~ * ~ One Year Before... Graduation night... June, 2003 ~ * ~
"Shannon!" Brittany called over the noise of the massive group of her peers. "Over here!"
Shannon grinned, grabbed the dress she would change into for later that night, and pushed her way through the large crowd towards her friends. "Hey, guys! Excited?"
Hugs went around the group as they each gave their own "yeah" type of answer.
"I'm kinda' nervous too though," Brittany took a seat and grabbed Zack's hand as he sat down next to her. Brittany paused as Shannon took the seat on her other side and Nick and Rachel sat down in the chairs in front of them. "I mean... I'm only 17 and I'm graduating. I still can't believe the day's finally here. Finally get to get out of this hellish school!"
Her friends laughed and nodded their agreement, but suddenly they all grew quiet and glum. It really wasn't exactly like Brittany had so elegantly stated. They were leaving behind their past four years (except for Brittany, who'd begun going to the school in her Senior year)... memories, teachers they'd grown close to, friends (yes, they had them... they might not have been the popular people anymore, but they had them.) They were leaving behind the past moments that they'd shared together. Sure, they would share many more, but they would be going off to college soon and their future was completely unknown to them. They had no way of insuring anything. The whole world was entirely open to them.
"I'm gonna miss basketball and soccer and football," Nick spoke a minute later, which resulted in small laughter from the group, though Zack seemed to agree.
"I know," Zack sighed as he looked around the gymnasium of the school he'd spent his hardest, and in ways: best, years of his life. "I know."
Brittany smiled at the two of them with admiration. They were her best friends, as well as Rachel and Shannon, but she was exceptionally close to Zack and Nick. "You guys, it's not like you can't ever play the sport again... you just... won't be on a team."
"You gotta understand that sports were my life for three years," Zack laughed as he looked down at his optimistic girlfriend.
"Three years??" she looked up at him in confusion. She knew that Zack had played sports since his Freshman year.
"Yeah... this year, when you came along, they weren't as important," he smiled down at her and watched as her face grew a light shade of pink under the smirks of her friends. She still couldn't handle compliments.
Nick stood up and stretched before bending down and grabbing Rachel's hand, "C'mmon. I think it's time for rehearsal," he directed the comment towards them all.
They stood from their chairs and made their ways to the stage as the principal began to talk to the entire Senior class, telling rules about not playing practical jokes during graduation.
~ * ~
Shannon headed towards the girls restroom to change into the dress she'd wear under her graduation gown. She lowered her head as she passed by Ryan. He was one of the popular people... one of the ones she'd been friends with... he'd been Zack's close friend, but neither her nor Zack had talked to him since they'd left "the group."
Ryan stopped and called out to Shannon, stopping her from walking, just before she was about to head into the bathroom. He realized they were graduating that night... he didn't have much more time to apologize... to try and restore their friendship.
Shannon turned around slowly, "Um... yeah?"
"I just..." Ryan was cut off by Brittany and Zack walking into the hallway.
Zack stopped abruptly and stared at Ryan, "Ryan, you leave her alone."
Ryan held up his hands defensively, "Zack, man... I was just talking to her. Actually I wanted to talk to you guys too."
"Well, we don't want to talk to you... so forget it," Zack grabbed Shannon's arm and Brittany's hand and started to leave, when Brittany pulled back and stared at him. "What??" he asked with a confused look.
She widened her eyes at him, in a "stop being such a jerk" type of way, "Zack, let him talk," she spoke through gritted teeth.
Zack stared at her for a minute before sighing and turning back to Ryan. Ryan took that as his clue to speak.
"Look, guys... I just wanted to apologize for everything that happened and everything I did. I lost a lot of good friendships."
Zack tightened his jaw, wanting to ask Ryan if he was only saying this now because they were about to graduate and he wouldn't have to get harassed for apologizing. He wanted to scream at him, and tell him that his sorry had come too late... that he didn't care, but he felt Brittany's hand grip his tighter. Shoving passed everyone, Zack sprinted down the hallway and out of the school.
~ * ~
Zack scoffed as him and Brittany sat on a couple of chairs, watching Nick, Rachel, and Shannon joke around with Ryan. It was an hour until the graduation ceremony was going to start, and everyone was just sitting around eating dinner, if they felt like it, because they'd already run through the rehearsal twice.
Brittany sighed and threw Zack's hand down to her side, angrily, "You know, you're being a real jerk, Zack. He tried to apologize to you. What is your problem?? Everyone else has forgiven him, so why can't you??"
Zack shrugged and left the question unanswered as Brittany walked away and talked with Nick until it was time for the ceremony to start. He knew he had upset her, because he was acting so bitter... he knew that he had to just forgive what had happened with his old friends, and move on.
And he did. After graduation Zack, Brittany, Nick, Rae, Shannon, and Ryan all went to the after-party together and ended up having a great time. They were free from the pressures of school and peer pressure and being worried about what everybody else thought of you. But they weren't free from the worries of what the world would bring them. And they certainly weren't free from the struggles that were in their paths ahead.
