"Look, here's the thing." Jessica starts. "There should be more of us here. And lately, I have been thinking about why they're not here. I have a history of causing trouble with my speeches. Principal Bolan actually had to approve my speech just so I wouldn't make trouble. But that was a month ago. And my life has changed since then." she slowly nods her head. "But don't worry, I'm not causing any trouble today. Because I just want you to hear me. Some of you circulated a petition this year, demanding I be removed from office. Saying that I was a one-issue president, and I had made my point, and I should just shut up. Well, no girls signed that petition."

Laughter fills the field. "So, news, boys, our point is far from made. And we're not shutting up."  The students start to applaud. "But you are right about one thing: I am a one-issue president. I'm a one-issue person. I spent the last couple of years angry. Hurt. Scared. But I'm not gonna do that anymore. I'm gonna focus on my one issue. Which is love."

Some of the students laugh at those words. "Oh, what? Does talking about love make you embarrassed? Is it girly? What? Because it's the thing. It's the only thing. It's easy to hate. It's easy to fear. It's goddamn hard to love. But it's not optional. It's essential. It's life or death. I challenge you. Love each other. Do it. Do it better. Now and every day. I love you all." Jessica finishes.

She opens her mouth, "Oh, and fuck the patriarchy." she smiles.

Mia laughs, she claps her hands and cheers with everyone else.

"It comes down to one question. Will you survive high school? Will I survive? Because I know too many people who didn't." Clay starts. Mia inhales quietly.

"In the past two years, three people who I loved have died." Clay blinks away his tears and looks down. "And two...two other people...who I thought I hated, also died." He wipes away his tears. "But I learned that hate is too simple. Jessica's right. Hate is easy. Love and understanding are harder. But they are how we take care of each other, how we survive."

"My dad loves to tell me stories about when he was in high school. The stories usually involve chess club and obscure bands with funny haircuts, because the 80s were a strange, strange time." Clay smiles softly. "But he always gets one thing right. He knows high school can hurt. That it can be painful. That there are days when that's all it is. And he once told me that he's living proof...you can survive. You can get through it. He's living proof, and so am I. And so are all of you." Mia slowly nods her head, a lump forming in her throat.

"And the thing is, for me, for us, this class, this...this generation, high school actually is life or death." Clay states. "We show up every day not knowing if this is the day we die. If this is the day someone shows up with a gun and tries to kill us all. We practice what we'll do if that happens. Life or death." Clay leans forward.

"I suffer from anxiety...and, uh, depression. But mostly anxiety. I sometimes think all of us kids do, in some way. And how could we not, with the world the way it is? We hear a lot of promises that things will get better. And...and, look, maybe they will, maybe they won't. And what I think I've learned, what I wanna say to you...is, whatever happens, keep moving. Get through it. Choose to live. 'Cause even on the worst day, there...are people who love. There's new music waiting for you to hear, some...something you haven't seen before that will blow your mind in the best way."

"Even on the worst day, life's a pretty spectacular thing." Clay nods his head. "Thank you. Good luck."

Mia wipes her tears away and claps.

==========

Mia walks down the hall towards the gymnasium. "Mia!"

The brunette turns her head, she pulls her brows together and smiles. "Hey, mom...I thought you had a business trip?" she asks.

"I skipped it." Nora catches her breath from running over to her daughter.

Mia's eyes widen, "M-Mom...why would you--"

Nora holds the envelope in front of the brunette. Mia blinks, "Is that...?" she looks at her mom.

"It got mixed in with our other mail...I just found it." Nora explains.

"And you skipped your business trip to give this to me? I might not even get in." Mia states.

"You're my daughter, Mia...you are my first priority." Nora lightly touches Mia's chin.

Mia smiles softly. she opens the envelope. She pulls the paper out and silently reads it. A small laugh leaves Mia's lips. "I...I got in..." she whispers.

"YES!" Nora wraps her arms around her daughter. A lump forms in Mia's throat, she hugs her mom and closes her eyes. She opens her eyes and she's greeted with Bryce and Justin standing towards the school doors. Mia smiles and tightens her hug around her mom.

"I have to...I have to--"

"Go," Nora says.

"You know, you can love people who did...bad shit." Justin states. "You can forgive people. Even the people who hurt you worst." He looks at his brother.

"You're talking about Hannah." Clay states. He looks forward and sees the girl in that purple dress sitting on the bleachers with a smile on her face.

"When you forgive someone, it's more for you than them." Justin states.

"How much I hurt...with Hannah. Always." Clay admits. "It's my fault. I fall in love with girls too fast, too hard."

Clay continues to sit down. "But with Mia..." he lightly chuckles. "It feels right."

Justin smiles, "Of course it does." he says. "You're Clay and Mia."

Clay softly smiles, "I do forgive Hannah..." he nods his head.

"Clay," Mia calls out to him.

