Vanilla

Epilogue

"I, um. Yes... I've heard stories. Not necessarily from a specific source, per se. Just, in general. About the culinary world outside of school. I don't foresee things getting any easier but, admittedly, I have somewhat come to terms with that some three, four years ago when I made the decision to, well... pick up the critic's pen."

Layla was the first to notice the ripple in the pond that was otherwise still; she hesitated, nevertheless, on re-directing the conversation elsewhere. She'd always felt strangely responsible for the two beloved juniors who were, in fact, the ones who'd made her graduation possible in the first place.

"And we're wishing you all the best in everything that you do," she turned to Chen for a follow-up. He didn't quite catch on, and had, in fact, blinked in surprise at their dismissal of a certain name when the three were fortunately interrupted by fellow graduates—all dressed in their gowns with hats twirling around their fingers.

"You're here! Chef Marseille was like, looking all over for..." Si Yin was having a hard time gathering her thoughts. She attempted to do so in a well-practiced manner. Having had an orderly conversation partner who tended to organize his speaking points in a naturally structured manner for the past four years most certainly helped. "Wait, your gown's inside and... okay you're having lunch, so... lunch first and then change into your gown A-SAP and is that Tenner? And and Chen?" She stopped twirling her hat, grabbing it, instead, by the tassel. Beside her, Violet Birchwood very casually removed the item from her grasp.

"So on the last day of school, you finally decide to reveal that you're human and capable of being late?" Ranked second, the pastry chef who'd, months before graduation, already secured herself an internship at a patisserie known for its world tours and grand events, had been vying for the spot of valedictorian as early as the first semester of her final year. She was also the one who picked out Vanilla's eyeglasses for the day.

The pair of school alumni exchanged yet another round of greetings in the presence of the girls while valedictorian-deer finished his packed lunch in silence, mentally reciting the key points of his speech. Once, he missed a beat and restarted on instinct.

"Did you guys, like, seriously spend hours on a plane just to hear the nerdiest speech of your lives?" Violet scoffed, producing a pair of panna cotta shots from the wide sleeves of her academic dress. Offering one to Vanilla without quite looking him in the eye. She finished her portion in one go but winced at the glass. He needn't taste it himself to know it wasn't the best panna cotta around. "You're so going to regret it."

"Yeah but don't you hover outside Nillie's room sometimes hoping to catch him practicing the speech or something so that you—mffmhhgug." Si Yin was very familiar with the holy hand of Violet Birchwood. Saved, however, by yet another timely announcement of the commencement of the headmistress' opening speech, the graduating trio were, at once, scrambling.

"We'll be listening!" Layla called after the bespectacled bean, who turned over his shoulder with a smile that seemed almost blindingly confident. She felt, strangely enough, the urge to send him back in time for one last memory; something reminiscent of the nervous charm and shy intelligence he once possessed. At present, the adjectives seemed no longer applicable.

Hastily donning his graduation gown whilst answering the rapid-fire questions of Scott Gelb from the Chronicle, he made his way to the row of 'W's and 'V's and 'X's. He could observe the top of Si Yin's head several students down, bobbing up every now and then for an occasional tip-toe. Right beside him was another classmate of his—who was, perhaps, the only other male companion of his who hadn't the urge to exit a casual conversation between them and Vanilla—Aaqil.

"Remember the kids who got expelled in our first year?" The latter angled his head slightly towards him, but discreetly enough so that the junior writer furiously scribbling pointers behind them couldn't make out the exact words of the exchange. "I saw them at the fountain. Mingling."