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For many across the world, high school graduations were a big event. It was a moment individuals looked forward to since their childhood years: the end of an era, and the start of a new one. It meant that they had been successful in completing their mandatory years of education, and that they were now free to stretch their wings and fly to bigger and better horizons. 

But for Samantha Kingsley and her mother Eleanor, the former’s high school graduation meant so much more than just the culmination of her child and teenage years. Sammi’s achievement was the product of overcoming many hardships thrown at her by life, and coming out stronger and unscathed. From being the daughter of a teen mom, being abandoned by her father, watching her mother’s sleepless days of sacrifice to earn her nursing degree, living in a woman’s shelter until she was seven, and life ultimately getting better when Eleanor had landed that nursing job at Content’s hospital. Although she was not at the top percentile of her class and just your average student, the fact that she’d never once given up on her studies or fallen hostage to drugs, alcohol or overall negative situations made the whole thing all the more reason to celebrate. And so when she got up on the stage and held that diploma in her hands, Samantha looked down at her mother with tears of joy and happiness rolling down her cheeks. After all they’ve gone through together… They’d finally made it.

Once the ceremony was over, Sammi rushed to her mother’s side, and the two women wrapped their arms around each other in a tearful, triumphant embrace. It was a while until they finally let go, still beaming at one another.

[b]“I’m so proud of you, Sammi.”[/b] Eleanor said, her voice breaking with emotion, eyes still full of tears.

[color=crimson]“I couldn’t have done it without you, Mama. You were my example.”[/color] Samantha replied tearfully, which earned her a kiss and yet another hug from her proud mother.

[b]“I know how much you love that fancy Italian place downtown, and since we’re celebrating today, I’ve made us reservations for it.”[/b] the older woman informed her daughter, wiping away the tears on the girl’s cheeks.

Sammi grinned. [color=crimson]“That’s awesome, because I’m honestly [i]starving[/i].”[/color]

Eleanor chuckled. [b]“Then let’s get going!”[/b] she said, motioning towards the parking lot where her car waited for the pair.

[color=crimson]“Actually, gimme a few minutes. I need to take pics with Nate, Sam and the others.”[/color]

Once the photo session with her friends was over, a giddy Samantha skipped happily in the direction of her mother. Arm in arm, Sammi and Eleanor walked to the car, got in and drove off the high school parking lot and into the main road. As they made their way down to the restaurant, the women passed Plum Hill Lake, where a dark-haired young man sitting alone on a bench caught Sammi’s eye. She motioned to her mother to slow down the vehicle, and upon a closer look realized that the person sitting in the bench was none other than her classmate Johnathan Baxter.

Grinning, Sammi motioned for her mother to stop the car and rolled down her window. [color=crimson]“Hey Johnny!”[/color] she called out to the young man, waving enthusiastically at him with a bright smile on her lips. [color=crimson]“If you need a ride to Avery’s party tonight, just shoot me a text. I’d love to have you as my plus-one.”[/color]

Most of her classmates and friends didn’t understand why, but Samantha had always had a soft spot for Jonathan Baxter. Back when he’d been dating Maxwell Roberts, she’d been a fiercely vocal and loyal supporter of their beautiful relationship. In fact, they had been the muses of one of her online short stories -a tale of same-sex love that triumphed over all hardships-, and it ended up being her most popular and praised one up to date. The two boys had seemed so purely yet madly in love with each other: a feeling Sammi had never personally experienced herself. Secretly, she’d wished that, one day, she would find someone who would love her in the same way Max and Johnny had loved each other. In a sense, she found herself living vicariously through them.

However, Max and Johnny’s love story had not shared the same happy ending as the one she’d so beautifully written. When she’d heard the news of Max’s move and the reasons behind it, her heart went out to them. And upon seeing the devastating change in Johnathan, that same heart of hers broke for him. At that moment, she’d taken it upon herself to befriend him -even if it meant an uphill battle-. Why? Because nobody deserved to be alone, and especially not when one’s soulmate had been so cruelly snatched away. The blonde had made small talk with the young man, volunteered to do projects with him, occasionally have lunch with him, and [i]always[/i] made a point to greet and/or smile at him every day whenever they came in proximity. Although she could never say they became the best or closest of pals, Sammi could confidently say that her and Johnny were at least somewhat friendly to each other. He didn’t dislike her like he seemed to do most people around them, so that meant she had an advantage to most people. Honestly, she was glad that he was coming along for the road trip. Maybe her wish of getting close to this lonely soul would finally become a reality.