Fanfiction

Episode No. 22 - Set me free

written by Lady Guinevere

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based on stories and characters created by Winnie Holzman

[Saturday morning, Angela’s bedroom]

Angela VO: “Tonight I am going to watch Jordan Catalano and his band perform again.
And I have like *nothing* to wear. I never thought I would stoop this low. I like to think I’m not the shallow kind of girl who cares what other people think of her wardrobe. I don’t want to pretend I am someone I'm not. Jordan Catalano will just have to accept me for who I am... So why is it, I have tried on like *8* different outfits already?”

Looking at her outfit in the mirror, Angela spots her little sister in the reflection. “Danielle, get out of my room!”

“Danielle, get out of my room!” Danielle mimics her sister.

Angela turns around and raises her voice at Danielle. “I mean it!”

“Let me help you pick out your outfit, pleeeaaase?”

“Why?”

“‘Cause you dress like…umm…a clown sometimes?!” Danielle bares her teeth in a silly grin.

A pair of socks, aimed at Danielle, soars through the room. “Ooh, thanks! Now beat it!”

Ducking away, Danielle continues, “No! I’m sorry, I mean, I want to help you pick a perfect combination!”

Cooling down, Angela shrugs. “Whatever. You may as well come on in, I have stooped to the lowest levels already anyway...”

Danielle skips into Angela’s room and sits down at her sister’s desk, picking up a perfume bottle and sniffing its scent.

“Danielle?” Angela cocks her eyebrow at her sister.

The bottle of perfume slides from Danielle’s fingers, dropping to the table. She jumps out of the chair. “Well, let me see what you picked so far!”

Angela shows Danielle a few different outfits by holding them up, and with every outfit Danielle pulls her lip up in disapproval. Her sister has bad taste, in men *and* in clothing. Danielle walks up to Angela’s closet and goes through her stuff. There’s the red velvet dress which she wore to a school dance once. She holds it up to show to Angela. “I like this one very much… It’s feminine, not like your other stuff…” She hesitates, eyeing her sister’s reaction.

Sighing, Angela drops down on her bed. “He’s already seen that, I can’t wear it again!”

“I *doubt* Jordan Catalano will notice that, he’s not like, that perceptive or anything.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

Danielle shrugs. “Nothing, he’s just not the type of guy who cares how you dress, obviously.”

Angela squints her eyes. “Something tells me you don’t like him that much…”

“He’s okay, but, well, he’s not as smart as let’s say… Brian Krakow…” Danielle sits down on the bed beside her sister.

“Thank God he doesn’t *look* like Brian Krakow either…”

Danielle retorts arrogantly, “Well, that’s *your* opinion!”

“Danielle, do you *like* Brian Krakow?!” Angela casts her little sister a surprised look. Isn’t Danielle too young to be liking boys? And how come she never noticed Danielle’s feelings for Brian before?

“What’s not to like?”

“Don’t get me started…”

Danielle crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Just shut up! I like him anyway! I don’t understand why he likes *you*!”

Flicking a lock of hair behind her ear, Angela murmurs, “Me neither…”

Angela VO: “There are moments I feel like, sorry for Brian Krakow, you know, for kinda breaking his heart by being his unanswered love? Because unfortunately, I know what that feels like. It hurts like, so much, you don’t think your life will ever be worth living again. But there’s like, nothing I can do to change the way I feel about him or Jordan. Of all people, Brian should understand the laws of chemistry. Basically, when it comes to love, the rules don’t apply.”



[In Patty and Graham’s bedroom]

Patty eyes her husband who is just awaking. “Good morning dear. I didn’t hear you come home last night, everything okay?”

Graham rubs his eyes and puts his arms behind his head while staring at the ceiling. “Morning. Yeah, I’m fine; I went out for a few drinks afterwards.”

Patty studies her husband’s facial expression. “With Hallie?”

“No, I called Neil to join me.”

“Oh, just like that?”

Graham answers sharply, “Yes, just like that.”

Patty stops staring at her husband and lies on her side again. Graham is not yet in the mood to tell her anything, or, something *did* happen but he’s afraid to tell her. She has known Graham a long time, so decides to give him a break. He will talk to her when he’s ready. “Okay then Graham. Just one more thing: shouldn’t you be at the restaurant today?”

“No.”

“Aren’t the workers going to be there today?” Patty turns her body towards Graham again.

