Once lunch rolled around, Ricki Trenton was near sure no one would find her. She wasn't in the art room like she normally was, her phone wasn't on, and she had avoided going past the lunch room rather effectively. She was in one of the two piano rooms in the choir/band room, and she was working on getting down her.trouble parts for when she played for Maureen at contest. She was sure Maureen would get to State if they were perfectly in tune. After playing through it a few times, Ricki turned on her phone, She had five new messages. One from Krista, one from her mom, one from Maureen, one from David, and one from Gabe. She told Maureen and Krista that she was alright and where she was at if they were that worried. David was trying to get her to talk to him again, and her mom told her that they'd be home that night, but leaving out again Friday afternoon. Then her eyes went to the one from Gabe, and she just stared at it. [I]Rick, can we talk sometime? I promise I won't be like David.[/I] The last bit caused a smile to play on her lips as read the last bit. She sighed a bit, and as Krista found her way into the room She finally responded to Gabe. [I]Friday, okay? My parents are actually in town the next couple days.[/I] [I]Okay. After school?[/I] [I]Sounds good[/I] Krista slid onto the piano bench beside Ricki, when her eyes fell to her arm. Ricki had her sleeves rolled up and the bruise was.apparent. "Babe? What happened?" She sighed. "I went and talked to David yesterday, and I guess.he didn't like where I ended the conversation." She answered. "Should have seen Gabe's face when I told him." "I don't doubt it. I kinda want to kick his ads, and we both know.I couldn't." She sighed, But Ricki chuckled. "Won't have to worry about it, mom and dad are home until Friday afternoon. Mom won't let David in the door." Ricki said, and Krista nodded. "You okay? You seem really out of it today." She asked, and Ricki gave a nod. "Just tired. I didn't sleep very well last night." She answered and Krista nodded. "Come on, let's get you something to eat." She said, and Ricki shook her head. "I'm not hungry. But you go ahead, I'm sure you and Tyler have a lot to talk about." Ricki said. Krista smiled wide. "He said yes when I asked him to the formal." She informed, and Ricki gave her a hug. "Are you still going stag?" "We shall see." Ricki said, and Krista nodded before she left Ricki to herself again. -- The rest of Wednesday had been quiet, even at home with her parents. Aside from when David came up. "So, what happened with you and David?" Her mother asked, and Ricki looked up from her dinner plate and sighed. "Well, you see, we-" She began before the doorbell rang. "I'll get that." She excused herself and when she saw David there, She saw the pleased look on his face. "Hey there, Ricki." "What are you doing here?" She asked, crossing her arms. "Your dad invited.me." He.said, and she headed back into the kitchen. "Dad!" She called, and when she entered the room with David still behind her, he looked.to her. "Yes, dear?" He asked. "Why did you invite him over?" She asked, and her dad gave a stern look. "Get both sides of the story." He said, and Ricki Sat down, David sitting across from her. "Go ahead, David." "Thanks, Mr. Trenton. I really don't know what happened. I just know that Ricki said unhappy, and then something came up, and I guess this summer she and Gabe had a little thing." "Gabe Montgomery?" Her mother asked. "The one and only." David said. He was enjoying this a little too much. "Such a sweet boy. Was this around the Fourth of July? Because if I recall correctly you went to Hawaii after asking my daughter for a pass on those two weeks." At least Ricki had her.mom on her side. "She cried for two whole days about that, so when we had business we had to have Andrew and Darren come in. I just have to know David, just one thing." "Yes, Mrs. Trenton?" He asked, but Ricki finished. "Was the pussy worth it?" She asked, and David paled. Now her father was.looking directly at him. "I believe that answers it." "Then was Gabe worth the drama now?" David was getting angry, and her parents Now looked.to her. "Damn fucking straight. For fuck's sake, David, I told you that there was no sex until you proved to me you wanted more than just that. You never did. Good things.come to those who do good." She exclaimed, and she got up and left the room, David following after her. "We're not even together anymore, and you could have any other girl, why aren't you chasing.them? Why can't you leave me alone?" "Because you were supposed to have been mine!" He grabbed hold of her arms and shook her a bit. "And over Gabe Montgomery you weren't!" "Hands off my daughter." Her father spoke, leaning against a black, covered case. David released and Ricki walked out the door and took off driving. -- Thursday was, thankfully, uneventful. David had backed off of her, luckily, but her bruise still hurt. She.knew