"Joey Mallet."

"Tanis McTaggart."

"Laura Murphy."

"Cody Myers."

Cody smiled on her way up to the podium, accepting her diploma from Bates and blushing when her mom and dad whistled a little too loud.

She'd found herself enjoying the graduation ceremony more than she ever thought she would. After all, it was just some silly formality for their parents. What was the big deal?

So she felt a tiny bit horrified when she found herself getting choked up as Bates hugged his son in front of the whole school, or when Mr. White let out one small, undignified cheer as Cameron was called up, or at the fact that her parents came together (with Candi!), or at the fact that Squib's parents came at all. She'd even felt all warm and fluffy as Squib teased Nate after hearing Bates call his full name.

"Nathaniel? Nathaniel Bates? Wait- so this means that you decided to call yourself Nate? You did that to yourself? I'm not sure which is worse! Nathaniel or Nate Bates!"

"Just one more!" Her mother insisted, setting up her camera, "Okay, you guys smile!" Cody hugged her dad and her sister close and smiled, waiting for the flash, when Squib stepped up behind her mom.

"Here, let me," he smiled, snatching the camera from the hands of the much shorter woman.

"Oh!" She looked surprised for a moment, until Cody waved her into the picture.

"That's just Squib- don't be alarmed." The former Mrs. Myers laughed and adjusted her daughter's cap one more time before Squib snapped the photo.

"I'm proud of you, Adena," her dad said softly as Mrs. Stiles stood off to the side.

"Thanks, Dad," Adena smiled up at him. "I know it's maybe not what you always wanted, but-,"

"No," he nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder, "believe me. I'm proud."

"So, why aren't you cuddling with your parents?" Cody asked Squib as her mother and sister gave Nate the third degree a few steps away.

"They had to run," he explained, shrugging, "he had a business meeting."

"That sucks…"

"Yeah, but check it out," he smiled, fishing for something in his pocket, "wanna see my grad gift?" She nodded, and he pulled an expensive looking, silver watch out of his pocket, "A real watch this time. No more cheap plastic."

Cody mirrored his smirk, "Well, lucky you, Squib."

"Okay, okay!" She heard her mother call, "Cody, some here! You too, Squib! I want one more picture," she explained, grinning, "you and all your friends." Cody waved Adena, Tanis, and Cameron over before going to stand in between Nate and Squib.

"Okay, say chee-,"

"Wait!" Cody called, stepping away from the group and looking around through the crowd. Her face lit up in recognition as she called, "Rick! Come here for a second!" Rick came running and Adena grabbed his arm, pulling him into the picture.

"Okay," Cody said, resuming her place, "now we're ready."

There was a lot of her mother in herself, Cody mused as she printed her pictures a few days later. She had certainly given her daughters their trademark hair, and while Candice had their father's smile, Cody had definitely gotten her mother's.

"Can I come in?" Cody heard Nate's voice call from the other side of the door.

"Yeah," she called back, smiling, "I'm all done!"

"How'd they turn out?" He asked, stepping in.

"Great! Look at this- you're so cute!" Nate rolled his eyes, but Cody caught his smile as he looked at the picture of him and Bates.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know…"

She giggled, "So, what's up?"

"Well, in honor of our very last night at Cascadia, we're heading down to the beach; you in?"

"Of course!" She nodded, "I've just got to pack a few more things."

"It's…empty," Adena said as she put her last strappy sandal into her bag.

"Yeah," Tanis nodded, looking around the room, "I never realized how big it was…"

"Marveling at the emptiness?" Squib asked as he and Cameron walked through the door. He nodded knowingly, "We were just doing the same."

"This is too crazy for me," Adena said, ever eloquent.

"Tell me about it," Cameron sighed.

"You know, for all I complained, and all the trouble I got in…" Squib paused.

"You're kind of gonna miss it?" Tanis offered.

"Yeah."

"So, hey," she said as the four walked down the hall together, "have you decided where you're going?"

