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Chapter 21: A Tradition

Julie walked nervously into the ballroom on campus on Jimmy's arm for gala. She'd seen the room before, during the prom, but prom didn't look like this.

"Wow," She breathed out, "So this is what all the fuss is about?"

"Yeah," Jimmy laughed. "Not bad huh?"

"Not bad," She shook her head. He kissed her. "Jimmy," She whispered. He pulled her close and she whimpered as they kissed some more. This time around they'd become very very physical, but in a tender loving and perfect sort of way. "Save a little for later." She whispered teasingly. He kissed her again.

"God I love you," He whispered. She cooed and kissed him.

"Get a room," Kelly and Scooter walked over. Julie blushed and then smiled throwing her arms around Scooter's neck and hugging him. "Hey kid," He smiled.

"Hi," She said, "Hi Kelly."

"Hi Julie," Kelly smiled. "How are you doing?"

"Good," Julie smiled. "Really good." Kelly nodded. "I'm going to go find Tammy." She kissed Jimmy softly.

"So that looks fun," Kelly smiled. Jimmy blushed and mumbled something about how things had been good. "How's she doing? Any word on her mom?"

"She started chemo," Jimmy shrugged, "She talks to her every day. I'm going with her for Thanksgiving."

"Well, after Thanksgiving," Scooter said, "I want you both in New York for my big fancy book party." Jimmy laughed.

"We'll be there man," He hugged him. "Congratulations, I think its great."

"My man is brilliant," Kelly smiled.

Tommy and Elena sat at a table, her arms crossed and her foot wobbling. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"What?" She said shortly.

"You've been really weird all week," He said, "Is your mom coming home or something?" She shook her head. "Something with Portman?" She shook her head again. "Was Brad being an idiot?"

"No," She said, "It's not about me, um, how are things with Angie?" He looked at her confused.

"Has she said something to you?" He asked.

"No, um, she just seems kind of quiet and weird," She shrugged. "She skipped practice, I just thought that you might know what's up."

"Um, no," He shook his head. She nodded and took a sip of her drink. "What aren't you telling me?"

"It's not really a big deal," She laughed. He nodded. "I bet it's just because of last weekend."

"Probably," He mumbled and picked at the table cloth.

"What's going on with that anyway?" She kicked him playfully under the table. "I can reinstate Brad and my search into the hetero-ness of your sexuality, because we spent a good chunk of freshman year trying to figure out if you were gay or not." He laughed. "You weren't hot for me it was weird."

"I'm not gay," He shook his head. "And I do want Angie, I just," He sighed, "It'll change everything, and I kind of like how things are now."

"Just because you do," She said, "Doesn't mean Angie does." He looked at her. "Last year when I started going out with Dean again, and we were taking things slow, I was miserable, because I thought I was doing something wrong. And rather than deal with that, and tell Dean that that was how I was feeling, I screwed everything up."

"You're kind of freaking me out," Tommy said, "Lena, what do you know that you're not telling me?"

"Angela and I got into this fight," She sighed. "I was kind of fishing because I wanted to know if she was still mad at me." She wanted to tell him the truth, she really did, but she couldn't bring herself to, not yet.

"She didn't say anything to me," He shook his head. She nodded. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Its Angie, she gets moody and fed up with all of us. She'll be OK in a couple days. What did you two fight about?"

"The squad," Elena shrugged, "Stupid uniform stuff, not important." Tommy nodded. "Do you want to get some food?"

"Sure," He nodded and laughed standing up.

Connie and Charlie were relishing the privacy that they'd gotten over the past few weeks. Julie's decision to spend most nights with Jimmy had brought them together more. They were lying on her bed and kissing hard, leading up to something else. Charlie started to pull at the buttons on her jeans. She whimpered and pulled away.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Have you talked to Linda this weekend?" She asked. "I mean, she's here right? For Gala?"

"I guess so," He laughed, propping up on his elbow. "I haven't talked to her since I told her about us." She nodded. "What's going on with you?" He asked. "You've been really quiet this week."

"Do you know what next week is?" She asked.

"Um, Blake game?" He tried. She looked at him. "I'm kidding, of course I do, it's your birthday."

"I think that's when we should start telling people," She whispered. "Planning the wedding and everything, I mean, we'll both be eighteen." He nodded. "What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea," He whispered and kissed her. "What about next year? I recall a certain girl wanting Fordham."

"Yeah," She nodded, "I do want Fordham, but I'll go where you go."

"Well, then, that's good," He smiled, "Since the last scout I talked to was St. John's, and that's on Long Island." Her face exploded in a bright smile and she kissed him. "That makes you happy?"

"That makes me ecstatic," She whispered. "I want to be with you. I love you so much."

Allie sat by herself at a table in the corner of the ballroom. She felt like an idiot. She should have just stayed in Miami, or at the very least stayed at the house and watched Eva. Why had she let Cassie talk her into coming to this thing by herself?

