Series of Unfortunate Events One-shots, What-ifs, and Drabbles

Graduation

Klaus Baudelaire is 18 years old. Currently, he is on the stage of his high school's auditorium, being honored for his academic achievements.

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Klaus Baudelaire wasn't valedictorian, not quite. His younger self might have been frustrated, even upset and self-deprecatory about that. But Klaus was salutatorian, 2nd in his class, and that was enough for him. All he needed was to be able to look into the crowd and see his sisters smiling at him, 8-year-old Sunny and 20-year-old Violet.

They had been with him through it all, and that was enough.
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"Klaus! Klaus! Look this way!" Sunny shouts as she holds up her phone to take a picture. Her brother is on the lawn with the rest of his graduating class, saying goodbye to some of his friends. 

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Sunny Baudelaire knew she was different. Most 8-year-olds she knew weren't quite as smart as she. And the looks she drew from strangers for the suit and tie she wore, for the exuberant voice in which she yelled, well, they didn't matter, did they? 

No. Because she was Sunny Baudelaire, and she was with Violet and Klaus was near, and that was what mattered.
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Violet Baudelaire embraces her brother. "I'm so proud of you, Klaus. So proud," she whispers in his ear. Tears are flowing down her face. 

He smiles at her and squeezes her tightly. "I hope I did you proud." 

--
Violet Baudelaire was sure that the parents of Klaus's friends wondered where Klaus's parents were. Wondered why a 20-year-old was sobbing in the arms of her brother. It was just graduation, they must think. Well, Violet had an answer for them. After all that they had been through together, Klaus finally got his moment.

And after all that they had been through, after everything that they were still going through, Klaus deserved that.
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