That's all we need

Ginger sat alone at a table, thinking, while everyone else was dancing, enjoying the reception. It had been forty-five minutes since she woke up on the carpeted floor of the church. So much happening – Dr. Dave's mother framing him for cheating on Ginger's mother, Carl's long lost dog, Monster, returning, her sweet boyfriend, O'rien, in the audience, along with her ex-boyfriend, Darren and his current girlfriend, Simone- made her faint. Everyone surrounded her chaotically, worried, and O'rien was even holding her hand.

When she first woke up, she had no clue where she was, and there was only one person she wanted to see. The person that knew her better than she knew herself. The person that consumed her thoughts. The boy that she loved with all her heart. Darren. His name escaped her lips in a whisper. She saw him break Simone's hold on him and join the circle around her. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. It was enough that he was there.

She finally looked to the side, and the sadness in her boyfriend's eyes made her remember where she was and what was going on. She was at her mother's wedding. Oh no. O'rien had heard the name she whispered, the name that didn't belong to him.

Ginger was brought out of her thoughts by a tap on her shoulder. She turned her head to see O'rien sitting beside her. "How are you feeling?" he asked, looking concerned.

She could only manage a weak smile. "Fine."

"You should eat something. Get your strength back up."

"Mom, Dodie and Macie have been force-feeding me. I can't eat another bite."

A moment of awkward silence passed between the two before Ginger looked at him very seriously and said, "We need to talk."

O'rien just nodded.

"You're a great guy, and I'm not being fair to you."

"It's Darren, isn't it?"

Ginger nodded. "You deserve someone who's not still hung up on her ex-boyfriend, someone who can give you her full attention, and that's not me."

"Okay," O'rien stated simply before getting up and leaving the reception.

Ginger hated hurting him. He really was a good guy, but what else could she do? Her eyes mindlessly roamed over the dance floor and across the other tables, landing on Darren and Simone. They were standing near a table a few feet away, having a conversation. Ginger couldn't hear anything, but Simone did not look happy.,

Darren gave Simone an apologetic look. "I can't be with you anymore."

"Because of Ginger, right?" Simone asked, disdain In her voice.

"I'm sorry, Simone."

"You'll regret this, Darren Patterson," Simone hissed before stomping away and leaving the building.

Darren didn't enjoy hurting Simone, but truth be told, he was glad they were over. She had been acting really weird lately, and something about their relationship just felt off. Actually, no. That didn't just start. They were never right for each other. He only started dating Simone because things were easier with her than with Ginger.

Ginger. There were problems in Darren and Ginger's relationship. He loved her, but they were getting involved with their own things and had no time for each other. And it didn't seem like she cared about what was important to him. She rarely ever came to his football games, and when she did, she didn't cheer him on or even pay attention to the game. If he was being honest with himself, he wanted her back, but he knew that would take time. He hurt her a lot, but he was determined to at least get his best friend back. He saw her sitting by herself and walked over to her.

"Hey," Darren greeted once he reached Ginger.

Ginger lifted her head and smiled.

"Can we talk?"

Ginger nodded, stood up and headed towards the exit. She was right. They should have this conversation somewhere more private. Once outside, they sat on a stone bench under an oak tree. An awkward silence fell over them.

"I broke up with Simone."

"I broke up with O'rien."

Realizing they spoke at the same time, Darren and Ginger shared a laugh.

Darren spoke first. "Why?"

"It's not fair to either of us if my whole heart isn't in the relationship," Ginger replied. "What about you?"

Darren explained how weird Simone had been acting lately. "Reminded me of Miranda." Ginger's face morphed into an expression of disgust, making him laugh. Then he continued, apologizing for hurting Ginger. "But I've realized easy doesn't always mean better or right." He took a deep breath and stared right into Ginger's eyes. "I'm still in love with you."

"I'm still in love with you too, but…" Ginger trailed off.

"You're not ready to be together yet," Darren finished.

"Right. I think we should-"

"Rebuild our friendship first and go from there," Darren said, finishing her sentence again.

Ginger opened her mouth, and Darren knew that she was about to apologize. He didn't let her, telling her not to be sorry and that he agreed. She gave him a grateful smile, and the two of them enjoyed each other's company for a few more moments before going back inside. As soon as they entered the building, Dodie came up to them and gave them a strange look. She asked what was going on, and they explained that they were friends again. Darren thought he saw the blond glare at him, but he wasn't sure. She grabbed Ginger's hand, Ginger grabbed Darren's hand, and the three of then joined Macie on the dance floor. Macie gave them a strange look as well, and Darren thought Dodie acted pretty weird towards him all night.