he was still running hot, but he also didn't know how to back off of things until he got the answers he wanted. Krista made the comment at lunch. "You need to make things more than clear that you two are over, babe. As long as you're still single he will keep at it." Soon a shorter brunette girl approached. A junior named Emily Godwin, who was on the dance team with Ricki. "Ricki, can I ask some advice?" Emily was a sweet girl, really shy, but once the music started no one would ever know. "What do you need, Emily?" "Well, I wanted to ask David to the formal." Ricki and Krista both turned to her fully. "I know, he's your ex, but I kind of have a crush on him and I want to see how It plays out." "Just go up and ask him, he likes straightforward." Ricki said, and Emily nodded, turning around and going back to her seat before she and Krista saw Gabe slide into the seat across from Ricki. She looked to him and Krista chuckled. "He wanted to hear your dinner story, I guess." She said, and Ricki shot her a look. "No one wants to hear that." She said, rubbing her bruise, and Gabe looked to her. "Does It feel any better?" He asked. "Still sore." She answered. She was still wearing long sleeves to hide it. "But what happened last night?" He asked, and Ricki went through and told him. At first he laughed, but even Ricki could see the detest in his eyes. "Your dad was.going to bring out the .45?" Ricki shrugged. "No clue, sounded like it. The only time anyone should ever be afraid of my dad is when that .45 is.in his hand." Krista nodded as Tyler sat beside her. "Hey, so are you sure you're okay for the formal? We've got just over a week now." The tall, dark skinned guy nodded. "Got the tickets, and you said pink flowers right?" Krista smiled and nodded, and Ricki rolled her eyes a bit and Gabe looked to her. "Who are you taking, Pretty Ricki?" She shot him a look. "Me, myself, and I for the moment." Gabe just gave a nod, and soon He spoke. "What color dress?" Ricki looked to him. "What, I'm curious?" "Champagne." She answered, and he nodded. -- Finally, it was Friday. Ricki had skipped her last class to see her parents off and pick up the three hundred some odd t shirts she had made for the hockey team. Those who had ordered them we're in their own box, as Ricki had organized them as she sat in the school parking lot, waiting on Gabe. She was wearing her hockey shirt, and her hair was up in a ponytail. She had some maroon and white face paint beneath her eyes like war paint, and her jeans were tucked into her boots. She was in the middle of sorting out the team's shirts when Gabe found her working out of her trunk. "Hey." "Hey." She greeted, and she handed him three shirts. "The top one is yours, the bottom two are for tour parents." He set them on the roof of her car and held his up to himself and she nodded. "So, what did you want to talk about? Becaue.I have to ask why you're kissing so much ass." "I realized I never answered you this summer." He said, and she looked to him. "If I ever regretted us.not working." "Gabe..." She began, and he pressed a finger to her lips. "No, you have to hear this. Because I do regret it. I regret not being ready for a real relationship then, and then when I was you weren't available." He said, and she sighed. "I want to make it up to you. I need to know how." Ricki nodded. "Alright. We'll see if you can. You can start by opening my back seat door." She said, taking up one of the boxes of shirts, but he took the box.from her and she opened the door and he slid.the boxes in the back seat. "Thanks." Gabe nodded and took off his school jacket, handing it to her. "In case you get cold in there." He said, and she nodded before setting It in her car. "Now, get going. I'll see you after the game." She said and he nodded before heading off as Krista got to her car. "Get in, we have a few shirts to hand out." "You have the shirts Hector asked for right?" Krista asked. Ricki nodded and they took off. -- The game was nearly started and Krista and Ricki had sold nearly half the shirts that weren't reserved already, and Ricki pulled her camera out of its case and got it ready as she got her stat book ready. Krista looked to Maureen. "Alright, remember the parent's shirts are free to the parents, the reserved shirts are paid for, and all the rest are 7 a piece." She reminded. "I got this." Maureen said and as the game began. Everything shifted. Game mode definitely and Ricki managed to get some good photos of Carl in the goal and of the rest of the team as they skated around. They were near perfect pictures, but the imperfections would come out in editting. This home game was perfect to say the least, and the best picture she had was when Gabe passed to Jared. "That's paint worthy." She said, showing the picture to Krista as she finished recording the score. "That it is." She said, and as they continued watching vigilantly, and recording what needed to be.