Five months later....

"Give a hand to your West Valley Prep 1998 class valedictorian, Eve Harris!" The principal announced.

Zach watched with the rest of a graduated as Eve walked across the stage, looking beautiful and confident in her blue graduation robes, waving and smiling excitedly before thanking the principal and taking a stand at the podium. "Hello fellow graduates, and congrats on getting through the last four years of high school. The journey isn't ending, but is just beginning," she starts.

Zach looks around the crowd and sees An older woman that looks like Kayla, presumably her mom, Kayla herself, alongside Eric, Evan, Eddie and Eva on Eric's lap.

"The experiences we shared over the last couple of years," she says, now looking out into the crowd of graduates until she and Zach's eyes meet, "all the laughs and cries, the joys and heartbreaks, is nothing but a taste of what's to come next. But I trust you guys will take what you learned, and apply it to everyday life and situations," she grinned. "You guys maybe not have the IQ of 130 like me," she jokes, making everyone else chuckle a bit, "but I️ know you guys are just as smart. And I️ know you'll find your place in this world with ease," she said. "So, congratulations again, class of 1998, and may you all succeed in any and everything you do."

Everyone clapped and cheered as Eve hurried off stage again. Finally, they called out for everyone to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas.

"Asher Fontaine," the principal calls out. Everyone cheered as Asher excitedly ran on stage, doing a little dance before smiling and waving into the audience, making everyone go nuts.

"Zachary Fontaine..."

There was a loud cheer for West Valley's beloved football star, as we walked across the stage, delivering everyone his signature charming, megawatt smile as he picked up his diploma.

The principal congratulated them entire class and everyone tossed their head caps up and cheered, relief washing over everyone for finally being done with high school.

Zach and Asher were surrounded by family afterwards, smiling and talking when Zach looks behind his uncle and sees Eve smiling and posing with her siblings and friend for cameras. He quickly excused himself and walked over, despite not talking these last couple of months.

"Zach!" Eva noticed him first, making everyone turn to face him.

"Zach," Eve said in a surprised tone. "Hey," she quickly covers her surprises with a smile.

"Congrats, class valedictorian," he says. "Hey Eva," he reaches out and tickles her in Eve's arms.

Kayla and her mom look between the two of them, waiting for an introduction. "Um, Zach, this is Kayla," she motioned to her. "And her mom. They're like my second family," she tells him.

"Where...." he started to ask, but noticed Kayla shaking her head behind her, motioning him not to ask. "...are you going after this?" He redirected just question.

Eve looked at him in confusion before answering. "Um...I'm just going to a diner after this," she tells him.

"I'm having a grad party at my house, if you guys want to come," he offers. "It starts as soon as we get back."

"We-"

"Love too!" Kayla cut in, speaking over Eve. "We'll be there Zach, thank you," she smiles.

"Oh no, you two go on. I'm too old to party like that," Kayla's mother waved them off. "It's y'all night anyways."

Before Eve could speak, Kayla spoke again. "Get together y'all, I️ need at least one picture of y'all," she said. Eve looked up at Zach uncertainly before letting Eva down and stand next to Zach. "Say "graduated!"

Zach wraps an arm around her waist and smiles, making her look up at him. "Eve! You didn't even look at the camera!" Kayla complains. "Alright again y'all," she says. They now both smile this time and the picture comes out perfect.

"See you later?" He asks. "Oh! Bring your yearbook!" He reminds.

Eve sighs before nodding. "Yeah, I'll be there," she tells him. He smiles before rushing off to be with his family.

"That boy is handsome Evie," Kayla's mom said once he left.

"Yeah, but he's white," Eric chuckles, causing Kayla's mom to hit him upside the head.

"Boy! That don't matter!" She sassed him. "He look like a nice boy Evie," she commented. "If you don't date him, I️ will," she jokes, making her smile.

"Yeah...he is," she agrees.

* * * *

Kayla and Eve arrived to Zach huge home on the other side after being dropped off by Kayla's mom. "Call me when it's time to pick y'all up!" She yelled out the window before speeding off.

"Goddamn girl, if this ain't the biggest house I've ever been to," Kayla whispers as she rang the bell. "You okay?" She asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine it's just...we haven't talked in months. I️ just figured I️'d be over him by now but..."

"But...?"

Before Eve could respond, the door opened to reveal a handsome, blonde, older man. "Hi! Eve right?" He asked, holding his hand out for her to take. She just nodded wordlessly as she shook his hand. "I'm Zach's father."

"We can tell," Kayla says besides her with a smirk on her face. Eve shot her a warning look.

"Come in!" His dad stepped aside and let them in. "I️ never got a chance to thank you for helping Zach, you know, you made all this possible," he points at her as he led her to the backyard. "So as far as I'm concerned, this party is as much yours as it is Zach's," he tells her.

"Oh..." Eve breathed out. "That's so nice but you don't need to thank me," she waved him off. "You guys paid me, that's more than enough."

They finally arrived to the back and realized there were way more people then she originally thought. Like literally, it was as if the entire grade and then sike was invited to Zach's huge outdoor graduation party.

