The sun blazed high above Fairmont High's football field, where rows of white chairs shimmered in the heat. Families filled the bleachers, snapping photos, waving tiny banners, and craning their necks to find their graduating child in the sea of caps and gowns.
Jessica adjusted the edge of her navy gown, her fingers trembling slightly. Her cap sat awkwardly on her curls, and her shoes already pinched at the sides, but none of that mattered. Not really.
This was supposed to be a day of joy.
She scanned the rows, her eyes brushing over familiar faces, some she once called friends. Ava and Taylor stood in a small huddle, whispering and laughing about something they refused to include her in, she didn't care. Chloe sat at the end of their row, her makeup perfect, her smile fake. Jessica caught her eye for a brief moment, but Chloe looked away instantly, jaw tight.
There was no apology. Not anymore. Not even pretense.
And Zach Monroe? He lounged two rows ahead, grinning like he owned the world. His robe was unzipped, sunglasses perched on his face, and every so often, he turned around, looking for her. Jessica made sure not to meet his gaze.
He had been doing that all year. Trying to start conversations she didn't want. Following her with eyes that said I win, even when there was nothing left to win.
She hated him.
Not because he had ruined Steven's life.
But because he never felt sorry.
The speeches droned on, full of clichés about the future, about success, about beginnings. Jessica clapped politely, smiled when the camera passed her way, and held back the ache in her chest.
Steven should've been here.
He should've been walking across this same stage, his name called out, his parents beaming from the stands, his awkward smile breaking through as he accepted his diploma.
But he wasn't.
And all because of one moment. One betrayal.
Her eyes stung. She blinked rapidly.
On the other side of town, under the banner of an elite prep academy, Steven Greece stood with his graduating class. His uniform was sharper, the ceremony grander, but it all felt distant, like watching someone else's life unfold.
He held his diploma tightly, the embossed lettering catching the sunlight. He had done it. Against everything thrown his way. Against expulsion, against depression, against the ache of being betrayed.
Still, as his classmates threw their caps into the air, Steven's eyes drifted away.
"I bet Fairmont's graduating today," he muttered under his breath, adjusting his tassel.
A part of him tried to imagine Jessica walking across the stage, her curls bouncing, her smile unsure. Was she thinking of him? Did she wish he were there?
Probably not.
"She's probably standing next to Zach," Steven scoffed to himself, lips curling bitterly. "Wouldn't even notice I'm missing."
He knew it wasn't entirely fair. But it was easier to believe that lie than to entertain the thought that she missed him too.
Back at Fairmont, Jessica's name was called. She walked across the stage with quiet dignity, her eyes scanning the crowd almost instinctively. No sign of him. Of course not.
Still, she smiled for the camera, shook hands with the principal, and held her diploma like it weighed a thousand memories.
After the ceremony, families rushed the field, balloons and hugs flying everywhere. Jessica stood still in the chaos, soaking it all in. Ava gave her a small nod before disappearing into the crowd. Taylor avoided her altogether.
Chloe stood a few feet away with her parents, eyes sharp, cold. Jessica could feel her resentment like smoke in the air.
Zach appeared beside her again.
"You looked beautiful up there," he said smoothly.
"Don't," Jessica replied without turning.
"Still mad?"
She finally faced him. "You're a narcissist, Zach. You ruined someone's life for a joke, and you don't even care. So yeah, I'm still mad."
He chuckled. "You'll forgive me eventually."
She shook her head, backing away. "I'll never be that girl."
Later that night, Jessica sat on her porch, gown folded beside her, cap in her lap. She scrolled through old photos on her phone, stopping at one taken over a year ago. Steven had been making a ridiculous face beside her, pretending to be offended by her dress choices.
She smiled through the ache.
"Wherever you are," she whispered, "I hope you're okay."
Across town, Steven sat by his window, diploma leaning against the wall. He scrolled through social media, catching a glimpse of Fairmont's graduation. One frame paused on Jessica.
He looked at her smile, then locked his phone and stared out into the night.
"Goodbye, high school," he murmured.
Neither of them knew what the future held.
But the past still echoed. And it wasn't finished with them yet.