It was time for the SATs and after weeks of studying, Cree was tired. Cree Lincoln was sitting on the edge of her purple and pink sheeted bed as she was studying from her SAT prep book. As she was listening to smooth jazz as she was studying, she heard a knock on her door. She turns down the music and says, "Come in."

Her little sister, Abigail, pokes her head in and says in a sadistic tone of voice, "Mama told me to tell you that Chad's here."

"Tell him to come on up."

Abigail rolls her eyes and says, "You tell him yourself."

"Why are you so stank!"

"YOU tell me!"

Cree growls then sighs. "Listen, Abby. I really need to-"

Abigail was already out of her room. Steam puffing out of her nose, Cree growls and slams her book shut, going down the stairs, where Chad was sitting on the couch. Cree smiles and waves. Chad nods. Abigail, who was the closest, pretends to gag. Cree, rolling her eyes, tells Chad to come into her room.

"Why?", asks Abigail. "So you two could make out?"

Mrs. Lincoln, who was in the kitchen, scowls at her youngest child. "Watch your mouth, young lady!"

"Yes, Mama..."

"Shall we, Cree?", asks Chad.

Cree eagerly guides him into her room, where she closes the door shut and slides down on the floor, groaning. "UGH! Abigail is making it more difficult to apologize!"

"Wasn't your plan to apologize to her before you leave for college?"

"Uh, YEA, now she's making a BIG DEAL out of this situation!"

"Cool it, soldier.", says Chad, putting a hand gently on her shoulder as she was crying. "The long dammed war between us and those KND dorks is long over! Why is she still being stubborn?"

"If you had any siblings, Chad, you'd understand, but you don't."

"Woof. Sorry."

"I'M sorry, Chad. Let's just...*scoffs*…get this crap done and over with."

"I know. SATs are stressful."

"Tell me about it.", says Cree, reopening her book.

"So...what's your major...?"

"Criminal justice. Due to the fact, I know martial arts. It might boost up my standing right now and make the top-dog colleges take a closer look at me."

"Heh. Like Harvard."

"No way! I'm not gonna be the only black person there!", jokes Cree.

Chad rolls his eyes jokingly and laughs. "There ARE black people that go there, you know."

"Yeah. Black people whose mamas and daddies paid for them! Or they have 'stolen money'...!"

Chad rolls his eyes. "Typical how you don't stand up for your own race."

"Shut your ass up and help me study."

Chad laughs as he studies with her. Making casual eye contact with her. Little did she know that Chad was crushing on her, but he knew that she liked Maurice. After they graded each other, Cree scored a bit higher than Chad, which was expected since she was more of the studier and he the jokester. Cree cheers on as she saw her score, egging him with her fluffy purple pillow. Missing the first few times before hitting him on the head. Making him fall off of the bed and laugh. Cree falls on top of him and wraps her legs around his torso, laughing with him. They look at each other as the laughter slowly dies down. As they looked as if they were about to kiss, Abigail bursts in, frowning at them before they quickly got off of each other.

"Told you," she mumbles.

"Abby...", says Cree, shyly, coming over to her sister and laying a hand on her shoulder. Abigail shrugs Cree's hand off and walks away, Chad frowning at her.

"C'mon, Abigail. Your sister is trying to say something and you're not listening. Cut her some slack, will ya?"

"Why? You like her?"

"I-I...don't! Why do YOU care, anyway!"

Cree looks at Chad and blushes while fixing her long dreadlocks.

"I don't...but you do!", jokes Abigail, running out of there before Chad gets a hold of her, going into her room and closing the door, locking it behind her and laughing. Chad growls as he bangs on the door.

"Get outta there, you brat!"

"No way!"

"Stop it, you guys.", says Cree as she grabs him by the collar and drags him back into her room to study.

"What. Was that?", asks Cree.

"It was HER, Cree! How do you deal with her crap!"

"Like a pro."

Chad chuckles and hugs her. "Good luck, little soldier."

Cree nods as Chad grabs his bookbag and goes down the stairs, with Cree following him. Mrs. Lincoln waves goodbye to Chad and goes back into the kitchen, mixing her cake batter. As Chad and Cree goodbye to each other, she closes the door and sighs.

"Chad is a nice boy, Cree. Are you sure you don't like him?", asks her mother.

She scoffs and says, "We're best friends, Mama. Sheesh. Why does everyone think that...?"

"Because he's cute. And smart. AND he has a good head on his shoulders."

"Maurice is all of those things, too, Mama."

"I know...but..."

"I know, I know."

"Are you and Abigail okay...?"

"Honestly...I don't know. She's so...stubborn!"

