The room was buzzing with an eclectic energy, filled with everything ranging from excited murmurs to people screaming excitedly. Friends huddled together, knowing that this was one of their last moments together. They all say that they'll keep in touch, but we all know deep down that once diplomas are handed out and the excitement dies down, it's over. There might be a few summer moments together and a few 'how are you?' texts, but once everyone gets settled into their new environments, a lot of friendships dissipate.

I let out of rush of air, anxiousness being one of the many emotions swirling within me. This is really it. I've spent countless year in a sea of the same faces, and after today, all of that is essentially over. It's kind of a hard concept to wrap my head around. This is a pretty fair-sized town, but many of us have grown up together. I've known many of the people in this room since we toddlers, picking our noses and learning the alphabet. Now we're going off in different directions, about to meet completely new people. It's going to be a drastic change from what we're used to.

"Earth to Tracey!" Tremaine's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I blinked myself back into the present.

He frowned. "Are you okay?"

I smiled at him. "Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because after today you'll never see me again?" he commented teasingly with a playful glint in his eyes.

I pushed him lightly. "That's not funny! Don't even play like that," I pouted.

He chuckled and wrapped me in a crushing bear hug with his muscular arms. "You know it'll take more than a graduation to get rid of me, little T."

Smiling at the nickname, I hugged him back, squeezing as hard as I could.

"It's okay, the rest of us don't matter or anything," Bianca joked, causing us to break the hug.

"Yeah, it's not like I'm your boyfriend or anything," Aiden muttered.

I rolled my eyes and looked over at Cameron and David. "You guys wanna join in on this attack?"

"Hey, I'm not saying anything," Cameron retorted as David threw up his hands defensively.

Laughing, I turned back to Bianca. "I don't ever need to miss you, girl. With today's technology, I'll always be a phone or video call away." I placed my hand on her stomach and rubbed. "Plus, I'm going to be a godmother soon, so there's that. If you think I'm not going to visit my godson, you're out of your mind."

She smiled at me, eyes watery. "I love you," she said as she pulled me into a careful hug.

"I love you too girl. Always have, and always will. You're like my sister."

I broke the hug and turned to Aiden. "And you!" I called sternly, "Don't even start! You'll only be an hour away, AND you're allowed to have cars on campus." Grabbing his tie, I pulled him closer to me. "So, guess who's going to be getting visited all the time?"

Aiden's hazel flecks seemed to sparkle as he gazed at me mischievously. He pulled me into his arms, lowering his lips and capturing mine in a slow and beautiful kiss. I felt the familiar buzzing in my body and I grabbed his suit to deepen the kiss.

I'm so glad that I never have to go too long without this. I don't know if Aiden is the one, but he's the one right now. The only one I want. Whenever I think of my future, he's there. I picture myself getting my bachelor's, master's, and my doctorate, and he's right there next to me. I picture myself getting married, and it's to him. When I picture my future children, they're a perfect mixture of us.

Thinking about our future makes me smile in immense happiness, and it ends the kiss. Aiden holds me at arm's length and flashes me a heartwarming smile.

Yeah, everything about this feels right.

Tremaine's P.O.V.

"Hey, next time you guys want to explore each other's mouths, get a room okay?" I said to Tracey and Aiden. Tracey broke her gaze and looked over at the rest of us, embarrassed.

I would never admit it out loud, but I love their relationship. I am truly happy for Tracey. She's been through a lot this year, and she deserves to be happy. Even though I don't agree with everything she's done or all of the decisions she's made, she's my best friend and I only want what's best for her. She's like the sister I never had, and I've always felt the need to protect her. I'll still do that until the day I die, but it seems like she's found someone to share that task with me.

I only wish my own love life was that perfect. Not that I don't enjoy being with Bianca. I really do love her. I think I always have, but I spent years trying to deny the fact. I just wish that our story was a little less...troubled. It's my fault, really. I should've been more careful. She told me that she was on birth control, and she very well couldve been, but I shouldn't have let that be our only form of protection. It was stupid of me not to wear a condom. Bianca could've skipped a day or more without me knowing, and I... I'm an idiot!

I wanted to punch something. It's been over five months and I'm still angry. Or scared is a better word, really. I'm not ready for this, I'm not ready to be a father. And a pregnancy isn't a great way to start a relationship. Would we make it through this? Can we make it through this?

I felt Bianca fit her hand into mine and squeeze. I looked down at her and she looked up at me with her big hazel eyes and a sad smile, as if she knew what I was feeling. As if she felt the same exact way. Sometimes it's easy for me to forget that I'm not the only one that's scared. I mean, she's the one that's actually pregnant. She's the one carrying a baby in her womb, and she's the one that has to push a baby out of her. I have to be there for her, no matter what. It takes two people to make a baby, and it takes a village to raise one. I need to be apart of that village.

We stayed there for a moment, looking at each other, as if speaking telepathically. Until David interrupted by nudging me.

"This is it dude, we're going inside," he said excitedly, but I heard the underlying trepidation. I felt the same.

I lifted Bianca's hand and kissed it softly. "Let's do this baby, let's graduate."

