Summary: All things must come to an end, regardless of how much we wish it could stay. Time moves too quickly. Everyone always says to enjoy the moment, because soon you’ll be looking back and wishing you did. I feel like I missed the chance. This past week showed me what I had been missing. Time spent with others, and time with my head out of my ass. Sunday I found myself in church, Rosa dragging me around with a near childlike glee as she rattled off scripture and they’re meanings. Before it really got going she was showing me all the hand crafted statues of Raptor Jesus (who died blocking a meteor so that we may live). Church was.. nice. I would probably go again. Not every week or anything but I could definitely see myself here. The goers were nice and went out of their way to talk with me and try and include me. I even found myself awkwardly at the gym with Trish. At Fang’s insistence, who still didn’t know that me and Trish were walking on eggshells around each other, she knew I wanted to get a little in shape and who better than the pint size ball of anger? Fang dipped out to the treadmills leaving me and the purple trike to awkwardly trade off sets at the weights. It wasn’t so bad I guess.. I did feel slightly better when I left. Placebo or not didn’t stop me from flexing an arm in the mirror. Plus the promise of seeing Fang in yoga pants again had me agreeing to return. Spent a bit of quality time with Reed as well. Which mostly consisted of laying out on the grass in front of Volcano High after school. Reed puffing on what I can only assume to be carffae and Fang and I passing a cigarette back and forth. A nice quiet day… until a fist crushed my hand as I was trying to take a drag. The giant figure had blocked out the sun as I was lifted fully off the ground. Spears snorted out steam and held out his other hand, which Fang quickly deposited the rest of her pack into. Then we watched as he.. ate the pack. Literally just, tossed it in, chewed, and swallowed it. Reed had kept an innocent look on his face. That was until Spears had left and he turned over, spitting the soggy blunt on the ground and rubbing at a burnt spot on his tongue. Stella had somehow managed to convince me that binging a whole anime was a good idea. She brought her laptop over to Fang's house and had it set up in her bedroom. Fang herself insisted on joining and was still currently barred from my apartment so we settled on here. Stella had.. unique taste in animes. Not bad per say but difficult to get into. It was a little hard to focus through the overly affectionate ptero in my lap who was doing everything in her power to keep my attention. Sweet Tooth was extra sweet that night, squished between me and the steggo, throwing suspicious glances towards the otaku. Let’s just say I didn’t mind the distraction.. though I did my best to pay attention enough to add to Stella’s babbles. Somehow even more awkward than the gym with Trish, I had found myself going bowling with Ripley, Moe, and Naser. Fang and Samantha were having their ‘girls night’ so I was riding solo on this one. Though I quickly found myself an amateur surrounded by pros. Did you know bowling was hard? I sure didn’t. Throw a ball down the lane and knock over pins, easy peasy right? Well every gutter ball had Ripley laughing and Naser giving me a sympathetic thumbs up. At least by the end I could reliably hit some pins, even got a strike! Or a spare, as Naser was quick to correct me, since my first thow guttered. At least Moe wasn’t very good either, ‘I like bowling, never said I was good at it!’ He bellowed with laughter after following my ball to the gutter. But I did leave with a renewed flame. I was looking forward to the next trip, if anything to finally wipe that smug grin off the big bastard's face when I strike him out! But perhaps my favorite moment was the beach. Rosa had texted everyone for one last gettogether, a final hurrah before graduation. We met on the beach for a bonfire. Fang, Stella, Rosa, Trish, Reed, Naser, and.. Naomi. Apparently she and Naser were working things out. The first thing she did when she saw Fang was burst into tears, apologizing for meddling with everyone's business. Though Fang only tried to ignore the parasaur, taking a seat next to me with the fire in between them. Luckily the awkwardness had passed as we spent the night drinking and telling stories. I kind of wished we had bought a yearbook.. Spending all this time with everyone… and before I knew it a week had gone by. I wanted nothing more than to have one more week.. It felt greedy to ask, I had already been given so much. I got a second chance, and here I was wishing I could go even farther back. It feels like I wasted so many months here.. But I wouldn't change anything that has happened these last two weeks. So here we were. Standing in line and waiting for our names to be called. Fang was one spot ahead of me, a position she will never let me live down. We were near the back but that was pretty expected with our grades. Naser led the line, Naomi right behind him. King and queen of Volcano High. Though surprisingly third place sat a smug triceratops, finger under her eye as she stuck her tongue out when she