Here's chapter 75! I hope you like it! Please R&R! I do not own anything from The Secret Life Of The American Teenager! Thank you! I really appreciate everyone's reviews! :)
Italics=Grace
Bold=Ricky
Plain=Other characters
The next day in New York...
Ben was walking out of class and he bumped into Marc Molina.
"Mr. Molina? What are you doing here?" Ben said surprised.
"Hey Ben! I work here now. It's nice to see you again." Marc said smiling.
"Yeah...Wow...I never thought I would run into you here..." Ben said nicely.
"I wasn't expecting to work here either but I'm a professor now for some business classes...It's really great...How are you?" Marc said kindly.
"Congrats! And I've been doing really well...But...since you used to be my school counselor, could you help me out?" Ben said smiling and then concerned.
"Thank you...What do you need help with?" Marc said seriously.
"Well...Amy lost her grandma recently and...she's been using me...Physically to help her feel better...And she also told me yesterday that she's felt bad about her break up with Ricky cause he spoke at her grandma's funeral..." Ben said honestly.
"Oh wow...I am sorry to hear that...Well...I think you should just keep talking to her...Communication is key in relationships, Ben...You two could try sleeping in different rooms or something...You live with Amy, right?" Marc said sincerely and then intrigued.
"Thanks...And we do live together...But sleeping with her isn't a problem...Having sex is...It's really nice but...I want her to enjoy it and not to use it to help her mourn...It's just wrong..." Ben said concerned.
"I completely agree...And it sounds like you've grown up since the last time I saw you...Heh...Maybe you could go to her grandma's grave...People mourn in different ways...Maybe that will help Amy." Marc said honestly.
"I have grown up since you last saw me...Her grandma got buried in California...I just don't know what we should do...I'm sure we'll think of something...Thanks Mr. Molina...See ya around..." Ben said kindly and he walked away from Marc.
Meanwhile Amy walked out of class and she called Ricky. After a few rings Ricky answered.
"Hey Amy...Do you need something? I have class in twenty minutes..." Ricky said concerned.
"Oh...Sorry Ricky...I need some help..." Amy said sadly.
"You sound really serious...What do you need help with?" Ricky said intrigued.
"Uh...Do you remember your speech that you said at Mimsy's funeral?" Amy said nervously.
"Yeah...Why?" Ricky said confused.
"Well...I've been thinking about it a lot...And...I've been feeling hurt because of what you said..." Amy said honestly.
"Oh...Did I say something to upset you?" Ricky said worried.
"You said...that you know what it's like to lose someone...Were you talking about me?" Amy said concerned.
"Uh...Not just you...I was referring to other people that I've lost too...Did that bother you?" Ricky said seriously.
"A little...I told Ben that I've been sleeping with him because...of what you said at Mimsy's funeral..." Amy said sadly.
"So you're blaming me for your reasons for having sex with Ben?" Ricky said a little irritated.
"Of course not! I thought sleeping with him would help me cope with losing Mimsy and...you...But it's only made me feel worse..." Amy said honestly.
"Um...Maybe you should talk to Grace about this...I'm not really sure what to tell you...But...you haven't lost me...I'll always be here for you, Amy." Ricky said nervously and then nicely.
"Why should I talk to Grace about this? And thanks Ricky...I know I shouldn't use Ben to help me feel better about us..." Amy said concerned.
"Because Grace has used sex to help her feel better about losing her dad...I think she knows more about this stuff than me...And...regardless of how you feel about me you still love Ben, right?" Ricky said sincerely.
"Oh...You're right...I do still love Ben...A lot...And...I still love you too but...not like how I used to..." Amy said sadly.
"Yeah...I know...Good luck with Ben and I'll talk to you later..." Ricky said seriously and Amy hung up.
Meanwhile at Grant High...
Kathy walked out of class and she walked over to Ethan at his locker.
"Hey Ethan...Do...you want to talk?" Kathy said nervously.
"Sure Kathy...You want to get some ice cream or something?" Ethan said kindly.
"Uh...Yeah...Let's go..." Kathy said sweetly and they walked out of the school.
About fifteen minutes later they arrived at an ice cream place and they each got an ice cream cone.
"So...Are you going to forgive me?" Kathy said intrigued.
"Hmm...I don't know...I've been thinking about it...You did really hurt me..." Ethan said honestly after he licked some of his ice cream.
