Chapter Nineteen

Our graduation day finally arrives, and it felt like it took forever to make it here. We didn’t get to watch JD graduate, she didn’t get enough QCE points to be able to. She doesn’t seem bothered by it and thinks everything will work itself out and maybe she’s right. We keep worrying so much about our futures instead of just living in the moment. It’s why we have a surprise for her, we’ve all decided to defer Uni for a year and travel with her. Rory had a compelling argument that he can pay for our trip and we are not to spend a cent of our money. We are more than welcome to keep track of what we spend and can pay him back interest free when we get jobs. We did fight about it a lot but in the end our need to be close to JD won.

We are all gathered in our cohort and sitting in alphabetical order. Maximus is the top of our year but because he doesn’t talk it has gone to some girl who is currently giving a sappy speech about school being the best years of our lives, which I call bullshit on. For us it has been a constant battle to work through years of trauma. I got lucky and that’s a shitty thing to say when my parents died, but I knew they loved me. There was never any doubt about that.

The principal finally takes over and he starts calling up students, handing them certificates.

“Mercer Cole.”

Mercer walks up the stairs and Mr. Cole starts clapping loudly, we all look over at the commotion and see JD joining him. Carson has tears running down his face and Phillip is taking the photos since Carson has been a ball of nerves all day. As soon as he shakes hands with the principal and the Mayor he walks off the stage.

I sit and watch JD talking to Carson while we wait until they get to Rocky. Each group of students is separated into surnames, so there’s a bit of time in between each of our turns. JD throws her head back and laughs, and it’s the best sight I have seen all day.

“Rocky Hunter.”

Rocky bounces up the stairs, he almost trips but he rights himself with a laugh. His parents are waving and his mum is also in tears. Mumma B is also in the crowd, she is sitting with my aunt and Deacon.

Rocky gives the peace sign and laughs as he runs off stage. The principal runs through names smoothly, I wish there was an easier and quicker way to get through this. We’ve been on edge all day with our surprise for JD. We will be leaving after New Years. Rory has been invited to Sunset Havoc, an exclusive beach party that over the last few years has turned into a massive event. Sunset Haven is a small little town about twenty to thirty minutes from Green Lakes, it's near the bridge that leads to Briar Bay where the rich and famous go on holidays for the summer. Most of the staff on Briar Bay live in a town across the bridge. I wouldn’t say it’s a poor town but it definitely isn’t a town of money.

It also happens to be her birthday on the first of January, and we hoped that she would want to come.

“Levi Parker.”

Cheers from my aunt, Deacon and half of the Canary Bay police form carry across the oval. I shake my head and make my way to the stage. I shake hands and turn so Lissa can get some good photos and I notice JD smiling at me and she gives me a saucy wink. She’s changed her hair back to a dark blonde with natural looking highlights courtesy of Carson. She hated that her mum made her change it back to that platinum colour as soon as they took her home. She wasn’t confident enough to argue about it, but now that she has started to make connections with her family and friends she seems to know what she wants and goes for it. Her therapist says she might never get her memories back or one day she may wake up and not remember meeting us and if that happens we will deal with it. Maximus still journals about her and adds pictures and notes so if it does happen she will at least be able to see how much we love her through our time together.

Maximus didn’t want to walk today, the large crowd a sure trigger for a melt down but JD managed to convince him to try. I wait backstage for his name to be called in case he needs me.

“Maximus Sawyer.”

I peek from behind the curtain and see him hesitantly walk up the stairs. He turns back and looks at JD, she nods and holds up her phone and he pulls on his earphones. I watch as she plays around with her phone putting on music for him. I like how they communicate through music. Sometimes I can see a whole conversation happen and not know what has even been said.

The principal and Mayor don’t reach out to shake his hand. He isn’t ready to be touched and everyone respects that. He turns and poses for a picture and scurries off down the side steps. I race around to meet him there, pulling him into a hug before he spirals, what he’s just done was massive. He wraps his arms around my torso and we stand in silence for a few minutes. We have plenty of time before Rory gets his certificate for him to calm down.

Maximus pulls back and removes his headphones.

“Are you okay?” I ask and he nods. “Good, we should head back to our seats so we can watch Rory walk, then we can get out of here. I’m excited to tell JD about her surprise.”

“Same,” he whispers. I grab his hand and lead us back through crowds of our classmates still hanging around out behind the stage, where teachers are forcing them back to their designated areas.

Maximus and I go back to my seat, the guy next to me reeked of weed, so I’m presuming he’s off somewhere getting high.

After ten minutes it’s finally Rory’s turn.

“Rory Vincent.”

