Michelle turns on her computer after finally getting settled into her new house. She dreaded to see how much email she had, she figured she could probably delete half of it. She scrolled down the list of mail and stopped at one that looked slightly urgent.
BETH? She thought? She opened up the email and screamed. "It's from 'B'!" She yelled, and fell backwards in the chair. She laid on the floor laughing and crying.
After she straigtened herself, she dialed Beth's number, and prayed Beth would asnwer the phone.
"Hello?" Trendi says as she answers the phone.
"HI...is Beth there?? Please tell me she is." Michelle says, starting to get choked up again.
The next voice she hears is Beths. "Michelle...where are you?" Beth asks, thinking it was good to hear from Michelle again.
Michelle starts to cry at the sound of her voice, making Beth start to cry. They hadn't spoken to each other in months. They had been best friends for years and Michelle had let Shawn come between them. It was time for fences to be mended. That is, if Beth would let that happen.
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"I can't believe how slow today is." Rich said, as he laid on the couch in Rachels office.
"Thank goodness, because Merigold is sick and Michelle is getting ready for company. I was going to send Michelle on a little venture and find out why Movie theatre popcorn wasn't good for you. And then I thought.. HOW DUMB IS THAT?" Rachel said laughing.
Rich started to snore. Rachel put her head down on her arms and started to think. She had left Adam home asleep not wanting to wake him. He looked peaceful and she didn't want to disturb that. And then there was Matt, watching tv and listening to his headphones at the same time. MEN, Rachel though, as she watched Rich snore.
"Rich...wake up...you're rattling the walls." Rachel says, as she throws a saftey pin at him.
"Waaa, oh sorry." Rich says yawning.
The phone rings and it is Matts girlfriend Christi.
"Rach, have you seen your brother today? He was supposed to call me last night, and he never did." Christi says to Rachel.
"Last I saw, he was at the house." Rachel says as she starts to doodle on a piece of paper.
"Your machine picked up." Christi said in frustration.
"Hmm, that means Adam isn't home either. They must have gone somewhere together than.. who knows. Say, do you know what is up with the two of them?? They seem to be awful chummy these days." Rachel asks Christi.
"Ummmm no." Christi says laughing, and tries to change the subject.
"You know something." Rachel says laughing.
"I spoke to your dad, Rach. He said some looney keeps calling there. It's definately a fan, and they keep wanting to talk to Matt." Christi says laughing.
"Really, that won't be the last time." Rachel says, knowing Christi won't break down to tell her what was all the secret about.
"Well...I will just try his cell." Christi said, and they hung up.
Rachel looks back at Rich, who has gone back to sleep and has started snoring. Never in her life had she had such a dull day.
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"How about this one?" Adam asks Matt and Jeff. He holds up a ring with a huge diamond in it.
"To big. Rachel definately wouldn't like that one." Jeff said, and picked up a smaller one. "I like this one."
Jay walks into Marks &Morgan with a Sears shopping bag. "You find a ring yet Matt??" Jay says as he too starts to look at the trays of rings.
"ME?" Matt says to Jay.
"Yeah, you and Christi." Jay says and then looks at Adam. "Or you and Rachel." he says with a smile.
"Definately not me and Christi." Matt says and puts down the ring he was looking at.
"This is Adams quest." Jeff says as he puts on one of the rings.
Merigold walks past the store and stops. "HI guys." she says and then starts to sneeze. "Rings?" She asks, as she looks from Adam to Matt.
Matt starts to laugh and leaves the store.
"Damn...you too?" Adam says laughing.
"Well, it does look odd." Meri says as she takes the ring that Adam has in his hand. "I would hope this is for Rachel."
"Can you keep a secret?" Adam asks her.
"Yeah sure." She says and then sneezes. "She'll like this one Adam.. better than any big diamond for sure." She says, happy that she was trusted enough to be in on one of their little secrets.
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Beth decided to take a week away from her studies, but still bring her books in hopes of studying anyway. She didnt want to get too far behind. She got off the plain and was almost ran over by Michelle. The two hugged as if they were long lost sisters, both crying. They got a few stares from other passengers, but they didn't care.
They entered Michelles new house and dropped Beths bags in her room.
"Wow, nice pad you have here." Beth said smiling. "A pool, the works."
The phone rings.
"Michelle..you have any plans tonight?" Jeff asks her. " A few of us are going clubbing, and I figured you had company to entertain."
"who's going?" Michelle asked, as she made Beth a glass of water.
"Everyone I guess." Jeff said laughing.
"Everyone?" Michelle asked.
"Thats what I said. Are you in or or you out?" Jeff asked her.
"In!" Michelle said, and then they hung up. " Are you up for going out tonight?" Michelle asks Beth, remembering she should have asked her first.
"Yeah, sure. Who was that?" Beth asked.
"Jeff Hardy." Michelle said as they walked out onto the patio.
"Jeff Hardy?" Beth said with eyes wide. "OH Michelle, I am so not ready to be seen like this." Beth said laughing. "I must go take a shower. Gee Mich, its strange how things change isn't." She says, and then goes back into the house to get rested for the night of clubbing.
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Rich sat at his computer editing Rachel and Merigolds work. Really it was more Merigold than Rachel. He figured he would rub it in, so he decided to call Merigold.
"Whats up?" Rich said when he heard her voice.
"Nothing." Merigold says and sneezes.
"Are you free tonight?" Rich asks her.
"I'm free every night. What do you mean?" Meri asks curiously.
