[3 YEARS LATER]

-Third Person-

"Noah!" Tanya calls from downstairs. "Max, Dylan and Megan are here!"

Noah sighs, lying on his bed as he stares up at the ceiling.

It's been three years since Nevaeh passed and it's safe to say he hasn't moved on. I don't think he ever will.

He's still just as in love with her now as he was back in their senior year of high school.

Everyone wore yellow to her funeral, as promised.

He's twenty-two now. Today they have their Senior Scribe then their university graduation.

It's also the three year anniversary of Nevaeh's death.

"Noah, dude, we have to be at the Senior Scribe in thirty minutes and you're just lying there like a lazy ass and you're still not dressed!" Max bursts into Noah's room, Dylan, Megan and himself all wearing their caps and gowns.

Noah rolls over and buries his face in his pillow.

"I don't want to go." His voice comes out muffled.

None of them see Nevaeh sitting on the foot of his bed with her legs crossed and her lips pursed. "You have to, Pebble. It's the Senior Scribe. You get to write on the bookshelves of the library without getting in deep shit. It's free vandalism."

He hears them sigh before the bed dips slightly as someone sits down next to him and rubs his back soothingly.

"Noah, we know it's the three year anniversary," Megan starts softly, still rubbing his back. "But you know she wouldn't want us to miss the Senior Scribe and graduation."

He sighs again, rolling onto his back. "I know."

She smiles down at him. "Good. Now get dressed."

He bites his lip. "I would, if I had an outfit."

"You haven't picked out an outfit?!" Max exclaims, tugging at his hair in frustration.

Dylan rolls his eyes at his friend before going over to Noah's closet, pulling out a plain white button up shirt with long sleeves, a pair of dark wash jeans, a plain black tie, a belt and black dress shoes.

He throws them at Noah. "Hurry up, dumbass."

"I'm surprised he even has a tie." Max mumbles as they exit, making Noah roll his eyes.

Nevaeh leans against the wall, an amused smile on her face. "So am I, Maxie."

They shut the door behind them and Noah quickly gets dressed. He tucks his shirt in and rolls the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, threading the belt through the loops of his jeans before grabbing the tie and making his way to the bathroom.

He bites his lip as he tries and fails to tie his tie.

"Come on, man," Nevaeh starts leaning against the doorway of the bathroom with her arms crossed. "It's been three years and you still haven't learnt to tie a tie."

She thinks back to the day of her funeral. Noah was trying to tie his bright yellow tie—and failing miserably until Tanya had come in and tied it for him.

Little did the remaining four of the Foolish Five know, Nevaeh's been watching over them everyday since she passed.

She was there during Danny's first day of high school. The adorable kid she had known had grown up and become a very handsome boy who captured the eye of many freshman girls and quite a few guys as well.

She was there the first time Max and Megan said 'I love You'. Yeah, she left soon after when she realised what they were about to get up to.

She was there when Dylan found the perfect guy. One that didn't think it was okay to sleep with someone two hours after they break up, saying 'We were on a break'. Cough, cough -Joey- cough.

She was there when Megan punched Hazel in the face. She was very proud.

She was there when Noah finally read the letter. She had sat on his bed, smiling softly at him as he laughed at certain parts and said he was in love with her, too.

"It's been three years and I still haven't learnt to tie a bloody tie." Noah mumbles as she struggles with his tie, which has somehow ended up tangled around his hands. "How is that even possible?!"

A soft giggle makes him look up and spot his mother standing in the doorway of the bathroom through the mirror.

"Need some help?" She questions, amusement littering her face.

"No." Noah denies before tugging at the tie, trying to untangle his hands from it. It didn't work.

"Yeah, because tugging on the thing is going to help." Nevaeh says sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, maybe I need a little help." He says sheepishly, turning to face his mother with his hands still tangled up in his tie.

Tanya shakes her head with a soft chuckle as she goes to stand in front of her son. She easily untangles his hands and ties the tie perfectly.

She gives it one last gentle tug as Noah looks at it in the mirror.

"She would be proud." Tanya says after a few seconds, smiling softly at him, running a hand through his wavy, copper-brown hair.

"I am." Nevaeh smiles softly.

Noah nods. "I know."

"I'm proud of you." Tanya tells him.

"I know." Noah smiles softly before wrapping his mother in a hug and kissing the top of her head. "Thank you, mum. For everything."

