Graphic by @Ethereal29

Nate walks into the kitchen where I am making a Full English Breakfast. He looks at me. "What's all this?"

I turn towards him. "I'm making you a celebratory breakfast. My little brother is graduating from High School." I walk over to him and hug him. "Have you decided what school you're going to?"

He nods. "Yeah, I replied to them last night. They're looking forward to having me attend their school."

Stepping away from him, I say. "Are you going to tell me what school?"

"University of San Francisco."

A smile spreads across my face. "I'm looking forward to seeing my little brother play for a new team."

Jai walks into the kitchen. "What's going on in here."

"I'm making breakfast for Nate. Has Nate told you what University he's going to?"

"Yeah," he smiles. "It was a great school. If it wasn't for that school I wouldn't have played pro ball." He looks at Nate. "I would however suggest that you study something else as well. Just in case you get injured. It's better to have a backup plan than nothing at all."

I walk back to the kitchen and serve breakfast. I put it on three separate plates and take the food over to the table.

Nate and Jai go for the pancakes, sausages, eggs and bacon bits.

Putting two pancakes on my plate I pour maple syrup on it. I cut into the pancakes and bring it to my mouth. I feel a bit of syrup fall down my face.

Jai swipes his finger across my face and he brings his finger up to his lip and licks off the syrup.

I look at Nate and he has a disgusted look on his face.

"Why do you two have to do things like that when I'm around." He puts his fork down. "I can't wait until I move to San Francisco so I don't have to see this all the time." He walks into the kitchen and pours himself a cup of milk. He walks back to the table and sits.

The front door opens and I hear voices.

Nate looks away from me. "I invited the boys to come over before we go to graduation.

There's still heaps of food on the table. I look at the boys. "Help yourself." I watch as the boys help themselves to the food."

Nate looks at Jai. "Can we still have the party here?"

I nod. "Sure, if you need anything call Jai. I will be spending some time with Aleysa. She would love for you to have fun tonight. If she was well enough she would join you."

Nate rises and walks over to me. He gives me a hug. "Thanks,"

Jai looks at the boys. "I'm going to have a small amount of alcohol delivered tonight. If your friends choose to drive they will have to leave their keys in a jar. I'm not going to let anyone drive home drunk. I will also be standing at the door making sure that keys are put in the bowl."

Nate shakes his head. "You're going to scare everyone away if you do that."

Jesse laughs. "He won't scare anyone. They would faint seeing that they are partying at Jai Marshall's place. Everyone knows who he is."

"Jai," he turns towards me. "Why don't you let them use the mansion. This place is a bit small for what I think they have in mind. If they use the other place there enough space for them. We won't be living there soon enough and I don't feel comfortable with most of Nate's friends knowing where we live."

Jai puts his arm around my shoulder and he pulls me close to him. "Why didn't I think about that?" He pulls a set of keys off his and gives them to Nate. "These are the keys to the mansion and the guest house. There will be security guys at the main gates to the house. I don't want gatecrashers at my place and you will tell me the password so I can get into the mansion when I need to."

"Pussycat," Nate says.

The guys laugh. "You said pussy. I wonder how many you will get tonight?"

Nate slaps his friends head. He looks at me. "My sister is standing right there. She doesn't need to know what I do or don't do."

I need to get away from these guys.

Rising I take my dishes over to the sink. "You can do the dishes, boys. Then I will see you at school." I walk out of the kitchen and walk to Aleysa's bed.

Her breathing is shallow and I touch her hand. "I'm going to your brother's graduation now." I kiss her cheek. "I will see you when I get home. I love you, Leys." I walk out the door and crash into someone. I look up and see Jai.

"How is she?"

Shaking my head, I feel tears fall down my face. I wipe them away. "She's not doing well. She's giving up."

He hugs me. "I'm sorry,"

I look into his brown eyes. "You don't need to apologise. She did the things she wanted on the bucket list and I'm glad she was able to do all that. The thing she wanted to live for was your proposal. Now, that you've done that she knows we will be alright. That we will survive without her. She won't ever be forgotten."

"That's right she won't." Jai touches my heart. "She will be in here forever. "

"Chloe," Nate yells. "I'm leaving now. I will see you at school."

"Bye, Nate." I walk into the bedroom and find Dad's Rolex in the box that I put under the bed.

Jai looks at her box. "What's that?"

"Dad left me his Rolex. He told me that I had to keep it safe until Nate graduated. Now, that he has. I have to give him a present from our parents." I put a letter on top of it and put everything in my bag.

***

Jai parks his car close to the front of the school. He climbs out of the car and walks over to my side. He opens the door for me and I climb out. He looks around. "Where is the auditorium?" Jai holds my hands as we walk through the school.