Clay turns to her and he smiles at Mia in her graduation gown. He was so proud of her. "Hey, Mia." he stands up and walks over to the brunette.

"I uh..." she chuckles and looks down at her heels. She pulls the envelope from behind her back. "I got into Brown," she says with a small smile.

Clay's smile grows, "Mia. That's amazing!" he exclaims.

"Yeah, I didn't think I would even be going to college. But here I am..." she shrugs and quietly laughs.

"You've always said that you're proud of me, Clay." Mia smiles. "And...honestly, I'm proud of you...like really fucking proud." she nods her head. "And I was also wondering if you wanted to go over the course catalog and first-year handbook of Brown? I know that we have that organization thing in common, but if you don't want to that's totally fine...and I'm rambling now, so I think I'm going to--"

Clay cuts Mia off by pulling her into a passionate kiss. Mia inhales, she slowly kisses him back, her arms wrapping around his neck. Clay and Mia's lips move in sync, Mia's heart beating against her chest. Clay separates from Mia and she opens her eyes. "I would love to go over the course catalog and first-year handbook with you," Clay says.

Mia nods her head, still dazed from the kiss. "C-Cool..." she clears her throat. "Cool..." she laughs.

"Jensen! Walker!" Zach calls out from the bleachers. Mia unwraps her arms from Clay's neck. They both look at their friends who were staring at them with teasing grins.

"Are we gonna do this?" Jessica asks.

Mia raises her brows, "Yeah, uh...yes." she chuckles.

Mia looks at Clay, she takes his hand into hers and they walk out of the gymnasium with their friends.

=========

"This is where I first listened to my tape," Clay says. They all look at the box of tapes in the ground. "And this is where we lay them to rest."

Mia gently squeezes Clay's arm. "Rest in peace," Tony says.

Mia looks at him and nods her head. "Come on, people," Zach says. "Let's pile on the closure dirt."

They all start to use many shovels to bury the tapes. Jessica turns her head and sees Bryce standing at the end of the trail. She walks over to him. "I'm on those tapes. It's my day too." Bryce states.

"No." Jessica shakes her head. "Your day's gone. Long gone."

"You need me in this world." Bryce states. "Otherwise, what would girls like you start riots about?"

"Oh, there's plenty." Jessica frowns.

"Still, I kinda feel like I won." Bryce shrugs.

"You didn't," Jessica replies. "I was looking around today at graduation, and I was thinking about how Justin was missing, and Hannah." She slightly shakes her head. "But then I thought, I love these people. Clay Jensen, Mia Walker, Zach, and Courtney, Ryan freakin' Shaver, for fuck's sake." she laughs.

"In what kind of world do I love all these kinds of people?" She questions. "The world you made," she adds. "We had to love each other at the end of it all. You did that."

"So that's something, right?" Bryce questions.

Jessica shrugs, "Sure."

Bryce presses his lips together, he turns and walks away. Jessica exhales as Bryce walks away. He was gone. Jessica turns around and sees Mia and Clay looking at her, obviously knowing what she's going through right now.

Jessica nods her head, signaling that she's okay. She's going to be okay. Mia smiles softly. They finish patting the dirt down. Clay stands near the fence. He leans his arms against it. Mia stands beside him.

Clay slides his hand into hers. She lays her head on his shoulder. Everyone slowly gathers around the fence. "All the shit that never would've happened." Zach states.

"But we would've never been friends." Jessica points out.

"We'll always have that." Tony states.

"If anyone ever needs any help, anytime, anyplace, just send a group text, say, 'Gordon Lightfoot'," Tyler says.

"Right on."

"Wait. What?" Ryan questions. "Gordon Lightfoot?"

"It's the strangest fucking code word." Clay clicks his tongue.

Mia frowns, "It really is."

==========

"I didn't really grow up with much positivity in my life. And if I had influences around me, they were definitely bad. My mother was a drug addict. Her revolving door of boyfriends, mostly drug addicts too. I had a best friend I used to look up to, but then he hurt people close to me, and now he's dead." Clay looks up from the letter. "Jesus, Justin, talk about dark."

"Just...keep going." Justin urges.

"There was a time in my life I truly had nothing but the clothes on my back and the regret for the people I'd hurt. And then a person came into my life. A person named...Clay Jensen." He looks at Justin.

"You wrote about me?" Clay asks.

"They, uh...They said to write about a positive influence in your life." Justin shrugs.

"Even when I was puking all over his room, he was there. He's always been there, which is why even though I've never had a proper family, I know what it feels like to have one because Clay gave that to me. Because he's my...he's my.." Clay places a hand over his mouth.

"He's my brother." Justin finishes. "He's my positive influence. He's the reason I'm alive and able to write this college essay in the first place."

Clay feels a choked sob leaves his mouth. "I miss you," he whispers.

Justin nods his head, a tear going down his cheek. "How am I supposed to do this without you?" Clay asks.