"Uh, yeah…" he answered slowly, "I think I'll go to Boston."

Tanis stopped, "…You applied to Boston? Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged, "I hadn't made up my mind." He smiled, "I guess you're going to have to put up with me for a little longer, McTaggart."

Just as Tanis was about to answer, Rick came bounding down the hall, seemingly out of nowhere, "Did I hear you say Boston, Squibby?"

"Uh…yeah…"

"I'm going to Boston!" He threw his arms around the taller boy. "This is great! This is awesome!" Tanis laughed loudly as Squib stood in shock, mumbling to himself.

"Oh God, oh God…"

"Maybe we can even be roommates!"

"Oh God, oh God, oh God…."

Cody's sister had gotten her four new outfits- all in the latest styles, apparently- to help her make friends at NYU.

"Everyone is super cool there," Candice had told her, "you're playing in the big leagues now. You're going to have to step it up a notch." It was classic Candi, but Cody had heard the affection underneath it.

Her mom, always practical, had gotten her a new laptop.

"To take notes," she supplied helpfully. "I figured your huge computer wouldn't be much help in class."

Her dad had gone all sentimental on her, giving her photo equipment, a journal, and a book of quotes.

She'd never had imagined, three years ago, how close they'd actually become at Cascadia. As she unwrapped the book, she felt like it was the moment in the movie where she was supposed to turn to him and say, all teary-eyed, "I think I'll miss you most of all…"

With the book clutched firmly in her hands, she sat on the beach with Nate, Squib, Tanis, Adena, and Rick.

"…Or how about the time Bates left us on that beach?" Cameron said, laughing. The six had been reminiscing all night around a small fire.

"Or when Rick tried to win Tomiko over?" Adena giggled.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Rick defended himself, "If you remember correctly, I did win Tomiko over!"

"I gotta get back," Nate said, still laughing lightly. "I think my dad wants to have some sort of sappy talk before I leave. I'm a little frightened." He stood up, brushing the sand off his jeans.

"I'll come, too," Cameron said, rising, "I really should get some sleep."

"I guess we'll see you all tomorrow…" Nate said.

"Bright and early!" Adena added.

"Night!" Cameron called back as they walked away. Not long after, Tanis declared she was exhausted and started to head back, Rick deciding to tag along so they could talk about how great Boston would be.

"Well, at least she's excited…" Squib mumbled.

"Oh, hush, you," Cody scolded, "you'd miss him if he left."

"This is really it," Adena said, devoid of the humor her two friends were speaking with. "This is our last night at Cascadia. Ever."

"Remember the first dorm challenge?" Cody asked suddenly, a smile on her face. "When I lost and everyone shunned me because I wasn't a player…"

Adena nodded, laughing faintly, "Good times…"

"Three years…" Squib mused, "that's a long time…"

Adena nodded, getting up, "Yeah, but they were three good years."

"What time is it?" Cody asked as she and Squib sat alone on the beach.

He looked at his watched and groaned, "Late. Too late."

"We should probably get back…" Cody stood.

"Yeah…"

"I'm gonna miss you, Squib," she said after a moment. "I mean, who will I bail out after their crazy schemes go wrong at NYU? Most university students have outgrown that phase…"

"Ah, but never Squib Furlong," he smirked. "You can come visit, City Girl," he said, calling her by a name he hadn't used in years. "I'll be sure to cook up something extra crazy just for you."

Cody smiled, taking one last look at Lake Memphre before heading into the trees with Squib.

Senior year was finally over.

And…that's it. How sad. I had the title for the last chapter picked out when I started (I also predicted that it would be 26 chapters, by the way, but that was just fluke) and just changed it today. Although I had always planned to have all of them on the beach, and end with just Cody and Squib.

And, if anyone remembers the song I talked about that inspired the fate of a character (or two), it was 'Boston' by Augustana.

Whatever shall I do with all my spare time now?

A huge thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this, and hopefully you can leave one more.