Rich sighs..Meri could be so dense sometimes. "Do I have to spell it out for you.. LETS Go out tonight." He says slowly.
"OH.. ok.. Cool. I wanted to see you anyways. I came across some really good gossip earlier." She says laughing.
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Rachel and Adam entered Toads and met up with Beth and Michelle. It was a Sunday night, they were all crazy for partying that night, but no one cared. Jeff was already on the dance floor, and Matt had already found a table in a corner.
"Hey Michelle." Adam said, and kissed her cheek.
Michelle blushed and then introduced Beth to Adam and Rachel. Michelle scans the dance floor looking for Chris, to her dismay he wasn't there.
Rachel and Adam look at each other, both knowing who Michelle was looking for. He smiles and puts an arm around Rachels shoulder.
"We're going to go sit with Matt for a few minutes." Rachel says to Michelle.
"I have to dance." Beth says, as she takes Michelles hand and drags her to the dance floor. Michelle starts to laugh and waves at Rachel and Adam to go on.
Chris walks in and finds Adam sitting at their table. He scans the dance floor and sees Michelle dancing with another girl.
"Who is that?" Chris asks Adam.
"Beth." Adam says as he sips at a beer.
Chris walks over to the dancing girls, and twirls michelle around to face him. "Get your own partner." He says laughing at Michelle's shock.
Beth stares at him for a moment, and realizes who he is. "This is unbelievable." She says laughing, as Jeff taps her on the shoulder.
"You must be Beth?" he says over the loud music.
Beth stands there hoping her shock isn't so obvious. "Ah yes." She stammers.
"Great." he says smiling. "Are you going to dance, or just stand there?"
"Dance." She says laughing.
----
Rachel comes back from the bathroom and watches as the couples dance. "Thank goodness Jess isn't here, or Chris would be dead." Rachel says as she takes a sip of Adams beer.
"Looks like Jeff hit it off with Michelles friend." Adam said, standing up to stretch.
"Beth...maybe." Rachel said, as she watched her brother dance with the woman.
-----
Jay and Denise show up later, Denise already lit. They had gone to the wrong club and stayed there for a few hours. Adam offered her a beer, which she happily took.
Jay looked at Adam and motioned to him about the ring. Adam only shook his head and gave him a look as if to tell him to stay quiet.
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"You're awfully quiet." Rachel says to Matt.
Matt thinks for a moment as he drinks his Kami Kazi. " Christi called today."
"Yeah..I talked to her earlier." Rachel said. "What did she have to say?"
"I didn't answer the phone any of the times she called." He said , and finished off his drink.
"Whats up with the two of you?" Rachel asks.
" I don't know. I just need my space I think." He says as they watch Jeff dance with Beth. "Now they would make a cute couple." Matt said, his speech starting to slur. "Just like you and Adam."
"What?" Rachel asked, as she watched the people on the dance floor.
Matt looked at Adam, hoping he would make a move before he accidently said something.
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Jess walked into Toads and scanned the room. She knew everyone would be there tonight, and wondered why Chris hadn't taken her along. They had been fighting, but not too bad.
A slow song had started, and couples only were on the floor. She noticed even Matt had gotten up to barely slow dance with a young girl. The next couple she saw were Chris and Michelle. They were so close, but thats not what made her mad. They stared into each others eyes as if there was no one else in the world.
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"Rachel...do you see what I see?" Adam said as they danced.
Rachel looked at Chris and Michelle, and then looked at Jess as she stood there watching.
All thoughts of asking Rachel now were doomed.
"Lets go outside." Rachel said, as she pulled Adam behind her.
-------
Jess let out a wounded sounding cry, that both Chris and Michelle heard. They quit dancing and see Jess standing there watching them.
"Sorry." Michelle said, as Chris excused himself to go talk to Jess.
Jess ran out the door, and past Adam and Rachel. Michelle walks up to Adam and Rachel.
"Oh no.. I never meant for this to happen." Michelle says to the two of them.
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"Jess wait!" Chris says running after her.
"Go Away." She said as she ran out onto the beach.
"We need to talk." Chris said, finally catching up to her. "It isn't what it looked like."
"What? What was it supposed to look like?" She said laughing.
He sighed, and she sat in the sand. He kneeled in front of her.
"Chris, you have feelings for her. Little miss innocent." Jess said and started playing with the sand.
"NO...baby.. I love you." Chris said, starting to get teary eyed.
"Chris, those are empty words from you..you never show me anymore that you love me. I didn't care you were dancing with her tonight, but the look you were giving her." She said and then stopped. It was getting hard for her to speak. "You used to look at me like that."
"What? I was just dancing with her." Chris said in confusion.
"She was looking at you that way too. Ever since you met her, you've been slipping away from me. She's always there wherever you are. I can't compete with that." She said, as she took off a necklace he had given her a few days before. "I can't keep this."
"No, Jess. I wouldn't cheat on you if thats what you are thinking. You know that." Chris said, pushing the hand with the necklace back to her.
"No, you wouldn't. But you would start to resent me from holding you back from someone knew." She said, staring at him in the eyes.
"If I wanted her, I would have left you. I want you damn it!" Chris said, as she finally got the necklace in his hand.
"I just don't know anymore Chris..Maybe we have finally run our course. Maybe its just time to let go." She says and stands. " I have to go."
She leaves him kneeling in the sand. Tears start to flow, as he yells out to her. "We aren't over.. not like this."
She turns to look at him and then walks away.