Diane found herself spending the morning discussing the girls' interest in various boys. The girls found her to be confidante rather like an older sister. Their conversation was easy and relaxed and no holds barred. Except for Mary, that is. She felt very uncomfortable discussing Bash or Francis in front of Sebastian's mother.

Diane helped the girls play nursemaid to a very hung over Aylee and even gave them pointers on moderating their alcohol intake and what to drink in order to avoid such horrible consequences. She encouraged Greer to pursue Leith, saying, "He's a nice boy. Always polite. And he's been an excellent friend to Sebastian." By the same token she warned Kenna off of Kenneth (and all other boys like him). "Guys like Kenneth only want you for what they can take from you. And once they have what they wanted they're through with you. They aren't worth your time, much less your feelings." She teased Lola about being far more grown up than her age belied and coaxed her to feel free to let loose some and enjoy her youth.

"So, Mary, we haven't heard you say much this morning," she said with a sly smirk.

Mary blushed. "I'm not sure you would care for my thoughts, miss."

"Oh, I'm MOST interested in your thoughts. Trust me."

Mary began to talk about her feelings for Francis and how hurt she was when she saw him with the blonde, Olivia (her friends supplied the girl's name). She talked about being childhood sweethearts, or so she thought. She talked of betrayal. But then she talked about Bash reading her like a book and make her feel comfortable and safe even when she was completely out of her element. She spills the details of their secret kisses the night before.

Diane smiled throughout. She could sense that the girl was interested in both boys and hadn't yet made up her mind. She sensed that Francis' dalliance with the Olivia girl had stung but not so much that Mary couldn't overlook it. She wanted to say, "Don't break his heart. Sebastian has real true feelings for you." But instead she merely said, "When you toy with matters of the heart it becomes so easy to get burned. Make sure you keep yourself safe and don't destroy any relationships that are meaningful to you."

After a quiet simple lunch, Diane helped Mary get all the girls home – safe, sound, and sober. None of their parents were told about their wild night, for which all the girls were quite grateful. Then Mary's mother called to notify her that they were en route from the airport. Diane took that as her cue to head home, but she made sure to reassure Mary that Bash would do his part to explain their problem to her family.

Meanwhile….

Bash and Leith drove in silence listening to rock music for a while before Leith felt the need to speak. "So, am I crazy for being this into a high school senior?"

Sebastian laughed. "If you are then I definitely am. Not to mention I have a brother who thanks I'm some sort of traitor."

Leith smirked. He knew Bash's tendencies with women. "Was she worth being in the doghouse with your little brother?"

"She most definitely is worth it. She's not your average girl. She is so smart and so independent, but she was so vulnerable last night. I get the impression that she is not at all used to the wildness of the world."

"You mean you didn't….?" Leith's question trailed off.

"Not even close," Bash confirmed.

"Is that a first?" Leith pushed.

Bash punched him in the shoulder good naturedly and changed the subject, slightly. "What about you and the lovely redhead?"

Leith blushed. "I didn't even try to push my luck. I was just happy to get to share her company."

"Are you planning on seeing her again?"

"If she'll let me," he said longingly.

Bash smirked. "She'll let you." But then they arrived at his abandoned truck. "I'll call you later after I know if her dad is going to roast me alive."

Leith grinned. "Have fun with that. See you, man."

Bash spent the remainder of his morning playing a computer game he was testing on his system at his apartment. He logged a couple of glitches and made suggestions for solving the problem. Then he looked up at the clock. "Oh shit!" he cussed aloud. He was supposed to be at Mary's parents' house for dinner which she had informed him started promptly at six. His mother was of the opinion that he should at least be dressed in business casual attire. Currently it was 5:30 and he was in workout gear. He rushed around, grabbed the vase of flowers his mother had insisted he bring for her mother, and jumped in the truck. He managed to arrive just minutes prior to the serving of dinner.