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Chapter 44 – A Chance for Glory

"Okay, let's buzz the damn thing off! C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!" Oriana whooped as she jumped onto the examining table. The week had passed to Thursday morning and Oriana was finally free to get rid of the cast that had blocked her for so many weeks. Teagan and Howie exchange smirks of amusement as Oriana drummed on her bare knee with excitement, waiting for the doctor to appear with the infamous cast saw. Truth be told, Oriana's giddiness was contagious. Neither could wait for her to be free from the cast, either. It was like the chains were being freed from her nimble wings, giving her the chance to soar with all the strength she possessed.

"What's the first thing you're gonna do when the cast comes off?" Teagan asked, hopping onto the table next to Oriana.

"First thing I'm going to do..." Oriana trailed, glancing at Howie with a mischievous smirk. "First thing..."

"I don't think I wanna know..." Teagan groaned, covering her eyes.

"I was more or less thinking a clean back flip," Oriana answered, her blue-green eyes twinkling innocently. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't know anymore, but you're not as innocent as people think," Teagan replied, pushing on Oriana's shoulder.

"Why do you say that?" Oriana cooed, leaning her head affectionately on Teagan's shoulder. She loved the playful banter that she could create between herself and Teagan.

"You're like a Milkdud," Teagan replied, running a hand up and down Oriana's back. "Sweet on the outside, trouble on the inside."

"I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E," she quoted from a Travis Tritt song with a laugh.

"And its name is O-R-I-A-N-A," Teagan added.

"So, if we're going by that song... Does that mean I'm the 'good L double O-K-I-N-G?"

"I think I'll give a Hell yeah to that."

"Oh, shit," Oriana laughed. "I need a pen and paper before I get rid of this cast."

"For what?"

"Well... hell yeah reminded me of bellhop boy and I'm supposed to hook him up if we're ever back in New York, right?" Oriana declared impishly, not really caring about the bellhop under any circumstances.

"See, you just lived up to my Milkdud analogy," Teagan laughed.

"So, can I have the pen and paper, Howie?" Oriana teased.

"Excuse me?" Howie blurted with a cool smirk, leaning back against the wall. He crossed his arms across his chest, just staring at his girl in a mock tone of disbelief. "Are you really asking to get rid of me?"

"No way, Baby," Oriana laughed softly, reaching her long leg out to hook her ADIDAS clad foot just underneath the hem of Howie's short's leg. She tugged her leg backward, hoping to bring him closer.

It worked, and he halfway stumbled closer to her. "Then why do you need the pen and paper, Ria?"

"To write my name and number on your arm?" she guessed slyly, tugging him a little further with her foot.

"Guess again," he chuckled.

"To write my name and number in your boxers?"

"Hello! Teagan's still here, don't wanna see that!" Teagan announced.

"Last time I checked, she always did the same thing to me," Oriana answered, bumping her shoulder against Teagan's shoulder, causing Teagan to snort with laughter. Oriana rolled her eyes, giving a final tug with her foot in Howie's short's leg. "Okay, okay, so I want the pen and paper to write down my name and number to stuff in my bra in case the doctor's cute so I can accidentally leave the bra behind for some reason... Or I'm just completely bullshitting you, because I needed you closer to me?"

"I'm thinking it's the second one," Howie gave a soft smile before kissing her.

"Okay, yeah, I'll go with the second one," she wheezed when he pulled back with a confident smile. The high-pitched squeak in her voice caused Teagan to burst into a round of chortling laughs, making Oriana blush further.

"You two are so cute—"

"Why's that?" Howie asked, sitting down on the examining table beside Oriana. He found it so adorable when Oriana blushed. She always carried such a tough exterior, but she was so soft and sweet on the inside. It was amazing to him the way her core would melt within his hands.

"Because you make Riana into a girl—"

"Okay, yeah! So, we're going to kick some Wolf ass tonight, right?" Oriana interrupted, wanting to change the subject. She couldn't afford the doctor to come in on that kind of private conversation, though, she could only focus her mind on the Homecoming Game tonight. They were playing their hardest rivals, West Orlando Wolves, so it'd be a great match.

"You can play tonight, right?" Teagan asked, rolling her eyes at the abrupt subject change.

"No," Oriana frowned, bumping her foot against the bottom of the examining table in a rhythmic pace. "Momma already called and spoke to the doctor that handled the cast and junk. He says I should wait till the next game to play, so Momma called Coach and told him I can't kick ass till the next game."

"Hanson will really listen to Ma about that? Even if you could kick ass tonight and he knows it?"

"I don't think Coach wants to mess around with Momma's temper..." Oriana answered, chewing on her bottom lip. She had faced her mother's wrath only once in seventeen years and believed that she never wanted to see it again.

"Good point..."

"So, I can just hope that the team kicks ass while I ride the bench...again..."

"C'mon, Baby, don't be so down," Howie sighed, running his hand affectionately across her neck. She immediately shied away from his intimate touch, causing him to smile sweetly. He understood her pain for that moment, Brian had taken away her last Homecoming Game as a Senior on the Varsity Football team. It was a big deal to Oriana and it hurt Howie to see her so upset. "We'll do whatever you want after you get this cast off, okay? Then we'll do whatever you want after the football game, okay?"

"Anything I want?" she asked, her bottom lip still puckered slightly with disappointment. She knew Howie was already reading the depths of her blended sapphire and emerald orbs leading to her soul.

"Anything you want," he promised, kissing her cheek. "You name it, we'll do that."

"Can I go use the new surfboard you bought me?" Oriana asked pleadingly. "It only had like one or two uses till I busted my arm... Please?"

"Of course you can. That's why I bought it for you, so you can use it."

"I'm going surfing! I'm going surfing!" Oriana hooted, rolling her arms in a circular motion in front of her.

