The first time Asher and I danced, pressed together on our knees in the school studio.
Caleb waving at us from the soccer field as he chased the little white ball.
Kyle and I in a fit over Petrie Peter’s dried chin drool.
Dana laughing hysterically on my floor when I told her about my day in Dance, spilling nail polish all over the floor.
Brenda’s shocked face as I smeared my red velvet cupcake in her face.
Asher tucking me into bed the night I got drunk.
Mom brushing my hair from my forehead, planting a kiss on my cheek.
Me as a fourteen year old, spinning in the dance studio where I would kiss Asher, my hair flying behind me as I spun.
I slid down Asher’s body as he dropped me to the ground, and I immediately spun away from him until only the tips of our fingers touched. It was time for our grand finale. As I ran to Asher, I had a vivid flash of myself running into his arms years from now, a white gown trailing behind me. Asher got onto one knee and caught me as I flipped over his shoulder, my legs landing behind him, and my arms around his neck as he rose.
He pulled me forward and we both slid until we were on our knees, facing each other, breathing hard, once again. We beamed at each other, so lost in our world that at first, I almost didn’t register the roaring of the crowd.
Asher and I looked at the same time as he helped me to my feet. The audience was on its feet, and thunderous applause rocked the stadium as they cheered. Spencer stamped his feet and released an ear-splitting whistle while Paul whooped at the top of his lungs.
I reached for Asher’s hand, and we bowed to the crowd as they gave us a standing ovation. The host stood off to the side, clapping loudly and smiling at us.
Asher’s arm wrapped around my waist. “This is what you were always meant for, angel. To be seen, appreciated, loved. You’ve found your place. You did it!”
With the cheers of the crowd in the background, I locked my gaze with his beautiful eyes, letting myself see the love and adoration this amazing person had for me.
I leaned on my tiptoes, and before I pressed my lips to his, I whispered, “We both found a place we belong. And I’m looking right at him.”
And the rest is moon-cheese history, I suppose.
Epilogue
Limitless With You
“Are you sure my ass doesn’t look big in this?”
“Dana, everyone’s ass looks big in this.”
“Why do we even have to wear these?”
“Maybe because we can’t graduate in our street clothes?”
“I have some pretty rocking torn jeans.”
“Shut up, Dana.”
It was G-Day. Graduation Day, and naturally, Dana was freaking over the size of her butt in the royal blue gowns. I had half a mind to call Kyle over to kiss her mindless so she’d be too high on endorphins to talk. The teachers had told us to sit on the chairs with our names on them and Dana’s surname was Harris, which meant she should be far away from the R section.
But this was Dana. She didn’t give a crap.
She’d eventually warmed up to Asher in the past few months after the ‘Brenda’ incident. She’d decided he’d do anything for me, which meant he was good people in her book. As for Kyle, I’d had a little ‘chat’ with him- unbeknownst to Dana- where I told him exactly where I’d place his gonads if he ever crossed my best friend, then I gave him a hug.
It had taken the poor boy a week to meet my eye after that.
Caleb waved at us from the J section. He’d tugged Phoebe down onto his lap, where the girl sat blushing adorably. She’d come to support her graduating boyfriend, which had made me and Dana tease Caleb until he promised to kick a soccer ball through our windows.
Dana and I had attempted to have a little ‘chat’ with Phoebe too, but we’d taken pity on her when she’d burst into tears only after the second time Dana threatened to make her policeman father make Phoebe’s murder seem like an accident. We knew she loved Caleb, but the emotionally- moronic boy was totally oblivious.
“Graduates, please resume your seats if you haven’t yet,” Mr. Henderson spoke into the mike, leveling his gaze at Dana, who stuck her tongue out and returned to her seat with a mumbled “yolo.”
“It brings me great pleasure to graduate the class of 2014. It’s been a year with ups and downs, tears and joy. Friends have been made, they’ve been lost, but these students have come out stronger for it. It makes me proud to be Principal of these outstanding students,” Mr. Henderson said gruffly.
