Angela had thought about Rayanne's idea for the rest of the day. In between classes she searched for her to tell her no, but she couldn't find her anywhere. Did she leave and not tell her?

Ricky sat down next to Angela on the front steps of the school. He pulled out his sack lunch and looked at her. "Rayanne convinced you didn't she? What did she say?"

"Nothing. I'm going to say no when I see her," she shrugged. "Have you seen her?"

"Not since this morning. Did you try under the bleachers? She could be like talking to Tino or something," he said taking a bite of his sandwich.

She had already thought of it, but running into Jordan again today would just make things even harder than this morning. "I already tried," she lied. She took a sip of his coke and set it back down between them.

"Brian is staring at you again," Ricky chuckled.

"Shut up he isn't staring at me," Angela said looking at Brian. He quickly turned his head. "See?"

"Whatever," he grinned.

"Hey." A voice behind Angela and Ricky spoke, they turned to see Jordan towering over them.

Angela stood up, tipping over Ricky's coke onto the steps below. Ricky coughed, almost choking on his sandwich. "Oh hey," she said pulling her hair behind her ear.

"So um...what time can we come by to set up our instruments?" He asked as Ricky set his sandwich down. He didn't want to laugh again and die this time from a mixture of laughter and choking.

"Did um...did like Rayanne talk to you?" Angela asked biting her lip.

"Tino said we were playing at your house. Friday night right?"

She nodded, "Oh yeah Friday. Of course yeah. Um, I guess whenever you want to. No real time or anything."

"Okay," he said walking down the steps. He turned around, "Thanks. For like, helping get the band to play."

Angela smiled, "No problem. I know you wanted to play this weekend so I thought, why not play at my party? I mean live music is like...so much better than a record...or...something."

Jordan just nodded. Then turned and walked torward the bleachers.

"Oh god, what did I say?" Angela said sitting down next to Ricky.

"You really are hopeless," Ricky laughed.

"Where is Rayanne? I'm going to kill her!"

"You could have told Jordan the truth, now you are going to have to worry about drinks, food, cleaning up, oh and Danielle."

"This is horrible," Angela said laying her head on Ricky's shoulder.

"One thing I can say that's positive out of this," he said grabbing his sandwich, "Jordan now owes you."

Angela sighed, then grinned.

"So you're having a party?" Brian asked standing in front of them.

"Go away," Angela groaned. She took her head off Ricky's shoulder and grabbed her bookbag.

"What are your parents going to say?"

"They are going out of town," Ricky said butting in. Angela shot Ricky a look.

"So the second they leave you decide to disobey them? Typical," he said folding his arms.

"Why do you care?" Angela yelled.

"I don't, I...don't," he said clearing his throat. He looked at her for a second, then walked away.

"God he is such a freak," Angela said standing up.

"If I see Rayanne I'll let her know you're looking for her," Ricky said clearing his things off the steps.

"Thanks I'll see you later," she sighed.

The second she entered back into the school Sharon ran up to her.

"So how did you manage a party at your house? Your parents are so uptight," she said adjusting her bookbag.

"What? How do you know about it?" Angela cried.

"It's all over school. Angela Chase is having a party, everyone who is anyone is going to be there," she said mocking the girl who had told her. "Why what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just think my mom is like, going to disown me after this thing."

"You don't sound excited at all sweetie," Sharon said with a frown.

"Let's just say when I find Rayanne she will wish she was never born," Angela grinned.

"Yikes, good luck. Oh and if you need help setting up or anything let me know," she said walking away.

What the hell was going on? In between classes, how did she not hear all of this going on? She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. She didn't know if her parents were even leaving. Oh god, what if they didn't go? Sheer panic overcame her, she opened her eyes to see Rayanne at the end of the hall handing out flyers.

"Rayanne!" Angela yelled.

"Angela! I'll see you after school, I gotta go!" Rayanne yelled back.

"Rayanne wait!" Rayanne walked down the other hall as Angela groaned. Was she dreaming? Any minute she wished she would wake up and this day would just fade away.

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"Angela! Can you believe the hysteria?" Rayanne laughed letting herself into Angela's house.

"Rayanne do you know what you have done?" Angela said slamming the door behind her.

"I know exactly what I have done. I have created a raging party, got Jordan to play here for you, and changed your status at school from goody goody to questionable badgirl." She jumped onto the couch and crossed her legs, she had to admit she was pretty proud of herself.

"When I told you my parents were going away, I wasn't exactly 100 percent sure they were actually going yet," Angela yelled sitting on the couch next to her.

"Yes you did."

"No, I really didn't."

"You did, or you would have kept it to yourself until you knew for sure. Besides knowing your parents who fight and in the end always end up doing what they fought about anyway, it is like totally a sure thing."

Angela leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling. Why did she even bother trying to explain to her?

"Angela look, everything will turn out fine. Think about how incredible this is for a second will you? Jordan playing right here, people dancing over there. Some drinks set up over there, you being Jordan's groupie over here."

