So new new new update! YAY! This is the last chapter of Mario in High School, but don't despair because there is going to be an EPILOGUE after this chapter! And it will feature the characters after high school is over. Maybe its the high school reunion, maybe its during college, maybe its graduation, you'll have to wait and see! I know some of you may hope for a sequel, but I think this story's reached a good endpoint, and the epilogue will give some proper closure.
~Sirius
"So I heard from Toad that Mario actually stood up to Bowser today." Toadette said in a hushed tone to her friends.
Standing in front of her locker, she narrated the tale of the confrontation in the library to Birdo and Dixie.
"So, Bowser didn't-like try to-like beat him up or something?" Dixie asked.
Toadette shook her head. "He made a few threats here and there. Toad didn't say everything, he was pretty vague about everything."
"Well. I guess things will be a little different." Dixie said.
"I wouldn't count on it." Birdo replied. "People don't change."
"That's not true." Dixie argued. "We've all changed a lot haven't we?"
Birdo shrugged. "Maybe, but I think its too late to think anything significant is going to happen."
"Hey guys...What's going on?"
The three were surprised to find they were face-to-face with a very distraught looking Peach.
"I've messed up pretty badly." Peach admitted. "Like, really badly."
"You don't say?" Birdo asked.
Peach glared at Birdo. "Can you atleast let me finish?"
Birdo opened her mouth to answer, but Dixie nudged her. Now wasn't the time.
"Look. I've been a bad friend and I probably convinced you into acting a certain way towards people even if you didn't want to act that way." She was looking straight at Birdo as she said this.
"But, the truth is, even though I haven't treated you like friends, you guys are my only friends, if you still consider me one."
The three still hadn't spoken.
Peach continued. "What I did was wrong, and I've done a lot of wrong things in the past. It might be too late to change what has happened in the past, but I don't want to leave high school knowing the only thing I accomplished was making everyone hate me. I know I don't deserve it, but if just one person could forgive me for what I've done, and give me another chance to be a better friend, I could have some peace for the way I've acted. So I guess, what I'm saying is, I'm sorry. I probably don't deserve your forgiveness, but you guys deserve to know how I feel."
"It hasn't been easy," Toadette said. "...being friends with you. But we've been together for ages now. If you really want to be friends, then I'm willing to give our friendship another chance."
She smiled at Peach, who returned the smile.
"You walked all over me, and I let you." Dixie said. "We aren't entirely innocent though. We didn't have to listen to everything you said. But we I want to have a friend who is going to treat me like one."
"And I will." Peach said quickly. "I'll try my best to-"
"You think you can just apologize like that and be forgiven?" Birdo questioned her sharply.
The look on her face clearly indicated she was willing to do anything but kiss and makeup.
"I know you're upset and you're probably going to need time. Especially since I ruined yours and Yoshi's relationship. But I truly thought he was beneath you and I know I was wrong."
"Yea, well I know I can't let you take all the blame for our breakup." She admitted. "But friends don't manipulate one another into doing things like that."
"You're right." She said. "I'll try to make it up to you. I can talk to him, I can explain-"
She shook her head. "Something tells me he won't be eager to talk to you about all that. But, it means a lot that you'd actually try to fix things."
Peach looked at her hopefully, but Birdo knew things couldn't be fixed so quickly.
"I'd like to think we can be friends again, that you'll treat me like a friend. I don't know where we will be after some time from now, but I think what I need right now is some space, if that's not too much to ask."
Peach sighed. She was a little disappointed, but she couldn't realistically expect anymore of her. It was a surprise that Toadette and Dixie seemed to forgive her so fast. "I understand."
"Good." They smiled briefly at each other. It wasn't an acknowledgement of friendship, but one more of mutual understanding.
*************Line Break****************
"I don't know why, but I'm geting a weird vibe about going to lunch today." Daisy whispered to Yoshi.
He nodded in agreement. "I feel like something's going to happen."
"Well, you'll have to admit, things with Bowser were quite unexpected."
"I'll say." He grinned. "Everything was just so...unBowser like."
"Too true. Not that really means anything."
The pair of friends walked into the cafeteria scouring the scene for their friends.
Instead they were in shock to see something else.
They saw shy Luma making her way over to a table in the center of the cafeteria where Bowser was sitting by himself.