"Like you were sometimes?"

Cree looks at her mother and frowns. She goes back upstairs and back into her bedroom. Why did her mother had to be right about every-damn-thing! As she flops upon her bed, laying on her back, she realizes that her SAT prep book was gone! Abigail! She must've stolen it while she was downstairs! Cree screams and storms into Abigail's room, seeing that she wasn't there. She groans and yells, "MAMA!" as she was going down the stairs. When she goes into the living room, she sees her little sister with her best friend, Kuki Sanban, as Abigail was about to toss her book into the shredder!

"Noooo!", Cree cries out as she snatches the book away. "Why would you touch my stuff, Abby! I need this for college!"

"Like any college would want a villain like YOU!", sneers Abigail.

Kuki, looking at the sister-duo, rolls her eyes at the former villain as she says, "Gimme a break, Cree. You don't need it. You're too...Father-like for college."

Father-like? What did that mean?

"Father-like?", asks Cree.

Kuki nods. "Evil."

"I'm not-"

Abigail puts her hand up in the air as she says, "No more lies...Mrs. Dickson!"

Kuki gasps. "You like CHAD?!"

"No, I don't!", yells Cree.

"Why did I see you two on the floor?", sneers her little sister.

"We fell. Ugh, I don't need this! Where's Mama?"

"She's gone to the store for more milk."

"Great. Now, I'm playin' the babysitter."

"Haha.", says Kuki.

Cree rolls her eyes.

Abigail goes into the kitchen to grab two apples, tossing one to Kuki, and bites into it, staring at her older sister.

"I was meaning to tell you-", says Cree.

"Not listenin'."

"I wanna-"

"Nope."

"Abby, shut up for once and listen to me!"

Abigail glares at her.

"I'm sorry, okay….?"

"Tell it to the former cadets."

"I'm sorry, Kuki."

"I could care less.", she says. "It's between both you and her."

"Abigail?"

Abigail looks from her to Kuki. Finally growling, she yells, "Why's everyone looking at ME for! I don't care anymore! All of my friends are nowhere to be found because of you! All I know is that both Nigel and Hoagie are out searching for Father while Wallabee is...is...hiding somewhere, I don't know. I. Don't care. Just leave me the hell alone..."

Abigail gets up to go off into her room, leaving her best friend alone with her former evil villain of a sister.

Kuki glares at Cree and finally told her that she should wait until Abigail calms down to talk to her again. But, the thing was...she didn't have much longer.

The morning after Cree was finally finished with her SATs, she decided to spend the rest of her Saturday to hang with Chad and Maurice, going to the nearest pizza shop. As they sat in a separate booth, they ate a large pepperoni pizza with mushrooms.

"So, Cree," says Chad, taking a huge bite of his pizza. "How'd you think you did?"

Cree takes a sip out of her ginger ale and sighs. "Hopefully...good. I need to get at least three good top-dog schools looking at me."

"Which one would you prefer?"

"Hmm. Maybe Harvard...or West Point."

"As in the military?", asks Chad, baffled. "You never told me that."

"Well, since I know hand-to-hand combat, it kinda makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Ummm...?"

Chad looks down and takes another bite of his pizza. Maurice looks at Cree with admiration. "Cool. You were always the fighter."

Cree blushed. "Th-thanks. Are you gonna go to college, Maurice?"

He shrugs. "Maybe. I wanna go to UCLA. Good football program. Right, Chad...?" He pats Chad on the back, making him almost choke. Thankfully, he was okay. He glares at Maurice and says, "Yea...maybe they give you a scholarship."

"Why can't we ALL go to college together?", asks Cree. "That way, we won't be separated."

"Cree, we have different tastes.", says Maurice. "You, the soldier. Me, the athlete. And Chad, the undecided."

"Wh-who said I was undecided! I was thinking about USC...or maybe Miami...! Ever thought of that?"

Cree and Maurice glance at him.

"Sorry.", said Chad as he sips on his diet soda.

Cree puts a hand on his shoulder and smiles.

"No worries, Chaddie.", jokes Cree. "We'll figure it out later."

Maurice laughs, with Cree joining in, while Chad sinks in his seat a bit and stews in his deep seeded anger. Chad shouldn't be jealous of his teammate and best friend, but he couldn't help himself. Maurice surely had a thing with Cree, but Chad wanted her more. What was he to do? He didn't want to lose Cree, but he didn't want to ruin his friendship with Maurice.