The students and teachers clapped politely as he wiped at his eye. Clearing his throat, he spoke. “And presenting this year’s valedictorian, Asher Grayson!”
I whooped loudly as my boyfriend strode onto the stage, completely self-assured. All his hard work had paid off, and he had been accepted into UCLA to study law, where he could escape his past and the last dredges of his father’s influence.
He stopped at the mike, making an obvious sweep of the audience before his gaze found mine. A breathtaking smile curved his lips, and I heard a more than a few girls inhale sharply.
Our relationship had been unbreakable after the NDT- which we were second place for, by the way, some creepily flexible ballerina got the trophy- and Asher had introduced himself to my parents as my boyfriend. My Dad fell in love with him almost as much as I did once he saw his motorcycle and car, but my Mom had taken a bit to come around, but even she was helpless to Asher’s looks and charm. That boy was a force of nature.
He’d confronted Brenda about what she’d done, and she’d broken down in a mess of tears. Apparently, she’d been in love with him for years, but he’d never seen her as more than temporary, so naturally she’d hated the girl who had him ‘wrapped around her finger’. She stayed away from us the rest of the year and warned Kelsie away from me. I was still confused as to why she had her Dad defend my case with Jared. Asher thought it was some way to make up for what she did, but I wasn’t so sure.
Our first Valentine day, Asher had surprised me with a trip to a teeny factory a few towns over that sold something called moon cheese. I’d been skeptical at first until I tested it. Asher had laughed so hard when I’d tried to gravitate to the moon, but that cheese was damn delicious. Just the flavor took me to outer space.
I bought him a pound of burgers and kidnapped him. Oh yeah, I blindfolded him and took him to the jail where his father was. His exact reaction when he saw where we where?
“What the fuck?!”
It took a solid thirty minutes of begging to get him in there, as well as a making me say “Asher is the sexy, hot, funny man of my dreams” ten times.
I’d only walked Asher in to make sure he didn’t bail- haha get it, bail at a jail cell? Okay, I’ll stop- and the pure relief and adoration that washed over Asher’s father’s handsome features when he saw his son made my heart hurt.
I’d waited outside, and when Asher came out, it looked like a load had been lifted from his shoulders. He thanked me by kissing me until I was not legally stable enough to drive.
We’d fought constantly, of course, and each one ended the same. Asher lugged me over his shoulder while I shouted and made me eat a Hershey’s.
Anyways, back to Graduation. I’d been accepted to South Dakota State, which had a very good literary program that I was excited to take (hopefully it wouldn’t include Romeo and Juliet), and while I’d had a crying jag for three days straight once I realized how far away Asher and I would be from each other, I’d accepted it. Neither of us wanted to take a break. We were too in love to let something like distance break us up, despite the horror stories about long-distance relationships.
Dana and Caleb were going to nearby universities, so I was stuck with those loveable assholes until we are all gray-haired and watching The Vampire Diaries against Caleb’s will.
A hush fell over the students and parents alike as Asher adjusted the mike to his tall height. We waited breathlessly until he spoke.
“Today’s the day we’ve all been equally dreading and anticipating for the past four years. Today we leave behind a sea of memories, good and bad. We leave behind friends, lovers, confidantes, and half of ourselves. Every part of Darwin High holds a place in our hearts. The tree where you kissed your first girlfriend, the first classroom you ditched, the first car you got-sorry if I slashed the tires, by the way.
“We’re moving on, going off to discover ourselves and the future. From here on out, we live for us. Not for our parents, our teachers, but for each and every one of you. We can chase our dreams and make them happen. I’d like to say the worst is over, but let’s be real. High school is not the worst time of your life. Hell, you guys see that beautiful girl right there, in the R section? She’s the best thing that ever happened to me, and I met her in high school. We learned how to build a friendship in the past few years, how to trust, how forgive. The core of what makes us who we are, of what’ll define us as life yanks us back and forth in the future, was made within the badly painted walls of Darwin High. This is it, guys. We’re done.”