What was going on? They noticed Bowser's usual table filled with the football players looking utterly confused as to why Bowser had chosen to sit by himself.
"Is Luma actually going to sit with Bowser?" Daisy asked, truly perplexed.
"That's not possible." Yoshi answered. "That could never happen, only when pigs fly."
"Well I suppose pigs are going to start flying too, because it looks like the impossible just happened." Daisy observed as Luma unexpectedly pulled out herself a chair and sat down.
At first people didn't notice, but it was too strange not to pay attention.
"What are they doing?" Daisy hissed. "Its almost as if something Mario said today actually got through to his thick skull."
Yoshi chuckled. "It seems like it did. Hey, so I have no idea where the others are today, why don't we join them."
Daisy looked at him as if he were crazy. "Are you insane? My plan for high school does not involve drawing the attention of the whole school."
Yoshi shrugged. "This could get interesting. We're already social zeros. What's the worse that could happen? Is your braveness streak finally dying down Daisy?" He teased.
She shook her head furiously and yanked his arm over to the table to join Bowser and Luma.
"Don't mind us." She said in her most cheerful voice, plastering a huge grin on her face.
Yoshi smirked at her.
"If this goes terribly wrong, I'm going to hold you accountable." She hissed at him.
He nodded. "I'm well aware of the consequences of my actions, but you are the one who technically dragged us over here."
"Shut up."
"Mhm."
*****Line Break******
"Yo Luigi hurry up. I'm starving." Mario was busy rushing his brother to finish up some cleaning in the art room since he was eager to get to lunch.
"Calm down bro. If you weren't so chicken as to go to the cafeteria yourself and wait you could have started eating by now."
"I can't go by myself." Mario whined. "What if Bowser decides to kill me."
"What's the worst that could happen in the cafeteria?" Luigi asked. "The whole school and the lunch ladies will be there. Bowser couldn't harm you."
"Oh I'm sure the whole school would love a good fight. Things can get pretty boring around here." Mario said darkly. "And the lunch ladies never did squat."
"All true." Luigi admitted. " However, I highly doubt he would do anything more to you. Seeing him today made me think he might feel bad for what he did to you."
Mario snorted. "He didn't seem exactly ecstatic over the fact I was extending the olive branch."
"I'm sure he's not jumping for joy over your forgiveness." Luigi said reasonably. "But you were the bigger man, and I feel as if its got him thinking. I'm sure everyone wants some peace before we leave this place."
"There." He wiped all the paint off of the last table. "All done."
"Finally." Mario pumped his fists. "Let's go get lunch. I'm starving. The line is probably super long now."
"Hold on a sec." Luigi said. "Rose is in the library; I promised I'd go tell her when I finished so we could go to lunch together."
Mario groaned. "Gosh, you guys broke up. Why are you still hanging out so much?"
Luigi blushed. "We're still friends!"
Mario shrugged. "You'll never get over her unless you give yourself some space, or atleast she won't."
"Dude. Its fine. I think we're well on the path of becoming close friends."
Mario eyed him suspiciously. "So, its done then? For real? The two of you aren't getting back together?"
Luigi shook his head. "I doubt it. I suppose it was for the best."
Mario grinned. "So, does that mean you and Daisy-"
"Don't even think about." Luigi said sternly before Mario could finish. "I don't know right now, and I need some time to figure it all out."
"Fair enough. Now let's go get Rosalina and hurry ourselves to the cafeteria. I seriously need a bite right now."
The two quickly made their way to the library where Rosalina appeared to be leaving.
She looked relatively surprised. "Oh, I thought you two had already left for the cafeteria since you took so long."
"Blame Luigi, he's a slow cleaner." Mario replied.
Luigi punched his brother's arm. "You could have helped instead of complaining about how long I was taking."
"Why? I didn't make the mess."
Luigi rolled his eyes. "Neither did I. I volunteered for Mrs. Klein. I'm hoping she'll make me the T.A. next year."
"Why would you want to be a teacher's assistant? That's so lame!" Mario answered.
Rosalina rolled her eyes and looked on, clearly amused.
"I still find it hard to believe you're related."
"So do I." Luigi muttered with a grin.
The trio quickly made their way to the cafeteria and Mario ran to the lunch line.
