"No you don't get a chaser," I heard Rebecca sternly tell Jackie right as I walked into our dorm room in the Blairemont dormitory.

"I need juice, now!" Jackie cried, her tongue hanging out of her mouth and a disgusted look permanently replacing her usual smile. Rebecca glared at Jackie, but walked over to our mini fridge and handed her a small Pepsi can. Jackie took it gratefully and chugged until it was gone.

"I'm never drinking tequila again," She said once all remnants of the hard alcohol was out of her mouth. She shivered again and glared over at a laughing Rebecca.

"In this room there are two things we absolutely do not chase," Rebecca announced, pointing at the sign she had made to hang above our door, "Boys and liquor,"

Jackie rolled her eyes and plopped down on my bed. I couldn't help but smile at my two good friends as they teased each other, I knew they'd get along. I set down the laundry basket full of folded clothes and looked around the room that used to belong to Missy.

She had painted one of the walls teal, which was totally against school policy, but she didn't have time to paint it back to the original color before they expelled her from the school. I guess the school didn't take lightly to forging counselor's signatures and sending false information to parents. Sleeping with a teacher was highly frowned upon as well.

"I am so glad you're back!" Holly and Josie walked into the room and squealed, both hugging me tightly.

"I am too, it was terrible being back home," I admitted as the girls let go of me and stepped back, "this is my best friend, Rebecca, she was able to transfer here too,"

Josie and Holly weren't big on hand shakes so they went in for a hug and Rebecca was more than happy to hug them back.

"So much better than Missy being right across the hall," Josie muttered and all of us girls laughed together. Rebecca and I had almost all of our things moved into the room already, all we needed was to hang up all of our clothes.

"I can't believe the rumors about her and Mr. Finn were true though," Holly said, staring at me in disbelief.

I had a hard time believing it too, if Kent hadn't had picture evidence of Mr. Finn hooking up with Missy in his office it would've been a hard case to prove. When Kent had showed Mr. Watson, Mr. Finn was fired immediately and rumor has it he's facing serious jail time if Missy's parents decide to go further with it. Missy was pulled out of class in the middle of the day and when everyone got back from classes that afternoon her room was empty.

No one has heard from her since.

There was a quiet knock on the door and before I could open it, Ryan was walking through with a bouquet of flowers. He set the flowers on my desk before wrapping me in a tight hug and apologizing over and over.

"I am so sorry you had to go through that," Ryan said, pulling back and smoothing out my hair gently. I smiled up at him and hugged him again. If anything, I felt even worse for Ryan. He had been in love with Charlie for so long and was devastated when he heard the news. He had actually accused Kent of lying at first, but finally came around to the truth.

"Have you heard anything about Charlie?" Rebecca asked, she couldn't read a room even if she cared to try.

"No, all I know is that he's in juvie until his 18th birthday," I explained to the others who were equally as curious, "my moms going after him though,"

"As she should," Josie and Jackie said at the same time.

"I just still can't believe it," Ryan was shaking his head again but there was a light tapping on our window. Jackie, Rebecca and I made our way to the window to look out. I couldn't help but smile down at my boyfriend who was throwing pebbles at our window with a wide grin on his face.

"At least he got the right window, unlike some guy I know," Jackie muttered, referring to how Squid had asked her to homecoming by throwing too big of rocks at the wrong window, cracking it eventually. Although it all seemed to work out for the two, they were still happily dating.

"Sorry guys, I've got a hot date waiting for me," I grabbed my jacket from where it was hanging on the back of my desk chair and turned to say goodbye to my friends, "are you girls down for game night tomorrow? Seven o'clock?"

"Yes of course!" Holly and Josie both said, Jackie nodded and Rebecca crossed her arms with a smirk. I remember her specifically lecturing me on the drive over here about not wanting to turn into a typical girly-girl. Rebecca had never gotten along with girls too well but I knew she'd be just fine with the friends I had made here. They already seemed to like her.

"You're invited too," I told Ryan who beamed over at me as I rushed out the door, down the hallway and to the staircase. I passed Kailey on my way, on the way to the showers, who welcomed me back and I said a brisk thanks before disappearing into the stairwell.

I finally made it out of the stuffy building, into the cold air and looked around for Kent. He wasn't where he had been standing to throw rocks at my window.

"Hey, cutie," Kent wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and planted a big kiss on my cheek. I laughed and turned in his arms, kissing him quickly and enjoying how warm his hugs always were. "Are you ready?"

"Of course," I looped my arm through his and together we trudged through the leaves towards our old dorm. It was our first official date, but Kent wouldn't tell me where we were going. As we neared the dormitory I expected to walk past it, towards the parking lot to get into Kent's car, but instead he lead me into the building.

I looked at him curiously and he laughed, ushering me inside the warm building.

"Long time no see, short stuff," Sid called from where he was reclining at the front desk, signature smile on display. I said a quick hi before Kent hurried me into the elevator.

"I just have to grab something really quick," Kent mumbled, grabbing my hand as the doors opened and leading me down the familiar hallway to room 824.

When Kent opened the door he held out his arm for me to walk in first and I eyed him suspiciously again but played along.

As I walked into our old dorm room I realized the lights were off, a string of lights crossed around the ceiling and five small candles were it around the room, on top of the nightstands, desks and dressers. Flower petals were scattered on one of the beds and when I saw what was on the bed I couldn't stop the laughter.

"It's perfect!" I turned to Kent who was holding out a simple, but beautiful necklace with a silver knife pendant hanging from it, "Kent, you have a sick sense of humor,"

"I really couldn't pass up the opportunity when I saw it, it's what really brought us together after all," He laughed and leaned down to kiss me quickly, "Okay, okay, hang on,"

Kent reached in his pocket and pulled out another necklace, this one was black and from the middle hung a hollow heart and a tiny letter 'K'. I liked this one a lot better.

"I figured this one would be your favorite, turn around,"

Kent lifted the necklace over my face and secured it in place before I turned back to face him. He also placed the knife necklace in my hand with a smirk.

"It looks even better than I thought it would," His smile still gave me butterflies. "Please tell me you're hungry, I ordered a lot of Chinese,"

We both laughed and Kent closed the door behind us, leading me to the bed so we could sit down and enjoy.

The Chinese food was laid out exactly as it had been so many months before, a fresh rose was in a small glass vase on one of the nightstands and a post-it note was on it.

Welcome home gorgeous

"We needed a do-over, but I fully plan on taking you out to the fanciest restaurant in town soon," Kent leaned over and grabbed my hand gently.

Last year when I received word that I was going to have to live in the guys dorm for my junior year I thought my life was over. Little did I know it was going to lead to the worst and best year of of my life.

"You know, I'm going to miss living with you," I nudged Kent as he popped open the first Styrofoam container that had Chow-mien and sweet and sour chicken inside. "But there is no way I'm going to miss living with all of you crazy jocks,"

"I don't blame you one bit, just don't go getting kicked out of school anymore, okay?" Kent held out his pinky for me to lock mine with. I reached out and curled my pinky against his.

"We'll be graduating next year together, I can promise you that,"

Sealed with a kiss.

THE END.