A/N: Time for the graduation. The moment you all have been waiting for. Sorry it took so long to get to this point. (Yes I know I uploaded two stories at once)

Chapter 8

Time for Graduation and Separation

Takuya's POV

[That was one wild night last night... Anyways, now we are here in the auditorium where hundreds of parents came to see there child graduate from junior high! For most parents this was a happy time while others were boohooing before there child even went on stage to receive there award.

Of course we are sitting in alphabetical order in our identically worn black graduating outfits with the flat hats and golden tassels. So unfortunately I wasn't sitting next to my "girl" Zoe since her last name started with "O". Instead, she was sitting after Kouji since his last name was "M" and no one else's last name started with "N". I got stuck with Kouichi since his last name started with "K", just like me. On my other side was some girl who was talking on the phone to someone. Really? Talking on the phone? In a time like this?

Anyways, we all hushed in silence as we listened to a speaker who was talking about life and the road ahead. It seemed like half the kids were knocked out sleeping before the guy could finish his first sentence. I really didn't pay much attention now that I think of it. Instead, I was busy looking over at Zoe and Kouji, who look like he was nodding his head due to sleep. I had to laugh when I saw Zoe poke his ears only to see him rudely awakened. As she slowly turned her head to face the stage, I couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. The way her soft face glowed with beauty. The way that smile of hers is enough to make me all warm in the inside. Yep, I definitely love her. I will truly lover her... forever.]

"...And that is why you should always be careful of the decisions you make. Be bold! Be Different!..." the motivation speaker said as he leaned heavily on the podium.

[Its kind of ironic and weird to tell a whole bunch of students dressed in the same graduation uniform to be DIFFERENT!]

"... And so I leave you with this! Its not your intentions that brings you to your destiny, it is the directions you take in life that get you to your destiny! That is all!" the speaker was done as he wiped his forehead and smiled to the audience as he walked of the stage to his seat.

Everyone was clapping rapidly, while the kids that were sleeping fell out of their seats due to startlement of the sudden burst of applause, thinking it was gun fire.

Now it was time for the awards.

Everyone went up to the stage as their names were called.

Takuya's POV, again.

[ I didn't pay much attention to everyone as they went up to the stage. I was only paying attention to the ones that mattered to me and my friends.

When Kouichi went up to get his award, he received the A honor roll and best attitude, and Kouji got the exact opposite, if you know what I mean. He-he-he! Actually, he got the B honor. But before he went up, I went to receive my B honor roll as well as my best soccer athlete award. Woohoo!

So what if I was blushing madly or if I completely missed the principals hand when I went to go shake it. At least I didn't trip like Zoe did when she was walking UP the stairs. But at least she didn't hurt herself. She got a good laugh out of that one after she went to receive her A honor roll and artistic award. Did I mention she's also a very caring person? Robby and Jack got the most improved award due to there lack of education in their prior years but they surely deserved that award for all the hard work they put in to be where they are at today. They also got the most musical award along with Bobby and Rose who also got the most likely to bust out dancing.

Deep out in the audience I could see JP, the former graduate, and Tommy, the future graduate. I could tell they were excited to see us on stage graduating as Tommy jumped out of his seat and swung his hat in the air as the principal called out our names. JP was cheering as well along with his family. This was definitely a inspirational and motivating time in our very young lives.

As I looked up to see my parents I saw my dad and Shinya cheering loudly with bells and air horns. There was no way I could miss them in the crowd. Oh and my mom was... oh gosh I can't believe she's still crying. She promised me she wouldn't cry! I could read her mouth as I heard her saying, "That's my baby!" over and over with a tissue lathering her face.

During the whole celebration, reality hit me... hard. Even though we were all happy about graduating, this was only the beginning of a downhill roller coaster that lied ahead as we turned in our uniforms.]

***

(Second POV)

And so Takuya and the rest of the gang went back to their lockers to clean it out. As they went up the stairs, Robby and Jack were chanting a song they made up over and over.

"We graduate! Time to celebrate! We graduate! Time to celebrate!" they repeated.

Meanwhile, Takuya was opening his locker when Zoe came by and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I see you finally learned how to open your locker." Zoe teased as she stood beside him with a beaming smile on her face. It was a long time she had ever genuinely smiled.

"Nice to see you smiling again." he grinned back as he gave her a hug and another kiss on the lip.

"Welllll welllll wellllll..." JP was swagging his way towards them while he clapped his hands slowly.

"Uhm JP, what are you doing here?" Zoe asked.

"Don't mind that. I only came here to check on you guys." a sense of nonchalance was in JP's voice.

"O...k?" Takuya sound surprised.

JP quickly, and I mean probably the quickest anyone has ever seen him move, got behind Takuya and placed his hands firmly on his shoulder as he pulled him aside.

