"With these last few moments, we're in this together. It's been an uphill battle with casualties along the way. This is life. This is the world and this is what we are now entering. As we throw our caps into the air, we throw our lives into the air, how will they end up when they land? When we show up for our ten-year reunion, will we recognize each other? I believe so. I believe that despite all of the hardships we've faced in the last four years, all of the tests, the projects, everything, we've done it together and we have made friendships that will last a lifetime. So I welcome the challenges that are to come. Raise your caps everyone, you've earned it. Congratulations Class of 2004." The speaker, a slight redhead with bright green eyes pulled her crimson hat off and threw it into the air. The crowd below the podium followed. Then air horns, applause, and a rush of loud cheers from both the rest of the graduates and their parents.

The girl moved off the podium and into the crowd. She came up to two dark haired boys and an olive skinned girl. The three were obviously close, and the redhead was obviously part of the group. The two girls hugged and the guys were excited. The taller dark haired male, smiled a lopsided and almost goofy smile. He pulled a camera from his pocket and tapped a random guy on the shoulder, "Take a picture for us." The guy nodded and the four huddled together in a group.

The group had been inseparable over the last four years. The Latino girl was Isabella Vilagomez, the goofy dark haired male was Darren Blacklocke, the other two were the valedictorian Abigail Knotts, and her boyfriend Horatio Douglas.

With a click, the moment was captured, Horatio and Abby had their heads touching each other Izzy had her arm around Abby and Dari had dropped in front of the group and held his arms out with his perpetual goofy smile.

Later that night at the Senior Prom the group was together again. This time dressed to the nines. Izzy and Dari had coupled and Abby and Horatio were always with one another. Dari and Izzy spent almost the whole night dancing as if they'd been having sex for years, which in a way was true. But they'd been officially broken up since the beginning of their Senior year.

Abby and Horatio hung back to the table, migrating in for a song or two, and then migrating back out.

Abby had been serious since the moment the graduation ceremony was over and Horatio wasn't stupid to this. He'd been pushing all night to find out what was going on with her.

"For the last time, nothing." She said, sitting down again, "Now drop it, you're ruining my prom."

He sat next to her, "Abby, I want to know what's going on. I want to help."

"There's nothing going on, okay?" She got up again and walked around the outskirts of the dancing crowd and then made her way to a balcony. Like a little puppy, Horatio followed. She turned to him, "Knock it off, okay?"

"Abby, what's wrong?"

Now that she was outside and annoyed as hell by his constant pressuring, she let it spill, "I'm done."

"Done with what?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"Us." She said, "We're going to university in a couple months and I don't want to be tied down."

"Tied down?" He asked, "But we're going to the same school. You wanted it that way."

"It'll be nice to have my friends there and you too, you've been my friend for so long."

"But I love you." Horatio pressed.

"And I love you." Abby said, "I just don't know if I'm in love with you."

Horatio turned his head to avoid having to look at her. The doors behind them opened and music poured out as Izzy and Dari exited, arms over each other's shoulder and laughing like crazy.

Abby looked over, "Guys, we're kinda busy."

Izzy smiled proudly like she'd won a big prize, "We just got kicked out for vulgar dancing."

Horatio wiped his eyes and looked over, "About time."

"I don't know how they think they can ruin our Prom." Dari said with a mock-indignant tone. Izzy and him erupted into another wave of laughter, that died as Abby and Horatio didn't join them.

"I'm going home." Abby said and she turned and started walking away. When Horatio didn't go after her, both Dari and Izzy ran over.

"Hey." Dari said, skidding to a stop in front of Abby, "What's up?"

"I'm not feeling like celebrating." She said.

"You want us to drop you off, you helped pay for the limo." Izzy said.

Abby shook her head, "I'll take a taxi. I don't want to ruin your night."

"Too late." Horatio said from behind the group. Dari looked over, confused. Horatio scratched his head as he tried to look nonchalant, "You guys want to go to Catalina's?"

Both Izzy and Dari looked to Abby then back to Horatio. "You sure?" Izzy asked. Abby nodded. Izzy smiled and hugged her. "Give me a call in the morning, I'll still be up."

