A/N: Hey folks, I've been gone awhile, I know. But there are so many other updates & new stories, too. YAY!!! I love reading all the fanfic, so a big thanks to all who put forth effort to satisfy our insatiable desires, lol!

Here's my latest effort to add to the offerings. Our little lovebirds are in desperate need of some alone time together. Don't worry, it's going to happen soon. But first, a little drama

Thanks to all who still take the time to review…you guys really do motivate me to keep writing. Without your thoughts and input, I'd drop it like it's hot yesterday!

I still own none of the characters, just the ideas. Hope you enjoy.

Ch. 9 – More Drama

"That's good," Patty murmured. She was distracted. Graham's behavior made her feel even more alone than ever when it came to taking care of the house and the kids. She knew she'd have to finish the discussion she and Angela started that morning, but right now, she wasn't sure she had the energy.

"Actually, Rickie was happy to see me there. And we had fun backstage. Everyone's going out to eat after practice tomorrow, but I'm supposed to be going to Jordan's band practice. I am still allowed to do that, aren't I?" Angela asked, hoping that her mother's distracted state would make this a good time to get the answer she wanted.

Patty seemed to be somewhere else, thinking about something else. She was staring off in the distance, and for a minute, Angela thought she hadn't even heard her. But finally Patty looked at Angela and let out a big sigh.

"Angela, come sit down. We need to talk."

Angela couldn't help but roll her eyes and groan at the idea that she was now going to have to have like, a total conversation with her mother. Her hopes of getting a quick, distracted answer giving her what she wanted evaporated like the last drops of water in the desert. With her own heavy sigh, Angela sat down in the chair by her mother.

"You know your father loves you and he just worries about you…," Patty began, but almost instantly, Angela became defensive and interrupted her. She knew where this particular conversation was going. She'd had it before, and it always ended the same way, with her parents telling her it was "best" for her if they didn't allow her to do what she wanted.

"Mom, please. I'm not a child. You don't have to pacify me by telling me how much Dad loves me before you tell me how I can't go to band practice with Jordan," Angela bit off before standing up to leave, done with the conversation for her part.

"Angela!" Patty cried. "I know you're not a child. So don't act like one right now by walking away in the middle of our conversation. I've had enough of that lately," Patty mumbled the last words almost to herself, but Angela heard it. She looked at her mom curiously before returning to the chair and once again sitting down.

Patty continued, "I know you're not a child anymore, and your father knows it too. But it's hard for him to admit it, so try to be a little more understanding with him. He just doesn't want you to get hurt. Neither do I, for that matter. But I suppose it's always a risk we take when we decide to trust someone, isn't it?" Patty began to stare off into the distance again, and Angela wasn't sure who she was talking about anymore.

"I thought you trusted Jordan. After you got to know him better, you said that you didn't think he would hurt me," said Angela, trying to get her mother to be specific about the topic of their conversation.

Patty's gaze returned to her daughter's own questioning eyes. "I do trust him, honey. I know he cares about you a great deal. But your father is right that you two are tempting fate by spending so much time together. I mean, he is older and more experienced and it's only a matter of time before…I mean it's just inevitable that…well that…," Patty stammered to say what she was thinking, but knew that both she and Angela would be uncomfortable discussing.

"Mommm!" Angela shrieked. "Pleeease, do not make me have this conversation again, I beg you!"

Patty laughed a little bit for the first time that day. She couldn't help being a little relieved that they weren't going into details, but she did want to make sure that Angela knew she would always be there if she ever needed her. "I just want you to know that if you do ever encounter more, mature problems, that I'll be here for you if you need me, ok?"

Angela just nodded her head and looked down at the floor, too embarrassed to look her mother in the eye right now, knowing she had just encountered a more mature situation last night. She was nowhere near ready to share that information with her mother, however.

"It's just that your father and I have been responsible for protecting you for so long now, it's hard to stop trying, you know? He only wants to protect you, and so do I. But I know you can't always protect yourself from getting hurt."

Again, her mom looked like she might be talking about somebody else, Angela thought.

"But you have to promise me that you will do everything you can to protect yourself, you know, if you're in a situation where…where you need…protection."

"Oh God," Angela groaned. "Yes, Mom, I know, ok? I know. So don't worry, please. And can you tell Dad not to worry so much either. It's not fair that he's all of a sudden so suspicious of Jordan. We just wanna hang out, that's all, you know?" Angela said, peering up out of the corner of her eyes to see her mother's reaction.

"Yes, Angela, I know," Patty sighed. "I don't mind if you go to practice with Jordan. And I don't mind if you ride home from school with him, one or two days a week. But you really don't need to overdo it, for lots of reasons. There are other interests you should pay attention to. It makes you a more interesting person to have some other areas of your life that you take time for. You don't want Jordan getting bored with you so soon, do you?" Patty was just teasing her daughter with these words, but Angela took them to heart as she got up from the chair to hug her mother.