Cree had no plans the next day, so she was free to do what she pleased. Cree was left at home, looking after Abigail. Like Abigail wasn't old enough to look after herself. Abigail was almost fifteen! Why did she need a babysitter? Their dear parents didn't trust her being alone. They thought that they needed to bond more. Since Cree had a free day, she might as well ask if her little sister if she wanted to hang out. She goes into her sister's room and asks her the question as she saw Abby sitting on her bed. listening to her headphones. Fixing her red cap, she glares at the former villain.

"Why would I want to hang out with you?"

"Mama would want us to hang out more."

"Ugh...fine. But, don't expect me to do any sister bonding! I don't need any...fake love."

Cree rolls her eyes. "Let's go to the mall; you need some more new clothes, anyway."

"What's wrong with my clothes!? My clothes are nothing but genuine!"

"Please, sis. Those clothes that you wear are FADS."

Abigail rolls her eyes and goes out the door. Cree groans.

This was going to be a very...long...damn...day.

Five minutes strolling around the mall and Abigail was complaining about wanting to go home already! Cree told her mother that she didn't want to do this, but her mother was persistent as she was stubborn. Cree goes into this clothing department store that caught her eye. Grabbing her little sister by the wrist, Cree drags Abigail inside to look at the latest trends. Cree saw this designer ripped jeans, grabbed them and threw them at her sister.

"Try these on, will ya?"

Abigail didn't bother to catch them. Instead, she scoops them off of the floor, sticks her tongue at her older sister and goes into the dressing room.

"Trust me, Abigail, when I say that boys will be begging on their KNEES to get with you!", says Cree outside of the door.

"Shut up already!"

Cree chuckles but it slowly dies down as she saw Chad, with another girl by his side. Looking at some newly made sneakers. Her heart drops. What was he doing HERE? With another GIRL? And why was she JEALOUS? Cree shakes her head as her sister comes out, showing off the jeans. "These are stupid."

"Well, that's what the kids of YOUR generation are wearing. So, get used to it."

Abigail rolls her eyes as she goes back into the dressing room. Cree looks at Chad, who was trying on his new sneakers, the redhead girl nodding her head with approval. Cree knew she shouldn't leave her sister, but she was determined to know who that girl was, so she goes over to her and Chad, who blushes and waves at Cree.

"Hey. Didn't know you was gonna be here."

"Yea. I'm with Abby. She's trying on some clothes. "

"Nice! So, you two are cool with each other now?"

She shakes her head. "Not yet. I'm surprised I managed to get her to come in the first place!"

They both laugh. The redhead just looks at them. Chad wraps his arm around her neck and says, "Cree, this is my neighbor, Ashley."

"Cree?", says Ashley. "What kind of name is that? Is it like one of those foreign names?"

Cree glares at her. "No...it's an American name."

"Ok. Just wonderin'."

Chad laughs awkwardly, since he knew what was about to happen, and says, "Any luck?"

"What...?", asks Cree.

"With the college search."

"OH. It's official. West Point. I'm into martial arts."

"West Point?", asks Ashley, laughing. "That's a BOY'S job! Brave of you, though, to follow through your dreams...for a..."

"What? For a black person?"

"For a girl. Sheesh, Chad. She's mean."

Chad says, "Cree's not mean; she's just...entitled to her opinion."

Ashley rolls her eyes and says, "Cree, nice meeting you, but me and Chaddie here have to go. Come buy your sneakers, Chad and let's go."

As she took his sneakers to the counter, Cree waves with a fake smile on her face and later frowns at him. "Ashley's a bitch."

"Sorry. She doesn't know that people have feelings."

"Yea...when it comes to black people."

"C'mon, Cree. I'm sorry."

"Why are you hanging with HER? She your girlfriend?"

"NO! She's my neighbor, Cree! If she was my girlfriend, I'd let you guys know!"

"If she's your 'neighbor', how the hell am I just finding this out!?"

"I-I-I just-*sigh*….Cree, please. Stop being jealous."

"I'm NOT jealous!"

"Why are you so mad for?!"

They stare down at each other. Ashley had his sneakers in the bag, staring at Cree mostly. "Is everything okay? Is she bothering you?"

"Why did you put 'she' in empathies?"

"Because...I don't like you."

"Cree?"

It was Abigail, standing there in the middle of the room. She comes closer to her sister, who was still angry.

"Are we done now...? I found these cool-looking sneakers that I wanna get? Hey, Chad."

"S'up.", he says, casually.

"Sis...can we get these sneakers?"

Cree glares at Ashley, then back at her sister, smiling. "Sure, Abigail. Anything for you."

Cree takes her sister by the hand and pays for her sister's sneakers. Nodding at Chad, she says, "See you at school tomorrow."