Abby smirked a little and headed away.

Dari turned to Horatio, "Come on bro, let's go make trouble elsewhere." Horatio nodded and started towards the door. "Uh, we can't necessarily go inside. We were barred."

Horatio sighed and they walked around the edge of the building. As the concrete ended, Izzy jumped up on Dari's shoulder and he carried her to the front of the building. Horatio waved down their limo and they climbed in. He moved to the front most part in the back and started sulking. Izzy and Dari looked back and forth at each other, not quite knowing what was going on.

From the black SUV a well kempt and yet rugged looking man in his mid-forties with dark blond hair exited. Once he was out, the car pulled away. He was well dressed, like a model from J. Crew. He closed a cell phone as he got out and moved towards the U-Haul. From his walk and his presence, he came off as a shark, which was not far from the truth. The man was Gary Blacklocke, founder of Blacklocke Brother's Car Dealership. He knocked on the side of the U-Haul and then opened the door, "You excited Son?" He asked to Dari.

Dari smiled softly, "Yes sir."

Gary leaned over and looked at Horatio, "What about you, excited?"

Horatio was always a bit intimidated by Gary and felt that the kindness that he displayed towards him was false. He managed to smile a little before he nodded. "Yeah, stoked."

Gary smirked, "'Stoked' a good thing?"

"Yes sir." Dari said with a nod.

Gary nodded and tapped on the door, "Let's get a move on it."

Dari nodded and waited for his dad to leave, he then held his hands out in a strangulation pose and grit his face. "Die." He hissed.

Horatio chuckled a little, "You should just tell him to fuck off."

Dari looked over with one eyebrow raised in question, "Are you fucking serious man? He'd kill me."

"I would if I was you."

"Yeah, when your dad's Bargain Blacklocke, then come talk to me. Until then, keep your trap shut."

Horatio smirked until Gary called out, "I said move it." Dari clambered out almost immediately. He moved towards the back of the truck where his dad had lifted the hatch to their stuff. He looked to the Dari, "Why don't you two go get checked in?"

"Is mom coming back?"

"Yeah she had to park, go check in."

Dari nodded and headed towards the main building where he was going to check in. Horatio moved up behind him and clapped him on the back, "Only a few more hours and he's gonna leave."

"Can't wait." Dari said kicking at a pinecone. He glanced over his shoulder and saw his Mom move up to his dad. "Forget him."

Horatio smirked, "You work on forgetting him, and I'll keep truckin' with repressing all thoughts of Abby. Deal?"

"Has she even talked to you recently?" Dari asked.

"If by, 'stop calling', you mean talking… then yeah. Otherwise no. Apparently it's not okay that my heart was broken"

"Don't feel so left out," Dari said with a smirk, "According to Izzy, Ms. Knotts has a stick up her ass and isn't talking to her either."

Horatio looked over, extremely confused, "Abby's ignoring Izzy?"

"Yup." Dari said as he opened the door. "They were supposed to go to Summer Jam together and two days before Abby drops an email saying 'I can't go' and offers no other explanation and when Izzy called, her mom would say that Abby didn't feel like taking… if anyone picked up at all."

Horatio sighed, "Whatever, I stopped trying after a while. I just couldn't take it anymore."

Dari slugged his friend's shoulder affectionately, the only affection he could show in public without looking 'faggy'. A look he particularly didn't need with his dad in such close proximity. "So you gonna pledge for anything this year?"

"Yeah fucking right!" Horatio said, "Most of those guys get in cause of their parents. I have two pro-feminist lesbians. Thanks but no."

Dari smirked as they both got into the alphabetical line labeled "A-E". "Well, you have one thing that could be a bonus with that."

"Oh?"

"Yeah dude, your mom's hot."

Horatio made a face and decked Dari's shoulder blade, "I can assure you, you're not her type."

Dari laughed and turned around to check in. He got his paperwork and moved out of the lines. He looked up as Horatio neared, "So we're in 508."

