Angela was running around trying to make sure she looked perfect to watch Jordan perform. As the girlfriend of the lead singer, she felt certain pressures to be extra amazing to fend off screaming groupie girls. Ricki was over chasing after her trying to tell her how fabulous she looked.

Angela wore a red top and a layered black skirt. She had a long, glittery scarf wrapped around her neck and lipstick to match her hair. Ricki helped her with the rest of her make-up; at the moment he was doing her eyeliner.

"I wish Rayanne was going. I mean, I'm glad you're coming with me, but she would have fun, you know," said Angela.

Ricki understood. "Yeah, I know. From what she told me, when I talked to her earlier, it's like she's under house arrest until she sees a doctor on Monday," he offered. "I still can't believe it. And Brian!" He shook his head and dropped it on Angela's shoulder. "Why me?" he whimpered dramatically.

"Ricki," Angela giggled. "This isn't funny. And it isn't you," she pointed out. Ricki made a face.

"It might as well be. I mean we'll be, like, the ones changing diapers and keeping her from going insane when it won't stop crying!" he joked with some seriousness.

Angela blinked at him and her grin turned to a frown. "Well, that's if she keeps it," she said without humor.

Ricki started at the red-haired girl in her vanity mirror. "What would you do?" he wanted to know.

"God, Ricki, I don't know what I'd do," she confessed. "I don't want to think about it." She really didn't.

"You girls are so blessed and cursed. I won't ever have these dilemmas," he paused. "I am so jealous," he admitted giving Angela and affectionate hug from behind. She smiled warmly at her friend's situation.

"Trust me, Ricki, it's almost more trouble than it's worth."

"Sure, you say that now. But someday when you know you're with the right guy and everything's perfect you'll be thrilled to be a woman who can have kids," he replied.

Angela squeezed Ricki's arms and gave his hand a kiss.

'Residue', Jordan's band was up second. The feel of the night was very punk and Angela felt over dressed – Or under dressed depending how you looked at the situation. The music was the best she'd heard them play. She hadn't been making it to rehearsals since she'd been studying so much lately.

When they were finished their allotted time the band cleared off the stage and Jordan found his way over to Angela and Ricki.

"Hey," Jordan greeted them.

"Hi, hey," said Ricki stepping aside. The club was crowded and it was hard to find personal space.

"You were amazing! I was so excited for you!" Angela said over the noise.

"Thanks," Jordan smiled. He wrapped his arms around her and they kissed making Ricki feel out of place even more so.

"Where's Tino?" asked Angela when they broke off. "I thought he was going to push into your singing time? I mean, I'm glad he didn't show. That last song was amazing." She tried to hide her blushing face behind her scarf, she needed to stop saying how amazing he was.

"Me and some of the guys told him not to bother until we talked about it some more," Jordan told her. "It was like you said, it wasn't fair for him to just invite himself back."

Angela puffed with pride. "Good for you!" she blurted.

Brian pushed into their conversation as he usually did, without invitation. "Wow, that really was awesome," he said.

Angela rolled her eyes at his attempt to be cool. It was like Brian was incapable of even understanding what cool was. He was wearing a pair of clean, pressed jeans, a t-shirt and his sports jacket.

"Thanks," Jordan responded. "I couldn't have done it without your help. I couldn't have written half those songs without all that extra tutoring. So thanks, man," Jordan said patting Brian's shoulder and Brian felt a flush of embarrassed gratitude. Then Jordan turned back to Angela. "Thanks to you too," he added giving her another kiss.

Jordan looked around to see Ricki standing off to the side alone. "Hey, I thought Graffe was coming too?" he observed.

Angela thought quickly. "Oh well, she couldn't. She had something else to do with her mom and some new boyfriend of hers. Amber was really pushy about it." She looked to Ricki who shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess I know how that can be, parents I mean," Jordan said with a distracted look.

"Yeah," repeated Angela. Jordan leaned back into Angela and gave a series as small kisses.

Ricki tapped Brian on the shoulder to stop his staring. Brian blinked and followed Ricki away into the crowd.

"Why are you here by the way?" asked Ricki.

"Can't a guy just get out and enjoy some music?" Ricki laughed at Brian's excuse.

"Whatever."

"Why isn't Rayanne here again?" asked Brain with slight confusion.

Ricki paused and tried to remember the fib Angela had told. "Like Angela said, it was a family thing, or something."

"Oh…" Brian breathed disappointedly.

Angela and Jordan stood on the dance floor in their own world. Jordan was whispering something in her ear about later that night and how it would be once he got her alone in Big Red, his car. Suddenly, she felt uncomfortable. She needed to squirm her way out of yet another sexual situation with Jordan until she could figure out her feelings about Rayanne's situation.

The next band wasn't to Jordan's liking, so they found the two boys and decided to leave. With some coxing Jordan agreed to give Ricki and Brian a lift.

Bythe end of the night Angela felt so frustrated with herself. Why couldn't she just tell Jordan the truth about why she had to deny him? She hated herself, but knew that Rayanne would hate her more for blabbing her secret to Jordan. Though she knew everyone would hear about it eventually when it was all over.