"You sure know how to make her happy," Teagan chuckled.

"Just say yes to everything she asks?" Howie questioned.

"Yeah! That'll do it!" Oriana chirped, pressing an affectionate kiss to Howie's cheek. "I can't wait to hit those waves! Perfectly crisp cuts..."

"Speaking of cuts," Teagan muttered as the doctor knocked on the door and walked in.

"Hell yes! Wind up the blade! I got places to see and people to do... I mean... places to do and people to see? Or... Just cut the thing off!" Oriana whooped excitedly as Teagan and Howie hopped off the examining table and moved toward the two chairs on the opposite wall.

"Your mother warned me that you would be extremely excited to get the cast off. She wasn't kidding," the doctor chuckled, shaking Oriana's hand. "My name is Dr. Larson and yes, we'll be taking off your cast today. You just better stay still once I start cutting."

"The saw is only made to cut the plaster, not skin. You can't scare me with that old trick. Dr. Larson," Oriana warned with a sly smile as Dr. Larson crossed to plug in the appliance. "And I already know that it'll be smaller than my other arm because I haven't used it and if you find a pen in there, can I have it back? Because the cast was super itchy..."

"Yes, you can have it back," Dr. Larson chuckled, walking back with the saw. "Ready?"

"Ready? I've been ready since I got the damn thing put on. So, please, do the honors!" Oriana answered excitedly as he turned on the machine. Teagan immediately covered her ears and buried her face in Howie's shoulder as the engine of the machine roared, biting down hard into the plaster. Oriana didn't even seem dazed as she watched bits of plaster fly and her skin warm dramatically from the intense pressure. She fidgeted only once from the burning heat as the saw continued to flow down her hand.

"Oh my Lord! I can actually see my arm now!" Oriana cheered as the cast fell off.

"It looks like a skinny worm," Teagan trailed, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Thanks, Gabby," Oriana groaned as Dr. Larson pulled away the bottom half of the cast. Oriana gently lifted her hand into the air, feeling the extreme lightness of her arm without the cast's weight. She stared at it for a moment, knowing she could never forget the accident. Her arm was at least two times smaller than the other with a fainter tan color, the dead skin slowly starting to peel from the arm. Yet, the cleat puncture wounds had turned into scars for her to remember. She bit back her tears, knowing she should at least be thrilled that she was healed. She swallowed her anger against Brian, carefully moving her tender arm in a circular pattern for the doctor to see. "I'm free! Smeagol is free!"

"Yes, you're free from the cast. But there are a few things your mother wanted me to emphasize with you," he replied with a laugh.

"To behave?" Oriana guessed, gently resting her arm against her lap, tracing her fingers against the cleat scars.

"And--"

"Start the physical therapy instructions on this piece of paper?" she guessed as he handed her the list of exercises she needed to complete to strengthen the muscles. "Stay out of trouble. And no football. Just no football?"

"Dance is alright, but anything that can cause you to fall on your arm is out. Such as football, surfing, rollerblading--"

"For how damn long?"

"Just until your next football game."

"Okay..." she trailed, knowing there was no way on God's green Earth that she would be turning down surfing today.

"Your mother and I mean it, Oriana. Your arm isn't strong enough to handle a fall, it'll break again."

"Two clean breaks that poke up beneath my skin and you guys are scared? Have you seen my medical record's thickness? I've done stupider...stupider? No, more stupid... There we go... I've done more stupid stuff when I was in diapers!"

"The only thing I can do is warn you. If something happens and you come back with that arm broken... all I would say is 'I told you so' and then you would face your mother's wrath," Dr. Larson shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not going to break my arm," she assured.

"Can't you just promise not to surf until the next game?" Teagan groaned, knowing how stubborn Oriana was when it came to doing what she wanted.

"I'm not going to surf," she murmured pathetically as Dr. Larson nodded with approval. He quickly jotted some words down in her file, reaching to thrown away the cast. "Wait!" she blurted in surprise, knowing all the kids' signatures were on it. "Can I at least keep that?"

"I'm sorry, force of habit. Most people ask me to throw it away," he handed her the cast. "Remember to do your exercises and no strenuous activities until...?"

"The next football game," Oriana muttered.

"Good girl," Dr. Larson approved, patting Oriana's shoulder. He quickly brought the file underneath his arm, moving toward the door. He hesitated for a moment, turning back to Oriana. He smiled affectionately, "I went to Medical School with your mother, Oriana. I think I'd just like to say that you're a mirror image of her at that age - beautiful and intelligent."

Oriana arched her honey blonde eyebrows with cynicism, already feeling protective of Kevin. She didn't even seem to notice the compliment was intended for her as she focused on the man's words for her mother. "Momma's getting married this Saturday."

"Really? That's great news. Tell her I said congratulations and I hope the marriage is filled with happiness. You take care of yourself, Oriana," He smiled again before leaving the room.

"Riana, what was that about? Dr. Larson was complimenting you!" Teagan replied as the door closed shut.

"She was defending Kevin..." Howie answered with a sly smile.

"I was not," Oriana groaned, hopping off the examining table. She glance down at the cast she held in her two open hands, feeling absolutely free.

"Oooh, she was! That's cute!"

"Can we leave so I can get my surfboard and dump you two windbags?" Oriana complained, rolling her eyes at their actions. She had already convinced herself that she had just stated facts for Dr. Larson's knowledge. Maybe he wanted to keep touch with her mother's life.

"You said you weren't gonna surf--"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Oriana trailed, opening the door to lead out into the hallway. She swiftly glanced down both ends of the hallway, noticing it was clear. She smiled slyly, offering the cast to Howie's hands. In exchanged he masked a puzzled look, watching her turn around. She took a deep breath, gathering her balance, then swiftly kicked herself backward in a perfect double back flip.

