Around noontime the Nesmiths arrived at the pad. Karen and Mike started unloading the car. Mike looked into the passenger side mirror. Karen looked over his shoulder at him and laughed.
"I am losing all of my hair." Mike said. He used to have hair down around his ears but now it was very very short and very very white. "Did you ever think we would look like this?" He asked her.
"No," She said looking at herself. She had hair graying around the temples. Unlike other women her age, Karen decided to suck it up and not dye her hair back its original color. She referred to it as her badge for everything life put her through. "A few strands of this belong to Roark, and Chea too." She thought. They heard a noise behind them. Someone was running at very fast speed. Suddenly Bethany ran out the door to greet her aunt.
"Aunt Karen!" She cried as she ran out. Karen put down her overnight bag and braced herself. Bethany was always a little overeager, maybe that changed a little. Bethany slowed a little as she got to Karen. She hugged her. "How are you?"
"We're fine." Karen said. "Today’s the big day!"
"Absolutely!" Bethany said. "I can hardly wait. School stinks, and summers waiting for me."
"What are your plans?" Mike asked.
"Well I'm taking a summer course. I know that probably sounds weird when people my age are out getting drunk and doing other things, but I wanna have a little responsibility with my life. What I can do with it." She said.
"Speaking of which." Karen said. "Leads us to your present." She handed her an envelope.
"For me?"
"Yes, and we think you earned it." Mike said.
"Ah thanks you guys." She smiled.
"You haven’t opened it, don't thank us yet." Karen joked.
Bethany nodded and tore open the envelope very carefully. She then pulled out an greeting card. She read it, with a small smile on her face. She opened it and found a check inside of it.
"A hundred dollars." She said. "Thanks! This will help."
"You're very welcome, that comes from all of us." Mike said.
"Thank you." Bethany said. She looked at both of them. "Where's Roark?" She asked.
"Last I knew he, Roark was in town doing something." Mike said. "He doesn’t tell me much of what he does." He said.
"I think he said he was working on something." Karen said. "He's very secretive. Doesn’t tell anyone anything unless he's absolutely sure of it." She eyed Mike. "Sounds like someone we know."
"Its not me." He said. "Must be Micky."
"I heard that!" Micky said from behind him. Mike jumped a mile.
"Will you knock that off Dolenz? We're all old enough for heart attacks here!" He said.
"I know." Micky said. "It was still funny though. Even after all these years, he still falls for that!"
"Dad, mom." Bethany said. "I was wondering where you went."
"We didn't go anywhere." Chea said looking at Micky.
"Of course you did." She said. "I woke up and you were gone."
Chea sighed. "Okay, Bethany, you're right. We left this morning." She said. "We were planning on saving this for the party, but I think she could have it now." Chea looked at Micky. "What do you think?"
"I was wondering which one of us was gonna break down first." Micky said holding up a pink bag. "There’s two gifts, but one is for Livvie." He said digging through the bag. He took out a small pink box. "We hope you like it, we spent a lot of time looking for this."
"Wow two presents already. This is going to be better than your average birthday." Karen said.
Bethany opened the small box and found something wrapped in tissue paper. She slowly and gingerly unwrapped the paper and discovered what it hid.
"Oh my." Bethany said. "This is beautiful." She said holding up her gift. It was a charm bracelet. It was white gold, with chain links. There was already two charms, one was a diploma signifying her graduation, the second was a birthstone: amethyst.
"Wow." Karen said looking at it. "I never got anything like that."
"You don't like jewelry." Mike said.
"I know, but still, getting something like that would be amazing." Karen said.
"I love it daddy." Bethany said throwing her arms around her dad. She hugged him tightly. She then moved to her mom and hugged her too. "I want to put this on." She said trying to figure out how to fasten the bracelet to her wrist. Mickys hand shot out to her wrist. He helped steady her hand as he clipped the delicate piece of jewelry to her wrist.
"There." He said. "Now its perfect."
"Thanks." Bethany said. "I gotta get dressed." She said running back inside. "I graduate in an hour."
"I'll be in to help with your hair." Chea said. They watched her go in. The door slammed behind her. "I know its a cliché, but is anyone else's heart swelling with pride right now?"
"I felt this way when Roark graduated." Karen said.
"What is he doing now?" Micky asked.
"Architecture." Mike said.
"He insisted Roark have a degree. Roark has loved building things all of his life. He had the nicest looking Lincoln Log buildings. He hated to take them apart."