We all cheer as his name is called. His father and his girlfriend Chelsea are here, she is only a handful of years older than we are and she has drawn some attention in her red skin tight mini dress and hooker heels. His mum managed a day pass to be here, probably forced by his father. She wears oversized glasses and a scowl on her face.

Once the entire cohort has officially received their graduation certificates we can join our families. Ours are all waiting together and as we approach they all start to cheer, even JD. She looks amazing in a cute blue sundress.

Our parents all hug and congratulate us as JD stands to the side and waits, Rory approaches her first and picks her up, twirling her in the air.

“Congratulations,” Deacon says, shaking my hand. “So I guess this means you’re moving out of my house now?”

“In your dreams old man, I still have a few weeks left, yet.” I argue and Deacon laughs. I know he’s only kidding, even though he loves my Aunt, I can’t imagine what it would have been like falling in love and there being a teenage boy to deal with. We get along pretty good but it wasn’t always the case when they first met.

“We have to get back to work but I’m so damn proud of you. Your parents will be looking down with smiles on their faces today.”

“I know,” I say, trying to deflect from the conversation.

“Is everyone ready to go?” Savannah asks, clearly bored.

We’re all going to Maximus’s house for afternoon tea to celebrate.

We all head out together towards the car park. We all have our own cars except Maximus so he decides to ride with JD in her fancy ass car.

***

Most of us have to park on the street, leaving the front of the house for the adults. Maximus's mum and Rocky’s mum have cooked up a storm for the afternoon. We all head outside to the pool since it’s finally hot enough to enjoy it.

JD goes with Savannah to get changed while we all pile into Maximus’s room and shut the door so we can all talk in private.

“What are you doing Rocky?” Maximus asks as he watches him pulling out half the clothes from his closet.

“I didn’t bring anything to swim in and I don’t think wearing my boxers is appropriate around all the adults.”

“Check the bottom drawer, on the right.”

Rocky finds what he is looking for, the rest of us were smart enough to pack a bag. We all get changed into boardies, Maximus too but he wears his shirt.

“When are we going to tell JD about our surprise?” Rocky asks, bouncing on toes.

Her parents, brother and friends will be here soon, she deserves to celebrate even if she didn’t get to graduate. She was on the right track until she ended up in the hospital. All a technicality that could have been fixed with money. Her father offered to make it disappear but she refused. She doesn’t want to cheat her way through life and I respect that.

“If we don’t head back down there she will find out for herself.” I say as I grip the doorknob. I open the door as JD steps out of Savannah's room. My breath catches when I see her in her swimsuit. It’s a black one piece but both of the sides are open, showing her skin and there are strings tied at the sides.

“Do you like?” she asks with a twirl and I nod like an idiot. Savannah laughs from beside her at my dumbfounded expression.

“I think you broke him. Let’s go, the water is calling my name.” Savannah grabs JD and drags her away. She turns and I see there isn’t much of the back of her suit. It looks like a regular bikini from the back.

“Why are you blocking the door?” Rocky snaps and forces me out, only to freeze when he spots what I’m staring at.

“JD, hold up,” he shouts and races after her.

The rest of us all follow behind.

Everyone is gathered outside around the pool. Maximus’s mum has set up the food in the undercover area since it's all enclosed.

A knock at the door disrupts my attempt at getting something to eat. I race through the house and see that everyone has arrived at the same time. Clarissa, Mac, Chloe, Echo and Mossy all walk past, Mac knows where he is going. I did try to prepare Savannah that Mac would be here and she said that she was fine and they’re only friends now. She mentioned having a boyfriend and we’ll be talking about that at a later date.

“Thank you for inviting us,” JD’s dad says, shaking my hand.

“You’re welcome. Come in, J…Bristol is out the back.”

“It’s fine if you call her JD, she seems to like that better.” I nod.

“What a quaint little house.” Carter adds as he walks past me. I grab him by the arm.

“Do not cause a scene. Today isn’t about you.” He snatches his arm back and smiles at me, a glimmer of hate shining in his eyes.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. You seem to forget that she’s my sister and I love her. Everything I do is in her best interest. So maybe you,” he says, pointing at me, “shouldn’t make a scene.”

With that, he stalks off after his parents and I follow behind. When I get outside JD is smiling and talking to her friends.

JD’s dad has moved in with the fathers and are talking around the BBQ, while her mum has flocked to Rory’s mum making me snort. I can’t imagine her being good company but she has found the richest or who she perceives as the richest woman in the room.

Carter walks over and joins in the conversation with JD. I don’t like the way he looks at her and I feel like a dick for feeling that way. Maybe it’s just the fear of her old life pulling her back in and that we could lose her.

