CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The days blurred together in a whirlwind of final assignments, half-hearted studying, and whispered conversations about the future. Each sunrise pulled Maya and Seth closer to the inevitable moment they had been both anticipating and dreading—graduation. It had always seemed so far away, something that existed only in the distant future, but now it was here, looming over them with the weight of everything it symbolized.

The once-familiar hallways of La Push High felt different as if they knew they were about to lose another generation of students. The energy was electric—buzzing with excitement and nostalgia all at once. Seniors filled every available space, making plans for the summer, discussing college acceptances, and reminiscing about their years spent within these walls. Some clung to the past, unwilling to let go of the comfort of routine, while others were eager to break free, to step into the next chapter of their lives without a second glance.

Even the teachers seemed affected, their usual strict demeanours replaced with something softer, something almost wistful. They handed out final projects and essays with an odd sense of finality like they knew this was the last time they would watch this group of students scramble to meet deadlines, the last time they'd write comments in red ink across hastily written papers.

And then there was Colin and Brady—who had spent the entire year loudly proclaiming how much theu "couldn't wait to be done with this place"—now looking uncharacteristically sentimental about it all.

Colin had a habit of stopping in the middle of the hallway, staring at his surroundings like he was seeing them for the first time.

"Don't say it," he muttered one afternoon when Maya caught him gazing at the bulletin board where old football schedules and prom posters were still pinned haphazardly.

"Say what?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"That I'm getting emotional or whatever," Colin grumbled, crossing his arms. "I'm not. I just—" He sighed, shaking his head. "Never thought I'd actually miss any of this, but now that it's ending... it's weird."

Maya gave him a knowing look, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "It's okay, Colin. We all know you're a big softie underneath all that bravado."

Colin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. But I guarantee you'll be the one crying at graduation."

"Excuse me?" Maya raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me," Colin smirked. "You're gonna be a mess."

Before she could retaliate, Seth strolled up beside them, his hands tucked casually into his hoodie pockets. "What's she crying about now?"

Brady then walked over and grinned, jerking his thumb toward her. "Bet it's Graduation. She's getting all sentimental about it."

Maya scoffed. "I am not."

Brady and Colin both shared looks and quickly ran at her glare.

Seth smirked, clearly enjoying her defensiveness. "You do look a little lost in thought these days. Existential crisis, maybe?"

She groaned, shutting her locker a little harder than necessary. "I'm just trying to take it all in, okay? We're running out of time, and I feel like I haven't fully appreciated any of it yet."

Seth leaned against the lockers beside her, arms crossed, studying her with amusement. "Appreciate what exactly? The peeling paint? The questionable cafeteria food?"

Maya shot him a glare. "You're impossible."

"But seriously," Seth said, his teasing smile softening, "I get it. It's weird, knowing that in a couple of weeks, all of this will just be... memories."

She nodded, glancing down the hallway where students lingered, laughing and chatting like nothing was about to change. "Exactly. My life has already changed so much in the past year. Part of me just wants to freeze things the way they are right now." She hesitated, then admitted quietly, "I like this. Having you, Embry, Leah, the guys, the girls and Aunt Tiff. I don't want to lose it."

Seth was quiet for a long moment, then gently nudged her with his elbow. "You're not going to lose it, Maya. Yeah, things will change, but we'll figure it out. It's not like we're all just gonna disappear after we toss our caps in the air."

She met his gaze, searching for reassurance. "You really believe that?"

"Of course," Seth said without hesitation. "You and me? We've been through too much to let something like graduation change that."

Maya wanted to believe him, to let his certainty erase the creeping fear in her chest. But a small part of her couldn't help but wonder—what if things did change? What if life pulled them in different directions, no matter how much they wanted to hold onto the present?

Before she could say anything else, the intercom crackled to life, cutting through the hum of conversation.

"Attention seniors, please report to the gymnasium for graduation rehearsal."

Seth grinned. "Well, guess it's time to practice walking in a straight line without tripping. Think you can handle it?"

Maya rolled her eyes, bumping her shoulder against his. "As long as you don't somehow turn it into a competition."

"Too late," Seth shot back, already stepping ahead of her. "Race you there!"

Maya groaned but couldn't stop herself from laughing as she chased after him.