Stupid, popular quarterback.

There was music playing, people talking, eating and signing each other's yearbooks. Eve stood there awkwardly, holding her own yearbook in her hands as she looked around. She never clicked with any of her classmates, and was usually alone. She didn't even make a new friend till that year when Zach came alone.

"Are you gonna talk to anyone or..."

"I️ honestly don't know half of them," Eve admits, making Kayla look up at her in confusion.

"Girl what?"

"Eve!" Asher calls out, surprising both girls. "Don't worry, I'm sober this time," he laughs. "Ooh, who's this cutie?" He asked, looking down at Kayla.

"You're not the only one who can get a white boy," Kayla whispers jokingly at Eve before turning her attention to Asher. "I'm Kayla," she holds her hand out for him to shake. Instead, he places a kiss on the back of her hand, making her visibly melt.

"I'm Asher, I'm Zach's cousin. That's why I️ know Eve so well," he rambles. "Uh, you wanna get a drink for me real quick?" He asks her.

Kayla looks over at Eve, as if asking permission. Eve simply smiles and nods. "I'm down," she smiles, taking his arm. "Lead the way."

Eve sighs once more as she looks around, walking around. She eventually reached the buffet table. She wasn't particularly hungry since she still went to the diner with her siblings, but she did grab a frosted cupcake, licking off the frosting and minding her business when she noticed Maddy out of the corner of her eye.

"Congrats in being valedictorian and wrecking my relationship, bitch," Maddy slams her hand on the table, catching everyone's attention now. Eve awkwardly looks around. "I️ hope you're happy. Although it seems neither of us got him in the end."

"I..."

"Leave her alone Maddy," Zach says from behind her. "I️ invited you to be nice but I️ can very easily kick you out," he threatens.

Maddy rolls her eyes. "I️ hope you two are miserable," she curses before walking off.

"I️ didn't need your help," Eve said as he walked up to her. "I️ could've told her off on my own."

"Mmm, I️ know but I️ just like being needed by you," he tells her, making her laugh. "Can we talk?" He asks.

"About what?" She asks, licking some more frosting off the cupcake.

"About us," he says.

"What about us?" Eve presses on.

Zach gave her an exasperated look. "Are you really gonna do this?" He asks her.

"Do what-"

He grabs her wrist and pulls her inside without hesitation, shocking her. "Zach! Where are we going?" She asks as she unwillingly follows him up some stairs.

"Just somewhere private," he tells her as he leads her into a room.

She walks in and looks around, noticing the posters on the wall of rock bands, rappers, trophies and medals as well as a couple of photos. "Is this your room?" She asks, noting the dark blue walls and watching duvet covers on his large queen sized bed. His room was bigger than hers and her brother's plus the bathroom all together. "You have your own room?"

"Yeah..."

"Wow," she breathes out, sitting on his bed. Damn, it was every comfortable than her home mattress.

Zach sits next to her. "But you're gonna get your own room when you go to college, aren't you?" He asks her.

Eve looks up at him with disappointed eyes. "I'm not actually," she says. "I'm staying here."

"What?" He says. "What happened to Colombia? Or Brown? Or Spelman? Or Texas A&M, or literally the hundreds of other schools away from here that you wanted to go to?" He asks, almost outraged.

"I️ have to stay here for my siblings," she reveals. "If I️ leave, there's a good chance the state would come by and take them. I️ don't want them in the system. I️ want is to stay together," she tells him. "So...I'm going to the local university. They gave me a full ride and a stipend and they're basically paying me to go there. I️ also have a job as a research assistant there," she tells him. "It'll work out for me, I️ promise. Don't worry," she pats his arm lovingly.

"I️ just know how excited you were to finally get out of here," he frowns.

"I'll have time for that one day," she reassures.

"There you go again, taking care of everyone first," he points out.

Eve just shrugged off his comment. "I️ guess it's what I️ do best," she admits.

Zach nodded in agreement. "It's one of the best things about you," he says.

She smiles at his compliment before changing the subject. "Where are you going?" He asks.

"I️ have a football scholarship to LSU," he tells her.

"LSU? That's in Louisiana," she chuckles. "You don't struck me as a southern type," she giggles.

"I'm not but, I️ go where the money is. Just like you," he pokes her side, making her laugh once more.

Once Eve calmed down, she looked back up at him. "I'm gonna miss you," she tells him truthfully.

"I'm gonna miss you too."

She then sighed and got up. "Well, I️ should go," she tells him. "It was nice catching up with you."

"Yeah, for sure," he nods.

She then faces him and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. But one look and her lips went from his cheek to his lips as they now started to hungrily and passionately make out. He tugs at the straps of her dress, pushing them down as she unbuttons his shirt before shoving him backwards on to his own bed and crawling on top of him.

"Are you sure-" he started to ask but was shushed my her.

"There is no one else I️'d rather do this with," she whispered in his face. Zach nodded his head and reached back up for another kiss, wanting to savor this last moment that they had with each other.

_____________________________

And just like that, it's overrrr.