Right from the moment that she arrived, Scarlett knew that this was not going to end well. She didn't even want to come to the party, but Cody kept begging her since he pointed out that it was nice enough of Courtney to invite them over to her graduation party, but Scarlett was still bitter. She just found out that Courtney had beat her by two points and was going to be the valedictorian at their graduation which was tomorrow. After agreeing to go, Scarlett decided to wear a black evening gown with white lilies something that she rarely wore but only for special occasions. While on the way to Courtney's house, Scarlett still wasn't too happy.

"Scarlett, can you just pretend that you are having a good time?" Cody asked his girlfriend while almost having a begging look on his face. "Just because you are the salutatorian, that doesn't mean that it's the end of the world."

"Yes, it is Cody!" Scarlett yelled while Cody hunched over in fear. "It's denying a scholarly woman the right to the highest honor of high school society. They are basically giving to her since she always gets what she wants. It's like handing her degree on a silver platter. I'm surprised that they haven't done that yet."

"Look, I know that you and Courtney don't get on good terms but please, don't make a fool out of yourself Scarlett. Just pretend that you enjoy the party and besides, almost everyone will be there so there should be someone to make you feel appreciated."

Scarlett wanted to say something else, but she decided to bite her tongue and nodded her head. She just hoped that at least someone would recognize her and her achievements and not make the evening all about Courtney. However, her fears were confirmed when they arrived at the party. Everyone was talking about Courtney and Scarlett felt alone after Cody went off to meet Noah and some of his friends. She walked around until she found Bridgette and Sammy, two of Courtney's well-liked friends.

"Hi, Bridgette and Samantha. I see that you two are having a pleasant time at this celebration."

"I'm having a blast, Scarlett," Sammy told her while twirling around in her dress. "I've never seen a much happier graduate in my life. She's like a princess who has found her prince."

"I'm alright Scarlett. Just so proud of Courtney receiving this honor. She told me that there was a ten point between her and the next person. Wow, just imagine a ten point difference."

"Well actually, there was no ten point difference. In fact, Courtney only had an-"

Before Scarlett could even finish her sentence, Bridgette and Sammy just walked off, looking at Scarlett very nervously and she wondered what she had done to offend them. Scarlett couldn't help but notice that people was avoiding her or moved out of the way when she sat down next to them. Scarlett was starting to get miserable and Cody was nowhere in sight. She sat down in a chair and placed one of her hands on her cheek and sighed. "Why do people keep avoiding me?" She asked herself. "I'm not a psychotic crazy person like I used to be. My time in the nuthouse served it's purpose and I'm a changed person, but people don't want to see me as changed. Maybe that's why they are avoiding me but who knows with these idiots around here. Only Cody and some others appreciate my work, my dedication, and my determination. If only there was someway to find happiness accepting second but that would show that not as smart as I truly am. I might as well face it, she has me beat big time."

While Scarlett looked away, she didn't see LeShawna sit next to her and almost jumped out of her skin when she said, "What's up with you? You seem to be down in the dumps in today."

"Well, since you are the only person that has asked me how I'm doing at this lame game, I'll tell you. Everyone has been avoiding me and won't talk to me and I don't understand why. I haven't done anything wrong, but they seem to avoid me for no well know scientific reason. All I want to do is have a civilized conversation but even that's impossible with this state of things."

"Hmm, that could explain why Courtney has been telling people to avoid you all evening."

"I beg your pardon?" Scarlett inquired while she looked at LeShawna in a state of shock.

"Yeah. Courtney's been going around, telling everyone to avoid you like as if you was the plague of something. Girl needs to take a chill pill and relax. She thinks that's a Madonna and the Queen just because she's all fancied for this party, which is more of an 'I showed all of ya that I'm the best of the best' type of party."

"LeShawna, I know that this might seem to be illogical at the moment but did you and Courtney ever have a grudge against each other?"

"Hell yes, we had a grudge against each other. Like we couldn't even stand the looks of each other for the longest time, until Bridgette finally asked us to put aside our differences and make amends. We've been best friends ever since. All of this started when she insulted string bean, which is your brother by the way."

