Chapter 48

The shrill of classmates and friends cheering one another on, forgetting all the he-said-she-said drama, broken hearts and hurt feelings of the past. Us teenage girls, teetering on our high heels, teetering into adulthood. All the gradation balloons and gushy congratulations cards. The pride, joy, relief, and hope in each of the tears shed by moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, siblings, and all the town alike. And the celebration of what it took to get there.

Those are some of the many of things I look forward to experiencing.

Today.

Today is the final day.

And as soon as we all throw our caps up into the air our futures begin.

"Kitten, your high heels are on the bottom shelf downstairs by the door." Spencer replies to my earlier yelling.

"Thanks!" I yell back from by the door, my voice carrying upstairs to where Spencer is still getting ready.

But it's not like he takes longer than me. It's actually the opposite. I just started getting ready way before he did. He wanted to finish watching another episode of Quantico.

"Make sure you don't fall off the stage to your doom in those heels."

A voice from behind me says as I turn back around once I finish putting on the slick black heels.

"Don't worry, I've been having to wear heels a lot lately." I grumble to my brother. "I'm getting used to them."

"Well that's good, because be prepared to wear those things even more once you become a doctor. You're gonna have to dress all fancy." Nathan grins as he places his arm up on my shoulder, as if using me as an arm rest.

"Ugh don't remind me." I frown, but then shrug. "Maybe I'll become a doctor at a clinic or hospital that has lazy Fridays?"

"Lazy Fridays need to become a thing at NYU too." Spencer joins in on the conversation as he walks down the stairs of his house. My eyes roamed his body, and let's just say ladies and gentlemen, Spencer Gold has a beautiful body.

I smile up at him. "It really took you five minutes to make your hair even more messy?"

"What? Are you kidding me? I was trying to make it look somewhat decent." Spencer is about to run back upstairs to fix it when he gets stopped.

"Bro, relax your girl is just messing with you." Sean rolls his eyes as he walks into the room from the kitchen.

  I laugh when Spencer shakes his head and me and gives me a dirty look before turning it into a smile.

"What are four just hanging around for? We have to leave now!" Mrs. Gold rushes into the room with Mr. Gold trailing behind her. "Sam! Lily!"

The two of them run into the room, putting on their shoes right away.

"Seriously, why can't you all be like them!" Mrs. Gold sighs, looking back  and forth between Spencer, Sean, Nathan, and I.

"I'm already Ruby, I'm just waiting for your insufferable son to stop worrying about his hair so that we can go." I place a hand on my hip, looking at Spencer who is trying to fix his hair in the mirror in the living room.

"Coming kitten." Spencer says as he grabs the piece of paper he wrote his speech on as he walks back over to me. He pauses to look at me. "And the only reason I'm insufferable is because you made me into some freak who cares about time, school, and somehow managed to get a scholarship."

I roll my eyes but smile proudly at him. And the smile said it all. You did it all on your own Spence.

"Okay we will be right behind you in our car." Mr. Gold states as Spencer and I walk out the door hand in hand, looking back at them.

  Spencer and I get into his car. On the way to graduation. On the way to our future. We sit in silence for only a few seconds, which even then is odd because one of us always has something to say to each other.

It's because we both know this day is the game changer.

"Is it weird that I'm not nervous?" Spencer asks as he looks ahead at the road, his hands firmly holding the steering wheel.

"No, not really. And from the looks of it the only thing you are nervous about here is how your hair looks." I make him crack a smile as I make my own smile. The only difference is that mine is filled with nervousness.

"True." He admits. "But I also don't really know if I'm ready for my speech."

I make a small laugh. "Trust me babe. I read it over, and it's amazing."

"Are you sure? Because I feel like it's too boring, I don't want our classmates to fall asleep during my speech." Spencer's eyes flicker over to me for a second as I caress his free hand as it sits on top of mine.

"Trust me again. This is the last time I'm gonna say this, it's perfect and amazing." I give him a serious look before turning my head to see out the window.

Comfortable silence dawns upon us for a few moments before Spencer is the first one to break it.

"You should've gotten valedictorian."

My eyes widen as I look at him and scoff. "Please, I've been here for only one year. Not to mention the only extracurricular activities I've done are play on the soccer team, tutored one student for like a week, and participate a little bit on the debate team. And that's just because Emma drags me over there all the time because I was on the debate team back in Madison."

