Innocence Lost On the Gamble of Love

Innocence Lost On the Gamble of Love: Chapter 21

Author's Note: This is it. I am extremely pleased that I was able to follow through with this story. I'm very happy with the outcome. I had so much fun writing this, and I want to thank those of you who took time out of your day to come visit and read my story. It really means a lot <3 So... here it is. Please enjoy! =]

"Are you sure you're okay?" Derrick urgently whispered in Penelope's ear, clutching onto her hand in an effort to comfort her.

"Y-yeah," Penelope stuttered with a trembling lower lip. She was having trouble dwelling over the fact that this was actually happening. This momentous occasion had just taken place. After this, everything would change. Life had never been more real until now.

"You're lying," Derrick formulated, sensing the distress in his girlfriend's voice. 

Penelope sighed before explaining herself by saying, "Well it's denial, okay? It's hard to believe that this is actually happening, you know?"

"Well, you better believe it." Derrick boasted with a grin. "We just graduated."

"Isn't this great?!" Liz shouted, running towards the couple with her diploma waving in the air above her head. Her face was practically glowing from being so thrilled at the prospect of moving forward from the land of the drama. As she appeared in front of her best friend, she immediately asked, "Wait, why are you crying?"

It was true, Penelope was indeed tearing up. She always got overly emotional at the prospect of saying goodbye. She had been purposely avoiding the idea of saying farewell to everyone when graduation came, but now that the event had finally arrived, Penelope felt that she wouldn't have it in herself to let go of her friends all at once.

"It's nothing," Penelope lied casually, wiping her right eye with the back of her hand. "I'm just...overwhelmed."

"Aw, c'mon, you were the one always reminding us how many days of school were left!" Liz countered playfully.

Penelope ignored Liz and stared out at the crowds of students swarming away to their families.

She wished she could have been valedictorian (even though she cringed at the thought of publicly speaking) just to tell everyone- even the ones whom she hated, the students she had never spoken to in class, and the classmates who had no idea she even existed- that she would miss them all because they had carried such an impact on her life. They had been a part of her presence here- she had become this strong person because of them, even if they didn't know it. It hurt Penelope that none of her peers didn't know this. And now they never would.

You spend all of your time anticipating something, she told herself while Liz and Derrick shared a look of concern for the troubled girl in front of them. And after you get what you want, what happens next?

Penelope had always been an organized person. She was usually detail-oriented and fully prepared on the outcome of her plans. But not today. Or so she was telling herself. She had no idea what the world held in store for her now.

As Penelope busied herself with the logistics of anticipating the next step in her life, a gaggle of her friends along with their families, as well as her own parents, began to merge around her. Every one of these people standing before her had provided some kind of inspiration and support in her life, and she was terrified at the thought of forgetting about them. 

"This isn't it, right?" she croaked out as she desperately glanced across the row of faces in front of her. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She was trying to stop the tears and take a mental picture at the same time. When she opened her glassy brown orbs again, she mumbled out, "I mean, it's not over for us..."

It can't be. She flinched, her chest heaving as she tried to suck in the emotional turmoil of pain. Please, she internally begged. Don't leave me.

"This is only the beginning," Brooke said with a reassuring smile. It was that blissful smile that Penelope had come to look forward to seeing every day at school. After today, that would be gone as well.

"Yeah, Pen," Adrian spoke up. "it's only going to get better from here on out."

She still doubted them.

"And we have Facebook," Carina said suddenly.

"And four people here can drive," Hannah added in, meaning herself, Brooke, Liz, and Derrick. "So we can all hang out whenever."

"And you can text us," Liz regarded with a nod. She was sure that those 24/7 conversations that she and Penelope had would always remain to continue on until the dawn of time.

Penelope eventually nodded. "Yeah, okay." She took in a deep breath before asking, "So one last picture?"

"Of course!" half of her friends cheered while Derrick, Carina, and Liz mumbled out a, "Yeah, sure." They weren't fans of being photographed which is why they never took any unless Penelope asked them to.

That final shutter sound that came from their parents' digital cameras was the click of a final chapter being marked down into their history. It was the starting of a new era for The Rendezvous Point. Past the sea of blue cloaks, there was a possibility and the promise of a brighter future-shaping tomorrow's success.

With their hard-earned diplomas, the circle of friends knew that this meant they would have to become mature, civilized, and proper role models from here on out. In other words, it was time for all of them to officially become adults. They would have to leave their innocence, their immaturity, and impulsive mannerisms behind once and for all. But not today, tomorrow, the day after that or anytime soon for that matter.

Ritchie knew that better than anyone as he walked past the small group with Derrick's new car keys in hand, spinning the chain around on his index finger to make them clatter together noisily like a noisemaker.

"So," he said, aiming his voice at Derrick and Penelope. He was grinning as he tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. "Who's riding shotgun?"

END.