"Great back flip! But no surfing!" Teagan replied as they left the office and headed out to the Hummer.

"Damn, c'mon, Gabby!"

"No surfing! For once, just listen to what the doctor says. It's not that long until the next game, you can wait!" Teagan climbed into the backseat.

"Howie?" Oriana whined softly, wrapping both of her arms freely around his neck. She couldn't even hide her smile as she ran both hands freely within his thick curls. It felt so good to have use of both of her hands to please Howie. She just wanted to love him.

"I don't want you to get hurt surfing, Baby," Howie placed his hands on her hips. "I know I said you could surf, but--"

"But?" she whimpered, pressing her forehead against his.

"But you need to be extremely careful or else your mom, Kevin, Marie, Teagan, the team and your doctor will come after me."

"How so?"

"Because if you fall and hurt your arm... I'm a dead man."

"Then how are you going to keep me entertained, huh?" she challenged, offering a soft kiss to his lips. Her own lips quickly curved into a sensual smile from the kiss, loving the taste of his sweet lips.

"We could go swimming?" he replied, kissing the tip of her nose.

"And here I thought you'd offer a more supple form of entertainment," Oriana teased, kissing his lips yet again. "Swimming it is."

"Wait, what do you mean more supple--"

"We've got to get home, Sweetheart," Oriana interrupted, knowing how to bait the hook well, even if she hadn't had much time on the playing field of love.

"You're a tease," Howie muttered as she hopped into the driver's seat.

"What'd you say?" Oriana asked innocently, pulling the seatbelt across her lap.

"I said I love you," Howie replied, getting into the passenger side and buckling his seatbelt.

"I think he called you a tease," Teagan voiced from the back.

"A tease, huh?" Oriana laughed, leaning over to kiss his throat.

"Y-Yes, but you know you are."

"Do you want me to stop teasing?" she asked, blowing gently against the flesh of his throat before offering yet another long kiss against his throat.

"N-No," he groaned.

"So, you like these teasing kisses?" Oriana continued, hearing Teagan muffle a squeal. Teagan and Oriana both knew that she had won this war, whether Howie was willing to believe it or not. She allowed her freed right hand to stroke the side of his face while she offered yet another kiss to the throat. "You like that I'm a tease?"

"Y-Yeah," he gasped.

"Okay," she laughed, "Then we'll go home and swim, then have private time upstairs till the game. How about that?"

"S-Sounds good to me."

"I love you, Baby," she cooed, moving back to start the engine.

"I love you, too," he cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply.

"See! Told you get her to act like a girl!" Teagan laughed.

*~*~*


"DAMNIT! RICHARDSON IS KILLING US OUT THERE! AND THERE’S NOT EVEN A SNOT-NOSED ROOKIE THAT CAN SUB!" Coach Hanson roared in disbelief as he ripped the ball cap from his head, almost shredding it to pieces. Oriana winced, turning away as the Coach barked several commands to the players on the field. The Wolves were murdering their team and Brian was continually screwing up the plays that Oriana made. It was as if he refused to play by the rules so Oriana might have some tiny victory. "WE HAVE NEVER LOST A GOD DAMN HOMECOMING GAME!"

"Sorry, Coach," Oriana murmured, folding her arms across her football helmet. She felt extremely guilty for the torture Coach Hanson was facing. Everything looked like it could be put right on Oriana's shoulders for fault. They only had about two more plays to go for a good chance of winning, but it seemed like Brian didn't care.

"It's not your fault, Riley. Richardson doesn't seem to have what it takes to play for this team... even from the beginning, he screwed everything up," Coach Hanson pulled his hat back on, turning to Oriana. "I know I promised your mother you wouldn't play... but do you think you could do the last two plays? If I keep Richardson out there, we're going to lose."

"Momma would—"

"Your mother hasn’t come to a game in years, Riley. She wouldn't even know. C'mon, Riley. You've carried this team ever since you joined. We need you out there."

"Coach, I..." Oriana fumbled over her words as Coach Hanson barked for a time out.

"You know you've got what it takes to win. No one will ever tell your mom that you played early."

"Can we duct tape my forearm pad?" Oriana joked, standing up from the bench as the boys hustled forward. She tucked back her two braided pigtails, pulling on her helmet. The fans seemed to grow deathly silent at the revelation of Oriana tugging on her helmet.

"Please say you've got a plan, Coach! Richardson is fucking up every play we do and we're losing because of him!" Abe commented, ripping off his helmet for a moment.

"Richardson's benched," Coach Hanson barked, glaring in Brian's direction. "Sit your ass down."

"What?! Who's gonna—"

"HELL YEAH! ORI'S PLAYING AGAIN!" Logan cheered as someone pushed Brian away from the huddle.

"Wait!" Abe roared, causing the team to settle quickly. He stood directly in front of Coach Hanson and Oriana, glancing between them. "Coach, you're seriously letting Ori go in?"

"I've got to; she's the only chance we have of winning."

"Our Cherry-Bomb's going in?" Luke repeated with an excited smile.

"YES, she is! Now you all get out there and WIN, DAMNIT!"

The team roared loudly with approval, bringing Oriana within the tight knit huddle. Coach Hanson offered a glare toward Brian, causing him to stumble back onto the bench. He then joined the huddle. Oriana seemed to be welcomed with open arms by the entire football entourage as the announcers quickly shuffled to figure out what was happening. Oriana didn't seem to notice however, because she was trying to assume what kind of play to make. "Okay... Wolves are assuming that I'm rusty, right? That putting me on the line is just a last ditch effort to pathetically win..."

"Little do they know that this is the best way to kick their asses," Gabe replied, smacking Oriana's butt. "What's your plan, Cherry?"

