*GRADUATION PART 2*

And she spins awn her heel, leading her four best friends inside.

One by one, though, they were forced to seperate, each to a different section of the auditorium. Massie joined a group of girls with last names such as Bloss, Blankman, Blintmore, Brett, and Buchanan. Alicia joined a group of girls with last names such as Rit, Rotunder, Raston, Richmond, and Ripetto. Dylan joined a group of COC's, whose mothers or fathers would be speaking at the graduation ceremony. Kristen joined the two salutorians whose grades had tied for second place, at least three points behind her 101.8. And Claire joined a group of girls with names such as Layne, Meena, Heather, Coral, and Kori, clearly not realizing that she had to alphabetitize.

"Thank you, thank you." With a black handkerchief, Principal Burns wiped away a fake tear. "I am so proud of all our graduating seniors. It is a mark of our school that not one young adult here, in this room, failed our carefully structured curriculum, customarily designed so as to make certain that all of our students can and will succeed. And here they are, 194 students, all with above-average grade-points. Please welcome... the Octavian Country Day School graduating class of 2013!"

And they stood. The applause that filled the room was enormous, echoing off walls and floor and ceiling, streaming through windows so the whole town could hear just how proud they were.

"And I would like to thank all our parents who have supported their children through this strenuous time, through tests and quizzes and homework and grades and electives, and of course the college application process. And now may I introduce the mother of one of our most esteemed students, Dylan Rae. Here is... Merri-Lee Marvil!"

Dylan rolled her eyes, leaning over to whisper to Chloe Moretz, who, yes, modeled for one of the lamest stores in history, but was also gorgeous and an ah-mazing actress, "I'll be the most esteemed student when hell freezes over."

"I remember that party!" Chloe exclaimed. "Omigod, you guys were so funny in your devil costumes!"

"Party?" Dylan repeated. Then she thought back, and it occured to her that she remembered that vaugely. "Oh yeah."

"That party was so sick," whispered Danielle Bradbery, who had won Season 4 of The Voice.

Dylan grinned. "Thanks, guy-"

"Shh!" a teacher snapped, leaning forward. "It's your own mother speaking, Dylan, have a little respect!"

And sure enough, she had begun. "As most of you know, I am Merri-Lee Marvil, host of The Daily Grind. I am here today to celebrate with you our children's graduation. Whether or not you have had your kids go through this already or not, it is still a marvelous stepping stone in not only our children's lives, but our own. This is a tear-jerker, but I have confidence you all can make it through." The parents laughed. "Now, my executive director and I, and a few other parents who will come up in a second, have put together a little slide-show to demonstrate the way our girls are growing up. We have strung together pictures of a group of five girls, who have been best friends since sixth grade. And although most of you, especially the students, will most likely know them when you see them, here are Massie Block, Alicia Rivera, my daughter, Dylan Marvil, Kristen Gregory, and Claire Lyons. If you all will please stand up and come on over. Will their parents come too, please, Kendra and William Block, Ally and Len Rivera, Marsha and Phillip Gregory, and Judi and Jay Lyons? Thank you."

With excuse-me's and pardons, the girls and their parents made their way to the stage, and the slideshow began.

The first picture was of Claire when she five, holding a camera up to her eye and grinning. There there was one of Massie, about the same age. She was leaning against Brownie, who was at least two times taller than her, a blue ribbon taped to her forehead. There there was Dylan, speaking into a hawt-pink microphone and beaming, with her hair up and elegant and standing in her mother's high heels. Then Kristen at six, wearing fake reading glasses with no lenses, her nose buried in an A-Z Mysteries book. And Alicia, gripping a mascara wand. With her other hand, she smeared makeup awn her mother's face.

Then at ten, still before they met each other. Massie first, with her arm around Ahnna. Then Dylan, standing with a much younger Chloe. Alicia, with her cousin Nina, in Spain. Claire, who was sitting awn Mandy and Sari's shoulders, with Sarah's head just visible from where she was spotting from behind. And Kristen and Belle White, each trapping a soccer ball and smiling hugely.

