It's Just High School

Epilogue

From how my year started, I wasn’t actually expecting it to end this way. What started out as just another year to get by became one memory I wouldn’t forget.

Gary was removed from the basketball team and was permanently in detention until graduation. Since it was already too late to kick him out, he was also asked to participate in various school productions and activities as an aid.

Kendra was equally punished and was removed from the cheer team, together with her friends.

As punishment for all of them, they were also asked to serve their detention in community service, cleaning restrooms.

Both the two were still asses whenever they’re in class. But the student body learned how to get even with them when they do by leaving a huge pile of tissue paper at the restrooms after the last bell rang. Needless to say the supermarket noticed an increase in toilet paper sales.

Dean, even though suspended from the team, was still allowed to play for that weekend game. They won the state finals that night.

I eventually testified against Devil’s Playground and my foster parents. As Atty. Villanueva promised, he helped me out all throughout and had made every effort to make sure I showed less in court. We’re still working on for a conviction, but with his help, I believe it would be soon.

I still continued visiting Oliver’s Place. But since I’m under the care of a foster family, I wasn’t allowed to work there anymore. But I still help from time to time. Dean comes with me often to hangout and help out, with Jason and Camille and the rest of the gang as well, ordering. Apparently they enjoy the idea that they get to make Dean do something for a change and the people took a liking to the bunch. They were their new loyal customers.

The Villanuevas welcomed me to their house warmly. And even if I was some stranger to them all, I didn’t feel one moment that I was intruding.

Mrs. Villanueva had delivered up on her promise on being my guardian. She stood on beside me as I selected to which university I should enter and what degree suited me. Because some of her friends were affiliated in some of the best universities in the country, they were able to arrange for my entrance examinations even though it was already late in the school year. I managed to pass Mrs. Villanueva’s alma mater, and I’m planning to enter there, together with Dean.

One day they surprised with a trip out of state. And they brought me to where my mother was institutionalized. The Villanueva’s promised that they’ll help my family reunite.

For the rest of the year, it was pretty normal. Someone broke-up with someone, someone slept with someone, there was a party in the upcoming weekend, same old news that you hear from people. Hard to believe that we were the talk of the town for a long time then as soon as a new issue rolled on, news about us got swept under the rug that fast. Homeworks were passed, tests were taken and we prepared for our graduation. There were still some shallow things that was talked about and gossip was always around. But it wasn’t as nasty as before.

But what can we expect? It’s how teenagers are. It’s how we teenagers are. With my share of hardships this few years, I think I’ll enjoy being a teenager for once. It would be a nice break from all the drama.

Prom night came eventually. I became the talk of the house for all the dolling up the Villanueva sisters made. And Dean, well, he received a ton of restrictions from his parents about going out with me. They treated me more like their daughter than they did as a son to Dean that night. But I know they only mean well. We weren’t King and Queen of the Night. That went to Jason and Camille. But we came pretty damn close to it.

Who knew it would turn out like this? What started out as a hunger haze that lead me to bump against Dean that day, grew into my own relationship with him and whole lot more things about a lot of people.

But then again, it’s just high school. Life has a lot more surprises for us to wait. With graduation just around the corner, pretty soon we’ll be walking towards our own life to make. The memories that happened here would be just another memory to everyone else. A memory worth keeping. And the thought that high school wasn’t that bad after all.

So even if it’s just high school, it was also about Dean and me, finding our way to our lives