"Give me the ball and let me run like Hell?"

"Sounds good to me! Let's go and win this fucking game!" Ace replied.

"Just run right beside me, Luke. Okay? We'll go off to the side like always. Just knock the Hell out of them," Oriana planned, pushing her mouth guard into her mouth. She took a deep breath, hearing the announcers wildly proclaim her name as she stretched her muscles. The crowd seemed to roar, giving Oriana a flush of approval, although she could feel Brian's eyes boring into her neck. She tried not to care as she took her position along the line, knowing she had to win for her team.

Everything seemed surreal, however, as the ball was launched back to Ace. She quickly darted out with Luke by her side, blowing over the hungry Wolves as the ball was snapped. She glanced upward to see the ball hurdling directly toward her. With added grace, she leapt into the air, snatching the ball, and bringing it to her side. She flew down the field as far as she possibly could, feeling her lungs burn with the copious use of oxygen. She felt relieved to see the end zone in sight as she was tackled beneath a mass of boys.

The whistle was quickly voiced as the boys flew away from the pile. Teagan almost felt her breath catch until Oriana jumped up from the pile with the football in hand. The boys cheered as they rushed back for a last minute hustle. Last play of the game - last chance to make the score count. "Okay, guys. We're so damn close to the End Zone, we can do this. Just send me right up the middle like I tried before. The Cherry Blast in the playbook? Have Abe, Lou, and Luke block my way like a tow truck, and I'll push the run-off away from me. It's our best shot."

"Everyone got that?" Ace asked the team. Everyone nodded in understanding. "Alright, get ready!"

"Do you trust me?" Oriana asked as she took her place beside Luke, hearing the appropriate commands being called from Ace.

"Of course we trust you," Luke replied before the ball was snapped. "Go!"

Brian watched in absolute horror as Oriana took off beneath Luke, Lou, and Abe. It seemed perfectly executed as Ace tossed her the ball and she caught it perfectly. Once tucked safely under her arm, she raced down the field behind the three, tossing leftovers as they came. Brian felt his heart stop as the End Zone quickly neared, Abe and Lou falling off to the side. He smiled gleefully, knowing Oriana was caught as a lumbering boy hurdled toward her.

Yet, she did Oriana one better. She bent down and pitched the boy over her back like a balloon, causing him to tumble hard into a pile. She whooped with delight as she jumped into the End Zone, spiking the ball. She then did a feverish dance as the team quickly surfaced to rush her. They had won!

"CHERRY-BOMB! YOU DID IT! WE WON!" Luke cheered, rushing over to lift Oriana in his arms. "WE FREAKING WON!"

"HELL YEAH, WE DID!" she screamed, pumping her fists in the air as fans rushed out onto the field while the band played their victory song loud and proud.

"THANK GOD FOR THIS GIRL!" Ace screamed, jumping up to deliver a swift swat to Oriana's behind. Luke laughed affectionately, allowing her to stand on the ground before delivering kisses to her cheeks. The boys seemed to appreciate the affection, roaring twice as loud as the Coach jumped in to hug Oriana tightly.

"WE KICK MAJOR ASS!" Oriana hooted for what seemed like the hundredth time, accepting Coach Hanson's approval hug. She continued to do her own little dance as Ace and Gabe huddled over with the water cooler, unaware of their dastardly plan as she danced with Luke.

"OUR HOMECOMING RECORD IS STILL UNDEFEATED! YES!" Luke cheered, doing a series of back flips along with Oriana.

"HELL YES! HELL FUCKING YES!" Oriana laughed, bumping chests with Luke before hugging tightly again. The fans seemed to crowd round in a circle as Ace and Gabe broke through. "WE ARE SO HOT—" Oriana's words were broken off as the cooler was released on top of her. The icy cold water and icy bits splashed against her skin, cooling her heated body. She jumped in surprise, laughing openly, "Holy shit, we are so cold!"

"RIANA! RIANA!" a voice called from behind the crowd. Turning around, Oriana saw it was Teagan, clad in her drum major uniform and a huge grin on her face. She ran to Oriana and tackled her to the ground. "YOU KICKED ASS OUT THERE!"

"Wait! This isn't medicated mud!" Oriana laughed as Teagan eagerly kissed her wet and dirt streaked cheeks. Oriana didn't care however, hugging Teagan back just as fiercely. The energy flowing through her body was unimaginable. She felt like she could lift a hundred cars at once. The team seemed to laugh at the girls' antics, but neither cared as they exchanged more hugs on the soft ground. "And you didn't want me to play!"

"That doesn't matter anymore, we won! We won, we won, we won!" Teagan cheered as she kissed Oriana's cheeks again. She felt the mud seep into the uniform, but she didn't care. She would handle Dr. Didier's wrath later.

"Yeah, we won!" Oriana laughed.

"Party tonight at my house!"

"Deal!" Oriana laughed as the girls finally managed to get off the ground. Oriana nodded toward Teagan, tackling her just once more for a tight hug. The girls squealed in each others ears, dancing around.

"Boyfriend alert!" Luke called.

"Yours or mine?" Oriana asked, glancing to Teagan.

"Yours," Teagan replied as she saw Howie come running. "Mine's gonna be pissed the whole damn night."

"Oh, shit," Oriana cursed, finally realize what had happened. Brian had been thrown from the game just so she could make an appearance. She knew that he probably wanted her to fail, but she rose above and conquered. Hell would be drawn against her once again with Brian's fury. "I'm really sorry, Gabby. He's going to be miserable at your party tonight. I'll just go home, I have to get rest for the dance recital anyway..."

"No, you're coming to my house. Brian can sulk if he wants to, it was his own fault for getting benched," Teagan replied as Howie reached the middle of the circle. "Don't let him ruin your big night."

