Punch and Duty

 There was a veritable hoard of fruit to be sliced, diced and peeled for the punch, but that wasn't the real reason Celia had persuaded Delphine Thetis to help her out. No, this was far more important.

 "So," Celia said, donning her most angelic smile, "Tell me all about that yummy blond guy I saw you with."

 She saw the predictable flush steal up Phi's face, even though the dolphin didn't look up from the oranges she was chopping "Just a guy."

 "Ha!" Celia pointed a vegetable knife at her, not remotely fooled by that feeble parry. "You had a big dreamy smile for at least an hour afterwards."

 "Did not."

 "Come on," she wheedled, throwing lime chunks into the punch bowl. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

 Phi gave her a sideways look through a curtain of russet hair. "Especially not Finn?"

 As if. It was no secret among their friends that Finn automatically considered any man Phi liked to be a devious, untrustworthy villain. He had tried to extend this suicidal protectiveness to Celia once. After her date had scurried away, pretending he'd forgotten a family meal, she'd thrown her Coke on him, emptied the salt shaker on his head and kicked him in the shins for good measure.

 Needless to say, Finn now considered any man she dated to be a crazy, fearless adventurer.

 "Definitely not Finn," she said firmly.

 "Um. He's staying with his aunt for the summer. She's one of the Elders here, so he got special dispensation to visit. I met him at the lake - he's learning to windsurf."

 Figures, thought Celia. The merpeople spent most of their free time socialising by the lake. "Are you seeing him again?"

 Smoke-grey eyes met hers, just a hint of mischief in them. "Well...I was wondering if I could invite him...?"

 "Of course," she answered. "I mean, you're going to have to put up with Finn, but if you think he's worth the hassle..."

 "Well, I was kind of hoping you could keep him distracted," Phi said hopefully. She threw more fruit into the bowl. "At least until he's had enough punch."

 Celia snorted. As her mother was away on business, she and her brother had decided to throw a house party and use up the secret cache of alcohol they'd acquired. It was a belated sixteenth birthday party, after her mother had flatly refused to let her celebrate with more than a dignified meal.

 In fairness, this was probably because Finn's last birthday party had ended with the barbecue exploding and singed eyebrows all round. It had all been compounded by Finn's parents - who were as tipsy as their lurching son - trying to apologise to the parents who came to collect their wayward offspring, and managing to throw red wine on Celia's mother.

 All in all, it had been very difficult to put forth a case for a house party.

 "I'm sure Ri and I can manage it between us," she agreed. "So...what's your holiday honey called?"

 "Jack." There was a faint mistiness in Phi's voice. Smitten, Celia decided, and about time too. She needed to meet some guys outside the pod, and outside the platonic affection offered by Finn and Riose. "Jack Lomax."

 "Nice name," she remarked, fighting to hide a grin. "You do know you're trying to chop thin air, right?"

 "Huh?" The shapeshifter looked down, and blinked. "Oh...well..." She flashed an enormous smile, looking soft and carefree; until that moment, Celia had never realised how solemn Phi usually was. How much older she sometimes seemed, too old, the patient sadness in her eyes unmatched by her unlined face. "He really is gorgeous."

 "I'll judge for myself," she retorted.

                                 * * * *

Celia woke up with a resounding headache and a growling stomach. She was...had she really fallen asleep on the sofa? And oh god, surely they couldn't have made that much mess? There'd only been...fifty...people.
 
 She sat up with a moan, cursing herself as the thumping in her head picked up to a lively tempo. There were bottles and plastic cups everywhere - someone had knocked tortilla chips all over the carpet, and for reasons she couldn't fathom, someone had left their top behind.

 There had been punch. Lots of punch, packed with fruit and sugar and their mother's Christmas gin, and...and...someone had said something about bringing vodka, and it had all become a little hazy after that. She remembered seeing Riose tap-dancing to distract Finn, who'd been heading towards the garden where Phi and Jack were moving closer and closer into what looked to be a first kiss-

 Phi and Jack!

 That brought a smile to her lips. He'd not only shown up, he'd brought cookies, and proved incredibly adept at hiding from Finn. He wasn't Celia's type, but his lopsided smile had obviously gone down well with Phi, and more than once, Celia had seen his narrow brown eyes following the shapeshifter around the room.

 At one point, she'd opened the cellar and found Jack crouched there, a finger to his lips.

 "That witch guy threatened to set my clothes on fire," he explained in a whisper. "If you see Phi, can you send  her down here? You seem okay, but some of your friends are nuts."

 "I know," she'd replied. "It's part of their charm."

 Jack had pulled a gargoyle face. "Not if you have a Y-chromosome. Anyway, I'm going to cower in here, and if you could tell a certain pretty redhead that I'd appreciate her company..."

 He was slurring his words a little, but she caught the gist of it.

 Phi was in the living room, listening to a torturously long lecture from Finn. The look of relief on her face when she spotted Celia had been gratifying.

 "Don't worry," she'd mouthed to the dolphin. "I'm coming to rescue you."