"Don't worry Zoe. I need to speak to Takuya privately." JP assured Zoe that he wasn't going to kill Takuya.

"Now listen here, pal." JP was speaking softly yet harshly to where only he and Takuya could hear.

All the other guys were watching the conversation as JP was vigorously waving his hands and making hand gestures (no, not those kind of gestures).

"I want you to know that you ruined my plans back at that party. It was me-" JP pointed his finger at himself, "-That was suppose to be in that closet with Zoe, but you had to go in there and ruin it all up, didn't you!" JP's mind was still plagued with failure.

"Gee, sorry JP. I really didn't know nor meant to..." JP broke him off as he raised his hand in front of him to stop.

"All I ask is that you take care of her, you hear?" JP tightened his grip on his shoulder, " I've got my eyes on you, 'cause if you hurt her in anyway, I'll come looking for you." JP jabbed his finger in Takuya's chest and walked off.

Now JP is at least 6 feet and is about to grow even more. To Takuya, who is only 5 foot 6 inches, he is practically a high school giant, witch he is. So he had to have respect for the guy.

As JP walked off, Zoe walked over to Takuya to see if he was badly shaken.

"Are you alright?" Zoe sounded concerned.

"Um, yeah." he felt a little pressured.

"Good! Lets go out to eat!" she tugged on his arm as he sort of resisted.

"What?" she asked. She looked at him and said with a teasing look on her face, "You're not afraid, are you?" She smiled as she walked off from teasing him.

"Ha ha very funny!" he trudged then started to chase after her as she squealed to get away from his grasp.

"Who's afraid now?" he mocked back.

Meanwhile, Robby, Jack, and Bobby walked off singing "Dust in the Winds" as Bobby strummed his guitar. Rose shook her head the whole way, behind them.

"This makes me puke." Kouji muttered as he slammed his locker shut.

"What does?" Kouichi wondered with an inquisitive look.

"All this... fluff." Kouji struggled to say, with a boring tone in his voice.

They both walked off

"Oh don't worry, Kouji. You'll find love one day... one day... some day... in fact, maybe in a long time.... maybe too long... like-"

"Alright! I get the point!" Kouji interrupted as they both walked off to the exit.

(Music: Great Escape, by Boys Like Girls)

***

(As they went out to eat...)

And so it was that fateful night when they went to the same restaurant to go out to eat. All the parents and the children sat on the same table as they took there orders and carried on with conversations that never seemed to get old. These were the last moments that they would share with each other and so they enjoyed every last minute of it that counted.

(Airport...)

Takuya's POV... again-

[ I couldn't believe it! That day finally came. The day I thought would never come; Zoe leaves to Italy.

Me and the other guys, along with our parents, were at the airport along with Zoe and her parents. Their flight was coming any minute now, and I couldn't bare to say good bye... one last time.]

"Will all flight passengers, that are going to Italy, make there way to the gate!" the intercom blared through out the airport.

Takuya glanced over at Zoe who had her head down. Her head was leaned against her dad's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her to maker her feel any better. Her mom was on the other side caring to her as well.

Suddenly, everyone got up to up to gather around Zoe, her older sister, Crystal, and her parents to comfort them in this time of such sweet sorrow.

"We'll always remember you all and all that you have done for us." Mr. Orimoto explained as he shook hands and hugged all the dads.

"We'll always know we have friends here." Mrs. Orimoto said. She gathered all the moms in a circle as they chanted something... something no one knew what was going on.

"Its like the Ya Ya Sisterhood or something." Kouji whispered out loud.

"Kouji!" Kouichi elbowed his brother in the side.

"Ow!"

Tommy's brother, Yutaka, saw his chance as he walked up to Crystal.

"I...I...I-I.." he couldn't say the words.

"Love me?" she completed his sentence. He nodded sheepishly and they both hugged. (lol I should make it official)

All of Zoe's friends gathered around her as they hugged her and said there good byes.

"I'm surely going to miss you, girl." Rose said as she gave her one of those girly hugs, "Come here, girl." she had tears welling up.

"Don't forget us!" Bobby mentioned as he, Robby and Jack walked up to give her a hug also.

"Group hug!" Robby and Jack said at the same time.

It was Tommy's turn.

"Bye Zoe..." Tommy was practically wailing as he gave her a hug. "Your like the sister I never had." he said in between sniffs.

"You're like the girl I never had" JP thought out loud. Everyone looked at him with a suspicious look.

"What? Its the truth!" he went up to Zoe and gave her a bear hug. "I'm going to miss you sooooo much!" Zoe's feet left the ground as he held her up in the air with his death grab.

"Ok JP... put me down."

"Oh right... sorry!" JP released her.

Kouichi walked up to her and gave her a hug, " I'll miss you... heck, we'll all miss you!"

