Hidden Behind Walls

Chapter 31: Graduation

Well, I was gonna update last night...but I fell asleep studying. Soooo, here's the chapter I promised. Also we're at 101k,           \(>~<\)     (/>~<)/. Thanks for reading!!

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    Raven P.O.V.

    "I'm telling you Clayton, you should just wear the bowtie" I resound. His quirky smile slid up onto his face, as he fiddled with his tie.

    "It's graduation day, doll. Gotta put into the most effort." he said with a shrug. His moss green eyes twinkled as the corners of them crinkled.

    "Yeah, yeah" I countered. I took his tie into my hands and deftly arranged the material into its standard form. I checked myself over once again, and inspected my dark brown box braids. I had throw it into an updo, and I was afraid it'd come tumbling down.

    "Thanks Rave" he mumbled, "I'd kiss you but Ruri and Megan are sitting outside the doorway." I creased my forehead in surprise. Swiveling around, I lurched the door open and out tumbled my best friends. They gave me wide toothy grins. Ruri was dressed in a tea-length floral dress, and Megan was fitted into an olive green midi dress. I smiled nostalgically at them as they scrambled to stand up.

    "Well, we were wondering what was taking you so long..." Ruri started, her eyes landing on Megan to finish for her.

    "Then we realized that you were with Clayton, and..." Megan trailed off as well looking to Ruri to continue for her.

    "You guys sound like a married couple" Ruri says abruptly. Her smile was so content, like she was glad to have seen or rather heard us do.

    "We were worried..about you two" Megan added on, sincerely. Ruri nodded her head in agreement.

    "We're leaving Cali. I'm going to school abroad and Megan's going to NYU. We just needed to be sure that you guys will be ok." Ruri explains, her voice held barely there emotion, but that was more than Ruri was accustomed to showing. She fidgeted and then opened up her arms wide for a hug. My eyes almost popped out there sockets.

       "Did I hear we were doing a group hug?" A friendly voice resounded. Darren's face popped into the doorway. , his wavy hair was pulled back into a neat man bun and he smirked. Ruri's eyes were welling with tears that had yet to fall. She blew out a strangled breath, and nodded her head furiously. His eyebrows creased in worry and he hurried from his comical position to hold Ruri.

    "We've haven't even made it into the ceremony and I'm already fighting back tears" Ruri said as she continued to fan her eyes. She sucked in a large breath, and exhaled.

    "I can't ruin my makeup, can't ruin my makeup, can't ruin my makeup" Ruri whispered. She blew out another breath.

    "Hugs, hugs" she said gesturing the action with open arms. We all clustered together and wrapped our arms around each other. I took another look at my friends. We were different people, changed by the our last year of highschool.
           
                                                              *    *    *
    Clayton P.O.V.

    "Victoria Ryser"  Mr. Boerio, our principal, bellowed. Her red-curly hair was pinned up and she ascended up onto the scaffold, her black gown swinging above her ankles. I looked over to the crowd of parents, siblings and relatives. It took me a minute but I found Bella and Alric, sitting on the left side of the stadium's bleachers. Mom isn't here for my ceremony, and I really wouldn't have cared if she could have come. She'd been acquitted, and then thrown in rehab by request of the judge. The will left primarily all Ollivander's money to my mom, however, surprisingly, Mom brought out edits to his will. There was money specified for me, most likely for college. I really didn't need it anymore but my mom insisted that she put it into a trust fund for me. I agreed only because I never wanted to talk or deal with her again.