“Yes, but Hallie can supervise them alone. I'm already there the entire week, so.”

Patty rests her head on her hand. “I still think you should go over there and check it out.”

Graham turns to face Patty abruptly. “Patty, I had an argument with that *woman* again and I don’t want to see her right now!”

“What? Again? What has she done this time?” Patty knew it was a matter of time before Graham would spill his guts, just as she knew it was just a matter of time before Hallie and her husband would have a fight. She hopes for the love of God Camille wasn’t right about Graham and Hallie…

“Doesn’t matter, let’s just say I’ve *had* it with her.”

Patty leans in closer to Graham, her face displaying her worries. “Why won’t you tell me what it was about?”

Graham looks at his wife, unaware of her thoughts. “Does it matter? We just need a break from each other, before I *kill* her with my bare hands and turn her into some new sauce.”

“If it’s that bad, I have a right to know, Graham!”

Graham leans on one elbow and hisses, “The argument was about *you*, okay?!”

“About me?” Patty’s worries are increasing by the moment. Hallie and Graham fought about *her*! That can’t be good, right? Her eyes beg Graham to release her from her insecurity.

Graham’s eyes display surprise at his wife’s worried face. “It’s okay, honey. She said something about you I didn’t like, and, well, things got out of hand.”

Patty is still not totally satisfied with his answer. “Graham, are you *sure* it's safe to be opening a restaurant with her? I get the odd feeling she wants more than just your cooking skills…” There, she uttered her suspicions.

Graham’s brows frown. “You know, I'm beginning to worry about that too. But do *her* feelings have to get in the way of my dreams?”

Her heart still not at ease, Patty understands her husband’s feelings. “I guess not, honey, but if things go horribly wrong you end up with no dream whatsoever…”



[Sharon Cherski’s place]

The doorbell rings and Camille answers it. Angela stands on the doorstep. Still unaware of what happened between Angela and Sharon, Camille’s glad to see they’re getting along again.

“Hi Angela! Did you come to see Sharon?” Camille hollers to the upstairs floor, “Sharon!”

Sharon comes running down the stairs and gives Angela a smile. “Hey Angela! What’s up?”

“I’ve got a crisis…” Angela walks into the hallway and smiles at Sharon shyly.

Camille looks at Angela with surprise. Sharon in her turn looks at Angela, incredulous, and asks bluntly, “Another crisis?”

The two surprised faces staring at her make Angela chuckle; she ends their suffering with, “No, just a wardrobe crisis…”

Laughter fills the room. Sharon grabs Angela’s hand and they run up the stairs together. Shaking her head, Camille walks back into the living room. She remembers being that age all too well. Not being able to find the right outfit for a date or party was a crisis indeed.




[In Sharon’s room]

Angela VO: “Sharon’s room is still exactly the same as it was when we were kids and used to come up here to play with our Barbies. In a way that’s comforting, but in another way, it’s kinda freaky. Time has stood still in here, while Sharon definitely hasn’t; she’s playing with boys instead of dolls now. Whereas my room is like constantly changing, despite its unchanged purpose, I guess.”

“So, what’s up?” Sharon eyes her friend with great interest.

An old toy Angela still recognizes from when they were little lingers in her hands. “You see, I'm going to this thing tonight, where Jordan Catalano’s band is performing, and I don’t have anything to wear.”

Sharon leans closer to Angela and says, hushed, “So, you two are like, totally okay again?”

Angela crinkles her forehead while thinking. “Well, it’s like, it’s still kinda hard to forget the whole thing you know, so we decided to take things slow and all. Or at least, *I* decided that, but Jordan seems to be fine with it too, so.”

“I know what you mean… Let him prove to you he’s really *worth* it first. What he did was un-defendable! Hey, you want me to come along? That way you don’t have to sit alone while Jordan's playing!”  

“I’m not sure actually, ‘cause this time Jordan really *asked* me to come, so I don’t know if maybe he considers this like, a date or something?”

“Hmm, I know what you mean, tough one. Look, how about I’m just gonna come along anyway, so you won’t be alone when he’s on stage or anything. But… if he’s gonna play a gig it can’t really be a date, can it? Anyway, afterwards I can always disappear if you want me to, okay?”  