Jordan's face fell from anger to a saddened pout when he stopped his car in front of the Chase house. Angela sighed softly. She desperately wanted to make things right. Brian sat oblivious lost in his own thoughts in the back seat.

"Brian?" Angela asked trying to get the boy's attention. "Um, Brian could we have a second?"

Brian finally looked up and nodded absently. When he didn't move from his seat Angela added, "Like, alone?"

"Oh, right," he smiled sheepishly as Jordan rolled his eyes. Once Brian slammed the door shut Angela turned to Jordan and searched for the right words. Before she could say anything he spoke first.

"Angela, I get it," Jordan sighed. "I know you don't want to be pressured or whatever. But I swear if you want to say no to me you really don't have to get a friend to ride with us. Honest."

"What? Oh, I just thought Brian needed a ride." As soon as the words left her mouth she knew it sounded like a lie. "I mean I know what you're saying. And thanks." She wanted to smile, but felt like crying.

Jordan leaned into her and gave her a deep kiss that made her melt. She ran her fingers through his soft hair and breathed in his cologne. All the words she couldn't find earlier didn't matter anymore. Sometimes all they needed was to hold each other. What frightened Angela was that someday just holding each other wouldn't be enough anymore and Jordan would try to dump her again.

He was first to pull away. His eyes looked past her red hair and out the window. Angela followed and found Brian sitting on her front stoop. It seemed he was waiting for her. Angela made a grumbling noise and collected her things. They said goodbye and kissed a few more times, this time short and fast. She reluctantly climbed out of the car and finger waved as Jordan drove away.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked as she approached Brian. Brian shrugged as she sat down next to him.

"I just thought she'd be there, you know," he said.

"Who, Rayanne?" Angela wanted to know.

"Yeah, who else?" he said with a touch of bitterness. "Sorry I know it's not your fault. I just thought that maybe if she were there we could like return to normality, or whatever."

"I wasn't aware that there was normality with you two," Angela grinned.

"I was just a little rough with her the other day, that's all," Brain said adjusting the laces of the running shoes.

"You think?" she said sarcastically. "Jeez Brian, I mean, what was that all about?"

"She makes me crazy I guess," he admitted not just to her, but also to himself for the first time.

"Yeah, she has that effect on people. You should see what she does to my mother sometimes," she joked.

Brian almost smiled. "I just think sometimes that maybe if I hadn't screwed things up with Delia my life would be easier." You don't know the half of it, thought Angela.

"Well, I think you're better off without her, in my humble opinion. I mean, there's nothing wrong with her it's just that she's the sort of girl that will expect to like marry you once you graduate or something."

At this he smiled. "I guess that sounds about right." He shook his head and stared at Angela. "And then there's you."

Angela took a moment for the meaning to sink in. "What are you talking about?" She didn't want him to talk about the letter.

"Sometimes I think I should have just, you know, like kissed you that night or something," he said , his face turning red.

"Brian!" she didn't know what else to say.

"It's just I like think about. What if I had…" He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze.

"Don't worry about it. I don't think it would have changed things." She meant to comfort him, but instead he looked hurt.

"He really likes you doesn't he?" he asked knowing the answer.

"Yes, he does." She really believed he did.

"Good, I'm glad," he mumbled unconvincingly.

"I thought we were talking about Rayanne?" She wanted to change the subject and get Brian to go home.

Brian inched closer to Angela. She thought this would be a good time to yawn and leave, saying how tired she was, but she didn't. She stared at her friend not knowing what would come next.

"How do you know it wouldn't have made any difference?" he really wanted to know for sure.

"I thought you'd be over it by now, seriously."

"Angela?"

"What?" she asked nervously.

His reply was a soft kiss gently pressed to her lips. Angela's eyes widened and she pushed him away.

"Brian! You can't just do that!" she said furiously. "I mean you just can't!" She stood and backed up to her door.

Brian scrambled to his feet. "Sorry, I don't why I did that."

"You must know why! God, and what about Rayanne?" Angela's mind was spinning. What was he doing? She thought he was hung up on Rayanne. And what would Jordan do if he just happened to drive by and see them? "A person must have reasons for kissing another person."

"I just don't get it. Why does she hate me?" he asked abstractly.

"Maybe because you go around kissing other girls?" she offered. Or maybe because you got her pregnant and she can't deal with you right now.

"What?"

"She doesn't hate you. Rayanne, I mean. She just can't handle much right now. She's still seeing that guidance councilor and she trying to stay sober." She came up with a brilliant idea. "Maybe that's it. She didn't want to go tonight because she knew there'd be alcohol and drugs and stuff. It's not always about you, Krakow."

He shook his head and didn't know if he should accept Angela's answer. "It thought maybe you'd know something. Stupid me thinking you cared about my life. Obviously you don't," he said with disappointment in his voice.

Brian made his way slowly down her driveway. Angela stood silently watching him touching her lips. She didn't like her friend being so down on himself, but that's all he'd ever be to her; a friend. She wasn't the one to make him happy. She wasn't quite convinced Rayanne was that someone either.

As she watched him cross the street to his own house, Angela wondered when it was the life got so complicated.

TBC….

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