"I've got 510." Horatio said, his face contorting. "And I have a roommate listed. Some guy named Lucas Weng."

"That's impossible. We specifically said we only wanted to room together." Dari said, taking Horatio's room assignment and comparing it to his own. He moved up through the crowd and to the guy behind the table who had given them their paperwork, "Excuse me. Yeah hi. There's a mistake on our room assignments."

The guy made a face, as Dari had cut in front of the long line. "Don't know man, I'm just the messenger. If you've got a problem with housing go to Pacific Hall. That's where the housing department is."

Dari nodded, "Thanks." He looked back to the annoyed people in line, "Sorry." He jogged over to Horatio, "It's no problem. We'll go to Pacific Hall and switch out. Your roomie can have my single room and we'll get our split room back."

Horatio nodded and they headed back out towards the U-haul, taking in the sights of this new campus. It seemed like it was a large sleeping creature that was just being woken. There wasn't much activity yet but in the coming months the school would be bustling.

When they got back to the U-Haul, a dark haired woman had joined Gary. She was immaculately dressed and had a pristine kind of glow to her. She looked elegant compared to the rugged handsomeness of her husband. She was born of East Coast wealth and had chosen a slightly less wealthy lifestyle for love. Her name was Jeanette and she was Dari's mom and the obvious parent he took after. Not just in how he looked but the cut-throat mentality that Gary held somehow avoided Dari completely. Jeanette looked over and smiled at Dari, despite her almost ever-present snob-like attitude it was obvious that she loved her children and she loved her husband. "How'd it go, kiddo?" She asked as he got close enough to talk to with a normal tone of voice.

Dari rolled his eyes a little, "We've got to run over to Pacific Hall before we unload. The housing people made an error on our housing assignments. We're not together."

Jeanette looked to her husband who popped his head out of the truck, "There's no error," Gary informed them. "I had Darren's room assignment changed." He said as he dropped from the back of the truck.

"Why?" Dari asked, belatedly he added a "Sir."

"Because you don't need any roommates distracting you from your work this year. If you can prove you can do it well this year and get the grade, we'll consider an apartment next year."

Dari looked to his mom, who couldn't meet his eyes and then to his dad, "This isn't fair, you didn't ask me about this."

"Because you went behind my back and selected a roommate without my approval." Gary looked to Horatio, "It's nothing about you, but Darren needs to focus on his studies." Horatio didn't know how to reply so he just nodded. Dari glared at his dad until his dad glared back, "The conversation is over. Do not change it or I will yank you from here so fucking fast. You will spending the next four years at Ithicia University. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." Dari said and he lowered his head.

"Good. Let's go and get you guys moved in. I did arrange for you to be on the same floor."

"We noticed that. Thank you sir." Dari muttered and he moved over to the truck. "We should we move it closer to the dorms. There's parking in front of the building."

"Great idea." Gary said as he closed the hatch in the U-Haul. "We'll meet you two there." He smiled, but not a real sincere smile, more of a smug, self-righteous, 'I beat you' smile.

Dari waited until he got back into the U-Haul before he let his anger show. "Fucking bastard! I hate when he does that shit."

Horatio sighed, "Another thing to suck my year up just that much more."

"He's trying to act all benevolent. It has nothing to do with not having a roommate." He said, shaking his head, "My dad's so fucking homophobic."

"Maybe somebody should get him piece of paper that says that the gay-gene is not genetically transmitted to offspring." A new voice said from behind Dari's back. The speaker was Izzy, who had a large smirk on her face and was leaning against the inside of the open door. Both guys jumped a little and she chuckled, "You know, when somebody says hi to you in line, the polite thing to do would be to say hi back. But no, so I had to follow you lazy bastards out here and say hi again."

"Hey, Iz." Dari said, trying to sound like everything was cool.

Izzy made a face, she knew Dari's bull when he tried to pass it off on her. She looked past him to Horatio, "What's eating him?"

"His dad changed our room assignments."

"Harsh." She said, making a face, "Well, I feel your pain. The Redheaded Bitch told me in July that she switched her room assignments so we wouldn't be together."