"Yeah..."

As they left, Chad feels that he blew his chances with Cree. He sighs and grabs his sneakers, walking alongside Ashley.

At breakfast, Cree was still mad at Chad for the whole Ashley incident. But, she later cooled off as she sat with Maurice, telling him what happened. As she was done, she sighs, putting her hands on her cheeks. Maurice rubs her back and says, "It'll be a'ight. Chad's not the type to be shady."

"I know that, man."

"*Sigh*...calm down. Here he comes."

Chad comes, sitting in between them, with his cinnamon-raisin bagel and eats into it while taking out his headphones. Listening at some rock band Cree never heard of, since she liked some type of rock 'n roll. Cree was hesitant to tap him on the shoulder, but he turns his head. "Yea?"

Cree blushes. "Are you...okay?"

"Yea. Are you?"

She nods shyly.

Maurice looks at the both of them. "Hey. Let's not let whatever happened tear up our friendship."

He wraps his arms around their necks and encourages them for a group hug. Though, Chad wasn't feeling it. Cree laughs as she sips her chocolate milk and squeezes Maurice's hand, making him blush. And making Chad jealous. Cree sighs as she tells Maurice about her plans for West Point.

"Congrats!", says Maurice, hugging her.

"Thanks! Chad, how'd you feel about it...?"

Chad was hesitant. "Um...I, uhhh…"

Abigail, since she was a freshman and they both go to the same school, was across from them, laughing with her high school friends, who were a part of the KND team but in separate sectors. Cree looks at her little sister and smiles. The bell finally rings before Chad gave a vague answer and he and Maurice go off to Gym, while Cree lags back, so she can talk to her sister. She saw that Abby was wearing her new sneakers.

"Nice sneaks, sis.", jokes Cree with a smile.

Abigail looks down at her feet and blushes. "Just 'cause I'm wearing these, doesn't mean I respect you. Yet."

"Yet?"

Abigail blushes and says, "I got class." and walks away. Cree shakes her head and heads to Biology, where frog-dissecting was awaiting for her. The thought of that made uneasy. As she sat on her stool, she looks at the corner of her eye, a group of cheerleaders looking at her and whispering. Obviously, they were talking about her. Cree rolls her eyes. She shouldn't let those stupid girls get to her; she could easily tell Chad and Maurice. She knew that one of them (the head cheerleader) liked Chad. Wouldn't it be funny if she ruined her lovelife? The thought of it was as crazy as it was deviously good. As the teacher came into the lab, she begun the lesson while Cree's mind was on Chad. He was her best friend, nothing else. She wanted to go out with Maurice more than Chad...mostly because she was with him more than she with Chad.

Months later...

(I know this might seem strange, but I kinda need to speed this up. Since I know you want to see the output of the strained relationship of the two sisters...)

Valedictorian. The best in the class. Cree was in the middle of the hallway, staring at the list.

Valedictorian: Cree Lincoln

Cree smiles as she was teary. Her hand gripping the acceptance letter to West Point.

Mama, I made it.

She saw the salutatorian spot. Maurice. He ranked second in her Senior class. Wait 'til he found out about this. Will it make a wedge in between their friendship? She already liked him; she often wondered if he knew about it. There was Chad on his phone, coming towards her, waving.

"Hey, stranger.", he jokes.

"Heh. Hey. I'm valedictorian."

"Oh, man. Wait 'til Maurice finds out.", he says, laughing. "He'll be jealous; you know how he feels about that boys are better than girls crap."

Cree rolls her eyes. "Wait 'til he finds out about my acceptance."

"Oh, YEA. Congrats, dude!"

Chad high-fives her and hugs her. "Do I have to call you Sergeant Lincoln? Cadet? Soldier?"

Cree laughs and touches his shoulder to contain herself, for she was laughing so hard. Chad blushes and laughs with her. Maurice came running towards them, laughing as he says, "Yo, Cree, tell me why and HOW did I find out from YOUR sister that I'm salutatorian?"

Cree laughs harder and says, "Abigail's a smart ass! She just wants to see you upset. Where is she...? I feel like she's..."

Cree sees a red cap behind a planted palm tree. Coming over, she snatches it away.

"Hey!", says Abigail as she snatches back then later groans. "Man! good job! You made me blow my cover...and HA! Maurice! You're salutatorian!"

Maurice rolls his eyes.

"Stop picking on my friends, will ya? At least I don't mess with your friends!"

Abigail rolls her eyes and says, "Remember the last time...?"

"Shut it."

Abigail laughs as she runs away. Cree shakes her head. Then smiles.

Graduation Day!