Then at 13: Dylan peering in the mirror as she put up her own fiery-red hair, Alicia in the middle of a dance routine, Kristen modeling the first designer shirt her mother had ever bought for her (a pink Agnes B. that looked horrible x10 awn her), Massie browsing through the racks at Anne Klein, making a face, and Claire bundled up in a snowsuit, her face pink and her breath misty in front of her as she positioned herself to throw a snowball.

And a group shot of them awl standing with their arms wrapped around each other, in fancy evening dresses. They were accompanying Merri-Lee to a dinner party.

And then a little older: Kristen with her mother, at a bowling alley, Claire with Jay and Todd at the Yorktown batting cages when Todd wanted to play in Little League, Massie standing between Kendra and William for a Christmas card photo, Alicia, Ally, and her younger sister Melinda Mae "twinning" (or in their case, triplet-ing) in fire-hydrant-red dresses, and Dylan with her sisters, making peace signs and sticking their tongues out.

And a group shot of them skiing out west in bikinis, with their hair in high ponytails. And a group shot of them at a Friday Night Sleepover, doing each other's nails. And a group shot of them getting their hair highlighted by Jakkob and his assistants. And a group shot of them in school, working on a Science lab. And a group shot of them chowing down on Delicious Nutritious smoothies with biscottis on the side. Cinnamon for Massie, lemon for Alicia, blueberry for Dylan, ying-yang (chocolate-vanilla) for Kristen, and sugar-glazed for Claire. And a group shot of them someone must have snapped as they walked in, all five of them in navy blue caps and gowns with maroon and gold tassels, their arms linked, their heads held high.

There was a moment of silence, and then the place burst into applause. Merri-Lee curtsied and nodded to the Pretty Committee, who bowed.

Then the redheaded star held up her hand, bending her head in acknowledgment. "Thank you all. Isn't it shocking that they grow up so fast? And with that, I would like to introduce our next speaker, the mother of Charity Atkins-put your hands together for Jenni Atkins!"


"And last but certainly not least, Marissa Zedd!"

And awn cue, the girls chucked their hats into the air, throwing awf their gowns to reveal jeans and fitting t-shirts, and running outside. "Goodbye, OCD!" they screamed.

"So, is there an after-party?" Kristen asked.

"We told you; Skye's," Dylan said. "But come awn, we have to get you back to Alicia's so you can pick something to wear."

Kristen smirked. "You think something of Alicia's is going to fit me?" She glanced down at her B-Cups.

"Fine. We'll go to my place," Massie declared. "Then Jakkob can get us awl ready."

"I have to go get my dress from my place," Alicia told them. "But the rest of you will fit in Massie's stuff, right?"

"No way," Claire expostulated instantly. "I got the cutest dress from Neiman Marcus the other day and this is the perfect occasion. I'll be quick." And she dangled a brand-new set of car keys from her fingers.

"Ehmagawd!" Massie screeched, throwing her arms around the blonde. "You got your license!"

"I did." She grinned.

"I have a dress also." Dylan dug in her handbag for her cell. "I'll call Lloyd to pick me up. Gawd, I hate having a late birthday."

"Same," Kristen sighed. "Sorry, but Guess got a new shipment and I just couldn't help checking it out."

Massie couldn't figure out what they were all apologizing for. Then she realized that a few years ago, she would have yelled at them for going shopping without her. Now she just resented the fact that they wouldn't be able to get ready with her.

But oh well. They had awl summer.


You want a hot body?
You want a bugati?
You want a Maserati?
You better work bitch.

The techno beat of Britney's newest pop single blasted through Skye's yard, making conversation impossible. So instead, the Pretty Committee picked up their champagne glasses, downed them in one gulp, and shouted, "To the Pretty Committee!" They they refilled their glasses and emptied them ah-gain.

"The Pretty Committee!" A slight echo came from behind them, and for a second, they thought they were so drunk they were hearing things.

But instead, a slim platinum blonde with almond-shaped green eyes and pale skin dotted with a spray of freckles shoved herself into their circle. Her eyes were swollen with intoxication, and she was grinning too loosely. Her feet were bare. "School all done?" she asked them.

"Skye!" Massie embraced her, like a true Alpha. "Thanks for inviting us."

"Of course," she scoffed. "I can't just not invite the coolest clique in all of OCD High. I mean, that would just be bitchy." She stuck out her tongue, which stunk with alcohol.

"It would," Alicia agreed smoothly, a trace of humor in her voice. She stepped closer to Skye. "Really bitchy."

Josh strolled up then, and threw a lazy arm around Alicia, who smiled. "Have you met my fiance, Skye?"

"Yes, I know Joshua," giggled Skye. "Very intimately. I was once his girlfriend, after all."

"Well, no more." Alicia looped her arms around him and they began kissing like crazy. "No more."


"No...no...no," Dylan protested giddily.

"I can't drive either," Kristen mumbled, twirling in a circle under the night-time stars.

"Don't make me," Claire sang in a little girl voice, but sounding as though she would if she felt like it.

"I had way too much to drink," Massie stated, sounding surprisingly sober. "I can't be responsible for killing awl of you. Leesh?"

She was gone.

"Awf with Josh," Claire hypothesized. "Doing naughty things!"

"Kuh-laire! Fine, I'll do it," Dylan decided. "Come awn, guys."

Skye materialized in front of them. "Leaving so soon? The fun's just beginning."

"Skye, it's 4:00 in the fucking morning," Kristen mumbled. "I want to go to bed already."

"Well, haven't you always been the party pooper?"

"I'll stay." Dylan shrugged. "Right now, I'd rather party than drive, with awl those petty signs that I can't even see cuz my eyes are so fucking blurry."

"Whatevs," Claire agreed. "Besides, we really shouldn't leave without Alicia."

Massie hadn't thought of that. "Fine, I'll call Isaac to bring Kristen and me home. See you tomorrow. Sleepover, remember!"


Except the next morning, Merri-Lee was awn the phone with a doctor. "Yes, I'm sure she was...I don't know, I wasn't there...Underage is not the point right now; she just graduated!...Yes, Doctor, I understand that, but frankly, that is the least of my worries...Look, sir, I have somewhere to be. If you continue to preach to me about my daughter, I will hang right up and you will lose all of your business...Okay...So will it be a problem?...No, I don't think she was throwing up last night...Are you sure she'll be alright? I don't want to sue...Yes, I can bring her in if you'd like...About an hour...But she's still quite hungover...If you're sure then...Okay, thank you, goodbye."

"Mom!" Jaime barged into the master bedroom. "Was that the bulimia guy? Omigod, has Dylan relapsed?"

"Not yet," Merri-Lee told her. "I'm not worried; it's just that she drank a lot last night and I'm afraid she's going to start throwing up to get all that alcohol out of her system and lose the little body fat she has left."

Jaime sighed and went upstairs. Nawt expecting an answer to her knock and nawt getting one, she walked into her sister's room.

"Jaime! I didn't say you could just walk in!"

"This is important. Did you eat last night before the party?"

"I ate at the party. Ehmagawd, does that make me a fat pig? I need to go to the bathroom."

Jaime was disgusted at this thought process. Who had gotten this into her? "You don't need to throw it up. You need to exercise."

"Nawt to throw up, silly! I need to pee!"

"Oh!" And her relief was so tangible, and needed to be shared, so she flung her arms around the youngest Marvil. "Oh, Dylan, I'm so happy you're really getting better."

"Me too, but I swear to Gawd if you don't let me go, my bladder will explode."

"Alright, alright." Reluctantly, Jaime released her.

"Group hug?!" Ryan and Merri-Lee hurdled into the room. "Group hug!" And they pounced.

Dylan would never know how she managed to nawt pee her pants.