"What is with her?" Dari asked, getting kind of upset.

Izzy shrugged and then climbed up over Dari and into the middle seat, "So what dorm are you gents in, cause I sure as fuck don't want to talk about Ms. Knotts."

"Wallace Hall." Horatio replied.

"I'm in Howard Hall." Izzy said with a frown, "Yeah could we be any further apart?"

"Well, you could live off campus." Dari suggested. Howard wasn't hugely far away from Wallace but far enough away to be inconvenient.

She made a face and swore under her breath in Spanish. Horatio made a face, "Can you please not speak Spanish in front of me? I can't speak it."

"I know." She said smugly as Dari started the van.

When the van was finally unloaded, Dari's parents didn't linger for too long. His one room suite was decorated with boxes. There was still a pile in the lobby of Horatio's boxes. The trio headed down and came back up the elevator with Horatio's boxes. They had a trolley cart being pulled by Izzy and both boys had at least two boxes in their arms. When they got to Horatio's room they stopped as there was a tirade of very angry mandarin Chinese being spat by a woman's voice.

"Mom. Yeah mom. Mom calm down." A younger male's voice piped up, "Mom, it's not the end of the world. Mom… Mom!"

Izzy rolled her eyes as both boys hung back. She knocked on the door and pushed it open some more, "Hello, hi? My boy Horatio's in here, is it cool if we move stuff in?"

The young man had perfectly spiked hair and very nice clothes on. He was short for his age and looked much younger than any college student ever should. His mother was dressed in a tank top and Capri jeans. She looked over and her black silk hair cascaded over her shoulders. She smiled sincerely, despite having just been screaming. "Of course, come in." She said in perfect English. There wasn't even a hint of an accent as she spoke.

Izzy pulled the trolley in and then the two boys entered. Izzy smiled, "I'm Izzy." She said holding her hands out to both the boy and his mother.

"Lucas." The kid replied, "But I like Luke. And this is my mother Julia."

Izzy smiled and nodded a little, almost like a bow. "The two blockheads over there are Horatio and our friend Darren."

"Dari." He corrected as he set the boxes on the ground.

"Dairy?" Luke asked with a smirk, "Like cows kind of dairy?"

"No, just Dari. My dad's Gary and he thought it was it was cute and contrite." He said.

Luke nodded. Julia smiled, "Quite a name, Horatio."

He blushed a little, "My mom's kinda nuts. I'm three of four and we've all got it bad. There's Ephram, Season, me, and my little brother Holden… we count him the lucky one."

Luke chuckled a little and his mom shot him a look that silenced him. He blinked but that was his only movement. "Well, I should let you get unpacked." Julia said, moving towards the door. "It was nice meeting you guys. Have a good year." She said and exited, but not before snapping at least one more order in Chinese. Luke nodded in reply to a closed door.

He made a face, "My mom's kinda crazy too."

"No kidding." Dari said as he looked to Horatio.

"Which side do you want?" Horatio asked.

Luke smirked a little, "My mom was having a nervous breakdown because the Chi in this room is majorly going to get stifled. It's like they've never heard of Feng Shui." He said, "But if you don't mind, I'd like the side closer to the second window. That way I can have at least an air element."

Horatio shrugged, "Sounds cool."

"You'll have to excuse Horatio," Izzy said, unloading the boxes from the trolley. "Horatio's a bit on the silent side."

"And you speak enough for the entire freshman class." Dari said, whipping a pillow out of a box and hitting Izzy with it.

She flipped him off with a menacing glare and then clapped her hands, "Okay, you two boys are done. On to my room."

Horatio shook his head, "I can't. My mom packed some stuff in my boxes that has to go into my mini-fridge ASAP. And I'm kinda not feeling hot, if you catch my drift."

"I've got a pre-law orientation at four." Dari said. "I'm pretty much going to shower and then nap til then."

Izzy's head slumped to one side and she made a face, "Come on you bastards, I could've gone and done my shit hours ago but I helped you."

Dari sighed, "I would help Iz." He said, "But I can't miss this thing. I'll come by your place after and we'll hang out. Hell, I'll take you out for food."

