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.

Heather glared at Cary as she walked past him to put the pizza boxes down on the table in their corner of the bowling alley. Instead of pre-ordering them over the internet and having his mom bring them over like a normal person would, Cary handed her a fifty dollar bill and told her to use her own judgment when it came to toppings. Then he insisted that she leave her backpack behind. She ended up waiting for almost an hour without nothing to distract her. Only the thought of humiliating Cary on the lanes kept her from going insane.

She grabbed her backpack as she glanced around at the people should would be spending a couple of hours with. This was an interesting group of people involved. Only with Cary would it be even possible. If anyone had told Heather she would be bowling with Mary Anne Spier back in the day, she would have laughed in their face. Now the joke was on her younger self. "We have one medium veggie, one medium pepperoni, and one large meat lovers," she said as she as she handed everyone a plate for their pizza. "Let's chow down so we can crush Cary."

Robert was falling behind badly with his English. He knew the reason was all the time he'd been hanging out with Kara, but he didn't want to give that up. He also couldn't, and wouldn't, give up on basketball, so that left lunch. Unfortunately the hot dog he'd scarfed down wasn't really cutting it, and he couldn't concerntrate. He was just moving his chair back to go and get something else to eat, when someone knocked into it, and fell forward almost on to his lap.

"Whoa!" he said, reaching an arm out.

"What do you think of this?" Mary Anne asked, holding up a light blue babydoll dress. She was already eyeing a pair of black leggings to wear underneath on a rack a few over.

She grinned over at Sunny, "I kinda like it...but I don't know if I can pull it off."

They had decided to head over to the mall after school that day and look for some clothes that spoke Spring out to them.

"Ready?" Mary Anne asked, as she approached Cary in the lobby. They had agreed earlier that day, that it would be the perfect night to go out onto the grounds for a snowball fight. As the student's got older, their curfews got later and they had a solid, good three hours before they were required to be in their rooms. They were supposed to be there earlier, for added rest for their team games, but by the latest one a.m. was okay also.

She was a little nervous and rubbed her navy blue mitten-clad hands together for a second. She knew it wasn't a date - at least not in Cary's eyes - but she was also hoping that he liked her, even if just a little.

The lobby was brightly lit, and they opened the big doors leading into it, the chill hitting their faces. It had begun to snow again and quite fiercely, but it didn't matter to them very much and they quickly made their way towards the outer banks of the property.

Mary Anne was sitting in one of the many over-sized armchairs that the main room had in the lodge. But she wasn't just in any armchair - it was the one she had been coming to for as many years as they had come to the lodge. It was the perfect one - in the perfect location, where she could feel the warmth from the fireplace, but stare meaninglessly out the humongous window that covered most of the wall the fireplace was on. It was so comforting to her and her favorite place to snuggle with a blanket and read.

She heard someone plunk down into the chair next to her, and raised her eyebrows over her book to see who. It was Sunny. She placed a bookmark into the fold of the pages, and set the book down into her lap. "Hey," she smiled warmly, "this is a good spot to warm up."

Andi walked around aimlessly in the hallway. The less time she spent near some people the better. She wished she were on another team. She noted somebody in front of her, walking against her.

"hey" she said with her cheerleader smile.

To: caryret
From: maryanne22
Subject: (Valentine's Day)
Dear Hey Cary,

I just wanted to thank you for the flowers you sent me in the fundraiser. It meant a lot to me. I wish I could tell you I sent you a yellow one...but I guess that's why they were supposed to be anonymous. Same with the cookie.

Maybe we can hang out again soon?

Love From,
Mary Anne

It was right before lunch at Stoneybrook High School and like always, Mary Anne went to the restroom before she headed to the cafeteria to eat. And like always, Kristy was with her. It was their thing. They seemed to always head straight there after class.

Mary Anne opened the door for them and heard it close behind them with a small thud as they entered. Pulling her strawberry smuckers lip gloss from her purse, she applied some in the mirror. Then she smoothed out her hair a little. It always seemed to get a little mussed by the time she got to lunch. It was the natural wave she had in it.

"So," she started carefully, taking a sidelong glance at Kristy through the mirror, "are you looking forward to the trip?" Mary Anne was treading on it with a grain of salt. She knew Kristy was probably still frazzled over team captain.

Fresh from hanging out with Katie, Sunny had decided to actually do something about her current lack of socializing with friends, and she'd asked Mary Anne if she could hang out with her that night. She had been pleased, yet surprised, when her friend had suggested a sleepover.