Tanya grins. "I love you."

"I love you, too, mum."

"Noah!" Danny jogs to the bathroom, the fifteen year old standing just below his brother's shoulder now. "Max said it's time to leave."

"Hmm," Nevaeh hums, observing him. "He's going to be tall. Not as tall as Noah, though."

"Thanks, Danny." Noah ruffles his brother's hair before throwing on his gown and making his way downstairs with his cap in hand. "I'll see you two at graduation."

*~*

"How come I never did this when I was alive?" Nevaeh wonders to herself as she sits on the roof Stella while Max drives to the university. Max swerves into the car park, nearly throwing her off. "That's why."

Noah, Max, Dylan and Megan all hop out of the jeep, making their way to the university library.

"Hey, Chris." Dylan smiles as they approach his boyfriend of one year.

"Hi." Chris smiles, greeting him with a kiss before hugging Megan and smiling at the others. "Hey, guys."

"Hey." Noah, Max and Megan chorus.

"I'll see you after graduation." Chris tells Dylan.

"Where're you going?" Dylan questions as Chris starts to walk away.

Chris gives him a soft smile. "I think this is something you four should do by yourselves."

He knows about Nevaeh. In fact, most of the university knows about her. She was very well know.

Chris pecks Dylan's cheek before making his way over to his other friends as the four get in line to sign the bookshelf.

Megan takes a deep breath as they make it to the front of the line. "You guys ready?"

"Ready to vandalise the bookshelves?" Max questions his girlfriend. "Or ready to graduate college and go out into the cruel, real world?"

"Oh, I know you three are ready to vandalise the bookshelves." Megan rolls her eyes. "The second one."

Dylan bites his lip. "Nope."

"Not at all." Noah mumbles as the guy in front hands Megan the Sharpie.

She looks at all the initials. One particular initial catches her eye.

T.K

She furrows her eyebrows. "Noah?"

"Yeah?"

"Did your mother happen to go to this college?" She asks him and he nods. "Isn't her maiden name Coleman?"

"She and my father got married when they were twenty-one." Noah explains. "So she graduated as a King."

She nods before sighing her name on the bookshelf.

M.R.

Megan Rudd.

She gives the Sharpie to Max, who takes it from her, flashing her a smile and quickly signing his initials.

MO

Max O'Connell.

He passes the marker back to Dylan and stands next to Megan, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

Dylan smiles slightly as he signs the bookshelf.

DA

Dylan Anderson.

He hands the marker to Noah, giving him a small smile.

Noah steps up to the bookshelf, looking at the initials of his mother and friends before signing his own.

N.K

Noah King.

He stares down at the empty space in the middle of the four initials of his friends and himself.

He bites his lip before putting the marker to the shelf once more.

N.C

Nevaeh Carter.

He hands the marker back to the girl behind him who takes it with a sad smile, seeing what he wrote.

Noah nods at her and steps towards his friends who look at him sadly.

"She would have been with us." Max pipes up.

"Yeah." Noah purses his lips.

"She still is." Megan tells them with a small smile.

"You're damn right I am." Nevaeh stands next to Noah. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"I can practically hear her telling us that we can't get rid of her that easily." Dylan says, making them all laugh softly.

"Time to graduate?" Max looks at his friends.

"Yeah, bud," Dylan nods and pats Max's back. "Time to graduate."

They all share a nod before heading to the football field.

*~*

"Dylan Anderson."

Dylan smiles as he walks up onto the stage and receives his diploma.

More names are called before they get to the K's.

"Noah King."

Noah walks over and receives his diploma before walking off the stage.

More names are called before they make it to the O's.

"Max O'Connell."

Max fist pumps in the air before skipping onto the stage and receiving his diploma.

"Twenty-two years old and the dude still acts like he's six." Nevaeh chuckles to herself as she stands next between Mila and Danny in the audience.

They call more names before they start calling the R's.

"Megan Rudd."

Megan takes a deep breath before smiling and confidently walking onto the stage to receive her diploma.

"I'm proud of you dumbasses." Nevaeh smiles proudly.

They graduation ceremony continues as normal until the end.

The dean clears his throat.

"Just before we finish, Noah King, get up here son." The dean orders, making Noah look at him in confusion before walking back onto the stage.

"We have a very special diploma and we'd like Noah to accept it." The dean speaks into the microphone. "Nevaeh Carter. Gone but never forgotten."