She smiled sweetly and placed her hand on her stomach, something that she doesn't even realize she does."Let's do this," she repeated for emphasis.

We slowly shuffled out of the gym of the university and made our way in lines to the auditorium. The closer we got to the auditorium, the more my stomach felt like it was twisting in on itself. Bianca continued to hold my hand, squeezing every now and then. It was the only thing keeping me sane.

When it was finally our turn to enter the auditorium, I took a deep breath. Our seats were in the center of the large area, parents and other family members surrounding us at every turn. They were all waving frantically, trying to capture the attention of their graduates. I made no effort to find my parents.

This was supposed to be a happy day. Not that I'm not happy, I'm just... I don't know how I feel. All I've wanted was to make my parents happy, make them proud to have me as a son. I feel like I've failed. They were so disappointed when I told them that I got Bianca pregnant. They've always had big plans for me, and I so desperately want to live up to them. How can I do that now? I'm going to a state college within driving distance, so that when the baby arrives, I can be there. I'm not even dorming. After college, who knows?

All of the students in this room probably have bright futures, but what's in store for me? I've never been this unsure or scared in my life.

Bianca's P.O.V.

Whoever says that one person's energy can affect the energy of the entire room is right. Sort of. Everyone else in this auditorium seems to be having a good time, but I can tell Trey is having some sort of internal struggle. I don't know exactly what's wrong with him, but I could take a pretty good guess.

As the assistant principal stood at the podium and began to talk, I felt my son kick. Filling with happiness, I smiled and placed my hand on my stomach as he kicked again. Sometimes it's hard to imagine that a life is growing inside of me. There is an actual person that is growing from me, feeding off of me, and that will come out of me in a few months. Right now my baby is probably trying out its recently formed limbs, stretching as his home gets a little too cramped for his style.

Though it may seem hard to fathom now, I know that my son is a blessing in disguise. I may not feel ready to be a mother and I may think I'm too young, but no child is a mistake. He's coming into my life now for a reason, and there's nothing for me to do but embrace it. It's going to be difficult, but I'm going to make it through. We'll all make it through.

Before I knew it, I missed both the assistant principal's and the salutatorian speech. I watched as the valedictorian stood up and walked to the podium, preparing to speak. As she started, I zoned out again.

This time, I was thinking about my best friend. Even though I am coming to terms with my situation, there is still a little piece of me that envies her, that wants what she has. Sure, she's been through a lot, but who hasn't? At least she gets to go off to college without a care in the world. She'll dorm in a completely new state, meet new people, and go far in life. She gets to go somewhere in life.

This is your own fault, my inner voice chided. It's right, I shouldn't get mad at Tracey for being careful when I couldn't. She waited until she found the right guy to have sex, and even then she used protection. Not that Trey isn't the right guy, but still. It's my fault that I didn't suggest we use protection just to be safe. It's my fault that I accidentally skipped days with my birth control. I wasn't careful, so I have to pay the price.

Still, I couldn't shake the envy that consumed me. What I wouldn't give to have what she has. She gets to be carefree. I have a child to worry about now. A child is a responsibility that never goes away, after all.

"None of us are perfect. We all have our own downfalls. The true measure of success, however, is how we use our flaws to our advantage. The true measure of success is what we do with what life hands us."

She's right. Self pity is worthless after a while. I've been through the shock, I've been through the depression. It's time to stop feeling sorry for myself. I'm strong enough to get through this. Or at least, I have to be. For my son. Everything I do from this point on has to be for him. I'm taking a year off of college to take care of him, but after that I have to go back. I have to better myself for him. Once he is born, he will become my life. There's no sugarcoating that, that's just what it is. I just have to be ready for whatever life throws my way. My little boy will be my measure of success. If I raise him well, I am successful. He will be the legacy I leave behind.

I looked over at Tremaine. His eyes were glassy, and he was looking straight ahead with a stoic look on his face. His mind was far away, just like mine. And I'd be willing to bet money that he's thinking about the same thing I am.

I'm not going to lie, the way he's been acting today is scaring me. How does he feel right now? What's going to happen once I have our son? Will he be able to handle the stress? I have so many questions that I'm just too afraid to ask him. I know that I'm always going to be here for our child, but I don't know where he stands. I'm scared that he's just going to up and leave. It would be too easy for him to just decide he doesn't want to be a father anymore. It would be too easy for him to decide to transfer colleges, or start dorming. It would too easy for him to disappear. I know he loves me, and I love him, but our love is so new. Would it be able to withstand a child so early on?

Would he be able to be strong for our coming family?

David's P.O.V.

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel. I mean this is it, we're graduating from high school. After today, we're no longer considered children, but adults. We're going to have to go from being told what to do at every turn to making major life decisions on our own. How is anyone supposed to feel about that? Scared?

Hell yeah, I'm scared. I'm scared half to death. I'm not the most responsible guy around. I'm not sure how I'm even supposed to react when faced with responsibility. My whole life, people have been making decisions for me- my parents, teachers, my coach. Now I'm just supposed to go off on my own? I'm no expert on raising children, but that just doesn't seem right.

