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.

Kara's dad was back in town. She'd found that out rather abruptly and unpleasantly when she'd entered the apartment after school to find him sitting on the couch, watching TV and drinking a beer. He'd smiled at her and asked how her day was — like he hadn't been gone for months. In return, she'd thrown her bookbag on the floor and stormed back out without saying a word. She hated when he did that; showed up without any warning like nothing had happened. Why hadn't her mother given her a head's up? Kara was going to give them both an earful when she got back.

Needing to cool down and get her mind off of things, Kara headed to King Kone's and ordered her usual "people suck" special — two scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in a waffle cone. Sitting down at one of the small two-person booths once she had her cone, she took out her phone. Her thumb ran over the buttons on the keypad a few times as she debated whether or not she should text Amelia and ask her to join her. She decided against it, though, not wanting to ruin her friend's day as well.

The jingling of the bell above the door as someone entered caused her to look up — and then slowly sink down in the booth. It was Robert. Although she'd given up trying to get him to leave her alone, she didn't actively seek him out, either. If he saw her, he'd probably join her, and then they'd get to talking and Prom was bound to come up. It was all most people could talk about. Kara didn't want to think about it right now, though. Maybe she could slip out unnoticed once he was up at the counter. Or... not. He'd just spotted her, so there went that plan. Naturally. She gave him a half-hearted wave.

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.

TO: brewster_robert
FROM: kmauricio
SUBJECT: (no subject)

Here's my cover of For No One by The Beatles.

If you show this to anyone, I will end you.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Kara
ATTACHMENT: fno-tb.mp3

Marty was so sure his mother was going to leave on Christmas that he didn't know why he was surprised when he got the note less than a week after New Years. It was on the table. Written in her swirly cursive and scented of lavender. Even as he picked the piece of notebook paper up, he was thinking how cliche it was that it smelled like lavender. He knew his dad hadn't seen the note yet, so he put it back on the table and rooted around in his pocket for his phone.

Instinctively, he started to text Sheila, but changed his mind quickly.

clarissa is gone, he texted Robert. the b!tch left

She hadn't specified if she took Rachel with her, but Marty suspected Rachel would have told him, and he saw her pink sneakers still standing by the kitchen door. That cheered him up, but not enough to refrain from digging around in the fridge looking for a beer.

When he couldn't find any, he texted Robert again, even though he hadn't responded to his previous text yet.

heading to o'tooles

The only seedy bar in town had the blindest bartender. He believed every single fake I.D. he ever looked at. It was the perfect place.

Robert had never been this confused about a girl before. Even Savannah. He'd thought about kissing Kara, and her running out pretty much all day. He'd seen her once, and hadn't known whether to ignore her or smile, so he'd done both at the same time which probably looked like a grimace. After he saw her the second time, however, he decided to text her. He'd gotten her number from Mari after some lane story about needing a piano player for a family thing. It took him all of English, but he finally wrote up and sent his text:

I'm sorry. Robert.

Sitting in the music room Monday after school, Kara half-hoped Robert wouldn't show. Maybe he hadn't even seen her journal entry, or maybe he hadn't figured out the hidden message. The odd thing was, she had no clue why she'd posted it, or why she wanted to see him again. She'd pretty much gotten him to leave her alone, then she had to go and ask him to meet her. Why?

Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe she could leave now and avoid having to try to explain the reason she'd asked him to come, a reason she herself didn't even know.

She'd just stood up, preparing to go, when he appeared in the doorway. Sh!t, she thought, as she slowly sat back down.

Click the pic and come on in!

( Read more... )

A few days after her encounter with Robert, Kara had asked Amelia to meet her at Pizza Express to talk about it. Okay, Kara mostly wanted to complain, but that was beside the point. She'd offered to buy Amelia's pizza, so she figured that made up for it.

They were sitting in a booth and had just received their piping hot slices of pizza, when Kara decided to dive right into her troubles. "So, I swear, the basketball team must have some sort of bet to see who can drive me insane. First RJ and now Robert?" True, Robert hadn't actually expressed interest in her, but having a conversation with him was enough.

Robert was one of the last to leave the Gym after practice. His hair was still wet from the shower, and he didn't feel like going straight out into the cold, so he decided to detour through the school to get to his car. As he was walking passed the music room, he heard playing coming from inside. He walked over to the open door, and stood listening for a few minutes, as a girl with her back to him played.

Great Barrier Reef
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_barrier_reef

Lunchtime: Chinatown
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown,_Sydney

By some miracle, all the kids had managed to show up to SHS on time, and with the correct travel documentation. The flight from Conneticut to Atlanta had gone smoothly, and even the short layover in Atlanta, during which they'd had to practically run from one terminal to another to make the connection had gone smoothly. The big test, however, would be collecting all their bags at LAX, and going through International security there. But for now, everyone was settling in for the almost five hour flight to LA.

RJ had felt like Pizza. He tried not to go to Pizza Express too much, because he didn't want Darcy to think he wasn't over her. Thinking about Darcy had given him an idea though, and he texted a few people to come to Pizza Express, telling them to text the others. It was time for a good old fashioned Pizza Express get together.

Robert hadn't heard from Marty since the party. He knew he hadn't been hurt or anything, but decided to give the guy some space anyway. But it was almost a week, and that was enough. The gang was getting together later at Pizza Express, and Robert decided to show up at Marty's early, and go along with him. Marty didn't know he was going, and he hoped he hadn't been drinking all day. 

Ringing the bell, he waited.

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.

Robert was starving, he hadn't eaten since lunch, and was afraid he would pass out from the hunger. He was right near pizza express, but there was only one problem. Darcy could be working. Although he'd had a fantastic time with Darcy at Prom, it had only made him more confused. Even taking out Savannah and Andi (who he'd barely seen since Spring Break) things with Darcy were complicated, and so yeah, he was kind of avoiding her. He decided on Thelma's instead, trying to hide his disappointment even from himself. He scanned the tables and saw a friend right away... Corinne. They had some history, yeah, but she was great to talk to, and a little flirty. He headed towards her, hoping he wasn't about to make everything even more complicated.