"I think we overheard you saying that he's in town?" Chea asked.
"He is, on secret project." Mike said.
"Oohhhh." Micky said.
"Is he coming?" Chea asked.
"Of course he is." Karen said. "He wouldn’t miss it. Bethany was Roarks first real friend around here. I don't think he’d forgive himself if he did."
"Davy called this morning from the Ramada. They're back in the states." Chea said. "I think we'll all meet up at the party. We're having it catered.
"I don't think she trusts my cooking ability." Micky kidded her.
"I remember thanksgiving 1975, but I don't remember if that was almost a two alarm or three alarm fire?" Chea laughed. "I love him, but if you ask him to cook anything but toast and cereal, then you better check up on your insurance policies."
UCLA
Davy and Brianna were off looking for a bathroom. Mercy was off looking for a place to be alone. Peter was sitting in his chair, it was almost fifty rows away from where the class sat but it was close enough in his opinion.
Peter jumped when someone touched his shoulder. He looked up. It was his son Davis.
"Hey son." Peter said.
"Dad." Davis said. "Have I missed anything? Where's mom?"
"Exercises start in a few minutes. Your mother, however, is freaking out right now." He said as Davis sat next to him.
"Why?" Davis asked.
"At the last minute they wanted her to be a keynote speaker. Something about something inspiring about someone her age graduating from college at her age, and with honors!"
"I'm so proud of her." Davis said. "I wish I went to college now."
"You can do it anytime." Peter said. "Its never too late, your mom just proved that to you."
"I think I'm gonna take some time to find my place in the universe." Davis said. "I run a pet shop now but its not long term."
"You love animals." Peter said. "You can always start a humane society."
"That would be so cool to do. Me helping animals find a place for themselves." Davis said.
"Hmm." Peter said.
Davis turned around and looked through the crowd of people. A lot of people were coming, the ceremony must be starting soon. He looked around for a familiar face. He found one. Mercy. He looked at her. He smiled at her and waved politely. Mercy waved. She was wearing a personal cassette recorder.
"I'm gonna talk to Mercy, dad." Davis said to Peter getting up. He didn’t look at him as he said it.
"All right but be back soon. Its almost time for your moms day in the sun."
"Okay." Davis said looking back. After a minute or two of walking, Mercy was at the back of the row of chairs, he soon arrived at her side. Mercy took her headphones off.
"Whatcha listening to?" He asked.
"Some of my bad mood music. I've listened a lot lately." She said. She gave him her headphones. He put them on and she pressed play. He jumped back at first from the shock of the volume, it was high. She turned it down a little.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Hole." Mercy said. "Me and Courtney Love have been doing some bonding lately."
"I hope you don't listen during the ceremony. My moms making a speech." He said.
"All right." Mercy said. "Its almost time for new batteries anyway. So how are you?"
"Pretty good. You?"
"Not so good, I got dumped last week by a guy I thought I was gonna marry." She sighed. "Oh well. More fish in the cesspool I guess." Mercy looked at Davis. "Just one more person who doesn’t want me."
"You're kinda dark." He said.
"It can't last forever. That in itself is very sad." Mercy said. "Look, they're starting soon. Let's find those seats."
"Great." He said. "After you madam." He said bending over in a polite bow.
"You're so nice Davis. There’s not many of you guys left." Mercy said. "I should have dated you when I had the chance."
"We were kids." Davis said. "I doubt my father would have driven me over to England just for a play date." He laughed.
"Stranger things have happened." Mercy shrugged. She put out her cigarette.
"Do you smoke?" He asked.
"I don't but its a nice prop. It drives the folks nuts." She said pointing out her parents who now chatted with Peter. "They're not even good anymore. They could disintergrate any day now."
"Who wouldn’t want you?" Davis asked referring to her comment from a couple of seconds ago.
"Well my real folks don’t want me. I know I'm not their kids." She said pointing to her parents. "I'm taller than both of them put together." She said. "Now my boyfriend doesn’t want me. Who would ever want me?" She asked shaking her head. "I don't want to talk about it anymore, lets find a seat."
"Okay." Davis said. "But someone could want you." He said softly as she walked out of earshot.
The High School
Bethany sat in her seat squirming with anticipation. She could hardly wait till she got her diploma. High school was boring, there was no challenge for her anymore. She wanted something new to do. This summer course would give her a chance to spread her wings. To experience new things. She could hardly wait. She sat next to her friend Annie.
