Black Gowns, Goodbyes

Max's POV

I honestly didn't picture getting here. Yesterday, it felt like I had years to go before I'd be standing here. Yet, here I am.

We are all standing in alphabetical order. Fang is two rows in front and three people to the right from where I am. As our valedictorian speaks, Fang is constantly looking over at me and giving me a smile.

We actually did it, we made it.

We're graduating.

Iggy was standing just behind me. He was being obnoxious and poking me in the back. He was also whispering things like, "This guy is soooo boring. Why does he have to use such big words?" A few seconds later, he suddenly asks, "Remember, the party is at six o' clock, don't be late because you and Fang have been doing inappropriate things in his car."

I reached back and smacked him. Iggy let out a yelp which actually made the valedictorian stop, turn around, and then glared at us. Whoops.

Since February, Fang and I had stayed together. We did everything together and managed to keep my mother out of the loop, so she honestly had no idea that I was still dating Fang. During the weekends when she wasn't around, Jeb let Fang come over. We skipped prom together. We hung out at school. It was like we were ourselves again. I know that I felt whole again because of it.

But now, here we were again, on the verge of separation by no choice of our own.

College.

Finally, the valedictorian finished. We all got our diplomas. Then, the speaker finally announced, "Here is the senior class of 2010!" A round of cheers was implied. I threw my cap into the air along with everyone else. Silly string was shot into the air as a few of us threw confetti. Laughter echoed outwards and I was smiling.

After the celebration died down, a hand was in my view holding out my graduation hat which was decorated on the top to say Max so I would be able to find it after throwing it in the air. Fang was smiling as I took it from him. We then went to find his hat, which I also wrote on for him, "Fang loves Max."

Everyone gathered around to start taking pictures. Jeb, Angel, and Ari were there. My mother was on another spa getaway. Fang wrapped his arm around my waist and we smiled at the camera. Everything was perfect. So good in fact, that I barely thought about having to leave everyone behind in a few months.

Fang's POV

We all sat around Iggy's living room. Instead of the big parties that he once use to have, he invited a few of us to just hang out. The people, he said, that he considered being his 'real friends'.

As we agreed on, everyone was wearing a sweater of the college they were going to. Iggy, our basketball pro, had on an Uconn Huskies sweater. He had been accepted on a full ride. Ella (who was trying to stay on everyone's good side since February) had on a Champlain College sweater. It was somewhere in Vermont, which is all I knew. JJ was accepted into a college in Maryland, which apparently is where her brother also went. Max sat back sourly in her red, Arizona U sweater. Out of everyone, she was going the farthest away. I had on a black sweater (of course), with the words Hofstra University in blue and gold. I had gotten there on a pretty good, partial scholarship.

"What are you guys majoring in?" Iggy suddenly asked. "I'm going into science, I'm not sure which area though."

"Really?" Nudge asked, "That I did not see coming." We all laughed. "JJ, what are you going into?"

"Clinical Psychology. " That raised a few eyebrows. She laughed, "For real, I want to help people with their emotions and what not."

"I'm going into Child Development," Ella replied. She wasn't as happy or as outgoing as she used to be, ever since... well, you know.

Max leaned against me, almost as if she didn't want to speak, as if she didn't want to acknowledge what was to come. Instinctively, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. She looked up at me, and we shared a moment. I was telling her it was going to be okay and that we could make it through anything. She was telling me that she didn't want to go.

"Aww, how cute," Iggy replied with a laugh. "All right Fangster, whatcha you gonna be?" I looked over at him.

"Fangster?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Max smirked next to me.

"Seriously, what are you doing?" he asked.

Max nudged me to influence me to go on with it. Of course, I do everything she says. I am as whipped as cream when it comes to her. "Education, I want to teach high school English."

"Ahh, so you are a closet poet, I am assuming," Iggy continued. "Interesting." Only Max had known about my writing, she was the only one who read my work. Of course, I would never have the guts to actually publish something, so I figured, if I can't handle being a writer, why not teach kids how to write? "Max," Iggy quickly moved on, "What about you?"

"Undeclared," Max announced. That got a round of disappointed boos. She laughed and shrugged, "I have no idea what I want to do with the rest of me life." She looked over at me, "I'm completely clueless." Which I knew was hard for her to admit, she always has a plan.

