《Rise Like The Sun》EPILOGUE

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The graduation party is a hit, thanks to Maria's party planning efforts.

Maria had initially joined for Madison's sake before Madison took herself out before she'd realised that she genuinely enjoyed it. She'd been briefly worried that Madison might be offended, but Madison had only encouraged Maria to continue, telling her that she knew Maria could do a far better job than her. Elliot sometimes thinks that he knows Madison better than them all.

They all think that she's a scary figure, even Maria at times. But Elliot has always known that Madison's just a teddy bear underneath all those issues.

Even now, as she threatens a few students to sing nothing but praise of Maria's handiwork, with Lula and Audrey flanking her, Elliot's smile turns fond of his friend. Maria pulls them onto the floor to dance together and as Audrey spins him, Elliot catches sight of Madison's gaze turning elsewhere.

Nicholas Hawthorne, he realises. The boy looks at her like she's the sun.

"Hey, guys," Madison tells them, her voice low as she tugs Audrey's sleeve. "Can I tell you something?"

Finally, Elliot thinks to himself as he follows his friends outside in the quiet night air. The school is alive with people, who are celebrating, but they leave that behind. His gaze falls on the infamous motorbike and when Nick Hawthorne comes out, too, Lula gives a frown.

Madison gives a small smile, her eyes brighter than he's ever known her. This is Madison at her happiest, Elliot realises, and he hopes she can feel like this all the time. His friend's had a hard life and she deserves better.

"What's wrong?" he asks, mostly to be an asshole but also because he's enjoying himself.

"I wanted to—," Madison begins, before she clears her throat and rolls her eyes at Nick. "Nick, just come here."

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"What's he—," Audrey begins in confusion.

"We're, um, together," Madison tells them, and she even looks nervous, the poor thing, Elliot thinks.

Maria's eyes are too bright and Lula's trying not to giggle. The idiots are going to give this away, Elliot thinks, trying not to roll his eyes. He takes a step forward and blinks dramatically.

"You and the motorbike?"

Madison stares at them, her brows furrowing together before she inhales sharply in realisation. "How long?"

"A couple of weeks in," Elliot says. "That day when people were talking about the classroom being a mess. You and Nick were the only ones there." He turns to the others, grinning. "Pay up, assholes!"

Nick is crowing with laughter. "No way!" he says, eyes wide. "You bet on us?"

"Getting together or telling you?" Madison asks laughingly.

"Getting together," Lula says, giving a pronounced scowl. "I always thought that it was a stretch. Theo thought that Nick liked you, but you didn't like him back, so we're both out of money. Thanks, Elliot."

Maria is handing over her money with chagrin. "You couldn't have waited a couple more days?" she asks Madison, who laughs at them.

The way Madison and Nick look at each other is something that warms his heart. He's never seen Madison look like that. There's a quiet and private ease with which they move in each other's space, too. In the way Madison seems to trust Nick, too, he thinks, especially with how Nick settles his arms around her quietly.

"We're going on a roadtrip," Nick says. "Running out of Redwood."

Lula's jaw drops. "Madison, you dark horse," she says delightedly, crowing at them. "When?"

Madison's grin widens. "Now," she says, as they all burst into laughter.

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He's never seen Madison so careless like this. It suits her, Elliot thinks, and he tells her so. They embrace her tightly as Madison tucks away the plane tickets in her purse and as she and Nick get on the motorbike, zooming away, they leave a plume of dust behind them.

During the next couple of weeks while they're on their internships or their own trips, they will receive photographs and postcards and emails and letters which will detail their trips. Madison and Nick goofing about in London parades, riding bicycles in Paris, running with the bulls in Spain. Her mother will paste them to a scrapbook fondly and they will wait for the next holiday when Madison and Nick promise to get back together.

But now, Elliot narrows his eyes at the long road before them and turns back to his friends.

"So, who do you think is going to kill the other first?" he asks. "Do I hear a hundred on Madison?"

wow this is what happens when my friend pushes me to write, lol. it's been a long journey, longer than i thought it would be, tbh, but i managed it. i'm still not altogether very pleased with this, but i also don't really mind as much. i do hope that those of you who took your time to read and to vote and to comment on my story enjoyed this.

thank you so much for reading my story. :D

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