Grayson just grinned. "Good. Her guardians are... intense." he said, still smiling. "But I'm still here and she didn't break up with me so I think that means I passed." Or, at least, didn't fail.

"I also took her back to New York. She came during Christmas and wanted to go back." He loved that she liked it. It was one of his favorite places. They'd talked about one day living there. "I won her some stuffed animals there. She'd been looking forward to it all term so luckily I delivered. We might go to Japan later this summer. She's thinking about it."

"What about you? How has summer been treating you?"

He blinked his warm Stonem brownie eyes quickly when Juliette said she had snuck up on her. Oops, had he? He chuckled awkwardly before gritting his teeth momentarily. “Sorry.” He offered the question quickly and then all feeling of meh escaped his body when he saw a smile on her face.

“But I could… offer shade?” he said, extending his arms out over her head to cover her head. See? Stonem men could be useful! He’s have to ask his Dad for some more help with the ladies. Somehow Dad had landed Mum or… had it been the other way around? “Cant let you get sunburned. What would your mother say to me then?”

When she mentioned sitting down once more, he finally listened and took a seat. “Stonems make good trees you know. We’re tall,” he said before looking at the portafloos. They were horrid and they were a little bit smelly. “I’d rather apparate her to avoid the smell of the loos. I like the concept of flooing but flooing into a porta-pottie?” he overemphasized the American accent that his cousins had used all summer long. “No thank you.”

“Whats new with you? Working with Ama already this summer?”

Hyper Lisa was a sight to see at least once. But the more hyper that she was, the easier it was to get quite exhausted. An inherited trait, for sure. "Did your eldest sister also go to Hogwarts?" Minorly interesting to him her family also held Ravenclaw and Gryffindor combos. He personally thought Noah had been Ravenclaw-essque as well, but supposed the Sorting hat would know best. Ravenclaw had been a good fit for him after all. "It must be nice having so much family at school at the same time. All of our cousins are a lot older than us." They were graduated even before Noah had transferred.

Reading on the beach was certainly not a bad option, probably what he would have spent the majority of his time doing as well. "What book are you currently working on?" A sip of his lemonade. "Do you not like being on the water or just that boat in particular?" They didn't go boating often, but he kind of enjoyed it. The air just felt nicer from on top of the water. "Masks?"

He was a terrible salesman, probably unless it was a book store. But since he never intended to own a book store, he supposed it would be safe to cross off 'salesperson' off of his list of potential future careers. Not that he actually HAD a list yet of actual careers but... he did have a list of things he did NOT want to do. So far politician like Appa was right at the top.

"Well, not just water. One lady ended up with a flower hat I think?" Or maybe that's when he was observing bowling. Either way, the point had just been there was weird magic mishaps when cars were actually bumped into. "But yeah, maze can probably wait. The food is really good though. Did you try the fizzing lemonade?"

"Oh, I believe it." Miyu herself was pretty intense too and from experience, Alexander knew that apples did not often fall far from the tree. Not that he'd ever admit to being similar to his mother, who was also quite the chaotic Ravenclaw in her day. Alexander was an individual. Fairfield genes had nothing to do with anything. Obviously. "Knew you had it in you, buddy," here, Grayson received a shoulder punch shoulder. A gentle one. A bros punch.

"Funny how we both ended up in the States this summer, too bad we were on different coasts, huh?" Alexander wasn't a huge fan of LA to be honest. The rest of the family seemed to like it, but he knew he'd have rather visited New York or the likes. Where was his invitation, Grayson? Hm? "How cute. You two sicken me, Gray." They did not.

Was everything super awkward? Maybe that was just in her head? Juliette raised a perfectly done brow when he extended his arms to cover her head. It was... cute? Well, that was definitely very on brand for Pete to do something weird like that. "Pete, I have SPF on. I don't intend on getting sunburned or getting wrinkly," she said. "Besides, mum would probably blame me instead of you." Her mum adored Peter - would've probably made a trade if Auntie Em was down for it.

