"A girl who'd wait for the third time around, head in the clouds feet on the ground,

She's a girl he's glad he's found, she's his Shipoopi."

---Shipoopi, The Music Man

Authors note: Sorry that this is so late. Newspaper deadlines are horrible.

A month later Summer laid on the big gray couch in the drama room trying to sleep trying to regain a few of the minutes of sleep she had lost due to rehearsal running past midnight the night before.

"I cannot believe you're saying this!" Sarah exclaimed walking into class, "I do not deserve the Anne Marie attendance award."

"You've missed six rehearsals and you've been late to about five others." Jackson told her

"Okay, one: I'm an understudy so doesn't that mean that I don't have to be at rehearsals unless Summer isn't going to be there? And two: Wasman has missed just as many rehearsals as I have."

"He's missed three."

"Uhh, so? I mean, I deserved to miss those rehearsals. I've got a really busy schedule. I mean, does Wasman have dance team? Does he have to shave his legs in the morning, even though let's be honest he really should? Does Wasman have to spend half an hour putting on make up in the morning? Does Wasman have to go shopping for a new--"

"That's it!" Summer exclaimed sitting up, "Get over it, okay? Do you know how many times we have had understudy rehearsals and you haven't been there and I had to fill in for you? At least four times, and one of those happened to be last night. I hardly get to see my daughter anymore, I only get about five minutes to talk to Seth each day, I haven't gotten to eat a real meal in I don't know how long. So stop your whining, okay?"

"Wow, someone's sleep deprived." Ms. Casey said walking into class carrying an extra large cup of coffee in one hand and a twenty ounce bottle of Dr. Pepper in the other, "But don't worry. Tomorrow after we're done with pictures and stuff everyone gets to sleep for the rest of the day."

"That shouldn't be too bad."

------

That afternoon Summer sat in study hall with Wasman, looking at her missed calls and was surprised to see Luke's name among the list.

"Why is he calling me?" She asked herself as she dialed his number and scrunched down in her seat.

"Hello?" he asked answering

"It's me. You called?" she whispered

"Where are you?"

"In class." She told him scrunching down farther.

"I figured that. But what school?"

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm in town to see you."

------

"So you were just all like, 'I'm here to see you'?" Kristi asked that afternoon as she, Wasman and Summer all stood around the front of the school watching Luke flirt with a couple freshman girls

"Yep."

"What is he doing here?" Wasman asked, moving Sam to his other hip

"Like I know."

"You want Tyler and I to take Sam back to your house?" Kristi asked

"No. Newport has to be introduced to Sam sooner or later. And I mean he's coming over here anyway."

"Oh my god, look at him." Wasman whispered, "He looks like a walking Abercrombie ad."

"Summer!" Luke exclaimed walking up to the group

"Hey Luke."

-----

Ten minutes later Summer and Luke sat on Summer's bed while Sam sat in her crib sucking on a bottle.

"So, how have you been?" Summer asked leaning back

"I've been good. Busy but good. How about you?"

"Same. Especially the busy part."

"I bet." Luke said looking at Sam

"Just ask."

"What?"

Summer sighed, "I know you want to ask it so go ahead."

"I just can't figure this out. You weren't showing when you left and you didn't have a baby with you when you were in town for Spring Break. And most importantly, who's the father?"

"I was three months along when I left, Seth is her father and he didn't know about her when I was in town for Spring Break so she was here in town with my cousin."

"Why didn't you want Seth to know?"

"I wanted him to have a normal life. Newport causes you to grow up fast and I didn't want him to loose the rest of his youth before it was necessary."

"That makes sense."

They both were silent for a minute and then Summer asked, "What are you doing here Luke?"

-------

"So now he's like here, at my house and I'm freaking out." Summer told Becca and Ms. Casey that night shortly before rehearsal

"Why is he here?" Becca asked.

"I don't know. Whenever I ask him about it he just changes the subject."

"I'm sure you'll find out. But you guys have got to start getting ready in a few minutes. And by the way where's Kristi and Wasman?" Ms. Casey said looking around

"They're probably off having sex somewhere." Becca said standing up, "Come on Sum, let's go get beautiful."

Summer and Becca made their way back to the costume room when Summer's phone went off

"Hey Seth." She said not even needing to look at the caller id

"Hey yourself. And how's my little actress doing?"

"I'm doing good. It's all almost over."

"That's good."

"Yeah. So, are you guys still coming to see us on closing night?"

"Yep. And before I forget, we're going to need two more tickets."

"Really? Who else is coming?"

"The grandparents."

"Julie and Caleb are coming down? This doesn't exactly seem like the kind of social event that they would attend."

"Yeah, well when Julie heard about everyone coming out there to see you she got kind of jealous that she wasn't invited. And then she became even more jealous when she found out that you and I are engaged. I think she thinks that we're lying about the whole play thing and we're really having an engagement party."

"She's going to be very disappointed." Summer laughed, "Oh, and by the way, you'll never guess who's staying at my house."

"Julie?"

"Luke."

"No! Why is he in town?"

"I thought you would know. I mean you two live in the same town. I figured that you'd have heard something that would cause him to leave town."

"I haven't heard anything. He hasn't said anything to you?"

"Nope. That boy is very good at dogging a subject."