Staying at the Top | Rising to the Top Sequel

Chapter 35

~Chapter 35~Last Chapter~

This was it. Today was the day that I would officially be done with Arthurina School of the Arts. It was the graduation ceremony today and honestly, I wasn't ready for it. It was going to be so weird not being in the place that helped me grow as a person and helped me discover so many talents I didn't even know I had.

At the same time though, I was excited to go to university and discover even more about myself.

The last semester was probably a bit more harder than the first, but that was only because Milo and Brenda really were trying to tear me and Preston apart. They kept spreading rumours after rumours, but we weren't letting it affect us.

I was worried about Preston when the rumours kept coming, but they really weren't affecting him this time. Everyone pretty much stopped believing the rumours that were going around, so he didn't have to worry about people believing them and thinking he was someone he wasn't.

One of the best parts about going to university was we wouldn't have to deal with all this teenage drama that always seemed to happen in high schools. Even if someone were to start rumours, the university campus would be too big and there would be too many students for anyone to even know who the rumour was about.

The graduation ceremony was being taken place in the auditorium, and right now us students were waiting behind the school for the ceremony to start. Preston and I were sitting beside each other since there was nobody who had a last name between ours.

"Just a few more hours and we'll be done with this place," Preston said. "Exciting but at the same time, not exciting."

"Yeah, I know," I said.

"You nervous for the performance at the ceremony?" Preston asked.

"No, not really," I said. "This is the first time I'll be performing a song with more than just one person, so I haven't really thought about it too much. I actually can't wait to perform it. It's going to be a lot of fun."

"Yeah, it is," Preston said. "Just think, it's our last performance at ASA ever."

"That, I didn't think about," I said. "Like, I know it's our last time here, but it never registered that the performance will be our last one here. I'm really going to make it worth it."

Preston smiled. "Good. We'll make it the best performance it can be."

The ceremony soon started, so we went to the auditorium the way we had practiced many times. Once we were sitting in the chairs, Mr. Looney started talking and after we sang the national anthem and a few more people talked, it was time for everyone to receive their diplomas.

Since my and Preston's last names were close to the end of the alphabet, it did take a while for it to be our turn and Preston, not surprisingly, ended up falling asleep. I had to wake him up when it was our turn to head backstage before we crossed.

After I crossed the stage, I went back to my seat just in time to see Preston crossing.

On his skateboard.

I guessed he hid it backstage just so he would be able to ride his skateboard one more time in ASA.

Mr. Looney didn't even get mad at Preston. He just chuckled, shaking his head.

Once the last person crossed the stage, it was time for the valedictorian speech. Afterwards was the final remarks before we were officially announced the graduating class, and we threw our hats in the air.

I caught my hat and placed it on my seat with my diploma, as did Preston before we headed backstage to get the microphones for the performance. Kathy, Leland, and Marisol were already backstage with their microphones, and we had to wait for the graduating class to quiet down a tiny bit before the backing track started.

Preston was the first to sing, walking on the stage while he sang. I followed him with the next two lines, and then we sang two lines together. When the chorus came, Kathy, Leland, and Marisol joined in, coming onto the stage as well.

I was putting everything I could into this performance, as did the other four. This was our very last performance at ASA, and we wanted to make it very memorable.

That included going where the audience was to sing, getting them to clap along. I had to admit, I was starting to get a bit emotional singing this song. I had come such a long way from attending this school, and it was an amazing feeling.

When the song ended, everyone applauded and Preston pulled me into a hug. "We did it," he said happily. "We are officially done with high school. I can't wait for university."

I smiled, hugging him back tightly. "Yeah, me too."

*******************

Well, that's officially the end of this book! I hope you all enjoyed it!

There might be a third one some time in the future, but there might not. I'll be content with Preston and Viera's story ending here, but I wouldn't be opposed to writing a third one for them.

Thank you for reading it!

And the song attached is the one I imagined the five singing at the graduation.