She made a face, "You better."

"I should be done around seven-thirty or eight… at the latest. I'll call if it seems to be later than that." He said as the two of them headed towards the door. He turned, "Hey Horatio. Morning jog at 8."

Horatio nodded, trying to seem busy unpacking.

"See ya." Izzy said and the two exited the room.

"Nice friends." Luke said, looking up from his own boxes.

Horatio pulled the picture frame in his hands out from where he'd been hiding it. It was the same picture at graduation. Life had been so simple then, so uncomplicated. But somehow, in only a few short months his life had fallen apart. He realized Luke had spoken to him and he looked up, "What was that?"

"Your friends seem cool." He said with a smile.

"They're the best." Horatio replied before putting the picture frame on the windowsill.

Izzy had waited for Dari to shower and get dressed as he agreed to walk with her as far as he could, towards her dorm. He was dressed classier than normal, trying to look casually professional. They pretty much talked about random stuff the whole way until where the paths parted. To the left was Izzy's dorm and to the right was the direction Dari needed to go to get to his meeting. "So I'll meet you between seven-thirty and eight." Dari said, "And we'll hit the caf closest to you and so on." He said with a smirk.

She smiled in reply, "See you and have fun."

"Oh yeah, four hours of babble. I'm stoked." He said and he started off towards his meeting.

Izzy had done the same as Horatio and had her boxes checked into a waiting area. She went back to the RA in charge of the boxes and claimed them again. She was on the top of nine floors. But to her dismay, the elevator was being used by people who lived on the first floor and who seemed like they were trying to move in for the next fifty years. She waited for about twenty minutes before she picked up a duffle bag and a lighter box and rechecked in all of her other stuff.

She hit the stairs, initially taking two at a time and then slowing to one around the fifth floor. By the time she hit seven she was ready to murder someone. Finally she hit the ninth. She went to her room and opened up the door to a loud voice saying, "Stupid Nigga, I said to the left. Not your left, my left."

"Girl, we on the same left." The voice replied.

Izzy was initially taken back. Puyallup wasn't a hugely racially diverse group, in fact there were under fifty kids of color in her six hundred student graduating class, of which she was one. And now, she was looking in on her roommate who was strikingly beautiful and not white and she sighed in relief.

The girl had long straight black silk hair and dark black skin. She was obviously bi-racial. Asian and African and a beautiful mix of the two. The male she'd been talking to was black, but not as dark as she was. He had close shaved hair to his head and a series of tattoos on his arms, chest and back that were clearly visible under his tank top. The girl looked over and smiled, "Hot damn, I'm not with Suzy Q." She got up from the chair she was sitting in and walked over, "I'm Monique. But nobody but my parents call me that. I'm Mo. And that dumbfuck up there," she said indicating the boy who was trying to hang a poster, "is Theodore."

"Theo bitch." He replied as he taped it up. "And I don't care if it's lopsided, 50 Cent can stay his ass crooked for all I car." He said. He looked at Izzy and gave her a once over. He totally scanned her with his eyes in only a way a black man can and he smirked a little, "Sup."

"Hey." Izzy said, setting down her bag and box. "I'm Isabella. Izzy. It's stupid and Hispanic, but what can I say? Both my parents are Latino so I can't argue."

Mo chuckled a little. "Girl's got humor, you and I will get along just fine."

Izzy looked up at the poster and smirked, "You like 50?"

"He's the fuckin' man. Nigga took nine bullets and he's still walkin' his ass around. Theo gets a goddamned cold and he turns bitch."

Izzy smirked, "But see, he's a guy. Of course he did."

"50 Cent's a guy too."

"No, he's a demigod." Izzy said with a smirk. "Far above you mortal men. I saw him at Summer Jam and all I have to say is day-ee-mm."

Mo held her fist out to Izzy, "Right there, sista. You okay by me. I don't care about nothin' else. You like 50 you down with me."

Izzy bumped Mo's fist and smirked. She sat on her bed as Theo eyed her again, "So you like brothas?"