saw me staring. Reed sat at the end of the line, apparently he had passed every single class with a 70… he's either a genius or extremely lucky. If you couldn't guess already, today was graduation. We were lined up marching towards the auditorium wearing our freshly (not at all reused) acquired caps and gowns. I swallowed a lump in my throat as the line grew shorter when the next name was called. I wasn't ready for this. It was too quick! Whoever was behind me was tapping my shoulder to usher me forward. Fang had turned around, hand wrapped around mine, and pulled me towards her. She smiled at me confidently, though I could see a bit of strain at the corners of her mouth. If Fang was able to do this after everything, then dammit I wasn't going to be the one who had a freakout. I gave her hand a squeeze. We were here for each other, together we could take on anything that's thrown at us. This little ceremony was just another step, and baby we've been hitting those in stride. Another name and the guy in front of Fang was now strutting across the stage. I recognized this one, the orange triceratops that didn’t survive, who I hadn’t bothered to remember. Now he was being handed a diploma, with two distinct voices screaming his name proudly from the audience. Jason Dínos. Fang was next. The ptero was bouncing on her toes, nerves clearly getting to her. But the smile never left her face. I felt a bubble of pride in my chest. She had grown so much in these two weeks, from her lowest point to possibly her highest. I didn’t see the same woman in front of me that I had that night at prom. No, this was the woman who was on stage at Moes. The one who was ready for anything that could be thrown at her. “Lucy Aaron!” Spears' voice boomed from the speakers, though he probably didn’t need them to be heard. Fa- no, Lucy only hesitated for a second, glancing to me. I gave her my best ‘you got this’ smile and nodded forwards. Hands breaking, she took her first steps to the stage. I think I could hear Ripley and Samantha cheering. Naser had stood from his seat, clapping along as he cheered on his sister. Hell, I was clapping and cheering her on as well! I didn’t care how dumb I looked to those still behind me. I couldn’t hear what Spears had said to her when she accepted her diploma, but he laid both hands on her shoulders and imparted one last piece of wisdom as her principal. She discreetly wiped at her eyes as she passed him, heading towards her seat in the auditorium. I was so busy watching her that I didn't notice when Spears had turned back to the podium. “Anon Y. Mous!” I jolted at my name, foot almost catching on the step up as I walked forward. One foot in front of the other! Come on Anon! Literally the last day don’t screw up! My eyes searched the crowded auditorium as I searched for any familiar faces. I knew my parents weren't there, said that something came up and they couldn't make the drive. ‘If you were still at Rock Bottom then we could have easily made it!’. A waving hand did catch my attention. I followed the appendage to a familiar tiny ptero. Samantha was cheering as she waved towards me. Bless that wonderful woman… Besides her Ripley stood as well, though just politely clapping instead, but he did give me a nod when I caught his eye. Spears turned to me, diploma in his fist. His larger hand dwarfed mine as he shook it. “Anon. I hear you were accepted into Volcaldera public university. Congratulations.” He had a gentle smile as he praised me. “Thank you sir.” “I must admit, you had me worried. I knew there was a good person inside, you just had to bring him out. These last few weeks I’ve watched you turn over a new leaf. I am proud to have been your principal.” I flinched as he pulled me into a hug, but instead of a bone crushing clamp, he gently patted me on the back. “Someone told me once, that I wasn’t the only person in the world.” He pulled back from the quick embrace. “It was exactly what I needed to hear. I wasn’t the easiest student sir. So thank you, for not giving up on me.” “You're going to be fine, Anon.” His hand clapped my shoulder. “But your taste in waifus is still shit.” I was thankful for the joke. Better to leave laughing then crying… I grabbed the tube that held my accomplishment and started towards my seat. Lucy stood next to hers as she clapped, a smile nearly splitting her face in two. She looked more like a proud mother than my fiancée… “We did it.” She whispered as I took my seat next to her. “We did it.” I confirmed. “We really did it..” Her hand found mine again as she clutched it tight. “I didn’t think I would make it. Thank you…” “I didn’t do this. You did.” “Oh shut up!” I found her head on my shoulder as she gave me a quick snuggle. “You know what you did. So accept my praise and let me love on you.” Reed strode out across the stage, throwing a ‘hang loose’ sign as he did. With him the line was over. Naser stood, dusting his gown and fixing his hat, and approached the podium, Spears stepping to the side and letting him have it. “Ahem…” His voice was soft as it squeaked out of the speakers. A look to the side and a finger pointed up, had a faculty member turning a dial. “Ahem!” Now that was much better, nearly making