The party was wild. Maureen had, of course, left Krista and Ricki to go take care of a few things, and Ricki and Krista were dancing with each other once Ricki felt the shots coursing through her. She rolled up her sleeves and her arms were up over her head. She was quite drunk yet, but she was sure it was.going to happen tonight. Especially with her brothers there. Krista looked to her friend, who for the first time all week it seemed, was smiling and enjoying herself. "So, you're not going to be mad going all alone to the formal?" Krista asked, and Ricki laughed. "I'm going to ask Gabe." She told her, and Krista gave a look. "What? We're both dateless, and we have history. Couldn't hurt to ask." Krista nodded, "Good for you, babe." She smiled. Krista then turned Ricki in the direction of Gabe. "So, go fetch." Ricki tossed a look over her shoulder, but Krista pushed her off in his direction, and when she got near enough, she stumbled over a couple trying to make themselves one and fell into him. "Whoa, watch yourself down there." Gabe said, and Andy was.standing there, chuckling at what he witnessed. "Stand back, it's danger prone Ricki." He joked, and Ricki rolled her eyes before she felt Andy place a shot glass.in her hand. "Come for round two?" "In a minute." She said to him, looking to Gabe. "Got a second?" Gabe nodded and they moved away from Andy. "What's up? I can't believe you're putting off a Trenton shot race for me." "Feel honored." She chuckled. "But, seriously, how do you feel about winter formal?" "I'm going alone, and no one seems to want to ask." He quipped, and she sighed. "Wanna go together?" She asked, and he looked to her. "Its not like we've never done this before." He nodded. "Lets do it. Champange right?" "Yup. We'll talk more later." Ricki said, placing a kiss to Gabe's cheek before.making her way over to her brothers who were set up the next shot race. "Krista!" Ricki called, and soon Krista came over and shot a look to Ricki. "Count us down, sis." "3,2,1, go!" She said, and this time Ricki won, throwing her arms up. "Take that!" She laughed, looking right at Darren who looked to her. Andy high fived his little sister. "That's my girl!" Andy exclaimed, but Darren took up the shot glasses. "No more, she's going to be drunker than a skunk once these settle." Darren said, and Krista nodded. "I got her, Dare. No worries." She said, taking Ricki's hand and pulling her to a couple of nearby vacant seats on a bench. Ricki pulled her long sleeved shirt off to show her white tank top. "Babe, you okay?" "This is the best I've felt all week. Couldn't drink with David around because he would've taken advantage of it. But now that he's gone, what the hell? I deserve to have some fucking fun!" She said, hiccuping a bit. "I'm so done with all this shit, sweets, I just wanna have fun." Krista nodded, and soon Ricki got up and pulled Krista onto the dance floor. Krista noticed Voss and Landry macking on each other and then there were the nearly fucking pairs, but Krista wasn't about to let Ricki do anything stupid, so she only sipped on her beer. "Ricki, babe, you okay?" She asked after a while, as some of the dancing crowd broke off. Ricki was teetering and stumbling. "Jusfine." She slurred, but soon Krista took Ricki off and into the house. It was considerably less crowded, and she sat on the couch with Ricki who rested her head in Krista's lap. "Krista, where's Darren?" She asked, and Krista looked down and Ricki held up her car keys that near fell out of her hand. Krista caught them and looked to her drunk friend. "I'll go give these to him. You stay here, okay?" Ricki nodded and when Krista left, she closed her eyes, falling sound asleep. -- The party had ended, and Krista, Darren, and Andy were helping Gabe clean up. "Where's Ricki?" Andy asked, and Krista gave a look. "Sleeping on the couch where she has been for the last hour." Krista answered and even Darren gave a look. "She hasn't been drinking like that in almost a year because of David. Let her sleep it off." Maureen than came out of the woodwork, a sobering Ricki with her. Both has trash bags in hand, and Krista handed Ricki the shirt she stripped off earlier in the night. "Thanks." She near whispered. "Gabe," Andy said, looking directly at him. "You mind taking her to the car?" "Not a good idea." Maureen said. "She gets car sick when she's like this." Ricki picked up a couple of cups before Darren took the bag from her. "Go lay back down." Ricki nodded and she walked back inside and laid down on the couch, Krista and Gabe following after her. She was back asleep in minutes and Gabe looked to Krista. "Can I ask you something?" Krista looked to him and nodded. "What about?" "Ricki and I are going to the formal together..." He began and Krista smiled. "She's wearing a champagne dress with some black accents, so just a regular suit would be good. Don't, and I mean do not, get her roses. She likes flowers, sure, but a single daffodil or Lily would work out perfect. And don't do anything extravagant. She likes to feel normal, if not a little plain. She's very simple, but you know that." Krista rattled off, picking up some trash in the main room. "Sounds good." He said, and he grabbed a blanket and placed it over Ricki. Krista smiled. "Gabe." She said, and he looked to her. "Please, don't hurt her. I finally got to see her smile again." He nodded, and once the house was clean, he picked Ricki up and carried her up to his room. -- The next morning, Ricki freaked out a little at her surroundings, and when she saw she was the only one in the room, wearing an oversized t shirt that wasn't hers, she got up and opened the door, peering out. As far as she knew, nothing happened, and soon she tip toed into the bathroom down the hall. She was still in the Montgomery house, and she used the bathroom and washed her face before moving back to the bedroom. When she returned, Gabe was there in his boxers and her face flushes. However, it was then she realized She was wearing his shirt and her underwear, but.nothing else. "Gabe?" She asked, closing the bedroom door. "Morning. Did you sleep alright, drunkie?" He chuckled, and she gave a nod. "What happened? Why am I still here, and where are my clothes?" She asked. "Well, you passed out, I brought you up here after clean up, and Krista asked for one of my shirts and dressed you. She said her and Darren would be by after you woke up." He Said as he pulled.on his jeans and tossed her hers. Once she pulled them on, she walked over to Gabe. "Thank you." She said, and she found her phone on his nightstand and she Texted Darren. Gabe soon walked over to her and looked down. "What?" "Look at the shirt." He said, and she looked down to the shirt.and she.chuckled. "Its like the whole universe is working with that." She.said, pulling It off, finding her shirt on the ground nearby. "Do your parents know I'm here?" "Considering they found me sleeping on the couch, yes." He said, But soon Krista Texted her and she went to give Gabe a kiss on the cheek, but he caught her mouth with his, and she stepped away after a minute. "I'll see you Monday." She said, heading out to her car. -- "You kissed?" Krista asked as she and Ricki walked to her locker Monday morning. Ricki was wearing neutral toned make up, a pair of black skinnies, and white tank under a grey half jacket. Heels topped her look off, and Krista looked her over. "Is that why you're looking like this?" "Krista, drop it." Ricki said. "We kissed, its not like we haven't done this before." "But it felt different?" Krista pressed and soon Maureen caught up to them. "Ricki, love, you're going with Gabe to the formal?" She asked, a bit loudly, and she nodded. "Oh my god! That's great! We need to work out the whole picture thing, and if we're all being picked up together and whatnot." Oh Lord, Maureen was.on a roll.