"Clay, it's like you said. You'll survive."

==========

"So...Brown?" Gwen chuckles. "With your boyfriend?"

Mia rolls her eyes, "Jesus, Gwen." she shakes her head.

"What I didn't say anything about you guys boning every day." Gwen holds her hands up in surrender.

Mia's eyes widen. "Dude--"

"Okay, that--that was my fault." Gwen laughs and so does Mia.

Mia sighs, she closes her eyes. "So...you're leaving for Harvard soon," she says.

Gwen looks down at her soda. "Yeah..." she says with a light chuckle. "I mean...I already knew I was gonna get in, but still...sucks I'll see you like three times a year. I hate being smart." Gwen flips her hair, dramatically with a sigh.

Mia laughs, "Hey, I'm smart. I just...procrastinate." she admits. "I'm telling you it's like an addiction."

Gwen snorts, she lays her head on Mia's shoulder. "I'll miss our little chats," she says.

"Yeah, now we'll have to text and facetime...gross..." Mia sips her soda.

"Shit..." Gwen snorts. "I totally forgot about the whole phone thing," she says.

Mia pulls her brows together. Gwen lifts her head off of Mia's shoulder and they both laugh.

After Mia said goodbye to Gwen, she was still sitting on the bench. "You really like it here," Justin says.

Mia laughs, "Uh...I mean it's where I eat my candy, so...yeah." she nods. "And it's where Clay and I have our picnics."

Justin smiles, "I'm happy for you, Em." he says. "You got the life that you've always wanted..." he adds.

Mia chuckles, "Yeah...it took a lot of pain, but...I'm here...and I came out stronger because of it." she nods her head.

Justin quietly laughs. Mia looks at him. "What?" she questions.

"Mia Walker has learned a lesson--"

"Okay..."

"This is the moral of your story!" Justin exclaims.

Mia rolls her eyes but she chuckles. "I don't know...It's crazy how many changes I have made to myself over the past couple years, huh?" she questions.

Justin hums in agreement and nods his head. "My favorite was Goth you...the dark hair, dark outfits, the new short hair, the new skull tattoo." he chuckles.

Mia looks at him and Justin looks at her. "Oh, yeah you now is cool too, I guess..." he teases.

Mia shakes her head and laughs.

"I'm gonna miss you." Mia whispers. "Can I still...visit you?" she asks.

"Mia--"

"I don't want have to see you...everyday, I just don't want to...lose you yet." Mia looks down at her hands.

Justin looks at the brunette. "You have to let go some time." he states.

Mia inhales, "I know...I know..." she exhales and wipes her tears. "I love you and I will miss you so much."

==========

Mia stands on the street, rocking back and forth on her heels. She sees Clay walk down his driveway and towards everyone. He stuffs his duffel bag into the trunk and closes it.

Clay hugs, Caleb, his mom, and dad. Mia looks at Tony. "Take care of him for me, okay?" Mia questions.

Tony chuckles, "I always do." he replies.

Mia and Tony hug each other. "I'm happy for you, Tony." she separates from him.

"And I'm proud of you, Mia." Tony says.

"I'll see you soon." Mia states.

Tony smirks, "I'll see you." he replies. Tony notices Clay walking over to them. "I'll give you guys some time." Tony walks away.

Mia turns to Clay and she smiles at him. "Best for last?" she questions.

Clay pretends to think hard for a moment, just to tease her and Mia laughs. "Clay Jensen has jokes now, that's so adorable." she wraps her arms around his waist and hugs him. Clay wraps his arms around her, not wanting to let go. They separate from each other, Mia smiles, she stands on her toes and kisses his lips.

Clay kisses her back, he touches the side of her face. They press their foreheads against each other. "I'll see you in two weeks, Ocean eyes." Clay whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Mia smiles softly, "I really love that nickname..." she whispers. Clay lightly touches her bracelet. "Two weeks..." Mia nods her head. "I can handle that." she shrugs.

Clay smiles, "I know you can." he nods.

She motions her head to the car. "I love you," she says.

"I love you, too." Clay replies. He hesitantly walks away from her. He waves at everyone. Tony and Clay get in the car.

Tony starts the car and they drive down the road. The brunette stuffed her hands into her pocket. She closes her eyes and lifts her head up toward the sun. A content smile on her face. Mia chuckles softly. For the first time in a while, Mia wasn't angry, she wasn't sad, she was...happy. And she was patient, she'll see her Ocean Eyes again. She always does.

A/N: This story means so much to me you guys don't even know. This series helped me through a lot of issues in my life and I am so grateful for it. I am so grateful for all of you and the fact that you guys ACTUALLY liked these books. It took me a while to actually write this last book because I just wanted to take my time and make it great for all of you. There were a lot of tears and a lot of mental breakdowns😅 But I love how it ended up, and I love all of you so much...THANK YOU❤️✨