"Gray Thompson."

As names were called one-by-one, I tugged at my collar. It itched like hell. I wished I didn't have to wear all these stuffy clothes, but my parents insisted I look nice for this event. Hopefully, it would be over quickly. I heard the person behind me sit down and lean forward. "Hey, did they already call you? I was in the bathroom," a friend of mine asked.

"Not yet," I whispered back.

He patted my back. "Well, you know what that means," he said.

I turned to look at him, grinning. "Jealous?" I asked.

"What? To get tons of attention and expectations from new teachers, girls seeing the geek in you with every step? Let's see, uh..." He pretended to think for a moment. "Nope. Not at all."

I rolled my eyes. "Like you're getting any girls by making C's," I retorted.

My friend scoffed. "At least I'm not stuck going to some stupid Uni-"

"Kevin Botis."

I stood up, ignoring my friend's snicker as I walked towards the small stage my dime-sized highschool used for cheap plays for the drama club. Breathing deeply, I made my way towards my principal, reminding myself that I had this under control. Of all things, this I could handle.

The principal shook my hand. "Would you like to say anything?" he asked.

"If you don't mind," I said.

With this confirmation, the principal turned back to the audience. "And now a few words from our highest ranking student, Kevin Botis."

As everyone clapped for me, the principal gestured towards the podium and I stepped forward to adjusted the microphone. I waited for the audience to quiet down again. "Hey, everyone. I just wanted to say that, uh... I had one hell of a year. You guys have been the greatest and it sucks that most of us will probably never see each other again. But for what it's worth..." I cleared my throat again. "I have enjoyed every second of Highschool with you guys. We've had good and bad days and a whole lot of pop-quizzes."

I looked out at the audience of students, teachers, and family as they all chuckled. "We've had, quite honestly, some pretty deadly adventures..." I said. Then laughed. "If you consider the nosebleed incident of fourth period a deadly adventure." I looked at my friend Kirt. "If you can't take it, don't dish it out, dude."

The audience laughed again, and I smiled, happy for the moment. "Anyways, I just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to spend the worst and best four years of my life with all of you," I said. I bowed my head respectfully. "Thank you."

Everyone clapped again, louder this time, and my principal patted my back. "Thank you, Mr. Botis." He returned to the podium as I went back to my seat. "Wise words from our best graduate this year." He grinned. "Almost sad to see all of you go, but you have future adventures to experience. College awaits!"

A cheer went up and everyone threw their graduation caps into the air as balloons and streamers were released from the ceiling to fall over everyone like a bath of rubber and paper. We all laughed and hugged each other, congratulating ourselves for making it into the next phase of our lives. It wasn't the most traditional graduation, but it was definitely a scene I'd remember.

*******

I laughed at my friend who was gurgling his soda. "You're gross," I said, shaking my head.

He laughed and swallowed the mouthful of beverage. "Dare me to spit coke into Bella's hair?" he asked, itching for someone to really dare him.

"Last time you did that, I got blamed, resulting in a black eye and a note sent home to my parents," I objected. "Besides, we're not kids anymore," I added.

"So? This is the last high school party we'll ever have. I'm gonna live it like highschooler." He downed a mouthful of coke and took aim.

 "And that's my cue to leave. See, ya," I said, waving as I ducked out of blaming range.

I hurried outside to the porch, taking a deep breath of fresh air. Finally, some peace and quiet. There was a chuckle behind me and I turned with a smile, recognizing that prideful heckle anywhere. "Hey, Darren," I said. "What's up?"

My previous competition for best-graduating-senior shrugged. "I just thought I'd say congrats on being top of the class," he said.

He held out his hand and I shook it firmly. It felt like I was shaking a lot of hands recently. "Thanks," I said. "It was a rough year, but I think it was a fair fight."

He grinned. "Two fractions of a point more and we'd have tied for 1st."

I shrugged. "No hard feelings, I hope?"

"We still got college, right?" he said. "I'll kick your ass someday."

"Yeah, sure," I said with a chuckle. Remembering college, I walked over to the balcony and leaned on my elbows, sighing almost sadly. "Everything's really gonna change, isn't it...? Think we'll miss Highschool?"