"That last one might be slightly true." Spencer chuckles before continuing. "But it's also because you are hands down the top student in our class. And because you are generous, kind, helpful, supportive, and protective of every single person in the entire school. Hell, you've forgiven the people who have caused you the most trouble and pain since you stepped foot in NorthWood High."

"Being Valedictorian isn't just about being the smartest in the class, or being nice and forgiving. It's about what you've done for the school, and I haven't done much. April has done more things than anyone can count, and she's smart. She also can be very kind, minus when Prom is happening, but that's just because she was stressed and under a ton of pressure."

"Okay, okay, I see your point. You're too smart for your own good." Spencer sighs. "But in my heart and mind you are the Valedictorian."

I smile and shake my head at his response. "Couldn't go through this day without making one cheesy remark could ya?"

He grins as he looks out the front window, not even watching as he lifts my hand up to his lips.

Within another minute we arrive at NorthWood High. For the last time ever.

"I remember the first day I sat here in the parking lot of this school." I say to Spencer as I stare out at the school from the car.

I feel his eyes flickering to the side of my face, waiting for me to pour out my first thoughts.

"The first day of school I didn't have enough time to take it all in." I pause, looking at the front of school still, as we sit parked in a spot, maybe the same spot I parked in my first day. "I was running late, slept in, some things never change. Like this school. Sure the people inside have changed, but the school itself hasn't. I slowly took in all its beauty, the outdoor oasis feel it gives with all the trees and floors. The homey feel it gave the moment I speed walked to the front office when I met the extremely kind secretary."

"And now I'm here with you. Taking in all of its beauty, or whatever." He smiles as I hit him in the chest. "But now we are also leaving it all. Moving on with our lives."

"Then let's go move on with our lives." I begin, saying our signature let's go.....

"Let's go move on with our lives." At first I think Spencer finished, but he speaks again. "But let's go graduate first."

I grin a huge grin as we hold up our interlocked hands. "Let's go graduate first."

We walk out of his car and over to wear we see the many other students in our red cape and gowns, just outside of the school. We each hold our speeches in our one hand, and each other's hand in the other.

"Well aren't you two just adorable."

A joking voice laughs from behind us.

"We are all dressed the same, doesn't that make you adorable too Parker?" I counter, looking at him and his excited grin.

"I'm not going to argue with being called adorable." Parker shrugs as he fiddles with the gold tassel of his cap.

"Hey! Babe you are supposed to keep the tassel on the right side!" Emma comes to the rescue as she lightly slaps his hands away from his tassel.

"Yea Parker listen to Emma." Spencer taunts his best friend, his signature smirk plastered on his face.

"Oh I'm pretty sure you had troubles with your tassel too, unless Jess helped you." Parker counters jokingly.

"Anyways...." Spencer clears his throat, making us all laugh.

"Hey bitches."

  I roll my eyes as Nova walks over to us causally, as if the most relaxed person in the world. She doesn't even care if she has to pay us a dollar for swearing. She just cares about getting out of this 'place worse than prison'. She's never even been to prison.

"You are lucky neither of us brought the swear sock again." Emma gives her a pointed look as Nova stands in an open spot of our circle.

"And you're lucky I didn't come here in just a cap and gown like I said I would..... If you know what I mean." Nova cheekily grins.

"Has anyone seen Dominic? He is supposed to be helping us set up microphones and I'm supposed to be going over my speech."

"Nope, sorry Brian, but if it makes you feel any better Spencer and I aren't practicing our speeches right now." I shrug and give him an encouraging smile.

"Yea, instead we are talking about how your girlfriend was about to come here today wearing nothing under her gown." Spencer wraps an arm around my shoulder as he looks at Brian who is standing beside Nova in the last empty spot of our circle.

"You don't seemed so surprised....." Parker trails off, noticing Brian's lack of shock, and instead he is too busy reading over his speech from his paper.

Brian looks up from his speech and stops muttering to himself. "Oh, well who do you think was the one who convinced Nova to actually wear clothes underneath?"

"Ohhhhh." We all drag out as we nod our heads in understanding.

"Would you all stop talking about me like I'm not right here listening?" Nova sassily says as she puts a hand on her hip.

"Sorry!" We all say in unison again.

Brian goes back to reviewing his speech as we all look around at the other students.

