So, the gang is now trying to survive senior year. please please PLEASE review. thankss! reviews motivate updates haha
Chapter 6, Calm Before the Storm
It was Friday night and the gang was going to a cool teens club opening in West Hollywood. Ashley, nicole, and Brenda were all doing each other's hair and make-up in Brenda's room. Kelly showed up with Donna at around 7:30, and as soon as they arrived, Brandon entered Brenda's room with Steve and Dylan. Everbody was gaping at Donna, who was wearing a very puffy, revealing, black nylon dress.
"Donna...If you're wearing that...Does that mean batgirl's roaming around naked?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow at Donna's choice of outfit, and everyone laughed.
"Hey Steve, leave her alone, the designer of that dress is really good," Ashley said seriously, "Hefty, right Donna?" Everybody laughed a second time, but Donna didn't mind.
"I just thought I'd experiment a bit," Donna shrugged.
"You're very bold when it comes to fashion," Brenda said.
"Why thank you," Donna replied. The guys went in Brandon's car and the girls went into Kelly's. They got to the club and started dancing and having fun.
Dylan and Ashley went out on the dance floor and started dancing to a slow song. Her arms were around his neck, his around her waist, just looking into each other's eyes. "I'm really glad things have been going so good for us lately," Ashley told him.
"So am I," Dylan replied, "I think this is the least drama we've ever been through."
"We do seem to have a gray cloud following us wherever we go, huh?"
"To put it simply," Dylan agreed, "I don't know where I would be without you, Ashley. You really are the thing that keeps me going."
"So then I'd better stick around for your own good," Ashley smiled.
"Yeah, you'd better. I mean...I probably wouldn't be sober right now if it weren't for you."
"Dylan, I have a confession to make," Ashley said quietly.
"What?" Dylan asked curiously.
"We've known each other for about five years now, right? Well, in the very beginning of eighth grade, before you transfered in, I sort of...I sort of had this problem," Ashley said quietly, ashamed of this.
"What problem?" Dylan asked.
"The same...The same problem you have, Dylan. It started over the summer with a drink here and there with Steve when our parents weren't around. He's the only person on the planet who knew about it. I didn't want anybody else to know about how dependant on alcohol I had become. One day I got into a fight with my mother, locked myself in my room, and drank three fourths of a bottle of vodka. Steve called, wanting to hang out, and he could tell by how I sounded on the phone that I was wasted. He came over and threatened to tell somebody. He was really worried about me, and was about to go downstairs and inform my mom.
"I begged him not to, and he said only if I promised to get some help. So I went to some AA meetings without anybody knowing. Steve took me for moral support, and then when I saw how you were like when you were off the wagon...I wondered if that's how I seemed to everybody, and I was determined to not let it happen again. I swore to Steve, and he's been kind of protective ever since. At that party I had back in the beginning of the school year, when somebody spiked my drink...He was afraid I'd fallen off the wagon or something. Even though he knows I can control it now."
"I never would have expected it," Dylan said after a moment or so, "I'm glad you told me."
"I didn't want you to think I was a hypocrite or something whenever I would get mad or upset with you for drinking. I've experienced what it can do to people first hand, and I hated seeing that happen to somebody I cared about."
"Have you fallen off the wagon since the AA meetings?"
Ashley shook her head, "Been clean ever since."
"Good for you," Dylan said, leaning in and kissing her softly.
Nicole sat in the room she now shared with Ashley. She and Ashley hadn't been roomates since they lived in New York. Nicole was only right or nine when they left, and didn't remember much, but she was restoring a friendship with her sister, who she was so used to looking as a maternal figure. But now that they had Mrs. Walsh, Ashley had gone back to being Nicole's friend and sister, which was something Nicole had really missed over the year, but it really took some getting used to.
She thought about what had happened a couple of weeks ago with Steve. They hadn't kissed or talked about it since, and she figured she owed Steve an explination for her odd behavior. Nicole hopped into her car and drove over to Steve's place. She rang the bell, and he invited her inside. He had a really nice place. They went in the back by the pool. "I think I owe you an explination," Nicole finally stated.
"I was beginning to think you had forgotten," Steve admitted.
"Nah, that's not the kind of kiss you forget," Nicole told him.
"Why, I'm flattered," Steve replied, making Nicole smile. She took a deep breath and looked at him carefully before deciding to open her mouth again.
"I...I sort of had a crush on you...Ever since the day Ashley brought you home from school to hang out. I never said anything to anyone, especially her, because I thought you two might end up together, and I didn't want to ruin it for her. But now that her and Dylan are so...involved, and you had said you were noticing more, I went for it. I feel pretty stupid about it," she said, not looking up at him.
Steve smiled, and lifted her chin, so she was looking right into his eyes. "Don't," he said, kissing her. They pulled apart, and Nicole bit her lip, and smiled.
