Chapter 6

Groovy Smoothie

September 2011

The girls took seats around one of the triangle tables while Freddie headed for the counter to place their orders. As soon as Freddie was out of earshot, Sam asked, "So what were you two really doing?"

Carly shook her head. "Nothing, Freddie just kissed me on the cheek."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "What? That's it?"

"He gave me the flower beforehand," she added with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Wow, Briggs does know how to overreact."

"Yes she does, but I was at least expecting a mister and Mrs. Benson joke from you," the brunette replied in a deflated tone.

Sam shook her head. "No, I'm not going to joke about that right now. I'm happy for you… for the both of you." The blonde suddenly grinned and continued, "But that doesn't mean I can't tease you later about it."

That comment brought a smirk from the brunette. "Fine," she replied then gave a soft laugh.

Freddie came back to the table with a tray of three smoothies. He handed one off to Carly and another one to Sam then sat down beside Carly. The couple's free hands seemed to instinctively search out for one another until their fingers met and intertwined allowing their hands to rest peacefully on the table.

T-Bo walked up to the trio holding a stick with tacos in one hand and grinned. He specifically looked to the brunette pair. "So is it true? You two kids finally together?"

Carly looked to Freddie for a moment before looking back to T-Bo. "Yes, we're together."

T-Bo chuckle and waved off with his free hand. "Finally took you two long enough. I thought you two would get together after your dance."

Carly looked embarrassed for a moment before replying, "Sometimes it takes you a while to see what's right in front of you." She then looked to Freddie who gave her a small smile.

"Glad to hear you've finally come to your sense. If you two ever need another late night slow dance, let me know. I'll be glad to stay open later for you… with a small nominal fee of course," he finished with a grin.

"Thanks Teebs," Carly answered with a smile.

After T-Bo started making his rounds on selling his tacos on a stick, Carly noticed some other students from Ridgeway were entering and taking seats for the usual afternoon rush.

A redhead girl, named Marsha if Freddie remembered her name correctly when she approached him soon after the premiere of Fredward Cullen, approached their table with several of her friends. She glanced briefly at Freddie and Carly's entangled fingers.

"Hey Freddie," she greeted with a smile.

Carly's fingers instantly tightened around Freddie's fingers from the look the redhead was giving Freddie.

"Hi," he responded casually.

One of her friends, some blonde whose name escaped Freddie for the moment commented, "So did you two really get caught making out by Miss Briggs?" Marsha had the decency enough to look embarrassed by the question from her friend.

"No they weren't," Sam answered with particular venom in her voice. "That skunk bag doesn't know what she's talking about. She probably just didn't get her weekly makeout session with Mister Howard and just started imagining stuff."

"That's right," Freddie added, "Principal Franklin apologized to us and do me a favor."

Marsha seemed a little too eager to Carly's ears as she asked, "What's that?"

"Make sure you tell that part if what happened today gets brought in conversation," Freddie answered sternly.

"Oh… okay," Marsha sounded disappointed to Carly and made her feel better for some reason. That's just your claws wanting to come out kitty, a thought ran through the brunette's head.

"We'll see you later," Marsha bid farewell and headed for another table.

Sam leaned down to whisper in a conspiratorial manner, "Hey, if you two really want to make out at school, let mama now so I can cover for you."

"Sam," Carly nearly shouted with her surprise at the Sam's statement.

"Hey, I told you I'd tease you later," Sam replied with a laugh.

The laughter was contagious as the brunette pair joined in the blonde's laughter. Carly caught her breathe a few seconds later and said, "Thanks Sam." She then looked to Freddie, "Thanks Freddie."

"No problem, Carls," he replied with a grin.

After a few minutes of enjoying their smoothies, Carly stated as she got up from her seat, "Excuse me, but I need to head for the ladies room."

Once Carly had disappeared into the ladies restroom, Sam asked, "So Freddie, why the invite?"

