Just Not Sure - Chapter 12

Erica waited as the phone gave 5 weary rings. "Hello?" a tired Frankie answered. "Um Frankie?" Erica hesitated. Frankie looked over at his clock. "Erica? It’s 3am. What’s up?" He asked confused. "Um...ok..wait...never mind.... I’ll talk to you tomarrow." She decided to say. Frankie sat up from the tour bunk un-easy, trying not to wake the 4 sleeping friends. "No tell me now." He demanded. Erica twisted the gray drawstrings on her sweat pants. "Ok.... but..... I don’t know how I’m going to say this so just bare with me." She warned him. "Um...... I know it took awhile for me to realize this but..... I really..... truely DO like you..... I mean, you’ve ALWAYS been there for me even when it wasn’t you I wanted. You’ve tried to help me with Chris and ........ I don’t know..... I just wanted you to know that." She sat down in her mauve chair and awaited his reply. Frankie laughed. "What’s so funny?" Erica asked un easily. "You called me at 3 am to tell me THAT!?" Frankie asked, it was as if he thought this was a joke. "Well! I mean...... I couldn’t keep it any longer, what else was I supposed to do?" She replied back, that was the last thing she thought Frankie would say. "No no no I didn’t mean it like that, what I meant was, I really need to sleep, and now I’m going to be up all nigh.. er.. morning thinking about what you just said." Erica sighed relief. She knew he was smiling on the other end, and that he was just playing around. ‘Thank god’ she thought. "I’m sorry, I just needed to tell you." She apologized. "Well, you told me, now can we both sleep? I’ll call you tomarrow and we can talk about this ok?" He asked, trying to compromise. Greg turned in his tiny bunk and sighed of annoyment, signaling Frankie to be quiet. "Ok.... Good...um.. morning then." Erica joked. Frankie smiled, "Yea, go to sleep." Erica hung up the phone and got up to go back into her room. Lindsey was on the bed, Cosmogirl still taking up her interest. Erica walked in and looked in the mirror, throwing up her hair. "Did you know that Aquarius's and Leo’s get a long great?" Lindsey blurted out of no where. Erica rolled her eyes. "Was that supposed to mean something?" She asked Lindsey sarcastically. Lindsey went to protest but was cut off by her mother. "GIRLS GET SOME SLEEP!" Her mom yelled from down the green carpeted steps. The girls put their pajamas on and drifted off to sleep.

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Maria and Deidra walked out of PPAS and onto the busy streets of New York City. "So where were they supposed to be practicing?" Maria asked Deidra, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I don’t know.... just find a studio and walk in." Deidra joked. Maria laughed and began searching for a place they might find the guys. "There we go." Deidra said at once, pointing to the nearest pizza place. "Greg ALWAYS goes there, if they’re not there than I don’t where they would be." Maria agreed and proceeded into the parlor. Just as Deidra guessed, there sat Frankie, Greg, Matt and Jesse in a green booth. "Where’s Chris?" Deidra asked Maria as they walked towards the booth. "Probably in the bathroom fixing his hair again." Maria stated. The girls laughed and walked up to the guys. "How did you know we’d be here?" Greg asked, sliding in the booth to make room for Deidra and Maria. "Ok Greg, It’s a PIZZA place, you practically die for pizza, why wouldn’t you be in here?" The guys agreed and Greg took a bite out of his pepperoni pizza. "So where’s Erica?" Frankie asked anonymously. "Oh lover girl is at home." Maria remarked. Deidra laughed. "Yea do you miss her already?" Frankie shrugged. "No, I was supposed to call her." Deidra raised an eyebrow. "Call her about what?" Frankie sat back in his booth. "Like I would tell you ms. ’OOO Erica and Frankie are getting funky!!’." He replied sarcastically. Everyone laughed, but only Deidra and Frankie knew what he meant. "She could come down here again." Maria suggested while picking up a piece of pizza. "Yea but where would she stay? My parents are gone for the weekend." Deidra reminded Maria. "Who’s parents are gone for the weekend?" Chris asked as he walked towards the booth. "There you are! We thought you died." Matt joked. "Well, hair this good takes a long time!" Chris said has he defended himself. Chris sat down and grabbed the last slice of pizza. "Thanks, we didn’t want anymore." Jesse retorted sarcastically. Chris shrugged and took a bite. "Anyway.." Deidra started to say, changing the subject. "My parents are gone for the week we have off...some...business trip thing." She informed Chris. "AWESOME!! We should throw a party!!" He suggested. "Woah woah woah.....we are NOT I repeat NOT having a party in my house." Deidra argued. Maria stood up. "OMG!! We can have it at my house!" she suggested, excitingly. They all looked at her. "Well....my mom is going out with my dad that night, it’s their anniversary." She reminded them. "Cool so it’s set? Party at Maria’s?" Chris double checked. "Yea...I think so.....someone go call Erica." Maria ordered. "Heyyy why doesn’t lover boy over here call her." Maria stated, looking over at Frankie. He rolled his eyes and got up to go use the telephone across the parlor. "How much you want to bet that they’ll hook up at the party?" Greg joked, as he watched Frankie press the numbers to Erica‘s phone number on the phone. "Frankie might want to....I don’t think Erica’s going to let him though." Deidra replied. "Well, you never know. Anything can happen." Matt stated mater of factley.