So she was at Mary Anne and Dawn's house waiting for them to open the door.

"You're sure this is okay?" She asked in lieu of a greeting.

Mary Anne placed out a stack of movies on the coffee table. She had hot cocoa simmering on the stove, and a bundle of double chocolate oatmeal cinnamon cookies sat next to the movies.

It had been cold lately, so Mary Anne also put two blankets on the couch so they could each have one in case they got chilly. She settled into one of the cushions, flipping through channels, until Cary arrived.

To: caryret
From: maryanne22

Hey Cary,

I just wanted to thank you for the other night and for your jacket. You don't know how much it meaned to me. Thank you.

As means of repaying such kindness, and because I wanted to hang out without crying everywhere this time, I also wanted to ask you if you would like to come over Monday night and have a Christmas movie marathon with me? I have Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty and about ten other such classics. In danger of coming off as trying to bribe you I also have cookies and hot chocolate. Let me know. :-)

Mary Anne

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Mariah had seen the latest blog entry that Flair had made and had been very confused. She had been pretty sure that those things the blogger had said were just jokes, at least until Cokie had confirmed that she and Logan were really expecting a baby. She didn't really have an opinion on them, but she had noticed that Mary Anne had looked quite upset since the news had broken. That was why she'd decided to visit her.

She rang the doorbell, and waited for a response.

She couldn't stand it. Flair's newest message to the school lay open on her computer Mary Anne held in her lap. She felt the tears forming already. One comment in and they spilled over. Wiping them away with the back of her hand, she quickly typed out her feelings, hit send, and closed her laptop. She had to get out of there. She had to get out of her house. She had to get fresh air. So even though her father and Sharon didn't exactly like Mary Anne being out of the house without a friend at this time of night, she knew she had to do it.

Mary Anne didn't have time to change or grab a coat, or anything. The world felt as though it was collapsing around her all over again and all she wanted was to be outside. And so she ran. She was glad her father and Sharon were out to dinner and that her sister was preoccupied, so she didn't have to hear anyone shout after her. She wouldn't have stopped.

The crisp night air hit her. It was so cold her teeth started chattering. But she couldn't turn around. She knew she couldn't go back into the warmth of her home - to the computer. So she kept going. Until she reached the entrance to Miller's Park, Slowing down, she looked up at the sign above it, when she heard footsteps behind her. She drew her breath in, suddenly quite afraid. Mary Anne closed her eyes.

Ever since her and Sunny's last conversation, Mary Anne had felt pretty bad about the way she treated her and dismissed her feelings. Of course she wasn't an adult and couldn't fix all problems - Sunny was bound to know that - but she also hadn't done a good job of being there, listening, and overall her friend. And that is all Mary Anne concluded Sunny had really needed. A friend.

She had put her own feelings before Sunny's and that was not okay. Sunny had confided in her and Mary Anne turned around a made it about her; like she often did, and it was a twisted habit she was hoping to resolve in the new year. A new year to bring about change in her. Mary Anne sighed, knowing she needed to apologize to Sunny. She picked up her phone and tentatively rolled it around in her hand a few times before sighing again and finding Sunny's number in her contact list. She tapped the send button and pressed the phone against her ear. This was going to be tough.

"Hey Sunny,"  Mary Anne quietly projected once she heard Sunny's voice on the other end, "would you like to come over? I can make us some coffee or tea..." she trailed off in an offer.

Kristy surveyed the den with satisfaction. Snacks were set up, movies were out, and mattresses were strategically placed. Evereything a group of girls needed for an old fashioned sleep over. She only hoped Stacey and Dawn wouldn't break open the mud masks, or worse, the alcohol. She knew her friends peobably thought she was lame, but she didn't care. Kristy Thomas did things the Kristy Thomas way. She heard the bell ring and grinned.

The first guest was here.

The time had finally arrived for Logan to tell Mary Anne about Cokie. He couldn't put it off any longer. But how did you tell your ex girlfriend and good friend who you still cared for, that you were marrying and having a baby with her old enemy slash the girl who tried to break you up many times? Everytime he thought about it, he felt dizzy. They both had a free period after lunch, and had agreed to go to the Rosebud for lunch. Logan looked across at Mary Anne, and cleared his throat.

"Um, so... How was your break?" he asked finally.