“Ohmigod? What happened?"

Two of Amber's so-called best friends and most of the guys sided with

Jackson. Their clique had rules: the girls put out and the guys showered them with expensive baubles. After twenty years of expensive vacations and lavish beachfront homes, they'd get traded-in for a younger model but get a nice alimony payment.

Perhaps for the first time in her life, Amber decided that wasn't the way she wanted to live the rest of her life.

“It's your fault," she told me one day when we were all in the girls’ dorm room.

“Why?" I wondered.

“You made me realize that a guy could love me for who I was inside, not how I looked outside or how much money my daddy has."

E-Beth had hugged her roommate immediately.

“You're growing up, Amber."

Amber was a Lot nicer to me after that.

FINALS (March 2000)

“Wow, you're really good at this.”

"You can do this, too. You're smarter than you think."

I snorted.

“Nah, I'm just a dumb ape. If it weren't for you helping me, there's no way I would pass this class. Just ask E-Beth. I wouldn't have passed High School Chemistry if it wasn't for her.”

“Hey, you don't give yourself enough credit. A dumb ape would only think of food and sex. You've managed to keep your paws off me this long." Amber Leaned in and wiggled her chest at me.

“Mmm, ape is hungry. Mmm, ape Likes Looking at breasts..." I growled in an appropriately dumb voice.

Amber rolled her eyes and punched my shoulder.

“Stop that."

“Hey!" E-Beth yelled from her desk.

“Stop flirting with my boyfriend!"

It was a playful tease on her voice.

Amber and I looked over from our spots at Amber's desk, where we were both cramming for our Chemistry final. Amber protested, “I'm not flirting... not REALLY..." She'd been flirting with me ever since the

Jackson incident.

“Oh, speaking of which, I want you guys to meet