“Yeah, I guess that would be okay. We can hang out while he’s playing, and if he decides he wants to be alone with me, we can just like, leave, right?” Sharon’s offer to come along eases Angela’s mind a lot. She dreads sitting there all alone; maybe it’s because of the nerves, or maybe it’s because she’s still afraid Jordan will change his mind or something.

“Okay, that’s settled then! So, Chase-Face, what kind of outfit do you want to wear?” Sharon bounces through her room.

 “I’m not sure, I wanna impress him. But I want to be *me*. And not me, too.” Angela still wanders through the room.

“Let’s just try some things, okay?” Sharon goes through her closet and picks out a few outfits for Angela to try on.

Looking down at her chest Angela sighs. “I *so* wish I had what *you* have… Just *look* at me, all flat up front…”

“You know, I am actually getting used to them too! It’s still weird when people stare at my chest instead of me, but, you know, they lead to good things too! I mean, Kyle can’t get enough of me!”

“Kyle *loves* you! How can you take advantage of him like that? Poor guy!” She plops down on Sharon’s bed, chin resting on her hand.

Sharon chuckles at Angela’s facial expression and drops down on her bed next to her friend. “I know, I know, I still have to tell him we’re *really* through. But, in all fairness, I didn’t tell him I love him, so technically I’m not lying!”

Angela shifts to her side and eyes Sharon closely. “So, you *really* just use him for sex…?”

Sharon wrinkles up her nose and laughs again. “I guess… Oh Angela, you don’t know what you’re missing out on! Sex is *amazing*!” She rolls on her back and stares into oblivion.

“I guess…” Angela follows her friend’s example and gazes at the ceiling.

“You’ve got to believe me! I mean, you love Jordan, right? So, just *do* him!”

“Let’s see if I can forget his stunt first…” Getting up, Angela tries on another outfit.

“Oh Angela! That’s it! You look so *you*, and yet, so different! You look hot, Chase-Face!”

Giggling with shyness Angela turns her eyes back into the mirror again. Staring back at her is a young woman dressed in a red plaid mini skirt, black over-knee stockings, and a black satin haltertop. This is definitely the outfit she will be wearing tonight. Her laughter subsides when it occurs to her that this may be the outfit that will leave Jordan Catalano speechless. She giggles again though when she realises that is never a hard thing to do to him…



[At the Chase’s House, evening]

Angela VO: “I can’t wait until Jordan comes to pick us up. It’s like time has decided to move slower right now, in order to test me or something. It feels almost as lame as a Sunday evening so far…”
 
"I have a weird feeling about this evening; like it will make a difference, like something special is about to happen maybe. Somehow, I feel more ready to forget what happened between Jordan and Rayanne too, because I know I can’t live without Jordan Catalano. I *need* him in my life, just as much as I need air.”

Angela catches her stare in the mirror again, wondering if she overdid it. Since, according to her little sister, Jordan isn’t that perceptive anyway. Maybe her outfit is too much after all, her hair overdone by being partly curled (like the night he stood her up). Her lipstick and eye-shadow, are they too much as well? Will Jordan like her like this, this different, this mature?

Deciding she should stop gazing at her reflection and be satisfied with the way she looks, Angela startles at a timid knock on her bedroom door. “Come on in…”

“Wow, look at you, Angela! You look stunning!” Patty’s mouth practically falls open at the sight of Angela as she walks into her daughter’s room.

“You really think so?” Twisting and turning in front of the mirror, Angela watches her reflection from various angles.

“I *know* so! Oh honey!” Patty reaches out her hand to stroke Angela’s face. She looks so mature; it scares her a bit, actually.

Curling up her nose Angela backs away. “Mom, you’ll smudge my make-up.”

“Oh, I see…” Disappointed, Patty retracts her hand and continues in a dim voice, “So, is Jordan picking you up?”

“Yeah, he’s picking me and Sharon up.” Angela falls down on the bed when a thought shoots through her. “Oh, Mom! I never got a chance to ask you what you and Jordan talked about.” She looks up at her mother, her face displaying hope.

“Now you mention it, I don’t think we ever did, did we?” Encouraged by Angela’s question, Patty feels brave enough to sit down on the bed next to her daughter. “Well, let’s see, we didn’t really *talk* all that much. I mean, you know what he’s like, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do.” A smile spreads across Angela’s face.

“He had some trouble finding the exact words to express himself, if I recall correctly. But it became very clear to me that he really likes you, Angela, and he never meant to hurt you. I have a feeling there’s so much more to him than he lets on, you know?” Patty gives her daughter a warm smile. She remembers all too well the intense feeling of being in love for the first time.

