There she was standing underneath a bright, blue sunny sky. Her graduation gown blowing in the wind as her tassel rocked back and forth in the breeze. It was a perfect day to graduate. Her dimples deepened as she smiled at something the valedictorian said. She didn't toss her cap in the air with the rest of the students. She wasn't loud or boisterous. She stood quietly, smiling wistfully to herself.

He could not imagine after four years not really meeting her after being in the same schools since first grade and eyeing her from a distance always but never approaching her. She gently took her cap off of her head and clutched it to herself proudly. Her black hair hung to the middle of her back swayed as she moved past him, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

"After all of these years, you still haven't spoken to the elusive Ms. Porter, Danny?" Cole Paterson placed an arm around Danny's neck as they gazed at the back of Ms. Porter. Danny watched as she joined her parents. Her name was A'Lacea Gabriella Antoinette Porter. Lacey for short but in Danny's mind he nicknamed her Lace.

"C'mon she's an ice queen. Girls like her have too much money and wouldn't waste it on guys like us," Cole reiterated jostling his gown in hand along with his cap.

Danny took his gown off still staring at Lacey. "Why not? What's wrong with us? I don't think she's an ice queen though. She's rather quiet but I think she says a lot."

Cole whistled low. "She doesn't even know who you are, Danny. Let it go."

Danny nodded, his hair sliding forward. He would never be able to let it go.

"We're so proud of you sweetie," Judith placed her arms tightly around her daughter as she hugged her. "So proud."

"That's my baby," Samuel Porter smiled broadly as he handed Lacey a bouquet of flowers. He hugged her next swaying her back in forth in his embrace. "And guess who came at the last minute?"

"Who?" Lacey asked surprised as she looked at her dad questioningly.

"Well, nothing in the world would make me miss my baby sister's graduation," Clara said as Lacey ran to her sister and hugged her tightly.

Lacey couldn't believe that her sister was here. Clara had moved to California several months ago and her job assisting making movie trailers kept her extremely busy. She rarely took time off to visit.

Tears streamed down both sister's faces as they embraced one another tightly.

"How?" Lacey managed to say through sobs.

"I actually was out of the country in Prague for a week. I've branched out into location scouting as well. I literally just got off of the airplane about an hour ago and met mom and dad here. I wanted to surprise you!"

"You did! I'm so happy that you're here," Lacey continued to squeal with glee at having her big sister home.

Danny continued to watch the Porter family as they posed with one another to take pictures. What if she was the one? His one?

"Earth to Danny. What or who has you so enraptured?" A familiar voice called to him.

Danny turned around to look at his dad. The two embraced one another as Vikram stood back to look at Danny.

"Your mother would have been so proud," Vikram stated with tears in her eyes. "But, I'm proud enough for the both of us, I think."

"Thanks dad," Danny replied hugging his dad again. He wished his mom would have lived but she died his freshman year of high school from an aneurysm. He missed her every single day since. He looked heavenward and smiled.

"Graduation party tonight at the cove," Cole hooted as he encircled Vikram and Danny with his arms. "Mr. Desai you have to convince your bookworm son that he must go."

Danny smirked. "We weren't invited, Cole. You know that."

Cole pretended to ignore him. "Me and the crew are going to crash it and we can't do it without you," Cole peered persuasively at Danny.

"Have one last hoorah, Danny. I think you owe it to yourself," Vikram said handing a card to Danny.

"Okay, fine we'll go. Hopefully we won't be gone too long."

"Excellent! Plus I hear that a certain Ms. Porter might be there," Cole said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Really?" Danny exclaimed hopeful.

"Hell no I didn't hear no such thing," Cole laughed slapping Danny on the back as all three erupted into laughter.

Lacey turned around at the sound of laughter as she saw Danny and Cole cracking up over something. They seemed so uninhibited in that moment, so carefree. Lacey wished that she was reckless but she wasn't. She was always polite and poised. Kind and sympathetic to a fault. She looked from the scene over at the rest of her senior class running about taking pictures with one another and gearing up for their graduation parties. She wanted to feel that alive, after all she was closing one chapter of her life and beginning another one. But she didn't feel joyful or alive.

"You alright, pussycat?" Lacey's dad asked her.

Lacey pretended to feel happy and smiled. "Yes, I'm just…taking it all in."