"Wow," Nicole said, "Won't be forgetting that, either. But I still say we don't tell anyone."
"Why not?" Steve asked confusedly.
"I told you. As much as I love them, friends have a way of tearing apart relationships," Nicole replied.
"Yeah. I guess you're right. I'll keep my mouth shut," Steve replied. Nicole smiled, and they went back to kissing.
Friday night had finally come, and this was possibly the most excited for a date Kelly Taylor had ever been. She had spent almost two hours getting ready, and Brandon showed up right on time. They went to a movie, and then went to the Peach Pit afterward. It was a lot more relaxing to be on a date at a place like the Peach Pit then a place with a name Kelly couldn't even pronounce. She liked the casualness of the date, and how easy it was to talk to Brandon. It was a really nice change of pace.
Kelly and Brandon sat together, having a really great time, talking and laughing. It was actually a really easy transition from close friends to dating couple. Much easier than either of them had suspected. They talked about really light things like school, Halloween, and shared stories from when they were younger.
And then, Kelly decided to make a confession to Brandon. "Can I tell you something?" she asked softly.
"Sure, you can tell me anything," Brandon replied.
"My mother is dating David's father. I didn't want to tell anybody, because I was really embarassed. I tried everything to keep them apart, and I'm so ashamed of it. I was purposely trying to make my mother unhappy," Kelly said, and Brandon could tell how bad she felt about trying to sabatoge the relationship.
"Why did you want them apart so badly?" Brandon asked curiously.
"I'm a horrible person," Kelly mumbled.
"How so?"
"I wanted them apart because...because if they hit it off, David could be my step-brother. And I think I was ashamed to have David in the family. But David's a really great guy, you know? I shouldn't be ashamed of him...He should be ashamed of me," Kelly replied.
"At least you realize that it's silly to be ashamed of David. Besides, who says it'll even turn into anything serious between them?"
"You're right. I'm probably getting all worked up over nothing," Kelly replied, "You're really great, Brandon. I love that you don't judge me, or think I'm a terrible person when I'm honest with you."
"I'm glad you feel like you can be honest with me. I'll never judge ya, Kel. We're only human, we all make mistakes," Brandon told her.
"I'm glad you asked me out," Kelly replied, "I'm having a great time."
"Yeah, so am I," Brandon replied.
They soon finished their dinner, and Brandon drove Kelly home. He walked her to the door, and kissed her good night. Kelly was really falling for Brandon, and so was he.
Donna and Brenda decided to go shopping one day, after deciding that all of their other girlfriends were too busy with either Dylan or Brandon. They had thought of asking Nicole to join them, but apparently she had some new secret-boyfriend. Donna and Brenda were interested, and had discussed that for a while. While they were shopping, two guys stood on the street, taking pictures of the views. They appeared fairly young and not bad looking.
"Those guys are really cute," Donna whispered to Brenda.
"Wanna go talk to them?" Brenda asked.
"I dunno...Should we?"
"Sure," Brenda said, "Let's go."
Donna took a deep breath and walked over to the guy, with Brenda at her heels. She smiled brightly at them and said, "Wow, those are really nice cameras."
"Thanks. I've had it for years. I've always loved taking pictures. I'm Evan Kearney, and this is Barry Sherman," he said, extending his hand.
"I'm Donna Martin, and this is Brenda Walsh. You go to school around here?" Donna asked.
"Yeah, We're freshmen at CU. What about you?" Barry asked.
"We're seniors at West Beverly. So, is it just photography, or are you interested in other kinds of art?" Brenda asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
"We like all art," Evan replied, "We're actually going to an art gallery tonight in West Hollywood, if you two would like to come along."
"Yeah, that sounds great," Brenda replied.
"How's seven?" Barry asked.
"Great," Donna replied happily, and Brenda gave them her address. The girls walked away and into the nearest shop.
"We just got dates for tonight," Brenda said happily.
Donna came over to Brenda's house later than night, and they decided to get ready for their date together. They were both really excited, being neither one of them had been on a date in what felt like a lifetime. The guys picked them up right on time, and they hopped into the car. They talked on the way there about school and simple things, and then got out at the art gallery.
"My cousin Tristan did that one over there," Evan said, pointing to an abstract peice over in the corner.
"It's beautiful," Donna said, looking at it.
"Yeah, it's one of his best works," Evan replied. Barry came over with Brenda and then kissed Evan right on the lips.
"Aren't these amazing?" Barry asked.
"Yeah, they are," Evan replied, taking Barry's hand in his.
Donna and Brenda shot glances at one another, and realized that their first date in months, wasn't even a date. They wanted to leave, but they couldn't or Evan and Barry might have gotten suspicious. Instead they just stayed there for the rest of the night, utterly humiliated.
