A/N- Don't forget to vote for an extra chapter (or not)! :)
This chapter has the Raura I warned you about (SPOILER ALERT!) But it's also a real turning point for Ross. Took him long enough. Haha:)
Chapter 14- If That's What It Is
Ross was sitting at the Dairy Queen and Rydel walked in.
"So. Hi," she said.
"So. Hi," he repeated.
"So.. Thank you for getting Riker to come back to me," she said. This wasn't getting any more awkward, no.
"You're welcome," he said tentatively.
"Okay," she mumbled.
"Okay." She slowly walked over to him.
"Thank you hug!" she exclaimed, hugging him.
"Oh, wow, hug, sure," he said. Just then, Riker, Raini, and everyone else ran in.
"Unreal!" Riker yelled.
"Riker!" Rydel said. Riker pushed her away from Ross.
"Back away from her, man!" he yelled.
"We weren't doing anything!" she reasoned.
"Riker, it's not what you think," Ross said.
"Is that my girlfriend?" Riker said, pushing Ross.
"Yes," Ross admitted.
"Were you touching her?" Another push.
"Yes." Another admit.
"It's what I think."
"C'mon, Riker, why would I try something with Rydel after I was the one who got you two back together?" Ross tried.
"You're not gonna talk your way outta this one," Riker said, refusing to acknowledge the question. "Why don't you go back to your loser friends? They're the only ones going to your lame little birthday party anyway." Laura and Ratliff ran in the shop.
"Wait," Ross said. "You weren't ever going to come, were you?"
"Duh!" Riker said. "Like I'd be stuck with those freaks!"
"As if," Calum said. Everyone, minus Ross, Laura, and Ratliff, laughed.
"You'd be lucky to be stuck with 'those freaks'. You don't deserve to hang out with my friends," Ross said, standing tall.
"Oh yeah! The geek and the cripple! Lucky me!" Riker said sarcastically, pointing at Laura and then Ratliff.
"You're such a jerk," Ross muttered.
"Did you just call me a jerk?" Riker asked.
"I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out!" Ross yelled. "You know what? I don't want you to be my friend, I don't want you to come to my party, and I don't want you to ever talk to me again!" He paused, walked closer to Riker, and said with finality, "You suck, Riker." Such a challenge can't go unmet, though. Enraged, Riker punched Ross in the face. Ross crumpled to the ground, and Laura ran to his side.
"Ross!" she shouted, concerned.
"Who sucks now?" Riker yelled. He turned to Rydel. "Have fun with your new friends, skank."
"Riker!" she yelled.
"C'mon, Raini," he said.
"I'm right behind you!" She followed him to the door, but stopped.
"I didn't do anything!" Rydel shouted after Riker.
"You gotta watch out in this town. People start the nastiest rumours," Raini said smugly, leaving the shop along with the others.
"Rydel..." Ratliff started.
"What?" she asked.
"For what it's worth, I think you can do a lot better than Riker," he said.
"You're sweet, Rotlaugh," she said.
"Ratliff," he corrected.
"Ratliff. And thank you," she walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. Then, looking at the three she was with, she panicked. "No! Riker! Wait!" she yelled, running after him.
"Wow," he said, watching her go. "She really is a moron." Meanwhile, Laura was helping Ross sit up.
"I know you're in intense pain right now, but someone needed to say that to Riker a long time ago," she said.
"Glad I could help," he said. "Ow."
"You just totally sealed your fate here," Ratliff said.
"I know," Ross admitted.
"Like, forever," Laura finished.
"I know."
"Grab a crutch," Ratliff said.
"You're stuck with us now," Laura laughed.
"You guys told me six weeks ago what jerks these guys were! I just didn't listen! I should've trusted you," Ross said, walking over to the table. Laura sat beside him.
"You know what? It just passed," she said.
"What did?" he asked.
"Me hating you," she reminded him.
"Thanks," he smiled.
"You okay, R?" Ratliff asked.
"Since the day I got here, I've been driving me and everyone else around me crazy to get something I didn't even want! Forget it. I'm calling my bar mitzvah off," Ross decided.
"Why?" Laura asked sincerely.
"What's the point? It won't be what I planned, it'll just be 'Losers R Us'! No offense. What's the point of that? What's the point of anything?" he asked, throwing his head in his hands.
"Okay..." Ratliff said.
Ratliff:
"If that's what it is,
Then that's what it is
You're probably right to just forget it,
Lets face it you've worked so hard and now you're scarred
And free of any hope,
I guess you should mope,
Forget what you've planned,
Hey, I understand,
If that's what it is,
Then that's what it is
Though that's not the way I choose to see it,
I have my own view that works with all these jerks and unenlightened fools
I make my own rules, I do what I can,
If I hit the wall, well, maybe its all just part of the plan
Tomorrow will come, today will be gone,
And so I put one foot in front of the other,
One foot in front of the other,
And just keep walking on
Laura:
If that's what it is
Ratliff:
If that's what it is
Laura:
What also is true
Ratliff:
What also is true
Laura & Ratliff:
Is it may not always be disaster,
Laura:
I realize that now it is but how it is
Isn't how its got be,
Another day comes, another day goes,
And if I get teased or hurt or lied to or punched in the nose
I say I wont cry,
I cry until dawn,
And then I put one foot in front of the other,
Laura & Ratliff:
One foot in front of the other,
Laura:
And just keep walking on
Ross:
I'm becoming a man,
Maybe all that it means is
I face the world for what it is
And not what I wish it would be,
I'm becoming a man,
Watching everything fall into place,
I swing, I miss,
I'll get through this,
I almost guarantee,
One day I'll be thirty,
One day I'll be fine,
One day I'll make fun of this 'dramatic' life of mine,
One day I'll be older
And then I'll write a book
About the choices that I made,"
Laura got up and joined Ross.
Laura:
"The choices that you made,
Ross:
And the chances that I took,
Laura:
The chances that you-"
Ross leaned in towards Laura and kissed her. When he pulled back, they both stepped away, not knowing what to think about it. Ratliff rolled his eyes.
Ratliff:
"If that's what it is,
Then that's what it is,
At least until Disney can re-write it(1),
We put our shoes and socks and take the knocks
And wish that it would change,
Laura:
And maybe it will,
Ross:
And maybe it can,
Ratliff:
Until then you trust that all this is just becoming a man
Laura:
You take your best shot,
All:
Cause look what you've got
Laura:
Go on and put one foot in front of the other,
Ross:
One foot in front of the other,
Ratliff:
One foot in front of the other,
Ross:
One foot in front of the other,
Ratliff:
The crip, the geek, the jew and his mother,
Laura:
And just keep walking on."
The three left the Dairy Queen.
A/N- Hope you liked it! Remember to vote!