Author's Note: I'm glad you guys liked that last chapter, obviously it was something I'd been building to, and I really wanted it to be done right! Thanks so much for the reviews and keep them coming!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 37: We need practice

Kelly lay on her bed, sliding Scooter's class ring around in a circle on her palm. She remembered when he gave it to her and he held her close and told her that they weren't going anywhere. Now he was so far away, and being so weird. She wanted to call him, just to hear him say that he loved her. But they were giving each other space. Whatever the hell that meant.

"Hey," Linda walked in laughing happily, "Check it out!" She handed Kelly an envelope.

"You got in early to Berkeley?" Kelly said. Linda nodded. "Honey, that's awesome!"

"I know," She smiled.

"Did you tell Charlie yet?" Kelly raised her eyebrows. Linda shook her head. "He'll be happy for you."

"He gets really upset when I mention college," She shook her head, "He actually said something about not wanting to end up like," She stopped, Kelly looked at her. "I mean, you know."

"I'm a cautionary tale?" Kelly said. Linda sighed and nodded. "Oh God! Last year I was the girl every one wanted to be!"

"Why don't you just call him?" Linda said, "I know you want to."

"We're giving each other space," Kelly said.

"Well, that's stupid," Linda said, "You're not going fix this by ignoring each other."

Scooter lay on his bed running the chain of Kelly's diamond necklace through his fingers. He hadn't talked to her since Thanksgiving, since he almost cheated on her, since he told her he didn't want her. And now they were giving each other space. He'd suggested it and even he didn't know what it meant. He ran the diamond around between his ring and forefinger. She'd given him everything she could by giving him this. It had been her mother's and she trusted him with it.

"Scottie," He sat up, he was home, spending the weekend, and Logan had been bugging him. "What are you doing up here?"

"Being miserable," He shrugged, "Can you come back later?"

"Just call her," Logan sat down. He looked at him. "What did you do?"

"I was talking to my ex," Scooter said, "And then I told her I didn't want to have sex with her."

"Wow," Logan nodded, "You're in deep shit." Scooter laughed. "Just talk to her. Kelly's a smart girl, and for some reason she wants to be with you. Now come on, I have to drive you to New Haven."

"What?" He said, "I have a car."

"Not anymore you don't," Logan shrugged.

"Anyway, we decided to wait," Julie said. Tammy nodded distractedly. "What's with you today? You're all space cadet."

"I lost my virginity," Tammy sighed. Julie's eyes popped.

"Hello, that's lead off material!" She said, "I'm babbling on about walking in the snow and letters from Paulo when you've got something for real! How was it?"

"It was severely underwhelming." Tammy sighed. Julie looked at her, "I think the problem is that because we've fooled around so much, I know what it feels like when it's good, and what happened last night was not good." Julie smiled.

"Well they say in movies and on TV and stuff that the first time is never that good," Julie said. "We could ask Kelly about it."

"I already did at Thanksgiving," Tammy shook her head, "She said that her first time was all magical and perfect."

"Well, that figures," Julie sighed, "But Scooter wasn't a virgin, so maybe, Linda?" Tammy nodded. "Sweetie, I'm sure it's normal."

"Hey," Fulton smiled walking over.

"Um hey," Tammy said and kissed him lightly.

"I'll let you two talk," Julie walked away. He kissed her again.

"I haven't been able to stop think about you," He whispered.

"Mm," She smiled, "Fulton, um, do you think maybe we could um, try again, today?"

"Try?" He looked at her, "As in we didn't succeed?" She giggled. "Did you not like it?"

"I um," She sighed, "I mean, it," She stuttered.

"You didn't like it," He nodded.

"No," She said, exhaling, her no bullshit policy coming up again, "I didn't, but I will, I just," She kissed him. "It wasn't you, it's just we need to practice." He laughed. "It'll be like when I helped teach you to skate," She kissed him slowly, "We have to take it nice and slow."

"I got into Berkeley," Linda said clumsily as she and Charlie had breakfast. "And I'm going."

"Oh," He nodded, "Yeah, sure, of course."

"I'm sorry, I had a way better way to say that," She sighed, "But I was really excited so I blurted." He laughed.

"Linda, I think it's awesome." He smiled. Her face lit up. "I mean, I knew that you were going to either coast, OK?"

"OK," She smiled, "I don't want us to worry about it. I just want to enjoy this year."

"That works for me," He laughed and kissed her. "We're gonna celebrate though. I'll take you out tonight."

"Sounds good," She nodded.

"Jimmy!" Ellie jogged over to him. He looked at her. "Do you want to come over tonight?"

"Ellie," He sighed.

"No," She laughed, "Tommy and Brad are meeting my mom, and I'm sort of worried about her, and Dean's great, and so are they, but they don't know her, and you do,"

"Ellie it's been a week," He said, "You're just being paranoid."

"Yeah, and you can assure me that I'm just being paranoid," She said, "Bring Julie, it'll be fun."

"Um, OK," Jimmy nodded. It was always fun at the Cole's house, and always had been, especially when Mrs. Cole was sober. Julie would probably like it.

"What do you know about Lena's Mom?" Brad asked Tommy, who was distracted. "Yo, Duncan!"

"Do you think my sister had sex last night?" Tommy said.

"I think that Reed's a total pussy if they didn't," Brad shrugged. Tommy looked at him. "You're sister's hot dude, what do you want from me?"

"I just know that Elena's mom just got out of rehab and she's really scared about it," Tommy sighed, "And as her best friends I think we're like obligated to make sure she's cool."

"I can't believe she moved home," Brad said picking at his nails. "You need to convince your parents to let you dorm next semester."

"Trust me, I wish I could," Tommy grumbled. "I just think a third living space would probably push me over the edge." He looked down the hall and saw Tammy and Fulton. They seemed the same as any other morning, so maybe nothing had changed. Or maybe everything had.

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