I tried to put up links to Brooke and Lacey's dresses in my profile, but it's not showing up for some reason...so if they are not up there yet, check back later and see if they are then.

Chapter 24

The rest of my time in Alaska passed quickly...too quickly...it seemed.

I graduated from Alaska University's Medical Program at the end of May, and it was a bittersweet experience. I was very happy that I had the opportunity to participate in the program, and that I was now going to get to go home and see my family and Dr. Cullen. But it was sad at the same time, because I knew in less than four days...I would have to leave my friends up here.

My grandfather, aunt, and uncle came to my graduation. Dr. Cullen and I had discussed for a long time rather or not he should come. He wanted to be there, and truthfully I wanted him there as well. However since we knew that Viviene had recently been in the area, and we didn't exactly know if she had left, if for some odd reason she would show up and see he was at my graduation...it could be dangerous. So we both reluctantly decided he shouldn't come. Edward and Bella attended the graduation though, and Edward caught the whole thing on video for his father to watch.

I tried to leave graduation quickly, because Adam was having a party for all of the graduates at his parent's vacation house. I wanted to stop at home and change before I went.

I changed out of the dress I had been wearing underneath my graduation gown and quickly put on the dress I had laid out for the party. It was white, with spaghetti straps, and multicolored polka-dots all over it. I had bought it with Lacey at the mall earlier in the month.

As I pulled into the driveway of Adam's house, I already saw a bunch of cars parked in the yard surrounding the house. I had only been to one other "Adam" party since I had been in Alaska, and it was certainly an interesting experience.

I walked up to the door, and before I could even begin to ring the doorbell, the door opened, revealing Lacey. I could hear loud music playing from inside the house.

"Hey girl!" She said, giving me a hug before closing the door. I looked around the house in total disbelief.

Adam had transformed his living room into a night club-like scene. All of the furniture had been cleared out, providing a large dance floor for the party guests. A lot of the guests were huddled in a group in the middle of the dance floor, cheering somebody on. It didn't take me longer than two seconds to realize that someone was Adam.

"You changed your clothes." Lacey said, eying my dress. "Oh I remember when you bought that."

I laughed as I really looked at Lacey for the first time. She was quite interesting looking. She was wearing a really nice-looking, short, strapless black dress that had a few ruffles at the bottom. But with it she wore a pair of torn up fishnet stockings, and a pair of untied black work boots that looked like they belonged to Lance.

"Lace um...what is this?" I asked motioning towards her.

"Oh this." She said looking down at her outfit with a smile on her face. "I've had this dress foreva...I decided to spice it up. I found these tights at some garage sale and I ripped the crap out of them so they'd look awesome!! And these..." She said pointing at her boots, "are Lance's."

I laughed. "You look awesome Lace."

"I know." She said, crossing her arms and looking out at the dance floor. "Idiot." She said, obviously referring to Adam.

"You got that right." I said, as I made my way out on the dance floor to join the crowd. Lance was working as DJ at a booth set up in the right corner of the room. That seemed dangerous.

The song finished just as I walked over there, and I could see Adam, who was wearing his traditional tux jacket, white t-shirt, and ripped up jeans ensemble. And of course...he had his black fedora. I had now learned you can't ever dance without a fedora.

Adam was smiling at the crowd, obviously loving the attention he was recieving. As he was looking around, he saw me, and his face lit up.

He made his way over to me, placing the fedora on his head.

"Hey Brooke." He said, as the crowd dispersed.

"Hey Adam." I replied, looking up at him. "The party's been going on for less than half an hour and you're already showing off?"

"Of course...you should expect this kind of behavior from me by now."

"True." I said, shrugging my shoulders. Lance was playing a slow song right now, and he looked bored standing up there behind the booth. I saw Lacey run over to him and kiss him on the cheek.

"Haha." Adam said, looking over at Lance and Lacey, then back at me. "Hey Brooke."

