between the garage and house, and did the same with his.

"Any idea when the others will get here, kids?"

They shook their heads no and the three of them sat to chat while they waited.

So she was much faster than the ninety minutes she had feared -- and in fact only half of the hour Carter had suggested had passed when Kat rolled up the driveway and into the garage, waving at the three on the porch.

She kicked off her heels just inside the house and walked to the front door to unlock it while pulling out her earrings.

"C'mon in, folks, I'm gonna run back and change, Carter will be here with her in just a bit."

"Okay," grumped Jeff, "I can see that it's supposed to be an act, and that it's okay for guys to take the part of girls and vice-versa, but considering what I went through in the Summer, I don't think it would be very much FUN. And this is supposed to be FUN."

"Right," came Carter's voice from the kitchen, "fun first. Who has my character sheet?"

They greeted him with a chorus of welcomes, and in response to Kat's wordless question he just jerked his head toward the kitchen, where the noice of a bag of Chee-tos being ripped open could be heard.

"Addict!" Kat shouted in the general direction of the kitchen.

Devin walked around the corner into the living room with one eyebrow quirked up.

"Be careful what insults you throw at your Dungeon Master -- yes, Master, not Mistress, because Dungeon Mistress sounds way too adult toy store -- dear sister of mine... or is that brother, tonight?"

Jeff opened his mouth to complain again, and Emily put her hand over it. So he licked her hand.

"Ew! Augh! You..." she was at a loss for something disgusting enough, then it hit her, "you, boy!"

He laughed.

"Not tonight, Emily!" grinned Devin. "Tonight's game marks the start of the Gender Reverse Avatar Chronicles, you and Kat get to be the boys, and Jeff, Randolph, and Carter get to be the gals," she smirked at Jeff, "Deal with it or forfeit the adventure you want to run next Spring."

He grumbled, but settled down into acquiescence.

"Guys name their characters weird things, right?" asked Emily, "I'll call my Barbarian, Thews."

Kat snorted.