"Don't remind me. It's bad enough that I have to deal with him at home." Scarlett implied while giving a slight smile to LeShawna. "Say, if you are not with anyone, can you sit with me when we have dinner."

"I don't mind but why do ya ask?"

"I just have a feeling that I will do something foolish and try to kill Courtney."

"Now girl, ya need to get that nonsense out of your head. I mean, it's not like as if you have dynamite on ya, do ya?"

"Please, does it look like I'm the type of person who carried 20 tons of explosives wherever they go. If you think I am, you are one foolish person." Scarlett stated while Courtney walked in and everyone hushed. She was wearing a cocktail dress and what appeared to be six-inch heels.

"Welcome everyone to the graduation dinner!" Courtney announced while everyone but Scarlett clapped their hands. Scarlett just stared at Courtney and for a moment, her mocha eyes feared the emerald eyes that were staring at her, but she quickly frowned, but Scarlett didn't flinch. She just shook her head in disbelief.

Everyone walked into the dining room and sat down at a huge table lined with golden plates. LeShawna and Scarlett sat next to each other and from the other side of the table, she saw that Cody was having a good time with his friends, but she didn't want him to worry about it so she put on a smile and he gave her a thumbs up. Courtney was the last one to enter the dining room and sat down at the end right next to Scarlett and LeShawna. While she was picking up a glass, LeShawna whispered to Scarlett, "If you need to stop yourself from strangling her, just squeeze my hand and don't ask any questions, just do it."

Courtney made a slight tapping noise on her glass and everyone looked up.

"I would like to make a toast: to all of us, the winners and losers of this year. What a class this has been and it's only to the beginning. To the beginning!"

"To the beginning!" Scarlett yelled while she squeezed LeShawna's hand so tight that she fell onto her knees. "I feel better already."

After LeShawna got herself up, everyone dug into a salad that was the first course of the dinner. LeShawna didn't care much for the salad, but Scarlett enjoyed it, especially the almonds and walnuts into the salad, added a sweet touch to it. While she was eating it, she noticed Courtney stop eating her salad and raised her hand for one of the waiters to come to her.

"Excuse me but could I have another salad without no nuts. I have a terrible allergy to them

Thank you so much."

After the waiter left, Scarlett turned to Courtney and offered her some pepper. "Well, I had no idea that you were allergic to nuts. It must make things a bit difficult when one sits down to eat."

"It's not hard Scarlett. Besides, you looked kind of bitter earlier. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, I'm quite fine. You should be worried about the speech you have to prepare to say in front of everyone. You don't want the cat to rip out your tongue and you won't be able to deliver a powerful speech from such a demanding speaker."

Courtney just turned away and Scarlett couldn't help but smile. However, that feeling was not going to last long.

It was toward the end of the meal and everyone was enjoying the main dish, turkey with a glaze of gravy and a side of vegetables. Courtney was looking around and decided to strike up a conversation with Scarlett.

"So Scarlett, how does it feel not being the valedictorian?"

"It was bitter at first, but life's too short to let your sorrows get the best of you. Besides, you always had everything handed to you so this was no surprise that you got valedictorian."

"I heard that you were dating Cody now. Tell me, how's dating the pipsqueak going?"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Everyone froze and looked at Scarlett, who clearly looked angry and Cody shouted "Hey!" to Courtney. Scarlett slowly turned to Courtney and calmly replied, "He's not a pipsqueak and I don't consider it to be a relationship. Besides, we get along greatly and that's all that matters thank you very much."

"Yet, I heard that you had a fling for someone else and th-"

"I think we need more gravy," Scarlett announced while she took the platter and went to the kitchen. LeShawna, who knew that something was up, followed Scarlett into the kitchen.

"Now what is going on? What are you doing?"

"I'm behaving," Scarlett mumbled while she took some almonds and started to crushing them. LeShawna knew what she was doing and decided to stop her.

"Scarlett no! You can't! Courtney is allergic to nuts! Give to me!" LeShawna yelled while Scarlett kneed her in her area really hard. "Oh!"

