The knocking on the door turned to stern pounding. "Hey, it's Dan!" came the muffled voice from outside. "I think I left my sweater here!" Dan had left the party with Annabel shortly before the others had broken out the board game.
Everyone had panic in their eyes as they all stared at each other. Dan shouted again. "Hey, are you all drunk in there? Open the door!"
"He's not going away," Dave said. "Sue, you've got to answer the door. You're the only one who still looks human."
"Hcuoc," Hannah said. She awkwardly pointed to the couch across the room with a hind-paw. Sue turned and saw Dan's black sweater draped over it. She slowly picked herself up. This was the first time she had stood the entire game, and it took her a moment to adjust to the balance of her extra breasts and arms, as well as the drag from her hair.
"I'm gonna need a little help," she said over the continued pounding from the front door. She indicated the mounds of brown hair that lay strewn across the floor. Terry gathered the tangled mass and followed behind Sue in much the same way a bridesmaid handles a wedding gown train.
"Put on my sweatshirt," he suggested. "It'll be baggy enough on you to hide your extra...parts."
Sue shot him a playful glance as she slipped the gray sweatshirt over her head. Sticking the top pair of arms through the holes and keeping the other pair straight to her sides, she looked almost normal under it. Her hair slipped down into the collar, which helped to hide the length of it when viewed from the front. She and Terry entered the hall, the sweater in her hands and her hair in Terry's. He dumped the pile right behind her, hoping that Dan didn't try to enter or move sideways while talking to Sue. He admitted, that was a big chance.
"Where are you guys?" Dan's impatient voice was followed by another barrage of knocks.
"Hang on, I'm coming!" Sue shouted back, while Terry retreated to the den and shut the door behind him. Because they were French doors, however, Terry ushered everyone against a wall so they wouldn't be seen through the door's windows.
Sue finally opened the door and put on the best poker face she could muster.
"Sorry, we were in the basement. Here you go," she held out his sweater.
Dan took it from her. "What are you doing in the basement?"
"Tom challenged Dave to some pool," she said.
"Cool. I'm a bit of a pool shark myself," Dan said as he tried to pass through the doorway. Sue stayed put in front of him.
"Umm...actually they're just about to leave. You know, getting up early for work tomorrow."
"Oh. Well can't I still come in for a minute?"
Sue was getting nervous. The longer she kept him at the door, the better the chance he was going to barge his way in regardless of what she said.