Love Within

Epilogue - Connor

"Come on, or we'll be late!"

"Coming, coming!" I hurried down the hall, meeting Jade--my girlfriend--at the door. She looked pretty, her hair tied back, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling. Happiness looked better on her than any makeup ever could. She had lost weight since I had met her, and though it was never a concern of mine, she promised me it made her happier, and if she was happy, who was I to complain? She didn't do anything extreme, and she was satisfied now with her slender body, so that was good.

"Ready to go?" she asked me, glancing at me from over her shoulder.

"Wait, there's one thing." I kept my voice flat, almost solemn. I could almost feel the alarm flash through her.

"What? What is it?" she asked, biting her lip. She looked so cute.

"This," I said, leaning forward to press my lips against hers. She succumbed, but only for a few seconds. She pulled back, laughing a little.

"Oh, please, you have plenty of time for that every day," she teased. She opened the door and walked out of my--I mean, our--house. This was it. The day of our graduation. Jade, as expected, was our valedictorian. I was proud of my girlfriend for her achievements. In the past while, the bullying and hate against her had eased and alleviated, as people learned to love her for who she was after seeing past her shy exterior. No one bothered her anymore. Cassandra and her crew had stopped being a threat long ago.

I was happy I hadn't lost her, either by her dying or leaving me. She was still here, and that was what mattered to me. She was alive, well, and happy, and with me. What else could make me happier than that? Well, marrying her and raising a family, and growing old with her, but that wouldn't be for a while yet. And who knew if she would want the same things as time passed? I had no way to tell, but I hoped that our promise was not as tenuous as most people seemed to think it was.

"No one can blame me for wanting more," I murmured softly as we headed for my car. Her laugh was carried on the wind back to me, and I smiled. I wanted to be the reason she smiled every day. If I could do that, I would be the happiest man alive.

We drove in relative silence to the Hall, where our graduation was to be held. We kept our fingers intertwined between us during the drive, the radio playing softly in the background. I gave her a hand a soft squeeze, seeing the anxiety lined in her face, and she squeezed mine back, reassuring me. Like all couples, we had our disagreements, but we were mostly happy, and we never failed to make up. There was no denying that we would both rather die than make the other unhappy. At least that was how I saw it.

We reached the Hall's parking lot, and I parked my car in the first available spot I saw. Jade and I walked to the Hall, our hands locked together. This was okay, since neither of us had a family to be with. We took our seats, ending up away from each other since it was in alphabetical order. People came and went to give speeches, and then it came time for Jade to give her speech. I had heard it countless times as she rehearsed it, but this was the real thing. I prayed she could feel the strength I was offering her, wishing I could go up with her to be by her side, but of course I couldn't. I paid attention, though. She had worked hard on her speech, and it was great. The effort she gave really shone through in that speech, and I hoped her genuine words would reach everybody like it did for me.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began. "We have reached the end of another senior year, and I think we can all agree that it wasn't the easiest thing. I think many people can be thanked for the curriculum not being smooth sailing." Chuckles came from the crowd at this comment. "Yet our brilliant teachers worked long and hard to make sure that we saw it through, and combined with our efforts, it will carry us to each of our own bright futures." The audience applauded, and Jade waited for them to stop before she continued, her voice strong an clear. "As always, this year was a rollercoaster. There were ups and there were downs. We laughed and we cried, but in this crucial years, we made memories that will last with us forever. Friendships made and strengthened through the trying times presented by senior year and the approaching futures. We're grown-up now, all heading down our own paths. Post-secondary education, our jobs, spending some time travelling or just relaxing with loved ones. We'll continue growing up, apart from each other, but I hope that you will all hold your memories of these years together, as close to you as I'll hold mine. I hope that you will keep these bonds strong and lasting forever, because if anything, friendship is a bond that lasts forever. To each of us our own, but may we all support and remember each other as we go on. To us, the graduating class!" Shouts of agreement came up from the students, and the Hall became deafening in a matter of seconds. Jade had genuinely moved them all, and again, I was touched. She grinned broadly, taking in the scene of the revelling students. In that instance, our eyes met, and I smiled back at her. And her words echoed in my head.

To us.