Missing Piece [COMPLETED]

Chapter Eighteen

Recovery from stressful situations are harder than I expected, I knew now why Alyssa had taken a few weeks off of school.

I, however, had no such privilege since the last week of school was already here. 

People swarmed me, bombarding me with questions I didn't want to answer. Alyssa had to swat them away, these high schoolers were more like vultures. Cody helped by taking the spotlight off me and onto him, boasting about his last soccer game coming up, in the championship. 

I couldn't believe how crazy this year had been. From the gun-shooting, to Alyssa's kidnapping, to my car wreck...to my kidnapping. I think I could share my story on MTV and they'd turn it into a show or something. But regardless to the crazy senior year I had met the love of my life.

Amber and my older friends met me after they had heard the whole situation on the news, and telling Amber my rescuer happened to be my boyfriend she immediately squealed like a little girl and demanded to meet the 'honeybun who saved her babydoll'. 

She apologized too, as the guy accomplice to Tim's older brother had been a close friend. But she didn't know, and no one did until they were all arrested.

Cody was easy-going too  thankfully, he fit in anywhere and talked nonchalantly to my older friends, giving them no reason to doubt his affection for me, Amber gave me the 'tongue-out' face of approval. 

"What a stud," she gushed in my ear. I smiled, yeah, I did have a stud, didn't I? 

"Hey miss popular, when you have a minute," Cody chuckled, winking as he playfully shoved me. 

He took me aside, giving my lips a soft kiss, a bubbly butterfly feeling tickling my stomach. I wanted his kiss to last but he pulled away, giving us time to breathe. 

"I want to go on that trip with you," he started, my mind flickering back to the promise I had made so long ago. 

"After graduation right?" I questioned, arching my brow, he laughed kissing me again. "My grandma and Mom are also giving me extra money for our trip," he added in smugly.

My eyes widened, I gave a squeal of joy, leaning into Cody's warm hug. 

How perfect my life had turned out to be. 

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Graduation day was finally here. 

Pre-practiced lines, speeches practiced, gowns ordered, everything was set.

My mother greeted me at my door, she already had tears in her eyes. 

"Ellie, I love you, you know that right?" 

"Of course, I love you too Mom."

I had bought a simple white dress that hid under my white gown flawlessly. I had amazingly enough, brought my grades up so much that I had earned an honor, given a silky purple tassel to put around my neck, a stand-out symbol that says 'Hey look I did great my senior year!'
Even with all the shit that had happened.
My hair was straightened, lips and nails painted up pink, all that was left to do was to go graduate. 

The sun beamed down on all the white caps, and speeches, no matter how long and unrelated they happened to be everyone was ecstatic. 

After a year, I was ready for adulthood. I was ready to be set free and go to college. 

I wasn't scared anymore.

Life had literally throw all its lemons at me.

We were finally lined up, each person got handed their diploma, paused for a camera shot, and left the stage. When we all had received our diplomas we were introduced as the class of 2010 and threw our caps into the air. 

Finally. We were free of high school.
Ellie Riding was free.

Amber and the gang met me, gave me flowers, as well as Alyssa's parents. My mother however, knew Cody and I's plans for adventure so she had already packed my bag up in my car. 

She hugged me tight, giving me any and all motherly advice possible before we left. She gave Cody a kiss, Cody's mom also there giving us a smile and told us to be careful. 

The plan was we would travel over summer and bring Cody home at the end so he'd finish up his senior year. Although he was already determined to come to college with me anyways it was only a year, and then we would be together again. 

For now, the summer was what we had to look forward to, and our traveling. Surprisingly enough my parents and Cody's mom were allowing us to do it. But with my recent trauma and Cody's accident perhaps they assumed the best medicine for us was a vacation. And they were right, the first destination on our list was Mexico. 

We would drive down tomorrow. 
A daunting drive, but well worth it as I had taken Spanish all through high school.

I lay next to Cody that night, my hand nestled on his chest and my legs intertwined with his.
My mom, knowing I wouldn't falter, gave up on trying to save my 'innocence'.

She let me spend the night at Cody's, not that she had a choice in the matter.

"I can't believe I would be with the guy I used to play in the sandbox with." I whispered, smiling up at him. 

Cody, looking lost in thought came to conclusion, "Maybe I always meant that promise. The one where we were guna get married. I knew it... I knew deep down that it was always you. I have loved you ever since childhood. Perhaps innocent at first,' he took me now, picking me up and placing me on top of him, brushing my lips with his, "but now my love is the love of a man who, who can't live without you," he picked us both up now.

He placed me on my feet, stayed down, bending, taking me a second to figure out what was happening. He held out a box, a tearful face clasping my hands.

"Ellie Louise Riding. From childhood a love has grown, grown now so deep not even mountains can shake it. From my mistakes I have learned that there is no one that can take your place. No one will ever make me feel the way I do. When you were gone,' he paused as more tears were falling, 'I...I couldn't imagine a world where I wouldn't be able to have you. I would have gone to the ends of the earth to find you. And now,' standing up to meet my face, 'Now, I will never let you be harmed again. I will protect you with my life. My love....will you marry me?"

His speech finally over, leaving me breathless with only a small amount of air to breathe the words yes, he swept me into his arms, a passionate kiss filling my heart, and my soul. A kiss sealing the same feelings I had felt for him when we first met. The ones I had been trying to conceal and hide, push them away, but now, I could see how whole he made my heart. How unbelievably close he came, from a broken girl he had taken up the pieces one by one, molding them, endlessly, tirelessly tiring to make me whole.

And he succeeded.

How wonderful the start of my summer was, and how, in the near future... I would be... Mrs. Ellie Louise Stanson. 

I wondered if my Mom would give me a lecture on "how I am too young to know love." But it didn't matter.

I knew this was it.

He was my one.