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"A Party?" Lindsey asked as Erica hung up the phone with Frankie. "Yea, at Maria’s, that’s what Frankie said." Lindsey stood up, fixing her khaki pants. "When?" "Friday, do you want to go?" Erica asked. "Why not, nothing better to do around here." The girls laughed. "Well, how are we going to get down there?" Lindsey asked Erica, reminding her that they had no way of getting down there. "Oh shit, I forgot......uh oh...I don’t think we’ll be able to go!" Erica picked up the black cordless and dialed Frankie’s cell.

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"Come on boys, Chris....turn a little more. Frankie! Try not to hit the guys!" Claudia instructed, watching the boys tobble over the dance moves to "Let’s Get Funky Tonight". Annoyed by the cell phones ringing, Claudia walked over and picked up the phone. "HELLO!?" She yelled over the music. "Claudia?" Erica asked, surprised to hear her pick up Frankie’s phone. "Yea Erica, what’s wrong?" Erica looked down at the ground and back up at Lindsey. "Um...is Frankie available?" She asked Claudia shyly. "Yea but he’s practicing right now, he’ll have to call you back." A Hint of disappointment ran through Erica’s words. "Oh...ok.. um just tell him that I called." Erica hung up the phone and sighed. "Shit, now what are we going to do!? The party is tomorrow!" Lindsey was silent. "wait" She finally spoke up. "Call Deidra and tell her." Erica looked at Lindsey. "Ya’know? That isn’t a bad idea, it is at her house anyway." So, without a second thought, Erica picked up the phone and dialed Deidra’s number.

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"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN’T COME!?" Deidra screamed, holding the phone. Maria jumped. "Tell ‘em to take a train! Or..or....take a bus! Something!" Maria whispered to Deidra. "Can’t you take a train? Or a bus?" Deidra pleaded. "You have to come! Your going to be the only sane one there!" She looked over at Maria. "Well.. besides me and Maria." Erica slumped down in her chair. "MY MOM WON’T LET ME!" She reminded Deidra. "Well, tell your mom your going to NYC...for another PPAS audtion....she has to let you come down for that." Erica was quiet. "What’s she saying! What’s she saying!?" Lindsey begged. Erica waved her arm to signal Lindsey to stay quiet. "I can’t lie to her....what if something bad happens?! She’s gonna find out!" "NO SHE WON’T!! It’s at MY house, I’m VERY responsible! You know me! Nothing will happen!!" Deidra argued back. Erica sighed. "Fine..."

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"Do you have your stuff?" She asked Lindsey as they sat at the bus stop. Lindsey nodded and sat down on a wooden bench. Guiltiness lingered in Erica. She never should of lied to her mother. She didn’t have a good feeling about the party. The white bus stopped promptly in front of them. They boarded the bus and prepared for the 6 hour drive, sleeping...was the best time killer. Erica awoke to the sound of NYC, busy taxis and people bustling about the streets, Cars honking, people yelling. The usual NYC sounds. Lindsey woke up, groggy, next to her. "Well, I hope you ready to walk." Erica said to Lindsey, taking her bag.