  I watch as many groups of girls all huddle together and cry. I watch as many groups of guys do the opposite and high five each other and grin.

Here we are. Right in the middle.

Three girls, three guys.

So what do we do?

"Oh Brian....." Emma wails as she wraps her arms around him, practically squeezing him to death.

Brian's eyes widen as he rushes to save his speech from also being squeezed to death.

"I'll miss you Brian." Emma cries out and I see her eyes fill with tears.

"I'll miss you too Emma." He says his voice beginning to collapse and I swear he is beginning to turn blue.

Emma lets go of him giving him a sheepish look as he gasps for air.

"I'll miss all of you." Brian begins as he looks around the group, his eyes ending on Nova. Then he turns back to the rest of us as we all smile at him. "You have all been the greatest friends a nerdy, shy guy has ever had. I came into this group feeling completely out of place, I admit. But as I got to know you all better I learned I could never be out of place in this group, no one can. And that's because we are all so different in this group."

We all look around at each other.

"I'm the techy, nerdy guy who just so happened to meet Jess and Spencer at the beginning of the year as I tried out for the soccer team." Brian pauses as he smiles at Spencer and I. "Jess was nice right from the start, Spencer on the other hand...."

"Yea, sorry about that, I was acting like a jealous boyfriend even though Jess and I weren't even close to dating yet." Spencer pipes up, shaking his head as if embarrassed by himself.

  My eyes flicker up at him before I kiss him softly on the cheek. Things sure have changed from that chilly fall day.

"But as the year went on I somehow managed to bump into this one at a record store, and the rest was history." Brian grins at Nova, and I notice the tears streaming down her face.

And that's why she isn't wearing her usual thick black eyeliner and mascara.

She knew she was going to cry a lot, and that's saying something. She's Nova Brissa.

"I'm the gothic, crazy emo girl." Nova laughs as the tears continue to travel down her face. "I'm the girl no one wants to mess with, I'm the girl that apparently doesn't give a crap about what people think of me. But I'm also the girl who got her heart broken by a complete asshole. Yet somehow I managed to find the right guy. Even though the right guy just so happens to be going to a university 12 hours away."

My face is full of sadness as her voice breaks at the last sentence.

"I'm the perfect Georgia good girl." My shoulders lift up as I admit it. "I was the new girl in town, the crazy girl who somehow managed to make it onto an all boys team. But this Georgia peach wasn't so peachy perfect. She lost her parents, and almost lost herself forever. But then she met a guy. And then she met some pretty amazing people."

"I'm the mom friend." Emma grins and rolls her eyes, finally admitting it. "I make sure everyone is okay before I think of myself, and in the midst of it all I get rather crazy. I'm somewhat average, being reasonably quiet at sometimes and unreasonably loud at others. I'm a bookworm who fell for a jokester and has some pretty perfect friends. Even if they don't think so themselves."

I smile and look down as I feel her intense stare.

"I'm the jokester, which is why I guess I gotta make a joke." Parker pauses as he plays with the top of his gown. "Which school teaches you how to greet people?"

We all look around at each other in confusion, none of us knowing as Parker impatiently waits.

"Hi school." He grins and laughs. "But now we all get to say goodbye to school. High school at least, don't even get me started on University."

I smile as I rest my head on Spencer's side as he wraps his arm around my waist. I feel the tears appearing in my eyes. Again.

"So yea, I think that proves I'm the jokester." Parker claps his hands together, waiting for the last one of us to say who they are and have been in this different group.

"I'm the bad boy." Spencer looks down as if uncomfortable with coming to terms with who he is. "I'm the tough, silent guy. But don't get me wrong, I can laugh... Now. At the beginning of the year I had only one friend, I was mourning, and my way of mourning was drinking, going to parties, vandalizing properties, and dozens more things. But now I have four friends and the love of my life by my side."

I smile at him proudly, of how far he has come. Of how far all of us has come.

"And together we make an unstoppable team." Emma then pauses and makes a weirded out face. "Oh gosh that sounded like one of those cheesy superhero lines."

We all laugh and I quickly wipe the tears running down my face with the side of my hand.

"Well we are certainly an unstoppable team, and I hope we can still stay that unstoppable team." Nova looks around the group with a determined expression.