“You really think he likes me? Why?” Angela’s face radiates with happiness. Her mom is like, older and wiser, so when she sees these things, they must be true.

Patty frowns her brow in trying to recollect the exact words Jordan told her that evening. “Well, he said something like how he thought he was safe, and could walk away any time, because he didn’t need you, or anyone else. But that he finally realised he was wrong about that.”
Patty pauses and then adds her opinion. “It almost sounds to me like he’s afraid to open up to you, because he’s afraid of getting hurt.”

Dreamily, Angela looks at her mother. “He said that? He really said that to you? That’s like, so deep. God, he needs me, Jordan Catalano needs me!” She rolls on her back and stares at the ceiling, her eyes sparkling. “So, you think he just acts the way he does because he’s afraid to get hurt?”

“Yes, I think so. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s a whole world hidden underneath the surface of that boy.” Patty can only imagine the pain Jordan must have been suffering and her maternal side is awakened at that realisation.

“Oh Mom, you have no idea! I’m just beginning to get to know him now, and he surprises me like *all* the time! Like, the other day, he told me to remind you of your old boyfriend… Now, what is that all about?” Angela rolls over facing her mother again, curious.

Patty’s cheeks flush instantly. “Oh my, that boy has a good memory. You know, that’s a long story, and--”

The ringing of the doorbell interrupts Patty, causing Angela to jump up from her bed and run towards her bedroom door. “Sorry, Mom, we’ll talk about this some other time, okay?” She sprints down the stairs leaving her mother behind.





[At the café]

It’s a busy evening; all over the café people are talking in little groups. Some of them have come to enjoy themselves by shooting pool, while others just want to have a drink to forget their sorrows, or simply have fun. Rock music plays in the background while clouds of smoke provide the entourage with a foggy haze, resembling some kind of smelly blanket, embracing them.

Jordan, Angela and Sharon look around the café, trying to find a spot. They linger near the bar for now.

Barely hiding his approval, Jordan eyes Angela closely. “You look different tonight…”

“Do I? How?”

“Dunno, just… different…” Jordan tucks his hair behind his ear.

“So, you like what you see?”

Angela VO: “I don’t know if it is my imagination, but I swear I can feel Jordan’s eyes travel from my face to my neck, where they seem to linger. His stunning blue eyes glide down further over my body, over my chest, my waist, the plaid skirt, meanwhile leaving goosebumps all over my body. His eyes stop at my legs, right underneath my skirt, where the bare skin disappears into my over-knees again. The way he looks at me turns me into some sort of quivering jelly. Right now, I would let him do *anything* to me…”

“Yeah, you look, umm, well, just--” Jordan sounds hoarse.

“I look, what?” Sometimes it bums Angela out that Jordan can’t find the right words to say to her. Can’t he like, be normal, and just tell her she looks beautiful?! How hard can it be?

“Just, umm, cool, I guess.” Jordan feels pressured to say something profound, but he can’t--not with Angela’s eyes fixed on him like that anyway.  

“Yeah, I figured you’d say something like that…” Angela feels slightly disappointed. Then her mother’s words pop back into her head, about him being afraid to open up to her. She decides to stop expecting him to transform overnight and changes the subject. “So, is it okay I brought Sharon along?”

“You know; whatever…” Jordan leans against the bar.

“I mean, while you’re up there playing, I won’t have to be alone, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Jordan observes Sharon for a moment.

“She won’t go home with me though. Her boyfr-- I mean, *ex*-boyfriend-- said he would stop by too, so.”

“Okay…”

“So, Jordan, are you nervous?” Angela changes the topic again. Sometimes it’s just so hard to talk to Jordan, it gets on her nerves.

“Kinda. I never thought my voice was like, good enough.” Jordan smiles at her coyly.

“Are you kidding me? You have a *beautiful* voice!” She could listen to him singing all day long, every day of the week. His voice is so… sensual, so hoarse. Thinking about it just makes her shiver.

 “Yeah, right…” Jordan smiles nervously.

“Seriously! You’re gonna knock ‘em dead tonight!”

“We didn’t rehearse that much.”

“You’ll be fine, trust me!” Angela leans in on him, her arms wrapping around his waist, her hands meeting each other behind his back. Her full bodyweight crashes into him, letting him know there’s no way out of her embrace.