--------*At The Party*-------

Erica and Lindsey walked in just as "Party Up" streamed through the house. "Damn, who did she invite? The whole city!?" Lindsey asked sarcastically. "Heyy!! You guys made it, I thought you would die on that bus." Deidra said, handing them some Sprite. "Yea, so did we." Erica yelled over the blearing music. Lindsey looked around. "So who’s here? Anyone we know?" Deidra looked around the room. "Uh.. the guys, Maria um... Heather... Basically everyone from PPAS." Deidra summed it up. Erica looked at Deidra. "HEATHER!?" "CHRIS INVITED HER! WHAT CAN I SAY!?" Deidra yelled back over the music. All of sudden Erica felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Frankie in a black tank top and khakis. "Hey!!!" She greeted excitingly as she hugged him. Frankie smiled. "Hey, I didn’t think you would of made it!" Frankie exclaimed. He looked at her just as a slow song came on. Frankie looked at the dance floor then back at her. "Wanna dance?" He asked, holding out his hand. Erica hesitated then looked over to see Lindsey and Matt dancing, Jesse and Maria, Deidra and Greg, then Heather and Chris. "Um.. sure, why not!?" He smiled and took her hand. They danced next to Deidra and Greg. Deidra looked over and watched as Erica’s smile turned into a nervous frown. "What’s wrong?" "WHY IS TRISTA HERE!?" Frankie looked over at where Erica was looking. "Aren’t you and Trista friends?" He asked confused. Lindsey cut in to where they were dancing, Matt behind her. "Long story, she’s here to fight with you isn’t she? Remember she over-heard us talking in school about you, Frankie, and the party?" Erica looked worried and clung to Frankie’s arm. "She’s not going to fight with you and why do you guys hate each other all of a sudden?" Matt was just as confused as Frankie. "She lied to Erica and did a lot of bad stuff to her, let’s not get into it." Greg looked over, "Just stay clear from her....here.. stay with us, she can’t hurt you if your with 4 guys and 2 girls." The slow song came to an end but the group still stayed together. Maria walked over to Erica. "Hey, Trista’s here!" She reminded Erica. "Yea, I know, I’m trying to avoid her." Maria looked at Frankie confused. "Don’t ask." He re-assured her. Lindsey scanned the room to see where Trista was. "Uh oh.... Erica, she’s coming this way." Erica looked over and saw Trista heading towards her. "Fine, let her hit me, we’ll see what happens." Erica turned her back and pretended to be getting punch. Frankie, Greg, Deidra, Lindsey, and Maria stayed close by. "Hey Erica!" Trista yelled over. Erica reluctantly turned around. "Hey Trista........ what do you want?" Trista nodded towards Frankie. "Since when did you two hook up?" Erica snapped back, "Since when did you care?" Trista rolled her eyes. "Is there a problem here?" Deidra asked, glaring at Trista. "Why don’t you stay out of this?" Trista pushed Deidra. "OH YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT TRIST-BITCH!" Deidra yelled back. Greg grabbed her from attacking Trista. "Ok why did you need to push her Trista?" Erica asked. She was getting mad now. Erica hated it when someone Hurt her friends. "Well, seeing as how you’ll get your lil mommy after me if I hit you, I figured I could just push one of your friends, if that’s what you want to call them." Deidra tried to break free from Greg. "Dee, calm down, think what can happen if you hit her." Greg tried to calm her down. Trista looked over at Chris and Heather grinding on the dance floor. "Awww looks like you never got Chris, didn’t I tell you that you wouldn’t? EVERYONE knew it Erica, looks like you wern’t good enough, take a good look, you’ll NEVER get him." Rage built up in Erica. She pushed Trista to the ground and started hitting her. Frankie ran and pulled Erica off of Trista. "BRING IT BITCH!" Trista yelled as she straightened her white T-shirt. Erica wiggled and tossed around trying to get out of Frankie’s grip. Lindsey looked over at Frankie. "FRANKIE!! Let her go!" Lindsey ordered Frankie. Frankie looked down at Erica and back up at Trista, He let Erica go. She instantley attacked Trista, who, didn’t seem to mind. The music stopped and everyone yelled "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT" Erica never felt so much rage against someone till now. She didn’t care if she killed Trista, she couldn’t believe that she was hurting a girl that she used to trust. "POLICE!" Someone yelled. Frankie grabbed Erica again. The house was evacuated until it left Jesse, Greg, Frankie, Chris, Matt, Maria, Lindsey, Heather, Deidra, Trista, and Erica. Erica’s hair was messed up and her black tank top was torn. Her nose was bleeding and her eye was black. Trista didn’t look that bad, only her lip was bleeding. Frankie grabbed a wet cloth and gave it to Erica. The police barged in the door. "Shit.." Deidra mumbled. "Can we ask what’s going on?" Greg stood in front of Deidra. "That girl over there came in, and started to attack those two girls." He pointed to Deidra and Erica. "Yea, everything was going great until Trista came in." Lindsey backed up Greg. "Well who’s Trista?" The Police officer asked. They all pointed to Trista. The officer grabbed Trista. "We’re going to contact all your parents." "NO!!" Erica yelled. "You can’t!" The officer turned around from heading out the door. "Oh? and why not?" Lindsey looked over at Erica. "Because, her mom thinks she isn’t at this party." Lindsey answered for Erica. Frankie looked over at Erica. "You lied just to come out here? You didn’t need to do that...we could of found a way." He told her, as he put his arm around her. They gave the officer their numbers and sat in silence as the officer dialed each number.