Chapter 20

Last seen: Dr. and Mrs. Ben Graham and their daughter Emma Graham (senior at prestigious Patricia Loyalton School for Girls) having cocktails and appetizers at the Yale Club, celebrating their daughter's admission to Yale University's Class of 2009. Their son, Henry, already attends Yale University, and will be graduating as one of the top students of the Class of 2007. Also seen: the Wood family, Brown Family, Patrick family, Hardman Family, and Andrews family, all celebrating their children's (seniors at Patricia Loyalton School for Girls and Kingston School for Boys as members of the high school Class of 2005) admission to Yale University's Class of 2009.

"Ahh!" all four girls screamed at the top of their lungs. They were standing outside some random warehouse/club downtown, where some random girl in their grade was throwing a hugely massive party. For no reason. Yeah right, it was a "we all just got into the Ivy of our choice, early!" party!

"This calls for MUCH partying!" Liz screamed, already tipsy from the drinks she had enjoyed with her parents. Weren't they all? They would officially all grow up together, join the same sororities and fraternities, marry the same best friends, and all live in the penthouses of buildings that were right next to each other. They would all send their kids to Brick Church preschool, then to Loyalton and Kingston, then to fabulous universities, and would forever be popular, rich, and fabulous...

Don't we all hate them though? The ones who will forever get whatever their little hearts desire, just because they're either a. born with it, b. can pay for it, c. can get their parents to "make a call," or (more likely) d. totally deserve it!

"Oh my god! I just got into fucking Yale!" Mandy screamed at the top of her lungs once they were inside. The music was so loud, she sounded like she was shouting, not going to the loudest she physically could.

"Ahh!" Emma agreed, screaming, and swooping her into a huge bear hug. The two girls stood like that for a long time, feeling happy for themselves and each other.

"Okay gals, time to partay all night!" Emma screamed, pulling away from her.

"Yeah!" all four girls shouted.

They headed to the bar. Of course.

"Four Ketel One shots..." Nicky slapped her hand on the bar like a guy.

"Coming right up!" the bartender yelled in a party voice.

Some insanely wild rock song came screaming out of the speakers as the four shot glasses were slammed onto the bar, and the liquor came pouring across the glasses, overflowing them onto the bar.

Each girl grabbed the lime and salt, and prepared.

"Ready?"

Lick of salt.

Toss their heads back with the shots.

Clunk the glasses down as they bit into lemons.

That's where Emma got her eating-raw-lemons addiction. She could sit there and eat lemons straight.

"Well done..." a voice came up behind her, arms encircling her waist, molding their body against her backside.

She whirled around in the arms.

It was Luke.

"Fuck off ... Another round!" she flagged down the bartender.

The other guys had appeared as well, and Mandy and Chris and Liz and Dan were swapping saliva, like they could have cared less about the other round. Nicky had disappeared, and Jake was no where to be found also. She might as well have been alone at the bar.

"Forget the round," he said to the bar tender when he arrived. "Cosmopolitan and Jack and Coke."

He always knew what she wanted, even when she liked several different drinks, he always knew exactly what she was in the mood for.

"You don't..."

"I know..." he dug into his pocket, and pulled out a cigarette case. He stuck two between his lips, and lit them with her favorite lighter of his, his Red Hot Chili Peppers one. It was amazing how they could understand each other without having to finish their sentences.

"Here..." he handed one to her.

She took a puff and blew the smoke in his face. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm just giving you a cigarette," he said, fanning the smoke away.

"Whatever..." she took a large gulp of her cosmo.

"Hey ... congratulations on Yale," he looked genuinely really sincere. Surprisingly enough.

"Wow, thanks..." she was genuinely touched. "How about... ?" she didn't dare finish the sentence in case he didn't get in. She put out her cig.

He nodded, and started grinning, "All four of us..."

She broke out into a grin also, she couldn't help it, they had grown up together. She couldn't help but partake in the joy. "Oh my god, congratulations," she slammed down her drink, the pink liquid sloshing, and threw herself into his arms, her arms going around his neck, and squeezing tightly.

He started laughing, "Hey, thanks!"

She was more than talking to him, she was actually engaging in physical contact with him!

He inhaled deeply. God she smelled good. Like roses, clean laundry, Clinique Happy Heart perfume, and her unique her smell. He felt her breath against his ear as she whispered, "Congratulations," in his ear again. Her luxurious golden brown hair brushed against his cheek as she pulled away, and he felt that same old shiver he used to feel flow through his body.

"So, how have you been?" he asked.

Now she sipped daintily, not chugging for something to do in order to not talk to him like she had been doing before.

"The usual ... getting into Yale," she joked.

They laughed together, and she felt the old familiar thrill flowing through her.

"You?"

He grinned, "Same here."

"So, you're definitely going?" he asked.

She nodded. "It's been my dream since forever," she said softly, peering up into his gorgeous sapphire eyes (which were almost identical to her own). And being loved by, and in love with, you, she added mentally as her other dream since forever. God she loved him, and God she wished nothing had ever happened with that other girl.

"Are you going?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer. Oh God, his eyes!

"It's been my dream too..." he half whispered. The music had changed to a seriously slow slow song. Something by U2.

The second she was actually paying attention the music, one of their songs came on. With Or Without You by U2.

"Want to dance?" he asked as the first strums of the song came on, a shy grin playing on his face.

She nodded, and allowed him to lead her to the middle of the dance floor.

He slipped his strong, tanned arms around her slender, even more tanned waist. His finger played along her spine in time with the music. He was a pianist, a drummer, a guitar player, a bass player ... The four guys were in a band together, and he was one of those guys who could have played any of the instruments in the band.

She slipped her arms up around his neck, and they pressed close to each other.

His cheek rested against hers, and they swayed together in time to the music. She felt the tears of nostalgia coming to her eyes.

"See the storm set in your eyes, see the thorn twist in your side, I'll wait for you ... Slide of hand and twist of fate, on a bed of nails she makes me wait, and I'll wait without you ... with or without you ... with or without you...

"Through the storm we reach the shore. You give it all but I want more ... And I'm waiting for you ... With or without you, with or without you I-i, I can't live ... with or without you..."

He was singing along, and her eyes were quickly filling. His voice was beautiful.

"My hands are tied ... my body bruised, she got me with nothing to win and nothing left to loose..."

That was exactly how he felt. And it was exactly how she felt, and thought he was feeling.

The tears overflowed, and on one side, one tear met his cheek as it rolled down hers.

She pulled her face away, and he looked at her in such a concerned way, it made a few more tears flow down.

"I can't live ... with or without you..." he mouthed, using his thumb to wipe away the tears that were racing down her cheeks.

He put his hand behind her head, and pulled her towards him. She rested her forehead on his broad, muscular shoulder. Oh God.

Her shoulders shook.

He wrapped his arms more tightly around her, and just rocked her. She tried to absorb some of the strength she was sensing. Maybe he was as weak if not more so than she was at that moment.

She inhaled deeply, trying to control her sobs. She was being ridiculous. Why was she crying to him? Twenty minutes before, she was determined to ignore him, and never speak to him again. That didn't last long, she thought to herself through the tears. At least her nose wasn't running yet and she wasn't getting all freaky crying like that. Yet.