Chapter 1

Aria couldn't wait until her graduation ceremony was over. As she was listening to the principal read out the names of the graduating students she looked over at her three best friends sitting next to her, Hanna, Emily and Spencer. They were all wearing the same robes and caps as her, dark blue with yellow caps.

"Emily Fields." The principal's voice boomed across the hall.

Emily stood up and gave a small smile to her three friends as her father wolf whistled and she laughed before proudly walking up and accepting her certificate of graduation and then returned to her seat as the names continued to be called.

"Spencer Hastings." The principal called out her name.

Spencer did the same after Toby gave a loud cheer and then returned to her seat. Aria was scanning the crowd looking for him, he said he would be here, but she couldn't see him or her parents yet. Hanna gave her hand a small reassuring squeeze, she knew all her friends knew what she was doing and it probably wasn't very subtle. She didn't care, he wasn't here and she slumped in her seat. She thought of all their future plans and talk about her graduation. The principal calling out Hanna's name interrupted her thoughts. She gave Hanna a grin and pat on the back as she got up and walked past her to the stage. When she returned Toby's name was called out, and Spencer returned the favour and cheered for him. Aria couldn't help but laugh at how red Toby went, he wasn't used to getting recognised. Aria saw Jenna walking back to her seat after she waited for Toby to walk past her so she could give him a hug. Their relationship as brother and sister had never been better just before Toby was about to move out. Aria gave Jenna a small wave and Jenna returned the gesture.

Aria heard her name being called out and sighed and stood up. She heard a number of people cheering for her and turned to the sound. Then she saw her brother Mike, her parents Byron and Ella, and there he was, Ezra was sitting right next to his parents and they were all standing cheering for her. Her face lit up and she had a huge smile on her face. She was so distracted with them that she almost ran into a chair. She quickly recovered after she heard her friends laughing and then proceeded up to the stage, was congratulated by the principal and handed her certificate, she posed for a photo, never taking her eyes off Ezra for too long, and the huge smile on her face never changed. It was only once she was seated again her smile went, she couldn't see any of them, especially Ezra from her seat without turning around and even then she only got a glimpse of Mike's hair. The rest of the ceremony dragged on, until it came to the few student speeches at the end. Spencer was speaking about her journey through high school.

"High school will be a significant part of my life, I can say that right now with truth. I found my best friends, who I'm sure this time in about 70 years we'll still be together, laughing and joking, and Hanna dragging us into shops." She stopped to laugh as everyone else did. "And we've been through the hardest times in my life, and those moments will still be some of the hardest at the end of my life, but I'm looking forward to graduating and finishing up in high school. I'm ready to tackle the world, and everything in it. With my friends right by my side and some sort of information I've learnt over the years. I'm ready, let's go!" Everyone cheered and Spencer took a small bow and returned to her seat. Then came the time for the graduating class to finish and throw their caps in the air. Aria was smiling; she knew finally the dark times of high school were over. She threw her cap up in the air and all her friends had a group hug.

They didn't break their embrace until Aria felt two strong hands around her waist and all her friends groaned at the sight. She jumped and then her huge smile returned, she knew who was the owner of these familiar hands, and spun around and was in Ezra's arms. She stared into his amazing eyes, and brushed his fringe like she always does. He was staring back at her, as he always does in complete awe. She wrapped her hands around his neck and he tightened his grip around her waist and pulled him into a long, passion-filled kiss.

"Will you two get a room, I still find it weird that you were once my English teacher." Spencer teased. Aria and Ezra broke apart and they both gave their friends a sheepish grin. When Aria told her three best friends last year that she was dating their English teacher they wouldn't believe it. It was only until Aria wouldn't shut up about him whenever she was with her friends did they believe she was head over heels in love with him. And then they kissed at the masquerade ball, without their masks on; in front of practically the whole school they definitely believed her. After that Ezra often came with Aria when she went out with Spencer and Toby, Hanna and Caleb, and Emily and Mona in Philadelphia or pretty much anywhere.

"Yeah, some other people might get jealous cough cough Jenna." Toby added with a smirk. Aria gave him a gentle whack on the arm that was securely wrapped around Spencer and Ezra's face went red, even though he was very attractive, he couldn't believe so many of his female students had a crush on him, well everyone but Aria.

The laughing subsided when the parents and family arrived, and each person was separated for a short while as their parents smothered them in kisses and hugs and smiles. Ezra kept his arm around Aria's waist as much as he could, and when Aria was pulled into a conversation with Spencer, Hanna and Emily and their parents Ezra stood off to the side. Byron was still a little uneasy about the Ezria relationship but he decided, with some persuading by his wife that he would respect them. After all, Ezra is a very well mannered gentleman and seemed to be perfect for his daughter, with one flaw. He was her old English teacher and the age difference. But Ella had convinced him that it wasn't as bad as he thought, and Aria's attitude had improved significantly once Byron and Ella told her that they wouldn't mind Aria seeing him, as long as she didn't sleep at his house and told them where she was going at the start of her senior year. Aria was always extremely happy now, and had been all year since that moment, so Byron couldn't complain. Ezra was thinking about this as he was fiddling with the red tie Aria had so sneakily gave him while he was supervising an exam last year, when Byron came over to him.

"She's finally out of school, I can't believe it. And to think you two have been together for two years." Byron gave him a pat on the back and a smirk.

Ezra laughed and agreed, his eyes never leaving Aria. Until Mike came and gave him a light punch on the arm and Ezra greeted him with a ruffle of the hair. Mike was one of the first to accept and like that his sister was dating Ezra. Mike felt like Ezra was his big brother and they'd gotten along well after Mike apologised about a thousand times about punching him in the face last year. Byron looked on as Ezra and Mike played around and smiled, and then his eyes looked towards Aria. She'd finally got through to him at the end of last year, she was right, she's not his little girl anymore, and she's graduating!