Reya was very groggy the next morning. She had only been out till nine-thirty, but had a hard time sleeping for some reason. When she stepped out into the hall, her toe met with the corner of the door, and she yelped, falling over with a loud thud. "Gravity increased it's pull on you already, Reya?" asked a voice. She looked up at her mom and smirked.

"You know, most moms would say,"Oh, honey! Are you okay?"" she said, and her mother gave her a hand up.

"So how was your date?" she asked.

"Cool," she said. "We drove out to this hill where you can see the town and the lights... it was awesome."

"Nothing bad happened?" she asked. Reya gave her a look and rolled her eyes.

"Please! I already told you that's not going to happen."

"You may be eighteen, Reya, but you're still my daughter and I'm going to check up on you, like it or not."

"I know, I know," she muttered, walking to the bathroom.

"Want a cinnamon roll?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Extra icing on top."

After she had taken her shower she walked downstairs, smelling the cinnamon in the air. "Ah!" she breathed. "That smells so- llama!"

"What?" asked her mom, looking out from the kitchen.

"There's a llama in the living room," she said, glancing at her mother questioningly. Sure enough there was a large stuffed toy llama in the middle of the living room, sticking out like a sore thumb. "Why is there a llama in the living room, Mom?"

"Oh, that's your sister's. She saw it on ebay and I ordered it for her. She had to spend twenty bucks on it!"

"I woulda used that money for candy," said Reya.

"It's her birthday money," said her mother, shrugging.

"Yeah, that'll be an interesting thankyou card. 'Dear Gramma, Thank you so much for the money. I bought a llama. It's sitting in our living room...'" Her mother chuckled and set out the cinnamon rolls.

"Lindsay! Your cinnamon roll's ready!" she called up the stairs. Lindsay came down, gave the llama a quick hug, and went into the kitchen to eat. Reya finished hers quickly, cherishing every sweet bite, and then grabbed her plate to put it in the sink. But on her way, she looked at the llama and got an idea. She carried her plate out into the living room and looked at the llama.

"Tina, you fat lard! Come get your dinner!" she grunted in her best impression of Napoleon Dynomite, and pretended to hurl food at the llama. Lindsay started laughing, and Reya walked back into the kitchen, placing her plate in the sink.

"Class of 2005, congratulations. You've done it!"

The group of highschool students cheered and tossed their hats up in the air, cheering and jumping up and down. Reya ran up to her mother to get a hug, and even got one from her sister. Wonka was there too and he hugged he, and kissed her cheek quickly, slightly afraid her mother would breathe fire on him if he kissed her lips.

"I'm so proud of you Reya!" said her mother, after shooting Wonka a venemous look. Reya smiled and nodded. Josh came up from behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Reya, they're ready."

"Oh, right," she said. "You guys hold up. I'll be with you in a minute." She ran with Josh and they met up with Jared behind the stage. All three of them pulled off their graduation robes, already wearing jeans and T-shirts underneath.

"And now," said the principal over the microphone. "...the band representing this class of 2005's graduates, Surfing In Converse Sneekers!" They ran up on the platform and Jared grabbed his electric guitar and Josh got behind the drums. Reya grabbed her microphone and nodded to Josh to start. Josh hit the drumsticks together and counted, "One! Two! Three!" and Jared came in with his guitar. The crowd started cheering and whooping while Reya bobbed her head to the music until she had to sing.

"I backed my car into a cop car the other day/ Well he just drove on, sometimes life's okay/ I ran my mouth off a bit too much/ Oh what did I say/ Well you just laughed it off, it was all okay/ And we'll all float on okay/ And we'll all float on okay/ And we'll all float on okay/ And we'll all float on anyway/ Well, a fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam/ It was worth it just to learn some slight of hand/ Bad news comes, don't you worry even when it lands/ Good news will work its way to all them plans/ We both got fired on exactly the same day/ That we were gonna quit it anyways/ And we'll all float on okay/ And we'll all float on okay/ And we'll all float on okay/ And we'll all float on/ Alright already, we'll all float on/ No, don't you worry we'll all float on/ Alright, I'm ready/ We'll all float on/ Alright, don't worry, we'll all float on/ Alright, alright we'll all float on/ Alright, already, we'll all float on/ Alright, don't worry even if things end up a bit too heavy/ We'll all float on/ Alright, already we'll all float on/ Alright, already we'll all float on okay/ Don't worry, we'll all float on/ Even if things get heavy, we'll all float on/ Alright already, we'll all float on/ Alright, don't worry, we'll all float on/ We'll all float on..."

'Float On', Modest Mouse

The crowd roared as they rocked out on stage, and when they were done, Reya leapt up in the air with a shout and there was a long drum rool. "Thankyou class of 2005!" she shouted loudly, and was welcomed with applause. "Woohoo!" she screamed, and the crowd chanted, "Float on! Float on! Float on!..."

"Remember, vote for Pedro! Have a great day everyone!" They stepped off the stage, and she ran up to her mother, sister, and Wonka.

"Vote for Pedro?" said her mom, raising an eyebrow.

"No idea where that came from," she said. "But it felt awesome!" They laughed and walked off to celebrate.

"I haven't been down here in years," said Reya. She and Wonka had driven up to a state park, not too far away, and were walking together, talking and holding hands. "My mom and dad and I went down here with some relatives because we were staying with them for a week and they wanted to show us this place. I got so bored and he took me over to the little kids park and we played frisbie while we waited." She smiled to herself, remembering how they had laughed together. "That was when I was four."

