Chapter 28 The Commencement Part II
Everyone was looking forward to the senior breakfast. It was a finally here and the room filled with laughter and buzz like the days before. Brenda and Kelly entered and quickly saw the rest of the gang sitting at a table near the front.
"There they are." Kelly pointed at the table as the girls walked over to where everyone was sitting.
Brenda walked and sat next to Dylan, "Hey" she said quietly.
"Hey baby." Dylan looked up from the senior will section of the Blaze and greeted her with a kiss. "I am sorry about last night, with my mom coming and everything, I shouldn't of did that whole thing in front of you."
"Its ok but I think we should talk about the other stuff as well."
Dylan nodded as he rested his arm around her shoulders, "I know we will. Did you see what I left you in the senior wills?"
Brenda smiled and shook her head, "No."
Dylan slide the paper closer to her and Brenda found Dylan's section, Brenda read and looked up and smiled, "Baja huh"
Dylan nodded and smiled, "You know it."
"Did you see what I left you?"
Dylan scanned down the page, "Ah yes, Niccolò Paganini."
Brenda giggled, "The only concert we ever made it through and didn't make out during."
Dylan laughed as he pulled her in and began kissing her. "That was fun, we haven't done that in a long time, it was incredibly…."
"Romantic?". Brenda finished.
"Absolutely" Dylan kissed her again.
"Hey Pookie" Kelly said greeting Brandon with a kiss.
"Hey, I saw you left me Minnesota in the senior will." Brandon said smiling.
"Well it was the first time we told each other we loved each other." Kelly wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I know" Brandon almost was offended she thought she had to tell him, "Did you see what I left you?"
Kelly glanced down at the paper, "Ahh Alfonzo's, our first time?" Kelly playfully rolled her eyes. "Men" Kelly pulled from his embrace.
"Um no our first date." Brandon put his hand on his heart to simulate she stabbed him.
"Oh….better." Kelly smiled.
Brandon wrinkled his nose at her, "Did you get your packet from CU?"
"I did." Kelly sat next to him. "I am secretly happy I didn't make it into those other schools, now I get to stay here with you."
"I know me too."
"Did Brenda tell you she applied to Berkeley?" Kelly leaned in so no one hear.
"Yes, she borrowed the application fee from me because she didn't want mom and dad to know. I wasn't surprised, it was a while ago and she told me last night she got in."
"Really, when did she find out? She just told me she was probably going to be wait listed."
Brandon shrugged, "Guess not."
Kelly glanced over at Brenda and Dylan who were laughing and cuddling close. If she were Brenda she didn't know what she would do.
As the senior breakfast continued the gang laughed and reminisced. They had played old videos and montages. They had given out awards and pretty much embarrassed at least everyone in the group at least once. The sudden feeling of nostalgia hit every single one of the friends, wishing high school wasn't over. In a way people were going their separate ways. The truth about this group of friends is that they had gotten so close, they had been through a lot together and it was sad to see it almost come to an end.
**
Brenda knocked on her brothers door, "Bran?"
"Yeah" Brandon grumbled still laying in bed.
Brenda peaked in after opening the bathroom door, "You awake?"
"I am now." Brandon stretched, "what's up?"
"Can I talk to you?"
"Sure come in." Brandon sat up rubbing his eyes.
"Can you believe we are graduating today?" Brenda smiled. "It's exciting."
Brandon nodded still not totally awake.
"I was thinking about Berkeley and New York," Brenda looked down.
"And?" Brandon was curious to what his sister was thinking.
"I am planning on going over to Dylan's before the graduation ceremony and telling him about Berkeley but I wanted to make sure I had my decision set and my mind made up before I went over." Brenda looked at her brother.
"What did you decide?"
"What would you do? I mean you have a girlfriend that you love, what would you do?"
Brandon thought about it, "Honestly…I don't know. I feel lucky Kel and I don't have to choose to be away from each other. It just feels like we wasted so much time pining over each other, I just want to continue being together."
Brenda smiled at her brother, "You guys are cute."
Brandon blushed and smiled, shrugging it off. "Well you know."
"Thanks Brandon." Brenda got up and started to enter the bathroom.
"Bren? What did you decide?" Brandon said confused.
"I think you know." Brenda smiled at Brandon and went to get dressed.
**
Brenda knocked on Dylan's door, running her hands down her dress. Dylan swung open the door and smiled.