"Feeling lonely?" She looked up and saw Cole standing there.

"You're here," She smiled and stood up and hugged him.

"Yeah," He nodded hugging her close. "Cassie yelled at me." She laughed and looked at him. "I can't do this anymore Al."

"Wh-what?" She whispered. "But, you came!"

"I figured I should say it in person," He said, "I mean, this summer was great and everything, and you're amazing, but I can't be with you and not be with you."

"Oh," She mumbled. "Sure," She walked away and over to Cassie, "I'm going back to the house, OK, I'll stay with the baby."

"Allie, what happened?" Cassie asked. Allie shook her head. "He broke up with you didn't he?"

"There wasn't anything to break up," Allie said. "I'll see you later." She walked away. She wandered out to the front gate and wiped her eyes pulling out a cell phone to call a cab. "Damnit!" She squeaked, there was no signal.

"Everything OK here?" She turned and saw Luis walk in from the street. She nodded.

"No signal," She held up the phone.

"Have you been crying Sanders?" He walked over. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," She laughed a fake laugh and tossed her hair, "I just drank too much, want to get to bed."

"Mm mm," He shook his head, "I'm not buying it. I know you better than anyone. What's going on?"

"Luis," She looked at him, "I'm fine, really," He hugged her and she collapsed into his arms crying. "I ruin everything."

"You do not ruin everything," He said gently.

"I do though," She looked at him, "I mean, I cheated on Rick with you, I mean he was such an ass but that didn't make it right, and then I cheated on you and ruined the best thing to ever happen to me. And then I found something else and I blew that too."

"Cole?" He asked. She nodded. "What happened?"

"I'm in love with him Luis," She whispered. "I don't know how it happened and it wasn't supposed to, but it did, and I am!" He looked at her. "Does it suck this much with what's her face from Blake?"

"Olivia," He said, she shrugged, "and no," He shook his head, "It's pretty great actually." She nodded. "I'm sorry, that sounded like I was rubbing it in your face." She laughed and sat down on the bench. "Does he know?" She shook her head.

"I mean, I think Cassie told him," She sighed, "But I'm pretty sure he still thinks she's on drugs." He laughed.

"Why don't you tell him?" Luis asked. She looked at him. "I mean, I don't know how you're relationship with Cole works but, I know that sealed the deal for me, when you told me that you were in love with me, there was no way I was staying away from you." She smiled. "It's kind of hard to believe that you were my age."

"God, you were a baby," She shook her head and looked at him. "What was I thinking?"

"I don't know," He laughed, "I'm glad you were though." She laughed and smiled.

Janet primped in front of the mirror in her and Dave's hotel room. She knew they were late, but as she liked to, they were making an entrance.

"Happy Anniversary," Dave walked over and kissed her neck sliding a soft chain around it.

"Dave," She whispered. They kissed gently. "It's beautiful."

"You make it better," He said.

"Has it really been a year?" She asked He nodded. "God, I thought I was so cool." She sat down on the bed and crossed her legs. He laughed. "So um, where do you go to school?"

"I graduated," He said smoothly, sitting down next to her and sliding his hand onto her leg.

"I think older guys are really hot," She bit her lip. He smiled and kissed her.

"Good, because I've got this weakness for hot blondes," He said. She giggled as he pressed her onto the bed. "We're not going to make it to the gala are we?"

"Not a chance," She laughed. "As long as we make it to the Rileys it won't matter." He nodded and kissed her again.

Angela sat on the couch in the Riley's living room. Eva was asleep in the playpen next to her and she was watching TV, well, she hadn't settled on a channel long enough to actually be watching anything. She heard cars start to pull up and sighed. Good, people were coming, which meant the party would start and maybe she would get a second to talk to Tommy. The group that filed in first were obvious people, Eden Hall in crowd who weren't legacy so weren't invited to gala. She picked up the baby, careful not to wake her and walked upstairs as quickly as possible and lay her down in the crib. She walked out into the hallway and froze.

"Hi," Nick smiled, leaned against the opposite wall.

"Hi," She said softly.

"So," He said stepping towards her. "I've been thinking about you."

"I've been thinking about you too," She said quietly, she took a step forward.

"Ange," Brad came jogging upstairs, "Parsons," He said barely acknowledging him, "I figured you might need help with the baby."

"I'm good Brad," She said, "Let's just get downstairs. Buy me a drink?"

"Sure," He shrugged and they walked downstairs. She glanced over her shoulder as Nick watched them walk away. "What were you talking to Parsons about?"

"He was just um," She said, "Looking for a bathroom." Brad nodded, not sure if he believed her, but not wanting to pry. "I don't think he's as bad as everyone thinks he is."

"Angela," He groaned, "Really? After what he did to Lena, and Julie and Tammy?"

"No one's all bad Brad," She shrugged.

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