Ok finally decided to continue my main save path from v0.7.1 (actually had to use a save from v0.6.2
![KEK :KEK: :KEK:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
) only to find out that v0.9.1.1 still has major bugs (homecoming now has serious visual glitches when before it did not)... and one of them is game-breaking in v0.8 since you can't continue the story when you send a text to Lauren/Riley...
Anyway, decided to try and solve the error myself... and looks like it works, the next scene shows up.
So download the file "scene37.rpy" and place it in "game\v0.8" folder.