Romero would’ve never believed his graduation night would turn into this. Because Angel had met and fallen completely head over balls for the new chick in school senior year. She’d be coming along with them to party, like she had for months. Even worse? Now that Angel’s highly guarded younger sister, Sofia, had turned seventeen, she was allowed to date. Eric had staked his claim immediately. Not that they hadn’t been sneaking around for months, but now they’d be at the party out in the open for everyone to see they were a bona fide couple.

Romero couldn’t understand how anyone would want to get tied down so young. He lived to get wasted and bag a new piece of ass every chance he got. That was the whole reason why he joined the football team to begin with. Ever since he’d made the starting line up and started bulking up, he never left a party without knowing he was getting laid, or at least blown by some of the girls who still tried to act like doing that was somehow more respectable than going all the way. Either way, it was a happy ending and he’d take it.

They were at a backyard party for over an hour and Romero had already thrown a few back. Eric and Angel were too busy honey-mooning to even get a buzz. Romero kicked it with some of the other football players. Ozzie, a third stringer but a good buddy of Romero’s, brought a bottle of Jack Daniels. “Your dad actually bought you this shit?”

Ozzie smiled, taking a swig then looking like he might throw up in his mouth. Romero laughed. Ozzie was no drinker. This was going to get ugly. “Give me that.”

Ozzie handed him the bottle. Romero took a drink and grimaced as the warm liquid slid down, burning his throat in the process. “Smooth,” he said, in a voice so hoarse the guys laughed.

Running into Claire and her boyfriend again at the party was an unpleasant surprise. He’d only seen her at these types of parties a handful of times—each time with her boyfriend—a basketball player who had frat boy written all over him. They were made for each other. What surprised him even more was her walking away from her boyfriend to come over and say hello to him.

“I was gonna say hello to you today when I saw you after graduation, but you walked away.”

Romero glanced at her boyfriend who looked in their direction but avoided eye contact. Smart guy, because the liquor only intensified his regret of waiting too long to get to know Claire. It wouldn’t take much now for Romero to snap. “Yeah, well, you looked busy.”

She shrugged. “Anyway I just wanted to say congrats.” She leaned in and whispered, “Mr. Closet Smart. I’m sure you have big plans.”

Of course, Claire would be the only one who’d think that. “I have a few,” he smiled. “What about you?”

One of the girls in the group with her boyfriend called out for her. Figures her coward ass boyfriend wouldn’t even look their way, pretending he wasn’t the one who’d put the girl up to calling for Claire. Claire turned and nodded.

“Looks like you’re missed already.”

She rolled her eyes. “Best of luck to you, Romero. I know you’ll be successful at whatever you end up doing.”

“Thanks,” he smiled. “And I know you will, too.”

He watched her walk back to her group and her boyfriend wrapped his arms around her as soon as she reached him.

A couple of hours later Romero was behind the garage with his hand down a cheerleader’s pants. His fingers found their way to a spot that made her gasp and she moaned spreading her legs a little further. He kissed her even deeper.

“Romero,” she spoke in his mouth.

He tried but couldn’t remember her name. “Hmm.”

“I’ve only done it once.”

“Nice,” he said, sucking her neck. “We’ll get a few more in tonight.”

“Right here?”

Romero stopped for a moment and looked at her. He hadn’t really planned on doing it there. Usually, this was just the starter. They could head to the beach or a backseat later, but something about her anxious eyes told him she might change her mind.

He took the few steps over to reach for the back door of the garage. One turn, and it opened. Romero smiled. There had to be a car in there. He pulled her by the hand and she followed willingly. A peek inside, and he realized this was better than he thought—an SUV, and the windows were open. He turned back to her with a smirk. “Happy Graduation, sexy girl.” He would’ve added her name instead of the endearment if he’d remembered it.

Isabel

Isabel summed up her valedictory address with a smile. She glanced at her father who was behind the video camera that sat on a tripod just below the stage. He stood tall and proud, clapping. Her mother and siblings stood with everyone else, to applaud the speech she’d worked on for weeks. The immense relief of getting it over with was more than reward enough.

The last month and a half, she’d been a wreck. The only one of her siblings who hadn’t made Valedictorian was her brother Art, but then he’d gone to a highly regarded military school, and had graduated with honors, so that seemed acceptable enough. Isabel had struggled the last few months with her AP classes becoming increasingly difficult. She was so worried that her scores on her finals wouldn’t be enough. As relieved as she was that this was finally over, she knew this was only the beginning.

Both her oldest sister Pat, and her brother Art were following her father’s example and going into law. Her father was a criminal judge. Her other sister, Gina, had just transferred to Cornell, and knew before she even graduated from high school that she’d be majoring in civil engineering.