Freddie met her eyes with a neutral stare and the blonde wondered if he was debating whether to tell her the truth or not. "Maybe I didn't want to leave you out. This isn't a date between me and Carly, I'm just trying to cheer her up and I thought you could help with that; looks like you did."

"Thanks," she replied with a nod.

"Yeah, well…" Freddie trailed off as he took a greater interest in his smoothie.

May 1980

Steven was sitting on a stool in the garage trying to tighten a bolt on the engine of his motorcycle after changing his T-shirt for a white undershirt. He suddenly heard a revving of a powerful engine and looked up from his bike to see a black Dodge Charger pull up into the driveway. A couple exited from each side of the vehicle: one a thin blonde curly haired teenage boy with circular glasses and a thin raven haired teenage girl with dark brown eyes and a figure that made all the boys turn their heads when she walked past them.

Ruby grinned as she approached the long haired boy. "Wow, isn't it mister white knight himself checking up on his valiant steed."

Steven shook his head. "Aren't you being exceptionally cute today?" he replied with a smirk then turned back to tightening the bolt on the engine.

Glenn walked up beside the raven hair girl and chuckled as he approached, "She's just being her usual self."

"If you say so," Steven replied as he switched to another bolt to tighten.

Ruby walked behind Steven and sat on the back seat of the bike and crossed her leather covered legs so she could rest her elbow on her knee and support her head with a hand. The girl asked with a grin, "So, are you going to tell us about your fight?

Steven looked up for the moment at the girl and replied casually, "It was just a fight and he lost."

Glenn started to laugh and spoke, "Hey that wasn't just one of our Saturday afternoon scuffles with the guys; you beat his ass into the ground and he's still in the hospital."

Steven turned his head and glared at his friend.

He raised his hands up in surrender. "Not that you have to explain why—"

Ruby held up a hand, "I'd like to know why. Don't tell me it was really for the odd little artist."

"He just pissed me off," Steven replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Because he messed with Dorkman?"

Steven glared at her as he got up and wiped his hands clean from an old rag stuffed in his back pocket. "Don't call her that," as he turned and walked for another tool on the workbench against the garage wall.

Ruby chuckled, "Well didn't you become the knight in shining armor?"

Steven turned around and leaned back against the table. "I just don't see the point in making fun of someone who hasn't done anything to us. We just want to live our lives without people bothering us or causing us trouble. She's not bothering us, so why should we have a problem with her? Besides, Evan is just a dickless coward and I just wanted to put him in his place."

"Right," Ruby answered in a tone that indicated she didn't believe him. "We're the outcasts by choice, she's not."

Steven chuckled, "Are you sure about that? Have you ever met her? Ever talk to her?"

Ruby narrowed her eyes on the brunette. "Where were you this afternoon?"

Steven gave her a knowing grin, "I was busy."

"Busy doing what?" Ruby grinned mischievous.

Steven returned the grin, "Stuff."

"Now you want to be cryptic?"

Steven shook his head. "Glenn's on your leash, not me. I don't have to tell you anything."

Ruby lifted her leg up and got off of the motorcycle to approach the taller teenager. She rested her right forearm on his shoulder then rested her chin on her arm so she could look directly at him. She narrowed her eyes on the dark headed young man and the left corner of her mouth twitched up. In a soft whisper in an almost purring tone said, "I wouldn't be that bad of a master. I know you'd enjoy it."

Steven met her seductive stare for a few moments before replying, "That was great delivery."

Ruby grinned. "You really think so?"

"Absolutely; if I didn't know you, I would have bought that," Steven said in a calm and reassuring voice.

"I think you've teased him enough," Glenn spoke up with a humorous grin on his face.

She looked up to her boyfriend. "Oh, I haven't even begun to tease him." She then turned back to Steven. "I think you were with her this afternoon and she just might have snared your attention Steven Shay."

Steven reached up and gently lifted her arm up and chin away from his shoulder. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Of course you don't… are you going to busy doing 'stuff' tomorrow?"

Steven grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe."