Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter seven of "Not Here III: Going Around." I decided to resume this after an eight-month hiatus. This chapter has some Andros/Ashley, TJ/Cassie, Zhane/Karone, and Leo/Kendrix. The next one will introduce earlier Rangers, TJ's parents, Carlos's parents, Cassie's parents, Mike, and Maya. I have confirmed there will be chaos during the graduation ceremony. Who will cause it remains to be seen. Stay tuned for chapter eight.

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Chapter 7: Waiting Around/The Arrival

Angel Grove High School was bristling with activity. Graduating seniors stood at various points at the front of it. Many took pictures with their friends and/or parents. Others talked about their plans for the future. Two security guards were near the entrance. They had their hands in front of them. They whispered inaudible words.

TJ, Cassie, Zhane, Karone, Leo, Kendrix, Carlos, and Justin stood in the parking lot. They were near TJ's truck, which happened to be parked close to the entrance. They observed students, their friends, and their families walking toward it. They listened to their lively chatter and laughter. Zhane looked at his watch and sighed impatiently.

"I wish Andros and Ashley would get here with her parents, her grandparents, Kinwon, Tykwa, and the Morgans," Zhane griped.

"Be patient, Zhane. They will be here," Karone assured while laying a hand on his arm.

"They probably got caught in traffic," Justin said and adjusted his blue tie. He touched his golden tassel. He blinked twice. "That's not something anyone can control."

"It wouldn't surprise me if they are stuck in traffic. Many people are on their way to the graduation," Cassie said and adjusted the sleeve on her gown. She placed her hand on top of her cap. "The auditorium has enough seats for hundreds of people."

"The Class of 1997 had their graduation outside. Mr. Kaplan decided it was best to have the Class of 2000 hold theirs inside," Carlos commented.

"I can't blame him," Zhane said and crossed his arms. "This graduating class is a bit bigger than the last one was. That means more families are attending."

"Let's not forget that the sky is in the process of clouding over," TJ said, pointing his finger upward. He and the others looked up at the mostly cloudy sky. "The weatherman predicted rain for the late afternoon and early evening."

"No one wants to get wet during a graduation ceremony. That's for sure," Cassie said, taking her hand into his.

"KO-35 is well known for having wet springs and summers. Its falls and winters are usually dry," Zhane whispered as he, his girlfriend, and friends looked at each other. "It snows there on rare occasions."

"I remember one snowstorm hitting the colony. It was a year before I was kidnapped. It snowed at a rate of nearly an inch per hour. By the time it was over, a foot of snow had fallen. The snow came right up to my waist!" Karone exclaimed while putting her hands on her sides.

"Your parents carried you on their shoulders while they walked through the snow. You loved every minute of that," Zhane said, laughing delightfully.

"You, Andros, and I went sledding and had a huge snowball fight with other kids," Karone said happily. "Those activities were so much fun."

Zhane put his arm around his girlfriend to give her a big hug. She wrapped hers around his waist. She sighed contently at his kissing her temple. He kept his lips there for thirty seconds before pulling away. He slipped a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I never thought we would be graduating from high school, Zhane," Karone commented with a sweet smile.

"Me neither, Karone," Zhane responded, taking his arm away. He touched his black tie. He adjusted it a tiny bit. "I remember the first time I wore a suit. It was at Sparkly World. Carlos's parents went to that restaurant occasionally. That was a month before we settled on Earth permanently. I had a hard time tying it."

"It took me several minutes to help you with it," Carlos said, coming to his friend's side. "It was quite the 'chore' for me."

Zhane chuckled. "It sure was. The same thing happened to Andros when he and Ashley went to Beakers for dinner three months after they started dating. He had such a hard time tying his tie that TJ stepped in to help him."

"Andros couldn't understand why we had to dress so nicely. I explained to him it was the dress code at Beakers. Men had to wear suits. Women had to wear dresses," TJ explained.

"If you can't follow an establishment's rules, then you shouldn't visit it," Cassie added.

TJ crossed his arms. "Rules aren't meant to be broken."

"Unfortunately, some people think the rules don't apply to them," Carlos grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

Karone huffed. "That applies as much on KO-35 as it does here."

TJ adjusted the collar on his white dress shirt. He took off his cap to run his hand over the top of his head. He placed it back on before clearing his throat. He looked around, feeling his heart skip two beats. He turned to Cassie, who pressed her lips together.

"The biggest shock about today was Andros telling me that Ashley's grandparents showed up out of the blue on the phone," TJ said, scoffing to himself. "How could they do that after what they said to her?"

"I know, right?" Cassie asked. "I don't blame everyone for being angry with them, especially Ashley. She looked so hurt when she told us what happened on Christmas Eve."

"It's not something you blab to your friends about," TJ admitted with a frown.

"The good news is Kinwon, Tykwa, and the Morgans chewed them out over what they said," Cassie said, smiling. "I wish I could've been there to see it."

"Me too," TJ agreed. "They deserved it. Andros said Ashley made it clear they were not to embarrass her during the ceremony. They better not."

Cassie touched her boyfriend's shoulder to give it a gentle squeeze. He put his hand over hers and rubbed it lightly.

"You nervous about the ceremony?" Cassie wondered.

"Nah. I do have a feeling some seniors will goof off while going up to get their diplomas," TJ said, an irritated scoff leaving his mouth.

"Mr. Kaplan warned them they would not receive their diplomas if they do that," Justin pointed out truthfully.

"That will likely piss them off," Carlos said.

Karone rolled her eyes. "Who cares? If you can't do the time, don't do the crime."

"Exactly," TJ agreed. "Actions have consequences. The world doesn't revolve around anyone, not even us."

"Some people will never get that," Leo said.

"Johnny, Brian, Bianca, Veronica, Tara, and Erica come to mind," Kendrix said, crossing her arms. "Erica threw a huge fit when Uncle Carl told her she was not invited to the graduation ceremony. He told her he wasn't risking her ruining things for me. She was screaming so loudly that I could hear her on the phone in the kitchen."

"What I am concerned about is people heckling Andros and Ashley during their speeches on teen parenthood," TJ mumbled somewhat nervously.

Justin straightened the sleeves on his gown. "They did say they would keep their speeches short."

"There is always a chance they will find something else to say after they complete them," Karone murmured.

"That's true," Kendrix agreed. "Justin was so nice to let them go first."

"How could I not let them? They are an inspiration to current and former teen parents. They never let anyone get them down over their situation. There were days where they felt overwhelmed by the bullying, but it is understandable," Justin explained.

"Some people were not meant to be parents," Kendrix said, seriousness lining her voice. "If parents do not want their children, they can give custody to relatives or friends. If neither family nor friends are available, they can surrender them to foster care for adoption."

TJ frowned. "Unfortunately, many kids age out of the foster system. They have no job skills. They did not graduate high school. They may become drug dealers in order to make money and get something to eat. They may resort to robbery as well."

"It sucks, but it is what is it," Cassie said. She started talking about the time Carlos stole her homework and hid it somewhere.

00000

TJ, Cassie, Zhane, Karone, Leo, Kendrix, Carlos, and Justin were still waiting for Andros, Kinwon, Tykwa, Gerald, the Hammonds, and the Morgans to arrive ten minutes later. Zhane started pacing back and forth. He mumbled inaudible words while shaking his head in disbelief. Karone turned to him, her eyebrows raising. She put one foot forward.

"Zhane, stop pacing. You will wear a hole in the pavement," Karone said.

"I can't help it, Karone. Andros, Ashley, her parents, her grandparents, the Morgans, Kinwon, and Tykwa should have been here by now," Zhane complained bitterly.

"Relax, buddy. We have twenty minutes before the ceremony starts," Carlos pointed out.

"Carlos is right," Justin agreed. "Being impatient won't make them come any faster."

TJ touched his sides. "You know what they say. Good things come to those who wait."

Cassie chuckled. "Indeed."

"Never underestimate the importance of patience," Leo said seriously.

"That's right," Kendrix agreed with a giggle.

Honking came out of nowhere. The entire group turned to see Ashton parking three spaces down from TJ's truck. Julian took the space next to him. The men switched off their engines. The occupants of both vehicles undid their seatbelts. Ashton, Anna, Kinwon, Tykwa, Julian, and Tracy got out. Andros went to Ashley, who took his hand and allowed him to help her out. He had the folder under his arm. He grabbed it once she was out. TJ, Cassie, Zhane, Karone, Leo, Kendrix, Carlos, and Justin went to them.

"Thank God you are finally here," TJ said in relief.

"We were beginning to grow roots from the waiting," Zhane joked and snickered under his breath.

"If only we could do such a thing," Kinwon responded and smiled warmly.

"I have to say you and Tykwa look really nice, Kinwon," Karone said while touching her chin.

"Thank you, Karone. I will tell you that we will never get used to dressing this nicely," Kinwon admitted.

"That's what Andros, Zhane, and Karone said when they did that for the first time," Cassie responded, her brow furrowing.

"It doesn't matter. Earth has very stylish clothes," Tykwa said and put her hand forward. A silver bracelet happened to be on her left wrist. "The same goes with jewelry."

"Mrs. Morgan allowed Tykwa to wear her bracelet when she commented on how beautiful it looked. It really suits her," Ashley said, giggling.

"I haven't worn that thing in years," Tracy pointed out. "Tykwa deserved to wear it. She has been very respectful of my and Julian's property. So has Kinwon."

"So true," Julian agreed.

Karone rubbed the back of her neck. She noticed the ring on Ashley's finger and gasped in shock.

"Ashley, is that what I think it is?" Karone blurted out with wide eyes.

"Yes, it is," Ashley said, squealing excitedly. "Andros and I are getting married!"

Karone screamed and stepped forward along with Zhane. "That is so wonderful. I am so happy for you two!"

Zhane chuckled. "So am I."

Ashley hugged Zhane and Karone tightly. She smiled at their hugging her back. They let go of each other quickly. The couple glanced at Andros, who gave both of them big hugs. They did the same to him. They released their hold on each other after ten seconds.

"You are the luckiest man in the universe, Andros," Zhane said honestly.

"That he is," Leo agreed.

"The best part is he proposed to me before we went to the living room to have our pictures taken," Ashley said, taking her fiancé's hand into hers. She gave it a gentle squeeze.

"You sly dog!" TJ teased.

"It was such a surprise to her parents. They approved of the engagement right away," Andros responded, punching him in the arm lightly.

"If only—" Justin started.

Loud honking came out of nowhere. The group spotted a red car coming through the lot. It happened to be a Kia. It appeared new with the exception of scratches along the bottom on both sides. The red paint had tiny smudges in it here and there. Kayla parked it next to Julian's car. She turned off the engine. She, Ben, Gerald, and Raylene undid their seatbelts. They exited the car and approached everyone.

"Son, you don't need to be so far ahead of us. We had to take a bit of time catching up to you," Kayla scolded.

"Mom, it's not my fault the traffic was bad," Ashton said, looking at her.

"Let's not forget you honked at a few drivers," Raylene added seriously.

"She did, sis?" Ashton asked in surprise.

"Yes," Raylene said with a roll of her eyes. "It annoyed the shit out of me, Dad, and Gerald."

Kayla was about to say something else when TJ cleared his throat. She, Ben, and Gerald glanced at him, his girlfriend, and his friends.

"It's nice to see you, Mr. Hammond, and Mr. Humphrey, Mrs. Hammond," TJ said, hints of anger showing in his voice.

"Watch your tone, TJ," Kayla scolded.

Zhane scoffed irritatingly. "Look at you. You have the gall to scold TJ after what you, your husband, and your brother-in-law said to Ashley."

"What a hypocrite you are!" Karone added fiercely. "You should be ashamed of yourselves over the way you treated her."

"Believe me, Karone. We are very sorry for what we did. We will make it up to Ashley in any way we can," Ben assured.

"We promise with every bit of our hearts," Gerald added.

Kendrix narrowed her eyes at the trio. "I wouldn't make promises I can't keep if I were you. You didn't just hurt Ashley. You hurt us too."

"Who are you?" Ben wondered.

"My name is Kendrix Morgan," Kendrix responded and looked at Leo. "This is my boyfriend, Leo Corbett. We've been part of this group for a good while."

"I am Ben Hammond," Ben said and shook each of the couple's hands. Kayla and Gerald followed suit. "This is my wife, Kayla, and my brother-in-law, Gerald Humphrey. Ashley told us about you."

"Kendrix is right. All of us were happily moving on with our lives. Then you arrived out of the blue," Leo said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You should have called Ashley and tell her you were coming."

"That's right," Justin agreed. "You have no right putting her under so much stress."

Anna waved her hands in the air. "That's enough. The ceremony will be starting before long."

Raylene gestured toward the entrance. "Let's get inside."

"I think it would be best if Andros and Ashley came with us," TJ commented sternly.

"I agree, Teej," Cassie said, nodding. "Come on."

TJ, Cassie, Zhane, Karone, Leo, Kendrix, Carlos, and Justin started heading toward the entrance. Andros and Ashley followed them close behind. They put their arms around each other. Ashton and Anna shot a warning glance at Ben, Kayla, and Gerald.

"Remember. Don't do anything to embarrass Ashley," Ashton said in a firm voice.

"Of course not, son," Kayla said, nodding at him. She and the others proceeded to head toward the entrance.