Letting it go

A/N: I still own nothing...

Late May 1995

It had been a few months since Jordan and Angela had gotten back together. She and Rayanne still weren't talking and everyone, including Jordan was tired of watching them dance around each other. They were walking down the hall toward Katimski's holding hands as Rayanne was walking toward them.

Seeing them, Rayanne turned to go the other way. Jordan pulled her to a stop. "Angela, how long are you two gonna like avoid each other? Can't you just let it go?"

"Jordan, you don't get it." Sighing dramatically, she rolls her eyes. "She broke an unwritten law or something. I can't get over that."

"Well, you forgave me, didn't you? It happened, like months ago. You know you miss her." Tugging her close, he kisses her. "Just talk to her, babe. This is driving me crazy, already." He pulls her in the classroom just as the bell rings.

Angela sits at her desk and Jordan sits behind her. She takes out her notebook and pencil and Mr. Katimski starts going over the stuff for the final. She's only half listening.

Angela VO: O-kay. What was that? Did Jordan really just tell me to forgive Rayanne? What universe is this? Am I even awake? I mean, how am I supposed to forgive her? She KNEW how I felt about Jordan. How do I just let it go?

Not wanting to dwell on Rayanne anymore, she starts thinking about Jordan. She can't believe how much he's changed in just the few months they'd been back together.

They spend all their free time together. The trips to the boiler room are less frequent because Jordan is trying to do better in school. Since he and Brian had fallen out, she had started tutoring him. His grades have come up and he was actually going to be a Senior next year. She's so proud of him. And when she told him that she didn't like for him to smoke, he quit. He said he just smoked because it was something to do, anyway.

He picked her up every morning for school and on the days he didn't have to work, he took her home. He hadn't once pressured her about having sex with him. It wasn't because they didn't make out, because they did that all the time, too.

Before long the bell rings and Angela realizes she hasn't taken one single note. Her paper is covered in hearts and she's written Jordan's name over and over again. He steps up beside her desk and looks down at her paper.

Chuckling, he asks, "Can I see your notes? I wanna make sure I got everything." He laughs as she blushes and slams her notebook shut.

"Oh, stop it. I guess we'll both have to use yours." He waits for her to pack everything into her bag and takes her hand as they walk out together.

"So, we've got practice this afternoon. You gonna be there? Tino has been hanging around again, so I'm sure Graff will be there, too. You could like talk to her or whatever." They stop in front of her locker and he opens it so she can put her books inside. He turns to lean against the locker beside hers while he waits.

"Are you serious, Jordan? What's with this all of a sudden?" She tucks her hair behind her ear and leans into him. "I just want to forget it ever happened."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he says, "Well, until you guys like talk about it and quit avoiding each other, you won't forget about it. You said you understood, right? So, do this for me. Me, and Ricky and Cherski, and Tino..."

"Ok, ok. I get it! I'll talk to her. Geez, shut up about it." She kisses him and pulls away. "I gotta go to geometry."

Pulling her back to him, he whispers in her ear, "Love you, Red." Then louder, "Try to take some notes, ok."

Blushing, "Oh, whatever! I love you, too." She's smiling as she walks away.

Later that night, Jordan, Shane and Tommy are practicing at the loft. They're getting ready to play at Vertigo for open mic night again on Saturday. They're starting to get really good. Jordan has been singing since their first night at Vertigo, when Rayanne had ran out. They're calling themselves Residue now.

Angela is sitting on the floor up against the wall pretending to study for her Geometry final, sneaking glances at Jordan. She's got her book open in her lap, but she hasn't turned a single page.

Angela VO: He is so hot. Just look at him, so absorbed in his music. This is what he's supposed to be doing. He's a natural. One day, he's going to be famous. One day, I will be able to say "Jordan Catalano, the Jordan Catalano, was my boyfriend in high school."

The guys finish the song they were working on and Jordan comes over to sit with her on the floor. He kisses her on the cheek. "Hey, babe, you're supposed to be studying that geometry, not me." He takes the book from her lap and closes it before pulling her around in front of him with her back to his chest and he puts his arms around her. "We're almost done. We're just gonna play a few more songs and then we can get out of here."

Pushing her hair aside, he kisses her on the neck. "I'm glad you're here. I sing better when you're here listening to me or whatever. I'm singing to you, you know."

