That had been the contents of an email received by anyone that actually graduated from Trauceton in the spring of '06, and even some who hadn't. Stacie was a bit overzealous in her interactions, but none the less, the night is shaping up to be an exciting adventure for all involved!

In the gym the lights were off, and there was a discoball hanging from the roof, with a decent DJ hosting a dance. Off to the side were alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and an assortment of snacks.

Atendees were welcome to wander around the halls and observe the school. In the old library they were playing two of the top movies of the year, the Davinci Code, and Casino Royale.

~~~

Jacen pulled into the parking lot of his old school, glancing around as he did. He was a bit nervous to be back here after all these years, and to face all of his old friends, and some that were less than friends. As soon as he was in the parkinglot a hired valet service took his keys and parked the car for him. He walked toward the building, taking in all the sights. He was dressed in a grey suit with matching trousers, a white shirt with a black tie to accent it.

He pushed the doors open, and heard the thumping of the bass. He made his way into the gym, and glanced around, getting his bearings.

((Sorry for it being a short post. My comp ate my post a few times and I didn't feel like retyping all that :P ))

It was still light out, though the sun was almost setting. Tom had just gotten off work, and walked into the bedroom. Unholstering his pistol and setting it on the dresser, he got out of his uniform and threw on a suit. Before putting on his suit jacket, he put on a holster that was meant to be worn around one's chest, and tucked his handgun neatly inside. "Can never be too prepared," he said.

Upon throwing the suit on, he tucked his badge into his inner suit pocket and walked into the living room. His son Ben was sitting there, playing on his phone. "Ben," Tom said.
"Yeah dad?" Ben replied, not looking away from the phone.
"I'm going out tonight, Marsha'll be coming to babysit you at seven."
"Alright, later dad."
"See ya, son."
With that, Tom walked out the door whistling a little tune. He got into his car, turned on the radio, and drove. The radio played a generic mix of seventies rock, Tom's primary taste in music, and on came a song that Tom loved ever since he saw the movie it served as soundtrack to. Tom truly felt badass as he drove down the street, singing along.

He arrived soon after. "Place got a new paint job." Chuckles Tom as he heads to the entrance. He decided that he was going to wait to head inside, and pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Once he was done smoking, he stayed outside to wait for his old friends, see what they looked like and ask what they've been up to. Perhaps they already arrived? Hell if he knew. A sigh escaped Tom's mouth, and he stuck his hands in his pockets. This was gonna be a looooong night.

---

---

Reaching down with his left hand, Lucas shifted the car into park outside Heartfelt Bites and climbed out, adjusting the glasses on his face as he locked the car, placing a hand on the hood momentarily. It had been provided to him by work, but the car itself was essentially his own, he used it as such anyway. It was a black Aston Martin DBS, comfortable, sleek, fast, expensive, and one of the main reasons Darcie had likely insisted they carpool to the reunion. Locking it yet again just out of habit, Lucas moved to the stairs leading up over the bakery to Darcie's apartment, giving a loud knock on the door.

"Darcie! You ready to go?" Lucas didn't open the door, having yet to be invited, so he remained outside - listening for a response as he picked a few loose threads from his jacket. He was wearing a nice, double-breasted navy jacket and trousers, with a white shirt and black tie, his usual black, large-framed glasses sitting on his eyes as he waited for an answer, tucking his hands into his pockets as he glanced up and down the street.

Jen had already picked up Lucille to sleepover her house. Tonight was a night for Darcie to enjoy herself, completely. For once in her god darn life, she wasn't going to worry about her crippling debt, her broke down car, the bar, or her bakery. Tonight was all about her. A reunion, eh? The only highschool friend she kept any sort of contact with was Lucas. He was the only real friendship that lasted. Sweet man. Far more intelligent than her. Her sister reminded her of him. Too smart for their own good. If only he had more time, she'd loved his help on understanding a brainiac. Maybe she was simply overthinking Lucille's issues?