"Um hate to break it to you all, but I am going to be living approximately 785 miles away from you all." Brian looks around us all, his eyes filled with sadness and heartbreak. "If you did forget."

"Are you kidding Breakfast Club? I have no idea." I sarcastically say as I pretend to be shocked, but then I give him a serious look. "But have no fear, we have FaceTime, Skype, or whatever. Not to mention visiting you would give us all an accuse to fly together."

The saddened look in his eyes begins to fade away as we all smile happily at him, but all of us really will miss him.

"Promise something." Emma says, her clouded brown eyes moving around to each and everyone one of us. "We graduate together, we stay together."

"We graduate together, we stay together." Nova, Brian, Parker, Spencer, and I all repeat, our eyes all flickering around to each other.

"Let's hug!" Emma's cheering voice cracks ever so slightly as her eyes continue to pour out tears, but I watch as my strong best friend begins to put her arms around Parker and Nova.

"Ugh, I don't hug." Nova my other strong best friend denies, as if hugging ruins her perfect gothic, strong personality.

"Oh, get over yourself." Emma and I say in unison as Emma pulls Nova into the group hug.

And there, all very different friends, our arms wrapped around each other in one big group hug. The unstoppable team, a team that hopefully can't even be stopped out in the real world.

The real world where we have to pay rent or tuition, buy groceries for ourselves, buy our very excruciatingly expensive school textbooks, where people can be scary or sneaky. Even scarier and sneakier than Jace and Clarissa put together.

We all unwrap and break apart from the hug.

I'm oddly glad I'm not the only one crying in the group now.

Emma and Nova are also failing at staying tear free. Nova and I might've made a bet that Emma would cry the most, but I guess we were both wrong.

I look over to the boys to see the sad smiles on each of them.

"The Graduation ceremony will be started in approximately five minutes. Please be seated in your assigned seating students and soon to be graduates, and please find seating in the back family members and friends." Mr. Richards authoritative voice announces from the microphone stand at the front of the stage set up nearby.

"Well this is it." I take a deep breath as I look at my friends.

"This is it." Parker nods his head in agreement as we all start following the other students over to the hundreds of chairs set up in front of the stage out in the field near the school.

It just so happens to be the soccer field.

"Let's go graduate!" He then yells, his fist pumping up into the air, as he draws the attention of many students, family members, and friends.

I make a horrified look as some random grandma nearby gives us dirty looks, actually Parker dirty looks.

We all walk down the open walk way in between the two sides of chairs set up.

Parker, Nova, and Emma follow the many other students, as they go to their assigned seats based on alphabetical order. Meanwhile, Spencer, Brian, and I walk all the way to the front and up on to the stage by the stairs on the side, going to our own assigned seats seated on the stage. We sit down in our order along with the other few students who have gotten scholarships. And April nearby has her own very 'special' seat for valedictorian.

I sit with Brian on my right side and some random student on the other side. Then beside that random student, who's name is Axel Knight, is Claudia Davis. She just so happens to be the daughter of Mr. Davis, my English teacher. And then beside Claudia is three more students who have gotten an Academic Scholarship. Then there is a space between us and the five students who have gotten an Athletic Scholarship.

  Spencer sits with them, in the exact middle since his last name starts with a g, and since this is still in alphabetical order.

  After a few minutes of never racking silence and waiting the ceremony begins. But as I stared out at the crowd in front of me that anxiously waits with me, I try to name every single persons name. And I surprisingly know most of these students, yet there is still some students I can't recognize at all. But sure, that is understandable.

"The month of June is one of the most awaited months on the part of the pupils as well of course those parents who for their first time ever see their son or daughter be one of those members of the graduating class. And I'm fairly certain many of these students want me to get on with my speech, because the longer the time I stand here chatting up a storm the longer they have to wait to get their diplomas and get the heck out of here." Mr. Richards begins, pausing as many people in the audience laugh at the last part. They begin laughing even more when many of my fellow classmates begin nodding their heads in agreement. "So I'm going to get on with it then.... Today June 19th, 2017 marks the day of great strength, change, and is the day new beginnings start."

"Today I am proud to say that I have watched this group of wonderfully unique individuals prove their worth to become a member of this year's graduating batch. Today I am proud to say the class of 2016-2017 is one hundred percent capable of surviving out in the real world." Mr. Richards grins as he looks up again from his paper.