"I'm only going to stay for a little bit," Oriana hesitated, pulling off her helmet and tossing it toward Luke. "I really do have to sleep for the recital... And I feel awful because he's going to be a complete bear to you."

"Don't worry about it, I don't care how he is. It was his fault. Oriana, you pulled us through the game and we kicked Wolf ass! Be happy about that!" Teagan kissed her cheek once more. "I'll see you at my house after you clean up, okay?"

"Gabby—"

"See you in a little bit!" Teagan kissed her cheek and ran towards the bleachers.

"She always does that!" Oriana groaned as several members of the team approached to clap her on the back and brush a hand across her butt for a playful swat. She smiled toward every single one of them, kissing their cheeks, and congratulating them on a job well fought. She almost seemed too exhausted till Howie approached. "Hey Baby, great playing!" she called toward him.

"You, too!" Howie smiled. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

"Hey!" she laughed in surprise, breaking their heated kiss. "I'm soaking wet, Baby!"

"And you look extremely hot like that," he smirked, kissing her again. "I'm so proud of you!"

"It was just two plays," Oriana answered, accepting the second kiss with no regrets. She pushed softly on his shoulder, noticing the collar of 'Proud Boyfriend' Shirt poking beneath his uniform. "The guys were the ones that did everything, I just booted it into the hole."

"Yeah, but we would have lost without you and I know that they'll agree with me on that. So after you're done out here on the field, I'll take you wherever you want and get you dessert."

"You won't mind? I'm filthy."

"Of course I don't mind. Meet me in the parking lot, alright?" Howie kissed her again. "I love you."

"Shit, wait," Oriana groaned, remembering Teagan's party plans. She glanced down at her muddy cleats, wondering how she could get away with it. "We can go for dessert, but Gabby's having a party at her house..."

"How about this? We'll get dessert, bring it back to your house so we can change and then head over there."

"I don't even really want to go," Oriana confessed softly, peering up to see Teagan and Brian walking up through the bleachers, arms wrapped around each other. "Brian's going to be absolutely miserable, which makes Teagan miserable. If I'm there, it'll just be even worse."

"Did she want you to come?"

"Yeah..."

"Just to make Teag happy, we'll only stay for a half hour. Brian won't do anything, there will be too many people there."

"I guess..." Oriana trailed, sighing softly. Usually, she would be so pumped after winning a Homecoming Game, but Brian's presence seemed to ruin everything. She took a deep breath, pushing back her feelings. "We're meeting at the Hummer?"

"I'll be there."

"I love you," she called, feeling him break away.

"Love you more!" he called back before running to the bleachers.

"Done smooching?" Ace asked, slinging his arm against her shoulders, leading her through a throng of people. "Because Mac's back in town and he can't wait to see you tomorrow. He's staying with his parents tonight, but sends his best."

"Can't wait to see him either," Oriana lied, looking for Luke to free her.

Luke saw what was going on and ran towards them. "Cherry! Come on, we gotta get going!"

"Go where?" Ace asked in surprise as Luke tugged Oriana free from his embrace.

"She's gotta go home and get cleaned up so her mom doesn't know she played tonight."

"Oh please--"

"See you, Ace!" Oriana called, quickly pulling Luke toward the bleachers. Relief was written on her face as they slowly ascended, people calling her name and wishing her well. She smiled toward each one, leaning against Luke. "Thank you so much, Luke. That party tomorrow is going to be Hell."

"I know. But I'll be there, and you know I won't let anything happen. Nor will Howie. You just gotta suck it up and get through it, because that'll be the last time before Graduation you'll have to see Mac," he replied, throwing her a towel before grabbing their duffel bags. "Alright?"

"He even tries to make a move, I'm going to kick his balls so far up his ass that they're going to pop out his mouth," Oriana threatened, wiping her damp face on the towel.

"That's what I wanted to hear," Luke enthused as they headed towards the student parking lot.

"Luke?" she called, noticing Howie leaning against the Hummer, conversing with several girls.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around.

"We totally kicked major ass tonight," she answered with a sly smile, trying to forget the image. As much as Howie trusted her to do no wrong, she couldn't help but worry. She trusted Howie with her life, but sometimes she let her worries invade her mind.

"We definitely did," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"You heading to Gabby's party?"

"I'll be there in about 15 minutes," Luke kissed her cheek. "See you later, Riana. You did great tonight."

"You were kick-ass, too," Oriana called as they parted ways. She walked toward her Hummer, immediately going toward the trunk. The girls surrounding Howie didn't even seem to notice as she popped her trunk to retrieve the duffle bag. She pulled off her jersey and shoulder pads, tossing them into the bag. Dressed in her uniformed pants, bottom pads, and sweaty tank top, she turned to glance at the ruffle of women. "Hey, chickies... Loitering is a public offense."

"Uh-oh, it's the 'girlfriend'," a blonde muttered, clicking her tongue.

"Excuse me, girls. I've got to go. I'll see you all at band practice on Monday," Howie replied, shooing the girls away.

"The girlfriend," Oriana mimicked with a roll of her eyes, yanking open her front door. She was halfway in her seat when she noticed Howie standing there. Usually, she really didn't care what people thought of her, but those girls had a way of rubbing her the wrong way. "Usually, I wouldn't care what they thought of me. But I swear to God I hope they’re at the Homecoming Dance..."

"You'll shut them up for good once they see how beautiful you look in your dress."

"Baby... You don't even know what the dress looks like," Oriana trailed as Howie offered a secure smile, walking around to hop into the passenger side. She sighed, hopping back into her seat and slamming her door shut. She knew it was probably hopeless to assume they would stop dead in their tracks at her beauty, because she didn't know the first thing about make-up and whatnot. Besides, she would be running in after a dance recital, so she'd have to manage a shower, too. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"Then don't let what those girls say bother you," Howie replied simply as Oriana revved the engine.

