Operation Marriage

Chapter Twenty Two - Wilted Sunflowers

DEDICATION: To my saviour, @Iydiamartin, for coming to the rescue by putting the sunflowers in the hand of Dylan/Devon in the photo at the side! Also for the wonderful cover which is currently in use :) Thank you so much!

Chapter Twenty Two - Wilted Sunflowers

"Do you know where Devon is, Katie? I can't see him anywhere!" I asked, frantically, as I sat down next to Katie, who was holding Ryan's hand. He was stroking the back of it with his thumb, making my heart leap sadly, with a certain amount of longing. Devon had done that yesterday, the clutch of it warm and comforting. Not knowing where Devon was, and the fact he hadn't texted me telling me saying that he was ill or something important had cropped up, scared me. After all, it was our presentation day and I really did not want to do it on my own. It would be awful on my own. Not to mention difficult and embarrassing. After we were found two days ago and our baby had been rescued–Mrs Kampe had told us we had definitely not done well on this challenge, as if managing to get our child taped to the rafters was a bad thing–we had gone home and gone our separate ways, only seeing each other as we spent the entirety of Thursday just doing our journal in the gym. Now it was Friday Devon hadn't even texted me, not even a new bunch of random emoticons in one go, which he had done quite often lately.

"I'm sure he's just running late. He'll be here, I swear." Katie said, looking over at me. She gently took my journal from my hands; I hadn't noticed how tightly I had been holding it to my chest, causing my knuckles to go white and to ache. "You're panicking over nothing. Devon wouldn't leave you to do something without him, not for anything. He just loves making a fool out of you." Katie was smiling, her rosy lips looking slightly funny. Was it just the light, or did she look worried?

"If you say so. My parents are up there. I just don't want to embarrass myself in front of them and the entire body of Year Eleven. I would prefer Devon to turn up late in a banana costume than not turning up at all." I said, fiddling with my fingers in my lap, twirling the end of my black skirt. Katie smiled and Ryan leaned over, putting his large hand on my knee. His watch glinted on his wrist.

"Holland Clarke, it's going to be okay. Just persevere." He said, removing his hand and entwining it back with Katie's. I took a deep breath, sighing. I came to the conclusion that Devon probably was just late. After all, he had lots to do. He probably had to walk Lily to school and then come here. It was much easier to breathe, I found, when I thought of it like that. "You look really pretty today, and I don't think Devon would want to miss it." He smiled. I looked down at my scruffy converse, at my laddered black tights and dark purple, wool jumper and black and purple floral skirt, which floated down to above my knee. Despite it being summer, I wore the jumper and the tights, but really, the jumper was breezy and the ladders in the tights prevented me from overheating and dying. I didn't really look different from usual, the only exception being my hair being braided over my shoulder. Besides that, nothing. Ryan smiled, Katie brushed a strand of hair from his face, and then a strand from mine, before leaning back in her chair, smiling.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Katie put a hand on my arm. Mrs Kampe had walked out from the side of the stage, standing in the middle. She held a microphone in one hand and wore a smile. Because I was in the second row, I could see her clearly...and her smile was actually really pretty, making laugh lines appear at the sides of her eyes. It was enough to make me feel happier and much less worried.

"Welcome, students, parents and couples alike! I am sad to say that today is the final day of Operation Marriage. This year has definitely been the best year I have seen complete the challenge, and throughout it we have seen many friendships and relationships between the students blossom, and it truly has been quite beautiful. Initially, we weren't going to have a prom like most Year Elevens do because of funding issues...but because of the wonderful outcome of Operation Marriage, we have decided to schedule one for Sunday evening, as a way to say goodbye to any of the students leaving us, and to say good luck to any of the students staying on for our Sixth Form courses here!" Mrs Kampe said. Most of the students started cheering. I clapped slowly, smiling. Mrs Kampe beamed around at everyone, something we had all never seen before, "Now. The students are going to present their marriages in their couples to all of us. Their journals may be placed under the projector and the pages will be shown on the screen behind me. After each couple has presented, they will collect their yearbook of A to Z Animals from Mr Alfaro. I am looking forward to finding out how the students have found this whole project. Thank you very much!" She then looked at a small piece of paper in her hand, which I presumed to be the list of couple names, "Now, the first couple was literally the first couple! Mark Smith and Amelia Hakings–come on, up you two get!"