Well, here's the epilogue. It has been quite the ride with this story. I had specifically stated before that I wanted to first complete my fire emblem story "The Flames Within Us," it's a bit of a darker and more violent story regarding torture and identity, so if you like that check it out. This story as a result was put on the back handle until that story was finished. Thankfully however, I managed to finish that, and here we are, now on the epilogue. Not going to be as long as the other chapters, but enough to leave you with an idea of where the others have gone.
? POV
In the wild atmosphere of LA, a noticeable man had made his way towards a university.
The man was relatively well built, being of average height, with a slim, but muscular figure. He wore a simply red t-shirt, alongside a hoodie loosely tied around his waist. He also was wearing a blue short pants, with it only hitting his knees.
Some interesting accessories, includes a blue wristband on his left wrist, as well as a black headband. A large orange scarf now surrounds his neck, with the wind blowing it around his figure as well occasionally.
One look just underneath his left knee, are the remnants of what appears to be a scar, which thankfully seems to have faded over the years.
Likewise, underneath his headband is a similar scar, which also seems to have faded, though not to the extent of the other.
But the biggest scar that currently remains, is on his left arm, which is covered by a weird wrapping of clothes, stretching from his shoulder to his wrist, with the band seemingly being the endpoint of it.
With his rather black shoes, he simply was heading towards the university, seemingly waiting for someone to come out.
Eventually, however, he saw what he was looking for. A girl, rather small, around 5'3" but not underwhelming in the slightest.
Despite the climate, it was actually rather cool and windy today in LA, so the girl was wearing a scarf of her own, some long simple pants and a coat covering her slim figure, the girl spotted the man and waved towards him, before running in his direction.
In a stunning array of beauty, the two figures hugged each other, ignoring the surrounding students, probably confused at the two.
The two figures shared a kiss before making their way off somewhere.
They seemed to have been chatting for about an hour, as the girl's university hours were over, and so they finally had time to hang out.
They eventually found the man's car, before they drove off to what appears to be a more prestigious place in LA.
The girl seemed to have been a bit nervous, while the man simply was curious, looking around as if he was searching for a specific detail within this area of the city.
But where the two seemed different, they both were in reality confused.
The man, over the past couple of years had gotten a contract to host a video game, and was now earning a comfortable amount of earnings.
However, the person they were going to meet was a large-scale celebrity.
Sure enough, they made it, and saw the person they were looking for. A tall, slim, person with a persona of a rockstar. He was known as Rockstar Manning, also known as Craig.
"Craig!" The man called out, and Craig to his credit looked in surprise.
"Hey Toby! Emiko." He greeted, reuniting with what appeared to be some friends.
In truth, it was true. The last time they had actually seen each other was post-graduation, and so the time between that and now seemed to have gone through quickly, with everyone living their own lives.
The trio, were then interrupted by a text from Craig's phone, and they seemed to have immediately known who that text was from.
The trio entered Toby's car, and began to head towards the airport. It took quite a bit, and the amount of people made it a bit difficult.
However, once they spotted who they were looking for, they smiled and hugged, after not seeing each other for 2 years.
A bunch of people suddenly found each other reunited.
The group looked very similar to the same group from the post-graduate, and everyone seemed to have enjoyed each other's company.
Craig, in particular began to hug a redhead with freckles, before kissing her a bit passionately. It clearly seemed that the two hadn't seen each other in a while.
"I missed you." The redhead, Ellie stated, and Craig smiled.
"I missed you too."
The group, consisting of Emma, Spinner, Craig, Ellie, Emiko, Liberty, Manny and Jay.
While Toby seemed a bit hesitant whenever he was within Spinner and Jay, however he simply allowed the reunion to go forward.
It seemed that everyone was doing alright.
"Hey guys," Craig started, looking towards Toby and Liberty.
"I want to show you all something, I hope you all brought flowers." Was all Craig said, before he went to his motorcycle.
"What?" Was all Jay asked, and I shrugged?
"I guess we should go buy some I guess." Was all I said before the rest of us head out.
"I know it seems sudden, but I think you'll appreciate it." Craig texted me, as I told them the contents of what he said in that exact message.
Regardless, after a bit of travelling to find flowers, Craig then texted us the address of where we were to meet up next.
Once we did, our eyes had widened a bit.
It was near a beach, but in a nice secluded area. The surprise? A graffiti of Jt, Toby's best friend, whom he had a history of tension with.
Toby himself seemed a bit conflicted upon seeing it, but seeing the faces of Emma, Manny and Liberty lay a tear over their fallen friend, it seemed bittersweet.
"Craig, how did you get this?" Spinner asked, and Craig smiled.
"You got to remember, that the stabbing that killed Jt also injured me. The news of a rockstar getting stabbed got a lot of attention, so Jt's name was already out there. I decided once I got to LA to lay a mural for him, considering he died." Was all Craig said, and found himself being hugged by the three girls who cared for Jt.
Toby simply smiled at Craig, "Thanks Craig." Was all he said, before he stepped forward a laid the flowers. Closer by, he could see a picture of Jt, framed similar to our graduation photo.
