After Everything

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Finale

The friend group decided to spend the night of homecoming on Brittany's boat instead of at the large party Giovanni was hosting. They thought it would be best to keep it small to avoid more conflict. They were officially over the drama.

As always, Brittany brought the White Claws, claiming every good boat ride was spent drinking them. They were all dancing to the music and sipping on their drinks, celebrating a night that would be one to remember forever.

Jake and Juliana sat at the back of the boat, watching as Brittany and Trevor shotgunned a White Claw. Trevor was finished in seconds, throwing his can down to the floor of the boat in accomplishment. Brittany was playfully shoving him, upset that she lost.

Cassie laughed, using the cold White Claw as a makeshift ice pack for her irritated feet. Jordan, Toby, and Max were cheering for Trevor, who was clapping for his own success.

Jake turned to Juliana with a small smile on his face. Her eyes were on their friends in front of them. "I had a really fun last two nights with you," he told her.

She met his eyes, smiling back. Things had gone perfectly. "Me too."

Those past two nights, not just for Jake and Juliana, but for the entire friend group, made up for the rocky start of the school year. They had never felt so alive and free. They remembered who they really were - teenagers in high school just trying to have a good time. The drama distracted them from doing so.

Jake and Juliana were first thrown into the drama thanks to Lola, who had her heart set on splitting them up. Even if they did fall prey to her games and went on a break, they still made it out alive. The situation taught them that no one could come between them again because they only wanted each other.

Cassie struggled to handle the pressure from her family and her life, which progressively was getting more stressful. She also struggled to open up to her loved ones after being in an abusive relationship. With help, love, and support from those around her, she was able to realize who she was, and she was starting to love herself more and more every day.

Queen Bee Brittany suffered from heartbreak - losing not just her boyfriend but her best friend - but in the process, she met someone who she couldn't wait to make new memories with. Sometimes even the worst of situations led to the best ones.

Even if the school year started on the wrong foot and wasn't what anyone expected, the friend group overcame every challenge thrown their way. It pushed them to be stronger human beings and taught them to fight for each other. Despite it all - the drama, the heartbreak, the mistrust, the anxiety - they never lost who they truly were.

But with college approaching on the horizon, things were bound to change. Nothing stayed the same after high school - that was a known fact. People changed, whether that was for the best or for the worst. It was inevitable.

And while things were currently in the calm after the storm, the friend group had no idea what life would be like after graduation.

Until the future became the present, for now, only time could tell the outcome.

THE END.