He leaned next to me. "Nah. This was a stepping stone. Now it's onto the real thing," he said. He knocked my shoulder. "I know you don't party much, but at least have a one-night-stand before you die."

"It's a promise," I lied, both of us knowing full well that I would never in my life have a one-night-stand, even if it was the end of the world. Not to mention, I wouldn't have much time for that stuff if I planned to get through college with honors. With everything going on, I wanted nothing more than to dive headfirst into my education. It was high time for a distraction.

I was daydreaming about the stress of university studies when I noticed the bushes across the yard move. A knowing smile crept up to my lips. "I gotta get away from the music," I told Darren. "Talk to you later."

I left my drink on a nearby table and hurried across the grass. I checked to make sure I wasn't seen before I slipped behind the bushes and right into Zane's arms. "Congratulations!" he whisper-shouted softly so as not to be heard by the nearby party.

I smiled, hugging him back. "Thanks. I saw you guys at the back of the auditorium."

He pulled away to grin at me. "That speech you gave had to have been rehearsed," he said. "No way you came up with that on the fly."

I chuckled. "It was a rough sketch before I went up," I admitted.

Zane stared at me for a minute, smiling proudly. "Man, I wish I could've been there for you for real," he said. "I mean, I did promise to be there for your graduation like you were for mine."

"Don't mention it," I said, shrugging off the thick atmosphere that had begun to accumulate around us. "You were there, front row seat or not."

"You know who would have bought the whole front row just so no one else could see?"

He didn't have to say it for me to know.

"Rowen. I bet he would've loved to be here," Zane said, squeezing my shoulder.

I glanced out through the bushes, smiling to myself. "He was here. He wouldn't have missed it for the world," I said. I hadn't seen him, but I had felt it. Somehow, he had been there to see me, even if I couldn't see him. "Look what he gave me for my graduation present," I said, pulling my collar aside to produce the gift. "It's hand-carved," I explained, showing Zane the necklace I had received the evening before. The pendant was a simple, polished circle made of a dark reddish colored wood; it hung from a leather cord.

"Wow. Did he make it himself?" Zane asked, holding the pendant between his fingers to feel the texture.

"I think so. I mean, it's not like I got the chance to ask," I said. It was passed off as a joke, but the hurt remained and Zane didn't miss it.

"Where did he leave it this time?" he asked, smiling sympathetically. 

"Hooked on a branch outside my bedroom window. Still no note, but I know it was him," I assured. My smile faded some, and I dropped my eyes to the ground. "Have you guys talked to him recently?"

Zane shook his head, as disappointed as I was. "After you woke up in the hospital, he stopped returning Cliff's calls. We haven't heard from Rick either. They've basically dropped off the map."

I gazed out from the bushes, into the street. "Not totally... He's got to be close by to be able to leave the gifts he's given me."

"Maybe. Cliff thinks he might've moved back into the mountains, to get away from everything," Zane said.

"Not everything..." I said. My mood plummeted. "Just me..."

In true Zane fashion, I had a strand of my hair tugged hard, pulling me back into reality. "As if. That man wouldn't be able to control himself enough to get away from you. He's all over you like jam on toast. He's just a big insensitive crybaby who needs to man up," Zane grumbled.

I knew Zane was trying to be comforting, but to be honest, I didn't want comfort. Even after a year, I was still blaming myself for that night. Truth was, I missed him. I missed his stupid jokes and even his harassment. I sighed dejectedly. I just wished I had said something that night. Maybe if I had, he wouldn't have disappeared...

Zane, having noticed the suddenly depressing air about us, spoke up to change the topic. "I don't know about you, but I'm interested in a party. Why don't you come hang out with Cliff and I? We'll help you move into your dorm," he suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'm heading up to the university on Saturday, so I can pick you up on my way," I offered.

At that moment, Cliff stepped though the bushes behind Zane. "We need to get going. We'll be seen if we idle any longer than this," he told Zane.

Zane told him he'd be out in a second, and Cliff disappeared again. Zane turned back to me. "It's been good seeing you again," he said. "I'm looking forward to Saturday."

"Me too," I said. 

He hugged me and I hugged him back tightly. Then he vanished through the bushes. I took a moment to collect my thoughts before I walked back to the party. For the rest of the evening, I forced some laughter, faked a smile, and made it through the night with a reasonable reputation.

*******

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