My alarm blares as I slowly pull into consciousness. A strong arm is wrapped around my waist. One that I'm beginning to come rather accustomed to. I roll over a small smile on my face.

"Wake up loser." I say pushing Seths hair back from his face. He doesn't move an inch, stuck in a deep sleep. I reach over him to grab my phone and turn the stupid alarm off before scrolling through my phone. Rolling back over so I'm snuggled against Seth again, his even breathes tickling my neck.

I do my streaks, scroll through my insta and put my phone back down. Graduation was at 2. We had to be at school at 11. It was now 6:30. I knew Seth didn't have a lot to do to get ready so I just decided to leave him sleeping. I climbed out of his arms plopping myself down in front of the mirror. I begin doing my makeup up carefully and slowly. It was going to take me an hour at least today. It was graduation after all.

I leave my braids in letting the curls sit.

"Good morning." Seths sleepy voice says as he rubs his eyes. I turn around in my seat to see him yawning snuggled comfortably in my duvet.

"Morning." I say with a small smile. He holds out his arms. I just roll my eyes and start towards him. Slipping into bed besides him, carefully not to smudge my makeup of which the setting spray was still drying.

"I like the makeup." Seth says eyeing me carefully.

"Thanks." I say with a small smile reaching my hand up and brushing his hair away from his face again. He closes his eyes in pleasure.

"What's the time?" Seth mutters.

"Around 7:20 I think." I say pulling out my phone.

"7:30." He corrects peeking into my phone. I roll my eyes.

"Sorry your royal highness." I say sarcastically. He chuckles and opens my phone tapping in my password.

"It's surprisingly unnerving that you know my password." I say carefully as he taps to camera and begins spamming. Our faces are bent over my phone as my phone is resting between us. I make a funny face while Seth does the same. Seth makes one of them my wallpaper and I just chuckle.

"When do I get a first date?" I ask him kissing the tip of his nose.

"I was thinking about that. We have graduation today. And then we leave for the graduation trip tomorrow. So after then?" Seth says skeptically.

"Damn that's a long time." I say with a small sigh.

"Only a week." Seth says with a sly grin. I raise my eyebrows at him. He chuckles and kisses me softly again.

"Your going to ruin my makeup." I say with a chuckle as I pull back.

"Oops." Seth says unapologetically kissing my neck playfully. I chuckle and try to push him away.

"Your so mean." Seth pouts before planting a quick kiss on my lips before pulling back.

"Your mean." I say with a roll of my eyes before pressing my lips to Seths. Playful kisses pass between us before his arm that's snakes around my lower back pulls me towards him. Our kissing turns passionate. Seth rolls on top of me, bracing his weight so he doesn't squash me as our mouths dance. I run my hand down his bare back bringing them up over his shoulders and down his front. Tracing his abs carefully.

"Hey Lacey can I please borrow your black heels?" Molly says pushing open the door quickly. Seth and I pull apart, our heads snapping to Molly.

"Oh well actually maybe I'll come back later." Molly says with a grin.

"No no it's fine you can wear them. They're in my wardrobe." I say hurriedly. She grins and pulls open my wardrobe and grabs the heels. I sit up as Seth rolls off me.

"So you too finally together together?" Molly asks stopping at the door. I give Seth a nervous glance but he answers for me.

"Something like that." He says with a small nod. Molly grins closing the door the rest of the way.

"Don't tell mom dad Leroy or Jacob!" I call out after a few moments.

"Don't tell me what?" Dad says peeking his head through the door.

"Hi Seth. I thought you left last night?" My dad says skeptically noticing Seths lack of T-shirt.

"I was going to. I just fell asleep sorry Grant." Seth says bowing his head apologetically.

"Right well chuck a shirt on and off you hop. No more sleeping shirtless in my daughters bed please Seth." My dad says sternly.

"It won't happen again Grant I'm really sorry." Seth says submissively. My dad nods and raised his eyebrows at me before closing the door behind me. I let out a large sigh.

"No more sleeping in my bed shirtless aye princess." I say teasingly.

"I can't make any promises." He says planting a lingering kiss on my lips before grabbing his T-shirt he took off before bed and slinging it on.

"I guess I have to leave you to get ready. But I will see you, soon." He says grabbing the door handle.

I pout slightly at him leaving. He shakes his head at me and comes back over to me.

"I will see you." He says in between kisses. "Later." He says with one final kiss.

"Bye princess. Don't think about me too much." I say as he goes to leave for good.