Monday at school, Dodie, Macie and Ginger were walking to class when Ginger heard someone call her name.

"Ginger!" Darren called walking toward the trio of girls.

Ginger grinned. "Hey, Darren!"

"Hey, Dodie, Macie," Darren said to the other two girls once he reached the group.

"Hello there, Darren," Macie greeted politely but also stiffly, Ginger noticed.

"Darren," Dodie responded in a snobbish tone of voice, turning her head away.

Ginger and Darren chatted animatedly while they walked with a silent Macie and a glaring Dodie. Eventually, Darren had to turn the corner, leaving the girls alone. They continued walking to class in silence. The two quiet girls stayed that way for the most part, only speaking when they absolutely had to. Ginger found this very odd. She knew they were having trouble adjusting to Darren again, but they shouldn't be having this much trouble.

A few hours later, Ginger, Macie and Dodie were eating their lunch in awkward silence.

"This isn't a good idea, Ginger," Dodie told the redhead with confidence, breaking the silence.

Ginger gave her friend a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

"Letting Darren back into our group," the pigtailed girl responded. "You're going to push us to the side again."

Ginger looked at Macie, but the girl only stared at her food, saying nothing. Was this really happening? Were they really being this childish? Again? Finding out her two best friends were trying to break her and Darren up earlier that year took a toll on their friendship. She cried in Darren's arms that night and seriously thought about ending her friendship with Dodie and Macie, but she couldn't. They wouldn't try that again… Right?

"Not this again," Ginger said with annoyance.

"But-" Dodie started.

"Hello ladies," Darren interrupted. "Can I join you?"

Ginger scooted over, and Darren took a seat.

"We have to go," Dodie said suddenly, leaving the room and dragging Macie with her.

Darren just watched them go, confused. "Okayyyy."

Ginger told him not to worry about it, and they enjoyed the rest of the lunch period.

After school, Darren walked confidently, with a full bag in his hand, to the football field.

" Patterson!" A large man, wearing a whistle around his neck, walked up to the High School freshman with anger written on his face. "You're late! Suit up and get out there!"

Darren looked his coach in the eye, unblinking. "No, sir."

"What do you mean, no?"

""I quit," was the teenage boys simple reply.

The coach's expression morphed from anger to confusion. "Qujt? You can't quit."

"Well, I just did," Darren stated, handing the coach his bag which contained his football jersey and helmet. He turned around and walked away.

"But you're a legacy!" he heard the coach shout from behind him but said nothing and kept walking.

Once he arrived at the front of the school, Darren spotted Ginger coming out the front doors. "Ginger!"

"Hey, Darren!" Ginger called back and met him at the bottom of the stairs.

"I quit the team!" Darren shouted gleefully, lifting Ginger off of her feet and spinning her around without thinking. "No more football! It feels so good to be free of that!"

He never liked football. His dad and brother watched it on TV and played it all of the time, but not him. They always begged him to join them, but he refused. He didn't like sports at all, to his father's dismay, but he found football to be the worst. Not only did it not interest him, but he wasn't a fan of the violence. He found it all very savage. In fact, the only reason he joined the team in High School was partly due to pressure from his dad, brother and coach and partly because of the attention he got being so good. He was glad to be rid of it.

Ginger laughed as Darren spun her around and didn't respond until her feet hit the ground again. "I'm glad you're happy," she said with a sincere voice, then gave Darren a quick peck on the cheek.

Darren was surprised to say the least. Didn't she just tell him a couple of days ago that they should be friends first. He wasn't complaining, just shocked. His own behavior was even shocking, but he didn't regret it. His surprise must have shown on his face because Ginger's eyes widened, and her cheeks turned pink.

""S-sorry," Ginger apologized with a shaky voice.

"I-it's cool," Darren stammered. There was a moment of awkward silence before Darren broke it. ""So… headed home?"

Ginger smiled, clearly grateful for the subject change. "I had a meeting with one of my teachers, but he canceled. I thought I would sit on the steps and write until my mom picks me up."

"Yeah, my dad won't be here until football practice is over. That'll be a fun conversation."

"It'll be fine," Ginger said. "Just be honest and tell him how miserable you were."

Darren was grateful for her positivity and smiled. "Anyway, want to hang out?"

"Sure," his red-headed friend responded. "Oh man! I forgot something in my locker. Be right back."

