AFTER CONTEMPLATING BETWEEN A QUICK DEATH AND HER BROTHERS BASEBALL GAME, Tara had to go with the latter, unfortunately. She knew she would catch Pink at the game, and even worse, Benny, Don, and so on.

Jodi had called her, explaining that she had invited Sabrina with them. She thought that was very nice, Sabrina looked like a nice person. Tara had a mild concern for the younger girl but she quickly pushed it in the back of her head.

Not changing out of her clothes, she sat on the sofa watching the tv while Tommy got ready to go.  Their parents hadn't gotten home yet, still working. He stumbled down the stairs in the middle of a Happy Days episode.

Sighing, she got up and put on shoes, checking herself in the mirror. She ushered him out so she could lock the door.

"Oh, by the way, we gotta pick up Burnett," Tommy said nonchalantly, opening the car door.

"Now you tell me." Tara groaned. They were definitely going to be late. She didn't care, it was his fault for not telling her and it was his game.

They drove to Carl's house and picked him up and continued their way to the pitch. Quite a few cars were starting to pile up to watch the game. The two boys hopped out while Tara went to park the car. She got out and locked it.

Suddenly she was very aware of the crowd. She sighed and rolled her eyes when she figured this was gonna be a long night. The future seniors were standing by the railing, lined up with paddles in their grip.

Tara walked up to the stands, cautious to steer clear of the idiots. She sat down on the opposite side. She didn't know, but Benny noticed her immediately. So had Pink.

The game lasted longer than Tara liked. But they won, so it was worth it. Not the one to admit, she was proud of her brother. She noticed Mitch walk right into the lion's den. Observing Pink, talking to an elderly couple, she went to talk to him.

"Hey, Tara." He smiled, shoving his hands into his pockets. Seeing her face just kept replaying the moment in his head.

"Hi, Pink. Is the party still on later?" she sent him a smile. She was silently convincing herself he had forgotten what happened earlier.

"You didn't hear? Pickford got busted by his parents." He laughed. Of course. She frowned but still laughed. What was she going to do now? Just cruise around with her friends?

"What's with the ambush?" she turned her head to point at Mitch. Randy scratched his head.

"Yeah, I should probably go... Get your brother out of here before they catch up with him too." He put an arm on her shoulder and jogged backward.

Nearing the car, she could see two figures crouching by it.

"Boo!" She successfully scared the two freshmen.

"You can come on out, it's safe, you wimps" she grinned. She unlocked the car and started it, the two boys loading in, with all of their equipment.

To get out of the parking lot they would have to drive past Tara's friends. When they did, Tara waved to Benny and Don and flipped them the finger with a smile on her face. Benny was pissed but Don found it funny.

"Don't worry punks, we'll get ya!" Don yelled after them. He pushed Benny over "What's the matter with ya? Have some fun."

Carl and Tommy kept giggling.

"Some friends y'all are!" she scolded them.

Tara dropped the boys at Carl's house. She would probably get scolded for not bringing her brother home but that wasn't the problem. She rushed home to get ready, afraid her friends would leave without her.  There wasn't much to wear. She chose a white top with a denim vest over it and denim jeans, finishing off with boots.

In a short hour, her friends showed up at her front door. As promised they had taken Sabrina under her wing, intending to show her the high school life.

"Hey!" They waved at her.

"Hello, girls! How are you doing Sabrina? Ready for this night to rock your world?" She nudged the girl's shoulder with a grin.

"Don't worry! Nothing illegal..." Tara smirked.

"Except underage drinking and smoking," Sabrina giggled. Jodi and Tara could still see the innocence glimmering around in her hopeful eyes. They remember when they were like her, when a senior called Janice Anderson showed them the ropes. It was only right they passed on the tradition.

"I like her, she's funny!" Jodi said.

"Funnier than Darla!" Kaye chimed in,

"Come on! Everyone's funnier than Darla. If she was the measure then Don and Benny would be the stars of a sit-com."

They chat for a bit, complimenting each other's outfits, especially Jodi's. Tara was lost in thought, she knew she had forgotten about something, she wanted to tell her.

"Oh, Jodi! The guys totally busted your brother's ass!" She laughs out loud, clutching her stomach. It wasn't necessarily funny, but it kinda was because she knew it was the consequence of Jodi going up to the guys begging to spare he little brother's ass.

"What?" She gasps, averting her gaze from the road. "I totally told them not to!"

"Hey! Eyes on the road!" Kaye grabbed her chin in panic.

"Yeah, you totally did, you idiot! That's literally why they did it!" Tara giggled.

"Well, what about his friends, Carl and your brother Tommy?" Jodi frowned.

"Well, he sacrificed himself for them since I drove them home but I think they'll get their asses later anyways. Lord knows there ain't a lot of brain going on over there."

"I'll totally tell them where Tommy's at!" Jodi taunted.

"Don't mess with my brother!"

Sabrina listened intently, finding comfort in how their conversations were light and funny, they weren't the popular mean girls everyone made them out to be, the movies were completely wrong. She loved it and she secretly hoped that they wouldn't become strangers after this night.

"Hey, you think Shavonne will tell what we said about Simone and Darla?" Kaye gave it a thought.

"Of course she will, that's why I was precise with choosing my words, she always runs to them telling them every single letter of our conversation" Jodi scoffed.

Sabrina was brought back to earth when Kaye cheered loudly as a song came up on the radio. She turned up the volume to Low Rider.