Angela VO: “I lean in to kiss Jordan, hoping to take away his nerves, and show him my support. Hoping I will calm down the butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I lose myself in his sweet taste and forget the world around me. For a brief moment I even forget that those lips kissed my best friend. I don’t care any more, because they are kissing *my* lips now.”

A little later Jordan has gone backstage to get ready for the gig. Sharon and Angela have sat down at one of the tables, drinking in the atmosphere. Rickie and Delia walk in; Rickie spots them, waves and seems to tell Delia something.

“Hey you two! I didn’t know you were coming here tonight?” Angela smiles at Rickie and Delia who have taken a seat with her and Sharon.

“Yeah, we heard Jordan had to play, and we like, figured you’d be here. I wanted to back you up, you know, just in case.” Having witnessed many embarrassing Jordan-Angela moments, Rickie feels the need to protect Angela from further pain.

“That’s so sweet Rickie, but I’m okay. I brought Sharon too, so…” Angela is touched by Rickie’s loyalty, but somehow she knows Jordan won’t treat her like crap any more.

Looking around for a familiar face, Rayanne enters the café as well. Angela notices her, but doesn’t feel the need to talk to her yet. She wonders if Rickie set the two of them up, but then again, Rickie wasn’t even sure Angela was gonna be here this night. She confronts him anyway, sounding a little cranky. “Did you invite Rayanne over, Rickie?”

“No Angela, I had like, nothing to do with this, trust me. She’s like *Rayanne*, you know? It’s Saturday night, and we’re in a café. What do you expect? That she’s gonna sit at home, all alone, moping?” Rickie sounds insecure, but sincere.

All heads turn towards Rayanne showing up at their table, expecting her to do or say… anything.

“Well, if it ain’t like, my friends! So, how about it, room for one more? Or is it forbidden for me to like, come here?” Rayanne’s breath stinks of alcohol, and her speech betrays she’s had plenty to drink as well.

“Guess it’s not forbidden, no…” Angela’s mind is working overtime. Sure, Rayanne hurt her really bad, but she forgave Jordan. Shouldn’t she give Rayanne a shot as well? What’s the worst that can happen?

“So… You wanna come and sit with us?” The words slip from her mouth.

“Damn right!” Rayanne plops down at their table.

“You buy the first round!” Again the words came out before she could stop them. Angela shouldn’t encourage her to have more alcohol. But she’s not in the mood to play her mother tonight.

“Wow, Angelica… Does this mean I can like, *buy* back your friendship?”

Rickie hastily replies, “It means you can like, buy us some drinks, sit with us and who knows what might happen.”

“Okay, okay… I mean, if it were like *that* easy… jeez. So, beers for everyone? Except for my dear pal Rickie of course.”

“Maybe you should skip this round too, you know?” Rickie tries to sound casual.

“Yeah, right…” Rayanne walks to the counter to get beers for all but Rickie, but still includes herself.

Sharon leans towards Angela over the table and whispers worriedly, “Are you sure you’re ready for her?”

Angela hesitates and pulls a lock of hair behind her ear. “No, I’m not. But I want to give her another chance, just like I’m giving Jordan… Now’s as good a time as any, I guess.”

Rayanne comes back with the beers, and they all sip at their bottles silently. “Oh come on, who died?”

They all start to laugh reluctantly, but after a while the conversation picks up again. Delia is giggling nervously. “This is so much fun! Rickie and I went to the movies last night and we had a blast!”

“Is that so?” Angela raises her eyebrow in a meaningful manner at Rickie.

“Oh yeah, Rickie’s so sweet! And so much fun!”

Rickie shrugs and averts everyone’s eyes. “You know me…”

Rayanne removes the bottle from her mouth and reacts sarcastically. “Yeah, that’s my pal Rickie, so sweet and so much fun!” She raises her beer-bottle in a toasting gesture.

Just before things can get out of hand, or fall silent again, a man announces the start of tonight’s program. “Here’s the first band we’ve got for you tonight: RESIDUE!”

Angela looks towards the stage, her cheeks glowing with excitement. She turns to her friends. “Ooh, shh, all of you, it’s Jordan!”

The band walks up the tiny stage, and the crowd applauds. Angela and her friends scream and cheer their lungs out.