"Hey you, what a nice surprise, I didn't think I would see you until later." Dylan held out his hand pulling Brenda in.
"Yeah I wanted to talk to you." Brenda said as moved into Dylan's house.
"Yeah I need to talk to you too. You first." Dylan said as he led Brenda to the couch.
Brenda sighed and looked at him nervously, "I have to tell you something." Brenda paused, "I applied to Berkeley….and got in." Brenda said looking at Dylan.
Dylan started to laugh
"Why are you laughing?" Brenda said confused.
Dylan got up and walked over to a near by table picking up a packet and walked over handing it to Brenda. Brenda looked down and began to look through the packet of papers.
"You applied to NYU?" Brenda exhaled as she spoke.
Dylan smiled and nodded, "After we broke up I started looking into the school and Bren, they have one of the most distinguished programs in the country, its the leading national center for study of writing and literature. Their creative writing program is top notch."
Brenda smiled at his enthusiasm. "Wow….and you got in?….and your going?"
Dylan smiled and nodded slowly, "Yep"
Brenda jumped up and threw her arms around Dylan's neck, "I am so proud of you." She said squeezing him tightly. She pulled back and looked at him kissing him over and over on the lips.
Dylan smiled, "Were you going to go to Berkeley?"
"Yeah." Brenda said smiling.
"Even though their theater department sucks?"
"What can I say, I love you." Brenda shrugged
"I love you too Bren."
Brenda leaned forward and began kissing Dylan passionately, he moved his hand through her hair, resting his hand on the back of her head. He lowered her down on the couch and continued to slowly kiss her lips and neck, slowly unzipping the her dress.
"Dylan." Iris called out as she knocked on the door.
Dylan groaned, "Are you serious?"
Brenda giggled, "That Iris has good timing."
Dylan got up helping Brenda off the couch, as he sighed. "Zip me." Brenda said as she turned around.
Dylan opened up the door and shook his head, "Seriously, tell me what you have against the telephone?"
"I would rather you tell me what you have against me? That was a very chilly reception you gave me the other night. I thought it over and it comes to this, my bags are packed and either the taxi takes me straight to your graduation ceremony or to the airport. Its up to you."
"Mom." Dylan shook his head, "The graduation doesn't start for 90 minutes."
Iris raised her eyebrows, "I guess I am still on Hawaiian time." she smiled sweetly at her son. "Plus half the fun is catching you in the bedroom with a girl."
Dylan smiled and sighed, "Come on in, say hello to Brenda."
Iris made her way through the doorway, "Breeeenda sweety.. hi. Sorry I interrupted." Iris clinched her teeth together.
"No its ok, I should go anyway. I will see you guys in 90 minutes." Brenda hugged Iris again saying goodbye. And then moved to Dylan, she tightly hugged him and whispered in his ear. "I love you."
"I love you." Dylan said as they pulled apart.
Iris smiled as she lightly hit him in the chest. "I like her a lot."
"I know mom." Dylan smiled as he shook his head and closed the door.
**
Everyone started to show up at the graduation ceremony. The clicking of cameras could be heard from all sides of the seats. The outside was decorated in blue and white, balloons hung on the sides of the stage that was filled with bleachers. The seniors lined up as the parents sat in their seats. The graduation march began playing softly and they headed in. The gang smiled and as they walked in waving and smiling as they caught the eye of their parents. As Andrea gave her Valedictorian speech. They all listened intently as she explained, the path everyone was going to be traveling. And even though some may be going to separate places, they would always remember their time they spent at West Beverly and most importantly the friends they made. The ceremony took about an hour as they one by one went up and collected their diplomas. Excitement filled the air as they threw their caps high in the sky.
"Ahhhh Haaaaa we graduated." Steve said as he ran to the rest of the group.
"Hold it there guys let me get a picture." Cindy said directing the gang to pose all together.
The gang hugged and laughed as their parents took pictures.
"See ya later up on the hill, buddy." Brandon gave Steve a low five as he went and met up with Kelly.
"Guess who's here?" Kelly said smiling bright.
Brandon shrugged, "My father." Kelly said with tears in her eyes.
"Really, where?" Kelly pointed at a older man that was chatting with Jackie.
Brandon smiled as he leaned in and kissed Kelly on the lips, "I'll see you later."
Kelly nodded and smiled as she looked into Brandon's eyes. "I love you" Kelly said not taking her eyes of his.
"I love you…. See you later." Brandon hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.
