MY NOTES: Thanks for the reviews thus far! I'm gonna finish this story! I really am! Because, I, too, hate it when RTT fics just stop! It sucks! I just read my reviews and wanted to point out that Julie is Gerry's cousin. But I guess I did still sort of play off the protective facet of Gerry's personality. If anybody out there thinks that Gerry is as hot as I think he is, would you please let me know? The chicas in my family and friends circle don't think so. PLEASE let me know I'm not alone! D
Chapter 3: What I Really Meant to Say: Part One
"Hi, Ronnie," Rachel's voice said from the phone, happiness seeming to be in every tone of her voice.
"Oh, crap!" Ronnie exclaimed in surprise. "What's up?" He tried desperately to recover from his shock.
"Not much. I'm in town, so I thought I'd give you a ring."
"You were 'in town'?" Ronnie said, wondering how someone that lived on the other side of the country could be "in town."
"Yeah. I'll tell you about it when I get there, OK?"
"When you get here?" Now Ronnie was really excited.
"Yeah. I'm at the A&W. How do I get there from here?"
He gave her careful directions, and she said, "Bye, Ronnie. See ya in a few."
As soon as he hung up, he ran upstairs, yelling as he passed the living room, "Mom, Rachel's coming!"
"Rachel who?" she asked. But Ronnie didn't hear her. He was busily changing and combing his blonde hair. When he came back downstairs, she repeated her question.
"Rachel who, Ronald?"
Ronnie bit his tongue. He hated being called Ronald. Almost as much as he hated being called gay. Or a CaliFORNian. Or whatever. "Uh, Rachel Shannon."
"Rachel Shannon? What's she doing in Virginia?"
"I don't know," Ronnie said, his brow furrowed as he tried to figure it out. "I really don't know."
"Well, I'm glad she's here. She's a nice girl."
It was almost 20 minutes before Rachel knocked on the Bass's door.
Ronnie quickly opened it and saw a look of shock on Rachel's face. "Ronnie, your hair..." she gasped. "I love it! It looks so great! It suits you!"
Rachel didn't look a bit different. Her green eyes were just as beautiful as he remembered. And she was just as he remembered, dressed in a peasant blouse, bell bottoms, and a leather headband. But she was wearing shoes.
"This stupid Virginia fall puts the flip-flops in the closet, huh?" Ronnie said with a smile.
Rachel laughed. "Heck, yeah! It's colder than freakin' Alaska."
"Maybe not that cold, but..."
"Yeah, cold!"
Ronnie couldn't believe he was looking at Rachel. He never thought he'd see her again.
"Come in, Rache," he said, holding the door for her.
"Looks like some of this Southern gentleman crap is rubbing off on your California butt," she said.
Suddenly Ronnie thought of that morning. Wasn't that exactly what he'd said to Julie that morning? "Oh crap," he thought. "Julie."
"Uh, so, how long're you gonna be in town?" he asked.
"Until the government says we leave," she replied. "Isn't that awesome, Ronnie? We were transferred here!"
"Yeah!" he said, as she happily hugged him. He hoped he couldn't hear the lack of excitement in his voice.
Rachel's dad was in the military, like Colonel Bass. "Wow, Ronnie," he thought to himself, "what a pretty little mess you've gotten yourself into." He looked at Rachel. "Yep. A REAL pretty mess."
Rachel was so glad to see Ronnie. He just didn't know how happy she was to see him. And his hair looked a thousand times better.
Ronnie was so upset. He'd dated Rachel for almost a year. And he'd just met Julie. But he was taking Julie to Homecoming. And he couldn't just break it off because his girlfriend from California was there. But he didn't want to hurt Rachel, either. So what was he going to do?
Julie Bertier arrived at school the next day to see Ronnie talking to a gorgeous girl. Tall and beautiful, and she was acting WAY too friendly with Ronnie. Julie angrily walked toward them. Ronnie smiled when he saw her. "Hey, Julie, this is my friend Rachel Shannon from California. Rachel, this is my new friend Julie Bertier. She's Gerry's cousin."
Both Rachel and Julie gave Ronnie dirty looks. Neither of them had missed the word, "friend."
Julie shook Rachel's hand, and didn't miss the challenge in Rachel's green eyes. She returned the look, then smiled at Ronnie, who was looking terribly uncomfortable. She cut her eyes at Rachel in a sort of dare, then took Ronnie's right arm. Rachel smiled wickedly, and took his left arm.
"Rachel's gonna be in our first hour Spanish class, Jules," Ronnie said, trying in vain to hide his nervousness.
"Wow, isn't that lovely?" she said, a threat running deep in her voice.