Sitting down on a stool, Jordan is holding his guitar. He adjusts the microphone, and addresses the crowd. “Hey everyone, welcome, we’re Residue. The first song’s for you, Angela… It’s called 'Set Me Free'…” Jordan’s eyes seek out Angela’s for a brief moment, right before he shuts them, like it hurts too much to look at her.

Flushing instantly, Angela looks at Sharon. “Oh my god! What is happening?” She can’t believe Jordan is going to sing her a song. It’s embarrassing, but it’s so *sweet*! She’s freaking out because of all the nerves that rage through her body.

“Oh my God Angela!” Sharon shares Angela’s excitement.

“Oh my God… He’s not like, serious, is he?” Imitating Sharon and Angela, Rayanne’s lips embrace the bottleneck again, pouring its contents down her throat.

Trying to ignore Rayanne, Angela turns to Rickie for confirmation. “Rickie, he isn’t like, teasing me, like he did with 'Red', which turned out to be about his car?” She’s so nervous, breathing becomes hard. Jordan tricked her into thinking a song was about her once already. But now, he like *told* her, this song’s for her.

Rickie’s face lights up. “I don’t think Jordan Catalano would make fun of you… He’s serious, sweetie!” He can’t help but swoon along with Angela. It’s *so* romantic!

Nervously, Angela looks around the table. “But, he can’t even write love letters, let alone songs! Or can he…?”

“Hey, here’s a thought: maybe he made Brian Krakow write the song instead!” Rayanne’s sarcastic words make all the eyes at the table look in her direction again, this time angrily and shocked.

“Could you like, shut up?!” Angela can think of a million things to say to her, but she won’t, not now.

Nattering through the first chords Jordan played, Angela practically forgets to breathe when Jordan’s hoarse voice finally starts to tell her the most beautiful things she’s ever heard.

"I had no friends and family, but I didn’t care.
I didn’t need anyone, until you were there.
You had your friends and family, and you cared.
You needed all of them, and for me you were there.

I built my own prison,
And you hold the key.
I built my own prison,
Angel, won’t you set me free…

I tried to walk away from you,
From you, and your world.
But since my world was you,
I couldn’t walk away any more.

I built my own prison,
And you hold the key.
I built my own prison,
Angel, won’t you set me free…

Angel, please, set me free…"


Angela VO: “This moment must be the moment that changes my life for good. The song Jordan Catalano wrote for me changes my life, forever. This is better than any letter anyone ever wrote. This makes every mistake that ever happened seem like something so tiny, not worth bothering about any more. The past happened, this is the *now*. This is Jordan Catalano, telling me I am his world, and asking me to set him free…”

When the last notes of the song have starved out, Jordan’s eyes seek out Angela’s again. He seems totally at unease, maybe because he has noticed Rayanne at their table too. Angela tries to give him a comforting smile, and it looks like he answers her smile with a faint one of his own. The crowd applauds and cheers, but Angela can’t hear a thing but Jordan’s words echoing through her head. The sight of him sitting there, holding his guitar, his eyes asking her for security, is burnt onto her retina forever.

Everyone falls to silence, touched by the profound song as much as Angela is.

“So, maybe I should, like, write you a song too, Angelica! Seems to work for Catalano…”  Rayanne spills out in a double tongue.

“Anyway, I’m outta here!” She jumps up from the table, while Angela sends her a filthy stare. She walks to the other end of the café and starts talking to some guy, hitting on him. No doubt she will be umm-ing him in his car before the evening is over…

Angela VO: “Why does Rayanne always have to be this sarcastic? How does she expect to become friends with me again, when she acts like *that*? It gets worse when she has been drinking, and she knows it. It almost cost her her life once already, so why can’t she quit? You know, come to think of it, I actually pity Rayanne, I feel sorry for her. Sorry that she feels the need to prove herself all the time. Because I know her well enough to see it’s just an act to hide her insecurity.”   

Everybody has fallen silent again, feeling awkward. As they all watch Rayanne over by the bar, Kyle walks in. Happily, Sharon jumps up and waves at him. Kyle strides over to the table and takes Rayanne’s place. They order a few more drinks and slowly the fun is coming back.

The rest of the set played by Residue doesn’t really get through to Angela. She’s somewhere else. The beer is making her feel comfortably numb and she is looking at the gorgeous, talented, but insecure Jordan Catalano. *Her* Jordan Catalano.


To be continued…