~ Chapter 13 ~

" Damn this place is huge!" Renee exclaimed looking around at all of the tables covered in white with flower and candle centerpieces.

"This room is normally used for wedding receptions, but it was the only room we could get for privacy of being mobbed," Walker explained to everyone picking up Avery at the same time.

Everyone stood wide-eyed at the dance floor. That itself was even bigger. Suddenly music started. It was Sugar Ray’s, ‘Fly’. The DJ had put it on, and turned the multicolored lights on over the floor for a wild retro effect. The only people in there were those 15 people so the room seemed really large.

Soon a waiter came to them and said,

"The salads will be out shortly. What can I get you to drink?" he took everyone’s orders and left again.

While everyone was waiting for their drinks and salads Chrisso, Julie, Diana, and Walker were sitting at one table talking about stuff while all the kidz were either dancing or talking on the dance floor.

Celine Dion’s ‘Because You Loved Me’ came on, and Mackie ran up to Renee and she looked down at him. He smiled his cute baby smile and she picked him up.

"Can I dance with you Renee?"

"Anytime kid," Renee answered slow dancing with Mackie in her arms. As she did Ike and Tay admiringly stared at her and how wonderful she looked with Mackie, their baby brother, in her arms. Ike pretended that Mackie was his and Renee’s kid and he was married to Renee. He daydreamed this as they danced. He really had strong feelings for her, but didn’t know how to tell her. After the song ended, Renee carried Mackie to the table and sat him in his little booster seat because it was almost time to eat. She sat beside him and Isaac sat beside her.

"How’d you learn how to take care of a three year old like that?" He asked Renee.

"Oh, I have a brother and sister who are 3 year old twins so I’m used to little kids," Renee explained.

"That’s cool." Isaac said putting a napkin in his lap as Ali sat down beside him and Zac sat beside her.

Tay soon joined them, but he sat at the head of the table, and Katey and Annie sat beside Mackie. All of the "grown-ups" and Jessica and Avery sat at another table.

A couple of waiters gave everyone a salad, some bread, and their drinks. Mackenzie got apple juice and he was just picking at his salad (* you know how lil’ kidz are, they won’t eat anything green, unless it’s candy!) Renee, since she had to younger sibs his age, helped lil’ Mackie eat. Isaac again was pretty impressed.

"Renee, come to the bathroom with me," Ali said to her, both of them getting up.

Renee and Ali walked to the bathroom. When Ali opened the door they both got a big whiff of a potpourri smell. Renee quivered. She hated fancy restaurants with bathrooms that smelled like Bath and Body Works except ten times as strong.

"What’s that God awful smell!" Renee said coughing.

Ali choked and coughed up an answer, "I’m not sure, but anyway we should do something for Tay. Since we kinda didn’t get him anything. That’s why I wanted to came in here."

" How about, lets me and you sing Happy Birthday to Taylor in like a harmony or something," Renee suggested and then elegantly put in, " We’ll use our lovely voices to charm him!"

Ali laughed and replied, "Okay, lets practice and we’ll sing it to him after we eat and when he is about to blow out the candles an his cake!"

Mmmk," Renee agreed.

They rehearsed what they were going to do for five minutes, and went back out to find the two tables full of food. Ali and Renee resumed their places and started to eat. Renee glanced over at Mackenzie. He had ketchup all over his face from the chicken nuggets he had been eating. He suddenly dropped his fork.

"Uh- oh! Oops!" Mackie giggled.

Renee picked it up and put it as far away from him as she possibly could, and got him a new one.

"Now don’t drop it this time," Renee told him.

Isaac smiled at her and Mackie.

"Okay," he replied in a baby kid voice.

After they ate dinner a huge birthday cake with 14 candles was set in front of Taylor. Everyone almost started singing Happy Birthday, but Renee and Ali suddenly stood up. Renee yelled,

"Wait! Don’t sing yet! Ali and I have a special surprise for Taylor! C’mon Ali."

Renee and Ali got up and stood behind Taylor. Ali signaled Renee to start and they sang their harmonized version of Happy Birthday then, they both, at the same time, bent down, and kissed Tay on the cheek. Then, suddenly Renee and Ali both took a handful of cake and squished it in his face flirtatiously. He laughed, amused and glad that they would do something like that for and to him. Mackie, Jessica, and Avery all were giggling and laughing hysterically. Renee and Ali laughed to as Taylor got up from his seat. Julie and Diana took some pictures of everything as well. Suddenly Tay took a handful of cake and threw some in Renee and Ali’s faces. They both laughed and that broke out into an all out cake throwing war (*except for Julie, Chrisso, Diana, and Walker, they didn’t want to get dirty. Screw grown-ups! LOL!) As they were throwing the cake and ice cream (*yes, ice cream) the DJ started the music again. It was the Spice Girls, ‘Wannabe’. After the ice cream and cake was all over the place everyone started cleaning up and cleaning themselves off. Allure’s, ‘All Cried Out’ came on, and Ali, who was just a little too hyper, went up to Christopher and asked,

"Hey, Chrisso! Wanna dance? Good. Lets go!" Ali started slow dancing with Chrisso.

Taylor saw them two dancing and he looked around for Renee. He finally found her cleaning herself off with a towel. He ran up to her and asked,

"You wanna dance?"

Renee was surprised, and her heart started beating fastly.

"Sure, even though we’re both messy."

They had only been dancing for less than a second when Isaac broke them up.

"May I take over?" he asked Tay, without waiting for an answer, he pushed Tay out of the way and started slow dancing with her. Tay was crushed and bummed and even mad. He then decided to cut in on Christopher. He walked up to them, and asked,

"May I cut in?"

" Go for it!" Chrisso said handing Ali over to Taylor.

They danced for a little bit till the last part of the song when Zac pushed Tay out of the way to dance with her. Tay got furious and ran out into the hall. Renee and Ali saw it and felt sort of bad, but forgot about it when the B-52’s song, ‘Love Shack’ came on. Isaac and Renee were dancing wildly. He was twirling, spinning, and dipping her every which way. Ali and Zac were chasing each other around the room, both of them high on sugar.

Soon, Taylor came back in, and sat down jealously watching all four of them.