There was a crashing noise and everyone wondered where it came from. In the kitchen, LeShawna had fallen from the impact of Scarlett kneeing her and was trying to get up. "Scarlett, you're crazy!" She stated while Scarlett took a cabin and shoved it against her. "Oh!"

"Oh get up!"

"Put down the gravy or I'm telling Cody!" LeShawna hissed while Scarlett looked at her with owl eyes. "Yeah!"

Reluctantly, Scarlett placed the gravy platter, now full of nuts, down and walked over to LeShawna. "What's the big deal? So her face swells up a little."

"Swells up a little?"

"So what?"

"Swells up a little? If it swells up a little, her face will swell up like a Macy's day balloon."

"Well good. It'll match the other body parts."

While they were talking, Geoff walked into the kitchen and took some rolls. He noticed the gravy platter standing there, sniffed it and took it back with him into the dining room.

"Scarlett, think about what you're doing. Come on, the girl is graduating with us tomorrow."

"LeShawna, when did you lose your edge?"

"Right after you lost your mind. Come on-"

"Alright. Ok. No nuts. Come on."

"Scarlett, I think you dislocated my vagina."

"Where's the-"

"Where's the what?"

"Gravy? More gravy?" Geoff inquired while LeShawna and Scarlett panicked.

"I am not doing time for ya! Where's the back door?" LeShawna asked while trying to run toward the door. Scarlett held her back and tried to calm her down.

"Stay cool LeShawna. Stay cool. This is no time to lose your nerve."

"Of if we get arrested, I gonna sing like a canary."

"Maybe, maybe she won't take any gravy," Scarlett assured her while they listened to see what happened. They heard Courtney say, "Hmm, this gravy is delicious," and the both of them panicked.

"You! You gotta go stop her! Go! Go stop her!"

"No, you go! You go! You go!" Scarlett suggested while pushing LeShawna toward the doorway.

"Why me?" LeShawna asked while pushing Scarlett toward the doorway. "You're the one who put the nuts in the gravy!"

"Well, you're the one who didn't stop me."

"What am I supposed to do? Go in there and stick my fingers down her throat?"

"Yeah."

In the dining room, someone started choking and someone ask, "Are you alright?"

"No something's wrong. My tongue feels swollen." Courtney replied while LeShawna and Scarlett freaked out. This was not supposed to happen but if anyone find out, they were dead.

"What are we going to do now?" Scarlett stated while looking at LeShawna with a worried expression on her face.

"Hide the damn nuts." LeShawna acknowledged while they ran over to the counter and dump the nuts into a trash can and leaned over it. They pretended to be cool while Geoff came in there looking for the water. After finding the pitcher, LeShawna and Scarlett took the trash bag and stuffed it inside LeShawna's car.

"Let's just pretend that none of this happened and if anyone asks, we deny it."

"Good idea girl. Somethings are better left unexplained. Just hope that she doesn't file a lawsuit against us."

"I feel so bad now. I didn't know that she was THAT allergic to nuts."

"Just don't think about it Scarlett. Now come on, let's get inside before anyone notices that we are missing."

"Good idea."

"I still don't know how that happened," Cody told Scarlett while the two of them drove home. I mean, who would try to put nuts in the gravy?"

"Maybe someone who wanted to see Courtney get hurt," Scarlett suggested while looking out the window.

"Maybe. Who knows what happened but I just hope that Courtney will be alright."

"She should be fine. Like the doctors said, the swelling should go down in twelve hours. She'll be alright and good to go for graduation tomorrow."

"Alright, if you insist so, but I just hope that never happens to Courtney again."

Scarlett didn't reply but stayed quiet. She was lost in her thoughts, now filled with doubt and regret. The evening was like a nuthouse, a bit crazy and insane. Now that it was over, she pounded over what was going to happen but she would worry about that tomorrow since after all, tomorrow is another day.

I honestly have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote this. This is one of my more random pieces that just came to me out of thin air. Maybe that's why I enjoying doing this, since some of my oneshots are totally random, but I honestly don't know. *shrugs*

Well, this is the last old piece that I had on file, so hopefully, I'll be able to write some new stuff soon, maybe even some chapters if Junior year doesn't get the best of me. xD

Until next time! Please read, review, favor, alert and spread the word.