Noah looks into the crowd and sees Mila and Tanya both wiping their eyes, Danny wrapping his arms around them easily, being taller than both of them.

Megan lets a tear slip as she looks towards the stage. She stares at the diploma in the dean's hand and lets a few more tears slip.

Dylan give a watery smile. Chris, who is sitting next to him, grabs his hand reassuringly.

Max brings his fist up to his mouth and clears his throat, willing himself not to cry, but a couple of tears fall out anyway.

The dean turns to Noah and hands him the diploma before pulling him into a fatherly hug.

"Thank you." Noah whispers as a single tear slides down his cheek before pulling away.

"Thank you, you sons of bitches!" Nevaeh waves to go the crowd as she appears on the stage while everyone claps and Noah walks off stage. "I'm very loveable, I know."

The dean closes out the ceremony and it ends with the senior throwing their caps in the air.

"High School Musical, who?" Nevaeh laughs as Noah, Max, Dylan and Megan all walk over to their family who are all standing together.

They're immediately pulled into hugs and congratulated.

Noah walks over to Mila and hugs her before holding his hand out, Nevaeh's diploma in his grasp.

"My diploma!" Nevaeh shouts before trying to snatch it out of Noah's hand, only for her hand to phase through both the diploma and Noah's hand. "Dammit, I forgot I can't touch them or anything they're holding...and that they can't hear or see me."

Mila looks up at him with a confused look.

"Take it." Noah tells his first and only love's aunt.

"But they gave it to you." Mila argues.

Noah shrugs. "I want you to have it."

"I want you to have it." Mila refuses to take it. "They presented it to you."

Noah grabs Mila's hand gently and places the diploma in it. "I know you thought of Carter as a daughter, and I know she thought of you as a mother. You should have it."

Mila smiles softly, taking it and hugging Noah once more.

"Thank you." She whispers before pulling away.

"Well, I guess I'll have to go to New Zealand more often so I can stare at my diploma." Nevaeh shrugs.

The four out of the Foolish Five group up again.

"Celebratory ice cream?" Max grins widely at his friends.

"Hell yeah!" Nevaeh cheers.

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"Of course."

"We'll see you four back at Tanya's house afterwards." Mila tells them, making them nod.

*~*

"Last time Noah was here, Nevaeh almost ripped Hazel's big, fat head off." Max realises. "And Noah dumped Hazel's sorry ass."

"Last time we were here was a few weeks after that." Megan explains, eating her Mango ice cream. "After that horrible camping trip."

"Last time I was here, it was on a date with Joey." Dylan tells his friends, licking his birthday cake ice cream. "And that was in senior year of high school."

"Okay, we obviously haven't been here in a while." Noah says, eating his vanilla ice cream in a cup. "A long while."

"Vanilla ice cream in a cup." Nevaeh observes, a smile on her face as she sits between Noah and Dylan. "Still the same basic bitch, huh, Pebble?"

"You know," Max starts, licking his mint chocolate chip ice cream. "We never got to see Nevaeh versus Hazel."

Nevaeh's eyes widen before she pouts. "Damn, I never kicked that little troll's ass before I left."

"Wow, I forgot about that." Dylan's eyebrows shoot up. "How the hell did I forget about that?"

"We all know how it would've ended." Noah eats a spoon of his ice cream. "Hazel splattered on the ground with her hair extensions shoved down her throat."

"You're damn right that's how it would've ended." Nevaeh smiles proudly.

"I would've loved to see that." Megan mumbles, finishing her ice cream.

"Don't worry, babe." Max throws an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "We still got to see you punch her in the face."

"That was a damn good punch." Nevaeh laughs. "I wish I could high five you, Meg."

They all finish they're ice cream and talk for a couple more minutes.

"You guys ready to go?" Max questions, pulling out the keys to Stella.

Everyone agrees and they get out of the booth, heading to the door.

Max pushes the pull door and smacks right into it.

Nevaeh face palms. "Max, you're the reason this country has to put directions on shampoo."

"Dude, you have to pull." Dylan tells him, making Noah and Megan chuckle slightly and Max to throw him a glare.

"Yeah, nah, his next plan was to start lifting from the bottom." Nevaeh drones sarcastically.

"Oh, really?" Max lets out a sarcastic laugh and rolls his eyes. "I was just going to keep pushing it until it magically opened. I think I know I'm supposed to pull."

