Note VIII: The sign above him read: 'The Last One'
It was a bright sunny, Monday when a sign was hung above everybody else—a crowd of elderly citizens, parents and seniors students. Most of them shouted 'Congratulations!' loudly, as if the recipient couldn't hear their voice just as clear.
It had been two months since I last saw Arya back then, when she yelled at me. She never returned my texts, and Jason was nowhere to be found either. I swallowed my saliva, glancing at my family who was forming a circle. They were lively and proud, grins were plastered all over their face.
"Happy graduation, Rarhys!" They exclaimed, looked jubilant as ever.
"Congratulations, onii-chan!" Squealed my younger sister Vanessa, wrapping her arms around me. I smiled, replying her gesture fondly.
"Thank you," I kissed her forehead, and she cuddled me.
"Onii-chan has to buy me something!!" Vanessa demanded, puffing her cheeks. I raised my eyebrows.
"What do you want?"
Vanessa momentarily paused, biting her lower lips, "Hng, Vanessa hasn't known yet! But when there is one that comes to mind, Vanessa will tell onii-chan. Okay?"
"Okay," I agreed, holding my diploma close. Everything was busy—I had got teachers congratulating me, fellow students—and oh, West! He looked neat and immaculate, his hair was trimmed and his lips weren't as dry as usual.
When spotting me, West grinned widely, "Rarhys!" He said, approaching me. "Good lord, I miss you, bro!" He bro-hugged me, and I laughed.
"Yeah, me too!" I replied, shaking his hands. "Where are you going, West? West?" I made a pun, which brought an eye-roll to him.
"No. I'm going to Veins University of Technology to pursue computer science. You know, five thousands kilometres from here," he bragged, slapping my back.
"Wow, congratulations man. Proud of you," I confessed, genuinely happy for West.
West asked, "how about you?" His green eyes Pierreced into me, searching for an answer.
"University of Olnoise, Medicine," I divulged, grinning. "I got in. Surprisingly," I joked.
That guy laughed again. He was happy for me, I guess. Then he suddenly queried, "Where's Arya? I haven't seen her in a loooonngg time. Just a few minutes ago I was visiting the basketball team, but she's nowhere to be found. I don't have the heart to ask Arden, he looked miserable because he lost his basketball scholarship."
My heart stop beating.
Arya.
"I don't know," I stuttered, confused on what to say. Hearing her name, those flashbacks flooding to my mind. Like how is she? Is she okay? I bet she's having a hard time right now. Here I am, as dense as ever.
"You don't?" West genuinely seemed shocked. "I thought you both like, had a thing."
I glared at him, "Shush. I have feelings for her like, a year ago." Maybe I still do, whispered a part of me, but I chose to ignore it, "I moved on."
"Yeah, but you had sex with her," West wriggled her eyebrows suggestively, and my cheeks turned red. I didn't tell anyone about that.
"No," I lied, "I didn't."
West only pat me on the back as he went away oh, he also hugged me for one last time, "goodbye, Rarhys. We'll meet again."
I was left alone again. My parents and sister were probably finding something to eat. I shook my head, trying to search for them. The crowds were noisy as fuck, they chattered and shouted to each other. My ears were hurting already. I bumped into someone, and I looked up to apologise.
"—Michaelson?"
Arden Michaelson. One of Arya's basketball team mates. Arden was a really good-looking guy. He had dimples and frankly, I admitted that he was handsome. He looked at me with a puzzled expression before knowing who I was.
"Oh. You're Arya's—"
"Rarhys. Call me Rarhys," I cut his sentence. He nodded.
"What a coincidence. I was looking for you too, Rarhys." Arden began, he frowned, "Ms. Glaze is searching for you."
Ms.Glaze? That biology teacher? Why is she searching for me?
"Her?"
"Yeah." Arden bit his lips, "I think she's at the basketball court. Come and meet her," he suggested and waved his hand.
I decided to follow his lead. Maybe Ms. Glaze had some books to donate to me as a preparation to enter medical faculty, I thought. My steps were delicate and careful, my heart beat quickly. I finally stepped into the basketball court, only to find an empty hall.
Where is she?
A figure of a female human emerged, and I squinted my eyes to see clearly.
Arya?
Her face was falling, and her eyes were dark and sad. I swallowed my saliva, walking towards her. "Arya?" I voiced, my voice shaky and unsteady. "You there?"
Arya curved a woeful smile, before sinking into my arms. I placed my arms around her; perplexed. I hadn't seen her in days, and the disappearance felt so long. I missed her, for some reason. But here she was. She was wearing ripped boyfriend jeans that looked like it hadn't been washed for a month and a messy shirt—obviously she didn't iron it. Her hair was tied in a messy braid, strands pointing everywhere. Her hair didn't smell like aloevera like it used to, instead a burnt food reached my nose. My eyes were closed.
"Rhysa," her vocalisation hoarse, it came out as a mere whisper I swear I wouldn't even hear it from this distance. She pressed her lips together. "Congratulations. Happy graduation, Rhysa." She said slowly, before pulling away and ran to the other side of the court. I watched her back, feeling like I wanted to call her name.
But I didn't.
