Ricky and Adrian were sitting across each other, at the ice cream parlor, eating their ice creams.
"This thing with Ben and Amy fighting their feels for each other, feels so much like high school." Adrian said, taking a bite of her ice cream.
"Yeah, except we were the ones fighting our feelings for each other in high school and Ben and Amy were suppose to be the sane ones." Ricky said laughing a little.
"So have you been able to figure out how you feel about Amy?" Adrian asked, looking at Ricky between bites.
"Yeah." Ricky said.
"And?" Adrian asked.
"I'm not in love with her. I finally feel like I have some closure and I can move on, for real." Ricky said.
"That's great Ricky." Adrian said smiling.
"What about you, how's getting Ben back going?" Ricky asked, taking a bite of his ice cream.
"What do are you talking about?" Adrian asked, pretending to be confused.
"Oh come on Adrian, you've clearly been trying to create problems between Ben and Amy." Ricky said.
"How did you know?" Adrian asked, smiling a little.
"I know you well enough to know, when you're scheming Adrian." Ricky said.
Adrian just smiled embarrassedly, she'd forgotten how well Ricky knew her.
"So how is it going for you? With Ben?" Ricky asked.
"Not so good. I realized tonight that Ben and I aren't meant to be together." Adrian said.
"How did you realize that?" Ricky asked curiously.
"When Ben and I were married, we were marred just for the sake of Mercy but even then he used to look at me and somehow I'd feel loved and understood all at the same time. But tonight, when we were dancing, that look was completely gone, like it never existed..
"Oh." Ricky said, not knowing what else to say.
"I hope he and Amy end up together." Adrian said.
"Really?" Ricky asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I mean I'll take some time to get over him, but he's someone who really deserves to be happy. He's been through so much. When Mercy died, he just spent all his time trying to get me to be better and cleaning up after me that I don't think he ever got to the place where he was okay enough to be happy again, genuinely. At least I got some happiness with Omar but things just became worse for Ben." Adrian said.
"I'm sorry Adrian." Ricky said.
"For what?" Adrian asked.
"For not being there, I just didn't know what to say or how to say it. I really wanted to make it better for you but I just didn't know how. I'd just started trying to be a better person then, I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry I hadn't become a good enough person to help you." Ricky said.
"It's okay Ricky. Even then, I knew that you were there for me, without you having to say it. I know you too remember?" Adrian said, smiling at Ricky.
Ricky just rubbed his neck embarrassedly. "You've really grown Adrian, I know I wasn't there when you were going through some tough times but I'd like to be around from now on, for the good and the bad." Ricky said.
"I'd like that." Adrian said smiling.
Ricky and Adrian felt like they hadn't spoken for years, like really spoken. They'd just gotten so caught up in their lives that they'd forgotten how alike they were. No one really understood Adrian the way Ricky did and no one had ever understood Ricky the way Adrian had. Sure, Ben and Amy had tried to understand them but they never really could. No matter what they did, even while being just friends, Ricky and Adrian always had that spark. None of them wanted to go home, none of them wanted this night to end.