"I know...I promise that it will never happen again...I just felt so terrible after Chase cheated on me...and...I used Brian..." Kathy said seriously after she licked some of her ice cream.
"Wait what? I thought you slept with him shortly after we got back together?" Ethan said confused.
"After we got back together after Chase cheated on me...It doesn't matter...I learned my lesson..." Kathy said seriously.
"I sure hope so...But I don't know if I want to get back together with you right now..." Ethan said honestly.
"That's fine...If you want to be friends...I'll take it...It's better than nothing." Kathy said nicely.
"All right...Friends sounds pretty good to me..." Ethan said happily after licking more of his ice cream.
"Heh...You got some ice cream on your nose..." Kathy smiled and she gave Ethan a napkin.
"Oh...Ha ha...Thanks...Do you want to help me with some homework after this?" Ethan said as he smiled.
"Sure...I'm almost done with my cone..." Kathy said sweetly and she took a bite of her cone.
Meanwhile at Berkeley...
Lauren and Madison were walking out of class and they Dante sitting on a bench.
"Hey Dante!" Lauren said happily as she walked over to Dante and gave him a hug.
"What's up babe? Hey Madison!" Dante said kindly as he let go of Lauren.
"Hey...I've been thinking about who I should go out with...I just don't know who to pick..." Madison said seriously.
"Oh man...That is one of the worst feelings...I've been there...A few times...Heh...But then I met Lauren..." Dante said awkwardly and then happily.
"Heh...Nice save...Maybe you should meet someone else if you like Jesse and Jason the same..." Lauren said a little irritated and then concerned as she looked at Dante and then Madison.
"I don't want to do that...Ugh...I wish Amy was here...She would help me..." Madison said annoyed.
"Uh...Well...We need to get going...Good luck..." Dante said seriously and he grabbed Lauren's hand.
"You could call Amy...See you later Madison..." Lauren said nicely and she walked away from her with Dante.
"Hmm...She did say that I could test the waters..." Madison said quietly to herself and then she walked towards a parking lot.
"What do you want to do tonight?" Dante said smiling.
"Um...It doesn't matter to me...I love doing anything with you..." Lauren said sweetly.
"Heh...I know but...I think we should do something special..." Dante said happily.
"Like what?" Lauren said intrigued.
"How about a picnic on the beach?" Dante said kindly.
"Sounds good to me...I love you, Dante..." Lauren said nicely and she gave Dante a short kiss.
"Mmm...I love you too, Lauren...I gotta get to work so I'll pick you up around eight..." Dante said happily and he walked to his car.
Meanwhile in New York...
Adrian was cooking meat loaf for dinner when Omar walked in.
"Hey Omar...Did you have to work late?" Adrian said intrigued.
"Yeah...I had an important meeting...We're thinking about making a new company in LA actually..." Omar said nicely.
"Oh wow! That's really exciting! I just put meat loaf in the oven with green beans and potatoes." Adrian said happily.
"Sounds good...And...I really enjoyed swimming last night..." Omar smirked.
"Heh...Me too...I also have a surprise for you..." Adrian said kindly.
"What kind of surprise?" Omar said intrigued.
"A picture of the baby..." Adrian said smiling as she walked over to the kitchen table and then she handed Omar an ultra sound of the baby.
"Oh...This is amazing...I see the head..." Omar said as his eyes widened.
"Isn't it? The baby keeps growing every day..." Adrian said sweetly.
"They sure do...Have you thought about the birthing classes?" Omar said intrigued.
"Um...I have thought about them...And I asked the doctor and she said that it's probably best if I do them when I'm eight months pregnant..." Adrian said seriously.
"Sounds good to me! I'm going to change clothes..." Omar said nicely and he walked into his room and Adrian's phone rang.
"Hello?" Adrian said kindly as she answered her phone.
"Hey Adrian...How are you?" Jack said happily.
"Oh...Hey Jack...I'm fine...How are you?" Adrian said surprised.
"I'm doing really well...I have great news! I'm officially over Grace and Ricky and I are becoming friends! We went to the Lakers game last night and it was awesome!" Jack said excited.
"Wow! That is a huge accomplishment for you! Congrats! Heh...I heard the Lakers game was good from Omar...Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" Adrian said surprised and then concerned.
"Ricky's also getting baptized on Sunday...I'm really happy for him...And...he said that he could fix me up with someone...Do you know who it could be?" Jack said seriously.
