MATT STURNIOLO IMAGINES

All the Years in One Moment

The day was perfect—blue skies, the sun warm on our backs, and the buzzing excitement in the air as the entire senior class stood together, lined up for one final walk across the lacrosse field. I could feel the weight of the moment, not just for me but for everyone around me. For Matt. For us.

It had been four years—four years of memories, late nights, endless studying, sports events, and, most importantly, the quiet moments we shared, not even knowing how much we meant to each other. But now, here we were, about to graduate together, about to take the last step out of high school.

I glanced over at Matt, who stood beside me, but he looked different today. He was still wearing that nervous energy I knew all too well, but today, it was stronger than usual. Normally, Matt would be jittery and anxious, but today... today, he seemed completely on edge. His eyes kept flickering between me and the ground, and his fingers kept tapping his side in rapid rhythm.

"You alright?" I asked, nudging him lightly, noticing how tense he was.

Matt let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair, clearly distracted. "Yeah, I'm fine... Just a little nervous. It's... a big day."

"Are you sure it's just about graduation?" I asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow. "You look like you're about to take a test or something."

He chuckled weakly, but I could see the nervousness still radiating off of him. "I'll be okay. It's nothing."

But I could tell it wasn't nothing. Something was weighing on him.

The ceremony continued as planned, the names being called out as students walked across the stage. The crowd cheered. Parents shouted in excitement. And then, finally, it was our turn.

As Matt walked across the stage to receive his diploma, I couldn't help but watch him, so proud of everything he had accomplished. And when I stepped up to receive mine, there was something about the weight of the moment that made it feel like everything was about to change.

But before all of that, I had no idea that Matt's brothers were playing a bigger role in today's events than I realized.

Earlier that day, Matt had been in his room, pacing back and forth, his heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with the ceremony. He had been avoiding looking in the mirror all morning, too caught up in the anxiety of what he was about to do. Chris and Nick had been sitting nearby, noticing how tense he was.

"Dude, you're more nervous than usual," Chris pointed out, glancing up from his phone. "What's going on?"

Matt stopped pacing, his eyes wide. "I can't do it. I can't just tell Y/N how I feel."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "You've liked her since freshman year. Are you really going to let this whole graduation thing go by without saying anything?"

"I can't mess this up. Not now. She's gonna be graduating, and I don't even know if she feels the same way," Matt said, his voice shaky. The anxiety was suffocating him, and he couldn't seem to stop the nerves building inside him.

Chris leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "Come on, man. You've literally been obsessed with her since day one. Everyone knows except Y/N, and I'm sure she knows more than you think."

"I just... what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if I ruin everything?" Matt ran a hand through his hair, frustration mixing with the anxiety.

Nick stood up, walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Matt, listen. You've spent four years hiding it, and I'm telling you right now—you'll regret it if you don't just tell her. You don't want to let this moment pass without being honest."

Chris nodded, his voice softening. "And if she doesn't feel the same way, you'll still have her as a friend. But if you don't say anything, you might lose your chance forever."

Matt hesitated, looking out the window at the lacrosse field below, where graduation was about to take place. "You really think I can do it?"

Nick and Chris exchanged a look before answering in unison.

"Hell, yes, you can."

Back at the ceremony, the countdown began as everyone got ready to throw their caps. I noticed Matt's face was pale, his usual nervous energy now bordering on panic. He glanced at me briefly, and I could tell something was coming. There was no way he'd let this moment pass without telling me how he felt.

"I need to tell you something," he said suddenly, his voice trembling as he took a step closer to me.

I looked up at him, my heart already racing. "What's wrong?"

He swallowed hard, his eyes darting away from mine for a moment. It was as if he was battling with himself, the words caught somewhere between his thoughts and his lips. "I—I don't know how to say this. But I can't keep it in anymore."

I looked at him, confused and nervous for him. He was rarely this anxious, especially not in front of me. "Matt, it's okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

He shook his head slightly, his breath coming out in shaky bursts. "No, you don't understand. I've liked you... since freshman year. I've always liked you, Y/N. I just—" He stopped mid-sentence, running a hand through his hair, his jaw clenching. "I've been too scared to tell you. I don't know what it is, but every time I think about telling you, I freeze up. But this... this is it. I can't let graduation pass without saying it because you mean so much to me."

His voice cracked slightly at the end, and I could see how hard this was for him. His usual anxiety was nothing compared to this—it was as if every word he said weighed a thousand pounds.

"I've always wanted to tell you," he continued, his voice quieter now, "but I never thought you'd feel the same way. I kept thinking maybe I was just... I don't know... holding on to something that wasn't real. But I couldn't stop thinking about you. I kept wishing... wishing I had just told you sooner. But I guess it doesn't matter now, does it? I just—" His words trailed off, and he stood there, eyes searching mine, waiting for me to say something.

I stood still, my heart pounding in my chest, unsure of what to say. This was everything I had been waiting to hear from him, everything I'd wanted to tell him in my own heart, but I didn't have the right words either. I didn't need to.

Without thinking, I stepped forward, closing the gap between us. I cupped his face gently in my hands, my thumbs tracing the lines of his jaw, and before he could speak again, I kissed him.

The world seemed to stop for a moment. The cheers from the crowd, the sound of the countdown, everything faded into the background as our lips met. It was soft, slow, and everything I had been waiting for. The kiss was full of everything unspoken, the years of friendship, of longing, of finally being brave enough to admit how we felt.

When we pulled away, Matt's breath was shaky, and his eyes were wide with surprise and something else—relief.

"Guess that's my answer, huh?" I whispered, a smile tugging at my lips.

Matt chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Yeah... yeah, I think you just gave me an answer."

Just then, the countdown reached its final moments. The rest of the class was shouting in excitement, the energy building as everyone got ready to throw their caps.

"Three! Two! One!" the crowd cheered, and without thinking, I joined in with the rest of the class, tossing my cap into the air. Matt followed suit, his hand still holding mine, his smile a little brighter now.

As we stood there in the midst of the celebration, surrounded by everyone we had shared these years with, I knew that this moment was just the beginning for us. The end of high school meant so many things to so many people, but it was the start of something new for Matt and me. And whatever came next, we would face it together.