**
Brenda, Dylan, David and Donna walked down the hill to meet the rest of the gang.
"Its about time you guys showed up." Steve called out as soon as he spotted them.
"Sorrrrry." Donna said sweetly.
"So what should we do, where do you want us?" Brenda said
"Psssh we finished." Brandon said as he pulled Kelly back so she was laying between his legs.
"Without me?" Brenda said sadly.
"What can I say, we were on a mission." Andrea smiled.
Dylan threw their sleeping bags on the ground as he sat down pulling Brenda down with him. Cuddling her into him.
"So Andrea, when do you leave for Yale?" Brandon said nonchalantly.
Andrea looked around at the group, "Actually I am not. I decided to stay here and go to CU."
"CU? Why?" Kelly said concerned.
"Well, my grandma is sick and I just cant see leaving. Plus Yale has been there forever it isn't going anywhere, I can always transfer later on." Andrea kept her chin up as everyone smiled at her. They all knew it was a huge decision for her to make. As long as they all could remember she wanted to go to Yale.
"What about you Bren?" Brandon looked at his sister.
"I am going to New York." Brenda said looking around at the group.
"You are?" Kelly said smiling, "Good for you." Brandon said, he was shocked.
"Yeah they have a good theater department and I did almost get a full ride." Brenda looked up and smiled at Dylan.
Donna looked sadly at Dylan, feeling bad they were obviously not going to be together, "When do you leave?"
"When do we leave Bren?" Dylan looked down at her and smiled.
"We?" Donna said confused.
"Yeah, Dylan is going to NYU too, he got into their creative writing program."
"Wow, that's great." Andrea said, "Not surprised but wow, I had no idea you applied there."
"So you guys are going to live together or what?" Steve said interested.
"We haven't talked about it, we both got into the dorms though." Brenda said cuddling closer to Dylan.
"I am going to bum around Europe for the summer and I'll be back a week before registration." Dylan said to Steve
"Europe? You didn't tell me you were spending the summer in Europe." Brenda sat up and turned to look at Dylan.
"Want to come with me?"
Brenda let out a laugh, "Yeah right, like my dad would let me spend the summer in Europe with you or even pay for me to go."
Dylan shrugged playing it off, "Well that's funny cause I asked him already and he didn't have a problem with it. Even got us tickets, we leave next week." Dylan finally gave into his smile he had been holding back.
"Are you serious?" Brenda mouth dropped and her eyes grew bigger.
"Yep, its all planned. I asked him a couple days ago and he and your mom talked about it and said ok."
"Oh my God, really?" Brenda covered her mouth still in shock.
Dylan nodded as Brenda wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the lips. "Thank you." she whispered.
"How Cool. You guys are going to have so much fun." Kelly said as she watched the two kiss.
"Promise me two things, you invite me to your wedding and if he ever pisses you off more than usual you come and take me out." Steve said smiling as he lifted his eyebrows and winked at Brenda.
Brenda let out a laugh as she pulled herself from Dylan's kiss. "You got it Steve."
"What? No I don't think so." Dylan said laughing.
"What is up with this picture Kel, my little sister has been to Europe going on twice now and I haven't been once. I thought you were suppose to be my sugar mama."
"Awww poor baby." Kelly kissed him on the cheek.
"Don't be jealous." Brenda gave him a smirk.
The morning came pretty quick as they gathered their belongings and sleeping bags and got in their cars to ride down the hill to see what they left the city. They all got out of their cars and walked to the middle of the street. The gang felt a sense of pride as they looked up at a sign that covered the whole entire Hollywood sign. It read 93 across it. High school was officially over. The friends that they had made, the relationships that didn't work, the relationships that developed and were still going strong, made everything worth it. They may all be growing up, some going their own way but like Andrea said, they would always have those memories.
I hope you liked my version of season 3. I know my title doesn't really fit anymore and I was going to carry this into the summer and stop it at the castles sand completion a yr from the start but truthfully, writing summer chapters, doesn't interest me. Writing about Brenda and Dylan's Europe vacation, temping but that's a whole other fanfic that maybe someday I will do. I hope you continue to read my other stories. I recently started continuing A long Time Coming, which is flowing out like crazy. I actually am sitting on chapters because I am trying to space them out. Give people a chance to read them. I also will start a sequel to this one like the college years or something like that. Thanks for reading and I hope I gave season 3 some justice. I know I enjoyed my version a lot better, hope you did too. Thanks for reading.