"Kind of hard to say when the girls are flocking over you every fucking second I'm away," she growled, unable to bite back her thoughts.

"Um... whoa. I admit, they do that, but... you should trust me enough and not worry if the girls do flock over me. I trust you," he replied calmly.

"I know..." she sighed.

"So, no worries, right?" he asked, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Right..." she trailed, trying to convince her heart.

*~*~*


"Gabby, I need to ask you a seriously huge favor," Oriana pleaded as she carefully pulled Teagan away from the throngs of people. The party was already pumping and Oriana had just ventured over from the mess of wedding plans with Howie. As excited as she was to win the game, her feelings still revolved around Howie's little fan base. Her feelings seemed to flame further when Howie entered the home only to be abducted by the girls yet again. Oriana hated how she felt and knew it was the safest to speak with Teagan now, since Brian was currently sulking in the game room playing video games with Nick. She took a deep breath as she jumped onto the counter, Teagan and Alex standing curiously before her. "I just... I need help, okay?"

"What do you need help with?" Teagan asked, taking a large sip of her Bacardi Silver. She knew Brian was down playing video games and basically getting drunk, but she could care less right then. Oriana needed help, and she would do anything for her best friend.

Oriana glanced nervously around the kitchen, assuring herself that no one was in sight. Alex seemed to understand her thoughts, quickly rushing forward to shut the kitchen door. Oriana let her shoulders finally slump forward, declining the Strawberry Daiquiri Teagan had offered. "With the Homecoming Dance tomorrow..." Oriana trailed, not really sure how to explain it.

"Are you worried about the dress? You don't have to, Riana, you look amazing--"

"It's not the dress," Oriana explained, finally hopping down from the counter. She stuffed her hands into the front of her baggy jeans, staring down at her ADIDAS. She mustered her nerves and finally glanced up into her friend's understanding blue-gray eyes. "It's just those damn girls that are always hanging all over Howie. Do you know as soon as we got here they made some damn excuse for him to go with them. Instead of saying he wanted to be with me, he just went with them. I know I should trust me and I do trust him. I trust him with everything, except this tiniest piece of my heart. It hurts so much because I know he'd probably rather that I was one of those beautiful girls. That I would actually care about what I looked like. Nick said it himself, guys care more about a girl who actually takes time into what they wear, like you Gabby..."

"You're going to trust what Nick said? C'mon, Riana. Not all guys care more about girls 'like me'. Howie likes you for who you are. You and I both know he could be with any girl in this school. But he's with you because he likes your 'I don't give a rip about how I look'. It shows that you're confident about yourself that you don't need make-up or nice clothes to look beautiful. You have this natural beauty that a lot of girls don't have, just like the sluts that are in my band. They're jealous of you, and that's why they keep trying to get Howie's attention. But do you ever see him react in any way towards them?" Teagan paused, letting that sink in for Oriana. "No, he doesn't. He loves YOU, he will always love YOU and I know he would never want anyone else BUT you."

"I've spent seventeen years just throwing shit on that's comfortable to me. But those girls just make me feel so awful. Howie deserves the best, Gabby. These girls, never in my life did I care what they thought, until today. Freaking stepping away from Howie saying 'Uh-oh the girlfriend.' Just the snottiest I've ever seen. I seriously thought about popping this plastic boobs..." Oriana tried to explain, still feeling desperate. "I just can't help but think that Howie gets embarrassed, because I fight to even wear a nice pair of pants... You know?"

"Fuck what those girls say or think. But you have to realize Howie doesn't get embarrassed by how you dress. I know that you could wear a paper bag and he would love it. Just... believe me on this. He loves you for you, and will never leave," Teagan wrapped an arm around Oriana's waist and rested her head on her shoulder.

"I hate that they think I'm not good enough for him," Oriana sighed, staring at the picture of Marie, Cassandra, Oriana, and Teagan on the wall. It was when the girls were younger. Oriana remembered it clearly, because her mother had bribed her to wear a matching dress with Teagan.

"You are good enough for him."

"As much as I loathe admitting it, just once I think I'd like to make their jaws hit the damn floor. You know? Walk into school, somehow managing to look better than them..."

"I know what you mean, but you walk into school looking better than them everyday. That's why they're jealous of you."

"They're not jealous---"

"Bullshit. They are, too! I know they are. You can wear sweatpants and a tank top and the boys will be drooling more over you than them."

"It's not the point, Gabby," Oriana sighed, still hating that she was stooping to the witches' level. "I need your help after the Dance Recital tomorrow. I'm picking up Catie and Corey, because they want to watch me dance and they'll spend the night for the wedding tomorrow. But, I'm going to be sweaty and Lord knows what else after the recital, so I need to come home... I guess what I'm asking you is if you would help make sure I look okay? I'm not talking like full out makeup or anything, just make sure my hair looks alright, lipgloss, and that shit you put on your eyes...eye shadow?"

"Eye shadow and eyeliner," Teagan replied, kissing Oriana's cheek. "I'll help you out tomorrow, I promise. You're going to look fantastic."

"Now that I lowered my dignity to a drastic level..." Oriana groaned, not really believeing that she'd go through with it.

"You haven't lowered anything."

"Alex, please don't tell anyone, okay?" Oriana whispered, glancing at her soon-to-be-brother.

"I won't tell a soul," Alex vowed, kissing her forehead.

"Thanks," she answered, finally glancing back at Teagan. "I love you to death, you know that, right? And I'm like, forever grateful for you doing this."

"I know. I love you too, man!" Teagan hugged Oriana tightly, trying to lighten the situation and forgetting how nasty Brian was going to be after everyone left.