Ashley and Dylan decided to go to the park. It was a beautiful day, and seeing all of the children reminded them of when they were younger. The two of them fed some ducks and then Ashley ran over to the swings. She sat on one and said, "Don't just stand there. Push me," she told Dylan with a big smile. Dylan smiled back and shook his head.
"Like a big kid," Dylan said, getting behind the swing and pushing her.
"I love coming to the park. Whenever something's bothering me, it's a good place to come to feel innocent again," Ashley told him.
"Definitely brings the child out in you," Dylan replied with a grin.
"Do you have a problem with my inner child?" Ashley asked, grinning back.
"Nope, it's endearing," Dylan replied.
"Good. Now, to be fair, let me push you," Ashley said. Dylan started laughing, but did what she said.
She pushed him on the swing for a while, and they kept talking and reminiscing about when they were younger and the days they had spent at the park. It was sort of their hang out before they had found the Peach Pit. Dylan got off of the swing, and picked Ashley up. He spun around a bit, and then took the both of them into the sprinkler, where they got themselves soaked. Ashley was laughing the whole time, holding onto him, and kissing him. It was a really great day.
When Ashley got home, she stepped inside to find Steve and Nicole, on the couch, making out. "Oh my god."
Nicole shot up at the speed of lighting. "Oh god, Ash. I thought you'd be with Dylan all night."
"Jeez, we don't do that every day, Nicole. Are you two...?" Nicole smiled up at Steve, and nodded.
"Yeah."
"Wow. How long have you two been together?" she asked.
"October 12th," they replied in unison.
"That was three and a half weeks ago! You two have been together for three and a half weeks?" Ashley asked in awe.
"Yeah," Nicole replied.
"Why didn't you tell anybody?" Ashley questioned.
"We didn't want this to be ruined, the way you guys all ruin each other's relationships," Nicole replied.
"We so do not ruin each other's relationships," Ashley argued, and then thought about it for a minute, "Okay, maybe we do."
"We just wanted to avoid all of that," Steve said.
"But you couldn't honestly think you'd be able to keep this a secret forever?" Ashley pointed out.
"Of course not forever," Nicole replied, "Just until we were ready to have everybody snooping in our personal life."
"Well, I'll keep this a secret for as long as you need. I won't even tell Dylan, I swear," Ashley told them.
"Thanks, Ash," Steve said, putting an arm around Nicole.
"Wow, this is going to take some getting used to," Ashley said, looking at her little sister, and the boy who used to follow her home from school when she had first moved to Beverly Hills.
The next morning, everybody met up for a nice breakfast at the Peach Pit. They decided they had some catching up to do, and Donna and Brenda were in the middle of their story about their double date, "...So then Brenda's date kisses mine," Donna concluded, and they all started laughing.
"You really had no idea they were gay?" Brandon asked.
"Not a clue. Then again, they were both really good looking, so that should have been a dead give away," Brenda replied.
"Hey!" David, Dylan, Brandon, and Steve cried out.
"Yeah, keep dreaming," Donna joked.
Soon October was gone, and was replaced by November. This was the first time in a long time that everybody was happy. Kelly had Brandon, Ashley had Dylan, Nicole had Steve...okay well, maybe not everybody was happy. Ashley, Nicole, and Brandon were all out on dates one night, and Brenda was left home all alone. Even her parents had gone out for some dinner. The doorbell rang, and Brenda went to answer it, glad for some company.
"Oh, hi Michael. Nicole and Ashley are out, but they'll-"
"Actually, I'm here because of your parents. They wanted me to stop by and have a look at that TV," Michael replied.
"Oh, right. I forgot. Come on in," Brenda said, stepping aside, "Would you like something to drink?"
"Water would be fine, thanks," Michael said, going into the living room and turning on the TV. "So, where is everyone tonight?"
"They're all out on dates," Brenda sighed.
"No boyfriend?" Michael asked.
"My last date was with a gay guy," Brenda replied, and Michael burst out in laughter.
"Guess it's slim pickings out there," Michael said, fiddling with some wires.
"Guess so," Brenda responded, handing him his water.
"Thanks," Michael said, taking a sip, "Uh - Do you maybe want to go out with me tomorrow night?"
Brenda's eyes widended in surprise, "Sure."
"Great. I'll pick you up at around eight?"
"Sounds good," Brenda replied with a smile. Michael then banged on the TV, and bam, it was fixed.
Ashley sat in her room, reading a book, alone. Nicole had gone out with Steve, and Ashley was covering for her. Brenda was preparing for a date with Ashley's brother. There was a knock on the door. "Come in."
Brandon stepped in, and took a seat. "Is it just me, or is today a really boring day?"
"Today's a really boring day," Ashley responded.
"How come you're not out with Dylan?" Brandon asked.