  He begins to say some more words, talking about the school board and it's workers, then Mrs. Brown the secretary says some words, talking about how we deserve this, and she wishes the best of us in the future. The guidance counsellors say some more words as well, one even joked that if we need help any time in the future to give her a call.

"I would now like to call up our scholarship students, who have accomplished great things already, in hopes that they can give their own thoughts today." Mr. Richards begins, looking over at us twelve students still seated beside him. "So I would like to bring forth our Academic Scholarship students first, followed by our Athletic Scholarship students."

I watch and give Brian an encouraging from where I sit beside him as he stands up, his speech folded in his hands, as Mr. Richards walks away from the microphone stand and back down to his own seat.

"My name is Brian Morrison. I am one of the outstandingly lucky students here who has received a scholarship from an university. I was accepted into the University of Chicago. I know, that's exceptionally far away from here. Eberly, New York. But there is students here that are going to be moving across the country, also hoping for a fresh new start. There are some students staying close, hoping for that brand new beginning too. No matter where we are going we are going to get a new beginning, whether we like it or not. And when we do get that new beginning, we get the honour of saying that we graduated from NorthWood High. Each and everyone one of us, for the rest of their life, gets to say that they were a part of the graduating class of 2016-2017."

Many of the guys hoot, cheering with excitement at the last line.

  Brian then continues, and no one can hear any nervousness in his voice whatsoever. "Each and everyone one of us has participated in the help of making this school what it is today. Some parts small, and some parts larger than others. But all in all, we have made this school a sensational place to spend four years of students lives, am I right?"

"Yea!" Dozens of students answer, including me from where I sit near the microphone stand.

I smile at him proudly, but then I remember......

I'm next.

"And since I'm not the only student that gets to stand up here today and talk, I will wrap it up soon, but not just yet." He smiles, being a total natural up there.

Yet something just earlier he was freaking out, almost having a complete panic attack.

"I am one of the guys at this school that you don't notice right away, you may see me in the hallways, but you might've brushed passed me as if I was invisible. But I'm so much more than an invisible person. So are all of you. Sometime in your life you might feel invisible, or already have felt invisible, but mark my words. You won't be invisible forever. You will get to show your true self, your talents, your spirit and personality. But some of us will have to face more struggles to get there. To success. But my last words are, don't give up, you didn't give up in the four years of high school, so don't give up now." Brian stops, finishing his speech and walking away from the microphone stage, taking his paper with him.

  I nervously watch as he sits down beside, until I confidently stand up and walk over to the microphone stand myself.

"My name is Jessica Michaels." I say before unfolding my paper, but then I unfold my paper, looking at it for not even a second. Then I look back up and face the hundreds of students and audience members. "I have received an Academic Scholarship to New York University. I was also one of the many new students we came to this school this year.  Oh, but don't worry, I wasn't a freshmen and skipped through all those grades in ten months. I'm not that smart, just moderately short that's all."

I crack another grin as some of the parents and teachers chuckle.

"But I didn't expect to be standing up here today. I get the privilege of talking to all my fellow classmates. My fellow graduates soon. And I get to talk about anything. But I'm going to talk about our futures. Yet, you can't magically get to the future without somehow going through the past and present, can you?"

"No." The hundreds of people chorus.

"That's right, so first is the past. Everyone's is different. But here's mine." I take a deep breath before saying the words that have been bubbled up in me. "I had the perfect childhood, until it all came crashing, literally. My parent died more than thirteen months ago, so if you are all wondering, I moved here to get away from it all. And here I did get away from it all, away from the haunted memories of the small town in Georgia my parents raised me in. For some reason I was granted a new beginning. So here I stand in the present. And things are pretty great. I've made friends here, enemies even but thankfully turned friends."

  I at first ignored the whispering of students in the crowd as I say my parents died, but I pause and laugh with everyone at the last sentence.

I have made enemies here, but that didn't stop me from befriending them in the end.

"But even though my life here in Eberly is great, I have to get to my future soon. Like the rest of you." My eyes flicker around my many classmates and friends seated in front of me. "And even though we are all rushing to get the heck out of here and get on with our lives, I have to tell you this one last piece of advice. Don't forget your past. I will never forget my parents and what happened. I will keep them in my heart forever. But I will also never forget what happened here. I will never forget my past, and that is what will help me in my future. In my future I see myself with a family, with the love of my life, and with my dream job of a doctor. And I can see you all today, I'm looking at the future teachers, nurses, lawyers, artists. But the only way you can see that is by never forgetting who you were before that future began."

