Ricki was glad once Maureen finished her song and ushered herself off to whoever had caught her eye that night. It was no secret that Maureen had a thing for Carl Littlejohn, but she never acted on it, or talked to him really. Something weird, but she loved how he had played baseball. Said it was artistic, and Ricki could lie about it, but it wasn't paint worthy. 

Soon David found his way to Ricki again and his breath wreaked of Tequila and beer. He tried to place a kiss on her lips, but she turned her head and let him catch her.cheek. He seemed a bit put off by it, but said nothing as he looked around a bit. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

Ricki rolled her eyes a bit. She was probably the only one of his girlfriends that could say she didn't give It up to him, but the fact he felt entitled to it thoroughly sickened her. "You're going home at 2 am with the ride I have lined up for you, so I clean up and start getting ready for tomorrow."

He gave a half drunk nod, and.soon Ricki saw Krista waving her over. She breathed a sigh of relief, thank god. She excused herself and when she got to Krista, it was noted. "Want me to call Paul? He's still got a hell of a crush on you, Rick, even being in community college."

"Nah, besides I can handle D. He's just being a dick right now because of Maureen's little ploy." Ricki said, Krista knowing what the look she just received meant. "Good on her though."

"Fuck yeah." Krista said, "But I need my dance partner, so come on."

Krista dragged Ricki where everyone was dancing and they were dancing together, and Ricki was finally.having some real fun. Krista continued the conversation though. "So, when do we get to do the [I]real[/I] partying?"

"After the first hockey game." Ricki said, and Krista smiled.

"Whoo!" She shouted, hugging Ricki almost immediately. "I'm so proud of you, babe."

Ricki laughed, her smile wide as she and Krista danced together, knowing Maureen was off having her own fun. Then Krista asked her.next question. "What about the Winter Formal?"

"Didn't you say that only the best girls go stag?" She chuckled, but soon the party was winding down and it meant clean up time.

The two girls each had black trash bags in hand and soon Maureen joined them, plopping on the couch as Ricki called out to the leaving guest. "Be safe everyone!"

"So," Krista began once the house was emptied, aside from a few crashed in the guest rooms, "How did go with Carl?"

Maureen let out a dramatic sigh, it was painfully obvious that she was beginning to sober up. "Well, we did some things before I had to, well stop... I started my fucking period!"

Both Ricki and Krista spoke in union. "Oh, ouch." 

"I know, I have never been so pissed off at my own body! But, I gave him my number and a promise for a to be continued." She gave a classic Maureen wink before she changed topics. "What about the two of you?"

"Well, I finally got my foot in the door with Tyler Rockett, you know the star Basketball player? We're going to the movies next Saturday." Krista smiled wide, and Ricki and Maureen high fived her before Maureen directed a look to Ricki.

"And what about you, baby girl?" Maureen asked.

Krista answered though. "We get to turn up for real after the first hockey game. She's finally dumping that uber loser and getting back in the game."

Maureen shot up and hugged Ricki, tight. "I get my Pretty Ricki back!!" She smiled, and she quickly exited.the room and grabbed three shot glasses and the bottle of Tequila. "I'll drink to that."

Maureen poured them each a shot and passed them out before they flunked the glasses together, gently, and spoke, "Bottoms up!"

Once they got done there, they continued on cleaning. "So, girls, shopping tomorrow, and definitely some extra shopping for Pretty Ricki here. She's going to have that look about her now that says, that's right, I'm too hot for the football captain. I need a real man."

Ricki laughed, and just continued cleaning,

--

The next week had been... fucking fabulous. Most people didn't know that Wednesday Ricki had finally left David, trying to keep it on the down low for a little while, but the popular crowd found the development painstakingly obvious when Ricki was no longer sporting his class ring around her neck and that she was in a bit more attention grabbing get up. She was actually putting effort into herself now.

However, her focus was elsewhere as she and Krista awaited the hockey team to board the bus for their first game. Ricki had some shirts made for her, Krista, and Maureen and was going to ask coach Dubois if he'd like her to have some made for the team.

It was base maroon with the Buchanan High Bears on the back with an image of the Bear wearing a goalie mask and a hockey stick under his paws on the back. The front.had a small bit of writing in the left part of the chest. It said Bears Staff, Statistics on Ricki's and Krista's and on Maureen's it said Bears Staff, Loyal Fan. They were long sleeved, since the rink would be considerably colder, as the two learned last year.

Soon Coach Dubois and the team were heading to the bus, and as the team got on, he approached Krista and Ricki, handing them their books. "Ladies, on the bus, ask all of your questions there, okay?"

The two nodded and when they got on, they sat in the bench seat beside the coach's and they heard a few of the players compliment their shirts and they smiled. 

As the trip began, the girls were asking Coach Dubois a million and a half questions as they wanted to be sure they were as accurate as they were with the other sports. Ricki had he camera to her right, being shoved.to the window seat.

Once they arrived, the girls let the team off first, and Ricki and Krista walked with the coach. "Coach, mind getting me shirt sizes, including your own? It feels bit wrong that all the other sports get shirts, but hockey is being brushed off."

He gave her a silent nod, and soon they were in. "I am super psyched." Krista smiled as the two were led to their seats by the opposing team's stats people. The two sat, and Maureen sat behind them, relishing in her psyched glory, and soon Ricki was.prepping her camera.

And not long after, the game began, and Ricki was multi tasking more than she ever had, snapping multiple photos and taking a moment to record her stats. Coach seemed pleased, or at least she thought so, and she and Krista found themselves cheering the more the game went on, and at the break between periods two and three, the game was considerably favoring the Bears. 

Maureen was leaning over Ricki's shoulder as she showed the girls the pictures she had been getting. She wouldn't dare speak that there was one in there of Jared Landry that she was going to paint. "Damn, Rick, these shots are phenomenal." Maureen complimented.

"Its easy when you have such great material." She stated off handed. 

"Hey!" A couple of the Bears fans began approaching the trio, "Where did you get your shirts?"

"We made them," Krista asked. 

"When can we buy some?" The parent asked, and Ricki looked to Krista, and she pulled out a few forms she had leftover from when she did the football shirts. And by a.few, she had about fifty. 

"Just get these back to me, and I can order more and have them to you ASAP." Ricki said, and the parent began passing them out. "Who knew Buchanan High would take to hockey?"

Krista nodded, and soon the third period began. The second period had been explosive. There was the foul, and Carl was expertly blocking shots. South Bay was.already breathing an air of defeat, but Ricki knew more about South Bay than that. They fouled a lot in every sport they played, and she was sure the ugly was just about.to begin.

She was sure Coach knew, but after the foul being mild, she had a bad.feeling. However, Ricki had never been.so genuinely interested in watching a sport, but this was.certainly getting her eye.

"Everything set up already?" Krista asked. 

"Yeah, I set It up during our hour before the bus left." She said, and Krista nodded.

"Good, because this is going to be one hell of a party." She said.