Nate is standing next to the Valedictorian. He looks over at me and whispers something to the girl. He holds her hand and walks over to me. "Chloe, I want you to meet my Best Friend Teresa."

I punch his arm. "Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend."

He shakes his head. "She's not my girlfriend. She's just a girl that's my friend."

Teresa touches his arm. "Yeah, right. Is that what you say to all the girls that you make-out with, in the broom closet?" She flutters her eyes at him.

Laughing, I say. "I like this girl."

Nate's face turns red and he groans. "Why did I have to introduce you to each other? I'm going to be bagged on a lot more."

Teresa and I start laughing. She pinches his cheeks. "I know you love it, baby."

He slaps her hand away. "Stop it."

Teresa's parents walk over to us. They look at their daughter and then my brother.

A smile spreads across her face. "Now, I understand where all the talk about Nate comes from. You had a crush on your best friend."

Her face starts to heat up. "Mom,"

The Mom hugs Teresa. "You can go to the party tonight. We will give you a free pass to do whatever you kids do. Your father and I went to a few parties in High School. So, this one is all yours to go to. If you're going to drink you will have to find a place to sleep or call a cab. Your father and I are trusting you to be responsible."

Teresa hugs her. "Thanks, Mom."

Nate looks at her parents. "I will take her to and from the party."

"Really? So, you're not going to drink?"

Jai steps in. "I have a limo that can take them to and from the party. Nate will make sure Teresa gets home safely."

Teresa's parents kiss her before they leave. "Bye, sweetheart."

Teresa holds Nate's hand. "What are we doing now?"

Nate looks at me. "What are we doing?"

"I think we'll have a barbecue. Invite the football team. It'll probably be the last time you hang out. Most of you will be busy packing and getting settled wherever you're going to school."

Teresa looks at Nate. "He's going to my school."

Nate knows how to keep secrets from me. Teresa seems good for him and I'm happy that he has a friend like that. But, I wonder why he didn't want to introduce us to her any earlier?

I grab Nate's arm and look at him. "Why didn't you tell me earlier about her?"

"I didn't want you to embarrass me in front of her." He hugs me. "But, I can tell you didn't want to do that."

I whisper for only him to hear. "I have a lot of time to do that, Nate. You're just not going to expect it." I pull away from him. "I love you, Nate."

Veronica and Ricky walk over to us. "Hi, everyone."

Veronica looks at me. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," Veronica and I walk away from the group.

"I know you're going through a rough time watching your sister..." she cuts herself off. "I was actually thinking that you should take the night off and keep an eye on your brother's party."

Shaking my head. "I can't do that. She's my responsibility."

Veronica pulls me into her arms. "You have my husband and me here now. Sometimes, you need a break from everything and enjoy life. Aleysa, wouldn't want you to sit around while she's..." she cuts herself off as she knows how much this subject of my sister dying is to me.

I just wished there was a way to save her, but I know that's not a possibility.

"Please, accept some help and enjoy a couple of hours away from the house. I will send Gerald over to shut down the party."

"Will he shut down the party or will he actually join in?"

She shrugs. "I don't know, but I do have a feeling he might join in with the kids."

That's what I thought.

"Okay, I will go to the party for a bit, but if anything happens to Aleysa can you call me?"

"I will." She hugs me. "I will see you later tonight."

Veronica and Ricky congratulate Nate on his Graduation from High School. She tells him that they will see him tomorrow and then they leave.

***

At 10 pm, the party is going off. Kids are everywhere and red solo cups are filled with alcohol.

Jai pulls a couple apart that were about to pull each other's clothes off in front of a room full of people.

Why can't Gerald hurry up and get here? I don't want to spend any more time with these kids.

Nate walks into the room with a girl hanging off him and he looks at me. "Help me!" He mouths.

I walk over to him. "Where's Teresa?"

He shrugs. "I don't know, but she walked away when this girl decided to hang off me."

"I'll look upstairs." I walk up the stairs and start looking in the rooms. I don't see her in any of the rooms. I walk over to the window in the bedroom that Jai and I shared when we were living here. I see someone standing on the balcony.

Making my way to the balcony a girl turns towards me. I notice that it's Teresa and she smiles. "Hi, Chloe."

I sit next to her. "What are you going here?"

She turns towards me. "Some girl was all over Nate and I didn't want to see that. So, I came out here." She looks at the house. "No one will miss me if I stay out here."

I type a quick message to my brother.

I put my phone back in my pocket and I wait for him to walk out the door.

Nate walks out the door and he's on his own.

He finally got rid of the girl.

Entering the house I walk to the kitchen. I fill up a solo cup with beer and then walk through the house looking for Jai. I see him sitting at a table with the guys from the football team.

Jai looks up and his eyes land on me. "Come over here, baby."

I walk over to him and sit on his lap. I kiss his cheek. "Nate's outside with Teresa."

"Good for him. He was looking for her, but some girl was hanging off his arm. He pushed the girl into a drunk guy and she started to kiss him. He had a smile on his face when he got a text. So, I'd say it was good news."

"That was me. I helped him look for Teresa. She walked away when the girl started to hang off Nate. She didn't like seeing that. I wouldn't be happy if I saw a girl other than me hang off you."

"You're the only woman. I'm going to have to hang off me for the rest of my life." He taps the ring. "This here is a promise that I will be faithful for the rest of my life. If you die."

"I die," I whisper.

"Why don't we leave the kids to their party and we head upstairs for our own party?"

A smile spreads across my face. "I was thinking the same thing."

***