❝ All my friends know the low rider (yeah)
The low rider is a little higher (yeah) ❞

They dropped Tara at the Emporium while they went to the drive-in diner to order drinks and pick up Shavonne.

"Wooderson, please tell me you have not been harassing underage girls." Tara surprised him by squeezing his shoulders.

"Me? I would never. Only you T." he jokingly wrapped his arm around her shoulders bringing her over to Michelle and Pickford.

"Hi, Houston." a voice nicely surprised her from behind. She turned around to a face well-lit with a smile. She removed herself from under Woody's arm to stand closer to Randy next to the wall.

"Hi, Pink." she blushed.

"Where've you been?" He leaned back on the wall, saying hi to some people passing by.

"Cruising around, Nowhere much. Nothing's been happening since this dingus" She raised her voice towards the end gesturing to Kevin, so he could hear her.

"- Got his own party shut down!" She finished, making everyone laugh.

"Hey, you come live with my parents, man!" Kevin retaliated, scoffing and shaking his head,

"Come on. We gotta hurry" Michelle said to Kevin. He pulled her by the hand, abandoning the game of soccer. Tara and a couple of other guys confusingly looked behind the two of them.

"Where are they going?" Tara asked Pink.

"They've got a little surprise." He extended his palm which she took.

"Check this out, man!"

"Yo, Donny! Do the honors!" Kevin yelled. Don opened the emporium doors to reveal two park statues that were converted into members of Kiss.

"Woah, man!"  Don cheered, hopping onto the trailer.

"You did this?" Tara asked Michelle who nodded happily in return.

"It's incredible!"

"Hey, I've got an idea! A beer bust later on." Don squatted down to Pink and Tara.

"You in?" Pink asked.

"Sure. Gotta get back to my girls though. But I'm sure I'll be here again later." She said.

"I guess now it's my turn" He smiled.

"For what?" she asked confused.

"This." He cleared up her confusion right there on the spot when he pressed his lips on hers. Incredolously she widened her eyes but quickly let them close resulting in melting into his touch.

Had he really done it in front of everyone? She was rendered speechless.

She heard a car coming closer, gently stopping him. Only after she had seen his pink cheeks, had she realized it really happened.

"I guess I'll see you later?"

"You will." she nodded and got into the car of her best friend waiting. She couldn't tell them about the kiss, not with Shavonne around.

"So where am I supposed to sit?" Tara said, already beginning to climb in.

"Right here!" Shavonne pointed at her lap.

"So Don suggested a beer bust." She informed her friends.

"Don suggested it so it will most probably fall through." Shavonne inquired.

"I mean, we can check it out," Jodi asked.

"I guarantee we will leave after five minutes." Kaye rolled her eyes.

"I think it will be fun," Sabrina spoke up.

"If Sabrina says it'll be fun, then it will be fun! Onwards Kramer!" Tara cheered.

After cruising around shortly, Jodi followed the guys near the Recreation Center as she guessed they would probably be chasing the freshmen around there.

"Hey, you guys! Knock it off!" Jodi yelled.

"Take it easy on the kid, would you!" Kaye said angrily.

"Ladies." Don walked over, not caring about their demands.

"Can we get one of those beers?" Shavonne asked.

The kid, Tara had recognized as Hirschfelder ran by them. Don called after him, throwing him a beer.

"What are you wasting the beer on him for?" Benny grumbled.

"What's up your ass, man?" Tara looked at him annoyed.

"Nobody asked you," he said, not even looking at her. That showed her what a bitch he was.

"Yeah, no wonder you're acting like this" She added when she saw Fred O'Bannion coming towards them.

"He needs to show that he is an alpha in front of his little bitches." Shavonne teased them.

"Watch your mouth." Fred tried to scare them. They imitated him and Jodi turned around and drove away.

"I mean can you believe this guy!"

"He fucks up and all of a sudden it's my fault for not pining over him and begging him on my knees?" Tara complained.

"You deserve better," Jodi said.

"Oh, she's getting better," Kaye smirked.

"Who are you guys talking about?" Shavonne asked, feeling left out of this conversation.

Tara nodded no to Kaye and Jodi in the rearview mirror.

"Nobody, they're just teasing."

They circled back to Emporium after some time. Kaye had gone off to Wooderso with Shavonne, and Jodi left to go inside. Pink separated himself from Wooderson and found his way to Tara, they leaned on the wall next to the entrance. Sabrina and Mitch doing the same next to them.

"Would you look at them? Young love." she leaned her shoulder next to his, gazing at the couple to the left of them.

"Reminds me of us in freshman year," Pink said. He went to make a move, but Tara stopped him, pinching his cheek.

"Before Simone" she teased him, sadly.

"Before Simone" he sighed, his eyes dropping down to the floor. He unnoticeably put his finger through her belt loop and pulled her closer.

"I think Sabrina's fit for someone more mature." she teased Pink about not being mature.

They stayed quiet for a short minute.

"Look Pink I appreciate you very much, but I hope you know we can't continue this if you're still gonna be in a relationship." She put her hand on his chest.

"I know. I will make it up to you." He promised, kissing her cheek.

"I know you will."

Darla and Simone parked their car and headed toward the entrance, making the two take a step from each other. Simone and Pink vaguely greeted each other, which secretly gave Tara hope that they were losing the spark in their relationship.

━━ 𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙖 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 !

yes i know its rushed and im tired but i just really wanted to get his one out since it has been so long since i last updated!

I'll most definitely go back sometime soon to re-edit it. so you'll see that update, but don't worry i won't rewrite anything important just grammar!

hope you enjoyed!