Bette was a guest lecturer and an aide for our projects once a week up until winter break. She was there for questions and comments on our projects. I had settled on doing my project on the star tennis athlete and my new friend, Dana Fairbanks. She was the school’s All American winner, with a G.P.A. of 3.96, an incredible tennis record and a full scholarship to play tennis for U.C.L.A., she would be great for my ‘All American Girl’ piece.

"She’s the epitomy of the All American high school girl. She’s a huge student athlete, class president, in the top five percentile in our class, and her dad’s a judge and her mom’s a lawyer," I explained and Bette just raised an eyebrow.

"How does she capture the essence of being a high school student?"

"Her accomplishments make her who she is and who she’ll become. She’s popular, but she’s not stuck up. She’s rich, but doesn’t throw money around. She spends her weekends with friends at the beach, at concerts, watching movies, you name it. She actually has a job, she studies, she is your typical high school student. Her active participation in school activities defines the high school persona."

"Hmm, I see where you’re going…"

"Bette," I said interrupting her, "just wait and see. I know what I’m doing."

"Cocky Miss. Kennard, I anxiously await your final project."

I breathed a collective sigh as the last bell of the day rang. I was done with my exams, my first semester of senior year was over and I was excited as hell. I hurried home to get showered and ready for tonight. It was a half day, so the girls and I had decided to go out and have a little fun, to relieve the stress finals had put on us. First was shopping, then a movie, dinner, then dancing at Kit’s coffee shop/club, The Planet. She donated The Planet for a winter party for the school’s seniors.

"Shane, you’re really not going to spike the punch are you?"

"Of course not," she said, taking a small flask out of her coat and taking a sip, "my girl, Jen, has that covered."

"Kit will be so angry."

"Chill Kennard," Carmen said with a coy smile, "with as many people drinking out of that punch, no one’s really gonna get that drunk."