Rebel Just For Kicks: Kol Mikaelson [1]

100: Tassel To The Left

MJ took the award from Rudy, him stepping back to let her take the podium.

She cleared her throat and looked through the audience.

Seeing her mum in the back made her nervous.

She never got nervous speaking in public anymore, there'd never been anyone she cared about messing up in front of before – except, now MJ was starting to realise that maybe she had more ghosts listening in than she realised.

She focused on Caroline's face.

"In a meeting, I was told to tell you exactly who made this speech possible," MJ spoke clearly, "What has got me to my graduation..."

She wasn't the type of person who used flashcards when talking, but she did lean onto the slanted podium.

"I have been motivated by contraband Mystic Grill Burgers under the bleachers, the constant reminder that the Founding Families are watching my every move."

People started to snigger.

"And most importantly, I have been motivated by the perseverance that each and every one of us has shown through the hurricane that was the past two years."

So many people had died.

Strangers, tourists, people like Vicki, and Carol – Mr Tanner, Ric...

Just because her friend group were the people who knew the truth didn't mean they were the only ones affected.

Tyler had killed someone in their year to trigger his curse.

"I was only here for the last two years, and there's always this idea about how difficult it is to be a new girl. Mystic Falls High didn't make it very difficult, or maybe I just got lucky with the people I was pushed towards," She'd met Ty on the very first day, "Every pep rally and fundraiser. The dances – moments that made me feel like a member of an amazing community. One built on volunteering and connecting with people."

Carol's message. Carol's faith in the town.

"That community is a huge part of how we made it to today," She couldn't help but beam, "We've graduated!"

Maybe she was a little too excited about having made it.

"Now, I'm not gonna say, 'Yay, we did it together!' That would imply we all got along every second of every day, and that's just not true."

More laughs from specific members of the crowd.

"But we were here together, and whether we stay in touch or drift apart or disappear off the face of the earth the second this ceremony's over," She could relate to that choice, "That fact will never change. We were here. And despite everything..."

Her eyes shifted to Stefan.

"We were pretty epic together."

He smiled right back.

"And I hope that we all continue to find a way to be epic wherever we end up," MJ moved her tassel to the left, the audience following suit, "Happy graduation everyone. We did it!"

Everyone cheered while tossing their hats into the air in a wave of celebration.

High School was done.

The final pictures were taken, parents congratulating kids, while MJ headed off the stage to find her friends and their parents.

Her parent.

She was pulled into a few more group photos for clubs she'd been in along the way, eventually managing to crash into Caroline's arms. Her mum was talking to Rudy and Liz, Liz doing a fantastic job of seeming okay with the fact a ghost was in front of her, trying not to give that information away to Rudy.