"Very funny," Angela grinned.

"Ricky and I will come over before it starts and help you move furniture. And afterwards Ricky can help you clean up while I finish my beer or some guy I find. She grinned at the thought, then paused, " The only thing we have to think about it how to lock up your sister without her tattling."

"Rayanne!" Angela laughed.

"Maybe we can like send her off to one of her little kid weirdo friends or something. Don't worry, in the end of this you'll thank me I know it."

"We'll see about that."

Graham walked through the door, Angela and Rayanne turned to see him shut the door.

"Rayanne nice to see you, hey sweetie," Graham said setting his coat down.

"So someone is going on a vacation?" Rayanne asked.

"Well it's not definite yet but I think so. We're still working on it."

"Cool. So do you think I can stay for dinner?"

Graham glanced at Angela then back at Rayanne, "Uh...yeah sure. I'm going to go rest upstairs."

As Graham went up the stairs, Angela nudged Rayanne.

"What? I'm hungry and it's better than at my house. I think we have some Chinese food from a few days ago. Do you really want me to eat it? It could give me some disease where my skin starts peeling and I end up with no face!" She laughed.

Angela shook her head in disbelief, "I worry about you Ray."

"Me too," she said still laughing.

--------------------------------------------------

Angela hugged Rayanne, then whispered, "I'll call you and tell you if they decided to go."

Rayanne shrugged, "Angela, they are going. Quit panicking, it can't be good for you." She walked down the steps and into her mom's beat up pinto.

Angela shut the door, grazing her fingers against the stained glass. Rayanne was right, stop panicking. She let out a long sigh and headed torwards the kitchen.

"Hey sweetie can you hand me that bowl?" Graham asked. He and Patty always cleaned dishes the second dinner was over, like the food would never come off if they didn't do it right away. Angela walked over and handed him the bowl, jumping onto the counter next to the sink.

"So mom, what are we doing this weekend? Cause Rayanne invited me to stay at her house so I like...need to know."

Patty whined, "Honey I don't know. Your father is trying to convince me to go on vacation or something. I'm just not sure."

"Why? Tell me why Patty," Graham said butting in.

"For one, I have a printing press to run. It doesn't stop for me," Patty said as Graham groaned loudly.

"So get your dad to do it for the weekend. He owned the damn thing, he'll know what he's doing."

"And what about the kids?"

"Hey!" Angela cried.

"We can't leave them alone, we just can't."

"I'm not a kid mom, I can handle a house for like, two seconds alone."

Graham looked at Patty and shrugged, "Honey she is old enough to..."

"Graham I can't believe this," she interrupted. "Angela, you have not proved to me that you can handle it. I'm sorry, but I don't trust you."

Angela paused with a look of disgust. Although her mom might be right not to trust her, she still couldn't believe it. "Fine. Whatever, I'm going to my room."

"Angela," her mom called after her. She followed her to the stairs and stopped her.

"Mom how can I prove I am capable if you don't let me try first? You can't treat me this way and expect me to be okay with it," Angela yelled.

"Hey mom I wouldn't mind if Angela took care of me," Danielle said tugging at Patty's sweater.

"Stay out of this," Angela and Patty yelled.

"How am I treating you? I know what kids your age do, I was a kid too once believe it or not and I'm not ready to come home and have the house wrecked."

"Are you saying that I would do something like that? I'm not a horrible kid, I don't even know enough people to have a party," Angela laughed.

"Rayanne does," Patty said bluntly.

Angela paused as Graham came into the room.

"Patty I think you're being irrational, Angela's a good kid," he said leaning on the bannister. "I would have never tried to get this cabin if I didn't think my girls could handle the house alone."

Angela felt a wave of guilt swoop over her like a strong wind. She pulled her hair behind her ear, biting her lip simultaneously. "Just forget it, I don't care anymore." She didn't want this party, not anymore.

"Fine!" Patty yelled. Everyone in the house stopped moving, Angela uncrossed her arms. "We'll go," she sighed.

Danielle jumped up and down as Graham walked over to Patty and kissed her forehead. Angela ran up the stairs, afraid she would confess everything if she stayed there among her family. She shut her door and leaped onto her bed.

The room was filled with darkness, she put her hand in front of her face and waved. She couldn't see a thing. She kind of liked it, it was like a comfort blanket.

It was going to happen, the party was official. How many people would show up? Are the embryo's even good? Where will all the furniture go? What was she going to tell Danielle? She rolled over on her bed, pulling her legs up to her chest.

Jordan was coming. He was going to come inside her house and like, play music all night. What instrument did he even play? She didn't even really care, but it was still a thought that ran through her mind. She tried to picture what she would say to him in her mind, but it always ended up sounding so ridiculous.

She closed her eyes, seeing Jordan in her head. Playing a guitar and singing into the mic she knew this party was a good idea. He looked at her while he was singing, staring into her soul. Angela smiled and decided Rayanne was right, she was thankful for this.