Party Time!

Party Time!

 

Ryan, Chris, Ian and Mikael lifted the inflatable arch into position as it rose up above them, clipping a white vinyl sheet to it’s front as it rose. One of the Branbury’s RAs, Robert, walked over from behind the inflatable screen, having made sure that the air pumps were working just fine.

“Thanks for the help guys. Now I just have to get this projector, my XboX and the speaker all interconnected and we’ll be good to go.”

“No problem man,” replied Ian, “You need any help with that?”

“Naw, I got it, thanks though,” said Robert.

“Well shall we go and get some food then?” asked Chris, who was eyeing the line forming up for the Branbury’s Steak and Salmon Cookout.

“Yeah, let’s get some before it’s gone,” agreed Mikael.

They quickly got into line and Ryan took a moment to look around. The Steak and Salmon Cookout had been set up on the basketball court behind Building 1 and there were already a fair amount of people sitting down at the tables to eat, with more streaming across the bridge over the little creek to join him and his roommates in line. Tables had been set up to the side, buffet-style, where Ryan could see the Branbury’s managers, Nina and Erica with two of the RAs, Annie and Kevin, helping to dish out the food. The delicious smells of grilled meat, barbecued beans and potatoes were beginning to make his mouth water and he desperately wished for the line to move a little quicker. But the food wasn’t the only attraction tonight. Ryan and some of his friends had, of course, just been helping Robert set up his booth where they would be projecting Rockband 2 onto the Branbury’s inflatable screen. There was also another inflatable pit where you could do a sort of jousting game with big foam batons. Another one of the RAs, Jake, was manning that post, taking on all comers. There was a photo booth set up off to the side where Heather, another RA, was taking pictures of the residents.

At last they arrived at the head of the line and just as Chris and Ian started loading up their plates, Ryan heard a pair of familiar voices.

“Awe man, we should have gotten here sooner! Look at that line! It’s almost back to the clubhouse!”

Ryan turned around and saw Rachel and Lindsey standing off to the side of the buffet table. He smiled and waved them over.

“Listen if you don’t want to wait, we’ll just get you two extra plates, OK?” he said.

“Wow, you’d do that for us? That’s so awesome of you!” exclaimed Rachel, clasping her hands together.

“Yeah, surprised you can be a gentleman, Ryan,” teased Lindsey.

“Hey, I’m plenty gentlemanly,” Ryan retorted.

“Oh? And what about last week during that game of one-on-one, when you elbowed me in the kidney?” shot back Lindsey with a grin.

“That was an accident!”

“Uh-huh, sure it was.”

“Do you want food or not?”

“Relax Ryan, I was just kidding,” said Rachel, holding up her hands in a placating gesture.

“Hey buddy, you’re holding up the line talking to your girlfriend,” said the guy who was next to Ryan.

“She’s/he’s not my girlfriend/boyfriend!” Ryan and Lindsey shot back simultaneously. They glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. Them, a couple? Pfft, as if.

Later, the six of them had found a table and had eaten their fill of the awesome steak and grilled salmon. Chris and Mikael were talking about movies while Ian and Rachel were talking about the Institute class they were taking together when suddenly a blast of static came out of the speaker that was attached to the projector screen. The six turned to see Nina, the Branbury manager with a microphone in hand, standing in front of the screen.

“Hey there Branbury! Hope you’re enjoying the Steak and Salmon Feast?” A cheer rose up in reply.

“Great! Don’t forget, we also have a cotton candy machine set up over here,” she pointed to her left to where Kevin, Annie and Carol had just gotten the aforementioned cotton candy machine running, “Heather’s photo booth, the gladiator pit where you can challenge the undefeated RA, Jake the Hammer! And Robert has gotten Rockband 2 up and running, so there’s still plenty to do even after you’ve finished eating. So please enjoy and thank you for coming!”

Ryan had just turned back around to finish off the last of his beans when he felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. He looked up to see Lindsey standing off to his side, grinning.

“Think you can beat me in Rockband, tough guy?”

For whatever reason, Ryan found he couldn’t resist the challenge in her words, so he stuffed the remainder of his beans in his mouth and followed her over to where the line had just started to form. They didn’t have to wait long for their turn. The others had joined them, eager to see that latest challenge between these two. As Ryan slung the guitar controller’s strap over his shoulder he turned to Lindsey and said, “I gotta warn you, I’m pretty darn good at this.”

“I’m not so bad myself. You know what? I’ll even let you pick the song.”

Ryan scrolled down, finding it kinda awesome to be playing on this big screen, until he found one of his favorite old-school rock songs: Huey Lewis and the News’s “Power of Love.”

“Ready?” he asked Lindsey.

“Ready!” she replied confidently. Ryan started the song and they began pounding out the chords, Ryan on bass and Lindsey on guitar.

The power of love is a curious thing
Make a one man weep, make another man sing
Change a hawk to a little white dove
More than a feeling that's the power of love

Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream
Stronger and harder than a bad girl's dream
Make a bad one good make a wrong one right
Power of love that keeps you home at night

You don't need money, don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life
That's the power of love
That's the power of love

As they played, Chris and the others looked on, noticing that the score was remaining fairly even as neither Ryan nor Lindsey missed a single chord.

“5 bucks says that Ryan beats her,” said Mikael to Chris.

“You’re on.”

First time you feel it, it might make you sad
Next time you feel it, it might make you mad
But you'll be glad baby when you've found
That's the power makes the world go'round

And it don't take money, don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
It's strong and it's sudden it can be cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life

“I’ll be darned, they’re still pretty even,” remarked Ian.

“Lindsey has a copy at our place and plays it a lot; it’s pretty much her favorite game,” remarked Rachel.

They say that all in love is fair
Yeah, but you don't care
But you know what to do
When it gets hold of you
And with a little help from above
You feel the power of love
You feel the power of love
Can you feel it?
Hmmm-hmmm

During the previous chorus, Ryan had managed to miss a note, but then Lindsey missed one during the guitar solo before the finale, making them even again.

It don't take money and it don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
Tougher than diamonds and stronger than steel
You won't feel nothin' till you feel
You feel the power, just the power of love
That's the power, that's the power of love
You feel the power of love
You feel the power of love
Feel the power of love

The song finished and as the virtual and real crowds cheered, Ryan and Lindsey gaped at the screen. They had tied on the score after all.

Rachel nudged Ian and asked, “Do you think it was just coincidence that Ryan picked that one song?”

“Naw,” Ian said with a grin on his face that suggested he thought quite the opposite.