*This is a long chapter with a lot of information in it! Hope you all like it!

Paris, Madrid, Tokyo, Berlin... I've lived in all of those cities, and I have been moving around the world ever since birth.  I've had the "privilege" of visiting the most exotic to the most devastated parts of the world, but no matter how beautiful the beaches were or how clear and bright the night's sky was it could never amount to what I experienced in New York.  I moved to America when I was 14 years old.  Daddy promised that it would be my final move until I graduated from high school and college.  I was never able to make any friends because I was home schooled by the best and brightest professors for the majority of my education.  So when I walked into Pierce Academy on my first day of school I had no clue what to expect.  According to what I heard from Daddy and saw on the internet, Pierce Academy was the most prestigious and elite school in the state of New York, built especially for the rich and famous.  Servicing about 1,000 kids from grades 9-12, this school was the IT school for all the celebrities, politicians, and business men's children.  You can only imagine my anxiety when I walked into my first class knowing that I would have fifteen pairs of eyes dissecting me from top to bottom.  Fortunately for me, it was in that class where I met my three best friends, Liz, Sunny, and Sharon.  We were (and still are) a strange group.  All of us were from a different background, but despite some of our "spoiled rich kid" tendencies, we loved each other like sisters. 

"Awww, I remember this picture.  It's when we were taking the train to go see JYJ in New Jersey!" Liz said sniffling. 

"For the love of God, Liz can you shut up already with your reminiscing!  While we've been helping Tracy pack you've been wasting your time flipping through her photo album and you haven't lifted one single item to help us!"  Sharon shouted from the other side of my large bedroom.

"I'll have you know, Sharon, that I did pack a box of Tracy's shoes.  So how about you mind your own business!  Ugh... Ah Dios mio!" Liz shouted in her strong Puerto Rican accent.  Liz, also known as Elizabeth Carmen Maria Sanchez, is the daughter of the self- made billionaire, Ricardo Sanchez, who started off selling baked goods in the streets of San Juan, using his family's secret recipe, to owning a chain of bakeries all over the United States and Puerto Rico (so much for the secret recipe).  Although born from "new money", Liz held her head up just as high as "old money" and opened just as big as the rest of the New Yorkers around her when she cursed someone out.  She was the closest to me out of all of the girls, maybe because she always told me what was on her mind.  However, because she was never the one to shy away from holding her tongue, Liz was always getting into fights with other girls, which, of course, would leave me and the other girls to clean up her mess so that she wouldn't get suspended.

"You two need to cut it out.  The next couple of days will be the last days that we can spend quality time with Tracy before she leaves.  I don't intend to waste it on your incessant bickering," Sunny said sternly.   Sunny was always the voice of reasoning and the brains of the group.  Her and Sharon were the identical twin granddaughters of a very affluent politician in South Korea.  Like most twins, Choi Mi Sun and Choi Soo Min, were very different.  You might be thinking, where in the world did she get Sharon from Soo Min? Well, ever since we read the book entitled,  When my Name was Keoko, for our English class, Soo Min decided that she wanted to be the flower that represented South Korea... or something along those lines.  Anyway, after arguing with her sister about who deserved to be named after the country's national flower, we decided that we would just let Soo Min keep the name.

Where Sunny excelled in brains, Sharon excelled in brawns.  While Sunny was hitting the books in high school and making high honor roll every semester, Sharon was hitting punching bags and becoming the leader of a Tae Kwon Do dojo.  Both were very talented women but they were extraordinarily different in their own special ways. However, they do share a common quality in their household.  Although their parents were very Americanized, the twins loved Korea and have been my link to the main stream Korean  culture for the past couple days. 

"But it wasn't my fault, Sunny.  Your crazy sister just won't leave me alone.  I told you guys that I just got my nails done, so I can't do much anyway," Liz complained.

"Oh please," Sharon rolled her eyes, "you wouldn't work even if you didn't have your nails done.  You're just lazy," she stated.

"Tu Madre," Liz teased.

