And we're back!

Thank-you all so much for keeping tabs on my old fiction and for continuing with me! I've planned out a lot of this story, and it's really hard coming up with a plot when you aren't following a movie! I really hope you all are going to enjoy this as much as I do!

Anything you recognize is definitely not of my creation!

-K

xx

Alyssa stood beside Kira, thinking about how extremely awkward it was to smile upon command. She spent the last eight months playing indoor and outdoor soccer with all of these girls. Shared laughs about moves the other teams had made, and about Coach Clancy's uncanny ability to fall asleep during the bus rides to and from games. It was easy for them to relax with one another, but, you get a group of girls in front of a camera and suddenly the comradery vanishes and they all try to out model the others. Picture day was not one of Alyssa's favourite parts of school – that was for sure.

One thing making all of this easier was the fact that the Swim Team pictures were next and Tyler remembered how awkward standing in front of a camera made her. He and Reid were making faces at her from across the room which caused her to smirk. 'A smirk is better than a frown right?' Alyssa thought to herself right as the flash went off.

"Okay, that was the one!" the photographer told the group, and Alyssa excused herself from Kira. She didn't have patience to listen to how badly the goalie had done her make-up. In Alyssa's opinion, the girl looked beautiful. Kira and Alyssa had grown somewhat close, but Kira was still too stuck up for Alyssa at times. Small doses, as they say.

Alyssa waited for the four Sons, in the same place Tyler stood. She made a face which caused Tyler and Caleb to laugh, 'A laugh is definitely way worse than a smirk.' She smiled to herself, as the camera man wrapped up with their photo. The boys walked over to meet her and Reid put his arm around her shoulder.

"I can't believe we're done! Goodbye Spenser!" Reid said with a whoop.

"There's still the graduation ceremony..." Tyler reminded him with a straight face as he adjusted the collar of his dress shirt.

"Captain Buzzkill to the rescue. I'm glad somethings never change." Alyssa joked, and wiggled out of Reid's hold, as they walked towards the class they knew Kate and Sarah would be exiting. Sure enough the doors opened and out they walked.

"Ladies." Reid crooned, causing the two girls to roll their eyes. Each of them lovingly greeted their boyfriends, and Alyssa faked a gagging noise.

"Oh my – terribly sorry. I think I'm coming down with something." She said with a laugh, winking at Sarah.

"Okay, okay. So we know the Golden couple; Sarah and Caleb got into Harvard. Tyler got into Yale. I'm going to Berklee. Pogue is working on becoming a certified mechanic. What in the world are you two doing? Stop being so secretive." Kate said to Reid and Alyssa, who had tried their very best to keep their post-secondary plans on the down low.

Alyssa bit her thumb nail and looked to Reid, who nervously glanced back at her. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and sighed. A resigned look pulling at his boyish features.

"I think we should tell them." Reid said to Alyssa, Tyler nodded.

"Yeah, it's time to tell them you guys." The youngest Son added.

The rest of the group was growing increasingly more concerned. Tyler, Reid, and Alyssa were seldom without a smile on their faces; especially when together. This had to be bad news.

"I'm pregnant, Reid and I fell in love. We were scared of telling you – we didn't know how you'd react." With every word, their jaws fell closer to the ground. She took in each of their faces and slowly…began to laugh. Reid, and Tyler followed suit.

"You guys.." She wheezed. "Your faces."

Tyler was wiping tears from his eyes, and Reid was doubled over holding his stomach which hurt from how hard he was laughing.

"That is not funny. That isn't funny. You guys are awful." Pogue grumbled.

"Oh! It's a little funny!" Sarah said giggling, a smile tugging at her lips.

Kate smiled and rolled her eyes "Seriously you guys?! Spill!"

"Okay, okay. Reid and I were accepted into The Essex Daily Monitor's internship program. Reid and I have always loved photography, but we've been doing night classes, and we got pretty good! We both submitted portfolios and since they accept five recent graduates, we were both accepted! Three writers, two photographers!" Alyssa explained.

"Oh! My cousins were accepted too! Jacob and Bobby Nordskov, they're twins! They've actually already moved here. They're meeting us tonight at Nicky's." Sarah told everyone, and Caleb smiled and nodded before adding to the information his girlfriend had told them.

"I've met them, they're great! You four will get along really well! I heard Aaron Abbott was accepted too."

"Congratulations, you two. You guys deserve it." Pogue said, and everyone chimed in their congratulations.

"So, Nicky's tonight?" Alyssa asked, looking to Tyler who raised an eyebrow at her. "Amanda's going to be there. I heard she got into Yale too. What say you, Valedictorian? Is tonight the night where you tell her you've loved her since kindergarten? Will two finally become one? The plot thickens."

