A month later...
"Now, it's the moment you've all been waiting for... Rise up!" Katelyn's principal announced.
Rows and rows of outgoing graduates unseated from their lounge chairs for this final moment while a fanfare of cheers descended down from a series of nearby bleachers.
"Graduates, please move your tassels from the right to the left. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present you the graduating class of..."
Katelyn turned her head and tuned out the world as she soaked in the festivities. Nearly a year had passed since she moved across the country, and in that time, much had happened. She not only survived starting at a new school but also found a sense of belonging near the Pacific coast. And along the way, she picked up a handy hunk of wood that became the catalyst for her real transformation: from a shy girl who frequently ran away from her troubles to a lady who confronted them head on... or rather mask on. She lifted her hand above her blonde locks and transferred her yellow tassel to the left and marked the end to her K-12 education.
Suddenly, a sea of red caps flew into the air as hundreds of other seniors around her symbolically signaled the end to their adolescent academic career. Katelyn in turn, tossed her cap high enough to be able to retrieve it before joining the rest of her now ex-classmates as they dispersed from their assigned seating towards the exit. As she got up she felt a pair of hands grab her waist and heard a familiar valley-girl voice joyfully cry out.
"We're done!" Maria screeched as she gave her now good friend a gentle squeeze before letting go. Thanks to a little help from Katelyn, Maria's suspension from school had been cleared and she was able to walk during graduation. It was a little reward for being a docile participant during their little visit to their ex-boyfriend a month ago.
The two girls joined the rest of the crowd as they exited the stadium and shared their plans for the summer.
"Gonna stay in Miami all summer until I move into Davis. How about you?" Maria asked as she pulled out her phone to check her messages.
Katelyn was about to reply but then felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see him; Danny. She hadn't seen much of him since April Fools' Day. In fact, she noticed that he would deliberately stay away from her whether at school or out and about. Maria looked up from her phone and gave her ex a snarl before walking off; leaving Katelyn alone with her ex.
"Hey, can you... uh, sign my yearbook?" Danny bashfully asked as he held up his yearbook and an ink pen.
As they stood across from each other, both individuals sensed an awkwardness between them as old feelings resurfaced. Danny still held a flame for Katelyn and her alter-ego, but was emotionally scarred from their "personal" encounter. Meanwhile, while Katelyn maintained her composure outwardly she struggled with a range of conflicting emotions that kept her firmly guarded. Despite this, Katelyn took Danny's book and flipped to a random page to jot down a note.
"So..." Danny mumbled as he watched the blonde flip through his book. "That's it, huh?"
"Mhmmm," Katelyn lamented as she uncapped his pen.
"Crazy year, right?" Danny asked as he looked at her jaw.
"Craaaazy..." Katelyn replied as she tapped the top of the pen on her cheek. Danny could sense that she wasn't in the mood for small talk and took a deep breathe before getting straight to the point.
"So, umm... about us... I-I don't even know how to..."
"Listen." Katelyn interrupted as she raised her head and looked at him with an intense stare. "We both had our moments but it didn't work out. I'm willing to move on, you?" She suggested as Danny took a step back and sheepishly nodded in agreement.