"What?" I asked, knowing what to expect.

"Wanna dance?"

"Do I have any choice in the matter?"

"Nope." He said, taking my hand and leading me closer to the DJ booth.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he was very careful as to place his hands around the direct middle of my waist. Not too high, not too low.

We really didn't talk much while we danced. I was actually thinking, and as I was dancing with Adam...it really hit me that I was going to have to leave him behind when I went home, and who knew when I would see him again. According to the fact Adam actually wasn't smiling for once, I think he was thinking about the same thing.

The slow song ended, and Lance started playing a fast song, one that I recognized because I had seen Adam dance to it several times.

"Come on." Adam said, taking my hand and leading me over to a couch that he had pushed against the wall, over by a table with snacks.

I sat down beside him and looked out at the people on the dance floor, feeling tears sting at my eyes.

He released my hand and took the fedora off of his head. We sat in silence for a moment. I tried to keep myself from looking at him, while he spun the fedora around in his lap.

After a few minutes, he looked at me, and I forced myself to glance over at him. He smiled, flipped the fedora, and placed it on my head. I couldn't help but laugh, as I took it off and placed it back on his head.

He laughed as well after that.

"Brooke." Was all he said, as he shook his head. He had been smiling, but then the smile faded. He stared straight ahead, watching the people dance around us. "I'm really going to miss you."

I nodded in response, not able to speak.

He sighed. "Brooke...I've done some things in my life that I'm not very proud of."

I laughed a little. I didn't doubt that.

"I don't know why I'm the way I am. Well...the way I was." He said, looking at me. "I've been like this for...four years or so. I almost don't know any different."

I looked at him, listening to his story.

"I don't know why I think...why I ever thought that living that way, that treating girls the way I did, was the way relationships were supposed to go. And I don't know why I ever thought that was ok."

I shrugged.

"I never wanted to be like that. But I just couldn't stop following the patterens of my "player" life."

"You said it wrong." I said.

"Huh?"

"It's playa...it sounds cooler."

He smiled in response. "I never thought I would hear you say that."

"I just did."

His smiled faded again. "I knew I was gonna be one of those guys who got married and divorced a thousand times. I knew I'd be one of those guys that would have kids with fifty different women. And I knew I wanted to change that...but I couldn't. Then I met you, and it was like all the desire I had to do that kind of stuff faded."

This situation felt a little awkward, but I listened anyway.

"I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you." He said, looking at me, then looking away. "And I guess that night when I kissed you...I acted the way I did out of player instinct. Then when you told me about your situation with your boyfriend...I got so defensive....because I've done that to a girl before. I've told her I loved her, and that I didn't want my other girlfriend. Then I end up breaking her heart...and I don't care." He said.

I looked over at him, this time allowing my eyes to meet his.

"I didn't want someone like me to do that to you." He said...then sighed, running a hand through his hair. "But I see that you are very happy with him, and he sounds ok."

I laughed. "He's really great."

"Yeah." He said, taking the hat off of his head and twirling it around. "I don't want to be that way anymore."

"You don't have to be." I said, moving closer to him. "Look Adam I may not be the girl for you, but someone out there is. You shouldn't waste your time on me. Find that girl that will be the one for you."

He was silent.

"What kind of girls do you like?" I asked.

He laughed. "Are you playing matchmaker for me?"

"No...I'm just asking a question."

"Umm.." He said as he thought. "I don't really have a type."

"Come on!" I encouraged.

"Ok." He said. "Umm...well I like girls to be shorter than me."

"You don't like tall girls?"

"Heck no...that's weird." He said. "I really don't have an eye or hair color preference. I do like a girl with a nice tan."

I laughed.

"Hey players don't really care so much about what the girl looks like, just what they get out of the girl." He said.

He got smacked for that one.

"Ouch! Anger management classes...they'll work wonders." He said, rubbing his arm. "I like smart girls. Dumb girls annoy the crap out of me. And she's gotta have a good sense of humor..that's a necessity."