"I know Ricky's getting baptized and I'm happy for him too...I have no idea who he could fix you up with...He hasn't told me..." Adrian said honestly.
"All right...I was just wondering...How's the baby?" Jack said kindly.
"They're doing really great...Oh...And I had dinner the other night with Shawna and her boyfriend with Omar, Amy, and Ben." Adrian said nicely.
"Really? Wow...I haven't seen her in years...That's cool she's in New York..." Jack said surprised and smiling.
"Yeah...She's with Max...The guy who used to be my step brother...You weren't with her for very long, were you?" Adrian said concerned.
"No I wasn't...She was too old for me...I really liked her but...I don't think we would have worked out..." Jack said sadly.
"I see...I'm not gonna lie, Jack...I feel kind of bad for you...You haven't had any luck with girls...Even though Grace is my best friend and I usually take her side, I know it hurt when she broke up with you..." Adrian said sincerely.
"Thanks Adrian but...you don't have to feel bad for me...God has helped me to move on from Grace...I guess I'll just have to wait for someone else...I know that's hard for you to understand since you've been with so many guys...Heh..." Jack said nicely.
"I'm happy to hear that...Ha ha...You're right but then Omar stole my heart...Heh...And I'm sure that you'll find a great girl...You deserve it..." Adrian said happily.
"I hope I do...I'll talk to you later...I need to get to practice..." Jack said smiling.
"All right...Bye Jack..." Adrian said kindly and she hung up.
Meanwhile at Amy's and Ben's apartment...
Ben was working on math homework and Amy went into their room and she called Grace.
"Hey Amy! How are you?" Grace said cheerfully as she answered her phone.
"Hey Grace...Did Ricky talk to you earlier?" Amy said concerned.
"Um...I haven't seen Ricky since this morning...He's working right now...Is there a problem?" Grace said worried.
"Oh...Well...He said that I should talk to you because...of why I've been sleeping with Ben..." Amy said awkwardly.
"Mmm...Why have you been having sex with Ben? I thought you wanted to wait..." Grace said surprised.
"Yeah...But I changed my mind...I um...Have been using him to help me mourn about Mimsy..." Amy said sadly.
"Wow...I'm sorry...But...I do know how you feel...Sex does make you feel really good when you're hurting..." Grace said honestly.
"Heh...It does but...I just feel so terrible...I don't want to use Ben like that..." Amy said seriously.
"Maybe you two should try spending more time with other people...When you two are alone, it's a lot more tempting to sleep together..." Grace said nicely.
"Uh...We could but...We live together...I don't get how you do it...You've been living with Ricky for months and you two haven't..." Amy said nervously.
"Oh...Right...Heh...It's not as easy as it sounds...We've fooled around some...But...God has helped us to wait...Maybe you and Ben should find a church..." Grace said sweetly.
"I don't know about that...Ugh...I just hate feeling like this...If only I could bring Mimsy back..." Amy said sadly.
"It's ok, Amy...I know you really miss her but...death is just a part of life...I've been praying a lot for you lately too..." Grace said sincerely.
"I know...And thank you Grace...But...there's another reason why I've slept with Ben recently..." Amy said honestly.
"You're welcome...What reason is that?" Grace said intrigued.
"Um...I've felt bad about breaking up with Ricky...After he said his speech at the funeral...That really hurt...What he said about knowing what it's like to lose someone..." Amy said seriously as her eyes got watery.
"I get it...You need some closure?" Grace said worried.
"Oh...No...I don't need any closure...I just remembered how hurt I felt after I broke up with Ricky after he said those things..." Amy said as she wiped her eyes.
"And then you used Ben to help you forget about those feelings...I've been there...I used Grant and Daniel to try and help me forget about Jack...Listen, Amy...You're the only person who can change how you feel...And I think it's best if you're honest with Ben about what you're going through...I know it's not easy, but it will help both of you..." Grace said seriously.
"Heh...Adrian told me that too...I'll try...Thank you for helping me, Grace...But...you're not with Ricky to help you forget about Jack?" Amy said honestly.
"That's what sisters are for...Heh...And Adrian's really helpful sometimes...Ha ha...I was over Jack a long time ago...And I'm not going to let Ricky go..." Grace said nicely and then honestly.
"Ha ha...Yeah...Good luck with Ricky and I'll talk to you later...I need to do some homework..." Amy said happily.
"Thanks...Good luck with Ben...Bye Amy..." Grace said sweetly and she hung up.