"Thanks, Mom. So you'll talk to Dad tonight? And it's ok for me to leave play rehearsal tomorrow with Jordan and go to his practice?" Angela thought briefly about her mother's warning that Jordan might grow bored with her if they spent too much time together, but right now, being with Jordan was the only thing she really wanted, and getting that one thing overshadowed every other thought she had.

"If he comes home before I fall asleep, I will," Patty said, unable to hide a touch of irritation creeping into her voice.

"Why is he at the restaurant so late at night? What are he and Hallie doing there every night?" Angela asked, with irritation in her own voice, mostly because she was still upset with his attempts to control her own behavior. But she noticed that her question seemed to upset her mother even further.

"Good question," Patty said sarcastically, her lips turning down in a frown. She hadn't realized just how bad it sounded until she heard the words from her daughter's own mouth. "But I'm sure we'll find out soon enough when he opens the restaurant. Right now, you need to eat and get some homework done."

The next morning, Angela came out of her house with a huge grin on her face, in total contrast to the way she had left it just the day before. "Hey," she said as she slid into the front seat of Jordan's car.

Jordan had been watching Angela walk out of her house, with her beautiful smile lighting up her face. God she turned him on, just seeing her bounce down the steps, her red hair flying out behind her and a smile that seemed to be just for him. "Hey baby, c'mere." Jordan reached for her and pulled her closer to him on the seat and gave her a deep kiss. "Miss me?" he whispered in her ear once their lips broke apart.

Angela couldn't help the smile that spread across her face just being with him again, feeling his lips on hers again. "What do you think?" she teased him back. "Did you miss me?" Angela was almost afraid to know what his answer to that question might be, but she couldn't help asking.

"Do I need to kiss you again to show ya my answer?" Jordan just grinned at Angela, not afraid to let her know how much he wanted her. He was always confident in knowing what he desired, and almost as confident knowing that if he wanted a girl, he'd get her. Dealing with Angela was the first time he felt like maybe he couldn't, or wouldn't get what he wanted. But since she finally went to bed with him, he was starting to feel some of that old self-assurance again. He nuzzled her neck and moved his lips to her ear, gently sliding the strands of her hair behind her ear to get better access.

Angela laughed, the warmth of the joy she felt being with him spreading through her body. Knowing he felt cocky enough to come on to her in such a blatant way reminded Angela of how much more experienced he was at this whole sexual innuendo game they were playing. Again, she heard a nagging voice, her mother's voice as usual, hinting that Jordan might grow bored with her if they spent so much time together. Not wanting anything to ruin this perfect moment, Angela purposefully pushed that thought far from her mind as she turned her head to find Jordan's lips and they both almost forgot where they were for a moment as passion ignited through their bodies.

"Mmmm, breakfast of champions," Jordan murmured into Angela's neck as they broke apart for some much needed air.

Angela giggled at his silly statement, but she was warmed through by it, along with his intense kisses. Still, she knew they couldn't sit in his car parked in front of her house all day. "Um, are we gonna have lunch and dinner here, too?" She couldn't help but tease him about how they had gotten carried away.

Jordan lifted his head up from Angela's delicious neck. God she smelled so good, he thought. He looked into her beautiful green eyes and his own sparkled at her like blue sapphires. Angela always got lost whenever Jordan looked at her like that, like he could see right through her. just a couple nights ago, he had seen all of her, every last inch, and Angela couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks.

"I like the sound of that," he said slowly, rubbing his hand along her arm, caressing her shoulder before he slid his fingers along her neck, that smooth, creamy soft neck he loved to bury his face in and…. Ah, shit, he was getting lost again. What was he just talking about? Oh yeah, he remembered and continued, "I want to spend the whole day with you. You are comin' to practice with me today, right?"

Happily, Angela was able to nod in the affirmative. Nodding was the best she could come up with right now when he was so close to her, his eyes caressing her even more intimately than his fingers were doing. The combination of both the physical and visual caresses left her speechless and breathless at the same time. Thank God her mother had relented and she didn't have to deal with their ridiculous interference anymore.

"Good. I was ready to steal you away and skip the whole day of school if I had to so we could get some time together." Jordan turned in his seat then and started the car, pulling away from Angela's and heading off down the street.

"So you did miss me, then?" Angela couldn't help but repeat the same question she'd asked earlier, even though Jordan had thoroughly answered it for her. She just seemed to need reassurance for some strange reason. Her mother's ridiculous suggestion, perhaps? Crap, there it was again, thought Angela.