"There’s my folks." Annie said. "They are actually sitting next to each other. They divorced a year ago, so this is the only time they have been this close to each other and not want to fight like the proverbial cats and dogs." She said. "Where’s your mom and dad?" She asked.
"You'll know them." Bethany said. "They would be the ones joined at the hip." She said pointing them out. They seemed to be Eskimo kissing. "My god, both 50 years and up and still acting like newlyweds." She said.
"So gross." Annie said.
"I know."
"I want that."
"Me too."
"And I want that too." Annie said. "Who’s the hottie?"
"Where?" Bethany asked.
"By the tree." Annie said pointing out a tall dark man standing by the tree. He wore jeans and a polo shirt. He had hair slightly over his ears. He took some stray strands and placed them over his ears.
"That’s just Roark." Bethany said.
"Just Roark?" Annie said. "Seems more than just Roark the way you looked at him."
"Oh knock it off. He’s one of my oldest friends." Bethany said. "I haven’t seen him for years."
"May be." Annie teased. "But did he look like THAT the last time you saw him?" She asked.
She thought it over. He did look good now. She shook her head. "No." She admitted. "He’s a friend. Just that. A friend."
"Yeah right." Annie laughed as they got up out of their seats. They followed their row up to the front of the crowd standing there. Annie smiled as they waited for their names to be announced. Bethany could feel Roarks eyes watching her from the back, even though she could no longer see him. She could feel herself blush.
"Bethany Renee' Dolenz!" The principal announced. Bethany snapped to attention and walked up the platform to get her degree. She looked out and smiled as she got her diploma. She took it in one hand and looked at it as she stepped out. Unknowingly she stepped on her own gown and the weight her shoe put down started to drag it down. All of a sudden there was a ripping noise and she could feel her gown falling to the ground. She looked at the gown on the ground ripped into two parts. She looked at herself, she was wearing nothing but underwear. She screamed with shock and tried to cover herself with her diploma and her free hand. She could see every male in the audience get up with a camera. Several pops went off as once as every single one of them took her picture. She closed her eyes and screamed.
"Bethany Renee' Dolenz!" The principal announced. Bethany snapped to attention. Her robe was still on. Everyone was sitting down. She sighed. Her humiliating daydream was only that, a day dream. She walked up the platform and got her diploma. Careful not to step on anything, she slowly made her way down the platform. She smiled and waved at her folks. She sat down with Annie.
"You remember the end of Porkys 3?" She asked her friend.
"I try not to, that movie sucked!" Annie said.
"The part at graduation." She said. "Where Pee wee loses his gown."
"Yeah." Annie said. "Good gag, used it on the wimp guy." She looked at her. "Why?"
"It just happened to me, in a day dream." Bethany said.
"As long as it just happened there." Annie laughed. "I don't want you to hog all the attention." She said.
Bethany punched her in the arm.
After
Bethany went up to her parents, and the Nesmiths. Roark slowly made his way over.
"Roark." Mike said.
"Hi mom. Dad." Roark said hugging his mom.
"Where have you been? I thought we were gonna be here together." Mike said to him.
"I had things to do." Roark said winking at Bethany.
"Like what?" Bethany asked.
"You'll see." Roark said. "Mr. and Mrs. Dolenz. I have a huge favor to ask of you."
"Sure what?" Micky asked.
"I'll tell you. Come over here." Roark said.
"Roark?" Karen asked.
"I'll be back mom." Roark said. Bethany grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"A surprise for your graduation." Roark said.
"Surprise?" Bethany asked. She had gotten so many gifts already. "What?"
"If I tell you, then it won't be a surprise now will it?" Roark asked with a light texan twang. You can take the boy out of the lone star state but you can't take it out of him. "Just be there in a few minutes. It will be at the party."
"All right." Bethany said. "I love surprises."
"Then you will really love this one." Roark promised. "Mr. Dolenz, a minute of your time?" He asked. Roark walked off with Micky. Roark looked back at her with a slight wink.
"What is he up to?" Mike asked. "Did he tell you?"
"What do you think?" Karen said. "That boy is a hard nut to crack."
"Its a surprise, Auntie Karen." Bethany said as she took off her graduation cap. "I'm the last person he would tell."
"I hope we find out soon, its driving me nuts." Mike said.
"We'll all find out." Karen said. "Right Bethany?"
"Right." Bethany said. "We will."
