The parking lot was a madhouse. Some students had already begun trickling out to find their families and were taking the traditional post-graduation pictures. Brynn was determined to make a full night this evening, but I still needed to find my family before we took off.

"Over there." Brynn pointed to my family standing by a raised garden on the side of the building. I was surprised she was able to find them so quickly. I was too short to really see over the crowd. It was a good thing I had my statuesque best friend accompanying me.

We walked through the crowd towards them. My mom excitedly waved her arms at us when she saw us coming. Mom wrapped me in a warm hug and squeezed me the second I was by her side.

"My little peanut is all grown up and graduated from high school!" She squealed and sobbed at the same time. It was a little frightening.

JD stared at me from over my Mom's shoulder and laughed at the annoyed expression on my face. My Dad walked over and rubbed my Mom on the back, trying to soothe her. My family was the epitome of embarrassing.

When I was finally able to pull myself away from my mom, JD put his arm around my shoulder and ruffled my hair. I pushed him away and grumped about him messing it up. It took a long time to get it manageable, I spent five seconds with my brother and he had it looking like a bird's nest.

"Jerk," I grunted at him while trying to smooth my hair back in place.

"Aww, Lil Bit, here I'll help you fix it." He proceeded to lick his hand and rub my head again and I punched him in the stomach. He pretended like it hurt and nuzzled into Anna. She smiled at him, lovingly and soothed his fake wounds. I was glad someone could put up with JD other than me.

"Brynn, where's your mom, dear?" My mom said with the sweetest of tones to my best friend, who was standing next to me, picking at her long red fingernails. My Mom looked her up and down as she judged the outfit choice. Mom wasn't always the biggest Brynn fan, but she did feel sorry for the girl who always seemed to be alone.

"Oh, she's out of town. Her boyfriend took her to Cabo." Brynn said, brushing it off like it meant nothing to her.

Brynn always seemed so unaffected by her Mom's absence. She had never even met her Dad. Brynn had always spent a lot of time on her own taking care of herself. Well, on her own when she wasn't with me or some new flavor of the week that she picked up. It had been that way since I met her in middle school. I tagged along with JD and Brynn tagged along with me.

"I'm sorry, honey." My Mom said sincerely and placed her hand on Brynn's back.

"It's fine. The school taped it. She can just watch it when she gets back." With that comment, Brynn brushed off the conversation about her mom. I knew better than to keep it going.

A couple of weeks ago, she got drunk the night she found out her mom chose her new boyfriend over her. She called me and I came running. I spent the whole night holding her hair back as she vomited and told me she didn't need her mom. Since that night, Brynn had spiraled out of control. She spent every night finding and hooking up with random guys. This wasn't completely new behavior for Brynn. It just made it worse.

"Just a few pictures Riley and then we'll let you go hang out with friends." My Dad interrupted to change the subject away from the tortured girl.

Dad pulled out his smartphone and started instructing everyone to stand in front of the garden next to me. He took a few of me alone, then some with Brynn. The final picture was the Davis clan together. Anna offered to take that picture for us.

After my cheeks hurt from all the faux smiling, I got one final hug from my parents. When my Dad hugged me, he squeezed me tightly. He was warm and strong, which had an immediate calming effect on me. My Dad was my rock.

"Be careful and call me to check-in. We are so proud of you!" My Mom called over her shoulder as my Dad dragged her away. I rolled my eyes at my overprotective Mother.  She was a helicopter parent, but I wouldn't have wanted her to be any other way. I would rather have a Mom like mine than one like Brynn's.

JD was leaning into Anna, whispering in her ear. She was grinning eagerly at him and he raised his eyebrows suggestively at her. He grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into him and kissed her shoulder gently. They were so adorable. It was sickening.

"Well, Ry, I have band practice tonight. We should probably get moving." JD said still wound tightly around Anna.

A few years back, JD and a few of his friends decided they wanted to start a band. He grew out his hair, picked up the drums, and then switched to the bass when he realized he would never be a drummer. They had played together for a long time and a few years back even got a house together near the local college. Everyone who knew about the place joked and called it the band house. They spent all their time together and shared everything. Instead of just having JD to deal with, I was known as the whole band's little sister. Only JD and his band were allowed to pick on me. Anyone else who tried would end up on the wrong side of his temper.

"Hey, you two should stop by later. It's been forever since you've been over." JD suggested.

"We'll think about it," I told him.

I was unsure if Brynn would go for it since her plans included drinking until she passed out and lots of other inappropriate things with boys we would never see again. The inappropriate boy part would be harder to get at the band house, not impossible, but far less likely. The alcohol wouldn't be a problem. They always had plenty of it.

"You should really come by." Anna said excitedly. She was always stuck with the group of guys. She really looked forward to having another girl to talk to.

"The band sounds tight. We got a new guy from my work who just started playing guitar for us. He is badass." JD added like it would make my decision any different.

"We'll see."

"Come on, babe, we're going to be late and you know the guys will give you shit," Anna said to him. "See you Ry and congrats on getting the hell out of this place. Girls make good decisions."

Anna winked at us as she grabbed JD's arm to pull him away towards the car. He scowled back at me to warn me to be on my best behavior tonight.

"Unnnhhhh... I don't want to go see the band." Brynn whined.

"I didn't say yes. I just said we'd think about it."

"That's a Riley 'yes'. I hate it when you do that." She stomped her feet like a toddler who wasn't getting her way. She looked hilarious in her strappy six-inch black heels.

"I did not say yes. Anyway, do you have any better ideas?" I asked her with one eyebrow raised. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what she had planned, but it would be better than just standing here twiddling our thumbs and arguing.

"Tons."