A smile curved his lips as his eyes met mine once more. “Welcome to the rest of your lives.”
All the students rose to their feet, hooting and hollering. The parents and Mr. Henderson looked confused, given Asher’s random side notes, but they rose to their feet as well.
Mr. Henderson thanked Asher, who took his seat in the G section. He said a few more words and started calling the students of the names to come and receive their diploma. My palms were sweating, my heart thudding erratically in my chest as I watched each student wrap their fingers around the diploma.
“Asher Grayson!” I got to my feet and let out a loud scream before returning to my seat. The redness of my cheeks was worth it to see Asher laugh as he accepted his diploma.
“Dana Harris!” Caleb and I rose at the same time and whooped. Kyle whistled loudly, and Dana’s Dad waved his flare gun in the air until Mr. Henderson shot him a panicked look.
Caleb’s name was called, and Phoebe jumped to her feet and emitted a holler that would’ve put a bullhorn to shame. I was shocked until Caleb winked at her, and she blushed again.
When my turn came, I was ready to keel over from nervousness.
You can do this, you can do this, its only a diploma.
“Ivy Robello!”
Cheers filled the air as I climbed the stage, and I saw Paul and Spencer snapping picture after picture while my Dad lifted Jodi onto his shoulders and Mom dabbed at her eyes. Asher, Dana, Caleb, and Kyle were probably disrupting sound waves in England with their volume. Mr. Henderson grinned at me as I reached for the diploma, and I smiled back at the Principal who wasn’t surprised to hear me say phrases like, “lagoon poo.”
I walked to the end of the stage and climbed to the other end, slightly dizzy. I barely registered my friends squeezing my arm as I passed.
It’s over. High school is over. I’ll never walk the halls of Darwin High as a student again.
There was a mixture of terror, excitement, sadness, and nerves in my belly that left me feeling slightly nauseous. The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur, and by the time I looked up again, my friends were on either side of me, and a pair of strong arms were winding around my waist.
“Ready, angel?” he whispered in my ear.
I grinned. “I’ve been ready.”
“And now, presenting to you, the graduated Class of 2015!”
As I threw my cap amid the sea of black, it was like everything paused, and I was watching the scene from above.
~PAUSE~
For a suspended second, I floated out of my body and looked down at the frozen scene.
There was Dana, my best friend through everything, always by my side. She was my anchor, and I knew I’d never lose her.
There was Caleb, the boy who’d proclaimed that he hated Algebra before plopping down at me and Dana’s lunch table and staying there for the next three years and complained about cabbage. He’d always protect his best friends.
There was Kyle, the blond who’d made Biology bearable and made Asher realize he had a wicked jealous streak. He’d take good care of my best friend.
And finally, there was Asher. Together, we’d beat all odds and made it through. Past a mentally unstable ex-boyfriend, murderous loan sharks, conniving Plastics, and our own stubbornness against the prospect of love. Somehow, we’d championed. He would take a bullet for me, and I’d jump in front of a bus for him. I didn’t care if he was going to school in Saturn. Nothing would tear us apart.
Thick cords of friendship, love, and memories linked each of us, and I knew without a shadow of doubt that while our paths in the future would go in different directions, they would all start from the same point. No matter how far we went, we would always have our roots right here.
Together, we were limitless.
~PLAY~
INCOMING BONUS CHAPTERS!
Turn the page to read the crazy catastrophes of our couples during Valentine’s Day!
Dyle
“What if you’re taking me to a black market to sell me to some creeper slave driver and I never find my way back home? How do I know that's not what you're attempting?”
“Because I’m your boyfriend!”
“Haven’t you read Wuthering Heights? That means nothing!”
“I’m not taking off the blindfold, and if you don’t quiet down so I can focus on the road, I’m turning on loud pop music,” Kyle threatened.