What if I mess this all up? A lot of people already seem to have their life all planned out. They all know what they want to do with themselves. I don't even know what I want to major in. What the hell am I going to do? I'm frightened now that my life is in my own hands, I'm going to destroy it.

Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a basketball star. My dad raised me to eat, breathe, and live basketball. I thought I was going to be the next Michael Jordan, the next Magic Johnson, the next legend. But now... I don't know. I still want to try to make it big, but I'm scared of failing. I'm scared of having no fallback plan if I fail. I don't know what I want to do! My focus has been on basketball for so long that I don't really know what else is out there for me.

What if I'm not destined for greatness?

It was time to get our diplomas. We were on line, waiting for our names to be called. With every moment that went by, I got more nervous. The closer I got to the front, the more I just wanted to bolt. What the hell is wrong with me? It's just a piece of paper. I wish my body would listen to my mind, my hands were shaking as if I drank too much coffee.

Then it was my turn. "David Walker-Jones," the principal called out energetically. There was cheering. She smiled at me and handed me my diploma. I gave her a tight smile.

"Congratulations," she said, still smiling. She held out her hand.

I took it and shook. "Thank you." Releasing my grip, I walked hastily across the stage and back to my seat.

Still trembling, I opened the diploma cover and read it.

This is to certify that David Walker-Jones has successfully completed the educational requirements of the high school program and has merited graduation. June 2015.

I sighed, running my hand across the diploma, before closing it and taking a deep breath.

Now what?

Tracey's P.O.V.

I was shaking in excitement. I had my diploma in my lap, and all of my friends surrounding me. The moment was finally about to come. After all of these years. It's still hard to fathom, but it's happening.

The principal was back at the podium, saying something. I couldn't really pay attention, my mind was racing too much. I looked around at my friends. They all had unreadable looks on their faces, and they all seemed to be on a planet far away from this one. I could understand that. Throughout most of the ceremony I was lost in my thoughts as well.

A lot of people think that graduating from high school is insignificant, but it really isn't. This is the moment that everything changes. After this, nothing will ever be the same. We'll all go off to our respective colleges and start new lives for ourselves. A lot of us won't leave college the same way we entered. We'll be reinvented. Some of us will be better people, some of us won't. Some of us aren't even going to college, and that's okay. We all have different paths to take and different destinations to reach. That's what life is about, the journey. If all of our journeys were the same, what would be the point?

Thinking back, a lot has changed already in the past year. I caught my dad cheating on my mom and they got divorced. My mom is now married to a wonderful guy who makes her happy. After months of being absent, my father is somewhat in my life again. Well, more in Brittany's life. But that's okay, our relationship will never be as it was. I got together with my best friend for a little bit, which ended up being one of the most tumultuous relationships in my entire life. I even cheated on him. Not one of my finer moments. I got stalked by an overzealous friend and started dating a guy I could really see myself spending the rest of my life with. Two of my best friends are about to have a baby, for Christ's sake! All of my relationships were tested, and even though there were very rough times, most of them are stronger than ever.

I think I can honestly say that this year has made me a better person. I can also admit that in the beginning of the year, I was a little naive. Without all of the crap I went through recently, I don't think I would be ready for the real world. I thought that life was all sunshine and roses, and I was just a tad bit sheltered. But no more of that. I know now that life isn't always perfect, and that there will always be bumps in the world here and there. What our valedictorian said was right- the true measure of success is what we make out of what life hands us. I know that if I face every problem head on, I can come out of it better than I went in. Trials and tribulations are character building. They make us who we are.

"Please rise," the principal instructed to us.

I stood up and placed my diploma on the chair, grabbing the hands of Aiden and Bianca. I nudged the both of them, and once they got the hint, they continued until the six of us were holding hands. We broke the line when we were asked to move our tassels from the left to the right, but then we grabbed each other's hands again. I watched our principal speak, but nothing really registered except her final words.

"...It is my pleasure to present to you the graduating class of 2015!"

Everyone around us threw their caps into the air and screeched at various levels, but we just gave each other knowing looks.

This is it. Now, the rest of our lives begin.

THE END.

Wow, I can't believe it! After four years, Missed Calls From Love is finally done! Everything feels right about this, oh my gosh. I started this story a little bit before I started high school, and now the book has graduated with me, haha.

I've had a lot of ups and downs with this book. I stopped writing for almost a year because I just lost motivation, but I came back! There was no way that I would abandon my first story. I started a few new stories while I was still in the process of writing this, and I got distracted A LOT.

Somehow, through all of the writer's blocks and times where I just had no motivation to write, I finished it! I know this book isn't exactly popular, like at all, but I have faith in myself. It took a long time for me to get to this place, but I believe in myself and my writing, and one day people will notice this story.

Thank you to the people who have already given this story a chance, we made it! The few people that commented and voted really made this worthwhile. Thank you to all of the people that will read this in the future. Thank you for appreciating my work.

Now on to other stories! This is far from the end

-Thea :)

(p.s. I think that I Was Here by Beyoncé is a perfect song for this chapter, don't you?)