the dark ptero jump as his voice shook the room. “Students of Volcano High. Today is a day that you will never forget. You are closing a chapter of your lives, and opening the rest of your future.” A few cheers caused him to pause. “I know that for some of you this is not a happy occasion. You might be scared, confused, unsure of your future.” A few murmurs spread through the crowd. “But I’m telling you not to be! I have met and gotten to know each and everyone of you in some way! And I know that you're all capable of greatness!” Got to give it to the guy, he was pretty good at this whole speech thing. I guess it came with being the top athlete/student/anything else I could think of. Maybe all those student council meetings were paying off. “For some of you, this will be the last time we meet. You will leave this school and start your own story. And though we may be parting ways here, I will never forget you or the memories that we made.” His eyes tracked over the crowd, as if mentally burning each face into his memory. “Look to the students beside you.” I looked to my left and saw a rather hefty trex. He gave me a stumpy armed wave and a grin full of teeth. I gave a little nod back and turned to the much better view on my right. Lucy or Fang I didn’t really care which it was I was looking at.. She was the most important person in the room to me. And going by the look in her eyes as she stared back the feeling was mutual. How did I ever get so lucky… “This might be the last chance you get to connect with them, to set right any wrongs or bad blood. Trust me, it’s never too late to salvage a friendship.” He briefly glanced at his sister beside me. “But you might regret leaving anything unsettled, feelings left unsaid..” He paused before taking a deep breath. “You're all adults now, you can make your own decisions. I’ll get this moving forward..” The lights dimmed as a projector flickered on. A sad, sappy, serenade like music came from the speakers as the screen lit up with the words Senior Moments. “While it might not be as good as the real thing, I hope you can look back on this video whenever you're feeling lost. Remember where you came from. Remember all the good times you’ve had and the people you’ve met. This story may be over, but I hope you can look back on it and smile.” And with that Naser took his seat again and let the video play. It was a nice slideshow. Each slide showing different pictures and memories of various students. Only a few pictures had anyone I recognized. One of Reed in the mascot costume, throwing a peace sign to the camera. Rosa in front of the garden smiling, a small black boot in the corner of the frame. A group picture that had Naser in a track uniform. One picture had me covering my mouth not to laugh, Trish straddling another student mid yell. A quick look to the front of the group I could make out the trike covering her face with her hands. More and more pictures went by, moments I wasn’t a part of. Stella with a pack of tarot cards. Naomi on a stage. A group picture of Wurm Drama, Fang sitting off center tuning a bass. This must have been before I met them. Then I finally saw a picture of me. It was from my early days here, I don’t remember any pictures though. I was sitting at a lunch table, grimacing at a slice of pseudo pizza, Naser and Naomi talking. That was from my first day… After that one I started to pop up more. I was easy to spot, being the only human and all. Never the focus but I could be seen randomly in the background of a few. Either on my phone or talking to one of the band members. One had two random students hugging and me flipping off Trish in the background… well that’s the stuff that slips through when you have students make the video.. Another that caught my attention was one from right after my accident. Fang was prodding a claw into my side as I was mid flinch, her mouth open in an assumedly snarky comment judging by her grin. Right when we got together.. Bravo to whoever worked on this because you succeeded in getting me emotional. The slide show changed tune as it began to shift to specific clubs and their seniors. Baseball passed, soccer, football, track with Naser in the center. Fairly normal until the garden club. Rosa and Stella were the headliners, smiling with their arms out showcasing a rose bush proudly between them. But there was another slide. Honorary members. There we were, I was up on the ladder and Fang at the bottom, both of us giving a thumbs up towards the camera while saying something to each other. This one I did remember, Rosa calling out for us to behave. Didn’t know she took a picture though. A few students snickered, knowing that ‘honorary member’ just meant we were in trouble a lot. I didn’t pay them any mind. I liked the picture and I liked the club. I was definitely getting a copy. Two more standouts, one was the chess club. A pink raptor stood in the middle with a dopey smile, golden trophy in hand. Well the evidence for genius is starting to outweigh luck… The other was a tiny terror, vein pulsed out and teeth clenched mid lift. Apparently, Trish did pretty good in powerlifting. Makes sense, her weight class would have to have, like, 3 other people, max. The