"Aw, Jordan, that's so sweet." She turns in his arms and they start kissing. They pull apart when they hear Shane making gagging noises.

"Catalano, let's finish this and then you two lovebirds can get out of here. We don't wanna see that mushy shit, man!" Shane sits back down in front of his drums.

Jordan gets up from the floor and heads back to finish practice. As they start the next song, Tino and Rayanne walk in. Jordan, having seen them come in, motions to Angela to go talk to her. She gets up and goes over to Rayanne.

"Hey, Rayanne. Can we talk, like alone?" She shifts from one foot to the other. "Please, Rayanne?"

Rayanne hesistates, then starts walking toward the door. "Come outside. We'll talk out there."

They walk outside. Angela walks over and sits on the trunk of Jordan's car. Rayanne stands in front of her. "Rayanne, I've been talking to Jordan and he thinks I should put all this behind us. What I mean to say is, I think I've forgiven you. Well, I have forgiven you, both you and Jordan. It's taken me a while, but I think I can forget about what happened."

"Oh, so Jordan told you to forgive me, so you forgive me? Are you like, only doing this because Catalano told you to?" Pacing back and forth, Rayanne starts to get aggitated. "So you can't forgive me on your own, but he tells you to and bam, 'I forgive you, Rayanne'. I don't believe this! Angelica, you haven't spoken to me in months. I told you how I screwed up. I told you how I felt, but you wouldn't even talk to me. Now lover boy tells you to and you jump on it!"

"Rayanne, it's not like that. I miss you. Jordan can see how much this is bothering me. He just encouraged me to face it all." Jumping down from the car, Angela stops Rayanne from pacing. "What you did really hurt me, Raynie. You were my best friend. You knew how much he meant to me. I just couldn't understand how you could do that to me."

"Angelica, I wasn't the only one there. He was there, too. Your precious boyfriend was a part of it. I didn't do it all by myself." Now crying, Rayanne looks Angela in the eye. "How could you forgive him and not me? All this time, you've been with him, but you haven't given me a second thought!"

"That's not true, Rayanne. I've thought about this a lot. I've been really upset about it all. I didn't just forget about what he did, either. It took us a while to work through it. The difference is, he and I weren't together. He came to me and apologized. He really was sorry. You never even tried to apologize."

"Ohhh, I know how he apologized. He apologized to you using Krakow's love letter!" Pacing again, Rayanne continues, "He didn't have the balls to do it himself!"

"You're wrong. He did give me Brian's letter, but he told me that he didn't write it." Leaning back against the car, Angela puts her hand out to stop her. "Rayanne, let's just try to be friends again, ok? I think everyone else is getting sick of this thing between us. I'm trying here. Meet me halfway?"

"So like, we just hug and go back to the way we were? Just like that?" Rayanne wipes her face on her sleeve.

"Well, yeah. But Rayanne, don't ever do anything like that to me again. I swear, if you do, I will never ever speak to you for as long as I live." Angela and Rayanne hug. "I missed you, Rayanne. I don't like fighting with you."

"Ah, God, Angelica. I've been miserable! I missed you so much!" They walk back toward the loft together holding hands.

Jordan pulls up in front of Angela's house and turns the engine off. He opens the door and pulls her out behind him. Taking her hand, he walks her with her toward the house. When they get to the steps, he stops her. She's standing on the top step, eye level with him.

Reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear, he smiles at her. "Feel better now?"

Rolling her eyes, Angela pokes him in the ribs. "Yeah, I feel better. I'm glad you pushed me to do it. I really did miss her."

"I know, that's why I wanted you to get it over with." He leans in for a kiss and she wraps her arms around his neck. "I'd much rather see that beautiful smile instead of the scrunched up look you got every time we ran into Graff. I just want you to be happy."

"I know. I am happy. I've got the best boyfriend in the whole world, why wouldn't I be happy?" With her lips almost touching his, she whispers, "I love you, Jordan Catalano."

After they kiss for what seems like hours standing on her parents porch, Jordan pulls away. "You better go in. I think Danielle has been peeking out the window at us." He hugs her tight before letting her go.

She turns to walk to the door as he walks back toward his car. She has her hand on the door knob when he calls out to her. "Hey, Red." She turns to look at him. "I love you, too." He's smiling as he gets in the car and drives away.