Meanwhile at the butcher shop...
"You seem to be in a good mood Ethan..." Ricky said smiling.
"Yeah...I forgave Kathy and we're friends..." Ethan said kindly.
"That's great! I knew you two would work things out." Ricky said happily.
"It sure is...She helped me with math earlier too...I got all these baskets done..." Ethan said nicely.
"Thanks...I'll put them in the storage room..." Ricky said as he walked over to the table and he grabbed the gift baskets.
"So...How's saving money coming along?" Ethan said intrigued as Ricky walked out of the storage room.
"Good...Why?" Ricky said concerned.
"Just wondering...I know you've been working really hard and...I think you should get a raise..." Ethan said smiling.
"Yeah but...I got a raise when I became the assistant manager...Are you saying that I should get a raise so Leo will give you one?" Ricky said seriously.
"That's exactly what I'm saying...Ha ha...Seven fifty an hour isn't enough..." Ethan said concerned.
"Heh...But you don't have to pay bills like I do...Don't worry Ethan...I'm sure Leo will give you a raise eventually...Or maybe a Christmas bonus...If you keep working hard..." Ricky said honestly as he walked over to the door and turned the sign over to say closed on the outside.
"I hope so...I would like to get a car since I finally got my license." Ethan said happily.
"Congrats on that...I'm really proud of you...You can go now..." Ricky said nicely as he put his white apron on the hook.
"Thanks Ricky...Why do you want me to get out of here?" Ethan said intrigued.
"Grace and I are going out tonight...See ya tomorrow." Ricky said excited and he went upstairs to his apartment.
Ethan rolled his eyes and he left the butcher shop.
Thirty minutes later Grace and Ricky arrived at the batting cages.
"Are you ready to try this again?" Ricky said smiling.
"Heh...Yes I am..." Grace said sweetly as she grabbed a bat.
"All right...I'm going to put it on the slowest setting..." Ricky said kindly as he walked over to the pitching machine and he turned it on the slowest speed. A ball came out of the hole and Grace swang her bat and she hit the ball.
"Oh my gosh! I did it! On the first pitch!" Grace said surprised.
"Ha ha...Nice one...Another one's going to come out." Ricky said as he grinned and then he walked by Grace.
"Aaah! I missed that one! Heh...This is harder than I remember..." Grace said worried.
"I'll get the next one..." Ricky said kindly and Grace moved out of his way. Next Ricky hit the ball as far as he could.
"Wow! That was amazing! I think that was a home run..." Grace said happily.
"Me too...Your turn..." Ricky smirked as he moved behind Grace and then he put his hands on her hips after putting his bat on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Grace said concerned.
"We're going to hit it together..." Ricky said nicely and he gave Grace a quick kiss on her neck.
"Mmm...Ok..." Grace said smiling as she looked at the pitching machine and another ball came out. Ricky helped Grace move in the direction that the ball was coming towards them in and she hit it.
"Nice one Grace! I think you could be a pro!" Ricky said happily.
"Ha ha...I couldn't do it without your help..." Grace said sarcastically and then she turned around.
"I know...Heh..." Ricky smiled as he licked his lips and then he gave Grace a short kiss. Grace let go of Ricky and then she grabbed his shirt and they walked over to the metal of the cage. Grace put her back against it and she put her hands on Ricky's neck and she gave him a long kiss.
"Now that's a home run..." Grace smirked as she broke the kiss.
"Ha ha...I was thinking more like first base..." Ricky said smiling.
"How about this?" Grace said sweetly and then she pulled Ricky as close as she could to her and she kissed him again.
"Mmm...That's better...Heh...But we should get back to baseball..." Ricky said seriously after licking his lips.
About an hour later Grace and Ricky were done hitting baseballs at the batting cages and they were at the beach.
"That was a lot of fun..." Grace said sweetly as she grabbed Ricky's hand.
"Yeah it was...But I think I like the beach better..." Ricky said happily.
"Really? Why do you say that?" Grace said intrigued.
"Because it's amazing...Just like you...And...it helps me realize how blessed I am...to have you..." Ricky said smiling.
"Aww Ricky! I love you." Grace said kindly as they walked closer to the ocean.
"I love you too...Heh...Remember what we did the last time we were here?" Ricky said intrigued.
"Ha ha...Yes I do...It was really romantic but...It's a little cold to go swimming..." Grace said honestly.