I gave her a quick hug and then, everyone sat back and began watching The Hangover (which I have to admit, did make me laugh). Max kept leaning on me though, as if afraid that we were never going to see each other again after tonight.

Max's POV

Having already said goodbye to my family at home, I wasn't necessarily in the mood for anymore goodbyes.

Then, I went to the airport to find all of my friends waiting for me.

It sucks to be the first one to go.

Apparently, they all put together a gift for me of stuff so as never to forget them. JJ gave me a picture of Nudge, Ella, her, and I, from our freshman year of high school and then another one of us all standing together at graduation (of course, Nudge was in normal clothes).

Iggy gave me a few of his favorite movies including The Hangover from our night after graduating and a signed basketball from a future Uconn 'star'.

Nudge got me a few shirts that she considered to be "college-required-wear", which I have no idea how that came to be.

Ella gave me a paperweight that was part of a set. She had the other one. It said friends on it.

"Thanks you guys," I whispered. We did a large group hug, then, they were backing away from me.

"Now let these two say goodbye," Iggy told them, referring to Fang and I. Fang smiled lightly as the group walked over to a restaurant to grab some food.

"I hate leaving," I admitted. Fang pulled me in for a hug. He pressed his cheek on the top of my head as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I don't want to leave," I mumbled into his chest.

"Max, this is something you got to do." He whispered. I felt him kiss my hair. He squeezed me and I groaned.

"Why do you always have to be right? Can't you be irrational and say, 'Don't leave, I love you and I need you to stay with me'? Why can't you be like that for once?" I complained. "I blame you for me leaving." I know, totally irrational, blaming him for something that I had to do.

Fang laughed for a moment, "Believe me, it's taking all the strength I have to not say that." I heard this was hurting him. How could we do this? How could we make it? I just had to believe.

"Say it," I whispered, "I honestly won't go."

"And then what are you going to do with the rest of your life?"

"Work at McDonalds," I reasoned.

"No Max, you're too important. You destined for something." He whispered. He released me from the hug and reached for something in his pocket. "Here." He handed me a cd. "Don't open it until you're at the school."

"You know I'll open this on the plane right?" I told him with a meek smile.

"Yeah, I figured," he laughed lightly. I quickly looked at my clock. I'd be leaving soon. This couldn't be happening. How had summer come to pass by so quickly? Why did I choose to go so far away? Why?

"Remember the promise," I reminded him.

He smiled. "Always."

We were both floating in the river, two weeks before I would have to leave him behind. Fang's hand was holding mind.

"Fang?" I asked.

"Hmm?" I stood up in the water and he peered his eyes open to look over at me.

"Are you going to miss me?" I asked lightly. I ran a hand through my damp hair. Now he was standing up too.

"Of course," he watched me carefully.

We were still holding hands. "What are we going to do when we go to college? We'll barely see each other."

"We've got phones." He reasoned. "And the internet." He placed his hands on my hips and pulled me closer to him. "And the fact that we are meant to be together…forever."

"Do you really believe that?" My heart was pounding and hoping to believe his words. To have Fang forever would make the rest of my life pretty dang good.

"Yeah," he replied, "I really do." He smirked.

The music that was blasting in his car changed songs. I could hear the start of it.

You can't always get what you want.

You can't always get what you want.

You can't always get what you want.

But if you try sometimes, you might find.

You get what you need.

"Do you need me?" I asked out of a whim.

"Yeah," he whispered, "I'll always need you Max. You're the only one."

"Promise?" I asked.

He sealed it with a kiss and when he pulled back he whispered, "Always. I will always promise you that."

Fang leaned down for a kiss that I knew would be our last for awhile. But I had to tell myself that this was what had to be done. I had to go out into the world and find myself. Fang would be waiting. And he too had to go find himself. I would be waiting for him too.

When the kissed finished, he pulled me into one last hug and whispered in my ear one last reminder.

"Forever."

----------

That's the end of PART II. Next chapter, it's college and some new twists are going to arrive. Thanks for all of your reviews, I didn't expect as many for the last chapter as I expected.

For those of you who thought I meant one more chapter for the story, I actually meant one more chapter for this part of the story, so there is still plenty more coming your way!

Bye for now,

Flyerac1029

Oh, and also, Fang is going to my personal favorite college in the whole world. I want to go there for a Creative Writing Major.