"Okay, you ruined my moment," Oriana groaned, wiggling away.

Teagan was about to reply, but Luke burst through the door. He quickly turned to shut the door, leaning on it with relief. "Those girls are just freaking ridiculous when it comes to Howi— Cherry-Bomb! That's who I was looking for! Gabby, fabulous party as always!" Luke walked forward, affectionately planting a kiss on Teagan's cheek. "I was hoping that I could take Oriana away from the party over to her dance studio? I hate to say it, but I'm nervous about tomorrow. Plus, I promised that girl right there that I'd check out the four dances she has to do tomorrow, plus we have to practice our solo duet thing. I just want to make sure everything's perfect. Do you hate me?"

"How can I hate my Luke Skywalker? Tomorrow's a big day, and you both need to practice! As long as you both stayed for a little while, that's all I can ask," Teagan kissed Luke's cheek. "Have fun, and I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Thanks, Teag!" Luke answered with relief, kissing her once more before looping his arm around Oriana's waist. He noticed the worry wallowing within her beautiful eyes, which made him slightly nervous. "You okay, Cherry-Bomb? You want to practice right?"

"I'd love to dance. Actually, rehearsing sounds like the best thing at the moment," Oriana enthused with relief, hugging Luke tightly. She just wanted to be away from Howie and the wretched girls.

"You two crazy kids have fun, and be careful out there!" Teagan replied, grinning as she grabbed another Bacardi Silver and left the kitchen.

"Jamie, if you see Howie and his flock of chicks, tell him where I went and not to worry," Oriana groaned, reaching for her jean jacket on the kitchen table.

"Yes, ma'am!" Alex saluted her before kissing her cheek as well before walking to the door. "See you both later."

"Let's go, Luke," Oriana pleaded, tugging on his shirt.

"We're going, we're going."

Alex waited at the door until Oriana and Luke disappeared out the back. He stifled a laugh as he watched Luke fire something at Oriana, chasing her across the way to the other house. Alex decided that if Howie wouldn't have been so perfect for Oriana that Luke would probably be the one to score. Rolling his eyes, he entered the living room only to find Howie and his frenzy of women. Alex immediately felt Oriana's dismay, watching the girls coo over Howie and make sure to be constantly touching him. Without thought, Alex collapsed on the couch next to Howie, causing one of the girls to topple to the floor. "Two guesses as to where your beautiful girlfriend is."

"With Teagan?" Howie replied, pushing away one of the girls hand.

"Nope, guess again."

"With the team throwing footballs out back?"

"Yeah right," Alex snorted, "She went off with another guy."

"What do you mean, she went off with another guy?" Howie raised an eyebrow, finally getting tired of the girls. "Okay, you know what? I need to talk to Alex alone, and you are all getting on my nerves. Can you please leave?"

The girls glanced at Howie for a moment, laughing shrilly, deciding he was joking. One went back to perching on his lap, running her fingers through his hair. Alex felt himself grow upset as he furled his dark eyebrows. "She's out with Mac," he lied with a growl, wanting to get Howie's attention fully.

"Get off me!" Howie grunted, pushing the girl off his lap. The mere mention of Mac made his blood boil. "How many times do I have to tell you stupid sluts that I have a girlfriend? Now back off and leave me alone!"

"Asshole," the girl huffed, quickly rushing away.

"We'll be back," the head decided, following her fellow girlfriends to the bathroom. She flicked a piece of her dyed blonde hair away from her eyes, muttering as she left, "We're so freaking getting Riley back for this!"

"Pissed you off, didn't it? Hearing that she's with Mac?" Alex asked flatly, hoping he could easily make his point. He wasn't known in the group of friends for giving the best of advice, but he would do his damnest to see that Oriana was happy.

"Well, no shit. You think I like talking to those girls? You know me, I try to be nice to everyone--"

"But you know Riana is jealous about that."

"She said it was fine—"

"She was lying out of her teeth. Just like when you tell her you don't mind her seeing Mac tomorrow night. You hate it more than anything. She hates those girls more than anything. Lord, I shouldn't be telling you this, but every time she's sees you with those chicks, she doesn't think she's pretty enough for you. All those years of not caring a shit about what people think and everything gets turned upside down because of you. Some accomplishment, huh?"

"Why doesn't she tell me--"

"Why don't you tell her how you feel about her seeing Mac?"

"Because it'll make her think that I don't trust her..."

"Same with her, but her looks are involved. For once, she actually cares about looking good for you. She thinks you're embarrassed about how she dresses. That she's not good enough for you. And, like I said before, that she's not pretty enough, because she knows that you could have any girl in that damn school."

"But I don't care how she dresses. I feel like I'm not good enough for her, she's so fucking beautiful! I love her more than anything, man!"

"I'm just honestly telling you what she told Teagan and me," Alex answered, watching Howie hold his head in his hands. "It's not a bad thing, Howie. It just means that she really cares about you, but as much as we'd like to think she has a heart of stone... Truth be told, her feelings are pretty fragile..."

"I know, and I didn't help by continuing to talk to those girls..."

"Nope," Alex admitted with the nod of his head. "She said she trusts you except for this tiniest piece of her heart. I have no idea what she meant, but she does trust you because she loves you. Look...she's not with Mac..."

"Why in the Hell did you tell me that, then? I've been sitting here for five minutes trying not to run out and kill the bastard for wanting to be with my girl."

"Because I needed your attention and I needed it right away. But I was telling the truth before, she did leave with a guy—"

"Who?!"

"Just—"

"Who did she leave with?!"

"Damn, Howie. Luke picked her up for a romantic—"

"Romantic what?"

"Can I finish a complete sentence?" Alex groaned.

"Then stop saying shit that you know will set me off!"