"Someone seems awfully hungry." Luigi muttered under his breath. "Honestly, the way he eats, you'd think that he'd never had a meal in his life. And we all know that its quite the opposite."
Rosalina giggled, but she stopped when she saw the sight of Daisy and Yoshi eating lunch with Luma and none other than Bowser. Not only that, but they seemed to be making actual conversation.
She hadn't missed the occasional laughs and smiles coming from all of them.
"Luigi, do you see what I see?"
Luigi looked over to where her gaze lay.
His eyes widened at the sight of their friends actually getting along with Bowser.
"Ro!" Rosalina heard Toadette call her from a lunch table on the other side of the room. She quickly made her way over.
"What's up?" She asked. Much to her surprise, her friend was seated next to Peach.
Peach shot her a reluctant smile, and despite how strange she found it, Rosalina returned it.
"Um...hi." Peach said awkwardly.
"Hi." Rosalina responded.
"Where are Dixie and Birdo?" She asked.
Peach shrugged. "Birdo didn't sit with us today, and Dixie ran off to grab a V8 drink ages ago."
"Oh."
Rosalina was unsure why Toadette and Peach had made up, and why she was even talking to Peach. But it seemed to go normally with the way the day had been.
"Care to join us?" Toadette asked, gesturing an empty chair to her friend.
"Actually..." She noticed that Luigi had made his way over to Bowser's table and taken a seat next Yoshi, quickly joining their conversation.
"I understand." Peach said ruefully. "You don't want to sit near me. That's logical. But I won't bite today."
"Why don't we go sit over there?" Rosalina suggested.
Toadette and Peach exchanged puzzled expressions, but nevertheless, they picked up their lunches, and joined Rosalina as she made her way over to the center table.
"Hey!" Daisy greeted Rosalina enthusiastically, pulling her best friend a chair next to her.
She sat in the seat, still feeling confused as to what was going on.
"Can I ask exactly what we are doing?" Rosalina asked.
Bowser shrugged.
"I decided to sit with Bowser at lunch today." Luma said, "seeing as I usually sit alone, having company would be a nice change, and everyone else just decided to join us I guess."
"This is still weird." Yoshi said.
"You're telling me." Toadette quipped. She and Peach and take a seat on the opposite side of Luma.
Luma appeared a little uncomfortable sitting next to Peach, but overall it seemed as if she was trying to accept it.
"Will this be a normal thing?" Toadette asked. "Cuz I'm sure this is nice and all, but I'm sure more people will come and it will get crowded."
The group laughed.
"I don't know." Luigi said. "But this isn't too weird."
"Except for the fact the whole school is staring you guys down."
The voice hadn't come from the table; it had come from Mario who had finally gotten his lunch.
True to his word, nearly everyone appeared shocked, appalled, pleased, excited, anxious, pretty much any emotion one could think of.
"Whatever." Toadette said dismissively much to Rosalina's surprise.
Her friend had always been one to heed to public expectation.
"Room for one more?" Mario asked.
"I suppose we could squeeze you in bro." Luigi said.
Yoshi scooted his chair over to allow Mario to pull one in.
"Isn't this amazing? We've started a social revolution? Imagine the possibilities and how this could affect the world!" Luigi said excitedly.
Most of the group snickered.
"Slow down. We just had lunch together. Don't get ahead of yourself." Toadette said with a grin.
Luigi rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I know something big is happening right now."
Mario smiled at his brother.
He hadn't seen this day coming. He couldn't believe how long he had spent vying for popularity, vying for Peach when there were things more important.
Sure, it wasn't going to be sunshine and rainbows from now on, but things were certain to be different.
And if there were obstacles to come, so be it. It didn't matter, he would still have his friends.
And that was the most important thing.
~Fin.
Omg, I can't believe this! Mario in high school is actually done! Almost anyway! Stay tuned for the epilogue. And I request that everyone please review and tell me everything you thought about this chapter. Was it disappointing, different than what you'd expect? I know there wasn't much action, or closure in this chapter, but this seemed like the appropriate way to end it, I feel I will address everything that needs to be addressed in the Epilogue, so don't go away just yet. And the epilogue will be up sooner than you think! I'll say all my final words in the epilogue, although I did address most things in the penultimate chapter. I love ya'll so much! Thanks for being such wonderful readers.
~Sirius