"Okay, dad, Lacey let's go. I'm so hungry," Clara motioned rubbing her belly.

"I agree," Judith said smiling as they linked arms.

Danny caught Lacey's gaze as it wandered over to him before she turned to leave. He wished that he had said something to her because he might never see her again and his chance could have been missed.

"What's bothering you, Lacey?" Clara said on the drive to Ashbury Inn. It was one of Lacey's favorite restaurants and her family was having her graduation dinner there. She should have known Clara would see through her act. She always did. Lacey missed having her sister around. Clara was everything that Lacey wasn't. She was outgoing and outspoken. She was fun loving and she knew how to live. She would have been envious if she didn't love Clara as much as she did.

Lacey shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just a little tired, I guess."

Clara nodded her head and looked at her baby sister. She pushed back a stray hair that had grazed Lacey's ear. "Mmm…hmm," Clara said gazing at her sister.

"I'll have a medium steak with the mashed potatoes and gravy and a small garden salad. To drink, I'll have water, hold the lemon. For my wife, she'll have the shrimp scampi, extra shrimp and sweet tea. For Lacey, she'll have the salmon with asparagus and carrots with a cranberry juice. Clara will have…"

"Dad, I got this. No need, really. I'll have the crab cakes, hold the sauce with a Caesar salad with white wine and please bring some of those yeast rolls that you have and spinach and artichoke dip," Clara interrupted. Samuel raised his eyebrows but continued the jovial atmosphere. Clara absolutely hated when her dad would order for all of them as if they didn't have mouths to speak.

"White wine? Really, Clara?" Samuel said with a wry grin.

"Oh, yes papa dear. A nice big, tall glass," Clara smiled innocently.

"Okay, you two. That's enough. We're here to celebrate Lacey's graduation," Judith said playing referee to her husband and eldest daughter.

Clara smiled. "Anything for you, mom."

Lacey sat back and laughed. She loved that her sister challenged their dad. Lacey knew that she would never do that. Samuel was her daddy. Her hero. He was a plastic surgeon and he was larger than life to her. She could never see herself disobeying him or making him angry. Clara, short for Clarita Morgan Danielle Porter didn't care at all. She crossed their father every chance she got. She dropped out of pre-med and decided that she wanted to go to film school against her father's wishes. She shaved one side of her head before it became popular and she dyed it every color under the rainbow. She dated men that her father wouldn't approve of because they weren't in any field that he considered viable. Clara could really push her father's buttons. Lacey of course became his pride and joy. She simply couldn't disappoint him.

Danny was busy loading the industrial sized dishwasher as Cole was taking out the garbage. The boys got a part-time job at Ashbury Inn due in part because Vikram was a chef there and they needed some extra money. Some of his hair began to spill from his hair tie as he reached up to re-gather it again. His truck needed some new tires and he was working like mad to get them. He wasn't too sure about attending college even though he scored a perfect score on his SAT's. Cole was the only one who knew.

Cole came back slamming the back door closed with his foot. He went to wash his hands in the back. He checked his phone and scoffed.

"Gosh, Danny you need to be glad that you are single again. These chicks ain't loyal."

Danny grinned turning towards his best friend. Cole had too many female friends and one girlfriend. Not a good combination. He and Phoebe had been dating for two months but one of his female friends spilled the beans and told her that Cole went someplace else when Phoebe had believed something different. The argument had been going on for a week now.

Cole angrily punched out a reply to Phoebe on his phone and turned the thing off.

"She's seriously getting on my nerves. All I did was go to Hunter's Point and she's acting like I killed her."

"Cole, you went there with Whitney Malone. I don't even want to think about what the two of you did up there. Of course Phoebe is going to be hurt."

"Whitney and I messed around sure, but it didn't mean anything. I didn't have sex with her…much. I'm seventeen, so I'm not in love with anyone. When it happens, it will happen but for right now I'm having fun."

"I hear you man. Just be careful. Women scorned never forget. That's what my dad always says," Danny said taking the dishes out and stacking them.

"Yes, indeed," Cole said helping Danny with the dishes.

"Danny, Cole. I need the two of you for back up at the valet station," someone shouted.

"After all of this working, I can't wait for this party tonight," Cole said nudging Danny in the ribs.