The gymnasium pulsed with restless energy by the time they arrived. Rows of metal chairs stretched across the polished floor, neatly arranged in front of the stage where, in just a few days, they would sit dressed in their caps and gowns, waiting to hear their names called. The thought sent a strange mix of anticipation and dread curling in Maya's stomach.

The bleachers, normally filled with students during assemblies and games, had been pushed back against the walls, leaving a wide-open space that made the gym feel even larger than usual. The air smelled faintly of floor polish and old sneakers, a scent so ingrained in her memory that it felt oddly comforting.

Near the front, the principal stood, clipboard in hand, eyes scanning the crowd with the weary patience of someone who had done this many times before. "Alright, seniors!" her voice rang out, though it did little to quiet the chatter. "Listen up! We're going to do a full run-through of the ceremony, so I need everyone to find their assigned seats!"

Maya sighed as she weaved through the mass of students gathering around the seating chart pinned to the bulletin board. The list was organized alphabetically, and she ran her finger down the names until she found her own. She made a mental note of her spot and turned to Seth, who had been hovering nearby, arms crossed, looking amused by the chaos.

"We're in order by last name," she muttered.

He glanced at the list, scanning for his own placement. "Lucky me," he said with a grin. "Not too far from you."

Maya smirked. "At least you won't be bored."

With mild reluctance, they made their way to their seats, surrounded by a mix of excited chatter and groans about the rehearsal taking longer than expected. Some students were slouched in their chairs, barely paying attention, while others took it seriously, smoothing their imaginary gowns and sitting up straighter as if preparing for the real thing.

The next hour passed in a slow, somewhat tedious rhythm as they were walked through the ceremony—when to stand when to sit, when to shake hands, when to move the tassel on their caps. Maya half-listened, her thoughts drifting as she imagined what the actual day would feel like. Would she be excited? Nervous? Would she cry like so many of the other seniors already claimed they would?

Her fingers tapped against her knee absentmindedly as the principal clapped her hands again, calling for attention. "Okay, let's try this again, people! And this time, let's walk at a normal pace. We're not running a marathon."

From across the room, Seth caught her eye, smirking. Then, with exaggerated slowness, he lifted one foot and took an overly deliberate step forward, mocking the principal's instructions. Maya barely stifled a laugh as he threw in an over-the-top regal wave for good measure.

She shook her head, biting her lip to suppress her amusement.

The rehearsal dragged on as the students shuffled through the motions, some halfheartedly, others with dramatic flair. By the time the principal finally dismissed them, the gym erupted with movement as everyone spilt toward the exits, their conversations overlapping in a blend of excitement and relief.

Maya hesitated by the stage, letting her fingers trace the smooth surface of the wood. Soon, she would be walking across it, diploma in hand, stepping into a future that still felt uncertain.

Seth appeared beside her, his voice softer now. "You okay?"

She nodded, though the unease lingering in her chest made the answer feel only half true. "Yeah. Just... trying to make peace with it all."

He studied her for a moment before nudging her playfully. "Well, at least there's one good thing about graduation."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

His grin returned, easy and familiar. "No more homework. And no more waking up at ungodly hours."

She let out a laugh, shaking her head. "Okay, you might actually have a point there."

He bumped his shoulder lightly against hers, the teasing fading into something quieter. "Hey. No matter what happens after this... we've got each other, okay?"

The warmth in his voice settled something in her, easing the worry she hadn't even voiced out loud. She met his gaze, and for the first time in weeks, she actually believed it.

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "We do."

...

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the school parking lot as Maya and Seth walked outside after their graduation rehearsal. The air was crisp, carrying the familiar scent of salt from the ocean nearby. Students were still trickling out of the gym, some excitedly making plans for the weekend, others lingering to take pictures with friends.

Maya barely had time to register Embry's car pulling up before she spotted Juliet sitting in the passenger seat. A wide grin spread across her face, and she bolted forward. "Juliet!" she called, arms outstretched as she ran toward her cousin-in-law.

But just as she was about to launch into a hug, a hand shot out in front of her, blocking her path.

Maya skidded to a stop, blinking in confusion as Embry stood between them, his expression calm but firm. "Whoa, whoa, whoa—hold on," he said, holding up a hand like a traffic officer.

Maya narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips. "What the hell, Embry?"

Seth, who had been strolling up behind her, stopped beside her and exchanged a curious glance with her.

Juliet, meanwhile, simply chuckled, her arms crossed loosely behind her back. "He's being dramatic," she said, amusement twinkling in her eyes.