"Tall, but lanky," she teased, watching him take a seat. As she watched, she realized just exactly how much they had grown. They weren't 8 years old anymore, watching movies at her Aunt's house or chasing after cruppies in her home; they were now adults about to finish their last year in Hogwarts. The more she thought about how they had aged and how Peter had actually gotten rather handsome the less she listened as he spoke.

What snapped her back was the awfully used American accent which made her smile. "Don't let an American hear that accent or I'm fairly certain they'd be offended." She shrugged her shoulders slightly at the question about what was new. "Ama gave me a job at the studio, I'm an actual makeup artist now with clients." And she straightened her posture a bit at that. It truly was so rewarding doing it and nice to know that her last few summers had not gone wasted. "Just spending time with everyone this summer, y'know? Before we go back to school and deal with the dreadful exams." Juliette shuddered at the thought of taking NEWTs. "But yeah, just work and hanging out with Sterling - the usual."

"And what about yourself? What has your epic summer been like?" Juliette bit her tongue to add on 'with Rosalyn'. Because that would definitely make this whole thing awkward right?

Grayson laughed. It made sense. He was also mildly curious how much more intense she'd have wound up if her birth parents had raised her. He smirked a bit. "That's practically a blessing, right?" Not being hated? High bar, Phillips. "It's nice though, I feel like we have more permission to hang out alone now." Growing up was great.

He nodded. "Next year you should do New York too. We can make it a thing." They'd all be adults next year too! So they could do without having to stay with his sister!

He smirked a bit. "You're just jealous. But don't worry, you're still my main man."

He gave Juli a lop-sided one of a kind Stonem smile (akin to his father) at her comment of having put SPF on. “You can never be… uh… too sure, yeah?” he wagered before adjusting one of his hands to rest at the nap of his neck awkwardly. He did give her a wink when she mentioned that her mother would have blamed her instead of him. “Auntie Selena’s Favourite.” and yes, dear reader, he did sing that line out because he was proud to be Selena Zabini-Riddle’s Favourite.

“Like a tree?” he offered before turning to gaze at Juliette. She, too, had grown and grown more beautiful. She had always been beautiful. Dark hair, beautiful piercing eyes. Juli and his sister complimented each other like opposites- two sides of the same coin. One was autumn and the other was spring in colouring.

He chuckled. “Are you offended on their behalf?” he teased before smirking. His Dad was Californian. Well Californian British. A rare hybrid indeed. “Dad would certainly disown me.” He scratched the nape of his neck momentarily before wondering if she’d think that he had fleas for doing such a thing. And he certainly washed so he didn’t want her to misconstrue the body language as having fleas. He’d be mortified surely if she thought that! “Could you see yourself becoming a makeup artist when you grow up? Like after Hogwarts? Are you going to Uni?” He was envious that she had a direction… but he figured that he shouldn’t have been surprised. Once again, Evie and Juli both had directions whereas Peter would…. Figure it out… eventually. He always felt as if he were in their shadows.

He raised his eyebrows as envy tickled him green. “Sterling… eh? Are you two finally dating?” He opted for that word instead of others that flicked in his mind. He liked his mate, Sterling, however, he didn’t like the way he looked at Juli. Or perhaps more accurate the way Peter thought he looked at her. Jealousy did not look good on Peter Stonem.

“Decent. Helping Dad on set. Dad wants me to come work in films with him after we’re all done but I doubt I’d want too. I’m awkward y’know. Not movie star smooth or even Stonem Smooth which is an own brand of awkward in itself,” he laughed and shook his fabulous short mane. He sighed; running a hand through his hair. “Ive been focusing on universities. Both Muggle and Wizarding alike and I’ve been avoiding Evie and her boyfriend.” Thw last statement was accompanied by an eye roll.

She found herself giggling slightly as he stumbled through his sentence. Juliette found it... endearing - that was the Pete she knew; a bit awkward but her best friend. Juliette groaned audibly when he proudly claimed he was his mother's favorite and hid her face behind her hair. "Stop it, you're embarrassing all of us!" And her blue-green eyes darted around the space, waving to those who had looked over. "I don't even know why you're so proud to be her favorite, it's not like there's much competition."