 She'd picked up a glass of punch, hadn't she, and then she'd...

 She'd tipped it down Finn's back, hadn't she? Oh, and he turned around with such an expression of horror, and then-

 "Reflex test!" Riose had shouted, and rugby tackled the witch to the floor.

 "Go, he's in the cellar," she'd hissed to Phi. The dolphin had vanished, and by the time Finn had got to his feet, scowling, Celia had a glib excuse ready to roll off her tongue.

 "You were meant to dodge," explained Riose, looking as cool as ever, except for a lack of focus to his turquoise stare. "Was a reflex test, see?"

 "My reflexes are rubbish," snapped Finn. "And why the hell did Celia tip punch down my back?"

 "I went to hug you, and forgot I had a drink in my hand," she lied, waving the empty cup at him. "So, do I get a hug or not?"

 A somewhat baffled Finn had complied, while Riose flashed her a thumbs-up behind his back. Before he could seek out Phi, they had persuaded him to join in the dancing that was going in the kitchen, and then...

 She'd danced on the table. Ohhhh. This was not good. Well, she hadn't been alone - she was sure everyone had taken a turn on the table, but...

 "Hey, you're awake!" Phi's voice reverberated in her head like a tribe of angry gnats. How could she look so disgustingly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? She had on a pair of marigolds and a wry grin, and Celia could only envy her powers of recovery. "Come into the kitchen, you don't want to wake Finn."

 Finn? She glanced back and what she had taken for a lump of clothes in the corner was in fact one slumbering redhead, mouth inelegantly open.

 "Might...might there be coffee in the kitchen?" she said pitifully, stumbling after Phi.

 The dolphin gestured to a mug on the side. "Not only is there coffee, but because I am such an amazing friend, I'm going to make it for you. One sugar or two?"

 "Three," moaned Celia.

 "One aspirin, or two?"

 "Two. Definitely two. Urgh...why didn't anyone tell me to stop?" She squinted at the dolphin. "Usually that's your job. But..." She couldn't resist prying. "...as you were otherwise occupied with that witch of yours, I guess I can forgive you. If you tell me all about it."

 Phi flicked her an amused look. "He's not 'my' witch." A flush warmed her face. "But he is a very good kisser."

 "Depends on your definition of good. Good how?"

 She liked making her friend blush, and Phi did blush easily. For a girl who spent most of her time effectively naked around the pod, she was rather sensitive. "Firm but gentle. And that's all the detail you're getting, Cee, so leave it!"

 She grabbed the coffee like it was a lifebelt as Phi put it on the table. "Oh, thank you a thousand times. Just for this, I'll forgive you the details."

 The dolphin chuckled under her breath. "I guess owe I you for getting Finn off my back."

 "He was persistent as hell. Do you know, Riose actually rugby-tackled him?"

 Phi's jaw dropped. "Oh my god! I wish I'd seen that."

 "It was a sight," she confirmed. "So. Jack. Are you seeing him again?"

 Indecision fluttered in those mist-grey eyes. "He's not mer. My parents will never approve."

 "Who says they have to know?" she said, gesturing to the kitchen. "My mother is never ever going to find out about this."

 A rueful smile touched Phi's mouth. If only she smiled more, thought Celia. Jack makes her smile. Who cares if he's not pod? It's not as if they're going to get married. "If I'm out all the time, they'll notice."

 Ha. Not likely. Phi's parents had become more and more immersed in the pod with every year. And her mother...well, every year, she got sick more often, and for longer. That took all her father's attention. Sometimes, there didn't seem to be much love left for Phi. "Say you're out with us. We'll cover for you. Phi, have a little fun! You said yourself he's only here for the summer, so what does it matter?"

 "I suppose so," she said thoughtfully. "He is cute...and he did ask me out..."

 "What are you waiting for?" she said with more force than the caffeine really provided. "Delphine Thetis, I order you to go forth and rejoice!"

 Phi squinted at her. "Are you sure you're not still drunk?"

 "Anything's possible," she replied, lying her head on the table. "But...before you go forth...is there any chance you could help me clean up?"

 Phi held up her glove-ensconced hands. "What did you think I was doing?"

 "Marry me?"

 "Ha, not likely. Rather you than Finn though. Have you heard his range of sexist jokes?" Splashing sounds indicated Phi was carrying on with the washing up.

 "Let's see...why do women have such small feet?"

 "So they can fit behind the sink," they chorused in mutual disdain.

 "So what's this I heard about Michael Davidson and ice-cubes?" enquired Phi devilishly.

 Celia squealed as that memory came flooding back. "Oh no, I really did, didn't I...?"

 "I knew it! Ha, Jack was right, I didn't believe him. Now I'll have to apologise and grovel and everything..."

 Which means you're seeing him again, noted Celia, feeling a smug glow at a job well done. Soon to be subsumed by the sickly glow of a hangover well-earned, but she thought she had done a good night's work, all in all.

 Now, she thought, lying there sleepily on the table, I've got Phi a nice man, what about me?

 Little did she know Phi was thinking something very similar...

 Friends can be like that.