"I'd like to thank all of you for helping me learn everyday. And if I've taught anything about life to a single one of you, then I can say, without an ounce of regret, that I have done my job." The clapping for Mr. Matthews was thunderous, but Maya stayed still. She didn't want to waste this moment on cheering. She wanted to remember him standing like that, the proud smile on his face, the tinny lights of the auditorium giving his eyes a certain glint. She thought that she might want to paint it one day. His eyes caught her and Maya's breath hitched. She couldn't help but feel like she was saying goodbye to Mr. Matthews. She knew that wasn't true, she knew that as long as Riley was her best friend, and she would always be her best friend, then he would stay in her life.
But he wouldn't be her teacher anymore, that chapter was over, and Maya could feel her heart breaking. And not just for that, but for everything, for everything she was going to have to leave behind. Lucas elbowed her, drawing her attention away from the stage. "You look pretty cute in black, you know." Maya suppressed a smile.
"Yeah?"
"Yes. And also in white, and in red, and green, and yellow…"
"Quiet!" She whispered. "I don't wanna miss graduating." She felt Lucas settle beside her. Usually she was the one to get fidgety during assemblies, but Maya didn't want to miss a single thing.
And then, just moments later, Mr. Matthews congratulated them on being the graduating class of 2020. Somehow, Maya thought she'd feel different. Before she knew it, Lucas swept her up into a kiss so deep and passionate, Maya thought they'd be on opposite sides of the country, not neighboring schools 30 minutes away with bad traffic.
But she pulled away and grabbed both of his hands. "This is real. This is happening," she said as the noise from her classmates got collectively louder and louder. "Are you ready for it?"
"I got you. Why wouldn't I be ready?"