"True...But...The sand isn't that cold..." Ricky said as he smirked.
"Uh...Yeah..." Grace said nervously.
"Is there something wrong? I have a couple towels in this bag..." Ricky said concerned.
"We're not going to...do that one thing again...Are we?" Grace said seriously.
"You mean when I...touched you..." Ricky said awkwardly.
"Yeah...I'm sorry..." Grace said sadly.
"It's ok...We can do whatever you want..." Ricky said smiling as he put his bag on the sand and then he took the towels out.
Grace smiled and she sat on a towel and Ricky sat on the other one.
"The moon sure is beautiful over the ocean..." Grace said sweetly.
"Yeah it is...But not as beautiful as you..." Ricky said nicely as he put his arm around Grace's back.
"Heh...Oh stop it, Ricky...I'm no super model..." Grace said sarcastically.
"You could be...Ha ha...But I'm glad that you want to use your brain to make money and not your body...That's really sexy..." Ricky said as smiled and rubbed Grace's back.
"Thanks...I could say the same thing to you...But...that would be kind of weird..." Grace said as she smiled.
"Are you saying that I couldn't make money with my good looks?" Ricky said concerned.
"Ha ha...No...It just seems like it's more acceptable for girls to make money with their bodies than guys...Heh..." Grace said honestly.
"Oh...Yeah...It doesn't matter cause you're going to be an awesome doctor someday and I'm going to have my own business someday and...Maybe become a therapist..." Ricky said seriously.
"I hope so...I know medical school is going to be really hard...But I'll get through it..." Grace said concerned.
"I know you will...You're really smart, Grace...You've been studying to be a doctor since you were a freshmen in high school..." Ricky said nicely.
"You're right...And I know you'll do amazing when you own your own business..." Grace said sweetly.
"Thanks...I'm going to make a ton of money and we'll live in a mansion with a pool and nice cars...And we'll have everything that we could ever want..." Ricky said happily.
"Heh...Those are some pretty big dreams...But...if that's what you want, I'll go along with it...I would love to live in a mansion." Grace said kindly.
"Yeah...Dreaming big helps me to not give up...I've come close to wanting to just give up on college and work in the butcher shop...It's getting harder..." Ricky said seriously.
"You'll get through it Ricky...Just keep studying and pray...God will give us the desires of our hearts...Remember?" Grace said nicely.
"I know...I just hope He gives me...one desire that I've wanted for a long time..." Ricky said honestly.
"What are you talking about?" Grace said concerned.
"I hope that Bob gets what he deserves after the trial...Knowing that he won't be able to hurt me again...Will really help me to move on..." Ricky said seriously.
"Yeah...I hope he gets what he deserves too...And...I'm here to help you through it..." Grace said sadly and she gave Ricky a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you...For everything Grace...These past few months with you have been incredible...And I think the next time we go to a beach, you're going to be happier than ever..." Ricky said as he smiled slowly.
"You're welcome, Ricky...I am really thankful for you...Why do you say that?" Grace said nicely and then intrigued.
"And I'm thankful for you too...You'll...just have to wait and see...Heh..." Ricky said as he grinned.
"Heh...All right...Whatever you have up your sleeve, better be good..." Grace said as she smiled.
"Trust me...You won't ever forget it..." Ricky said kindly as he moved some of Grace's hair behind her ear.
"Hmm...Now I'm really excited..." Grace said happily and then she laid down on her towel.
"Heh...Me too..." Ricky said smiling and he got on top of Grace and he gave her a long kiss.
"Aaaah...Don't stop..." Grace said quietly as she took a breath.
"You're not on ecstasy again, are you?" Ricky said sarcastically.
"Ha ha...Very funny...Just keep kissing me..." Grace said sweetly and she put her hands on Ricky's neck and then he kissed her again.
There you have it! Grace and Ricky are so cute! It sounds like they're becoming more serious about each other and about their futures. What's going to happen the next time they go to a beach? How are Amy and Ben going to figure out how to help Amy with Mimsy and her feelings about Ricky? At least Kathy and Ethan are friends but will they try to be more than that again? What's going to happen next with Madison, Lauren, and Dante? How will the birthing classes go for Adrian? Who is Jack going to be with? And it sounds like he's become better friends with Adrian. Will Ethan get a raise and a car? Stay tuned to find out! Other characters will be back in the next chapter! Plus Bob's trial is coming up in chapter 80! Let me know what you think! Thank you! :)