"Wait...so you're...?"
"Matt's half sister. Same Dad different mother. I was out in Sacramento for high school so I wouldn't get up in the whole 'my brothers in a rock band' rush" she explains and Brian takes a step back as the song finishes. He just kissed his best friends younger sister- he has two himself, what the fuck is he doing?
Funnily enough, he does remember a younger sister of Matt's, and he does remember Lacey- though she looks quite different now.
She's grown up.

"Do you think maybe you could...not mention this to Matt? I'm not quite sober at the moment, and if I'd known it was you I wouldn't have even kissed you..." Brian trails off, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He can see Jimmy running through the crowd, and knowing that he had been checking on Lisa, he feels himself stiffen. Lacey smiles and nods.
"Of course. I know how protective he can be sometimes. I won't say anything"

"BRIAN! BRIAN!" Jimmy suddenly yells, tripping over what looks like a small dwarf, but could've been Johnny, and landing in front of his friend, who's still standing strangely close to Lacey. Jimmy tips his hat to her and then turns to Brian, suddenly remembering why he was so frantic.
"Dude, I just checked on Lisa and she's burning up! I don't know what to do- should we put her in the ice box and hope for the best or what?!" he yells and Brian bolts out of the living room where the bulk of the party is, and up the stairs, hopping two by two.

The door is still unlocked and as he pushes it in, he sees Lisa shivering under her blankets, but sweating at the same time.
"Bwi-Bwi...tummy hurts..." she whimpers and he runs over, pulling her into his arms tightly. It's like holding a hot potato, but he doesn't let go, especially when she clings onto him.
"I know it hurts baby. Come on, come sit on my lap and we'll keep you warm, and we'll go get big sissy Lizzy, OK?" Brian soothes, kissing her burning forehead and collapsing onto her pink bed, pulling the covers over his shaking sister.

"Jimmy, go grab Lizzy will you? Even if you have to pry her out of Zacky's pants- I'm sure she'll understand" he says, smiling softly when Lisa's little fists clutch at his fingers.
"Where's Duck? DUCK!" Lisa yells, and Brian leans down to rescue her duck from the floor. She grabs it and holds it tight, hugging it like a teddy bear to her cheek. She looks adorable- even as she's sick.

"Alright, baby, tell me where it hurts. Here?" he asks, and prods her stomach gently. She's still wearing the blue Cinderella dress, because she'd refused to take it off when they'd put her to bed. She wanted to sleep as a princess. Lisa nods and stares up at him with big eyes, eyes that make him want to dive into her stomach and get rid of all the disgusting bacteria that were making her feel ill.

"What about here?" he points to his throat and she nods again.
"And here?" he asks and tickles her, watching her giggle and squirm delightedly in his arms, trying to fight him off with her duck.

"Well she doesn't look that ill- but Brian's gonna get a duck shaped black eye if he's not careful" Snow White walks through the door with her hands on her hips, and Lisa looks up at her in awe.
"She's burning up Liz, I think we need to take her to the hospital" Brian says, collecting his sister up in his arms and Lizzy rolls her eyes.

"Brian she's got a fever not the bubonic plague- we don't need to take her to hospital. Zacky should be up in a second with some medicine, but for now we just have to try and get her sleepy" Lizzy says, walking around to the other side of the bed and sliding next to her brother, putting a cool hand against Lisa's forehead. Lisa snuggles up in Brian's arms, holding her duck tightly in her fists, and Brian puts an arm around his other sister, watching her head fall onto his shoulder.

This was family.

"Did you see Lacey, by the way? She just came back from Sacramento- I think being away from SoCal did her good" she asks softly and Brian nods, suddenly remembering the girl he thought was his beauty downstairs. She was beautiful, but if he ever went near her with intentions like that again, Matt would kill him. He just hums a yes, and starts to run his free hand over Lisa's head, her eyes already slipping shut.

"I think someone should set you two up. You'd make a cute couple"
"Are you kidding me? Matt would kill me"
"Maybe so- but he'd rather have her dating you than someone he'll actually have to use effort to beat up when they break her heart"

"Hey!"
Brian rolls his eyes at his sister. Ever since they were teenagers, she was trying to set him up with people she knew, and people she didn't know. She'd once stood on the corner downtown with a sign that said, 'Date my brother! He's in a band!'

Zacky suddenly appears in the doorway with a bottle of medicine in hand, a rather worried looking Jimmy trailing behind him. Never did Brian think he'd see the day when Peter Pan and Prince Charming stood next to each other- but there's a first time for everything.
"How's the munchkin doing?" Zacky asks, and Lisa looks up at her Prince Charming, shaking her head.
"Tummy hurts, Pwincey" she mumbles and Lizzy fights to not to giggle. Pwincey is going to be Zacky's new nickname, she just knows it.

"Alright, princess, this special medicine's gonna help you get better OK?" Zacky says, kneeling down to be at her height, and Brian passes Lisa over to his sister, standing up so he can close the curtains on the other side of the room.

Glancing out into the dark night, he can see snatches of people on the decking, but none below in the backyard. All of them are drinking, completely unaware that four out six of their hosts are up here looking after a sick little girl. Suddenly something flashes near one of the trees and Brian's gaze is diverted to there.

There's a shadow, but he can't quite make it out. He stares at it a little longer, and suddenly a sick lump rises in his throat.

Is that...a camera?