"You obviously didn't when you smacked right into the door." Noah states, making Dylan and Megan laugh.

*~*

Noah, Max and Dylan all stumble into their dorm with boxes.

After an eventful celebration the night before, they had all crashed at the King residence for the night.

And now here they are, at seven on a Saturday morning, to pack all their things and move them to their new apartment, which Noah, Max, Dylan and Megan are all going to move in to together.

Nevaeh appears in her old dorm and sits on Megan's bed, watching Megan walk back and forth around the room, packing all her things as she hums the lyrics to Let Her Go.

All of Nevaeh's things had been packed when she passed and shared between Noah, Max, Dylan and Megan, but most of it went to Mila, which she took back to New Zealand.

And the Carter twins' hoodies?

Well, Mila had gotten Heaven's hoodie, which Nevaeh had, but Mila insisted Noah have Nevaeh's hoodie.

Megan hadn't gotten another roommate after Nevaeh, which Megan was thankful for. She didn't want anyone else sleeping in Nevaeh's room.

Megan finishes packing everything and stands in the middle of her room with her hands on her hips. "What am I forgetting?"

"How to Kill a Mockingbird." Nevaeh says. "You know, your favourite book?"

"How to Kill a Mockingbird!" Megan snaps her fingers before running into the living room to retrieve said book.

"Glad to help." Nevaeh smiles brightly. "Bye, Meg, I'm going to go see how our dumbass boys are going with their packing."

*~*

Nevaeh appears in Dylan's room first, seeing him with almost everything packed, just a few Calculus text books lying on his desk from his years at university. No doubt everything had just been thrown in random boxes and his clothes lazily folded in his suitcase.

"He's definitely not taking those." Nevaeh shakes her head knowingly, looking at the text books.

"I'm definitely not taking these." Dylan exclaims to himself as he picks them up, opens his window and drops them in the large orange recycling bin twelve floors down.

Nevaeh laughs before walking over to Max's room and sitting at his desk chair.

She watches in amusement as he struggles to close his suitcase.

"Come on, you bitchass suitcase!" He yells before sitting on top of it and trying to close it.

"You should probably fold your clothes instead of just throwing them in there." Nevaeh chuckles, shaking her head.

Max sighs, giving up. "I should probably fold everything instead of just throwing them in there."

He huffs as he pulls everything out and starts folding.

Nevaeh laughs and walks out, making her way over to Noah's room.

Unlike Max and Dylan, Noah has labelled all his boxes and organised them neatly.

Nevaeh looks at all the boxes.

"Carter's shit." She chuckles at the last box. "Only you, Pebble. Only you."

Nevaeh sits on Noah's bed and watches as he pulls everything out of the bottom left drawer of his desk, neatly organising it into the last box.

He packs everything and tape the box up before double checking the drawer to see if he forgot anything and sees an envelope with his name scrawled neatly on the front.

He hadn't seen that letter since the first and last time he read it.

He bites his lip as he sits down at his desk and grabs the envelope, shutting the drawer and pulling the letter out of the envelope carefully.

He unfolds it and starts reading, his eyes focusing on each word.

Nevaeh stands behind him and reads over his shoulder.

"I remember writing that." She laughs softly. "I had no idea what the fuck I was writing, so I just wrote whatever came to mind."

"I bet she didn't know what she was writing when she wrote this." Noah mumbles to himself as he finishes reading the letter, chuckling as he puts it back in the envelope.

"You know me too well." Nevaeh smiles.

He walks over to the box labelled 'Carter's Shit' and pulls a photo album out, carefully placing the letter inside before putting the album back in the box and taping it shut.

He sits back down at his desk and stares out the window, feeling as if he's forgetting something.

Nevaeh looks around the room before her eyes focus on something sitting on the shelf of this closet, folded in plastic.

She smiles slightly, deciding to make yet another sarcastic remark. "This boy really protected my hoodie from the big, bad dust bunnies."

She picks it up, careful not to make any noise and places it gently on his bed.

"Carter's hoodie!" Noah shouts, abruptly standing up, nearly knocking the chair over as he stumbles over to his closet, only to find the hoodie not there. "Fuck, shit, fuck. Where the fuck is it?!"

He slams his closet door shut and turns around, only to spot the hoodie sitting on his bed, making him let out a sigh of relief.