It seemed sweet that Craig would do something like this, but Toby didn't mind. He simply turned to Emiko, who gave him a small smile.
It was somewhat weird, Toby thought, that the day he had met his girlfriend, was the day his friend would die. It was tragic, but he had learned to cope, just like Rick.
With not much to say afterwards, then a simple farewell, he let the others pay their respects for Jt. Even Spinner and Jay, who seemed a bit more somber than usual.
It was a message, that even those who didn't like others like Jt, and the person he was. He wasn't someone you could hate, as Toby himself had learned.
As they smiled, looking at the pictures of Jt, reminiscing about not just their time with the person, but with Degrassi, and the others, they suddenly found themselves wondering what was Degrassi like now?
But they quickly laughed it off, considering it not to be their problem anymore.
All they cared about now, was moving on with their lives for something better.
It wasn't a matter of forgetting, however, but simply not letting yourself get caught in the past.
Toby knew that feeling perhaps well, considering the hate he harbored towards almost everyone for being neglected after the shooting, portraying him as a threat due to befriending the shooter. He in particular hated Jt, Spinner and Jay, and while his hatred for the first died alongside him, and was instead filled with regret.
The other two, took more time for them to redeem themselves, and in ironic ways.
With Spinner, they bonded over their cooperative hatred towards Lakehurst, while Jay and Toby bonded while Spinner was treated for his testicular cancer.
It was strange, but sometimes that's life. It's strange and sometimes you have to go with the flow.
Craig knew the feeling of hatred, but not towards anyone, but rather himself. Hated himself for the pain he inflicted onto others, he was caught in the past, when he jeopardized his relationship with Ellie, because he feared repeating those same mistakes. Today, however, two years on, and their relationship was still strong, while his friendships with the others weren't hampered with whatsoever.
In a sort of way, almost everyone was caught in their past. Ellie with her cutting, Spinner and Jay for their roles in the shooting, that even they had admitted wished hadn't gone to that. Emma's actions during her trauma-filled episode, and Manny's accidental nude leak.
Beyond that, they were all trying to move on, let the past be the past, and let their future be what pushes them forward.
They had all seemingly gone through the worst, were at the bottom of their feelings, or their lives, but through some way, managed to find themselves and the people to help bring themselves up from their mud.
They were no fully fledged out, and ready to be themselves, even if they find people who won't accept them for who they are.
As a game show host, Toby found himself being at the center of attention for many contestants, and his physical strength and health hadn't deteriorated one bit. He also posted on YouTube about advice for others regarding being healthy in what food they should eat, and different exercise, depending on muscle buildup, endurance, or even losing weight, Toby had it all. With these two platforms, he was able to live his life in comfort, despite the fact that he surprisingly hadn't gone to post-secondary, as the contract came during the summer. It was a surprise to him, but considering his personality and looks, he was very appealing to a certain member of audience, and so he became a beloved host.
Toby's girlfriend, Emiko continued her post-secondary education, working in the medical field, while also volunteering in different areas of the field, whether it was research or nursing. Her work experience and knowledge allowed her to compete among the better top of the crowd. She still is an undergraduate, with the time in university taking up to 12 years, she was able to get ahead. Whenever she was free, she would spend time with Toby, and enjoy the time they spent together. Luckily, both her and Toby lived together in LA, so their time together was plentiful. Toby still remembers the day Emiko brought home a pet puppy, a small dalmatian, that surprised him to this day. It seemed that the two's relationship had flourished throughout.
The rockstar Manning, Craig, continued his career as a celebrity, with hits after hits, becoming one of the most beloved artists in music, at least in the rock field. He dabbled a bit in pop and rap to appeal to mainstream audience, which was partially made through pressure from many labels. However, after going through different labels at a time, Craig eventually co-founded his own team to help promote and distribute sails of his music. He also dabbled in the acting film, though preferring to play smaller, less known roles instead of the main shows. He let his main show be on the stage, alongside his other collaborators. That's not to say that Craig didn't hate acting, he was good at it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. His eagerness to try something new and his fast learning gave him a reputation throughout the field, as he enjoyed endeavors like interviewing, producing, philanthropy and much more.
Craig's girlfriend, Ellie eventually made her debut as a journalist, for specific celebrities. Of course, this meant that Ellie herself began to travel, as she began to interview specific celebrities on different matters. While most were about their passions, future endeavors and more, the ones she personally admitted to liking were the personal ones, that allowed those who looked up to them relate to them. In particular, she enjoyed talking to one about the struggles with anorexia, and how the burden of expecting to be perfect was too much. In her own interview, ironically with Craig, after he had opened up about his bipolar disorder and struggle with maintaining a balance, Ellie then revealed her addiction to self-harm during her teenage years, revealing the now almost faded scars. It was an emotional time, but one that showcased Ellie's skills in her job.
