Loose Ends

Chapter 52

"Okay. What about dinner?" Lauren asked.

"We were just about to ask you ladies about that," Jesse said from behind Lauren and Amy before the guys all took their seats again.

"Did you girls wanna go out to dinner?" Justin asked looking around the table. The girls each looked at their boyfriends.

"I don't mind," Ricky told Amy. "We just need to know so we can make reservations. Do you want to?" Amy bit her lip nervously and Ricky chuckled. "That's a yes." He turned to the others at the table. "Ladies?" Lauren and Madison nodded.

"Any preferences?" Jesse asked, pulling out his smart phone to make the reservation.

"I think the closest restaurant to the school is an Olive Garden," Madison said. "Or maybe it's an Applebee's." Jesse quickly pulled up the school on a map and looked at nearby restaurants.

"It's the Olive Garden," he informed the table before looking up. "What time should we make the reservation for?"

"Since the dance is at 8:00 I say make the reservation for like 6:00?" Justin offered. "That way we know we won't have to rush to finish eating." Everyone nodded their agreement and Jesse made a reservation for their little group online. When the bell rang the little group followed the wave of students heading back inside for their afternoon classes. Ben and Henry joined a throng of students heading towards the second floor.

"So are you gonna go stag since Adrian's not going?" Henry asked Ben. Ben shook his head and Henry gawked at him.

"Come on, Ben! It's our junior year! We're one year closer to the finish line and it's okay to have a little fun every now and then. Besides, I'm sure Alice would dance with you for a bit if you asked so you wouldn't be a stag for the whole dance," Henry said, trying to persuade his best friend to go. Ben shook his head.

"I would feel weird, and guilty, going to a dance and having a good time knowing Adrian's stuck at home not having a good time."

"You heard Grace. Adrian could go if she wanted to."

"I'm sitting this one out, Henry," Ben said with a sigh. "I'd feel too guilty." While Ben and Henry walked into their classroom, Ricky and Adrian were settling down in their seats for their English class. Adrian's desk was right next to the door and Ricky's was halfway down the row next to her. He looked at her as he pulled out his notebook and turned his textbook to the right chapter they were currently reading and his thoughts drifted back to Amy's pregnancy. She missed out on so much because of me. I've never really been into dances all that much since I'm not the best dancer but Amy didn't even really have the option of going the last two years because of me. He vowed then and there to make sure it was a night to remember. In a good way.

The school day ended, Ricky's workday ended and he dashed upstairs to shower and change so he could head over to his parents' house. Margaret looked up in surprise when Ricky came in through the back door but smiled when she saw him.

"Hi, sweetheart. What a nice surprise," she said as she gave him a tight hug, which he returned.

"Hey, mom. I needed to ask to you about something."

"Is something wrong?" she asked with concern as they took a seat at the kitchen table. Ricky took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I asked Amy to the homecoming dance."

"Okay..."

"She's never been to one because, well, you know." Margaret nodded in understanding. "And I wanna make it a special night for her but I went stag the last two times and I didn't go at all last year." Margaret chuckled, sensing where this conversation as headed.