Loving the Fighter

144

Jax's POV

"And now, it's my pleasure to announce this years graduates. I give to you, the class of 2021," Mary says, making the small crowed made of teachers, non-graduating room mates, and therapists cheer while we all threw our caps up in the air.

This was it. We've graduated. We could walk out of this camp right now and there wasn't a damn thing any of these guards could do about it.

"I'm so proud of all of you," Patrick said as he came walking up to us with Andrew following close behind him.

"It's not like we would be here without you," Callum said with a small smile as he pulled Ryder into his side. "I know we don't say it a lot, but thanks for giving us the deal."

"I would do it all again tomorrow," Patrick says with another smile. "Do you guys have everything packed up already?"

"Yea, we just have to get everything loaded in your cars and then we'll be ready to sign out," I say as I look over to Andrew. "Thanks for helping us with the move by the way. I know you probably had other plans first." Andrew shrugged.

"Not really. Plus, I only get to see our work pay off once every few years, I tend to cherish it when comes around." I force myself to roll my eyes.

"God you are so sappy," I complain as I unzip my gown. "Can we start loading up now? I'm ready to get out of here."

"Eger much," Liam joked as he started walking to the cabin even though he seemed to be just as excited as I was.

"Very much so actually. I'd like to get everything setup today."

"I'd go ahead get that out of you're head now," Ryder said seriously. "It's going to take a while to get all our shit unpacked." I huffed at that.

"If you guys need help I can come by tomorrow and give you a hand," Patrick offered.

"I would come too but I'll be setting up your cabin for my next group. I'll have to leave pretty much as soon as I drop you off," Andrew said sadly. "But I do want to come by when the crazy settles."

"It's alright. We know you're busy," Ryder said as he opened the door. "But you can help now y grabbing a box."

"I'll pull my car around so we don't have to walk far," Patrick said before disappearing into the busy crowd.

The next hour and a half was sadly spent hauling boxes into cars until nothing was left.

The walls were bare, all the beds were stripped, and no random pair of underwear lay in the floor. The movie shelf was dismantled and was somewhere amongst the boxes while the TV was nowhere to be seen.

This wasn't our cabin anymore. This was just a random cabin awaiting the next group of troubled teens.

"It feels wrong to be here now," Ryder said as he stared at the empty space. "It's almost like we didn't just spend the past three years here."

"Because this isn't home anymore," Callum said as he pulled Ryder into his side.

"It's time to head to greener pastures," Liam agreed as he came up to his other side.

"It's bitter sweet."

"I know it is," I say as I come up behind him, my hands coming to massage his shoulders. "But it had to happen eventually. At least we still get to be together after all of it."

"Are you guys ready to go," Patrick asked as he eased back into the cabin.

"Can we have just a few more minutes," Ryder asked as he leaned back into my chest. I could tell he was a few seconds away from breaking down.

"Staying isn't going to take the sting out darling."

"I know," he said with a sigh. "I just need a few more minutes though."

"You know," Liam said, tears forming in his eyes as well. "We had our first kiss right there," he said as he looked up at me with a sad smile.

"And we had ours over there," Ryder said as he looked over to Callum and pointed to his bed. Well, what used to be his bed anyway, now it was just something trying to take up space.

"I'm not ready for this," Liam said as he broke away from Ryder and went to join Andrew outside. "But it's time to go. We have to make room for the next Ryder, Callum, Liam, Jax, and Carter."

"I bet we make a cuter couple than they do," Ryder says as he turns toward the door and walks out of the cabin.

"Of course we are," Callum said with a smirk as he took Ryder's hand and followed him.

It was nice while it lasted. Carter said sadly as we stared at the empty room one last time.

'Yea it was.'

Are you ready for what comes next?

'Not really.'

Neither am I but we're going to get through it together. He said as I turned around to face our boyfriends. We have them to help us too.

'I guess as long as we have them we'll be fine,' I say as I turn off the light.

"I guess this is it," Liam said as he opened Patrick's car door. "We really get to leave."

"It's time to go into the unknown," Callum says with a smirk as he follows behind him.

"Callum I swear to god if you start singing Frozen I'm going to push you out of the car," I threaten as I close the door behind me and follow them.

"Now that I know you would prefer that I didn't, I'm going to do it."

"Callum," I say with a scowl just as he started singing. "It's not too late. The lake is still right there. I can throw you in one last time before we leave."

That was about the time Ryder started singing as he began pulling me in the car.

"This is what you're going to get for the rest of your life," Liam says as Patrick began to drive with a wide smile as he joined Ryder and Callum. "Are you sure this is what you really want?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

This is it.

742 pages

215,00 words

and three years later.

Loving the Fighter: completed on June 20, 2021.