"LIZ!" I yelled.  I knew I had to break up the argument before Liz ended up with her foot up her .  Yes, we were all best friends, but those two never knew when to stop when their bickering got too personal.  "Can we please act civil today?  Otherwise, you guys are just going to have to leave because I have a splitting headache and I do not need this arguing right now," I announced.

Liz and Sharon looked away in embarrassment, feeling bad about their immaturity.  They both muttered a "sorry" to each other to end their petty argument.

"So Tracy, have you and Darnelle made up yet?" Sunny asked while wrapping some of my shot glasses and picture frames with newspaper.

"Yea," I replied sadly while remembering his reaction to the now disappearing hand print on face.  I went to his apartment the day after our big fight to apologize and tell him that I will be leaving on Monday.  I didn't even get the chance to give my apology when he started asking questions about my bruise.  He was so angry when I told him what happened that he punched a hole in the wall of his apartment. 

*Flashback

"Oh my God, Babe!  Stop it. You're hurting yourself!" I screamed.

"How could you be worried about me when you're getting slapped around by your Mother like a rag doll?" he screamed back. "And to make things worse you're telling me that you're leaving New York in six days with that psychopath?"

"Watch it Darnelle. She's still my mother. You have no right to disrespect her like that!  No matter what she does to me you cannot ever speak about her in that manner," I said defensively.

Darnelle scoffed, but didn't make any remarks.  He just looked at me pitifully defending the very person that was destroying my life.  He walked up close to me and removed the big sunglasses that I was using to help mask my face.  Gently, he pulled my hair out of my face to get a better look at my once clear skin.  I heard him inhale a deep breath of surprise when he saw the gravity of the situation and I could hear him grind his teeth, evidently trying to stop himself from getting angrier.

I couldn't bear to see the hurt expression on his face and the growing angry fire in his eyes so I pulled away and took a seat on his plush leather love seat.  He followed me there and laid his head on my lap. We stayed in that position all evening just talking about work, school, and us.  When it was time for me to leave he asked me out on a date and we decided that on Saturday that we will be going to the only place that I will ever willingly wear a dress for, Masa.

*End of Flashback

"So what are you guys going to do when you leave? Are you guys going to... you know... break up?" Sunny asked shyly.

"Oh no honey! You can't let that fine specimen of a man go! He just might get snatched up by another chica when you leave... maybe someone like me!"  Liz laughed.

Sharon gave her a look of disgust and yelled, "You have got to be kidding me! You can't do that to Tracy."

"Relax Sharon.  Tracy knows I'm just kidding," she replied walking up to me and wrapping her hand around my shoulders with a grin on her face.  "Besides, I'm not one to pick up sloppy seconds anyway."

I rolled my eyes and continued my work.  Ever since I met Darnelle, I knew Liz had a crush on him.  She always made ual comments about his body and how lucky I was that I saw him first.  But, I know she's just joking.  She's my best friend and she wouldn't ever do something like that.

"No, Sunny we're not breaking up," I answered Sunny.  "In fact," I paused hesitantly, "I think I'm going to make love to him after our date on Saturday," I blushed with excitement.

The girls awed and giggled at me.  "Well, it's about time," Sharon said laughing.

I was the only amongst us all and they've been egging me to take Darnelle to bed before someone else does.  These girls were all so silly, but I'm going to miss them dearly.

"You know what that means?" Liz asked with a naughty look on her face.  I shook my head and nervously awaited her answer.

"We're going shopping tomorrow for some lingerie!"

The girls hollered at the idea and started to plan my dress for dinner and my naughty outfit for dessert. I couldn't help, but to be just as excited as they were as we planned my night with the one I cared for the most.

*Hey you guys!  Thanks for subscribing! I hope you liked getting to know all of Tracy's crazy friends.  The "event" won't happen until two chapters from now so hold on tight! Please, silent readers, leave at least one comment! Say hello or goodbye.  And please check out my poll that I posted on the FOREWORD page of this story!  Thanks so much for your encouragement! I <3 you guys!!!

-Trufloetry