Finishing her hair, Darcie looked at herself and ran her hands down her white, tube-silk dress. She was wearing high, clear colored heels and diamond earrings (they were her mother's). The best outfit she had in her closet! Turning her body slightly to the left and staring at the mirror, she looked at her stomach and sighed, "Am I too skinny?" She worked so hard that she forgot to eat. Hopefully the reunion had free food, she didn't have supper yet. Darcie wanted to make sure her baby girl (Lucille) was all set so right after work she rushed around to make sure Lucille didn't have any problems tonight.

Hearing her close friend's voice outside, the young woman poked her head out her window (she preferred having some wind chill in her house... she got hot easily), and yelled gently, "I'll be down in a sec, Hunnie!" Southern habit calling Lucas honey... a word used loosely in her culture, especially when they cared for someone. Scurrying around her house, she looked for her pocket book. After a minute or two, she finally found it under her bed. Making her way to the front door, Darcie switched off the lights. Walking down the stairs, Darcie had totally forgotten about a jacket but she was ready for a good night out!

Tilting his head upward as he heard her response, Lucas smiled softly, reaching up to idly rub at the back of his neck as he awaited her, he was still a tad conflicted about going along, but he'd been stressed about work recently, at the very least he needed to take just one day off.

Reaching the first floor where her shop was, she looked at the displays to make sure her workers had scrubbed it clean and then she made it to the front door, where Lucas, with his glasses and all, was waiting for her.

"Hey, hot stuff. I hope I didn't make you wait too long". When she left the door, the bell rang and she gave her friend a warm hug, "You ready to take on this reunion with me?" She stuck out her tongue, knowing very well she forced him to suffer with her. However, he did look mighty handsome tonight but then again she always thought he was handsome.

"Hot stuff?" Lucas chuckled somewhat awkwardly, clearing his throat as he hugged her back. "You uh, you look... Pretty!" Lucas took a moment to settle on the word, Lucas had always been terrible when it came to talking to women, or rather, complimenting them, but Darcie had always known that - it didn't help that she herself was rather attractive. Shrugging his shoulders to her query, he moved over to his car and opened the passenger door for her.

"I'm as ready as i'll ever be, I suppose." Lucas laughed, waiting for her to step into the car before he closed the door behind her, moving around to his own side as he'd climb in, placing the keys in the ignition as he settled into the comfortable leather seat. Starting up the car once more, some music from Lucas' phone began to play over the radio - The Weeknd from the sounds of things.

Entering the car, Darcie teased, "You're just being modest!". She appreciated his compliments, they were simple but she didn't mind them. He did get rather flustered though, even in front of her and they've known each other for years. In the past, she did try to convince him to play the field out, it might help him interact with ladies, but he never seemed interested to dedicate his life to "finding the one". She could understand that. Relationships were a drag, plus... being close to someone would just mean another person that could leave her. If something happened to Lucille, Darcie wouldn't know how to cope. Attachment was terrifying. Her relationship with Lucas was pure friendship, someone that helps keep her sane. She didn't want to ruin what they had, plus any closer would just be scary for her. Not that she didn't fear him dying or abandoning her, she just didn't want to expose her weakness to him, which would make those situations ten times worse.

"Lucille is alright tonight? You aren't going to need to leave early to put her to bed or anything?" Lucas asked, making idle chatter as he drove, but there was legitimately curiosity in his voice, Lucas didn't have many particularly great memories of high school, and he didn't want to be left by her, surrounded by people he barely remembered, or really cared to, he was only here because of her, after all. Reaching up as they reached a red light, he adjusted his glasses somewhat and ran his fingers through his hair, he glanced in the rear-view mirror and wondered if anyone would really remember him, after all, he looked very different now than he had in his younger years - certainly for the better.

Not realizing she had dazed out, she heard him ask her a question about Lucille and answered, "The last thing she wants is me to tuck her in bed. She's going through that teenage phase where she'll slam the door in my face for asking a simple question". She gazed at him as he drove and sighed, "Maybe... I shouldn't have allowed her to skip two grades. She's missing out on so much". Even with her face "dolled up" there was an underlining tiredness that never left her face. Darcie was stealing her sister's childhood away, but she couldn't do everything alone.