Dana pouted, slumping into her seat and muttering something that sounded suspiciously like ‘Christian Grey complex’ under her breath.
With the radio playing a catchy sixties song Kyle was currently obsessed with, the pair drove past field after field of grass, occasionally glimpsing a cow or two on the lone country road. Dana nodded off, and Kyle exhaled deeply. He loved his girlfriend, but she was not the best person at easing tension.
It was Valentine’s Day, and Kyle had everything planned to a T. He was going to take Dana to this small, out-of-way factory that sold unadulterated, pure and creamy ice cream. They were going to get a tour of the whole place. She’d squeal and take a few million pictures of random objects, they’d eat their weight in ice cream, and then she’d go easy on him the next few times they got in a fight. She’d like it, surely. Right?
Suddenly, the brake grew heavy under Kyle’s foot, and they lurched forward, only stopped from slamming into the dashboard by the seatbelts. The engine gave a screech and died.
Kyle groaned, hitting the steering wheel with his palm.
This was definitely not part of the plan.
Dana bit back a curse as her seatbelt slammed into her seat. What the heck just happened? She’d been trying to keep quiet, since it was obvious Kyle was nervous, but now the car had died.
And they were in the middle of nowhere, and the sun was quickly descending.
“What happened?” Dana blurted, unclipping her seatbelt and turning to face Kyle in the cramped car. He peeked at her from the corner of his eye, like she was a volcano on the verge of exploding.
“The car died.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Yeah, I got that part, but why? Are we out of gas?”
Kyle opened the door and rounded the car, lifting the hood. Billows of smoke rose, alarming Dana. She rushed after him, stopping in front of the car. While she couldn’t figure out the doo-hickey’s under the hood, the smoke and the sizzling noise it made when Kyle sprayed some water on it didn’t bode well.
“The engine overheated,” Kyle explained glumly, closing the hood once again. They both took in their surroundings, the full realization that their only neighbors were cows and vast expanses of grass hitting them. Dana fumbled for her phone, and groaned. “No signal,” she lamented.
Kyle checked his phone too. “Same. So much for “anytime, anywhere” connection. Technology is a lie.”
“We can try walking back, I guess,” he suggested, not looking excited by the prospect.
Dana didn’t even acknowledge the absurd statement with a reply. “Let’s hitchhike. People do it all the time on T.V, and I’ve read about it in books.”
Kyle gaped at her. “Yeah, I’ve read about it too. In R.L Stine horror novels.”
She scowled. “Do you see any other options here, Sherlock?”
Great. This was great. Their first Valentine’s day as a couple, and they were already fighting. Dana didn’t know whether or howl at the moon like a deranged animal or beat Kyle with the nearest cow for this pointless expedition.
“What car would drive through here anyway? It’s practically a wasteland,” Kyle stated.
Dana punched him.
He gripped his stomach, doubling over the car. “What the HELL, Dana?!”
“Of course, no SANE person would wander through here! I wouldn’t be surprised if Jeepers Creepers, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and the Grudge all showed up to say hello right now,” she shouted, shoving her hair away from her face as the wind picked up speed.
“I APOLOGIZE for trying to do something special for you! Next time I’ll just buy you some fake roses and a cheap teddy bear!” he yelled.
“You still haven’t even told me where we were going!”
“And now you aren’t going to find out,” he snapped.
The sun had set, and the previously green pastures were now shadowed and scary. The dark road stretched on, and the street lights cast a creepy glow over everything.
Dana scooted nearer to Kyle. He may be pissed at her, but she knew he would keep her safe. Her annoyance ebbed away to be replaced by fear. They were God-knows where, without working phones, and a broken car.
Wasn’t this the preface of every CSI episode?
She was about to suggest they go wait in the car when the loud rumble of a truck disturbed the still night. Kyle grabbed her arm, pulling her behind him as he waved at the large truck. It rolled to a stop in front of them, and a chubby, bearded man poked his head from the window. “You folks having some car trouble?”
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