Darren watched as the girl made her way back inside the school.

Ginger retrieved her math book from her locker and began to walk toward the school entrance, passing the bathroom. She stopped walking and thought to herself that she needed a bit more time to think before she faced Darren. She walked into the girls restroom, locked herself in a stall and let her thoughts run wild.

Ginger tried to move on and make things work with O'rien, she really did. She liked him a lot, but Darren was the one. She figured that out at her mom's wedding. She knew she was young, but she knew how she felt. She had been serious though about rebuilding their friendship. She wanted to learn how to be around him again with no anger and no pressure but…

"You can't tell me you're okay with this," an all too familiar voice said, interrupting the redhead's thoughts.

Ginger knew that voice. It was Dodie. She listened.

"No, not really," came Macie's voice.

"She's going to push us to the side again." Dodie began. "Ginger and Darren can't get back together. It'll ruin everything. We have to stop it."

Macie said, "How?"

"I can help with that," a new voice entered the conversation.

Simone.

The redhead listening from inside the stall backed away from the door with her mouth hanging open. They were really doing this again? Hot tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes, tears of not only sadness but also anger. That was the Last Straw. She was going to do what she should have done the time they tried to break her and Darren up after she came back from that art school. She took a deep breath, unlocked the stall and walked out, holding back her tears.

"What we do is-" Simone began.

"What we do is what, Simone?" Ginger interrupted calmly after slamming the stall door open.

The three girls just stared at Ginger, dumbfounded, as she approached them. She finally stopped right in front of them, crossed her arms and stared at them expectantly.

"It's not what you think, Ginger," Dodie stated, panicking.

"I can't believe you would try something like this again," Ginger told them, alternating between looking Dodie and Macie in the eye.

"But Simone-" Macie started.

"I don't care about Simone." Ginger cut the girl with the glasses off, barely containing her rage. "You're supposed to be my best friends. You're supposed to be Darren's friends too."

Dodie gave the angry girl puppy dog eyes. "Ginger-"

"We're not BFFs anymore." Ginger whjspered the statement and turned her back on her two former best friends. Simone was nowhere in sight. She must have left without anyone noticing. Figures.

"But Ginger-" Macie called from behind.

Ginger left the restroom without letting Macie finish. She walked outside to see Darren leaning against the stair railing.

"Hey!" the brown haired boy shouted with a smile. Then his expression morphed into worry. "What happened?"

Ginger reached the bottom step and sat down. Darren sat beside her and waited patiently. For a minute, there was silence, then Ginger started sobbing. He put his arms around her without hesitation, and she wrapped her arms around him as well, crying on his chest. She needed comfort, so she wasn't about to push him away. Once she finally calmed down, she filled him in on what she overheard in the restroom.

Darren let out a sigh. "Can't say I'm surprised about Simone. She was starting to act like Miranda. As for Dodie and Macie…" he trailed off. " I'm not all that surprised about them either."

Ginger looked at Darin questioningly, silently asking him to explain.

"Well," Darren started. "They've done it before, and they haven't seemed like my biggest fans lately, especially Dodie."

"True," Ginger responded.

"You're an amazing person," Darren stated matter-of-factly. "You're smart, kind, funny, sweet and so much more. They don't deserve you as a friend."

Ginger's eyes turned into saucers. She was shocked to say the least. Did he really think all of that about her? Sure, she knew that he was still in love with her, but she didn't realize just how strong his love was. She then noticed that his arms were still around her and tighter than before. They were still holding each other. She felt so happy and safe in his arms.

Looking back on her life, Darren was always a much better friend to her than the girls. He never judged her, he didn't easily get mad at her like the girls, and he wasn't obsessed with popularity, unlike a certain blond. She didn't need to learn to be around him again. They didn't need to rebuild anything. Her anger was gone and she felt no pressure.

Ginger took one of her hands off of Darren's back and put it on his cheek, silencing him. She smiled at him and leaned in. They met in the middle, and their lips touched, setting fireworks off in each other's hearts. This felt so good, so right to both of them. They finally pulled apart, needing to breathe. They gazed at each other for a moment, catching their breath.

"Will you be my girlfriend again?" Darren asked. "I won't let you go again, I promise."

Ginger's heart felt like it was going to burst from pure joy. "You betcha."

Darren smiled and pecked her lips. "We don't need them." Darren began playing with a strand of red hair. "We have each other."

Ginger snuggled even more into her boyfriend's arms. "That's all we need."