She had to stop obsessing over that one tiny comment her mother made only as a way to emphasize her own point of Angela not spending too much time with Jordan. She just needed to stop thinking about it over and over again. Her lips twisted into a frown as she realized that not obsessing over a thought was definitely not something she was famous for doing.

Their day at school seemed to go by in slow motion, as both Angela and Jordan were anticipating being really alone, together again for the first time since they had finally had sex. The tension was building for Jordan as he knew how good it could be, especially after the first time. He couldn't wait to show Angela all kinds of pleasure, and he had a hard time making it through each endless class as his mind wandered to every wicked, sinful delight he wanted to share with her. Especially when he made it to English and she sat like, right across from him. The hard time he was having took on new meaning when she was so close he could smell her. He thought about taking her to the boiler room again during lunch, but knew if he started, he wouldn't be able to stop.

The tension was building for Angela too, as she desperately wanted to make sure that getting her in bed wasn't just some conquest for Jordan. She couldn't even contemplate survival if he left her after getting what he wanted. Being with him again would like, somehow solidify their relationship for her. It would prove he wanted more from her than just a quick lay. She was a little disappointed when he didn't ask her to meet him in the boiler room again. But she smiled when he asked if he could drive her home after school. It was Jordan's turn to be disappointed when she told him she needed to go to play rehearsal to help Rickie.

Angela could sense his disappointment and suggested that he come pick her up after a half hour or so. "Just long enough to make Rickie happy, and my mother," Angela tried to persuade him. She could tell he still wanted her to ditch the play, but he relented and told her he'd be there by 4:30. He figured it would give him time to go fill up with gas and grab a bite to eat. But it wouldn't satisfy what he was really hungry for. They both were anxious to get the school day over with, for different reasons, but with the same the same result. They just wanted to be together.

By the time the last bell rang, Angela's nerves were wound tightly and she couldn't help herself from snapping when Rickie popped up behind her at her locker.

"Hey, Angela. You coming out to eat with the rest of us tonight after rehearsal?"

"Oh dammit! You scared me, Rickie." Angela punched him in the arm. "Don't sneak up on people like that."

"Angela, you're in a crowded hallway. It's like, impossible to sneak up on anyone in a crowd this size."

"I'm sorry, Rickie." Angela instantly regretted her short temper, especially with Rickie who was always understanding with her, no matter how crazy her emotions made her. "I guess it's just been a long day."

"Uh oh. Not more problems in the land of luuuuv, I hope." Rickie said this in a very dramatic way, holding the back of his arm across his forehead trying to tease her out of her funk. "I mean, no more drama, please. Let's save that for the play, ok?"

Angela laughed now, and hit him in the arm again as she said, "Shut up! No, everything is fine with me and Jordan. It's my parents, actually. They're acting weird. Well, more weird than usual," Angela amended when Rickie raised his eyebrows at her assertion. She wasn't sure why she didn't tell him what was really bothering her.

They both laughed then, but Angela's smile faded quickly as her thoughts returned to what was troubling her. "Rickie, do you think guys will always just leave a girl after they get what they are after?"

"Um, you do know you're asking the wrong guy that question, don't you?" Rickie shot back, trying to keep up the light tone they had reached. He saw that Angela was really worried, though, and he switched into caring friend mode instantly. "Angela, is Jordan like, already trying to break it off with you or something?"

"No. Actually, he wants to spend even more time together than ever. As a matter of fact, I can't go with you guys tonight, because I'm going with Jordan to his rehearsal."

Rickie was only slightly disappointed, because he could tell how much it meant to Angela to be with Jordan. Besides, he was having a really good time hanging out with Corey lately. But he was sorry that Angela and Rayanne couldn't be there with him, trying to get things back the way they used to be. Maybe they never would be, he thought a little sadly.

"That's ok, although I know Rayanne was looking forward to you coming. But you're still coming to help out backstage this afternoon, aren't you?"

"Yeah, sure. C'mon, let's go." Angela linked her arm through Rickie's and they headed off to the theater. Once again, they ended up having a really good time, laughing and getting more paint on each other than the sets. Even Rayanne joined in during one of her breaks and for a brief time, it was like nothing bad had ever happened between them.

Jordan stood in the back of the theater in the darkness, watching them goof around. He was surprised to see Angela laughing with Graff, but relieved that the mess he'd created didn't seem to be so bad anymore. He still had a hard time believing how well things had turned out, considering how he thought Angela would never speak to him again just a couple months ago.

Just then, Angela climbed up on a ladder, trying to reach a spot on the top of the porch set. She leaned a little too far to the side and lost her balance, giggling like mad at something Rickie said. Jordan could see she was about to fall and started to rush forward, but stopped when he saw Corey jump the few feet between them and catch Angela before she hit the ground.