A/N-so sorry it's taken me this long to get this chapter up. I was planning on finishing it this weekend, but I was sick and busy, and since I'm sick today I decided now would be a good time to get it done. This chapter might seem a little, well dull cause it's just kinda diving into relationships a little, but I think that there's some important stuff in here. Please keep in mind I'm painfully sick right now so if it seems a little pointless, sorry bout that. Oh, and everyone who reviewed my last chapter gets a newsie in satin boxers. Enjoy! Next chapter will appear now!

Chapter Seven: Odd Confessions

Within fifteen minutes of Beth's phone call the first car, driven by Dutchy, containing Beth, Specs, Snitch, and Byrne arrived. Not long after, both Jack and Dru pulled up, Jack carrying Classic, Blink and Mush, Dru driving Devvy and Skittery. Spot and Ellie stayed on the deck, cigarettes and burning desires extinguished for the time being, and everyone joined them out there. It was a surprise for practically the whole group to see Spot and Ellie cuddled together on the swinging bench, let alone sitting within fifty feet of each other.

"How's Joy?" Byrne asked, having been informed of the situation at lunch, sitting down between Mush and Dutchy on a bench.

"Yeah" Classic agreed as she took her seat on Jack's lap.

"Um . . ." Elli struggled for an explanation. "She's conscious but they're not quite sure just what the problem is yet. They're running a bunch of tests and junk on her right now."

"Where's Race?" Spot asked, looking around.

"He has track practice doofus" Beth replied, plopping herself down in the space next to Ellie.

"Hey!" Spot exclaimed.

"Children" Classic cut in. "Must we argue? It destroys karma."

"Karma" Devvy repeated with a roll of the eyes. "C'mon Classic, it's 2003."

"Not in her world" Specs joked. Classic let out an exasperated sigh. The conversation went on like this, everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves, almost forgetting that school has just started up again that morning. After a few minutes on the deck, Skittery and Dru were reported missing. No one knew, or wanted to take the chance of guessing, if they had snuck off for a smoke, a fix, or a make-out session.

Ellie" Beth whispered into her friends ear as Mush was doing a very funny and very accurate impression of his AP Spanish teacher. Ellie turned to Beth, giving her a questioning look. "I need to tell you something" the girls quietly excused themselves from the deck and stepped into the house.

"What Beth?" Ellie asked curiously. "Is everything ok?"

"No"

"What?!?" Ellie exclaimed in a worried manner. "What's wrong?"

"Well. . ." Beth twisted her hands together squeamishly, much like a little child struggling to tell the truth. "I. . . I think I like Race" she finally admitted. Ellie stared at her dumbly.

"Duh" she finally replied.

"What?" Beth said in surprise of Ellie's reaction.

"Beth, hun, it's so obvious you like him."

"It is?" she asked nervously.

"Well to me it is. I AM your best friend after all. Sweetie, I've known you liked him since you first met him."

"Why didn't I?"

"Beth" Ellie said, draping her arm over Beth's shoulder. "Sometimes, what your heart is trying to tell you gets lost in the screaming of your brain. When you're extremely occupied or stressed it's hard to listen to your feelings. Sometimes, you don't have the time to listen" Beth opened her mouth to speak but Ellie continued on. "And another thing is you might have realized it at one point but you probably thought 'he's my best friend, I can't like him' and your friendship with him made you afraid of liking him cause you think that it'll destroy your friendship. For these past couple years you were denying the fact that you liked him, which honestly makes it worse. Sometimes, even if it seems wrong, you gotta go with your gut instinct. Chances are it'll turn out for the better."

"Wow" Beth said in shock at Ellie's speech. "That was really smart sounding."

"I'm not dumb Beth" Ellie said flatly.

"I never said you were" Beth retorted quickly, hoping not to offend Ellie. "It's just that. . ." she started but cut herself off.

"It's just that what?" Ellie asked raising her eyebrow.

"What do I do about it?"

"That's easy" Ellie replied as she headed back out to the deck. "Tell him."

Beth stood in the middle of the room, frozen by Ellie's response. Didn't Ellie know she couldn't just go up to a guy, especially not Race, and tell them that she liked them. Didn't Ellie know how hard it was for Beth to admit that she liked a guy. Beth was still standing in that same spot, lost in her own little world of shock, when Specs came into the house.

"Beth? You ok there?" he asked, cocking his head and staring at her.

"What?" Beth said, coming back down to Earth. "Oh, yeah, sure" she said quickly, causing Specs to raise an eyebrow in question. "Guy troubles" she explained.

"Ah" he said, heading towards the kitchen for a drink and Beth followed. "I understand. Although I'm sure my troubles are a bit different then yours are."

"What about girl troubles?" Beth asked as Specs helped himself to a glass of expensive mineral water.

"That's just the problem" he said with a smile, sitting down on a bar stool. "Guys are put on by bi girls but girls aren't put on by bi guys. It seems that girls worry that they might turn me completely gay or I might end up dumping them for a guy."

"I guess I see where your coming from" Beth said with a smile. "I wouldn't want to be dumped by my boyfriend, if I had one that is, for another guy."

"Exactly" Specs nodded and took a sip of the water. "So, what exactly is this guy problem you have?" Beth looked down, suddenly very interested in the speckled tile floor, hoping to avoid answering. "Alright, forget I asked."

"Don't think I'm blowing you off or anything" she said softly.

"Of course not. I suppose there's a difference talking to a bi guy about a problem than talking with your best friend about it, or even to a gay guy."

"Well. . ." Beth smiled. "Yeah, there is. The jist of it is I like a really good friend and I don't know how to tell him, that is if I ever get the guts to tell him. Make sense?"

"Ah, yeah" Specs said in an understanding manner. "Been there countless times. In fact, the guy that I like right now is a really good friend and the thing is, he doesn't even know he's gay."

"That creates a problem" Beth said with a laugh.

Back out on the deck, Ellie's cell phone began to ring interrupting Classic who was explaining why the 70's were so much better then the present day.

"Hello?" she said, picking it up with a smile that quickly faded as she heard her mom's voice.

"Ellie, are you still at Spot's?"

"Yeah."

"I need you to come home as soon as you can, ok?"

"Yeah."

"I mean ASAP, I'm bringing Joy home and I need you to be there to take care of her."

"Ok, I'll be there" she hung up and looked around at everyone who was now staring at her.

"I need a ride to the school" she said grimly.

"I'll give you one" Spot said.

"No, you need to stay here" she objected, putting her hand over his. "Jack, gimmee a ride."

"O. . .k" he said slowly.

"Why Jack?" Dutchy asked puzzledly. "Instead of someone like me?"

"Because I know that Jack'll drive fast whereas you wouldn't."

"Yes, but you'd get there in one piece without a ticket."

"Well I don't think Jack plans on crashing or getting a ticket" Dutchy rolled his eyes and Ellie got up, giving Spot a small kiss on the lips. Jack kissed Classic lightly on the cheek and the followed Ellie through the ornate sliding glass door.

"Bye Beth" Ellie called as she grabbed her backpack.

"What?" Beth called back in shock from the kitchen.

"I gotta go now, I'll call you later" and with that Jack and Ellie headed out to the convertible yellow mustang and sped off.

"What was that all about?" Specs asked Beth, who had her mouth hanging open.

"I don't know" she said slowly with concern. "I don't know."