✰
Hazel flicked the tassel on her golden graduation cap once more, watching it sway back and forth. She let out a sigh, turning her attention to Minnie, Christian, Kassie and Valentina, who were talking in a group only a few feet away from her. She didn't mind that she wasn't a part of the conversation, instead minding that she chose to stand and wait for Jasper and Alice to turn up instead of sitting down. Her legs ached and the bottom of her foot itched.
"Come on, Haze!" Christian called to the girl, beckoning her over. "I'm sure they'll be here soon."
"Yeah, after all, this will be our last talk before the big graduation," Minnie grinned, holding out her hand to the girl. "Come on, Hazel."
Hazel sighed, unable to bite back her grin. She stepped closer to the four, taking up the spot it seemed they'd reserved solely for her. Minnie immediately swung her arm over the girl's shoulder.
"It's so weird to think that I met you only eight years ago, but I feel like I've known you my whole life," Christian spoke, addressing Hazel with a grin.
"You two are as thick as thieves," Minnie smiled. "And Hazel and I are like support beams and a house, the beams go down, everything goes down," she laughed.
"Now you've got Kassie to hold up your house," Hazel smiled, nudging her best friend's side. Minnie smiled, turning to her girlfriend and locking their hands together. Hazel turned to Christian and Valentina. "And now you have someone to help around the house, not just on weekends," Hazel joked.
"I wish," Valentina snorted.
"One day, when we're all in our mid-twenties and we're all doing our own things, we're going to get a call," Minnie began. "One of us is going to call and tell us to go somewhere, and when we do, because we will, everything's going to fit back together again. We're going to be doing everything we want, only to drop it for each other."
"Truer words have never been spoken," Hazel spoke, feeling the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "Now look what you've done, I'm going to ruin the makeup my mum put on."
The other four let out collective sad noises, huddling in closer together. A moment of silence was shared between them, like some unspoken bond forming, before they all pulled back with large grins.
Hazel turned Christian's way but caught the gaze of familiar golden eyes. She grinned, then turned back to her friends, who already seemed to know.
"We'll find you after the ceremony, alright?" Minnie smiled, removing her hand from Hazel's shoulder. "See you later, future adult."
"Hasta luego, perdedora," Christian grinned.
"See you," Hazel spoke, turning and speed-walking her way over to Alice and Jasper. "I was wondering when you were going to show up," she teased, pressing a kiss to their cheeks without thinking about it.
"I don't think Esme would let us miss another graduation," Jasper chuckled. "Especially when it's yours and Bella's first."
"It's so weird to hear you say that," Hazel frowned, scrunching her nose lightly.
"How are you feeling about the big day?" Alice hummed, reaching up to tuck a stray curl behind Hazel's ear. "Nervous? Excited?"
"A little bit of everything," Hazel replied, letting out a nervous laugh. "It doesn't feel real. It hasn't hit me yet, I think, that this is my last day as a high schooler. After this, I'm technically an adult."
"Well, if you need, I'm here as your shoulder to cry on when it does hit," Alice smiled, and Hazel let out another laugh. "But not too much, because we still have a party to prepare."
"Is your mother here?" Jasper inquired.
"Yeah, she already went inside with Anthony," Hazel answered, glancing to the entrance of the gym. "Carlisle and Esme are here, too?"
"They were planning to sit with your mum," Alice smiled, nodding. "Rosalie and Emmett wanted to come, but couldn't because everyone thinks they're in Africa."
"Ah," Hazel hummed, immediately understanding.
"Hazel!" The girl turned her head to her friends, who beckoned her to follow. Everyone was already heading inside, and Hazel turned back, grabbing Jasper and Alice's hands before dragging them in behind everyone else.
✰
"When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up," Jessica Stanley, that years valedictorian, spoke to everyone gathered in the seats, a broad smile on her face. "Our answers were things like astronaut, president, or, in my case, a princess."
Everyone let out a low chuckle.
"When we were ten they asked again," Jessica continued. "We answered, rockstar, cowboy. Or, in my case, a gold medalist." A few more laughs from the audience, including Hazel as she squeezed Jasper's hand. "But now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how about this? Who the hell knows?"
The graduates in gold erupted in cheers and claps for Jessica. Hazel even noticed Christian let out a whoop.
"This isn't the time to make hard-and-fast decisions. This is the time to make mistakes." Hazel nodded along to Jessica's words. "Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere. Fall in love," there was a pause, and Hazel glanced at the vampires on either side of her, "a lot." A whoop came from the crowd, followed by laughter. "Major in philosophy, because there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind, and change it again, because nothing's permanent.
"So, make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask what we want to be, we won't have to guess. We'll know."
The entire crowd cheered, clapping and grinning up at the girl as she took her leave from the stage. The principal replaced her at the podium, and Hazel gripped Alice and Jasper's hands tightly, knowing what was coming next. The realisation she was finally a graduate, finishing her final year of high school, struck hard at that moment. She forced back the tears that formed in her eyes as she glanced back to her mother and brother sitting beside Esme and Carlisle. Hazel turned back, tuning out the rest of the principal's speech until she had to stand.
Hazel anxiously awaited the call of her name at the edge of the stage. Minnie and Kassie had already received theirs, kissing once they were both on the other side, not caring about the stares they would receive. Alice and Jasper, Edward, so many others had already gone and got their diplomas, no longer constrained by the school's rules.
"Hazel Moone."
Hazel's green eyes flicked up, her feet carrying her across the stage to where her principal stood, holding out the rolled certificate. She looked out, locking on her mother and brother, the latter standing on the chair pointing and exclaiming with pride she was his sister as their mother stood from her chair, grinning wider than Hazel had seen before as she clapped.
"Alice, I might need that shoulder now," Hazel joked, using the last of her effort not to cry once she was with Alice and Jasper standing outside.
"Hey, baby," Alice pulled the girl in for a hug, tenderly rubbing her back as she let a few tears fall. "It's alright."
"Hazel!" The girl lifted her head, only for a moment before she and Alice were pulled in by a sobbing Minnie. "I already told my parents I wasn't going to cry, but I am," she sobbed, sniffing. "I can't believe it's over."
"If you cry, I'm going to cry harder," Hazel sputtered out, already crying heavier as Alice slipped from between her and Minnie to allow them to hug.
"Now I'm going to cry," Christian stepped over, ignoring the vampires, engulfing the girls into his arms. "Hazel, did you see Anthony?"
"He was so adorable! I love him so much!" Minnie cooed.
"Hazel," the girl glanced back to Alice, who smiled softly, "we're going to set up for the party, okay? We'll see you there."
"You don't want me to help?" Hazel sniffed. Alice shook her head, gesturing for her to stay. "Alright. Love you."
"Love you, too," Jasper and Alice chimed.
✰ AUTHOR'S NOTE ✰
hello, lovelies, how are you going? i hope you're doing well, and I hope you've been drinking water and having snacks. i know it's been a while, but thank you for being patient.
i hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you for reading. I'll see you all next time. bye! :)