Alright, so I know I just updated but I had already written this up & I wanted to post! Hope you enjoy! Its kind of a filler, in a way, but the next chapter will be better! I promise! Please review, I love hearing your thoughts on it! Thank you for all of the favoriting & alerting! Y'all are the best!

OH! & make sure you check on StephNexus, she has some awesome stories going on right now!

Love, Ashley


I ran my fingers down the edges of the rolled paper, playing with the ribbon tied in a neat knot. A smile tugged at my lips as I realized that we were finally done. High school was behind us now. In two months I would be moving into my dorm at Harvard and John would be leaving for California. Our principal finished her speech before turning to us and smiling. "Congratulations Class of 2006," she spoke into the microphone. Taking our caps off, we all tossed them into the air before clapping and cheering echoed through the grand hall.

I felt someone pick me up from the ground, twirling me in the air before placing me back on my feet. Turning around I saw John standing there with a smile on his face. "We did it!" he exclaimed hugging me.

"We did, didn't we?"

"When do you leave John?" Kailey asked. I had been talking to her and Samantha before John so rudely interrupted us.

"In a few weeks," he responded wrapping his arms around my torso and resting his head on my shoulder.

"I'm sure you're excited," Sam insisted.

"Of course I am! It's going to be amazing."

"Don't forget about all of us when you become a big star."

"I couldn't forget you guys."

"Get together, we need a picture," I heard my mom exclaim walking towards us. Sam grabbed onto me, pulling me closer to her and Kail so that John and I could fit into the picture. Smiling towards our families, reality began to set in. After the summer none of us would really see one another for a long time. I would be at Harvard, John would be in California, Kailey would be at college in Florida, and Sam would be in Hawaii. Most of our other friends were leaving the state too.

"I'm going to miss you…" I whispered towards them as we pulled apart from the picture.

"Don't worry Ray, we'll come visit you!"

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Holding the diploma in my hands I felt a sense of relief wash over me. I was finally done. I had finally graduated college. I turned to see Brittany with a large smile on her face before she reached out to hug me. "We made it," she exclaimed pulling away from me. "Can you believe it?" I shook my head in response. No, I really couldn't believe it. It felt like we would never get out of school. Her attention averted to the side of me, "Looks like you have some company…" Turning around I felt a smile tugging at my lips.

"You're here!"

"Of course we are; did you think we would miss this day?" I kissed his cheek before hugging the others. "You're mom sent us the invitation."

"I told you that we wouldn't miss it," Eve smirked wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

I noticed that Randy's attention had moved behind us. He was staring at something, or someone, coming this way. As I turned around I felt my heart drop. Tears began to form as I pulled away from Eve. Stepping closer to them I wrapped my arms around their necks. I couldn't believe it. The last time I had seen them was the day they left for college. "You're here?" I questioned pulling away from them.

"You're mom sent us the invitations," Sam answered.

"You did it Ray, you graduated from Harvard!" Kailey added. I shrugged letting out a light laugh. Hearing someone clear their throat from behind me, I turned to see the others watching in question. Letting out another laugh, I introduced Sam and Kailey to the others. Eve was the first one to step forward and formally introduce her, and then Randy. As I watched him introduce himself to them, I saw something between him and Sam. A spark maybe? I'm not sure, but whatever it was put a 100 watt smile on Samantha's lips.

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Kailey and Sam sat in shock as I told them how things had ended up between John and me. I sat in the chair across from them watching as they tried to process the information I had just told them. They didn't understand how something like this could happen, between me and John. Everyone thought we would end up together, but everyone was wrong. "I can't believe it…" Sam whispered looking at me hoping that I would start laughing and say it was all a joke. "This has to some sick joke."

"It's not Sam."

"But you had the best friendship out of anyone. You two were inseparable," Kailey added. I shrugged picking at the chipping nail polish on my hands. After getting back from lunch with the others, they both pulled me aside and asked me where John was. That was when I had to come clean about what had happened between us.

"Yeah, well, we're all going out tonight for some celebrating are you guys going to come?" I asked pushing myself up from the chair wanting this conversation to end.

"Sure."

"We will pick you up at seven, okay?" Nodding their heads they watched as I disappeared into the closet.

"We're sorry Ray…" I heard Sam say as she walked into my closet.

"Sorry, for what?"

"John."

"It's not your fault, things just weren't… meant to be." Smiling weakly at her, she squeezed my shoulders one last time as she hugged me and left. Letting out a deep breath, I sat on the stool in the middle of my closet.

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I heard what sounded like yelling as Eve and I walked outside the club. Pulling my heels off of my feet I walked towards the commotion. As we walked around the corner as gasp escaped my lips. After a few moments she realized what it was and looked at me.

"You think she really wants to talk to you? After how you treated her, I don't think she wants to see you again. I mean hell she came to a show two weeks ago, but she didn't even ask to see you. Vince and Linda love her, and they're only met her one time! Vince let her stay in his office so there was no possible way she could run into you. I think it's going to take lot more than some words to get her back."

"She was at a show?"

"Yeah, she came to visit us."

"No one told me?"

"She didn't want to know. I mean you weren't even at the ceremony today, one of the biggest events in her life and you weren't there. You can't expect her to want to see you if you aren't around the important stuff. You can't just come for the party." I watched as Randy scolded the other man, who faces was twisted with hurt.

"Just for your information I was at the ceremony today. My mom sent me an invitation and I was there. Look Randy, I know I screwed up... I lost the best thing that I could have ever had. And honestly, I know she won't ever forgive me but that doesn't mean I can't be here for her."

Just as Randy was about to say something I stepped out from behind the car Eve and I had standing behind. Tears burned my eyes as I looked at John who kept his ice cold blue eyes on me. Stepping closer to him, he looked as though he might say something, but my hand collided with his cheek before he could. He cradled his face in pain as he tried to think of something to say. "That was for leaving…"

"Ray I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear you're sorry. I don't get how you could just leave after we made love. After you told me you loved me… You can't expect me to be ecstatic after I woke up to an empty bed."

"C'mon Randy, why don't we let these two talk," Eve suggested turning to walk away from us.

"We have nothing to talk about..." My words came out much more hateful than I had meant them to, but at the time I didn't exactly care. "It was nice of you to show up, but I think you should go now." He didn't move, continuing to watch me as I backed away from them towards the bar. "Come find me when you come inside Eve." Turning away from them I continued to walk back towards the building hoping that John would just leave.

"I'm sorry Ray, I know I shouldn't have left!"

"It's too late for that John. You're four months too late."

"Why won't you come back here and talk to me..."

"There's nothing to talk about," I shouted back towards him. "Just LEAVE."

"Do you want to know why I left? Why I wasn't there in the morning."

Scoffing I dropped my heels to the ground and began sliding my feet in them. "If it will make you go away, then sure."

He let out a sigh before looking towards Randy who was waiting to see what excuse he was about to come up with. "I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same way in the morning..."