Manny found herself growing into an actress, a model for different clothing brands, and performing alongside some artist, including Craig. Of course, rumors of her high school times had resurfaced, but in an act of maturity, Manny admitted to them, stating it was a time in which she was not proud of, and wished she could tell her younger self those advice, and displaying the message towards the audience, telling them not to make the same mistakes as her. The controversy actually made Manny more popular as many felt she had handled it correctly. Besides that, her career as an actress took off, and she even starred in some acting as well.
Jay found himself continuing his job as a mechanic, who later also dabbled in racing. Like Toby, he introduced himself to the media as a car almanac, displaying his knowledge on cars, racing, and how to properly treat them. His status as Manny Santos' boyfriend also made headlines, but despite that retained his aspirations and love for automobiles. He would instead, through business endeavors expand his automobile companies throughout the continent as he found himself becoming a small-scale youtuber, and company manager.
Funnily enough, Spinner and Emma, after an incident had found themselves married, and despite the confusion, decided to keep it, accepting each other. It was a difficult and confusing time for Emma, as she still retained feelings for Sean, but due to a lack of communication saw no hope in waiting for him to return, if he were to.
In a shocking appearance for Toby, Kendra had resurfaced, looking for him to see how he was doing. Of course, Kendra was very shocked to see the transformation Toby had gone through, and the girlfriend he had. Despite this, she simply smiled seeing Toby happy with someone, whereas she was attending another university, and had herself a stable life now.
…
"This was it." Craig said at last.
He was terrified, he had just gone out and bought one of the most expensive and prestigious things he had ever gotten.
And that was saying something considering Craig made sure not to overspend.
He looked at the item, eyeing it in all its glory, before putting it in a small square, mahogany box.
This was among the last days Ellie would remain as she would travel to Europe for a month to interview a popular British Actor, however, in that time they had spent the most they had.
Their relationship was well known to the public, he remembers when he revealed he had a girlfriend, and while he didn't reveal the name of the person he was dating, the public had found out due to the both of them giving out hints.
Eventually, once they knew the gig was up, and that they had deciphered their hidden relationship, the embraced it, knowing that the uproar was avoided.
At least now they could enjoy their relationship, and even Craig knew it was time.
He remembered the time he was scared to go out with Ellie, his previous track record wasn't great, and he knew that the public had heard of it.
Learning that you had an affair with your high school girlfriend, and got your affair pregnant? What luck and stupid decision making was that? At least they didn't know who were the victims of his terrible acts.
He shook his head, he was better than that, and while Ashley was living her life, he was living his, alongside Ellie.
Speaking of the redhead, he had found her, sitting on a couch.
"Let's go somewhere." Craig spoke, and Ellie, confused asked where they were going, however Craig told her with time.
They began to climb a small hill, near a forest, but not going in it.
"Is this a murder-suicide thing?" Ellie asked, which resulted in Craig laughed but shaking his head to ensure her it wasn't.
Eventually, Craig found the place he was looking for. A nice waterfall, with some fireflies lighting up the atmosphere. The stars seemed to have been extra luminous, as everything seemed to have popped up and glow very nicely.
Ellie gasped, as a firefly landed on her hand, before flying off.
"Craig this is beautiful." Ellie said at last, but quickly turned when she saw Craig taking deep breathes.
She turned to him, "Craig, are you okay?" She asked worried for him.
Much to her relief, Craig smiled, "I am more than alright, I am just nervous."
"And why are you nervous?" Ellie asked, and Craig sighed.
"I want you to look at the waterfall for a bit, okay?" He said, and asked, and Ellie nodded.
Before Ellie knew it, she felt a strange flower on her head, and she blushed, but what made her more shocked, was Craig, on his knees, with an open mahogany box, with a precious, ring. Not too noticeable, but also respectable in its contents.
Wasn't over the top prestigious, but not typical. It was perfect, and Ellie's face of shock turned to tears of joy, as she hugged her now fiancé.
"Yes!" She mumbled, as she held on tightly to Craig, who simply took a sigh of relief, as he felt his anxiety fade away, replaced with relief.
As Ellie held onto him, they watched the fireflies buzz, creating small shapes, the stars luminating brightly, the sound of a waterfall, and much more.
It couldn't be more perfect, Ellie thought as she saw Craig, smiling at her.
She looks so pretty in the moonlight Craig thought, as he began to think of lyrics for his next song.
"I know you are going to Europe for a month, but I wanted to tell you this before, so when you come back, you come back to something special." I smiled, and her eyes widened, a bit teary as she smiled back to me.
"Thank you, this is amazing, you really outdid yourself hear Craig." She spoke.
"I mean I didn't necessarily pay for the fireflies to be out here, but I thought I could show you this." He said, tenderly kissing her.
"Look!" Craig said shortly after, and Ellie could see the remnants of a shooting star, or a bit.
"A meteor shower..." Ellie mumbled, and Craig smiled.
"You see why I wanted to do this today?" He asked, and she smiled.
"Yes." Was all she said.
When we went home, despite the suspense that Ellie would be gone for a month, as we cuddled together, I felt like this moment would last longer.
With a kiss to her forehead, and taking off the lights, I closed my eyes for the future ahead.
THE END
