The Whisper Seekers

Moments

Mr. Anderson unfolds the paper slowly, his fingers fumbling slightly. "Good evening, everyone," he begins. "Sorry to interrupt the fun, but before we continue, the administration felt it was important to acknowledge recent events."

My heart pounds in my chest. 

"This is usually the time I would announce this year's king and queen," Mr. Anderson continues, his voice steady but subdued. "However, due to yesterday's events, we have decided to forgo that tradition this year."

A wave of murmurs sweeps through the crowd. I glance over at Lily. She meets my eyes and lifts her shoulders in a shrug. Truthfully, I've lost all interest in who might've won. The sparkle and drama of being queen once felt like everything. Now it just feels... hollow. None of us deserves it. The idea of being crowned, smiled at, and celebrated clashes too hard with the headlines. 

We look back at Mr. Anderson. 

"This year, we are going to take a moment to reflect. Let's look back on what we've accomplished during our time as students at Highland Park High. For some of you, it's only been a few weeks. For others, a few years. Most of you, I hope, feel proud of what you've achieved and how you've spent your time here. Some may look back with disappointment or even regret. But from this moment on, I hope each of you chooses to fill your days with purpose and pride—pride in helping others, pride in learning, and pride in becoming a better version of yourself. Make goals. Chase a bright future. Let your time here, and the time of your peers, be remembered as something positive. I hope all of you leave this school proud of who you've become. I want the king and queen of all dances to be students who stand for something—those who are known for helping others and for pushing themselves to grow every day. That's who I want representing this school. Until then, no one will be crowned. Instead, let's all make a promise: to come together, to heal, and to dedicate ourselves to being better. Let's be better, Highland Park. Let's be more encouraging. Let's be more positive. Let's give everyone the space to come together and heal after this tragic event. Seniors—you only have a few months left. Decide what you want your legacy to be. What will you be remembered for?"

I grab Lily's hand and she smiles at me. I know none of us want to be remembered as the bullies who almost got shot in the girls' locker room. I only have a few months left to remind people that's not who I am—nor who I want to be.

"Now, everyone, enjoy Homecoming. Embrace the months or years you have left at Highland Park, and encourage your peers to be better every day. Enjoy the rest of the dance." Mr. Anderson's voice starts to shake near the end, but he manages to keep it together. He hands the microphone back to the DJ, and silence fills the gym.

I know everyone is thinking about yesterday now. I know everyone can think of a time when they wished they had acted differently. Unfortunately, for five of us, our bad judgments were splashed across the newspaper.

Liam squeezes my hand, and I swallow hard to fight back any unwelcome tears. The music starts up again as the DJ puts on a slow country song. Liam rests his hands on my hips, and I reach up to settle mine around his neck. We move in a slow, circular pattern, my head resting on his chest.

"I want to actually go to Paris someday," he says quietly.

I find his eyes and reply, "I do too. I would love to travel, anywhere, really."

We make a full rotation, and then, with a more serious tone, he says,

"I think we should go."

"To Paris? Of course we should," I say with a grin and he stops moving.

"No, Ellie, I'm serious. Let's go. Let's get out of here—go travel and see the world. I have the money to take us anywhere. We can graduate and just... go."