You cross a line and there's no turning back
"In less than three hours, we're won't be school students any more!" I cried and threw the flowers I was holding in the air.
Miley grinned, and nodded. "I can hardly wait either!"
"But tell me," I said seriously. "Why are we spending our last hours as school kids, in school?"
My best friend rolled her eyes. She'd signed us up to help set up for graduation, and hadn't consulted me on the matter. Therefore, she should have expected this. "Lilly, we're helping. Showing school spirit and all."
"Miley, we're scattering flowers. I don't think that counts as school spirit," I replied, and picked out another handful of flowers. Just to, you know, prove my point.
"Lilly. You want to know what you are?" Miley looked up at me and asked.
I nodded. "I do. I want to know what I am."
Miley looked distracted for a second, then shouted: "Jake!"
I'm Jake? I don't think so. I'm Lilly. "Miley, are you deranged? I'm definitely not Jake."
"What are you doing here?" Miley asked.
What? She volunteered me! "Miley, I'm doing what you signed me up to do. Scattering flowers."
"Yo! Lilly! Miley!" a voice behind me said, and I turned to see Jake.
Oh. She was talking to Jake. That makes more sense. A lot more sense.
Miley got up, and ran over to Jake, kissing him. They'd been dating for a year, and the entire school had been envious. Well, aside from me. Because who needed Jake, when you had Oliver?
Speaking of Oliver...
"Jake! Wasn't Oliver hanging with you?" I asked, curious to the whereabouts of the guy who had saved my life a year ago.
He nodded, and tore his gaze away from Miley. "Yeah. He was walking slower, back there. We both decided to come and see how you guys were doing."
"Oh, we're fine. Bored to death, and throwing flowers around, but fine," I rolled my eyes, and watched as Miley did the same.
"Lilly, it is not that bad!"
I narrowed my eyes. "You would say that. You like flowers."
She rolled her eyes again, and chose to ignore me. Probably best. If I could ignore me, I would.
Wait. I wouldn't.
"Lilly!" My attention was caught by Oliver - MY BOYFRIEND - waving at me from the gates that led into the courtyard.
I smiled, and waved back, watching as he sauntered closer. Nobody could brighten up a boring activity like Oliver could.
He walked right past Miley and Jake, who were doing their 'talk close and occasionally our lips will touch' thing, and bounded up the steps to the portable stands to where I was standing. "You 'kay?"
"I guess so," I sighed. "You have no idea how boring it is to scatter flowers. Why do we even need flowers? We're just gonna jump on them. And then we'll have to clean them up. I mean, what is the point?"
Oliver reached out and touched my face. "If we searched for a point in everything, Lilly, we'd never get anywhere."
When did he get so philosophical?
Probably about the time that he applied to journalism college. In New York. And got in.
"Maybe I don't want to get anywhere," I sulked. "Maybe I want to stay here."
He rolled his eyes, and sat down on one of the seats on the stands. "Lilly, I know that you don't want me to go to New York - "
"Oliver, it's not that. Seriously. I love that you're going to New York, and you're going to be an awesome journalist. I want you to go, and have so much fun. It's just that I'm gonna miss you, you know?" I interrupted. Well, I had to tell him. I'm not selfish. Seriously. And just because I'm going to college here in Malibu... it doesn't mean he has to too.
Oliver smiled at me, as I slid in next to him. "And I'm gonna miss you too."
"Of course you are," I grinned, and leant against his shoulder.
He slid his arm around me and nodded. "Of course I am."
"Lilly!" A cry from below me made me jump. "Are you scattering those flowers?"
I rolled my eyes, and sat up straight. "Yes Miles!" Then I turned to Oliver, and shook my head. "Seriously. Whose idea was this again?"
He shrugged, and shoved his hand in the basket, throwing the petals up in the air, and watching as they floated around us and settled to the floor like confetti at a wedding. "Let's not think about our future today, okay?"
I laughed. "Oliver, it's graduation. Can you go through today and not think about your future? Today is all about the future."
"Fine. But let's not think about the fact that I'm going away. Let's just live for today, alright?" Oliver said, and I nodded.
I didn't want to think about the fact that he was going away. Because I couldn't imagine it.
--
"Oliver Oken!" the principal cried, waving the rolled up paper in the air.
I clapped as Oliver walked over to the stage, and cheered with Miley as he walked off again and joined Jake on the other side.
It's my go soon... urgh... but yay at the same time...
"Lillian Truscott!" the man who had looked down on us for so long called, and grinned at me.
I climbed up the steps, and heard Miley cheering behind me, and saw Oliver cheering in front. I was going to miss this. All of it.
Wait. I promised not to think about it.
"Well done Lilly," the principal - but not mine for much longer! - smiled, and I shook his hand. For the last time.
Then I walked off the stage, stumbling down the steps on the other side, and having Oliver steady me. I threw my arms around him, knowing that it was almost over.
"Miley Stewart!" the principal shouted, and I laughed at the number of flashes that began to go off in the audience. Paparazzi had been banned, but people knew that the papers would give good money for any photographs.
My best friend ran up the stairs, and took the diploma. I saw the look of elation on her face, and grinned as she shook Mr. Whats-is-face's hand, and then ran across the rest of the stage to us. She hugged me, and then kissed Jake.
We were all through. Almost done. One more person...
"Class of 2010!" The principal announced, and I looked at Oliver, and then at Miley, and cheered.
Soon there were black hats in the air, and cheering from everyone.
Because we were no longer school students.
We were adults.
And everything was going to change.
Here it is - the sequel. The rest of it is going to be a few years after this; when Oliver comes back from New York. The group will be about twenty years old. :-)