Ashley just shrugged, "We're not with each other every day. He went to visit his father today. Where's Kelly?"
"I think she went shopping with Donna," Brandon replied.
"So, your birthday's coming up," Ashley said, putting aside her book.
"Yup. Something tells me I won't be getting the exact same gift I got from you last year," Brandon joked.
Ashley laughed a little and said, "That would be a safe assumption."
"It was a great night though," Brandon continued.
"Yeah, it was. I still can't believe I beat you at every sport, and won the pie eating contest. Are you even a man, Walsh?" Ashley joked.
"Oh, you know for a fact I'm a man," Brandon joked back.
"Really? I don't recall," Ashley shrugged.
"Oh please. Don't even act like we didn't do it seventeen times," Brandon said.
"Ew, you kept count?" Ashley said in shock, "Do...Do all guys keep count?"
"All the ones I know," Brandon replied.
"Hm, never pegged you as the type to keep count," Ashley said with a grin.
"Oh, I'm just full of surprises," Brandon replied. Then, he began to look at her funny, and she felt extremely self-concious.
"Brandon? What are you looking at?"
He leaned in, and kissed her. Ashley was too shocked to move at first, but then regained her self control and pushed him away. How could he even think about doing that to Kelly? "Brandon!"
"Oh god...I'm so sorry," Brandon said sheepishly.
"What was that for?"
"You were my first love, Ash. I...I guess talking about when we were together made me wish we still were. I'm really sorry though. Can we just keep this between us?"
"Yeah, like I'm ever going to tell Dylan about this. He'd make me move into his place or something, and my mom would just love that."
"I'm really sorry," Brandon said again.
"It's okay, Brandon," Ashley replied, and then, to lighten the mood, she said, "Really, who can blame you?" and he laughed.
Nicole and Steve were in his car, making out, when Nicole pulled away. She bit her lip, and looked down at the floor. Steve knew something was wrong, but couldn't tell what. "What's the matter?"
"What are we, Steve?" Nicole finally asked.
"What do you mean?" Steve asked confusedly.
"Friends with benefit? Relationship? What?"
Steve looked down at his hands, knowing this was coming. Steve wasn't exactly the model boyfriend. He did a lot of stupid things, and should have probably said friends with benefit, so that Nicole wouldn't have to be subjected to his idiocy. "Relationship."
"Then how come we spend all of our time in the back seat of cars or in bedrooms?" Nicole asked.
"Because if we go out in public, our friends might see us," Steve pointed out.
Nicole thought about that for a second and sighed, "This secret thing is really harder than I thought."
"Well, we could go to a movie, if you want. It's dark in there, and nobody would be able to see us. Or we could get dinner at a restaurant that out friends wouldn't be caught dead at," Steve said, and Nicole smiled.
"I think we should tell our friends," Nicole told him.
"It's up to you," Steve told her, "It's whatever you want to do."
"I want them to know," Nicole said after a moment of thinking it over.
"Then we'll tell them," Steve said, putting his arm around her.
David decided to go over to the Walsh house, but Ashley would probably just be with Dylan again. He rang the doorbell, and Ashley answered it. "Hey, David. Come on in." David followed her inside, and into the kitchen, where she was making some popcorn. "What's up?" Ashley asked him. It looked like a part of her was a little confused about something.
"Nothing...Are you okay?"
"Yeah, why?" Ashley asked, taking the popcorn off of the stove.
"You seem like you're somewhere else," David shrugged.
"Oh," Ashley said, taking the popcorn, and motioning for David to follow her. They went upstairs and into Ashley's room. She shut the door and put the popcorn on the dresser, "I guess I'm just worried about this being our last year. I mean, there's a lot of pressure this year."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," David replied. Ashley felt really bad about lying to David, but she couldn't just rat Brandon out like that. She promised she wouldn't say anything.
Ashley opened up the bag of popcorn, and smiled, "Okay, sit on the bed and open your mouth."
"What?" David cried, and Ashley burst out into laughter.
"Not like that," she said with a giggle, "But good to see how dirty David Silver's mind really is. Just do what I said." David sat on Nicole's bed, across from Ashley's, and opened his mouth, feeling a little stupid. Ashley stuck her hand inside the bag of popcorn, and took one out. She aimed, and threw it across, aiming for David's mouth, and it went right in.
"Nice aim," David said, chewing the popcorn and swollowing.
Ashley smiled, "Basketball team. Fourth and fifth grade."
"I love hanging out with you," David said, after Ashley threw another one, and it landed on his eye. Ashley burst out laughing as he threw his head back, making the popcorn go up into the air, and then caught it with his mouth.
"So do I. We should do this more often," Ashley stated.
"Launge popcorn into my mouth?" David asked.
Ashley smiled and shook her head, "Just spending time together."