I entered the cafeteria and made my way toward our usual table, in the corner, near the big windows facing the garden. I noticed that most of the cafeteria was empty, just two-three more students at different tables, sitting alone and finishing their lunch. It reminded me of myself, a couple of years ago.

I smiled as my gaze landed on my friends seated around the big round table and chatting away, laughing at times. My eyes searched the table for Ned, but he wasn't to be seen anywhere. I thought, maybe his teacher had kept him in for some extra work or something, and grabbing my tray on the way, I arrived at our table.

"Hey, Ash!"

"Hi, Ashlee!!"

"Hey, come on, we were just talking about you!"

Everyone bombarded me with greetings and questions as soon as they saw me.

"Ashlee, have you seen Ned today? Neither of us did, and we're wondering if the Earth swallowed him up this morning," Raquelle suggested.

I laughed. "Well, no, I haven't...but I was hoping one of you may have."

"Oh, forget him; he must surely be loitering around somewhere with his books." Evan stated.

We're in Senior Year now, and school's just about to end. Everyone's busy in their preparations for the Finals, though we still find time, at least during recess, to hang out with each other.

I seriously wonder what's wrong with him...he's been acting so strange all this week.

With these thoughts occupying my mind, I sat down and absently picked at my lunch-noodles and fried vegetable balls. No doubt it was delicious, but I wasn't paying much attention to the food just then.

A few minutes later, Raquelle's phone beeped. She put down her burger and checked her cell, then tapped some keys on the screen and put it back inside the pocket of her jeans.

A few more beeps sounded around the table.

She stood up. "Guys, I'm going to check out some books in the library that I needed for a project. It's really urgent, and I'm glad I remembered it now. Anyone coming with me? I'll just be a few minutes."

Jeff offered to accompany her, and Robert and Jack got up too.

I shrugged when Raquelle looked at me.

"Fine, see you, people!" And with this, she hopped out, the boys following her.

Now only Jade, Evan and I were left. We continued eating our food but all of a sudden, Jade's cell started ringing. "Excuse me, guys," she said and picking it up, stood up and moved away from the table, turning her back to us.

About a minute later, she returned and said, "Sorry guys, but I need to immediately go to the Office, my aunt has come and she's asking for me, I don't know why. I hope nothing's terrible happened..." As she said this, I noticed her expression, which was as if she was biting the inside of her cheek.

"I'll come with you," Evan declared and got up.

"I'm coming as well," I stated, and got up too.

"No, Ashlee, you stay here. Get something to eat before class starts, you seem hungry. I'll be back soon, and Evan's with me, alright?" That was true, indeed. I hadn't had breakfast that morning and was really starving, but still, I didn't feel like eating.

"No, it's alright..."

"No, you're staying here, okay?" Jade interrupted, once more adopting her serious attitude, and I was taken aback. "Fine! I'll stay." I threw my hands up in mock surrender, and sat back down.

So Jade and Evan left too. Now I was alone at our big table, and I was in no mood to complete my lunch, so I just sat there and stared out the window, to the garden. By now, the cafeteria was completely empty.

Why did everyone leave all of a sudden? This is suspicious. And Jade...she wasn't telling the truth...the way she bit the insides of her cheek, the way she always does when she's nervous or trying to lie(though she's always failed at it!)...no, something's wrong. I need to find out what's happening.

Thinking this, I stood up and was just about to walk to the door of the cafe when suddenly all lights in the room turned off. I frowned, and for a second started panicking what could have caused this? We've never had a complete blackout in this school...

Just then, a white spotlight shone down on me. I gasped and stepped back, squinting in the shine, but out of the blue, a song started playing somewhere inside the room. It was "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran, my current favourite song.

Now another spotlight shone down, a few feet across from me, and lit up Ned's face. I was overjoyed to see him! I grinned and stepped closer to him as he did the same. God!! The scene was such a cliche, I wanted to laugh out loud; but as cliche as it was, it still felt magical, enchanting, as if I were in a dream. Such a cliche line, right? But seriously, it felt like the best description of the feeling I couldn't put into words.

When we were an arm's length apart, Ned came forward and held both of my hands in his. He spoke, "Ashlee, I want to gift you something."

"It isn't my birthday today, Ned," I said, still smiling.

"Well, we don't require a special occasion to gift someone special, something special. And isn't every day of life an occasion, an opportunity to live life to the fullest?" He said, winking. He'd just quoted something I once said to him on a rainy day, with a cup of coffee in our hands, before we'd gone and wet ourselves to the skin in the pouring downfall.

"Alright! So, what is all this drama for? I'm dying to know, tell me quick!" I rolled my eyes and teased him.

He cleared his throat and spoke again, a bit nervous this time, "You always wanted to go to Paris and explore the rest of Europe, right?"

My heart beat fast. I was sensing what was going to happen next."Yes," I managed to whisper.

"So, I asked our parents about it, and our friends, too. They all agreed and said it was a great idea, so I went on and made all the necessary arrangements. I just wanted to ask you, will you come with me to Europe as soon as Senior Year ends? Or, if you feel like, I could also ask Raquelle, Jade, and the others to accompany us on the trip. I mean, we..."

"Ned, I love you!!" I threw my arms around him and kissed his cheek before withdrawing. "Of course YES!!!! But there's one condition."

"W-what?" His face was red, and I couldn't help but laugh at his nervousness.

"Only the two of us will go. And, after we land, it has to be a road trip."

"Anything for you," he said with a goofy grin, and kissed me back on the cheek.

Okay, so, well. It was my turn to blush an alarming shade of red!

As suddenly as they went off, the lights turned on. The music was still playing in the background, and I stood beside Ned as our friends came in through the door of the cafeteria, hooting and cheering for us, as if we'd just won a soccer game!

***

Today as Megan, Jordan and I were dusting the attic, my children found an old diary in a dust-covered chest. I asked them to hand it over to me, and as I began leafing through the pages, a few pictures fell out from in between the pages and my adopted little ones excitedly picked them up and looked with wonder at the photographs.

"Mom! Isn't that you?" Jordan, my seven-year-old adopted son asked, looking at a pic of the Eiffel Tower with Ned and me in it.

"Yeah, and look! There's Daddy!" Meg, my ten-year-old adopted daughter, cried out. "Let's show him, come on!"

"Wait, my dears! Your dad's reading downstairs, don't disturb him, we'll show him at dinner-time, alright?"

"Mom, we also want to go there! Do take us to Paris! Please?" Meg asked, and Jordan nodded in approval. I laughed seeing their innocent, hopeful faces, and said,"Okay, we'll all go. Tell your Daddy and I'm sure he'll not be able to refuse you two." I smiled and bent down to kiss them both on their foreheads. The next moment, the two were running at full speed down the stairs to break the news to their father.

I shook my head from side to side, and smiling, sat down on an old chair to finish reading my old journal, the same one in which I'd written accounts of our travel to Europe, after our last year of school.

§

That's it. Finally, the Epilogue as well! :D

Hope to see you all in a couple of months with a new book, co-written by me. ^_^

Sorry for the long wait for the Epilogue! But hope you did like it. ;)

Goodbye for now! :)

◘