Graduation

The next morning...

"What are you spacing out for?" Molly asked as everyone waited outside the hall to get in.

"Nothing." Adeline smiled, giving Molly a hug. "I'll miss you."

"You aren't gonna—"

"There they are!" A booming voice called as it quickly approached Molly and Adeline.

"I guess you didn't lie about being punctual today." Adeline clapped her hands. "Good one, Jacob."

"I woke up too early." Jacob scratched his head. "Are your parents here?"

Adeline and Molly simultaneously shook their heads. "We're used to it."

"He wants to meet your parents, Molly." Nicholas came, wrapping his arms around Adeline's shoulder.

Jacob looked around. "Where's Abigail and Peter?"

"They're already inside." Adeline distanced herself from Nicholas. "We better get going."

Inside the enormous hall, the chairs were layered out in rows, enough to fill students, teachers and family. The lights were all ready and the principal seemed as anxious as everyone else, hoping nothing goes wrong.

"Over here!" Abigail called them, waving her arms. "We're assigned in different places."

"Get to your seats now." Jacob started pushing everyone around. "It's about to begin."

As the students were all forced to find their spaces, they sat spread across the hall. Everyone then listened anxiously for their name, waiting to be called.

Nicholas was the first to go up. He proudly accepted the award and walked off the stage without even looking at the exuberant audience.

Next was Peter, standing in front of everyone, shaking the hand of the school's principal, Mr. Louis.

Adeline was after him and she enthusiastically took the diploma, getting a loud clap from her fellow classmates, giving her the much needed joy in deep inside her heart.

When it was Abigail's turn, she couldn't even utter a word. She was so nervous that she couldn't even look at the principal straight in the eye. After receiving her diploma, she instantly got down the stage, wiping the sweat in her forehead.

After the last student, Jacob was called, they all took their seats, listening to one last speech from the top student, Nicholas.

"I would like to thank all the students, teachers and parents for giving us your time to witness my fellow classmates claim their diplomas." Nicholas smiled, trying to remember what he wrote on the script. "We all face challenges at some point in our life that happened beyond our control, but those who overcome these challenges will be changed, and often in unexpected ways, but those challenges weren't sent to destroy us. They were sent to strengthen us."

As soon as Nicholas ended his speech, everyone gave him a standing ovation and jubilantly tossed their graduation hats up as high as they could.

"How was it?" Nicholas grabbed Adeline's shoulders.

"Not bad." Adeline nodded. "I could still see your legs shaking."

"That wasn't made by you wasn't it?" Peter and Jacob bursted into laughter, waiting to see Nicholas' reaction.

Nicholas looked away. "I just got some help from a few people..."

"I'll miss you all." Molly pouted, giving Adeline a big hug.

Abigail nodded. "Molly and I plan to spend a few nights in an apartment. What do you guys plan to do after this?"

"Adele and I already decided that we'd be going back to our parents and Jacob already made up his mind to work for his father." Nicholas rested his arm on Adeline's shoulder. "I'm not sure about Peter though."

"I'll be leaving for Switzerland tonight. I'll be back after a few months." Peter looked at him. "Let's stay in contact."

"Of course we will." Abigail patted his back. "People take different paths in life, but just because we aren't on the same road doesn't mean we've gotten lost."

"I've got a idea." Jacob abruptly shouted, scaring everyone with his loud voice. "Why don't we take a picture?"

"Good idea."

"Shall we?" Nicholas stretched out his arm, hoping that Adeline would hold it.

"Shall we your face!" Adeline folded her arms, trying to find her spot before pressing the camera button. "Move it, idiot."

"Wacky!"