23| don't let me go

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chapter twenty-three

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chapter twenty-three

Cade's in the crowded hall on the second floor talking to Joe, one of two almost-identical brunettes I met at that party. I hide my face to avoid another conversation. At least it's not Tanner.

Around me, students bustle around with caps on their heads and black gowns drowning their bodies. They talk with their friends, take pictures, and most notably, they smile. It's a sight I'm not used to seeing in these halls.

I, too, am donning my cap, but carrying my gown in hand. My blue dress has pulled a few eyes since I've got here.

As I look around, it all becomes more real. High school is over, and I survived, scholarship intact.

"Chapman! Finally!" Cade's voice carries to me over the commotion in the bright and narrow hallway. He runs over and stops in front of me, eyes wide. "Wow," he breathes. "You look hot—I mean—that's not what I mean. I mean," he emphasizes, pink erupting on his pale neck, "you look really great. Nice. You look nice. Really nice."

Here is Cade, his black locks covered by his cap, this elusive tie hidden by his long black gown, with a blush on his cheeks.

"You look really nice, too," I say, my lips lifting a bit. It's hard not to appreciate his stammering. I might even call it cute.

I throw on my gown and zip up the front. Cade frowns, and when I catch where his eyes were resting, his skin reddens that much more.

My full getup makes this very real situation feel even more so. I'll never be back here—back in High School. But Greyson might, one day. I'd stay for him. I'd do as many more years as it took until he could graduate.

"How are you feeling?" asks Cade, irritated suddenly, "because I'm so sick of everyone that I almost fled ten minutes ago."

"Can't flee your own grad," I laugh out forcefully, feeling like doing exactly that. "Come on, you have to be at least a little happy to be here, right?"

He narrows his grass-green eyes. "Well, maybe. I guess I'm ready to move on."

I give him a wry smile. "That's good, because we don't have a choice."

"It's really loud in here," he begins, glancing around at our rowdy classmates. "We have about fifteen minutes before we need to line up. Want to go somewhere? Outside, maybe?"

I nod, hoping to avoid this overcrowded hallway for as long as possible.

Surprising me, Cade gently takes my hand and leads me away from the crowd. It's clammy, but I'm sure mine is too. His hand feels...fascinating in mine. It's not what I expected. It feels like understanding, like something shared between us. Grief, maybe. A common loss.

I hold on tight.

Both wearing our cap and gown, we pass our entire graduating class in the halls wrapping around the second floor of our school. Everyone is so happy that I find some of the energy rubbing off, spreading a giddy smile on my face.

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