Light of My Life: A Newsies Soulmate College AU

Chapter 14

~ Time Skip ~

Epilogue:

A sea of navy hats with golden tassels covered the expansive courtyard. It was hard to believe today had actually come. I was finally graduating, receiving a diploma, and moving on to another life chapter. As the fanfare of Pomp and Circumstance ended and the opening ceremonies began, I craned my neck behind me and smiled at Couri, who was sitting with the rest of the "R's", then to Princess and her long-lost twin Bug who'd been discovered a couple of years ago, in the "T's". My eyes darted back up to the table of staff where Medda was seated, her gaze shifting between the graduating newsies and those of us who were spectating from the steps and balconies of buildings.

Albert was about to fall asleep when Medda came up to give the commencement speech. I shook him awake, bringing up flashbacks from the day I met my brother-in-law. Looking back, I don't remember much of Medda's speech, except one line. "Never stop looking up and keep going. You didn't come this far just to come this far." Next came the endless reading of names of all the graduates by major. Every time a newsie got their diploma from Medda, a roar went up from the balcony of the theater hall, where all of the other newsies were sitting.

Finally, the president of the university came up to the podium again to present the graduates. We all stood up, inhaling expectantly. "You may switch your tassels." She assented, and that same sea of navy graduation hats that had been motionless only moments before was surging into the air, except for Race's, who had accidentally thrown his diploma in the air. All of the graduating newsies, a crowd consisting of Albert and I, the Higgins twins, Bug and Princess, Couri, Romeo, Buttons, Jojo, Elmer, Henry, and Spot, got together and fought our way to the drama hall, where our celebrations would be held. We all agreed to have ours together so that nobody had to pick and choose whose party to go to.

Clutching our caps and diplomas, we stumbled up the stairs to reunite with everybody. Skittery slid down the banister and fell into Bug's embrace. Jack sprinted down the steps two at a time to get to Roni. Race and Albert were already hugging each other at the top of the steps outside, and Spot was twirling Couri around on the landing above me. Jojo, Elmer, Henry, Buttons, and Romeo had been engulfed by the everyone else. I stood in the middle of the stairway, surveying it all. Then that familiar warm fuzzy feeling returned, and I looked up to see Davey walking down the marble stairs.

"Well, you did it!" Davey congratulated me, taking my hand in his and leading me up to the balcony.

"Yeah, I did." I sighed, still not taking in the gravity of the situation. "The only question is, now what?"

I looked out over the campus, reliving the memories of the last four years in a rapid-fire slideshow of my college career. There was the courtyard, where many afternoons and evenings had been enjoyed. The Greek neighborhood that Couri knew like the back of her hand thanks to Spot, and the stadium right next to it that Spot broke his own records in. My eyes came to rest on the library, a place where I took comfort in being surrounded by knowledge, the place where Davey was at his most focused, and, most importantly, the place we had met. I'd made so many memories in this place, met so many new friends, and learned so much about the world and myself here. How could I leave it now?

"I don't know." He responded, abruptly putting the slideshow in my brain on pause. "But whatever it is, we're doing it together, right?" Davey replied, referencing one of our first conversations.

"Right. Together." I answered, turning to him.

"Speaking of together..." Davey looked around to make sure nobody else would hear what he was about to say. "I've been saving, and I have enough for this nice apartment. Now you don't have to if you don't want to, there's always Blink and Mush, but-"

"Are you asking me to move in with you?" I interjected excitedly.

Davey smiled back at me, nodding. "Yeah, if you're ok with it and Medda and Albert will let you-"

"It doesn't matter what they say!" I interrupted again. "Of course I will! As long as I get to help pick the furniture." I negotiated, pointing a finger at Davey.

"Hey, you two!" Specs called from downstairs. "Jack brought pizza! Maddie, you're not out of your robe yet? Go change!"

Hand in hand, Davey and I descended the stairway. Race was giving Albert a piggy back ride, Skittery was running while holding Bug bridal style, and Jojo and Elmer were up in the fly wires, cartwheeling through the air. Specs had Smudge on his shoulders, and Les was chasing Romeo, who had taken his hat. Jack was once again hauling in stacks of pizza boxes he'd surely bargained for and gotten discounted, and Medda was frantically trying to maintain some level of order. Anyone else might have joined Medda in her losing battle against the folly, but not me. This was my family, however dysfunctional, and this was how we rolled.

"HEY!" Jack's authoritative voice sliced through the chaos, directing all eyes towards him. "Who wants pizza?"

Author's Note: Alrighty guys, that was all I had written for this book! I hope y'all enjoyed reading my first book with somewhat of a plot. However, I have one more surprise that I'll upload next that I think y'all will like even more. Also, I'm working on a couple of other projects right now (I don't know if they'll come through or not though, we'll see if they end up in the book of flops or not) so those might be coming soon.