"You know I will Lace." He says with a chuckle before closing my door behind me. I'm left smiling to myself.

***

"Lacey Cascade-Anne Carter graduating with a 4.4 grade point average. Captained the girls soccer team to victory. Will you know come up to accept your diploma." Miss Hastings says into the microphone. I grin as I begin climbing the stairs onto the stage. My graduation robe swishes around me. I shake the three vice principals hands firmly before shaking Miss Hastings hand, before she hands me my diploma.

I continue walking across the stage a wave to my family, my dad and Molly. A big grin on my face. I hear Seths voice holler and I give him a quick wave. He grins proudly at me.

I made it graduation. That's more than 15 year old me could have imagined. I had made it this far. Not without its hiccups. But I've made it. I smile to myself as I sit down on my allocated seat. A few tears pricking my eyes.

Not long Callies name is being called. Then not long later Bea's. I clap loudly and cheer. Next Seth is called and I don't want to admit but I definitely cheer a bit louder. Bea and Seth take their seats further behind me in their allocates seats. They both give me a quick wave before sitting down. Seth throws me a wink which I receive with a small smile.

The rest of the names are called and I manage to control my emotions. Finally the ceremony finishes and we all throw our caps in the air. I rush to where Bea and Seth are sitting and Bea immediately wraps me up in a massive hug.

"We're done." She shouts excitedly.

"We are." I say jumping with her. She lets me go and plants a kiss on my cheek with a grin.

"I love you." She says with a soft smile.

"I love you too." I say with a grin. She moves past me to hug a few others. Seth immediately replaces Bea and wraps me up in a massive bear hug.

"I made it." I whisper into his ear my voice cracking slightly.

"You made it." He replies not letting me go.

"You made it. We made it." I say as he places me back on the ground.

"We did." He says lacing our fingers together lifting my hand and kissing the back of my hand quickly before letting it go.

I hug my other classmates. Even Mia, who gives me a small knowing smile, as if sending me an unworded apology. Finally I move to mingle with the families. I find my dad first who wraps me up in a massive bear hug.

"You made it munch." He says hugging me tightly.

"I made it dad." I say tears slipping from my eyes. He sets me down and wipes my eyes.

"Lacey you graduated!" Molly says excitedly, stating the obvious. I hug her tightly.

"I did Molly I did." I say with a small nod. My mom is next to her and she holds her arms out in a hug. I hug her hestitantly.

"Congratulations baby girl." She says pleasantly.

"Thanks mom." I say dryly stepping back wiping my eyes.

I hear Seth and Bea hugging their family next to us and I turn towards them.

"Lacey." Trina says her arms wide. She scoops me into a hug and kisses my cheek.

"Congratulations." She says with a grin.

"Thank you." I say with a small smile.

The rest of the congratulations go around hugs left right and centre. Photos follow and it feels like we were standing for hours as the parents snap photos of us. Bea and I get photos together.

"Ok Seth and Lacey." Molly says holding the camera up. I raise my eyebrows at Molly who just grins at me. I move to stand next to Seth he immediately wraps an arm around my waist. I grin into the camera.

"Ok got it." Molly says with a satisfied grin.

"Your sister is a little meddler isn't she just." Seth says with a chuckle looking down at me.

"Well what can I say. Might have taught her a few things." I say jokingly. Seth chuckles and shakes his head.

I look around at everyone huddled together chatting, taking photos. Proud parents. Emotional parents. Emotional students. Teachers are lingering.

15 year old me would never ever have thought I would have seen this sight. Seen a diploma with my name on it. I thought my parents would be reading my name off a gravestone not a diploma. But I made it.

"We made it." I say tears pricking my eyes once again as I look around the sight. Seth pulls me into a hug as I start sobbing.

His hand wraps through my hair gently while his other hand rests on my back, his thumb tracing gently back and forth.

"Are you okay?" Seth asks carefully. I nod as I wipe my eyes gently. Lucky waterproof mascara and setting spray.

"I'm happy." I say grinning through my tears as they replace the ones I just brushed away.

"Good." Seth says with a small smile his concerned look easing. I look up at him, our eyes catching each other's. Setting off something warm inside me.

"You look amazing." Seth says gesturing down to my lace dress peaking through the graduation robe.

"Thanks. So do you." I say gesturing to his suit. He chuckles.

"You know when you wore that lace dress to the dance and spilled punch, the one we were talking about at prom ?" Seth asks me.

"Yeah of course." I say with a nod.