I hear whispers. "Look it's Jai Marshall." Then someone else says. "That girl is ugly. I wish that he chose someone prettier than that."

Jai looks at me. "You're beautiful. Don't listen to them they're jealous that they can't have me, but I don't want anyone else besides the woman that's standing next to me with my ring on her finger." He looks away from me as he says. "Do you want to start a family soon?"

I would love to start the next step of our relationship.

I nod.

A huge smile breaks out across his face and it makes his eyes shine. "So, when do we start the baby-making?"

I laugh. "I thought we tried that on the night of you proposed."

*

After Jai proposed Veronica insisted that we take their hotel room for the night, while they stayed with Nate and Aleysa.

Jai looked at me and said. "Please?"

I smiled. "I would love to spend the night away with you." I hugged Aleysa and Nate. "I will see you tomorrow."

Jai took my hand and we walked to his parent's hotel.

I didn't get a chance to look around the hotel as Jai wanted me to himself in the hotel room.

In the room, he opened the door. I followed him in.

He closed the door and pushed me against it. He claimed my lips.

The kiss became heated clothes were on the floor.

That night he made love to me four times.

*

Jai and I wait outside the auditorium for his parents and brother.

I see Gerald walk over. "Ger, you're here."

He walks over to me and gives me a hug. "Yeah, I am."

Stepping away from him. "Where were you, this morning?"

He scratches the back of his neck. "I stayed with a girl last night."

"Oh, are we going to meet her?"

He shakes his head. "She was a one night stand. Besides, she's clingy as hell."

I slap his shoulder. "If you keep sleeping around your junk will fall off."

He laughs. "Thanks for the advise sis. I'll keep that in mind the next time I go partying."

Veronica and Ricky walk over to us. "Are we going to go inside before the good seats are taken?"

"Our seats are reserved. They gave the football teams family and friends seats at the front there are six seats reserved for us." I look into the auditorium. "Nate thought that his little sister was going to join us on this special day." I walk into the room and look for our seats.

We are sitting in front of the stage. I look at the chairs to my left and see the word "Valedictorian."

A female and male take the seats next to me. The woman looks at me. "Hi, I'm Chantelle."

"Chloe."

"It's nice to meet you. So, who are you here for?"

"My brother, Nate Knight."

"Oh, the football player." She looks away from me.

Leaning forward, I whisper. "What do you mean by 'oh, the football player."

She plays with her fingers. "I have heard so many stories about those boys."

"My brother isn't like them. He's had a tough year with our parents being murdered and our little sister having cancer."

Why am I telling this stranger all this stuff?

She places her hand on mine. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Not, many people do. Nate wanted to keep it quiet."

Looking at the stage I see that the chairs are full and the Valedictorian is sitting next to the principal and she waves at her parents.

Jai pulls me against him. "Your brother just walked in with his friends.

I look at the door and he waves when he spots us. I wave back.

The principal is standing in front of the podium. "Welcome everyone. Today we're going to be saying goodbye to our 2016 Graduates. It's a been good year for us this year. We won the championships in football which was lead by our Captain Nate Knight." The auditorium claps and cheers.

I see a few people slap my brother's shoulder.

Nate looks at me and smiles. I give him the thumbs-up and he nods before turning his attention back to the principal.

The principal continues to talk about other things that happened during the year. Then I hear him say. "Your Valedictorian Teresa Clemon's would like to say a few things."

Teresa walks up to the podium with her head held high and a smile on her face. "Welcome class of 2016. I want to start off with one of my favourite quotes. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

That was a beautiful quote. I just hope that my brother will do that when he goes off to University in a couple of months.

Teresa looks into the crowd. "I remember my first day of Freshman year. I was scared of the older kids and I made sure that I stayed against the lockers. Until one day a boy walked over to me and he said. "You don't need to be afraid. I will be by your side until we graduate. Little did I know that he was going to keep his promise. He protected me even when his popularity sky-rocketed and he became the Captain of the football team."

Is she talking about Nate?

I lean into Jai and whisper. "Do you think she's talking about my brother?"

"Yes, he told me about her when you moved in. He told me he always had a crush on her, but he didn't want to ruin the friendship they shared."

Teresa continues with her speech and her eyes keep straying in the direction of my brother.

She likes my brother too.

After the speeches are done the 2016 class get their diplomas.

Nate walks across the stage and he gets his diploma.

I take a few pictures of him and send it to Aleysa.

She might not get to see those photos.

The graduating class throw their caps in the air and they cheer as they're finally leaving school.

I walk out of the auditorium and wait for my brother.

Nate walks out with his friends and I take pictures of him.

***