Embry shot her a look, then sighed as he turned back to Maya. "Look, you can hug her, but—"

"But what?" Maya interrupted, growing more exasperated. "Is she suddenly made of glass? Since when do I need a permission slip to hug Juliet?"

Embry only grinned, clearly enjoying her frustration. "I'll let you hug her," he said, dragging out the moment with a teasing smirk, "but only if you promise to be careful."

Maya blinked, thrown off by the odd request. "Careful?" she repeated, the word foreign on her tongue.

Seth, however, caught on immediately. His eyes flickered between Embry and Juliet, and then, slowly, a knowing grin spread across his face. "Oh," he said, his tone smug. "Ohhh."

Maya turned to him in confusion, but before she could demand an explanation, Embry sighed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

"Yeah," Embry admitted, looking both proud and sheepish at the same time. "Juliet's pregnant."

There was a half-second of silence where Maya just stared at them, the words sinking in. Then, in true Maya fashion, she let out an ear-piercing scream.

"WHAT?!"

Juliet burst into laughter as Maya practically vibrated with excitement, eyes wide, mouth agape.

Embry winced. "Okay, okay, can you maybe not shatter my eardrums?"

But Maya wasn't listening. She carefully threw her arms around Juliet, squeezing gently, as if she were suddenly the most delicate person on the planet. "Oh my God, I can't believe this! You guys are gonna have a baby! Oh my God, Aunt Tiffany is going to absolutely lose it!"

At that, Embry groaned, and Juliet sighed, sharing a knowing look.

"Yeah," Juliet said, still smiling despite the memory. "She already did."

Maya gasped dramatically, stepping back to look at them both. "Wait. You already told her?"

Embry nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Told my mom last week. And, uh... let's just say she had a lot to say."

Maya snorted. "I bet she did. I can hear her now. 'Embry Call, you are a baby yourself! And now you're having a baby?!'" She deepened her voice in a perfect imitation of her aunt, crossing her arms and shaking her head in mock disapproval.

Juliet laughed again. "That's... almost exactly how it went."

"Yeah," Embry admitted. "She lectured us for a solid half-hour. Something about responsibility, about how we just graduated last year, about how we should have been more careful—"

"—and then she cried and hugged us," Juliet finished, rolling her eyes fondly. "And by the end of it, she was already making plans to start knitting tiny baby socks."

Maya groaned, dramatically placing a hand on her forehead. "Of course she is. She's going to go full 'obsessive grandmother' mode, isn't she?"

Embry let out a tired sigh. "Probably."

"But in the end," Juliet added, her voice softening, "both our families congratulated us."

Maya beamed. "Well, duh. Of course, they did! This is huge! I mean, wow, Embry, Juliet—you guys are gonna be parents." She shook her head, still wrapping her mind around the idea. "That's so... surreal. Like, weren't we just in high school together, and now you're out here starting a whole family?"

Seth, who had been standing quietly, finally clapped Embry on the back with a grin. "Guess that makes you the first of us to officially be a dad. Congrats, man."

Embry huffed a small laugh. "Yeah. Kinda crazy, huh? Thought it'd be Em and Sam or Paul and Serena, but guess not"

Maya turned back to Juliet, her excitement reigniting. "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"

Juliet shook her head. "Not yet. It's still early, but we'll find out in a couple of months."

Maya grinned, already deep in thought. "Okay, well, either way, this kid is going to have the coolest aunt ever. Just saying."

Embry scoffed. "Oh, please. You'll be the one teaching them bad habits."

Maya gasped in mock offence. "I would never! I am a pillar of responsibility and wisdom."

Seth choked on a laugh. "Yeah, okay, sure."

Juliet giggled, resting a hand on her stomach. "Well, if it makes you feel better, the baby's definitely going to have plenty of people looking out for them."

Maya nodded, still practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Absolutely. This kid is gonna be spoiled with love. That's a guarantee."

For a moment, there was silence. A peaceful, content kind of silence as the reality of it all settled between them. The sun had dipped lower now, casting long shadows across the parking lot. The sky was painted in hues of pink and orange, the kind of sunset that felt like it belonged in a movie.

And as Maya looked at the people around her—her family, her real family—she felt something warm settle in her chest.

Graduation was coming, and change was inevitable. But no matter what happened, no matter where life took them next, one thing was certain.

They would always have each other.