"Well.." Seth starts before he is interrupted by Luke and Bea who come over excitedly.

"Seth my man we never have to go to high school again." Luke says excitedly clapping his hands on Seths back. Seths hands slip away from me as we take a step back from each other.

"Oh my gosh this is the day we always talked about. This and our weddings. Wow." Bea says excitedly.

"I know." I say with a grin.

"C'mon were going to put our robes in the car and then we're going to the grad party." Bea says tugging my wrist towards the car.

"Okay." I say following her. I start pulling off my robe and fold it carefully, placing it in the back of my dads cars

I pull myself onto the edge of the boot. My family's voices drift from where they're laughing and talking to the Nixon's at their car a few spots over.

I look at the trees. I take in a deep breath of fresh air. Taking in every aspect to this moment. To this day. This feeling was going to be something I carried with me for a while. It was going to be my motivation.

"Lacey? You ready to go?" Callie calls from where she's standing next to all of my friends.

"Coming!" I call swinging onto the road. My heels clacking onto the concrete.

***

Everyone's voices echoed as we all belted the lyrics to 'the night is still young' by Nicki Minaj. Yes. I know. We had been belting these sorts of songs all night and honestly I was loving it. Everyone's high school stories were coming together in one song. With some lyrics. Everyone's different stories that made them who they are. Ones we would never know. Ones that would continue, that we would continue never knowing.

I clutch to some girl I've never had more than a handful of conversations with as we laugh alongside some other people I haven't talked to a lot. Even though we hadn't talked a lot here we are, laughing and belting out lyrics to songs.

Emotions were rolling through me. I felt on top of the world. And. I didn't have an ounce of alcohol in my system.

Suddenly there's flashing blue and red lights outside and sirens screaming.

"Everybody run." Someone shouts. I look around the room in a panic looking for Seth. Someone grabs my hand and begins pulling me towards the door. I look up and see Seth standing there. Everyone gasses it away from the house through back lawns and then onto the roads. When we're out of reach of the flashing lights and shouting we slow down, catching our breaths with a laugh.

"Why do you reckon the cops came?" I ask Seth dragging in a heavy breath.

"Noise complaint probably. Some neighbourhood Karen." Seth says with a shrug.

"Wow." I say with a chuckle.

Seth grabs my hand as we walk, lacing our hands together.

"Where are we going to go?" Seth asks me.

"Let's go to my spot. We haven't been there in a while." I say with a small smile. Seth nods and then pulls me after him with a laugh.

As were walking a cop car pulls up besides us. I throw Seth a panicked look. He shakes his head nodding for me to play along.

"Good evening. Do you two happen to be part of the graduation party that was just busted?" The cop asks rolling down his window.

"Oh no sir. Was that what the ruckus was? No my wife and I are just walking home from dinner." Seth says pleasantly.

"Ahh no worries. Have you seen any kids running around here?" The officer asks scratching the back of his neck.

"No sir. Nothing out of the ordinary." Seth says with a small nod. The officer nods.

"Thank you for your help. Enjoy your evening." The officer says rolling up his window with a small wave before they pull away.

"Wow. Cops are easy aren't they." I say with a shake of my head.

"Yep." Seth says with a chuckle before we continue walking.

***

"No that's not oriens belt." I say with a laugh as Seth points out a cluster of stars.

"Yes it is." Seth says with a chuckle.

"No that's Taurus." I say shaking my head at him.

"Oh wait maybe your right." Seth says looking up at the stars.

"I don't know. The real question is what pictures can you see?" I ask him challengingly.

"Ooh okay. Wait I see a bear like yogi bear." Seth says studying the sky.

"Where about are we looking?" I ask him studying the stars.

"Go to Taurus. And then like count ten stars up." Seth says counting the stars carefully.

"Oh wait I see it. Nah it looks like the bear from open season." I say with a laugh.

"Oh my god I remember when I was obsessed with that movie." Seth says with a chuckle.

"You used to watch it every time I was over." I say with a laugh.

"Better than barbie or whatever you and Bea were going to watch." He says with a shudder.

"Barbie was the absolute bop when I was a kid don't hate it." I say smacking his arm.

"Sorry sorry." He says chuckling.

"Does this count as a date?" I ask him suddenly.

"Stargazing is absolutely a date." Seth says with a grin his head turning towards me. I turn my head to meet his gaze. The feeling fills me again. His eyes electrifying every inch of my body

He leans forward pressing his lips to mine softly. A feeling that will never get old.