“Can I have everyone’s attention?” Maximus’s dad says and everyone turns to face him, intent to hear what he has to say.

“We wanted to thank everyone for being here on this special occasion. I know a lot of us are in the same position but I can only speak for myself and my wife, that we are super proud of Maximus for graduating. When he came to live with us, when he was all of six years old, we could have never imagined being here right now surrounded by those who have become our family over the years. We all wanted to get the kids a gift but what do you get kids who don’t need for anything? So, we may have been spying on them just a little and found a gift that was a group effort. But I know the boys wanted to surprise JD first, so we can start there.”

We all look at JD and smile, she looks confused and her cheeks heat with all the attention.

“JD, we’ve only known you for a few months but in that time you have become our lifeline. Not once have you ever wanted to change us or try to fix our flaws. You recognised our broken parts and just threw yours into the mix and said ‘it’s all okay, we’ll figure it out together.’ So when you asked us to travel with you, it threw us for a loop. We have spent years following routines and making plans because stability has been the key to recovery for us. But we spoke to our parents and they made us see that it’s okay to be impulsive and reckless. That it’s okay to make mistakes whilst we’re young, if no mistakes are made then how do we grow as people.” I say taking the lead.

“We are coming with you!” Rocky yells, not able to stand the suspense anymore. His parents were the hardest to convince since Rocky has worked for years and his end goal was always the Olympics but there was never a passion for it like Mac has. They do understand and support him no matter what but Rick was pissed for a few hours while he processed it and Carson helped talk to him.

Her eyes go wide and she leaps into Rocky’s arms and presses her lips to his. Her dad coughs, making everyone laugh.

“So that is where our gift comes in,” Carson says. “We have all chipped in and have a card preloaded with money for you to spend on activities whilst you are away.”

“Are you serious?” Mercer asks him and he nods. Mercer stalks towards his dad and pulls him into a huge bear hug before turning to Phillip and does the same.

Rory’s dad taps his glass of whiskey. “I know I’ve been an absent parent and it took a phone call from a very persistent man.”

“You’re welcome,” Carson interrupts with a laugh.

“He yelled at me and I was pissed that someone was trying to tell me how to raise my child but he hit me with a few home truths. I knew nothing about Rory, I just threw money at every issue we ever had and thought that would fix it all. I hope it isn’t too late to try and rebuild what I have broken. But myself, Chelsea and ??? would like to cover all of the accommodation costs whilst you’re away. I know how much the children's safety means to everyone and I’m so proud of all of the boys for being there for Rory when his own parents were not.”

I look over at Rory’s mum and from the scowl on her face I can tell she isn’t happy but she doesn’t object.

“I guess that leaves me. I know that Bristol doesn’t remember me right now but that doesn’t mean I don’t remember every last detail from the day she was born. I was so scared to have a daughter and bring her into this world, I worried about what kind of man she would end up with, but standing here right now I can say the young men in the room that surround her are everything I could have wished for. I know this kind of relationship is unorthodox but life is short and you should live every day to the fullest. So my wife and myself would like to pay for all travel costs involved for the entire year they will be away as our way of saying thank you to every single one of you for looking after my baby. I have already lost a son who would be so damn proud of his sister today.”

He gets choked up and Carson steps up again. “Well I guess that’s it for the gifts.”

“Wait!” Echo shouts and we all look at him in confusion. “I have a gift from her uncle, he couldn’t be here today out of respect for the cops who were supposed to be here. He said he was saving this for your eighteenth birthday, just like he had with Milo, but he can see how much you have grown over the last couple of months and he thinks that you’re ready now.”

He hands JD an envelope and she pulls out a piece of paper. Whatever she reads makes her eyebrows drop as she focuses on what is written.

“That’s a lot of zeros,” Rocky mutters and all she can do is nod as she tucks the letter back into the envelope.

“He gave you your inheritance, didn’t he?” her father asks, shaking his head as JD nods. He smiles widely, pride shining in his eyes. “That’s just like my brother to one up everyone in the room.”

Everyone laughs at his joke while I walk over to JD as her father goes to hug her and she returns his hug, squeezing him tightly.

“A million dollars,” Rocky whispers dumbfoundedly.

“You think that’s a lot? Bristol has her inheritance from her mother to receive when she turns eighteen and her brother Milo also had one set up for her. I also have one that she will receive at twenty-one. Money will never be an issue.”

“It’s too much,” she says, shaking her head.

“Maybe, but enjoy it. Set yourself up and take your time finding out what you want to do and at the end of the day if it’s still too much, donate it all, as long as you’re happy.”

We spend the rest of the afternoon by the pool and enjoy the time with our families. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives and I can’t wait to see where it leads us.