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The bell rang, the halls began to flood with people, the excitement of summer vacation was in the air as everyone began to clean out their lockers. AJ walked down the hallway and pulled his locker open, a slip of paper fell out and landed by his feet, he picked it up and looked at it. “Meet me here after school” it read, Melissa’s named scribbled at the bottom with a little heart.

Once school was over AJ began on his trek to meet Melissa, he finally came to a stop just outside the local cemetery, he looked up at the sign confusedly. He then shrugged to himself and pulled the iron gate open and began to walk along the shady path, rows of headstones neatly aligned in the grass. Melissa sat crouched in front of a grave, a bouquet of flowers near her feet.

“Miss?” AJ asked, she turned around and stood up.

“Hey, thanks for meeting me” she said as he came closer.

“Yeah sure, why here though?” he asked.

“Just came to visit someone” she said looking down at the grave.

Adam Jordan” he read, the name etched in stone, his date of birth and death just underneath. “Who’s Adam Jordan?” he asked.

“My cousin” she said.

“Oh yeah, you told me about him a couple of times” he said.

She nodded “Can we sit? I want to talk to you about something” she said.

“Oh yeah, I wanted to talk to you too actually” he said as they walked over to a nearby bench. “I was looking over that book of names you gave me, and I think I found a few choices you might like" he said handing a folded piece of paper to her.

"These are all boys’' names" she said to him looking at the paper.

"Yeah...?" he asked confused.

"What if it's a girl?" she asked laughing at him.

"Well I figured I'll let you handle the girl names" he said.

"Thanks" she said to him "Devon" she said reading off of the list he made.

"Keep going" he said urging her to go on.

"Mason, Jared, Christian...Chandler?" she asked.

"Yeah I found it in the book doesn't that sound like a cool name?" he asked excitedly.

"Chandler McLean?" she asked confusedly.

"Yeah!" he said happily.

"Okay then" she said nodding.

"You hate them" he said.

"What? No! Of course not...who wouldn't want to name their kid Chandler? No you did good" she said patting his knee.

"But?" he asked.

"I just...I kind of already had a name in mind, that’s kind of why I wanted you to meet me here” she said.

“Okay…” he said confusedly looking around.

“Adam was more of a big brother to me and Jess than just a cousin" she said sadly "He was such an amazing guy, he was so sweet and so funny and so incredibly smart...and then one day he was gone" she said as tears fell down her cheeks. "If we do have a son, I want to name him after him, it would really mean a lot to me" she said in a squeaky voice.

"Shh...of course" he said holding her closely, running his fingers through her hair.

"God these hormones" she said laughing "So?" she asked wiping her tears away.

"Yeah, okay" he said, she hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so much" she said.

"Adam...Adam McLean...I like that" he said to her.

"And uh for his middle name I was thinking John, after my dad" she said to him.

"Adam John...wait...those are my initials..." he said.

"Yeah so?" she asked "There can never be too many AJ McLean's in the word especially if they're all like you" she said kissing his cheek.

"Not going to argue with that" he said to her "Okay, so...Adam John McLean" he said.

"Sounds perfect to me" she said smiling at him.

"Yeah it sounds pretty cool" he said as she snuggled up to him.

"What if it's a girl?" he asked.

“...Yeah we may need to look at that book again” she said.


"I want all students to have an excellent summer and be safe, see you guys in September" the principal said before the intercom went off. Vicki dumped the contents of her locker into a garbage can.

"Guess who" Brian said covering her eyes.

"The incredible man who's taking me to see Poison tomorrow night?" she asked.

"Good guess" he said wrapping his arms around her "I have another surprise for you."

"Oh yeah?" she asked.

"My parents? Gone" he said.

"And you need my help disposing of their bodies?" she asked.

"No!" he said laughing "They're going on a little getaway this weekend."

"Aww well that's sweet" Vicki said playing with his shirt.

"And it also means an empty house" he said pulling her in close to him.

"Oh good, because I have a surprise for you of my own" she said seductively.

"Is it what I think it is?" he asked.

"Could be, see you later" she said walking away.


"Ah summer, how I've missed you!" Sasha said as she and Vicki got to her house.

"Hi girls" Kathleen said to them as she entered the kitchen.

"Hey Mrs. Miller" Vicki said to her.

"Okay, ready?" Sasha asked as they both held envelopes in their hands.

"What's that?" Kathleen asked.

"Our final report cards" Sasha said to her.

"You go first" Vicki said to her.

"What? You go first" Sasha said.

"It's your house!" Vicki said to her.

"Alright fine" Sasha said tearing open the envelope and pulling the piece of paper out. "A, B, A, B, B, B, B oh my god!" she said happily.

"Good job honey" her mom said hugging her "See? I knew you could get those grades up" Kathleen said to her "Vicki?" she asked.

"Oh don't bother I already know what hers says, straight A's probably as usual" Sasha said to her.

"Shut up" Vicki said opening the envelop "Oh my god!" she said in shock.

"What?" Sasha asked.

"You were right" she said turning the paper over to reveal a line of A's.

Sasha laughed "Whoa" she said holding on to the kitchen table.

"You okay?" Vicki asked holding on to her.

"Yeah...dizzy spell" Sasha said to her.

"It's probably the heat, I'll get you girls some lemonade" Kathleen said to her.

"So, Poison concert's tomorrow night, you excited?" Sasha asked.

