The game was exhilarating, to say the very least, but Ricki found herself watching more and more closely, he hand zooming across the page when we'd be, and when Jared got hit in the jaw, a hand flew to her mouth. It looked painful, but in the end, the Bears won and Krista and she hugged. "That was amazing!" Krista exclaimed, and Ricki nodded.

"No kidding." Ricki said, and the whole way back to town, Krista and Ricki were whispering about the party that was to ensue afterwards. "So, is Tyler coming?"

"Of course. But he knows that I have to show you off, babe." Ricki said, and once the party began, it was a riot. Maureen disappeared early on in the party with Carl, and Ricki wasn't at all surprised to see that two members of the hockey team were.missing. 

"Ricki!" A deep voice called from across the room as he made his way over to her. Gabe Montgomery, one of David's old best friends before they had a falling out when Gabe chose hockey over football. "How is the hostess of this awesome bash? Never thought hockey would ever be worthy of a Trenton party. Not with your old ball and chain."

Ricki chuckled with a shrug, a beer in her hand. "Well, 'old' ball and chain is.actually quite accurate, Gabe." She said, and he looked down to her with a smug look. "Hey, say I told you so you want, I didn't think football brainwashed him like that. He wasn't the same. That and, as Maureen likes to say, I'm too hot for the football captain and I need a real man."

The two chuckled, and Gabe threw his arm over Ricki's shoulders. "Beautiful, I told you so, and if I knew your brothers wouldn't kill me, I would try barking up your tree."

Ricki chuckled, taking a sip of her beer as she walked with Gabe. "That and I thought you were chasing after Heather Voss." She said, and he nodded.

"She is out of town right now though, her family took her to Sacremento to shop for the Winter Formal." He said, and Ricki looked to him. "I'm asking her to it Monday when she gets back. Pointers?"

"Nothing extravagant, she's very simple." Ricki answered, and he nodded, heading off with that in mind. 

"Oh, babe!" Krista smiled. "And what were you and Mr. Montgomery discussing?"

"He gave me an I told.you so about the whole David ordeal, and asked for pointers for Heather." She answered, and soon Krista grabbed her hand and brought her out to dance.

--

Monday came around quick, and Ricki was about to show off her single self. And really show herself off. She was wearing neutral toned make up to highlight her face, a pair of black skinny jeans with a pair of heels and white backless blouse. Maureen and Krista flanked her when they walked in. She caught some attention and she looked to Maureen. "I feel ridiculous." Ricki whispered as she got to her locker, and Krista chuckled with Maureen.

"Babe, you have to show your shit. You're gorgeous, and yeah, the football team might hate you for leaving David, but you waited until after the season, and you can do way better than that meat head." Krista said, and Maureen nodded.

"Baby girl, it's time you own how gorgeous you are. Be a show off. Act like the catch you are, and don't settle for anything less than what you deserve." Maureen smiled. Krista and Maureen were both dressed to impress too. Maureen in a yellow sundress with a denim jacket, and Krista wearing her signature pencil skirt and red.blouse with her own heels. 

"And we'll be here all day with you." Krista smiled. "Except AP English because you're our goddess there."

Ricki sighed. "And that's the class I'm most worried about." She said. "David's in the.class too."

"Oh, ouch." Maureen and Krista said.in unison. 

"You'll be fine, baby girl." Maureen said, catching sight of Carl. "I have to go," she said, kissing both her friends on the cheek. "Own it, baby girl."

When Maureen took off, Ricki looked to Krista. "Walk with me to class?"

Krista nodded as they headed down the hall, books in their arms. When they got to the English room, Krista smiled. "Knock them dead." She said, heading off to her class, and Ricki walked in, and took her normal sear in the front.of the class, not wanting to look around and make.eye contact with anyone.

She could hear Jared's voice from behind her, and soon David entered the classroom, and he hawked, taking a seat behind Gabe, who looked to her and moved into the seat beside her. "Look at you, Rick."

"It was all Maureen's idea." She quickly said, and he chuckled.

Gabe smiled. "You were right, She said yes right away." 

Ricki gave a smile. "I told you so." She said, and he nodded.

"Well, if I may extend you the olive branch, there have been.plenty of eyes on you before you did yourself up. You were always too hot for the football captain, and you do need a real man." He said and the announcements came on, and Ricki looked over to David who seemed.livid, but Ms. Andrews took the front of the classroom.

"Alright, class, today we are beginning our Shakespeare unit, and to start it off, we will do a partners project. I have your partners assigned, and you are to pick one of Shakespeare's work and select a passage from it to perform in front of the class in the middle.of.next week."

Ricki felt her stomach tie into a knot as Ms. Andrews started naming off the pairings. "Ricki and Jared."

"But, Ms. Andrews..." David spoke out, and Ricki turned.to look at him. "Isn't it unfair to put the top two in the class together?"

"Actually, it makes it very fair. Neither one has.to pull any weight but their own." She.retorted, and Ricki bit her lip, and she could hear Gabe trying to stifle a laugh.

This would be fun.