Stoneybrook Ayr

That's it, they've GRADUATED!

The students sat in their seats, playing with their navy and white caps and gowns. Some turned to wave to friends and family, some whispered with classmates sitting near them, and some slouched in their chairs, ready for the ceremony to start.

It had taken four years, some felt like the time had passed in no time at all, others felt it had dragged out forever. All the winter lodge trips, boy toy auctions, homecomings, proms, dances, parties. The trips to Disney World, California, Australia. The hook ups, the break ups, the scandals. This class had been through a lot together, and this was it. The end. Graduation.

Cokie wanted to stab herself in the eye.  With a rusty fork.  Repeatedly. 

Being ten days overdue was akin to torture.  She was never comfortable, she still couldn't stand the baby's father, and she was sick of being as big as a cow.  But maybe the day had finally come.  After suffering through excruciating contractions a better part of the day, she telephoned her mother who was rushing home to take her to the doctor.  Taking a deep breath as another contraction subsided, she made one more phone call.

"Can you meet me at the hospital?" she whispered urgently into the phone.

Absolutely nothing in the lunch line looked appealing to Cokie. Same old slop, different day. She mindlessly grabbed a few items, not even caring what they were, and threw them on her tray. As she set her tray on the table Grace had saved for them, she heaved a sigh. "There's something I don't get..." she said, looking at her friend with a raised eyebrow.

Grace had been feeling so down since the other night. She couldn't talk to anyone but Cokie, which she was used to, but Cokie had her own stuff going on today. Grace had decided the only thing that would even possibly cheer her up with a root beer float, and she headed to the Rose Bud.

The thought of running into King had crossed her mind, which almost made her turn back, but even worse was running into the one person she hadn't prepared herself to see - Rick. He spotted her first, and was approaching before she realised.

Too late to run, she thought, giving him a smile.

"Hey!" she said, sounding happier than she felt.

At the last minute, Clarence and Maureen had decided to go away for the weekend. While they'd debated asking Grandpa Clarence over to stay with King and Stacey, Stacey had pleaded for them to be left on their own, and promised she would keep things under control. She'd automatically asked Austin to come over, thinking she had to make it up to him for yesterday. She wasn't sure if she was ready to go all the way yet, but she wanted to be. Unbeknownst to Stacey, King had plans of his own. She heard the doorbell ring, and expecting to find Austin on the stoop, she rushed down to open the door. She felt a little more prepared this time, wearing her cutest bra and matching underwear. She opened the door, and instead of Austin, about six of the guys on the football team stood there. Brushing past her, they made their way inside.

"KING!" She screamed out, furious. This was not what she had in mind.

Logan was frustrated. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about, and cursing Cokie since his run in with her the other week. The only good thing about it was he wasn't as focused on his parents fighting. He didn't know why he kept allowing himself to be baited by her, sometimes even seeking it out. Something must be wrong with him. But Cokie was unlike Dori and Mary Anne in about every single way possible, and for some reason, he was seriously attracted to it. Not just her, because anyone with two eyes could see she was hot. But attracted to her attitude, the way she talked, acted, everything.

Even if it frustrated the hell out of him. 

He had to do something, anything though, to get this fascination to end. He couldn't really see them dating, although a part of him wondered what that would be like. So it was with determination he headed over to Cokie's house that night, determination directed toward what, he didn't know, but determination.

This time, he got out of the car, walked up to the front door, and rang the bell.

Grace had been humiliated ever since Flair had come out, waaaaay too embarassed to even show her face. She was still furious with Cokie, and hadn't even been texting her with more than one word replies. She'd also been seeing some of the things people had been saying, about her, and the fact they couldn't believe she'd done anything with King, because people thought - she didn't even like to think it, it made her blush. People thought she was like Abby or Sabrina! For Cokie! It was worse than embarassing. Sure, she didn't have a boyfriend, and sure, she didn't sleep with guys left right and centre, but that was because she had standards! She opened her laptop again, determined to go and read Flair for the 50th time, when she saw a name pop online.

Furious, she started typing.

Gracewiththeface: YOU! Tell people nothing happened with us and that you locked me in the bathroom against my will!

Let the Junior Prom of 2012 begin!