"You remember back to when you were four?" he asked.

"Bits and pieces," she muttered. "What about you?"

"I don't remember much from when I was young, or try not to at least. My life back then wasn't exactly wonderful. I try to remember the good days only."

"Do you remember much of your mother?" she asked. He was quiet for a minute, then spoke.

"She had red hair, green eyes, and she sang a lot. She was beautiful, lively, up until the last few months before she died."

"What would she sing?"

"Lullabies mostly. I remember telling her once I was too old for that, but she told me I'd always be her little baby. I never realized how much I would miss that of coarse, but now I wish I could hear one more."

"Which lullabies?" she asked.

"The usual, 'Hush Little Baby', the one about the horses, things like that."

"Rock-a-bye?"

"That one actually bothered me when I was little."

"Me too. I mean, what happens when that baby falls?" He chuckled and shrugged.

"I guess you're not meant to think too much about that one."

"I can't wait till I have a baby," she said softly. "They're so cute and fun to hold."

"You may think that now, but wait until you have to change your first diaper," he pointed out.

"Have you ever had to?"

"Me?" He started laughing as if she had asked a stupid question. "I can honestly say I'm lucky enough to have not had that happen."

"Wimp," she muttered, nudging him.

"And you can't hold them forever. Eventually they grow, and then they don't want you around."

"Yeah, but that's like thirteen years away."

"It goes fast," he said, sighing. He put his arm around her and led her to a spot with a gorgeous veiw of the place.

"Wow," she said, leaning against him. "I haven't seen any of this in so long."

"This is nothing. You should see the city of Paris some time, or go to Rome and look around."

"Roam around?" He smiled and she shook her head. "That was a lame pun."

"Yes, but still amusing," he said, smiling.

"I wish I could see those places, but-"

"But what? Nothing's stopping you but you, Reya. You have the whole world available to you right outside your door."

"Yeah, but it's kind of hard to walk to Paris or Rome from here with the oceans and stuff."

"Well, you know how to swim, don't you?"

"I'm not going to swim to Rome!" she said, looking at him as though he were crazy.

"You see? Again you're stopping yourself from something you could do."

"I can't even run a mile, and it takes more energy to swim. I'd get like five feet out and be exhausted."

"Ah, but pain is weakness leaving the body."

"Not for me, it isn't," she said, laughing. "Besides, do you have any idea of what I'd look like in a bathing suit? I look like Miss Piggy."

"Who cares what everyone else thinks, Reya? I thought you of all people wouldn't."

"Yeah? Well there's certain things that I'm too self-concious about." He smiled and shook his head.

"Well, you look perfect to me the way you are," he said, kissing her cheek. "And I'll take you there sometime. Perhaps before college starts."

"Yeah, my mom's going to love that." He chuckled and kissed her cheek again.

"How much does she hate me by now?" he asked.

"She doesn't hate you," said Reya. "She appreciates all you've done, she just wants you to keep your hands off her daughter." She smiled and shook her head. "I don't think she'll ever be okay with us."

"She'll come around," he said softly. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" he sang in her ear. She smiled and giggled. "Have I told you, there's no one else above you?" He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "You fill my heart with gladness, Take away all my sadness. Ease my troubles. That's what you do." He kissed her cheek and she turned her head up to him so he could kiss her lips. He picked her up in his arms, and she laughed from being swept off her feet, literally. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he spun her around.

"Okay, okay," she said, getting dizzy, and he set her back on her feet, laughing when she couldn't walk strait.

"Here," he said, putting his arm around her waist to support her, and they walked over to the fence. She sat on it, and he stood in front of her, leaning on his cane.

"You are the craziest man I have ever known," she said softly. "And the only one who could take my heart away." He smiled warmly, clearly greatful to hear that, and kissed her cheek.

"You're the only girl who could take my breath away." She reached over and took his hat from him, setting it on her own head and tilting it to the side. He laughed, and reached over, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You might want to get on your feet though."

"Why, are we leaving?"

"No," he answered. "But I don't trust you to not fall over." She made a face, but got on her feet, deciding to see what this was all about.

"Okay," she said, shrugging.

"Reya," he said, getting on one knee and taking her left hand. Reya's eyes went as wide as possible, and she felt her heart pounding harshly in her chest. "Will you marry me?"

"Oh wow!" she cried, eyes filling with tears. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box and popped it open with his thumb. A golden ring was inside with a beautiful diamond in the center and several tiny ones along the band. "Are you serious?" she asked, staring at him in shock.

"Pretty sure I am," he said. "Although I rarely am so it's a whole new feeling to me." She laughed and nodded.

"Yes," she said at last. "Yes I will." He broke out into the biggest smile she'd ever seen him wear, and he took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger. Tears were rolling down her face as he stood up and wrapped his warm arms around her. He kissed her forehead and her mouth tenderly. She parted his lips and deepened the kiss, a feeling so strong, she moaned slightly. He put one arm around her neck, and the other dropped his cane and wrapped around her waist, holding her close. After a little while, he pulled away reluctantly and kissed her cheek.

"I love you," he whispered, wishing there was a more powerful word he could use other than love. "Promise you'll never leave."

"I think I just did," she said, fingering her ring.

"Please say it," he whispered.

"I promise I'll never leave you," she said, kissing his cheek.

"We better get you home," he said after a moment. "Your mom's probably worked up in a tissy by now." She nodded and walked off with him, arms around each other as they went.