"Don't think on it too much, Lucille's a smart girl, if she wanted to skip then you did well to listen - just help her out when she needs it, but she know's what's good for herself too." Lucas assured her in a kindly manner, shifting his gaze over to her. Lucas saw the tiredness on her face, it upset him, he always knew about her dream, and how it had been put on hold for Lucille, he just wished he could help out more.

Looking back at the road, not wanting to be the "debbie downer" of the night, she changed the subject (no worrying today), "How about you? The job is not putting too much strain on you?" and then she jested, "No secret rendezvous that I should know about?" her face lightened up as she played around with her friend.

Chuckling at her comment, Lucas shook his head as he drove, shrugging. "Work's work, it's never particularly easy, i'll just be glad to have the night off." Admittedly, things at Lucas' work had recently been worse than he described to her, but he didn't want to be a downer either, so he kept driving.

"If you wanted to go out another time, i'd be happy to look after her - provided i'm not working." He continued once she'd finished replying, tilting his gaze over to her momentarily as he drove along toward the school.

He then offered to babysit her sister, which wasn't expected, but she replied with a smile, "She does love you. That's for sure. I'll think about it. After tonight, I might not be able to take time off for awhile, but thank you. Really".

Seeing the school approaching, she took a deep breath in and out. Time to put a lovely face on and try to answer questions that she knew were going to come out, "Do you have a better actor's reel?" "Did you make it big yet?" "Is it almost time for me to ask for your autograph?"


Was she more nervous returning to highschool than Lucas? She began fiddling with her hands, her eyes never looking away from Trauceton Highschool.

As they finally reached the school, Lucas made his way around to the parking lot, paying little attention to the variation in vehicles as he searched for a spot, eventually pulling his car in as he turned off the engine, picking up his phone and sliding it into his pocket as he opened the door and climbed out, closing it and moving over to her side, opening the door for her.

"Ready to go? There's still time to go and just get pizza instead." Lucas laughed, a humorous tone to his voice as he watched Darcie, waiting for her to get out before he closed the door behind her, locking his car yet again and making sure he had anything before he set his keys in his pocket. Moving with her over to the back entrance of the gym, he let out a sigh as he heard the music from within, and the chatter, at least they weren't the first to show up. Making his way inside with her, he looked around, turning over to her with a smile.

As she left the car, she repeated what he had said earlier, in the same tone and manner he had did it, "I'm as ready as i'll ever be, I suppose." The good thing about their relationship was they loved to tease each other. Knowing very well both he and her have come too far to escape and get pizza, they headed to the backdoor of the gym in complete silence, both taking in this moment. They were here, at their school, ten years after they've graduated-- what could possibly go wrong? or right?

"Once more into the breach, eh?" Lucas teased, smiling over at Darcie before he shifted his gaze over the others, struggling to put faces to old names he never particularly cared about in the first place.

She chuckled, her eyes slightly widening at the sight of all the people, maybe she should retreat... no! She must continue onward. With her hand, she gestured for him to walk first "Well ladies first~" she let out a cute giggle. Her attention was brought to Jacen Knight getting all his things together.

The bass was loud so she had to speak up when talking to Lucas, "No way! It's your buddy, Jacen." She pointed to where he was standing. "You should go say hi to him. Do you want a drink? My main priority is the snack bar right now." her stomach growled but was drowned by the bass.

"Something strong would be nice." Looking back over to Darcie, Lucas chuckled softly and nodded, watching as the woman moved off toward the food tables to find something to eat. He stood there for a few moments longer, adjusting his glasses slightly as he looked over those present, finally moving over toward Jacen as he cleared his throat.

"Jacen? It's been a while, huh? It's Lucas." He re-introduced himself rather awkwardly, Lucas looked quite different to how he had ten years ago, so he figured it would have been no surprise if Jacen hadn't recognized him, a smile on Lucas' face as he watched one of his few old friends.