Wrong Time

Chapter 41: Here's To Forever

·Grace's POV·

Today, ladies and gentlemen, has been the end of another stage of my life. The whole student population was jumping for joy, taking into account that summer holidays were just around the corner. That's not the matter in hand, by any means.

It's graduation day.

The days went by in the blink of an eye after prom, planning the details of the ceremony and everything. But hey, here we finally are. Right now I'm sitting in the fourth row in front of the school's stage waiting for my headmistress to call out my name to go and take my diploma. Firstly, they called most my friends and I cheered like a crazy fangirl for every single one of them. A couple of minutes later, it was heard all around the place:

"Grace Marie Lancaster."

All I could think about was how much my life has changed this past year. Despite how much I went through, I never let that interfere with my academic record. That, I was proud of.

I heard my group of friends shouting as if they were my personal cheerleaders:

"You go girl!" Toli shouted while Katie and Roland yelled: "Go get'em tiger!" and "That's my friend!"

However, my personal favorite was Isaac's:

"Teach them how to slay, queen! Talking about girl power people! Yass!"

I mean, come on... Who wouldn't feel at the top of the world after what he had said? Not me at least.

Shaking the headmistress hand, she muttered only for me to hear some beautiful words.

"Don't ever doubt yourself Grace. Be ambitious, be the change you want to see in the world and embrace your potential. Keep it that way and you'll go far."

"Thank you madame, I won't let you down."

I positioned myself almost at the edge of the stage while my entire family took some photos. Moreover, not only my family had attended the event.

Archer's too.

Next to my parents stood Bea and Will, talking like good old friends and taking pictures of me. Noah with his wife, who were chatting with my aunt and uncle, and his children were around too.

Although I loved seeing them so comfortable around each other, my sight focused on one person in particular. He wasn't staring at anyone else but me, what made me feel under a spotlight of some sort. When he caught me staring back, he showed me 'the smirk' and winked.

I giggle at the gesture, feeling bubbly and excited inside. I cannot comprehend how is it even possible that four months since we started dating have passed and I can still feel the butterflies inside my belly daily. That's supposed to stop once you get used to spending so much time with your boyfriend, or so have I been told.

Not my butterflies, it doesn't look like they are leaving any time soon.

Don't ask me why I sat in my original place again if I would be giving the speech on behalf of my fellow classmates. Yes, that's right, I'm the Valedictorian this year. Why? Because I wanted to end my school year on a nice, special note. I volunteered and the teachers chose me, simple. That's what I get after being a good girl all my life.

They eventually called me again for the Valedictorian speech, which I've been writing since the day I was chosen. Clearing up my throat, I began:

"Good afternoon, my name is Grace Lancaster and I'm part of the 2019's promotion." At the mention of that, everyone cheered and started clapping. "I know how cliché this might sound, but we did it guys. The toughest year is finally over and most of us are ready for what's about come. You all might feel this excitement about leaving high school after what feels like ages. But remember. One day, we'll think about this day and ask ourselves: Did I accomplish all the goals I set for myself? Or, did I really enjoy my senior year? Whatever road or path you choose to follow from now on, don't forget where you come from. We all once belonged here, as well as our hearts."

Taking a deep breath, I turned my head to look straight at Archer, who was already watching me intently.

"Life can be seen as a roller-coaster. First you are up in the sky, feeling invincible, and the next thing you know is that you've hit rock bottom. Promise me one thing. You'll never stop fighting for what you want and keep on going until it's over. As they say: 'You've never lost until you've given up'. So do it. Stand up and write your own destiny. Build the future you desire and deserve. This is our new beginning." My boyfriend smiled at the mention of those words." Here's to forever. "

A round of applause and whistles came afterwards, but they didn't matter. What it mattered to me was to have made my beloved ones proud, especially a certain boy standing in the middle of the public.

Our love story is different from any other you might hear. As a couple, we have to face challenges and we will continue to face them. Nevertheless, it's worth every obstacle ahead of us.

Because we have each other's backs.

Forever.

                               *****
A.N: And so this is the end of the book itself. From now on I will be posting some bonus chapters. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
Love,
M³