Izzy shrugged, "I like anything that takes care of me and makes me feel like a lady."

Theo nodded, "A'ight. A'ight." He looked to his watch. "Damn boo, I gotta get my shit unloaded."

"Don't count on it," Izzy said. "Some crazy ass bitch on the first floor is moving her entire hometown in. It'll be a while."

"Nah, I ain't in here. I'm next door in Peters Hall." He moved up to Mo and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, "Check ya." He said and he nodded to Izzy, "Nice to meetcha."

"Back at ya." She said.

Mo let out a breath, "Finally, I can speak English again." She said looking over to Izzy. "Theo brings the street out in me. My dad hates it cause that's the kind of guy he was as a kid and all."

Izzy made a face, "Are you two dating or is he your brother?"

"Me related to him? Ha!" Mo said with a smirk, "We used to be a thing but we didn't work out. We're too good of friends to hate each other."

Izzy smirked, "I've got a guy friend like that too."

"Guys are just better as friends." Mo said with a smile, "Cause once they become boyfriends they become idiots."

Izzy nodded, deciding to lay down to see how her bed will feel. "Where are you from?"

"Seattle." Mo said. "Theo too but that's a given. He's here for basketball and I'm here for dance."

"Me too." Izzy said.

"For real?" Mo asked with a large smile.

"Yeah, my team went to Orlando last year for a national competition. We took fifth but someone here thought I kicked it pretty well."

"That's cool. So are you cheer dance or ghetto dance?"

Izzy rolled over and made a face, "I'm Peruvian and Guatemalan. I'm all flava. That cheer shit never made me move."

Mo nodded, "Seriously home girl, you and I are going to get along so well. You should come out with Theo and me tonight. He brought his car so we could go back up to Seattle when we want. You're totally welcome to hit the clubs with us."

"Can't I'm meeting a friend for dinner."

Mo shrugged, "It's up to you. But anytime you want to come. Feel free."

Izzy nodded, "Thanks." After a couple moments of silence Mo clicked on some rap and Izzy looked over, "Okay can I ask a horribly racist question?"

"Black and Korean." Mo replied, predicting Izzy's question. "And no it's not racist."

The clock was reading 8:15. It wasn't all that uncommon for Dari too be running late but he hadn't called yet and that's what was pissing Izzy off. By 8:30 she was fuming. Mo was almost completely ready to go, at 8:45 Theo was supposed to be back and they were going to drive up to Seattle and hit a couple clubs. And the later and later Dari was, the more and more Izzy wanted to go. At 8:35 she got up and decided to get dressed and ready to go. By 8:45 she was ready when Theo showed up. She wrote a note on her door for Dari and then left with her roommate and her somewhat boyfriend. She was surprised to not see Dari coming running up to her and groveling because he was late. But they walked all the way to Theo's Honda without seeing any of her friends, she made the decision at the car to not let Dari ruin her night.

Conversation was light between the three college students but by the time they reached Seattle, almost an hour later, Izzy was integrated into this group and fully welcomed into all of their private jokes. She'd even managed to start at least one of her own.

Theo parked the car outside of the Velvet Club and they were cut in front of the crowd and allowed in. Gaby looked to Mo, "How the hell did that just happen?" She asked.

Mo smiled, "Guest list. Theo's brother is a primo Djay up here. He gets us in anywhere we want."

"Remind me to never leave home without you." Izzy said.

At 9:30 Dari was sprinting across campus as fast as his legs would carry him. Sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead and the back of his neck. His legs started to burn but Dari was a soccer player and he knew he could push himself. He reached Izzy's building and avoided the busy elevator. He hit the stairs taking two at a time all the way up to the top floor. He was covered in sweat by the time he hit Izzy's floor. He hunched over and breathed heavily, his shaggy brown hair clinging together in sweaty clumps. There were patches of his clothes that were soaked but he didn't mind. He wiped at sweat pooling near his eyes and started walking down the hall, looking for her room. Halfway down the hall he found it. He knocked but no one answered. He knocked again and saw the note she'd left for him. He pulled it off the door and read it.

D-