"Awesome show, guys!" Rachel yelled, slapping the boys high five's. She admired their fit bodies, as they stripped off their shirts. They were all taking showers at the arena and then heading out to go dancing. They had the next day off, so they were free to relax and sleep.
"Hey!" Chris snapped his fingers at her. "Do you mind? We're about to completely strip and get in the shower."
"Nope. I don't mind at all. Do you guys want any help?" Rachel wriggled her eyebrows at Lance.
She sighed and walked out of the room. On the way out, Joey snapped her with a towel. "Do it again frat boy and see what happens."
The guys laughed and showered quickly. They walked out of their dressing room, laughing and talking. Joey stopped short and they each piled into each other. "Joey!" Justin smacked Joey on the back of his head.
They all looked and saw her at the same time. "Damn! Baby's got it goin' ON!" Chris whistled through his teeth. He stopped when Lance was giving him a murderous look.
Rachel had on red leather pants that flared out at the bottom. Her black boots gave her a slight height addition. Her black, tight, tank top showed off her toned arms, and the outline of the definition in her stomach. The outfit hugged her every curve and her hair fell loose. "Thanks boys! Ready?" She inquired.
They headed out for a night of clubbing and Rachel couldn't help but wonder what the night would bring.
"Oh no. Rachel, do NOT look behind you!" Joey yelled into her ear an hour later. Rachel had been dancing with Joey for about twenty minutes.
"Okay Joey! Why do you say stuff like that? You know I'm gonna look behind me!" Rachel yelled back into his ear. She swiftly turned before Joey could stop her. She prayed she wouldn't see Lance with another girl.
"Dammit! What? Does she follow us all over the country!?" Rachel yelled, smacking Joey in his arm.
"Ow! I don't know! It's not my fault!" Joey screamed back at her.
Rachel sighed and waved Joey away as Sierra walked over to her. "Can we talk?" Sierra yelled in her ear, over the music.
Rachel shrugged her shoulders and followed Sierra out of the club. "What do you have to say to me?" They had reached the parking lot and were standing on the sidewalk.
"Listen, Rach. I just wanted to apologize. I understand that I hurt you a lot and to this day, I still don't understand why I did it. I just got caught up in my feelings for Lance." Sierra looked at the ground helplessly.
"Sierra, don't even try this." Rachel looked at her angrily. "Look at me! God, for everything that we've been through and everything that we've done to each other, you can at least look at me!"
Sierra met her angry eyes full on. Rachel continued angrily. "Do you expect after all the crap that you did to me, all the hurt that you put me through, I'm just going to forgive you?" She snapped her fingers. "Just like that? Do you even know how many times I sobbed myself to sleep? How many times I cried to everybody else? How much hate and disrespect I felt towards you?"
Tears had begun to gather in Rachel's eyes and she impatiently pushed them away. "I hated feeling like that, so helpless. I had nobody to turn to. My two best friends. You knew I still loved him and yet you went after him. And, you slept with him! How could you do that to me?!"
Sierra's sad eyes looked up at the sky and turned back towards her. "I don't know! Okay? I don't know! I was so jealous of you. I was just so jealous! All I ever wanted was to be like you, to have what you had. Then, I got it. I was so surprised that I actually had Lance in my life and I thought the only way I could keep him was to sleep him. It was such a mistake. It turned and pushed us away further and in turn, I lost the best friend I ever had." Tears poured from Sierra's eyes and Rachel's heart softened a bit."Nothing is going to change." Rachel touched Sierra's shoulder gently. "We're never going to be the way we once were. I don't think we could even be friends. I've managed to forgive Lance and I've been trying to forgive you. It's just so hard." Rachel took a deep, shuddering breath. "I never knew those things and I wish I did. It might have helped me understand so much. I'm sorry things turned out the way they did, If I could take anything back, I'd take it all back."
Sierra smiled softly at Rachel. "Never be sorry and never take anything back." Rachel mouthed the words along with Sierra and hesitantly stepped forward to hug her. Sierra fell against Rachel relieved and they both embraced in a long and reuniting hug.
"Rachel, can I give you a word of advice?" Sierra pulled away after a few minutes.
"Well, no. But it doesn't matter what I say, you're gonna do it anyway!" Rachel laughed, thinking back to past memories. She smiled sadly at the memories and realized that she missed Sierra more than she ever let herself admit.
"I just... I see you and Lance together. Be careful, Rae. It was hard for you two back then and it's going to be tons harder now. I know it's none of my business." Sierra looked closely in Rachel's eyes. "I saw the connection between you two when I saw y'all at that concert a little while ago. I see the look of happiness and pure love in him whenever you're around. And, whether you like to admit it or not, you have that look in your eyes when you think of me or when you're with me. I encompass the past." Sierra didn't mean any hatred or any disrespect and Rachel knew that.
"Even after all these years, you still know me better than anybody else."
"Besides Lance!" Sierra and Rachel laughed together.
"Thankyou, Si. I'll keep your words in my mind. Even though, they've always been there. I'm scared, no doubt about it. We've worked through everything else before, I'm sure we can work through this." Rachel spoke hopefully.
"I think so too. You guys will make it through anything, you just have to try hard. Don't let the friendship slip away, like I did." Sierra sucked in a breath through her teeth. "I'm gonna go. I'm glad we could get some things straightened out. I'll see ya later!"
"Si, wait! Don't you wanna come in? You could hang out with us and we'll dance and stuff." Rachel knew it would never happen. They couldn't repair things this quickly.
"Nah, I'm tired. I'll talk to you later though!" Sierra hugged Rachel again, and squeezed her a little tighter than last time. "I'm sorry Rae Rae. I'm so sorry, there is nothing in this world that could ever make this feeling of guilt go away."
"I forgive you Si Si. Please forgive yourself?" Rachel reached into the door of Justin's rental car. "Look, I'm going to give you my cell phone number and pager number. Call me at anytime, okay? We'll never be the same, but I do miss your friendship."
Sierra took the number and Rachel reached over to hug her one last time. "Take care of you Si."
Sierra kissed Rachel's cheek and ran towards her car. Rachel looked after her as the wind blew gently through her hair. She knew they would never speak again.