Juliette flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked at the dark haired boy before her. "If you were a tree, you'd be a cypress tree," she decided. Though Peter reminded her more of an evergreen tree - he was always there, reliable, sturdy. She tilted her head slightly as she looked him over once more. What was she doing? Was she checking... him... out...? Weird. Weirder still, was he staring at her?

At them mention of her and Sterling dating, her brows rose just as high as his did. "Me and Ster?" Juliette wasn't sure if she was supposed to laugh it off or ask him why. She also wasn't entirely too sure about that pit feeling she had in her stomach when he asked her about it. "Sterling and I are friends, just friends." Even if they flirted with each other constantly. "No, I'm like, super single, party of one, ready to mingle," Juliette rambled, "Not like you, who is so not single and like locked down with that girl, Rosalyn, who's like probably super smart and pr-."

What was she talking about?

"I mean," Juliette cleared her throat with a quiet echem and shifted in her seat a little uncomfortably. "She's cool with us hanging out right?" Last thing she'd want to do is step on her toes and potentially ruin her best friend's happiness.

As he ran his hand through his hair, Juliette noticed his eyes - brown, yes, but filled with warmth... not unlike a cruppy's eyes. "Have you tried like... being a movie star? Maybe you just need a test run in front of the camera?" she offered. Unconsciously, she found herself reaching over and brushing a hair that had fallen out of place when he had ran his hand through it earlier, before sitting back down. "I've so been avoiding them too. They're so nauseating." And Juliette matched his eye roll with one of her own's. "They're so going to move in together once she graduates."

He wasn’t entirely sure what drove the groan from his best friend because all he had done was speak the truth. He assumed that SHE was just jealous. He raised an eyebrow when she mentioned that he was embarrassing all of us. “All of us? But its just you and me here, Juli...” He then offered her a wink and chuckled before fixing the collared shirt he had on. Yes, he flipped his collar to be cooler. “I don’t know why either.” Signature Malfoy smirk on a Stonem looking boy was... weird.

“A cypress? Why a cypress? I thought I’d be evergreen.” Cause you know Slytherin, reliable, patient, literally putting up with all of Juli and Evie;’s craziness during childhood and teenage hood. He should have been known as St. Peter for everything that he had to help the two of them with. Fortunately for Juli, Peter was oblivious to her checking him out. He did wonder why she was looking so much at him. Did he have something on his face? He reached up to his cheek and casually brushed his fingers against it. Nope. No tomato sauce. Thank MERLIN. HE would have been mortified if there was a dash of sauce leftover from the sausage rolls her had for lunch.

His eyebrows remained raised to mirror her brows raising at the Sterling question. “Absolutely. You both are practically falling over each other. Frankly annoying at times,” he muttered with a huff. He tilted his head to the side as she made it very, very clear that Sterling and her were not an item and that she was super single. “Are you interested in anyone?” He was about to open his mouth when she mentioned the dreaded, imaginary girlfriend. He flushed momentarily but then realized that Juliette was back-tracking.

WOAH.

This was a new side of his best friend.

She was always right or at least presumed right in his mind but to see her so awkward was rather endearing. Heh. He paused, debating his next words. “Y’know.. She’d be cool with it but..” He paused because he got distracted by her touching her long beautiful hair. Juliette had always had such beautiful hair and all he could do was stare and admire it. “I.... I... I don’t think she and I are going to work out. I have feelings for someone else.”


And then she touched him. Well. Moved the stranded curl that had gone askew. But.... what was the question she had asked? He simply went ‘Uh-huh” as the answer to her next few questions because he was caught up in her and the way the sun reflected off her hair and the way she... Huh? What was the eye roll for?

Oh yeah. Evie.

He gave another eye roll. “Y’know I wish she was dating Denver. I never thought i would say that but I think Denver and Evie would be less sickening. Is it too late to separate the two of them and make them more miserable?”

At least Denver was nice to him. In some odd way.