Epilogue
Tyler
Five Months Later
Seth tugs at his tie, attempting to loosen the knot, but all it does is make everything crooked. “Here let me,” I tell him as I move to help him out. We’re surrounded by a group of other seniors in the gym and it’s hard to believe we made it this far.
“Everyone, we’re heading out to the stadium, take your spots in line,” a teacher yells out.
We split up and Seth gives me a smile. I take my spot at the front of the group with the other A last names while Seth is in the middle. My eyes seek other familiar faces. The Walsh twins at the end of the line, Bennett not far from me. I adjust my graduation robe, centering it to show my collar and tie knot. I’m not entirely sure where we go from here, but I look forward to finding out. It feels like this is the start of a new chapter. From this point on, I’ll be an adult, out in the real world, working for a living. It’s a little scary, but at least I’ll have Seth by my side. He already has a job lined up as a personal trainer at a local gym and we’re signing the lease to our new apartment in just a few days.
It’s not what I had in mind when we first started this friends-with-benefits thing, but that’s not a bad thing.
My eyes search the bleacher stands as we walk into the stadium. Maddy is easy to spot, sitting with her girlfriend and right behind them is Father and Taylor. He’s been rather standoffish about our relationship since that argument with Grandma. I’m sure he still thinks this whole thing is temporary, but he helped us look for apartments. It’s made everything easier for everyone. The announcer introduces the valedictorian, and I sit through the speech, thinking. I’m gonna miss this.
Gonna miss my time training with my team and sure we’ll still hang out, but it won’t be the same. Between jobs, families, and responsibilities, we won’t meet up as much as we’d like. And that’s okay.
“Jamie Appleton,” names are called. There are only a few people ahead of me, then he says it. “Tyler Avery.” I step up to shake his hand and take my place at the front. Facing the bleacher stands, I catch a flash of a camera light. Then the next name is called, and it’s over. I’ve followed the person in front of me and we make our way off the stage, back to our seats. It almost seems anti-climactic. Maybe it’s just because, being one of the first to graduate, I’m stuck watching everyone else be called.
I fight the urge to stand and cheer when Seth’s name is called. Students around sneak glances at their cells, playing games as they wait for the end. For me, it seems to pass by almost too quickly. “Aiden Walsh, Ian Walsh.” The last few graduates cross the stage, shaking hands with the President of the University. As a group, we stand. The band plays their instruments and at the swell of the music, everyone throws their hats up with a cheer.
Fin