High School Has Its Perks

"I've brought you all hear today to finally read to you my final article" Sean started. "On the death of Dakota Randall" he smiled. Ross, Joe, Leena, Bryan and Brooklyn sat in a semi-circle around Sean and listened. "May 31, 2013 was a particularly normal day. I mean, normal for me. I watched the class of 2013 enjoy their final moments of high school. I couldn't wait to get rid of them, cause I knew we were next in line. After school one of my good friends Randy was throwing a party to celebrate the occasion. It was pretty fun. I shared their excitement for graduation in a week, I wanted to feel what they felt. The party got pretty wild. Around 9:08 p.m a colleuge of mine ran into Randy's house screaming that there had been an accident. I can never forget that moment. She said the car in the accident had the high school parking decal on it. It's like time went into slow motion. I had to scan the room to account for all of my friends. How pathetic, in that moment, someone's parents, sibling, girlfriend or boyfriend was going to be devastated and I couldn't stop thinking about my friends. Mostly because I had been there before. I was driving home from a party and saw my friends car mangled to pieces, and I didn't want to worry like that ever again. One of my friends was missing and I panicked for a bit. I told his parents I would look out for him..." Sean had to stop talking for a bit. The gang could hear the breaking in his voice. Leena held onto Joe's hand. "I didn't know what to do. A close friend of mine said we should drive to the accident, my other friend said it would be faster if we walked; since we know the area so well. We ran into the woods and followed the police sirens. When we got to the scene it was like a war flashback. I saw the car and the parking decal and I knew who's car it was. I noticed right away that paramedics weren't making any attempts to move quickly. We all knew he was dead. I had been in that same situation before a few months prior, but my friends were fine and got better. This time he was dead. Someone I was close friends with died and that was hard to handle. During his funeral I kept apologizing to his parents, because I made a promise that I would look out for him at parties and at school. I broke my promise and now they lost their son...."

"Stop!" Bryan jumped up and hugged Sean. Together they cried. Leena, Joe, Brook and Ross united with them in one big group hug and together they wept for the loss of their good friend. It all hurt too much, like it just happened yesterday.

"Yeah I can't finish this" Sean said. "I can't figure out what to write afterwards..."

"Well it's going into the school paper maybe it should have a happy uplifting message" Ross said.

"Well, the summer sucked" Bryan said. "But your fine and we're fine" he said. "And maybe you should mention how Dakota's parents kept telling you to stop apologizing" he said. "That it wasn't your fault"

"But it was...I told Randy that I wanted to call his parents right away but he told me not to and now he's dead" he said.

"It's not your fault" Bryan said. "It's not your fault" he repeated.

"Can we talk about something else?" Sean asked. Bryan smiled.

"I have girl troubles, wanna hear about it?" Sean nodded. They sat on the three-seat couch in Sean's living room. Obviously too many people for one couch. Brook sat on Joe's lap while Leena had her legs across Ross' lap, leaning against Sean.

"What's your problems?" Ross asked. "Can't pick what sophomore to bone?" Bryan smirked.

"Nope, I found the sophomore I want to bone and of course I want your opinion" Bryan said.

"Go before the court" Leena said. They started a new tradition written into their constitution. Over the summer Leena, Joe and Bryan came up with it as a way to separate the lame girls from the serious good girls.

Bryan stood in front of them. "Her name is Ericka Keller, she's a sophomore, she's a cheerleader" he started. "She's funny, she's nice..."

"Stop lying" Leena said. "She's snarky and bitchy and catty, we all know her" she said.

"Boob size?" Ross asked. Ross pulled out a notebook from seemingly nowhere and together him and Leena took notes. In reality he wasn't taking notes, he was just drawing her.

"Average?"

"How tall is she?" Sean asked.

"About five foot four...why does this matter?"

"And where are her clothes mostly from?" Brooklyn asked.

"Looks like Aero and Holister mostly" he said. "Why the fuck does this matter?" The guys on the couch turned to Ross.

"Eye color?" Ross asked.

"Light brown"

"Any piercings?"

"Just the ear"

"Butt size?" Ross asked.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Bryan asked.

"Hurry up" Leena told him.

"Ok, got it" Ross finished drawing. He ripped the paper from the page and turned it to face Bryan. The picture wasn't done by a professional artist, it wasn't beautiful or breathtaking. The picture showed Ericka for what she was. She had a mean expression on her face, she looked like a witch.

"I do not approve" Leena said. "You could do so much better" Bryan sighed. "You could! You've hit a rough patch with your last...well, all your relationships have been shit" she admitted. "But finding perfection takes time. So please do not get yourself into a dumb relationship that started with sex" Leena turned to the others. "Any comments?"

"I think she's right" Brook said. "You're a catch"

"I agree" Sean said. They turned to Ross and Joe.

"I don't have an opinion" Joe said. "Ultimately he's going to do what he wants, so that's up to him"
"Your no fun" Leena hit Joe over the head causing his snap back to fly across the room.

"I also agree with Joe" Ross said. "I think it takes a lot of failures to finally find the kind of person your looking for. I wouldn't have found Sam if I hadn't" Leena shook her head.

"I can't believe you" she said. "This was based off of your drunk idea over the summer"

"I don't have to agree with--" Leena hit Ross over the head. "Ow!"

"Changing the subject" Joe started. "Karo said she tried to talk to you earlier today..."

"Yeah" Leena said. "I stated my opinion. I didn't call her a bitch...or did I?"

"I think you should talk to her again" Bryan said.

"What the fuck"

"It's over" Bryan said. "She confessed, Stephen's in trouble and this will hopefully be over soon" he said. "So let's move on"

"I'm sorry, I know this whole situation is cleared but she still betrayed you...betrayed me!"

"I have to agree" Ross said. "She knew it was Bryan's locker" he started. "And we're all good friends. For her to do that...it's just not right. I'm glad she did the right thing. But what if she does it again?"

"She's on cocaine these days" Leena said. "I can't trust her. She's not even the same Karolina I knew"

"Can you at least express your feelings to her?" Joe asked. "Just try"

"I did, today" Leena said. "She asked me if we could ever get over this and I explained my feelings"

"Then talk more!" Leena sighed.

"Anyways!" Ross said. "I applied to Umass"

"YAY!" Bryan exclaimed. "Imagine if the three of us get in" Leena had to smile, that would be a dream!

"I won't get into umass" Ross said. "If they need to accept at least one sob story then I'll get in, but I don't have the grades"

"Don't say that" Leena said. "I had the grades to get into Northeastern but they rejected me, anything can happen"

"Uh, they rejected you cause your crazy and a loose canon" Bryan said. "I talked to the dean at Umass and they fucking love that shit!"

"Too bad I'm a girl and not a male who plays football" she said. "Girls like me who get in trouble a lot aren't ruthless and tough. We're trouble makers, unfeminine, un-classy" she continued. "If I get into Umass, it'll be a miracle that they can oversee all my...issues"

"So we both won't get in" Ross said. "Ok so we need a Plan B...well, a Plan C" Leena sighed. "Or in my probable case, a Plan F for fuck"

"Stop worrying. We'll get into our dream schools" Bryan said. "Just watch"