Maureen was still rambling as they walked towards the English room, which was on the way to Krista and Maureen's first class. "So, right after school, on Thursday we are going to get our nails done and start breaking in our shoes, and we'll totally have a sleepover and give each other facials and help each other figure it hairdos." Maureen rambled, and Ricki sweet Krista place a hand on her shoulder. "But first, we're going to figure out Ricki and Gabe." Krista stated and Maureen shot a look. "They kissed." Maureen squealed. "Sophomore year is finally happening!" She clapped, happily, and Ricki shot her a look. "What? I totally was rooting for you and Gabe back then." "It was one kiss. You act like it means more." Ricki said, and they got to the English door. "We'll talk more later. Bye sweets." She took her seat, and luckily the buzz of the formal had caused last week's drama to take a back seat. The announcements made her smile, and her phone vibrated just towards the end. Go figure, it was Gabe. They had been talking more after Friday night, and after the talk she had with her brothers, they had given Gabe their blessing. Not that she told him that, but they had. [I]I'll get our tickets.[/I] She rolled her eyes a bit. [I]Okay.[/I] She shoved her phone back into her pocket, and she was glad that class was going by smoothly. Her eyes occasionally shifted to Gabe, but she looked away before anyone noticed. -- Lunch was interesting to say the least, Maureen was sitting at a pulled up seat at the hockey table, working things out with Carl, Krista was sitting with Tyler and his friends, so Ricki took her lunch and headed into the art room. She didn't want to bother anyone, and she took out her iPod and began listening to her music as she rushed through her lunch and went to finishing up the last few details on the final backdrop for the winter play. An ear bud was pulled out of her ear and she chuckled. "I figured you'd still be.sitting with Carl, Maureen." "I'm not Maureen." The.voice said, and Ricki flushed, turning to see Gabe. "I'm so sorry, Maureen is.normally the only person thay will do that." She apologized. "What's up?" "So, Maureen is thinking that we're all going to meet up at your house before the formal, since you, Maureen, and Krista are all getting ready together." He said, and she sighed. "Sorry, she gets excited about these things, especially now that she's got Carl." She said, adding another stroke of paint. "And Krista is all jittery too, knowing all three.of us have dates." "And how do you feel about it?" He asked. Ricki looked to him, and she sighed. "I mean, you put on a good face, but is that really what you feel?" "I am happy for my girls, and I like who I'm going with, but there is so much on my mind right now." She said, and Gabe took the brush from her and placed it in the sink and brought her to sit with him at the table. "I'm listening." He said, and she nodded. "Saturday morning... what did that mean? Was that because of the shirt or what?" She asked. "When I kissed you?" He asked. "I mean, sure, seeing you in that shirt again brought back memories, but..." he began, running his fingers through his hair. "Ricki, I like you." She gave him a look as if to continue. "I do, Rick, I was sure that was obvious." "We've been down this road before, Gabe. I remember how it ended. How do I know it won't repeat?" She asked him, and he nodded. She had a point, at least she knew she did. "What are you doing tomorrow night?" He asked. She gave him a look. "Well, for one, you have practice, and for two, I tutor once your practice gets out, remember?" She asked. "How long does that normally take?" He was being persistent, and she sighed. "Normally, about an hour, depending on how big the issue is." She said. "Why?" "We could l, maybe, talk after. You could come over for dinner." He suggested, and she nodded. "I'll think about it." She said as the bell rang. -- "OHMYGODITREALLYISHAPPENING!!!!" Maureen shrieked and giggles after Ricki told her and Krista about lunch. Krista was just smiling a bit as Ricki Sat at her.computer, printing off some picture from the game. "I don't know. I mean, sure, there has always been something there. I mean, Fuck, we were childhood sweethearts." He said, "But things are so different now." "But you are going tomorrow night, right?" Krista asked, her fingers running failover her phone. When Ricki shrugged, Krista took in a deep breath. "ANDREW! DARREN!" It took a minute, but the older Trentons came into Ricki's room as she read the script that Jared e-mailed her. They had this project in the bag. "Gabe has invited sister dear to dinner tomorrow night, what are your thoughts?" Krista asked. "Go." Darren said, and Andy flopped on her bed, seeing Krista still texting. "Why did he ask you to dinner?" He asked, and Ricki sighed. She had just sent a thanks e-mail to Jared and she turned to them. "I don't know." She said, and Maureen laughed. "Bullshit! You know he's trying to show you he regrets sophomore year." She said, and Ricki sighed. "Then go." Andy said, and Ricki looked at them. "Why won't you?" She just rolled her eyes. "Fine, if you need me, I'll be in my studio." Ricki entered her studio, locking the door behind her as she changed and went.back to painting the piece of Jared from the first hockey game. She had started plenty of others since, but she kept going back to this one. -- The next morning, Ricki arrived at school in a rather [url=http://www.polyvore.com/m/set?.embedder=6420849&.svc=copypaste-and&id=75369987]casual[/url] outfit for her. To her surprise, seeing as she arrived.early, she found Heather Voss at her locker. Not a site she expected. The two had never been close, but after Ricki started dating Livingston, there had been some bad blood. "This isn't good." She muttered to herself. Heather was.looking very pretty and when Ricki got to her she nodded. "Hi, Heather." Heather gave her a look. "Hi, Ricki." There was a bit of an awkward silence and Ricki nodded. "Okay, what's up, Heather? We don't talk, ever." Heather gave a sickly sweet smile. "Oh, nothing too much. I just wanted to be clear that Jared Landry is mine, and if we keep it that way, there will be no problems." Ricki rolled her eyes. "Why everyone assumes that there was more, I don't understand. But I got you, loud and clear." She said, and Heather.nodded. "You better, because I have better dirt on you than the Gabe scandal this summer." She quipped, a bit cryptically. As she walked away, Ricki didn't know what came over her, but she beckoned out to her. "Heather! Wait up!" Heather turned and Ricki stood near her. "Look, since Carl and Jared are friends and Carl is going to the formal with Maureen, why don't you guys drop by for pictures. I'm sure you've already got prepping plans, otherwise I'd invite you to get ready with me and the girls." Ricki said. "An olive branch, since we're probably going to be seeing a bit of each other."