Surviving Paradise (Full Draft Version)

CHAPTER 1

"Hey hey my my...what have we here?"
"Keep walking Will, Just keep walking"

CHAPTER 1

Pomp and circumstance, commencement ceremony, university graduation day is called by many names.  Allisa Lambert called it over.  As she recited words she had spent hours memorizing, she let her glance skim across the crowd of people, who for the most part gave her their rapt attention as she spoke.  Friends, enemies, family, they were all assembled, and hopefully this was a chapter in her life that she could close. 

    With a certainty, she knew that the next chapter would have all of the same characters, even though some she would rather write out of her life for good. 

    At this fleeting thought, her eyes narrowed on Hannah Covington, the bane of Allisa's college existence, who was as always, surrounded by equally detestable devout minions.

    Instead of being a horror story, maybe her life would take a romantic twist, she surmised thoughtfully as her eyes met the sexy gaze of her boyfriend, Will. 

    Will was actually wearing dress slacks and a casual dress shirt, instead of his usual jeans and tee shirt ensemble.  That his outfit was black, was testament of his sister, Jane, doing his clothes shopping for him.

    Allisa's eyes moved to Jane, who was also her best girlfriend.  As usual, the other girl dressed in black, from the ribbon in her hair, to the black, lace up, high heel, boots on her feet. 

    Ashton, the unofficial head of their foursome, sat between Jane and Will, affectionately holding Jane's hand and just being Ashton.  Ashton kept a closet full of diverse clothes, seemingly more comfortable in his jeans, like Will, but unlike Will, Ashton also styled on occasion, sporting True Religion or Diesel, especially when he had a gig. 

    Nearing the end phase of the short speech, Allisa could almost hear the faded strains of the song Ashton had plucked at on his acoustic Les Paul last night.  The melody had floated sweetly up the stairs, as she herself had posed in front of the mirror practicing this particular phase of her speech. 

    Thunderous applause brought her out of her reverie, and back into present reality.

    As the Dean introduced the next speaker, a twenty year alumni and senator of their home state of Louisiana. Allisa absently tuned out the words of inspiration as her glance fell on the Dean,   Gabrielle Kirby.  The woman inspired so many emotions, protectiveness, resentment, love and hate. Physically, she looked not much older than Allisa, but Allisa sometimes perceived her as a mentor, almost a grandmother figure.  Yet other times, this same woman became her sworn enemy. 

    “Congratulations young Allisa!” Gabrielle, being in direct proximity, was the first to extend her hand after the ceremony was completed.  Allisa shook it, feeling slightly refreshed when the skin was cool in the hot summer evening.

    “Allisa sweetheart!”  Her mother enveloped her in a smothering hug, after throwing Gabrielle a frosty look of disdain.  Dad’s gruff hug was next, deliberately shouldering Will aside to get to his daughter first. 

    Undaunted, Will waited his turn, then trumped them all by swinging her off her feet.  Then despite her father's glare, he planted a quick kiss on her mouth. 

    Hugs from Ashton, and Jane, then eventually so many more. 

    If there was anything Allisa hated it was being center stage, but she was a quiet hero to many in the community.  Quiet because the breakthroughs she had made, and were on the verge of making in micro biotic research, were top-secret.  No one outside this neck of the woods would ever know of her accomplishment—not that they would need to.  There would be no writeups in Science Digest, no nomination for Nobel, which suited Allisa.  She was proud of her accomplishments, but had always shied away from praise and attention.

    “Allisa!”  With a cheery smile, the evil blonde, Hannah Covington approached.  Just short of touching her in a girly hug, Hannah leaned in.  “Bitch!”  The other girl whispered, never losing the pasted smile as she pulled away and swung her hips in a dramatic departure.

___END CHAPTER 1___