Nevaeh kisses his cheek, which he of course, didn't feel. "Couldn't let you forget my hoodie, Pebble."

*~*

Max parks the moving truck outside of the apartment complex and hops out along with Megan, Noah pulling up in the jeep a few seconds after him with Dylan.

They grab their backpacks before getting their keys from reception and making their way up to apartment 5B.

Noah unlocks the door and pushes it open. The four of them walk inside immediately.

"I'm glad we decorated this place before we moved in." Megan sighs out.

"Yeah, saved us a lot of trouble." Dylan agrees.

"So who gets what room?" Max asks after a few seconds and they all look at each other.

Nevaeh appears next to Noah. "Call the biggest bedroom, you idiot."

"I dibs the biggest bedroom!" Noah shouts as he runs towards the stairs.

"What? No!" Max starts running after him. "Megan and I are sharing! We should have the biggest room!"

"Chris is going to be over a lot!" Dylan runs to follow them up the stairs. "It's two guys! I should have the biggest bedroom!"

"Exactly! Both of you are in relationships!" Noah exclaims. "I'm single and lonely forever! The single and lonely forever guy should get the biggest room!"

"You're not single and lonely forever, dude." Nevaeh shakes her head slightly. "I'm always with you."

"Boys." Megan rolls her eyes. "If only Vaeh were here to kick their butts."

"If only." Nevaeh agrees, walking next to Megan who starts making her way upstairs.

They get up there just in time to see Noah throw his bag into the room at the end of the hall and dive in after it.

"No!" Max shouts dramatically.

"My bag was in here first, so I get the biggest room." Noah pokes his tongue out.

"Dammit." Dylan mumbles, pouting slightly.

Dylan and Max both split and walk in a room on either side of Noah's, leaving a spare one for whenever someone came to visit.

"Good job, Noah." Nevaeh laughs at his childish antics.

Nevaeh spends the next three hours watching her friends bring their things inside and unpack.

Finally, after finishing, they all meet up in the living room.

They look towards the empty yellow wall, opposite the T.V.

"Where's the photo?" Megan asks.

Nevaeh furrows her eyebrows. "What photo?"

"It's in the jeep." Max assures her. "I'll go get it."

He grabs his keys and walks to the door.

"I'll go with him." Dylan rushes after his friend. "I don't trust him to not smash it into a wall or something."

Noah and Megan patiently wait for them.

"She'd like how this place turned out." Megan mutters as she looks around at their new apartment.

"She would." Noah agrees, looking at the nice yellow walls.

A few minutes later, Max and Dylan walk into the apartment, Dylan carrying the photo.

Megan takes it out to the black protective bag to reveal a large, Polaroid-style, framed picture of Nevaeh.

Max, Dylan and Megan all look at Noah expectantly.

He picks up the photo carefully and places it on the wall.

The photo was taken by Max, who is a surprisingly good photographer. It was taken when she first returned back to America and she looked healthy and like nothing was wrong. She was wearing her hoodie with the hood up, but it wasn't covering her face, it was over her head and you could still see her shoulder length hair. She was smiling brightly at the camera, her dimples popping and her bright blue eyes shining as she sat in the middle of a field of sunflowers.

The bottom of the picture has a caption printed on it, looking like someone had written on an actual Polaroid.

Nevaeh Aroha Carter
'The Girl in the Hoodie'

Max, Dylan and Megan all gather around the photo, staring at it for a minute before going off to do other things.

Noah stays, staring up at the photo. "I love you, Carter."

Nevaeh looks at the photo before looking at Noah and smiling softly, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I love you, Pebble."

"Vaeh!"

Nevaeh turns around and sees Lucy running up to her.

"Come on," Heaven starts, following slowly behind Lucy. "It's time for our graduation."

Nevaeh nods and walks over to Noah, pecking his lips. "See you later, Pebble."

Noah touches his lips when he feels something softy brush against them.

He furrows his eyebrows before brushing it off. "See you later, Carter."

*~*

Kia Ora, guysss!

Okay, so I'm highkey proud of myself because this chapter is 4185 words long and I sat in my room all day writing it.

And I lowkey got the idea for the Senior Scribe from Teen Wolf BAHA.

Also, don't delete this book from your library just yet. It's still not completed. *WiNk WoNk*

Ignore my weirdness.

-Lee🦄