Cherys' waist. She stood before me, half-rotated to hug me and half-facing Ellie's headstone.

We both cried. It hurt to see her grave, especially coming so close after my breakup with E-Beth. And yet somehow, it didn't hurt as much as last year.

FALL QUARTER, JUNIOR YEAR (September 2000)

Getting through the summer without E-Beth was infinitely easier than getting through the Fall Quarter months without Ellie had been. I knew my ex was alive and well, and the emails we passed back and forth kept me satisfied that she was happy. The concept of these electronic messages was still new and I was still getting used to it. But I reveled in the connectivity email afforded me. And maintaining that connection maintained my sanity.

The Engineering internship I'd gotten for this summer, just before my

Junior year, was a carryover from my previous summer. They liked me and they hired me back. If I kept this up, I'd have a good shot at a job once I graduated.

But when it came to friends, I found that most of my high school buddies had drifted apart. Yeah, we had some reminiscing to do. But for the most part, I was more interested in getting back to campus and hanging out with my closer friends.

So I stayed busy and got used to the single life. I went on a few dates, none of them really going anywhere. And then the summer was over and it was time to go back to school.

As usual, I helped Danielle and Cherys move their things back into our apartment. When I set down the Last bag, Danielle patted me on the back reassuring me, "That's the LAST time you'll ever have to help us move in. Just think, next year you'll be able to go to school without your big sis hovering over you all the time!”

I groaned.

“How will I feed myself?"

I was joking, but it made me realize that this really was Danielle and

Cherys' Senior year. They would soon be gone, and who knew when I'd see them again. I took my time that day, slowly getting my room organized and spending a lot of time chatting with the two women. Yes, they were full-fledged women now. At twenty-two, their bodies had pretty much reached their zenith. Rounded hips and luscious curves had been fully developed, and the terrible concept of sag had not yet reared its ugly head.

Once I was done with my room, I stopped by theirs. The people who had subleased the apartment over the summer had rearranged most of the furniture, so we all had to rearrange it right back to the way we Liked it.

“Can I help you guys moving all that?"

Danielle stood up straight from the dresser she was trying to shove over and wiped her brow, looking at me oddly.

“David, I do believe you're growing up."

I blushed, and started to turn away.

“Oh, hey, that's a compliment. Now get your scrawny ass over here and help me move this, squirt."

"And then this table could get shoved over there," Cherys called out from the other side of the room.

Of course, the first people I Looked up upon returning were Kevin and

Jen. Their respective parents, being hometown friends themselves, let the two get their own apartment together. I instantly knew I'd be spending a good amount of time at their place.

“At least till you find another hot girlfriend and start living in her bed," Kevin deadpanned.

We chatted for a bit, catching up. Jen was unusually quiet. And I finally asked, “What's bugging you?"

She looked at me, surprised.