Tyler turned a brilliant shade of red, one she'd never seen before. He shook his head and grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like piss off, making her laugh at his discomfort.

"We'll see, Baby Boy." Pogue said as he wrapped his arm around Tyler's shoulder and messing up his hair.

"So everyone, we'll reconvene tonight at Nicky's? Around nine?" Caleb asked and everyone nodded before parting ways and saying their goodbyes.

Alyssa's dad bought her a black ford escape in December, for Christmas. She wouldn't drive it for weeks after she received it, she felt terrible that her dad had done that for her. He finally talked her into it once he said it always been his and Lyra's plan to buy Alyssa her first car. She secretly thought it was because he felt she was safer in her own car, than as Reid's passenger.

After finishing clearing out her locker, she made her way out into the parking lot. Opening her car door, and turning it on once she slid in. She rolled down the windows and heard a ding from her phone. She fished the device out of her black canvas school bag, flipping it open and reading the message.

"I'm in town. I'll be busy with your dad for a while though. Are you busy tonight? – Chase"

Alyssa grinned to her phone, Chase had been with her dad every other weekend or so. He had done really well since he moved to Vermont. He started viewing her father as a mentor. Alyssa told the Sons about Chase in January, each of them reacted differently but they all came around after Victor called a meeting with the Sons, their parents, and The Elders. They eventually agreed that given Chase's progress, and his isolated upbringing, that it didn't make sense to keep him isolated from the Covenant's affairs. Chase wasn't invited to group hangouts yet, but it was coming. Baby steps. She quickly typed up her message and hit send.

"The guys are meeting at Nicky's, but I can bail if you're here. – Alyssa"

"No, don't be ridiculous. This could end up taking a while anyways. Want to watch a movie or something once you get home? – Chase"

Alyssa grinned wider, when Chase was in town he stayed in their basement. Victor trusted Chase completely, and he trusted Alyssa. The two were allowed to hang out as much as they wanted, and Chase was always welcome at the Larose's.

"Pick one out when you get a second, and I'll get pizza on my way home. – Alyssa."

Tyler knocked on the side of her car, shocking Alyssa and causing her to drop her phone onto her lap.

"OH MY GOD, TYLER!"She screamed.

"You parked next to me. I thought I'd say goodbye." He laughed, she assumed this was his payback for earlier.

"You knew exactly what you were doing, you scoundrel." She shook her fist at him, mock anger on her face and pushing her jaw forward to try and appear elderly.

Tyler's laugh soon died down, and he leveled her with a serious look. He could mean business, when the occasion called for it.

"You're going to have to tell them sometime Alyssa, and I'm not talking about a fake pregnancy this time. I'm sick of being the only one who knows you're in love with Chase. The guys will understand, and I hate keeping secrets. Kate's been practically dying for you two to get together." Tyler told her sincerely.

"You weren't supposed to find out, not even Chase knows. It's not my fault you're a snoop." Alyssa said, exasperated.

"Yeah, and you should tell Chase. The guy deserves to know." Tyler added. She thought it was very hypocritical considering his aversion to telling Amanda how he felt, but she decided to let it slide. He wasn't wrong, even if she didn't agree.

"I'm sorry I'm making you do this Tyler, I know you hate when we keep Reid out of the loop." Alyssa knew that when Tyler said the Sons, he really meant Reid. Keeping white lies from the Sons wasn't the end of the world for Tyler, but keeping anything from Reid was. "These feelings will go away eventually. I just need time."

"Look Aly, you're my best friend. I know you, and I know this isn't going away. If you don't want anyone to know, I won't tell, but I know they'll get over it. They might be angry at first, but they will get over it." Tyler told her, seriously. He really wanted Alyssa to be happy; she knew that's where this was coming from.

"That doesn't change how Chase feels about me." Alyssa whispered, looking at the steering wheel in front of her.

"I think you'd be surprised." Tyler nudged her shoulder and said goodbye.

Alyssa thought about what Tyler said, and decided he was wrong. She told Chase when he agreed to trying to be better that she couldn't forget what he'd done even if she could forgive it. She didn't want to be weak, even if it really hurt to keep him at an arm's length.

And even if she did want to let him in, the Sons were just starting to accept him. She didn't want to throw another cog in the Covenant machine.

Before she took off for home, she looked at her texts one more time.

"So, Blair Witch Project or….? – Chase"

She shook her head and put her phone on the seat beside her. She sighed to herself; she had it bad.