The girls arrived in ones and twos over the course of half an hour, by the time Jo arrived Anne's dad Pete had put the first of the pizzas in the outdoor oven. A couple of the girls were keeping him company.

"Hey, Susan. Who's the boy?" He nodded through the window, "the Curt Cobain lookalike, I didn't say Anne could have boys over tonight."

Susan peered through the window. "Oh, that's Jo. She just dresses like a guy."

"Ahh, trans?" He asked knowingly.

"Nah, just butch, I think." She looked again, noticing how Jo did actually look a bit like the Nirvana front man now that it had been pointed out. "At least I hope, we all call her… her. Hmm." She trailed off.

"Anyway, the first pizza is ready. Grab a board."

Susan grabbed a board from the side and Pete slid the pizza off the paddle. She cut the pizza with the cool rocky two handled knife thingy and handed the board to her friend. "Fancy sharing that around?" She asked, tactfully getting her to leave.

"So, Mr- erm. Pete, Anne was really clear we had to be tactful round Jo tonight, no gay jokes and no asking awkward questions. I'm sure she would appreciate that from you too."

"Hey, I will have you know I am the epitome of tact!" He waved her away, go play with your little girlfriends.

She smiled but didn't leave, she liked hanging out with Pete, he and Jane treated them all like adults.

Heather appeared carrying the empty board, "Mrs Jane says can you put on the prawn one now?" Susan and Pete shared a snigger.

"You go tell Mrs Jane that Mr Pete says butt out, it's not your party and teenagers don't like prawns." He said with a laugh.

"Hey, keep the peace, I'm sure some of us like prawns, if no one else I'll have a slice." Susan said, playing peacekeeper.

"Fine! I draw the line at blue cheese though!"

"I will have you know, I like blue cheese too." Susan quipped, "but I will accept that I'm likely the only one!"

The prawn pizza did the rounds, surprisingly with some popularity, if Pete hadn't nicked a slice before it went inside he would have been out of luck.

Eight girls caused a surprising amount of noise though, enough that Jane eventually left the kitchen and joined her husband outside. "At least they're having fun." She said to him, wiping soot from his nose.

"I'm just impressed they are including Kelly, I guess she's growing up eh?" He said, turning the last pizza. "And what about these pizza bases? Anne did a fine job on the dough."

They turned and looked through the window, Jane putting her arm around his waist. "I think we did well raising them."