Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, I'm trying to get all my stories updated this week, since the next couple are kinda crazy work and schedule wise, and I don't want to leave anyone high and dry! Thanks for all the support!

Disclaimer: I don't own them...you know the drill.

Chapter 25: Roadtrip

Kelly sat on the hood of Rick's car, looking at the motel where Rick was currently trying to haggle them a room. This was nut. They had just gotten in the car and started driving south. They had no idea where they were going. But maybe this was exactly what they needed. Jimmy got out of the car and sat down next to her.

"Aren't you cold?" He said blowing into his hands. She shrugged. "You're a nutcase."

"That would be your brother who's the nutcase," Kelly laughed. "Rick!" She shouted as he came out of the office, "Please tell me that we have a room!"

"We do," He smiled, "And even a rollaway, for little brother."

"Dude, I'm three inches taller than you," Jimmy whined, "Please let me sleep in a real bed."

"I'll take the roll away," Kelly sighed, desperate to end the bickering. "Just get me to a bed period."

"Alright lead on big brother," Jimmy said, Rick practically bounced to the room. "He is way too excited."

"Do you think Allie got him doing coke?" Kelly whispered, "And he's high right now?"

"I don't think Allie does coke," Jimmy shook his head, "Actually of the two most recent Rick girlfriends, I would say Cassie is the more likely to be the coke head. Allie's just slutty, Cassie is the party girl."

"True," Kelly nodded and laughed. Jimmy did too, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"So it's not exactly The Four Seasons," Rick nodded when they got into the room, "But it's clean," Kelly stared at him, "Clean-ish," He shrugged, "OK, it's a dump, but this is going to be fun!"

"Whatever," Jimmy said, "I'm taking a shower." He walked into the bathroom. Kelly stared at her older brother.

"What?" He said, "What is that look?"

"What are we doing here?" She said, "If you wanted to get away we couldn't hop a plane someplace awesome?"

"Then we'd have to clue Dad in on this little excursion," He reminded her. She nodded and sighed. "Since we already used all of our extra money on Vegas." She nodded. "What's your cover for Vegas by the way."

"Connecticut," She sighed sitting down, "Of course that's contingent on Thanksgiving."

"He's bringing you home for Thanksgiving?" Rick asked, she nodded. "Wow, you are totally not giving that guy enough credit. He's never brought a girl home before Kel."

"So he keeps saying," She sighed and stretched down. "I don't know Rick, I just have gotten so used to things being a certain way. I was Kelly Riley, pristine ice princess deluxe, my relationship with Scooter was a secret, and as such he wasn't actually allowed to touch me. It worked out fairly well."

"But now the secret's out," Rick nodded.

"Yes it is," She sighed. "It is indeed out. It is very out."

"You know as much as I love Kelly Riley, pristine ice princess deluxe," Rick smiled, "Because it means that people are keeping their hands off you," she laughed, "I don't understand what you're afraid of."

"He'll get bored," She said quietly, "He'll move on and I'll be alone, and I'll have lost the one person who ever made me feel like maybe, it wasn't all for nothing, the waiting, I mean." She sighed. "I mean, I could have had sex a ton of times, Tyler cheated on my and then broke up with me because I wouldn't,"

"Don't talk about that dick head," Rick grumbled. Kelly laughed. "He's not going to get bored of you, Kel. He talks about it all the time, how you challenge him, and you're the smartest girl he's ever met, and blah blah blah." She smiled. "He loves you."

"Yeah," She smiled, "I know. And what about you? How are things with Cassie?"

"They're not what I was expecting," He shook his head, "I mean its Cassie right? The build up was forever, and I really care about the girl,"

"But?" Kelly smiled.

"But, it's Cassie," He laughed, "And she's just Cassie. She likes to smoke a joint and go to a wild public school party as par for the course on a Saturday. But she won't take her top off, so it gets confusing," he sighed. Kelly smiled. "You think it's funny, don't you?" She shook her head.

"No, no there's nothing funny about it," She stifled a giggle, "I mean, just that you two have both pulled your heads out of your asses and you still can't get it off the ground. You have to admit it's funny!"

