Finding Claire

Epilogue

"Claire Rosalyn Cross," the principal called and I walked out to the stage. I blushed as I felt hundreds of eyes on me, and my blush got even deeper as I heard familiar screams.

"Way to go Claire!" Nathan screamed from his seat as he waited for his line to get called up.

"Way to go baby!" my dad screamed from somewhere in the audience.

"I gave birth to that girl!" my mom screeched and I froze mid step. My blush got even deeper as I heard my dads reply.

"And I helped make her!"

I groaned and covered my face with my hands as I heard roars of laughter all around me. Oh man kill me now.

"Congratulations," the principal chuckled as he handed me my diploma. I smiled and shook his hand before pausing briefly for a couple of photos and then continued on as I shook hands with some teachers.

When I finally stepped down and managed to control my flaring face, I sat down in my seat and waited for the rest of my classmates to be called out.

"Gabrielle Anne Hunters."

I looked up as Gabby walked into the stage and grabbed her diploma as almost everyone screamed. Yeah I still hated her. Although she stopped bothering me after the prom incident, it didn't mean that she stopped giving me the evil glare.

Fifteen minutes later, I heard, "Richard Thomas Robinson."

I smiled and cheered on as he walked on stage and grabbed his diploma. Yes, I was cheering and yes, it was the Richard. Confused? Well so was I until yesterday after school. You see, in the morning, he came up to me as I was walking towards school and he apologized for what had happened to me throughout those two years. He explained that he never wanted it to happen and the only reason he didn't say anything or even bully me himself was because he just wanted to fit in. But when I had the accident that landed me in the hospital, he knew it had gotten too far and that it was all their fault. So he broke up with Gabby and dropped himself out of the group. He had been alone since then and I didn't notice until that afternoon when I saw Gabby wrapped up all over Xander, eating his face while Richard walked a few feet away, not even caring. I caught up to him, asked him if he was ok and the words that he told me still haunt me. "I'll only be alright if you forgive me. I started it and I'm finishing it. But I just need your forgiveness." I forgave him right away and he looked surprised. "It wasn't your fault. Just because Gabby saw something wrong, it doesn't mean you did anything. We both know what really happened and that's all that matters. Besides, if you had come and apologized to me earlier, I would have probably forgiven you as well." And with that, he gave me a hug and then backed away as we saw Nathan sprinting towards us with a murderous glare.

Speaking of the devil. Not even ten minutes later, the principal called out his name. "Nathan William Williams."

I stood up from my seat and cheered with his parents as they screamed out similar words like my parents. As the laughter died down, he caught my eyes and then he winked at me before walking back to his seat.

Before I even knew it, we were all moving our tassels and then screaming as half of the students threw their hats up into the air in celebratory. I smiled and as fast as I could with all the warm bodies, I ran in my heels to the audience as I eyed my parents waving at me.

"Congratulations!" my dad cried as he hoisted me up over the rail and crushed me into a hug. Before I even knew it, I was being crushed by my mom and then I felt another pair of arms surround me.

"You are suffocating me!" I screeched and they laughed. As soon as they let me go, I noticed that Nathan's parents were with us and they were hugging their graduate as well. Once all of the celebrating was over -for now as we were all going out to eat- we started to head out and try to beat the traffic. Nathan grabbed my hand and pulled me behind as we let our parents trail ahead of us.

"Can you believe it? We just graduated!" he sighed happily as he squeezed my hand. I smiled and squeezed it back before stopping to give him a big hug. "Woah. What is this for?"

"I just want to thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. You saved me.... Well you injured me as well but you saved me. You saw who I really was even though I was hiding and that didn't stop you from trying to be my friend. Yeah the bet got in the way, but you did everything in your power to try and get me back because you knew who I truly was and that's who you wanted. So thank you."

"I'll always find you Claire. No matter what you do to hide yourself, I will always find you. And no, I have to thank you."

"Thank me? Why?"

"You are the one who saved me. I was always trying to be someone I wasn't as well, but you're the one who made me realize I could just be myself and still have everything I want.... We'll have everything I'm comfortable with. You saved me Claire and I will be eternally grateful for it."

Saving Nathan? Huh... That actually didn't sound that bad. I smiled and wiggled my eyebrows. "Do you want to know what you can do for me since I saved you?"

"What?" I gave him my diploma and turned him around. I pulled off my heels as he turned his head with a confused look. "What are you doing?"

"Well I don't want to stab you with my heels as I get on your back for a piggy-back ride," I stated and then jumped. He wobbled a bit, but laughed and straightened me out before grabbing my legs and started to walk.

"Oh, so now I'm your personal slave ride?" he laughed as he jumped and I squealed. I slapped his head and he winced.

"Yes. But you're also my friend, so suck it up."

"I thought I was your best friend," he pouted and I laughed.

"Nope. You said Rachelle was your best friend. She sang with you without even blinking an eye," I stated and smiled. I had found out that the girl who got up on stage was Rachelle. At first, I thought that they were long lost lovers or something. With her long, shiny brown hair, big bright green eyes surrounded by thick eyelashes and a body every model would die for, I was.... jealous. But then when he said that she was Rachelle and they were nothing more than friends, I began to like her and I could tell we were going to be great friends in the future. She was the total opposite of me, but I loved it and she loved me. "The only girl who got Nathan down on his knees and sing for her!" she laughed and hugged me. That was all yesterday.

Before he could say anything, he walked out into the parking lot and we were met with our laughing parents. "Hurry up kids! We don't have all the time in the world!" Matt yelled out.

"You heard them! Giddy up horsey!" I screamed and tugged his ears.

"Oh god. What did I get myself into!" Nathan cried as he ran towards them.

"You got into my life," I whispered in his ear and pecked his cheek before getting off. His eyes twinkled and with our families surrounding us, there was nothing else in the world that I wanted. I had everything, I had everyone, but most of all, I had myself.

Because without them, I would have never found Claire.

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😭😭 Its over! I'm so sad!!! I just want to thank you all for reading and I really appreciate it. This is my first book on Wattpad (so sorry if it sucked!) and I hope it's not the last. I'll see you all later on another adventure and please, keep on reading!!! There's lots to read, but no time to do it!!! LOVE YOU ALL!

grizzie-grey out!