Sorry it's been so long. Life got busy…again. Here's a little something
Tuesday morning was like any other school morning. Angela rushed out the door for the school bus leaving her mother standing in disapproval over yet another uneaten breakfast.

Angela found Ricki and Rayanne waiting for her at her locker.

"Hey Angela! What's the news?" asked Rayanne leaning on the next locker over.

"Yeah," added Ricki, "You said you'd have something to tell us, right?"

"Oh yeah, well maybe not," sighed Angela fiddling with her combination lock.

Ricki stepped back as Angela opened her locker door. He looked disappointed and asked what was going on. Angela rolled her eyes and looked at Rayanne. Their eyes locked for a moment. "What?" asked Rayanne.

"Nothing. Look I said it was nothing." Now she was sounding like Brian.

"A bit touchy this morning? It was your thing. I mean, whatever. Ricki and I were just curious."

"Okay, it like about that stupid rumor that was going around about Krakow and how he was, you know," Angela said taking her morning books from her locker and closing it again.

Rayanne and Ricki's eyes brightened. "Oh yeah? So what about it? Did you like confront the jerk for starting it?" Rayanne wanted to know. Ricki rolled his eyes at Rayanne for thinking such a thing.

"Not exactly. I mean, yeah I talked to him. But it like wasn't what I thought. It was like a total misunderstanding. It was actually about you, Rayanne."

Rayanne's mouth opened wide and she laughed with enough pitch to grab the attention of near-by students. Ricki blinked twice and asked in shock, "What are you talking about?"

"You see Brian said it was, like this thing that happened and you must have told someone. Someone like, I don't know, Sharon Cherski. And it like got overheard. And he thinks that's where it came from. The rumor I mean."

Ricki blinked twice more and was still dumbfounded, while a wave of comprehension washed over Rayanne's features. "I have a reputation, Angela. It so wasn't me," blurted Rayanne forcefully.

Angela looked at Ricki, who began to stare at Rayanne. "That was a bit harsh," admitted Ricki. "I mean, it's Brian. You could do worse."

"Wait a second. You never had Brian in your house?" asked Angela.

"Huh? Why would I have Brian Krakow in my house? Are you like mental?" said Rayanne as she starting walking toward Homeroom.

Angela and Ricki exchanged looks of confusion. Angela explained to Ricki the story she'd heard from Brian while they slowly walked to class.

Katimsky's afternoon English class was given a silent reading period followed with questions to be answered and handed-in by the end of period. The class was divided into pairs. Angela avoided Brian, feeling awkward about her talk with Rayanne that morning, and paired with Sharon.

After about ten minutes of quietly reading poetry Angela leaned over and nudged Sharon.

"That was quite the show you put on yesterday," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Sharon.

"You beating on Brian by the buses."

"Oh, that. That was personal," recalled Sharon. Krakow made a remark about Kyle that pissed me off and so I had to kill him. Or at least give it my best shot."

"That's strange because when I asked Brian about it he said you were mad because you thought he told people at school that you like spread the rumor about him."

"Excuse me?" Sharon protested a little too loudly and was shushed by Katimsky. She mouthed a 'sorry'. "Look Angela, I totally have nothing to do with that rumor. Hey Brian," she whispered loud enough to reach two desks over.

"What?" Brian turned to meet Sharon's glare and he sheepishly tried to turn back to his poem.

"Hey, Krakow. I know you heard me."

"Okay. What?" asked Brian as quietly as possible.

"Why did you lie to Angela and say I was yelling at you for that stupid rumor you so obviously made up yourself?" Sharon spat.

"I didn't," Brian whined. And then Sharon shot daggers from her eyes and Brian cringed. "Okay, yeah, maybe I did. I just didn't want you to hear about me repeating what I said about Kyle and coming after me again. I mean, I have like dark bruises all up my arms Cherski."

"Oh, well," she reflected, "the still doesn't make it okay, Krakow. A lie's a lie."

"I am so confused right now," sighed Angela. "I talked to Rayanne, Brian and she said it never happened."

"What? Like, Rayanne Graffe?" squealed Sharon.

Mr. Katimsky clicked his tongue at the girls and put a finger to his lips. This time Sharon didn't care.

"Brian and Rayanne Graffe?" she persisted.

"I knew she would deny it. That's why I didn't want you asking her," said Brain.

"No seriously? Brian and Rayanne?" Sharon asked again.

"Yes," whispered Angela. "So, like drop it before we get kicked out of class."

"So you like had sex?" asked Sharon.

Angela rolled her eyes and tried to ignore her friend.

"Yeah, sort of," admitted Brian.

"What? You said you didn't have actual sex," Angela interjected.

"Oh please, it's Rayanne Graffe. They totally had sex," said Sharon matter-of-factly.

"No, Angela's right. There was like no actual sex," Brian said.

"Sure right, whatever. Just don't say anything more about Kyle."

Brian sighed. "Whatever."

The trio returned to their work and didn't speak for the remainder of the period.

As Angela and Brian left English she asked him what he'd said about Kyle to make Sharon so angry. Brian whispered in her ear and made her swear never to repeat it. Angela laughed loudly and took off for geometry review.

Sometimes, every once in a while people who you've like known forever will like actually surprise you. I mean take Brian for example. He's lived across the street for as long as I can remember, but in the past two days he's surprised me as many times. I mean, boys like Brian behave themselves and stay on the straight and narrow or whatever. Don't they?

Brian had two secrets and I know them both. Should that like mean something?

First, he's come totally close to having sex. Closer than I ever have, supposedly. And second, he swears he's seen Kyle like 'watching' Ricki Vasquez with like, interest. He says he thinks Liberty's star athlete is a closet case and that's why Sharon Cherski flipped. I guess I would flip too if I was told in passing that someone thought that Jordan like was gay. Yeah right.

After the last bell, Angela hung around her locker to see if either Rayanne or Ricki would show. When no one came she found Jordan and made her way home slightly disappointed she wouldn't get to drill Rayanne more about her affair with Brain. She resolved to call her later.

TBC Reviews please...