"Not funny," He shook his head, "It's annoying." Kelly nodded. "See now you're getting a glimpse into Scooter's mind. This is what you're doing to him."

"I so am not!" She gasped, Rick shrugged, "Not even. I'm just, scared."

"OK," Jimmy said emerging from the bathroom, "There's a used condom in the bathtub!"

"Alright," Kelly said, "Time to go home."

"Hey," Scooter said coming up behind Julie, in the library, where she was studying. "You got blown off for the road trip too?"

"Unfortunately," She sighed, "Is that common? The taking off thing?"

"No," Scooter shook his head, "Rick's just stir crazy because Cassie's being weird." She nodded. "You OK?"

"Yeah," She sighed, "It's just Thanksgiving's coming up, I'm spending it with my mom, its all kind of complicated."

"I'm bringing Kelly home." He said. She smiled. "What are you working on?"

"French," She sighed, "I should have taken Spanish, Luis is fluent he could have helped me with it."

"Je parle une peu," He smiled. She laughed, "Let me help." She handed him the notebook. "OK, you're better than me." He threw it down. "What's with this super studious thing of yours?" She shrugged.

"I've always been smart." She said, "And one of the things that I promised my dad when we talked about me coming here, was that I would get straight As."

"You miss home?" He asked. She nodded. "What most?"

"My dad," She smiled, "And my old team."

"I miss my brothers," He laughed, "And my old team too." She smiled.

"You have brothers?" She asked. He nodded.

"Three," He smiled, "Two older, one younger. Logan, Dave and Brad."

"Is the younger coming here?" Julie asked. He nodded.

"Next year," He smiled, "He's in eighth grade, obviously. He's kinda a handful. I'll be glad that I'm not going to be here while he is." She smiled. "So enough about me, your turn to talk. Explain this complicated Thanksgiving of yours." She laughed and started explaining. Talking to someone outside about it made her feel better.

Linda and Charlie walked back through the school gates, holding hands. He smiled softly.

"What?" She looked at him. He kissed her. "Well, that was nice, but it didn't solve the what."

"We just got back from our first real date," He smiled and kissed her again. "I just realized it."

"Mm," she smiled and pulled away. "It was our first real date. And what do you think?"

"I think that this is pretty great," He smiled and kissed her again. She laughed. "I think that you're pretty great." She smiled, "And just plain pretty too."

"Ooh, smooth," She laughed. They kissed again. She smiled as they kept walking completely and profoundly happy.

"You're fussing," Guy said, as Connie sat on his couch, setting up pillows under his arm, "I'm fine."

"I am not fussing!" She said. "I'm worried about you!"

"I'm fine!" He insisted, taking her hand, "Connie, really."

"You broke your arm in three places," She sighed, "Well actually that moron Rick Riley did. I don't care if Julie is dating his brother; the guy's a dick head."

"Hey," Tammy and Jesse Hall walked in, "Just a little something from some ex Ducks." She left a few balloons on a table and handed Guy a card.

"How you feeling man?" Jesse asked. Guy shrugged.

"I'm fine, Connie won't leave though," He laughed. She glared at them. "Nah, they said the concussion's under control, and I'm out for the rest of the season, but Orion says my spot's safe for next year."

"That's good," Jesse nodded, "You OK Connie, you look like you haven't slept in like a year?"

"I'm fine," She said, Tammy looked at her. "I am."

"What does Julie say about all of this?" Tammy asked, "I mean it was Jimmy's brother right?"

"She's been keeping pretty quiet," Guy nodded. "But I don't think she talks to Rick much." They nodded.

"Where's Fulton?" Connie asked Tammy, after a few minutes of silence.

"Bash brother time," Tammy said.

"Ohh," The other three said.

"I miss this." Jesse said. "Remember when it was always the four of us?" They looked at him and nodded. Connie smiled. Jesse was Guy's best friend and Tammy was hers, by virtue of that they had always been a foursome, but lately it just hadn't been happening.

"Guess things had to change eventually," Tammy sighed. "You guys want to watch a movie?"

"Yeah sure!" Guy smiled. They all looked at each other and laughed.

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