Chapter ten
SIERRA
The courtyard is packed with faces. Cameras click and families are gathered for a celebration. There's laughter and a murmur of voices all around. It kind of sounds like obnoxious buzzing.
"I can't believe how fast four years went by," I say, watching everybody. I've no idea why, but I'm already feeling nostalgic. Like it's too soon to leave.
"I know. It's insane," Jenny says, standing beside me, fixing her cap and her earrings before letting out a sigh. "I hope I don't fall going up there in those heels."
"I'll catch you," a voice says, and a grinning Kyle shows up beside us. "You girls ready?" He squeezes my shoulders, standing behind me.
"Barely," I reply. "I feel sick."
"It's just the nerves. You'll be alright," Mia says, and her shoulder-length hair makes her look especially good in this cap with a tassel.
We stand around for some more, meeting our families and taking a few pictures before the time for us to get our diplomas draws closer.
Kyle comes over from the snack table with a cupcake in one hand and a soda in the other.
"They're already running out of the good stuff. I had to fight someone for this."
"Knowing you, you'd even offer the damn cupcake before fighting anybody." Sebastian scoffs, making the rest of us laugh. Kyle just scowls at him and takes a bite.
I notice how Mia looks up at Sebastian as she chuckles. She started warming up to him again as the days passed, just like the rest of us, and we collectively decided to keep whatever happened in the past.
It's a good addition that he's also not as obnoxious as before and became less of a notorious womanizer. A nice surprise, to say the least. He started spending less time with random women, and more time with us, and we all appreciate it.
We stand in a circle, talking for some more. Then Elias appears. I feel it in my stomach first, like always. The giant rush of butterflies feels like a sign that he matters to me deeply.
He's wearing his gown half-buttoned, and a pair of sunglasses hooked onto the neck of his shirt. Careless, handsome, and looking like he didn't spend an entire night in my bed and cuddled me after our last time just a week ago. We had no contact since.
"Look who made it," Kyle says, raising his cup. "I thought you'd be halfway to some fancy vacation by now."
"Tempting," Elias replies with a grin, "but I couldn't leave without seeing you all cry in public."
I feel a small smile tug on my lips as I watch the interaction. He catches my eyes for a second, but doesn't say anything. Neither of us have to, because, unfortunately,there's nothing to talk about anymore.
I try to keep my cool, wanting to keep us from being awkward around each other after breaking things off so suddenly. And I appreciate him doing the same, despite some lingering tension between us.
He had valid points as to why he wanted us to call it quits. We're all going to see each other less and will be busy with our upcoming careers which is a high point in our lives. There's also the fact that maybe I misinterpreted what we had. Maybe he didn't feel the connection the way I did.
But still, I had some hope that maybe we'd blossom into something more, despite going our seperate ways after college. Hope that quickly disappeared.
Mia breaks the silence. "We should take a picture. Before Kyle does something Kyle."
He squints at her. "What does that even mean?"
"She's not wrong." I pipe in. "Better early than after you spill something."
Kyle raises a brow and gestures to a stain on his gown, showing us that it's already too late for that. "Don't make fun of me. This says, I gave up two hours ago."
We all laugh, and Mia wrangles a stranger to take the picture. We bunch together, Mia and Jenny crouching and clinging together at the front, Sebastian and Kyle on either side, and Elias slipping in beside me in the middle.
My breath almost stops when he wraps one arm around my waist.
We all pose for a few pictures, some of them silly when the guys decide to put us on their shoulders.
And after that, we're all ready to get on stage one by one.
Later, we throw our caps and they soar into the blue sky, cheers rising all around us.
I watch them fly with a smile on my face before I glance at Elias, and my heart clenches.
He's already watching me.
And in that half-second, surrounded by celebration and confetti, I see everything in his eyes. The sparkle, and the fondness.
I was quite disappointed when he wasn't there the next morning, but I knew deep down that it was better like that. I think we both already knew then that it would be better if we didn't see each other for a while.
But there's no time for addressing it. Instead, he grins like nothing's wrong, and I smile back, pretending not to feel my heart crack wide open from it.
"We'll still see each other, right?" Jenny asks, her blue eyes full of hope and emotion, her eyes nearly tearful as she watches all of us.
"Aw, look at our diva tearing up." Sebastian teases, smiling.
"I'll miss you guys." She frowns.
"We'll still hang out," I say, and Kyle gathers us all into a big hug. We cling onto each other, surrounded by emotions.
"I'm not letting you all go so fast," Elias says. "We still have to celebrate our way."
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The courtyard is nearly empty by the time everything's over. The sun dips low on the horizon, casting long shadows over the grass. We spent the last few hours reminiscing, and bringing out the last moments we have as college seniors.
"What's up man, you look a little fucked up sitting there." Mischevious laughter escapes Kyle's lips and he glances over his shoulder to get a chuckle from Elias too as he trails behind.
"Fuck you, Kyle," Sebastian groans, unmoving as he remains leaning against the tree trunk.
"Come on," Elias crouches and hooks his arms under Sebastian's, pulling him up on his feet. "Enough partying for tonight. For you, at least."
I walk up to them as well, seeing the result of our trip to the bar earlier. A small chuckle leaves me when I see Kyle and Elias hauling him up.
"If you two idiots think I'm done," Sebastian slurs, not even watching his steps as they half-carry him towards the car, "you're so wrong."
"Oh yeah?" Amusement lingers on Elias's tongue. "What're you gonna do, big guy?"
"I'll cut your dicks."
"That's a woman's threat." The two burst into laughter, getting him in the back seat. I get in too, shutting the door behind me and sighing when I see Sebastian leaning his head back on the seats and remaining without a single movement.
"Did he throw up?" I ask.
"Not yet." Elias replies, and that familiar jolt goes through me again when our eyes meet when he turns his head. "Just make sure he doesn't ruin my seats."
I watch him hop into the drivers seat and Kyle goes to the front as well, leaving me in the back with Sebastian. Elias starts the engine and the car pulls out of the parking lot and takes a turn in the opposite direction than I thought we'd go to. My brows raise.
"We're not going home?"
"It's our last night together. We're not wasting it." Sebastian mutters, trying to sound triumphant through his grogginess. "Long night ahead. You think you can handle that, Kyle?"
Kyle lets out a tired laugh from the front. "Barely."
"The real question is, can you?" Elias shoots back with a laugh, and he glances back in the rearview mirror. I let a smile come to my face and stifle a laugh.
"Someone call the girls," Kyle says suddenly. "We left them... somewhere."
"Wow, responsible," I mutter, rolling my eyes and getting my phone out. "You were supposed to make sure they had a good time. Idiots."
"You're sitting here with us, so you're not much better," Kyle shoots back, grinning when he turns his head to look at me.
"Shut up," I say, then send a message into our groupchat, telling the girls that we left. "Where are we even going?"
From beside me, Sebastian groans, "I'm gonna throw up..."
"Tell them to meet us at Bluebird—wait, no. Just tell them to come here," Elias says, making a sharp turn into a side street that leads to a garage house tucked between buildings. "Seb, hold it together. We're almost there."
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