Rachel stood on her toes and whispered in Ronnie's ear, "We date over a year and you introduce me as your friend?"
Julie stretched to whisper in his other ear. "Friends, huh? I'm not sure friends go to Homecoming together."
Ronnie looked at her, shock registering on his face.
She added, "I'll go with you this time, ya fruitcake."
Yep! She'd called him a fruitcake. Gah! Had he ever screwed up!
When they got to class, Ronnie sat at his desk, Julie behind him, and Rachel in front.
He wanted to talk to Petey. But, then again, when had Petey's advice on girls ever been any good? He was Petey, for heaven's sake. He'd never had the same girlfriend for more than 2 or 3 weeks. His advice would be, "Get a girl. Any girl, and get over it." Yeah, as much as they were friends and stuff, Ronnie had to admit that Petey was a player.
Ronnie didn't know what to do.
The next morning at school, Rachel avoided Ronnie all day. She was obviously peed off, and Ronnie couldn't tread softly enough around her.
At the end of the day, Ronnie heard the rumor. Ray Budds had asked Rachel Shannon to Homecoming and she had accepted. Ronnie couldn't believe it. Anybody would have loved to go with Rachel, but she had picked Ray!
Ronnie hunted Rachel in the halls,eventually finding her in the Senior hall at Ray's locker. He wanted to vomit when he saw Rachel hanging on Ray's arm giggling like a ditzy Junior High girl. Which Ronnie knew she wasn't.
(Little note from me, I have nothing against Jr. Hi girls, it's just a similie...Or is it a metaphor?)
"Uh, Rache, can I talk to you a minute?" he asked.
She gave Ronnie a "Kiss my butt" look, but said, "Sure, Ronnie..." in a sugar-sweet tone.
Ray looked at Rachel, and she said," It's OK, Babe. I won't let him pull any moves on me."
"He's a fruitcake, ain't he?" Ray replied. "I'm not worried about it." But he still gave Ronnie a warning look.
Ronnie bit back the urge to light into Ray. Where did that jerk come off calling him a fruitcake? But it was neither the time nor the place for a fight. So he led Rachel to a secluded corner. She said, "OK, Ronnie. What do you want?"
"You can't go out with Ray Budds," he said, worry in his voice.
"I can go out with whoever I darn well please!" she retorted, anger flashing like lightning in those infuriatingly beautiful green eyes. "But since you're already tossing orders around, would you mind telling me why?"
"Because Ray's a racist jerk, maybe?" Ronnie began, "Or because no girl's ever been out with him without getting hurt? Or because he'll just sweet talk you until he gets what he wants, then leave you holding the bag?"
"Shut up, Ronnie. You're just jealous. Because you asked Julie to Homecoming. And now Ray's got what you wish you still had!" She hated herself for accepting Ray's offer, and it hadn't taken her long to find out what a jerk Ray really was. But she couldn't let Ronnie know. She held back tears and said, "Leave me alone, Ronnie. You're not my dad!"
"But I..."
"Go AWAY!" she yelled, running back to Ray.
"What's wrong, Baby," Ray asked, putting his arms around her, and sliding her fingers into his belt loops.
"Oh nothin'. Nothing at all. That Bass is just a real jerk," she whispered to him.
"Yeah. Sometimes I think things would have been better if he'd left his hippie behind in California."
"Hey, now. The hippie thing's not so bad." She rested her eyes on Ray's. She couldn't help thinking that he was handsome. Those blue eyes of his were just... well, she didn't know, but they were really nice eyes. If it weren't for the hateful look he always wore.
She wished Ray would look at her the way Ronnie used to. Ronnie's eyes had always been full of love. But in Ray's, she saw nothing but lust. And there was plenty of that.
"Some love, huh?" she thought. "After we dated that long he asks her to Homecoming."
Ray was getting a little bold, and Rachel said, "Ah, Ray, I better go. My dad might worry."
"OK, he said, pulling her even closer. "You need a ride?"
"Uh..." she said, trying to remain cool and collected. "Uh, no, I'll walk."
Ray said, "It's a long walk. And it's pretty chilly."
"True," she replied.
"Well, where's your coat?"
She shrugged, "I left it at home."
"What? How'd you get here with no freakin' coat?"
"I had a ride."
"With who?"
"Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter any more."
"Whatever," he replied. "So are you gonna walk home with no coat, or ride? With me?"
"Uh, OK. I'll ride with you," she said, immediately regretting her decision. But she wasn't gonna go and ask Ronnie for a ride home. Never in a million years.
So she rode home in Ray's Firebird. And prayed that the jerk wouldn't touch her again
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