Make it Happen

Epilogue

"So, we're all going to college at New Rome."

"Together?"

"Together."

--

"Chase, Annabeth." The grey-eyed girl proudly strode onto the stage, accepting her diploma with pride and walking off to the cheers of her father and stepbrothers. She could vaguely hear them in the crowd, their voices shouting, laughing, cheering.

"Di Angelo, Nico." Nico knew that his family wouldn't be at his graduation ceremony, but the cheers from his friends and from the crowd more than made up for their absence. He allowed himself a small smile as he took the scroll.

"Grace, Jason." Thalia stood in the audience, shouting at everyone near her, "That's my brother! See, that's my brother right there!" He laughed and shook the principal's hand, accepting the diploma and clutching it to his chest.

"Jackson, Perseus." Percy cringed at the formal usage of his name, the monotonous voice the principal used to announce it, but nevertheless put on a smile and taking the diploma as he heard his mother and (new) stepfather cheer for him.

"Levesque, Hazel." Hazel stepped forward shyly, straightening her robes and taking in a deep breath. She accepted the scroll, smiling slightly, then rushed offstage to join her friends.

"McLean, Piper." Piper strode gracefully onto the stage, accepting her diploma and striding off the stage quickly, heading straight for the group of her friends, who were cheering. She had seen her father somewhere in the audience, in a hat and sunglasses, trying to hide himself from paparazzi.

"Ramírez-Arellano, Reyna." Distantly, she could hear Hylla yelling, but Reyna turned out her sister and instead focused on the principal, taking the diploma with a thankful smile.

"Valdez, Leo." In the roar of the crowd, Leo thought he could hear his mother's cheers - a distant memory of the roar of a life-sized mechanical dragon his father left for him, hidden in the noise. He blinks away a tear, putting on his signature grin and accepts the diploma.

"Zhang, Frank." Frank is one of the last to be called, and he stands shakily, legs almost numb from having sat for so long. It's almost as if he can see his grandmother's spirit when a bird swoops across the sky, cawing reproachfully, as if his grandmother is scolding him again - "Stand taller, Fai! Make your ancestors proud."

--

"Hey Annabeth?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Thanks for what?"

"Thanks for everything."

"...you too."

--

It was an adventure. High school and college may have not been fun, but it was a new experience for all of them. But, now, they were free. Free to roam the world, to start new adventures as they finished old ones. They were free from the constraints of school. They were free to be happy, to be sad, to be who they wanted to be. 

They were free to be themselves, to enjoy life with their family and friends.

And in the end, all the suffering was worth it.

[fin.]