"All I was saying was that she left with a guy, then you cut me off. I try to say it was just Luke, you cut me off. Then I try to tell you... Well, okay, the last one was a fluke..." Alex smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Howie grabbed a pillow and hit Alex upside the head. "Where are they going?"

"I guess Ry's in more than one of the dances at the dance recital tomorrow. So, Luke promised to watch her in each one to make sure she's okay. Then he wanted to practice that duet thing they're doing. So, they went over to the studio in the basement to practice for the rest of the night. I think she even promised him some of that fruit salad she had for dessert after the game.

"Should I go over there now and apologize for allowing the girls to hang over me?"

"I..." Alex went silent for a moment, figuring the possibilities. "You don't have to. I mean, I don't think she's looking for you to apologize for letting the girls hang on you. She doesn't think it's your fault. She's just concentrating on the dance stuff..."

"But I shouldn't have let them do that--"

"Dude, if the chick isn't mad at you, don't press the issue. I'm not even the one getting married and I know that!"

"Yeah... you're right. Thanks for smacking some sense into me," Howie stood up and stretched. "I'm going to get a Corona. Do you want one?"

"Yeah, you better be drunk, you're going to need it for tomorrow when she comes down those stairs..." Alex blurted with thought.

"What do you mean?" Howie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I meant hook me up!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Howie laughed, walking into the kitchen.

"You're definitely in for it tomorrow when Cinderella transforms," Alex snickered, settling back on the couch with satisfaction.

*~*~*


Teagan carefully tip-toed down the stairs to her basement, wanting to check on Brian. Last she had heard, he had crashed downstairs in a drunken sleep. But the party was over and she wanted to make sure he was at least okay. He had been the most miserable person at the party, but she still loved him. She found herself smiling softly as she noticed him curled on the couch, sleeping soundly. She reached to grab a blanket just as another empty bottle fell from his hands, making her roll her eyes. She carefully draped the blanket over him, not really wanting to know the nature of the beast by waking him. Though, she found herself slightly curious when he mumbled, "Should've finished her."

"What the Hell... should have finished who?" Teagan asked herself with a raised eyebrow. She fixed the blanket a little more and turned to leave when something gripped her wrist and squeezed hard.

"DON'T WALK AWAY WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, ORIANA! DAMNIT!" Brian roared.

"BRIAN, LET ME GO!" Teagan shrieked in surprise, trying to pull away from Brian's grasp. She was scared out of her mind for Oriana rather than herself.

Teagan jerked herself hard enough to cause Brian to topple onto the floor. The slam on the floor, jolted him, causing him to release her hand. He immediately jumped up from the floor, running his hands through his tangled locks. His face was heavy with exhaustion and alcohol as he swayed from side to side. "Teags?"

"Brian, what the fuck was that?" Teagan replied, holding her throbbing wrist.

"Huh?" he blanked.

"Earlier you muttered 'Should've finished her' before I covered you with a blanket. As I tried to leave, you grabbed my wrist and started yelling 'DON'T WALK AWAY WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, ORIANA! DAMNIT!'"

Brian stared at her for several moments, trying to make sense of what she said. His head was so cloudy and already starting to throb. He moaned in agony, tugging at his sandy blonde locks. He staggered toward her, wrapping his arms around her. "Must've been a nightmare. Did I scare you?"

"Yeah, and you hurt me," Teagan tugged away from Brian. She didn't like being around him while he was drunk.

"I'm sorry, Baby..." he cooed, stumbling backward as she pulled away.

"Brian, you're drunk. I don't want to be around you drunk if you're going to have nightmares and abuse me."

"I didn't abuse you!"

"You hurt me!"

"Teags," Brian tried to step toward her.

Teagan took a step back from him. "Obviously you still hate my best friend and now you've taken it out on me when you drank yourself stupid."

"I don't hate..." Brian couldn't even form the words in his mouth. He squinted against the harsh lights Teagan had flicked on. He groaned, bowing down to shield his eyes. "Damnit, Teags. Do you just want me to leave? Is that it?"

"Did I even SAY that?"

"Well, you don't like being around me when I'm drunk!" he fired.

"Not when you're like this! Normal people don't get violent when they're fucking drunk, especially to people they love!"

"I'm not violent!"

"The Hell you're not!"

"Yes! The Hell I'm not!"

"Fuck you!" she showed him her wrist, which was beginning to bruise. "See that?! YOU DID THAT TO ME!"

"I DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING KNOW YOU WERE GOING TO BE WATCHING OVER ME LIKE A GOD-DAMN-SON-OF-A-BITCH HAWK!"

"I WAS TRYING TO COVER YOU UP SO YOU WOULDN'T GET COLD! EXCUSE ME FOR CARING!" Teagan pushed him hard and watched him fall onto the couch. "YOU SLEEP HERE, BECAUSE I'M STAYING IN RIANA'S ROOM!"

"WHAT THE FUCK? IT'S MY HOUSE!"

"THIS HAS BEEN MY SECOND HOME SINCE I WAS BORN!"

"I'LL GO TO MY OWN GOD-DAMN ROOM THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" he growled, scrambling up from the floor. He glared at Teagan before trying to ascend the stairs while muttering quietly, "Fucking Oriana causing this shit. I could just beat her... Fucking shit... She's in some deep ass... Damn..."

"You can't go into your room if I locked it," Teagan walked past him up the stairs in a sing song voice.

"Excuse me?" he answered, staring blankly at her.

"You have a lock on your door. I locked it and I have the key," she held it up between her thumb and forefinger. "So you're stuck on the couch down in the den."

Brian watched her form fade as she sauntered up the stairs. He took a deep breath in hopes to cover his rage until he heard the sharp slam of the door. "DAMN FUCKING WOMEN!!!!"