I nodded, and then we both started to laugh.

After we stopped laughing, I placed one of my hands on his arm. "You'll find someone Adam...you're a wonderful guy, and any girl that doesn't want you is incredibly stupid."

"In that case...you're incrediably stupid." He said, smiling at me. He got smacked for that one too.

I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to miss you too...McRomeo." I said, smiling.

He smiled as well, and placed the fedora on my head again. I laughed and proceeded to take it off of my head.

"No." He said, stopping me. "I want you to keep it."

"What?" I asked, over exaggerating how shocked I was. "But this is your fedora."

"I can get another one." He said, as he stood up, offering his hand to me so I could get up as well.

"Will this fedora give me the ability to dance like you?" I asked.

"Umm..." He said, stopping his progression toward the DJ booth. "About that."

I offered him a ticked off expression.

"Brooke sweetie...my dance skills are my dance skills. And I'm sorry to break it to you babe...but you can't dance."

I glared at him.

"I'm getting smacked...huh?"

"Of course." I replied, as I smacked him, and we both laughed.

All people flying first class on flight 134 to Seattle, please begin boarding the plane in five minutes.

I re-realized I hated loudspeakers.

I stood there waiting to board my plane with Bella and Edward, and I felt a very familar feeling. It was the same feeling I felt about three months ago, only this time I had to tell a completely different place, and a completely different group of people goodbye. I had been holding up ok, until right as the announcement came over the loudspeaker.

As soon as I heard the announcement...tears started stinging my eyes. I took a deep breath and hugged Lance.

"Bye Lance." I said simply, choking on the words as I said them.

"Bye Brooke." He replied, letting go of our embrace and looking at me.

I turned my attention to Lacey, and she was bawling. I had never seen Lacey cry before...so this was kind of weird. Her mascara was running down her face, and she looked very funny.

I hugged her longer than I had hugged Lance, and neither one of us said anything, we just cried. When we finally let go of each other, she placed her hands on my shoulders and looked at me.

"We're gonna come to Seattle and see you sometime, and you have to come see us in California."

I nodded.

"Gosh girl I don't want you to go! I'm gonna be the only girl now!"

I laughed. "Lacey you dealt with them for twenty years before I came along."

"True." She said, wipping her eyes with a tissue. "I'll still miss you baby cakes."

I nodded, and looked over at Adam.

I flung my arms around his neck, holding him close, not wanting to let him go. He ran one hand over my hair, and I felt one single teardrop roll off of his face and hit my shoulder.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"Bye Brooke...and thank you."

"For what?"

He laughed. "For showing me how to really care about a girl."

I smiled through my tears and kissed his cheek. "You're welcome." I replied. "Goodbye Adam."

"Bye." He repeated.

"Brooke." Bella said, gently taping my arm. "We gotta go."

"Bye guys." I said, waving at the three of them. Bella wrapped her arm around me and rubbed my back, trying to keep me calm. I took a deep breath and sighed, looking out the window at the first, and last part of Alaska I would ever see.

Bella and Edward walked ahead of me into the tunnel. I stood there at the entrance and allowed myself one last glance at my three morons. Lance stood there looking all tough, Lacey's makeup was a mess, and Adam looked like someone had just killed his dog. Lacey smiled at having seen me look back at them, and she waved, holding her wet tissue.

Adam looked over at Lacey and gently hit her arm, and then they did something that couldn't help but make me laugh.

All three off them jumped up on the chairs they were standing by, and waved at me causing everyone in the airport to give them weird looks. I laughed at this, and waved my final goodbyes, before finally allowing myself to walk away.

When I had left for Alaska three months ago, I thought that leaving it was going to be the easiest part. But now I discovered I was very wrong....

Leaving was defiantly the hardest part.

Thanks for reading...please shoot me a review with what you think so far!

~Hazl~