I pause for a few more seconds. "Good luck in your future everyone."

I smile to myself as I take my sheet off the stand, and walk back to my seat.

"You were barely even looking at your speech." Brian whispers to me from beside me as people continue to clap.

"I know." Is all I whisper back.

It took a lot out of me to say those things.

To tell hundreds of people my parents are dead.

To tell all the students I know that my parents are dead.

  After I sit down Axel Knight then goes to say his speech, followed by the rest of the students that have received an Academic Scholarship. Then the Athletic Scholarship students begin.

  And even though there is twelve of us that have gotten scholarships and are saying speeches all around the same length, we all managed to have written completely different speeches. Because we are all very different people in this world.

After the two students before him say their speeches, it's Spencer's turn.

I watch as he walks past me, sending me a quick smile, but I can even see that he is nervous. And that doesn't happen often.

"I'm Spencer Gold." Spencer begins, looking up at all the people in front of us. "And I'm pretty sure most of you know who I am, or have heard of me. I'm even talking to you parents, siblings, and family members. I've been known for doing some pretty bad things last year. Things I don't want to talk about. And you are all probably wondering what the towns local bad boy is doing up on a stage full of accomplished, perfect students. I'm wondering that myself too."

I watch, my heart rapidly beating, as he stops for a second as if unsure.

"So I've received an Athletic Scholarship to New York University. Now that is one of the most well known, impeccable universities in this entire state. And you are also probably all wondering how on earth I have even gotten accepted in, much less gotten a scholarship. Well, let me take you in on the adventures of my life in the past year."

My eyes stare intensely at him as he does the unbelievable.

  Spencer folds up the piece of paper in which his speech is on, and stuffs it in the pocket of his pants.

"My world was flipped and turned upside down in only one night. The night my twin brother Sebastien Gold died. November 10th, 2015." Spencer takes a painful, unsteady breath. "When I lost my brother I lost my everything. But then one day my everything came back. My world was flipped back up. It was the day I met Jessica Michaels."

  I begin to feel many of the students, teachers, and audience members stare at me. And even if they didn't know me before or who Jessica Michaels is, they do now. And they are all staring at me because I said my name earlier. But I keep my eyes on Spencer.

"It was as if she was an angel sent to me to save me. She saved me from myself. Kitten, as what I call her, has said countless times before that I saved her as well. But if was as if everything came back to me the minute she stopped laughing her beautiful laugh and turned around and glared at me, that I was shaken up out of my slump. And from there the rest is history. We now have the most wonderful friends in the entire galaxy. We have the best families ever, shoutout to you guys!"

I am unable to hold in my laughter as I see the Gold family in the crowd. I watch as Mrs. Gold jumps up with her mother Minnie by her side as they both wave at Spencer. Sean doesn't wave at all, but he does something even better.

He dabs.

  I oddly feel embarrassed as the students, teachers, and everyone in the audience burst into laughter at the family. 

"But in all serious there is a reason I'm saying this all." Spencer pauses, waiting for the crowd to settle down. "The reason is I'm here to prove something to evade and everyone of you. You will all be faced with something like I have. Something that will bring you down. But your choice is simple. You either pick yourself up slowly, or you get lucky and have someone magically pull you out of that slump. And let me tell, my kitten only comes around once in a lifetime. So your only choice is to pick yourself up. There is no time for collapsing in anyone's lifetime. So as soon as you feel yourself falling, pick yourself back up. Show the world what you can really do."

  I lovingly grin at him as he walks away from the microphone stand, leaving the crowd practically clapping their hands off.

"I love you." I mouth to Spencer as he looks at me.

"I love you too." He mouthes back.

He then sits back down, letting the next person say their speech. But no one can top that.

Spencer said everything so perfectly, pouring out his heart and mind to the hundreds of people today. He didn't even say his real speech.

  His real speech was much more like the rest of them. Spencer did write about our soccer tournament adventures, but I'm glad he didn't say it. This was so much better.

The next two Athletic Scholarship students finishing their speeches.

Mr. Richards talks some more, before introducing April.

April says her own speech, talking about how this school has forever changed her, how she's so thankful and everything.

