Disclaimer: No, I don't own RFR. Bite me!

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Day 7

Scribbling and doodling my notebook, I heard a door open. I looked up. It was Ray. He was smiling right at me, and was wearing a tux and had flower and this really sappy music started to play in the background...

Oh screw the damn fantasy. It was just Waller and if he was wearing a tux, I would be out of here.

"Hello class." Class? He's the principal, and where's the regular teacher? I looked around; everyone else was as clueless. "I am going to be teaching you today."

Everyone groaned. Crap, I thought, Why Waller?

"Oh shut it." he snapped. "Already five teachers are on strike because the stupid budget won't get them a raise and if one more teacher quits I swear I'm going to go nuts." That would be entertaining, I thought, smirking at the thought.

At that same moment, the door slammed open and a woman threw papers. "I QUIT WALLER!" Then she stormed down the hall.

We sat there, silent. "So, when are you going to go nuts?" someone said.

He gave a glare and then ran out of the classroom, calling in a sweet town, "Ms. Jenson! No! Come back here! Wait! Oh, no, not your shoe! Ouch! Good Lord, that hurts!" Then there was a door opening; you could hear teachers saying, "GIVE TEACHERS RAISES!" and then the door shut.

Then we turned our heads and raised our eyebrows. Some of the jocks jumped up and laughed and started doing football. But then the door opened again; we heard some more noise and then some walking. Everyone shut up and went back into their seats. Then Waller entered the room.

"Okay kids. School is closed until I get my teachers back." Then he went off, down the hall, to tell everyone.

I grinned. A little vacation was fun. I got up, and everyone cheered and exited the room. I went to my locker to get my books to leave. "Lily!" I heard Audrey and Robbie rush up to me. "You heard?"

I nodded. "Who hasn't?"

"I could use some days off," Robbie said happily.

I laughed, agreeing with him. "Yeah. I'm really tired. Why don't we go do something? It'll probably take a week for Waller to get them back. Or hire new ones."

Audrey gave me a little devious look. "Well...why don't we go see Ray?"

At first I thought she was kidding, so I rolled my eyes and then said, "Sure. Why not?" I mean, of course she was joking. He lived a trillion, gazillion miles away in Texas. I mean, he's probably forgotten about me already.

But she looked serious. Robbie looked serious too. I raised my eyebrows. "Are you...?" I started, mouth open. "Serious? No joke? You're not kidding? We should go visit Ray?" I wasn't really using the English language like my Grammar teacher would like me to.

Throwing back her head, she collapsed into laughter. "Lily, Lily, Lily," she put her arm around Robbie and looked at me. "Do we kid? Do we look like we're just joking?" she questioned.

"Um." I stated, "Yeah."

"Well. We're not." Robbie said.

"But..."

"No buts! No ifs! No maybes! No musts! No rules! No alibis! We. Are. Going. To. See. Ray." Audrey said, in her Audrey-way, telling me the words like I was some idiot. I just stared at her. She was insane.

Snorting, I made a brilliant comeback. "Sorry."

Her face fell. Robbie looked shocked. "Why the hell not?!"

Little surprised at her profanity, I simply said, "My mom won't allow it."

"Lie! Tell her it's...a trip! A educational road trip to get away from it all and to see your very good childhood friend Ray."

I smacked her. "It's not going to work."

Audrey rubbed her arm where I punched her. Then Robbie got real close and whispered, "I bet Ray misses that punch. I bet you miss doing it."

Whoa.

Did he just say that?

I mean, yeah...it's a simple punch to some people. But Robbie understands that Ray and I old "dumb comment, punch, laugh" routine was classic. It loosened us up. And when he said that, when I punched Audrey, I missed it. The carefree days.

Like...I would say, "Ray, that's so dumb."

"But Waller in a Speedo would burn your eyes right?" he would say, or something dumb like that.

I would roll my eyes, then get my punching arm out and then give him a playful one. I glared at him, he would say, "OUCH!" And Travis and Robbie would be amused.

I bit my lip. Why did Robbie have to remind me of how much I miss him?

But I did. I couldn't hide it. I wanted to see him. I finally sighed, and then gave up. "Fine my psycho little friends. I will be your little puppet in this 'educational' road trip to see Ray." It was pointless to keep fighting...and anyway, it was a nice idea. Just me, Robbie, Audrey, James...and maybe Travis on the road, having fun in cities...sound kind of relaxing.

"YES!" Robbie and Audrey slapped each other five. "How awesome IS this?!" Robbie squealed.

I laughed. "Did you just squeal?"

"Maybe...maybe not."

Everyone erupted in laugh at the not-so-funny joke that just got the tense talking out of everything. I felt happy. Thinking about the good memories of Ray makes me feel like he was there, next to me. Even though he wasn't.

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Haha, you guys like it? It was actually pretty funny. I needed to write something funny. I feel sorta depressed.

Allie