"You kidding? I have been waiting impatiently for two months" Vicki said to her "Thanks Mrs. Miller" Vicki said to Kathleen as she set two glasses in front of them.

"What are you going to wear?" Sasha asked.

"I have no clue, Em and I are going to the mall later to find something, I'm also going to pick up an extra special surprise for my boyfriend" Vicki said taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Oooh, such as?" Sasha asked her, drinking her lemonade as well.

"I saw this adorable night gown that will drive him crazy" Vicki said to her.

"It's been what? A month? He's not going to care" Sasha said to her as they laughed.

"I got to go, I'm meeting Em soon, want to come?" Vicki asked standing up.

"I can't, my brother and sister in law are coming for dinner and for some reason it's of utmost important that I be here" Sasha said in disdain.

"Oh I see, I'll see you later" Vicki said leaving.

"Bye" Sasha said as Vicki left.


Everyone sat at the dinner table watching Sasha load her plate full of food.

"What?" she asked in the middle of gobbling that she noticed everyone staring at her.

"Nothing, we just...never saw you eat so much...at one time" her brother CJ said to her.

"So I'm a little hungry big deal" she said to him.

"So...how was the trip?" her dad, Craig asked CJ and his wife, Alicia.

"It was so great, the beach, the sun, the waves..." Alicia said to him.

"It was paradise" CJ said.

"So? Am I going to be a grandma yet?" Kathleen asked them, they laughed.

"Well...we decided, we're going to start trying to soon" CJ said to her.

"Oh great" Sasha murmured everyone turned to look at her "That was out loud huh?" she asked "Sorry" she said taking a drink.

"So, Sash, how are you friends?" CJ asked.

"Which friends?" she asked as she began eating once again.

"Kellie, Christina, Melissa...mom said they were uh..." he said stammering.

"Knocked up?" Sasha asked him.

"Sasha!" her mom said tapping her shoulder.

"They're okay, oh, Kel felt the baby kick" she said to her mom.

"I hope they're not giving you any ideas" CJ said to her.

"Excuse me?" she asked taking a drink.

"I'm with your brother on this one" Craig said to her.

"Oh my god..." Sasha said bashfully.

"Craig, CJ, please" Kathleen said to them.

"Can I get more potatoes please?" Sasha asked.

"Sasha I don't blame your brother for being concerned, teen pregnancy is a huge problem in this country" Alicia said as Sasha plopped mashed potatoes onto her plate and rolled her eyes.

"I appreciate the advice everyone but uh...you don't have to worry...trust me" she said to them "Can we not talk about this?" Sasha asked as she began to eat again.

"Yes, let’s talk about something else" Kathleen said to them.

"So, little bro, graduation's on Saturday" CJ said to Shawn.

"I know...can't believe I made it through high school" Shawn said.

"None of us can" Sasha said to him, CJ laughed.

"What time's the ceremony?" Alicia asked.

"One o clock" Kathleen said to them.

"Congratulations Shawn" Alicia said to him.

"Thanks" Shawn said to her.

"And... did he tell you he got drafted to the university baseball team?" Craig said proudly.

"Okay dad..." Shawn said to him feeling uneasy.


It was early the next morning when Shawn trotted down to the kitchen, he turned the light on and saw Sasha sitting at the table with a tub of ice cream in front of her.

"Hey" she said nervously.

"Sash?" he asked "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just a little midnight snack" she said licking off a giant spoon.

"Are you high or something?" he asked.

"No!" she said.

"What are you doing up?" she asked as he went to the refrigerator.

"Ugh, couldn't sleep he groaned, mind if I dig in?" he asked grabbing a spoon, she grabbed the ice cream and clutched it close to her chest. "Alright, alright" he said getting back up and opening the fridge once more.

"So what's wrong?" she asked.

"Ugh dad...and this whole college baseball thing" he said setting the cookie jar on the table.

"Isn't that what you've wanted for like ever?" she asked taking a cookie and dipping it in the ice cream.

"Well yeah because I thought that's what dad wanted, CJ was the intellectual, you're daddy's little girl, I'm supposed to be the athlete" Shawn said to her.

"Come on, you can't live your life based on what you think dad wants, if you want to play baseball in college play baseball, if you don't then don't" she said to him.

"Easy for you to say" he said to her "You don't hold dad's hopes and dreams in the palm of your hands."

"Shawn, without thinking once and for all...do you want to go to the major leagues?" she asked.

"Not really" he said to her.

"Then tell daddy!" she said to him.

"I can't!" he said.

"Shawn, the one thing daddy wants is for you to be happy, and if you're not happy playing sports then he'll understand" she said to him.

"What is going on down here? It is one in the morning" Craig said coming down the stairs.

"I just came down for a snack" she said to Craig "I'll just finish it in my room" she said taking the carton of ice cream, she headed towards the kitchen stairs before turning back and grabbing the cookie jar as well.

"She okay?" Craig asked Shawn.

"Dad, I need to talk to you" Shawn said.

"Can it wait?" Craig asked as he walked towards the stairs.

"No, it can't" Shawn said.

"Alright" Craig sighed as he sat down.

Shawn opened the refrigerator and set a beer bottle in front of him "You're going to need that" he said.

Sasha stood by her bedroom door trying to listen as well as she could before her dad let out a loud audible "WHAT?!"

"Ooh" she said to herself taking a bite out of a cookie.