Dressed in navy blue and encrusted in gold, their gowns and caps were exciting and amazing. Cree was smiling with her friends, Chad and Maurice as they were talking about their scholarships to Miami (Chad)and UCLA (Maurice).

Chad looks at the back of Cree's gown. The words "Redemption and Justice" were stitched. "Why the words?"

"I want that tattooed now!", jokes Maurice.

They laugh.

"I want people to know what I went through to be on my journey. I...I mean, WE made it."

They high-five each other. Someone called Maurice's name. As he left, it was just her and Chad. All alone. Chad rocks his heels back and forth. "So, Cree..."

"Yeah?"

"Are you and your sister good...?"

"A little bit. We're taking baby steps..."

"Cool, cool."

"What about you and Ashley...?"

"Ugh. Don't get me started. She's...still upset."

"It's been months; how long can she hold a grudge?"

"Heh. I don't know; I'm surprised YOU aren't holding a grudge like Abby."

Cree blushes. Chad shuts his mouth.

"Sorry. I didn't-"

Cree looks at him then at the floor. "I don't care...we're good now. A bit."

"Cree, I gotta tell you something."

"Yea?"

Maurice comes back. "Chad, Donny says that he's having a barbeque party tomorrow at his backyard and he wants to know if you going."

"As long as there's beer.", jokes Chad.

They laugh, making Cree roll her eyes.

"Seriously...I'll go...if Cree comes with me."

Cree blushes. "Are you sure?"

He shrugs. "A party's not a party without you."

"Ok..."

Maurice looks at them and says, "Sweet! Cree's in! Ready to get wasted?"

"No; I'd rather die."

"Isn't that what you signed up for?"

Cree growls. "I KNOW, Maurice. That's what I signed up for. So?"

Then, it was time for the graduates to go on stage. Chad whispers in her ear, "Talk to me after."

She nods.

As they all got their diplomas, it was Cree's turn to make her valedictorian speech. As she was about to stand before the podium, she sees her family, even her little sister, who was sitting with the whole Sector V, smiling. Nigel and Hoagie had tracked Father down, in New Mexico making gizmos to brainwash kids into doing his bidding while Wallabee was going undercover to find the Delightful Children for Down the Lane, which they were hiding in his home in Australia, saying that they were innocent of any wrongdoing, which Wally didn't believe. Abigail waves at her older sister, wrapping her arm around Kuki's neck, Kuki smiling at her. Cree sniffles and waves at her.

"Fellow students. Teachers. Audience members. We gather here to celebrate the graduating class, but what we should REALLY celebrate is the successes and hardships that we had to go through. We made it! WE made it! We overcame barriers, doubts and hatred...especially me. Sure, we all ain't perfect. I can speak for myself...but...everything's okay...why? Because we have succeeded. Congrats to the graduating class and let us look forward to the years to come!"

Everyone claps as the graduates toss their caps in the air.

As they leave out of the auditorium, Cree meets Chad, who was standing by himself.

"Hey, Cree."

"Wanna see me, sir?", she jokes.

Chad chuckles.

"Cree...I don't know if I should..."

Cha d holds her face close to his and kisses her. Cree pulls back. "What the hell! I-I-I can't!"

"Why not?"

"I like Maurice..."

Chad looks at her. "I knew it..."

"Knew what?"

"You like him..."

"Do you...like me?"

"I did...but you like Maurice. I didn't want to mess up our friendship."

Abigail was coming towards them. "Mama's ready to take pictures, sis. Hey, Chad. Told my sister about your crush?"

"How'd you-", says Cree.

"It was pretty obvious, sis."

Chad blushes.

"I don't know how YOU couldn't tell. Knowing how smart are you...I knew about it and we don't even TALK."

Cree looks at her sister and Chad, who had his head down. Cree softens up. "What do you think, Abigail...?"

"Honestly. Chad's better."

"You, too?"

"Too?", asks Chad.

"Mama has this 'conspiracy theory' about us being together.", jokes Cree.

They laugh, but his laugh was hesitant.

"Abigail-", says Cree.

Abigail hugs her sister and says, "Go for it, sis!" as she leaves.

They blush as they look at each other.

"I can't. What if something happens when I'm on duty...and...", says Cree.

Chad shakes his head and kisses her. "I don't care."

They kiss for a long time and held hands.

Maurice comes over and pauses. "Did I just miss a moment? Dammit!"

He buries his head in his hands, but Chad pats him on the back. "No worries, dude. This...is the star of something beautiful."

Cree smiles as she kisses his cheek.

They all hug as they go off walking together and the rest is history... :)

The End!