Now it was Kouji's turn and he was turning down Zoe's hug.

"Now I said I wasn't going to cry and that is what I plan to do! If I hug you.... I might start crying." he held out one hand for a handshake.

Zoe looked at him and his hand and placed her hand into his. She then cleverly turned it into a hug as she held him tight so he couldn't get free.

"I'm going to miss you too, Kouji." Zoe said with a tear down her cheek.

"Ah no! Zoe!" he couldn't help it. The emotions were welling up into tears. Then he started boohooing loudly as snot and tears just came out.

"Its ok Kouji... let it out... just not on my shirt." Zoe said softly as she alleviated him by pat him on the back. She let go of him and he quickly tried to hide his face from everyone's laughter and jeering, but no one was laughing. Kouji was showing actual feelings which was a first in a long time. Kouichi then held him by the shoulder to reassure him.

Now it was Takuya's turn as he graced his way towards Zoe and gave her a lingering and passionate hug that he would never let go of.

(Music: Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop, by Landon Pigg)

They stayed that way for minutes as their friends watched in admiration. Bobby slipped his hand into Rose's slyly as she looked back at him and smiled. (That makes three love birds if your counting)

It was now time to depart. They all exchanged numbers for contacting and walked with Zoe to the gate.

The whole Orimoto family walked to their gate as they had there luggage checked. It was time for them to go. The whole family turned around to wave goodbye at there fellow friends.

Deep down, Takuya felt empty. He felt he had to do something. This was no time to hold back. He didn't want to live with any regrets in his later life saying, "Oh how I wish..."

As soon as he felt the courage, he burst into a sprint as he ran towards Zoe. Zoe turned around and did the same as they both ran towards each other (lol picture it in slow motion). As they met each other half way, Takuya dropped to his knees (no he's not proposing... hmm that's a thought) and said, "I love you!"

Zoe raised him up and kissed him on the mouth as a farewell kiss that they would share for the rest of there separating lives.

All of there comrads sort of awed and clapped in te baack ground as they watched. Even JP, who was struggling, started clapping.

After that she walked back to her parents who were beaming gleefully. They never felt so proud of there younger daughter.

A few minutes passed as the plane loaded up. Before long it was finally ready to launch, with it holding the Orimotos and Zoe, who would cherish her endless memories forever. She looked out the window and waved frantically hoping just maybe her friends would see her.

As the plane took off the ground, Takuya, who was staring out the big lobby window, waved his hands hoping just maybe Zoe would see him too. He stood there waving until the plane left out of sight. That was when it finally settled in. She was gone and it was time to go home as his parents took him to the car.

(Music: Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop, by Landon Pigg)

***

And that was how the summer went. Later on everyone started leaving. First Kouji and Kouichi left and went out of town to another city with their parents. Then, Tommy left to Canada with his family.

And soon it just kept going on from there. Jack and Robby left with their foster parents to go around the country. Bobby and Rose left to Mexico with their family. They liked to think of it as their "honeymoon". As for JP, he didn't quite move far except to a different house.

So Takuya was pretty much all alone in the same house in the same neighborhood.

No more friendly outings to go to the park. No more movie nights to see there favorite movies. No more going to the amusement parks or sharing any treasuring memories.

Takuya had to face facts. He really did miss everybody. He missed Jack and Robby's stupid rhymes and chants they would come up with. He missed Rose and her companionship? And he missed Bobby for being... well... Bobby. He missed Tommy and his innocent naivety. He also missed how he was able to master just about any video game ever given to him. He also missed JP and his ridiculous sense of taste and humor, and all the times how JP would take his food when ever he wasn't watching, plus his obsession with chocolate. He missed the twins, Kouichi and Kouji... they were like the two brothers from different mothers even though they came from the same mother. They really contradict each other in almost every way like peanut butter and mayonnaise. (Ew) and most of all he missed... Zoe. The love of his life. Boy, did he miss her.

He took a heavy sigh as he rested on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He pulled out a picture with everyone in it. He carefully placed it back into his pocket and patted it as if to secure it.

All he could do from here was look forward... and not back no longer.

(Music: Dreamer, by Chris Brown)

A/N: Gosh, I swear I write way too much. I need help. Well towards the beginning, when Takuya was talking about graduation, that was pretty much how my senior graduation went lol. In fact, I can really relate to Takuya right now. Also, the speaker gave the same sort of speech about directions and intentions at my graduation.

Well I don't know if this story is any good or not anymore, but I still plan on finishing it in the next chapter. The next chapter is the epilogue and after this I may stop writing stories... that's if no more ideas pop into my head or if anyone cares to hear more. Well tell me what you think and review. Let me get this over with already. I'm starting to cry. *sniff* *sniff*