show shifted again as it finished all the clubs. Pictures of dancing couples taking over. Prom.. Luckily no pictures of Wurm Drama or the disaster that followed. Really no pictures of us in general.. I felt Lucy squeeze my hand and I squeezed it back. She grimaced as she looked anywhere but the screen, pulling a little bit closer to me at the same time. I leaned back against her, providing any comfort that I could. Neither of us clearly wanted to think of that night. The only notable picture that stood out was one of Naser and Naomi with their crowns on. Naser looking miserable, crown crooked on his head. Naomi with a strained smile. Thankfully prom didn’t last long as it finally switched to the class favorites. The usuals went by easily enough. Most attractive had some black and white picture of a dude named Chad Shark. Most athletic had Naser leaning on a hurdle. Kindest was surprisingly Stella, fingers poking together as if embarrassed to be getting pictured. There were a lot of people I didn’t know, but I’m sure they deserved their titles. Most likely to go to jail was funny, Trish frowning from multiple angles as if taking mugshots. I suddenly made an appearance as most likely to start a fire.. Karma for laughing at Trish I suppose. Ya ya yuck it up you racists bastards! I couldn't get too mad though as Lucy elbowed my side, pointing at the screen laughing. The picture was obviously from the bonfire, me in a squat poking at the fire with a stick… The pictures scrolled on and on, none of the others meaning anything for me. But for others in the room, they were clearly precious memories. One thing I did note was that Naomi didn’t have a single superlative.. She was popular enough and in the right position. I was waiting for the slide ‘Most perfect wife for Naser’ to pop up but it never did. The next slide however did end any and all thoughts in my head. Most likely to get stay married… It was us. I was down on my knee in a tank top holding Fang’s hand, her other over her mouth and tears frozen halfway down her face as she looked down at me in shock… “Uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh…” Holy shit someone got a picture.. Of course they did! We made a huge fucking spectacle in that hallway! I chanced a look towards the front of the group to see Naser and Trish staring straight back with wide eyes. Well fuck me they didn’t know! Cheers rang throughout the auditorium as the video hovered on the picture, I could make out some shouts of congratulations as well. But among them all I could hear a very, scarily, distinctive voice. “What the FUCK!” I chanced a look over my shoulder into the audience. Ripley was already heading down the aisles, bee lining straight at me.. fuck. “Come on!” I was jerked from my seat as Lucy yanked me onto my feet and towards a door. Well graduation, you were fun while you lasted. I had to fix the stupid hat on my head as it slid over my eyes but before I knew it, we were in the hallways then out the main doors. Fang let out a laugh as I almost tripped on the gown as we went down the steps. “You're laughing, your Father’s going to kill me and you're laughing!” “He won’t kill you, besides he had to find out sooner or later right?” She nearly skipped down the last steps, a smile on her face. “How the fuck are you so calm about this!” “I don’t know!” I was suddenly pulled into a hug and spun around until we faced the school. “But take a look! We did it! We’re finally leaving this dump behind!” She turned on her heel, dragging me with her and again putting the building to our backs. She’s right.. I looked over my shoulder at the school. We were really done.. This place had become such an influential part of my life, it was sad to see it behind me.. A shadow caught my attention, causing me to instinctively look up. Spinning in the air was a square, green, hat.. Lucy’s hair blew unabated in the wind as she ran ahead of me. While my eyes were drawn to the school hers were locked on me, burning with emotions as she gave me the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. Another shadow joined hers as I smiled back at her, worries temporally forgotten as we both let out a cheer. Had I looked back I would have seen a large figure stop as our hats plopped down in front of him, gently picking one up and brushing it off. But I only had eyes on the ptero in front of me. Time to move forward. This year had been a roller coaster, with ups and plenty of downs. I wouldn't change a thing… This school’s been good to me, much better than Rock Bottom ever was. But time flies and I won’t waste a single second stuck in the past. So I guess it’s finally time, Goodbye Volcano High! [POST-NOTES] The end.. who would have guessed I would ever do something like this? There is still the epilogue that I want to do so you still can look forward to that. And If your reading this, Thank you. That means you've read the entire story. I cannot thank you enough. I am happy to have provided a piece of entertainment to you. Also one more special thanks to the Discord bros. Without you this would have never happened, it is through your encouragement and critique that I feel as if I have truly grown as a writer. Thank you, all of you.