paper cranes | ✔️

xlv.

I would like to mention that as the main plot of this story is done, and that there isn't much to add, this will be a combined chapter that marks the end of the characters' high school careers. (I just wanted to end on a good number.)

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When Mae's friends first brought up prom 2 months ago, she dismissed it and explained to them, "It really doesn't matter much. After all, I don't have a date and I'm not a super social person either so there's no way I would have fun there." 

"I know that's what you think, but you don't have to have a date in order to still have fun at prom. We want you to be there since you're our friend," Em replied in opposition. Mae shrugged in response and the group shuffled away to their next destination.

And now here she was, 2 months later, staring at her dress that was hanging in the closet. It could technically have been counted as an impulse buy—she tried on one dress, everyone said it looked nice, and then just bought it—but for some reason, she felt uneasy. About wearing the dress. And going to prom. She shook her head quickly, and after a few minutes of contemplation, went to the bathroom and decided to start doing her hair.

When she first thought of getting ready to prom, she figured it would only take an hour at most. I thought so wrong, Mae thought as she squirmed in the seat while her mom was doing her makeup.

"Mae, stop moving otherwise I'll mess up your eyeliner!" her mom exclaimed, and with that comment, Mae tried her best to resist the urge to roll her eyes. 

"Anyway, I'm almost done, okay? Just wait like a few more minutes and then you can go get ready. I picked up the corsage for you earlier today by the way," her mother said and Mae nodded quickly, running upstairs as soon as her mother finished with the last bit of makeup.

"Will you be okay going to Mark's house on your own? I wish I could come to see everyone at your pre-prom...I'm sorry that I won't be able to come, Mae," her mom asked after Mae reappeared downstairs

"It's okay, mama. I know that you have to take care of Jiao in case if something happens, and I'll be fine. I'll keep you updated or if I need anything," Mae replied, dropping a peck on her mother's cheek as she left the house, mildly excited but also nervous. Yeah, she felt pretty, but what if her friends didn't think so? What if they thought she looked weird with makeup? But unlike she thought, her friends were constantly complimenting her, and so were her other classmates that she wasn't super close to. Maybe what she was dreading along was the fact that someone she knew wouldn't appreciate the way she looked, even when she was dressed up. But she now realized that wasn't what mattered. She was just happy to be there with her friends and enjoy everything as is.

From what her mother told her, prom was supposed to be the most important experience of a high schooler's life. At first, Mae didn't believe her. But now that she was standing in the room, swaying back and forth to the music in her puffy pink dress with a huge smile on her face, she couldn't help but agree. Mark and Emily danced along beside her, their eyes only on each other as the two smiled just from being in the mere presence of each other. 

Minhee and Jasper were drastically different, however. The two were still holding each other and dancing to the slow music, but their heads were turned away from each other. Between them was so much missed time and unspoken words—and neither of them were strong enough to confess that the other was the one that they liked. Even though both of them knew that anyway. But not a moment later, Minhee blushed and pressed a kiss to Jasper's lips, to which he smiled softly. Mae couldn't help but grin at the sight; even though she knew she still had lingering feelings for Jasper, she couldn't help but realize that she was happy with the way everything turned out.

Of course, Mae would have loved if she was able to confess to Jasper and have her feelings reciprocated but now as some time passed, she realized that it wasn't the end of the world. He was happy. And Mae was happy too. 

And at that very moment, that was all that mattered.

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There they sat, in the hundreds of chairs that were meticulously lined up, waiting to be called up name by name to receive their diploma, finally signifying that they could leave the hell that they called high school. All the seniors sat in their chairs, waiting to finally be called up so that they could regroup and never have to worry about high school again (even though college was probably going to be a lot worse).

"Well, this has been a good four years," Mae murmured as the group posed to take an obligatory graduation photo.

"I agree," Minhee replied softly as the parents' cameras clicked in repetition. The group then dispersed so that they could finally leave and just hang out with their families, when Mae pulled Minhee back.

"Hey, uh, I wanted to talk to you for a bit, Minhee."

"What's up?"

"Are you gonna be okay? I know you and Jasper didn't really become an official couple but it's clear that both of you are in a relationship, and it's gonna be long-distance and I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay with everything."

"I don't really know, Mae," Minhee responded after some thought. "We are a couple, but it's something that we're going to have to figure out together. And if it doesn't work out, then we'll hopefully end amicably but I don't want to assume the worst and I just wanna hope that we'll both try to make it work.

Also, I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you through high school. I completely disregarded your because I like him so much and I understand that it made me seem rash and irrational, because it is, and I want to apologize for the way I acted. You're one of my closest friends and I really should have been nicer and maybe not treated you like shit, and I think it's stupid that I broke our friendship because we were divided over him. I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you."

"It's okay, Minhee. We're still young and we're figuring these things out as we go. Right now I just graduated high school and it's not like I'll never have the opportunity to meet someone in college or anytime afterwards. Don't worry about it so much, you're gonna end up ruining your makeup if you cry," Mae said, wiping at a stray tear on Minhee's face. 

Minhee laughed, latching herself onto Mae and the two hugged. Jasper glanced at her and laughed a bit at the scene, to which Mae smiled back.

Now Mae knew that she could move on happily, and that she wouldn't be held back by high school regrets and unrequited crushes, because with every heartbreak, there's always a way to put it back together. 

f i n .

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Hi! So, we are back in business, aren't we? I'm sorry if this update was so sucky, and if there was too much smiling. I wasn't really sure what to do but I wanted to end on a multiple of five and I didn't have enough ideas to go to 50. Oops.

Hope you enjoyed!

- Daze