Regular Valedictorian Speech.

"It is now time." Mr Richards begins. All of us students at the front, including April, go to stand at our assigned spots in the crowd. "I have the honour to present to you the candidates of graduation of NorthWood High this school year, 2016-2017, composed of 98 men and 95 women, with a total of 193. We will now be calling up the names in alphabetical order of last name."

  Mrs. Brown now stands at the microphone, taking his place as he now stands at the middle of the stage with the diplomas and the plaques.

"Jennifer Adams." She says.

We all cheer as a red headed girl walks onto the stage and receives her diploma and stuff.

"James Allen."

The names continue, and I cheer loudly at the sound of the next name.

"Parker Barran."

Brian who is one person over from me also cheers loudly as Parker walks up to the stage.

I laugh my head off when he does a little head bow to Mr. Richards as if our principal in a priest or something. With his hands lined up together. He then takes his diploma and walks off the stage. Well, I should say he skips off the stage.

After two more people I hear the name of another special person.

"Nova Brissa."

  I laugh again when by the way she walks. I can tell she is on cloud nine as she walks, pretending to be a supermodel at a fashion show.

"Bye bitches!" I hear her yell as she is just about to get off the stage. I laugh as many of the audience members gasp.

About a dozen names later a familiar faces walks onto the stage.

"Jace Everwood."

I politely clap, a smile on my face when I see how happy he looks.

The happiness I can see in Jace's icy blue eyes all the way from more than twenty metres away.

"Emma Foster." Mrs. Brown announces the next name.

That means she must've been sitting beside him the whole time.

  But it is clear she didn't care, since Emma practically skips onto the stage, with the most excited grin I've ever seen on a person.

  But as soon as she gets to Mr. Richards Emma acts all serious, being the nerdy good girl I met on the first day of school. Being the girl I have so much in common with.

"Spencer Gold."

  The name of the guy I love the most in the world is announced, after only two more other names after Emma of course.

I cheer and jump and down for him.

  Spencer is the most normal out of all of our unstoppable team so far. He just casually walks up there, as if not fazed by the fake that he is about to graduate.

But I notice the smile he sends me as soon as Mr. Richards gives him his diploma.

  After five more letters of the alphabet and threaten more students I hear the most important name of them all, not to sound self-centred or all.

"Jessica Michaels."

  I walk over as I hear the cheering of the audience. But over all the clapping I hear the muffled cheers of Mrs. Gold, Minnie, and the rest of the Gold family.

Yet I hear more people. My people.

"Yea kitten!"

"That's my sister!"

"Yay big flower, Princess Jess!"

And at that moment I feel truly alive.

I walk off the stage with my diploma in my hands, waving crazily at Lily who is up on Nathan's shoulder so she can see.

After the one student after me the last of our unstoppable team is called.

"Brian Morrison."

He is also a normal person. Being the only other person other than Spencer to just walk up there and get there diploma.

As the names go on and on my hands start to get sore.

"Clarissa Simmons."

I watch and cheer happily as Clarissa walks up there looking like a complete supermodel.

I laugh as soon as she gets her diploma she blows one single kiss out to the crowd.

"May the graduating class of 2016-2017 please rise." Mr. Richards announces as soon as everyone is seated back in their seats, and have gotten their diplomas. "Move your tassels to the left."

We do as instructed.

"May I introduce you all to the newly graduated class of 2016-2017 of NorthWood High!" Mr. Richards excitedly says through the microphone. "You can now throw your caps into the air now!"

I run out and into the aisle where Spencer and I planned on meeting.

I throw my cap high into the sky, along with the rest of the class, I look up into the sky in amazement as the red caps invade the beautiful blue sky.

I look back down to be smiling at him.

Spencer stands in front of me, looking up at his own cap in the sky.

He looks back down at me, smiling his perfect smile.

"We did it. We graduated!" I smile back at him, my eyes more blue than the bright blue sky.

"Now let's go move on with our lives." Spencer brushed my stray strand of hair away from my face.

"I love you Spence." I stare at him as our classmates go crazy around us.

"I love you too Kitten." He stares back at me, matching the passion in my blue eyes in his own green eyes.

"We Saved Each Other." I blurt out, my hands still holding his.

And this is it. The moment we finally do move on with our lives. But first.....

"We Saved Each Other."