corruption

six ੈ✩‧₊

Lacie's pov: (time skipped 2 years)

The sun was brutal, beating down on us as we sat in those rows of chairs, all lined up like some kind of uniform army, caps and gowns swaying in the breeze. I tugged at the neckline of my gown, feeling the sweat starting to gather. Dark green wasn't exactly my color, and in this heat, it felt more like a punishment than a graduation outfit.

I tried to listen as the headmaster droned on about resilience and how proud he was of us, but my mind was somewhere else. I glanced around, searching the rows of students in front of me, looking for Nina. It didn't take long before I spotted her, a couple rows up, adjusting her cap and glancing back over her shoulder like she knew I was looking for her. When our eyes met, I couldn't help but smile, and she shot me a grin right back.

I tried to focus, to let the reality of the moment sink in, but it all felt so surreal. After everything, the chaos, the uncertainty, the long nights of studying, we were finally here. July 2020. We were actually graduating.

The headmaster kept talking, but his voice was background noise at this point. I glanced up at the old school building, the one I had spent so much time staring at during lunch breaks and between classes. So many memories came rushing back, like a movie playing in my head. The times Nina and I had. The stress, the anxiety, it all seemed so distant now, but I could feel it lingering at the edge of my mind. I'd been so scared we wouldn't get this day.

Then the speeches blurred into one another. A teacher, a student rep, someone from the board of education, they all said the same things: how strong we were, how proud everyone was, how we'd gotten through one of the toughest years imaginable. It felt rehearsed, like they had to say it, but I guess they weren't wrong. It had been tough.

And then my name was called.

"Lacie Sugar."

My stomach clenched a little, a strange mix of nerves and excitement hitting me all at once. I stood up, feeling a bit lightheaded as I walked down the aisle. There was a handshake a smile from the headmaster, and the sound of my name being announced over the speakers. No roaring applause either, just polite clapping, but that was okay. The surrealness of it all made the moment feel heavy, like it wasn't just a graduation—it was the end of something huge, the closing of a chapter I'd been so desperate to finish.

I took the certificate from the table, my hand brushing the cool edge of the paper, and gave a small nod to the headmaster. As I turned and walked back to my seat, my heart was pounding. It felt official now. Real. I did it. We all did it.

Sitting back down, I caught Nina's eye again, and we shared a quick, goofy smile. This was it, the end of school, the start of something new. It didn't feel quite real yet, but that didn't matter. We'd survived the craziest year of our lives and come out on the other side.

The ceremony dragged on after that, name after name being called, but I was barely paying attention. My mind had already moved forward to tonight, to the afterparty we'd planned. I couldn't wait to throw off this heavy gown, grab a drink, and dance the night away with Nina and the rest of our friends. Just the thought of it made me feel lighter.

The final name was called, and the ceremony ended with one last speech I barely heard. As everyone started to stand, I pulled my cap off, the rush of air cooling my sweaty forehead. Graduation was over. Just like that, school was done.

I smiled to myself, the buzz of excitement bubbling under my skin. Now it's time to really celebrate.

—

The night is buzzing with excitement, like the air is charged with this electric sense of freedom. I stand in the middle of it all, lights flashing around me, the crowd of graduates moving to the beat of "Katy on a Mission." The bass thumps through the floor, pulsing under my feet, blending with the laughter, the shouting, and the clinking of drinks.