A/N: This is the end..thank you all for sticking with the story and reading every update! I appreciate it more than you could believe. I cannot wait to write more for all of you...I'll miss writing this, and reading your reviews for this story. Thank you again (Insert heart, because every time I try to make one, Fanfiction removes it).
This is making me really sad...
If I do the Derek POV, there might be scenes that weren't in this story (like a food fight).
Also, I know some of you won't be satisfied with the ending, but I wanted the ending to be kind of like FRIENDS...I wanted it to show that even though we're not reading the story anymore, their lives are still going on. (And it's open to update on their lives whenever I feel like it).
I'm posting Bureau Boarding School chapter 2 directly after this, hope to see y'all there!
Please review!
/
Chapter 35: The Pieces Have Come Together
Today was the day. The day that Spencer would no doubt remember forever, the day that he and his friends were going to say goodbye to the place where they all met, the day that would ultimately change things for each one of them.
Spencer sat in his bedroom after getting changed into his dressy outfit, they were to put on their gowns once they'd arrived at the school.
Stella was going to take him to the school, she was also going to stay and watch the service. William said he'd try to get out of work in time, but they both knew how cases (and their relationship) could be.
Derek would have picked him up, but he was arriving with his family. The teens decided to meet up before and after the ceremony, the after being the graduation party the school was hosting.
Spencer was nervous, beyond nervous, actually. He'd written the speech and of course had it memorized, but he was never very good with public speaking or putting his thoughts into words.
A soft knock sounded through the room, Stella poking her head in. "You ready to go?"
He took a deep breath before nodding and following her out.
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"Hey Boy Genius! You ready for your big moment?" Penelope asked, hoping he wouldn't become recluse at the thought of speaking.
"Hardly.." He replied, accepting her hug. "You look nice."
She grinned, "Thank you! You look good too, and you'll do fine up there."
He nodded, "Where is everyone else?"
"In the gym, which apparently we're being sent to to change." Her reply came with a disgusted look, they were supposed to change in the lunch room, not a smelly gymnasium.
They walked side by side, arriving and quickly finding their friends.
"There you are!" Derek greeted him with a kiss, "Momma took my phone, so I couldn't text you."
He laughed, Fran would do that. Absolutely no distractions during the ceremony.
Rossi walked up to him, "We'll be closer together than anyone else, so you better not lose me!"
He smiled, "I won't. How are you guys feeling right now?"
The answers ranged from ecstatic to anxious, some both.
"I just hope I don't trip on my walk up there.." Will commented, knowing how clumsy he tended to be. JJ laughed, patting his arm reassuringly.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" Mrs. Blake, the assistant principal, called out loudly, "No funny business, we're checking for horns and beach balls! Line up over here and then we'll separate you into your sections."
They collectively sighed, a pat down? What a way to start graduation.
"I told you this place is like prison." Emily huffed laughingly as she followed the rest of the group.
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He could see Derek and David far off to the sides of him, both looking rather bored as they waited for the families to gather in the stands.
The football field was made into their once a year ceremony grounds, the only place to hold four hundred plus chairs comfortably.
The event was to begin with Gideon greeting everyone, making a speech, a slide show of various things that have happened at the school (including a voted on polling of the most likely to...kids). Next would be the class song, followed by Spencer's speech, and of course, the walk.
Oh god... He groaned inwardly, Nobody is going to want to hear me talk...
He also thought wearily about the fact that he had the chance of winning 'Most likely to...' twice. One was for the 'Smartest Kid In School', the other was 'Cutest Couple'. If you were a winner, you were supposed to stand and let everyone clap for you. Great. He thought, That would be four times in one night.
He looked up again, Gideon walking on the makeshift stage and giving everyone the signal to calm themselves, including the parents.
"Hello, everyone. Teachers, staff, families, and students...you are the reasons we are all here today. Each one of you has played a vital part in the accomplishment you are celebrating tonight." He started, gesturing with his hands randomly.
"I want to say how proud I am of each of you seniors, you've earned your right to be sitting here, waiting to come up and receive the piece of paper that will open plenty of doors for you in life. I won't talk too long, the AV club has prepared a video, but first we need to announce the winners of the Senior Class Poll!" He smiled grandly at the young adults, still alert and happy he wouldn't be talking much longer.
Another staff member made their way to the mic, the big screen behind her lighting up to reveal the title page of the poll.
She smiled, "Most likely to become a teacher..." She clicked a button and a girl's picture came up on the screen. "Addison Devlont!"
She continued down a long list of 'awards', everyone cheering for their fellow classmates. Eventually she got to 'Smartest Kid In Class.'
"Spencer Reid!" He stood shakily, the person beside him giving him a clap on the back as he did so. He could swear he heard Garcia screaming far above the rest of the class.
He sat seconds later, waiting for her to announce the cutest couple. On some part, he didn't want to win- purely because he was jittery...but then there was the piece of him that really wanted Derek to win (He'd won MVP) again.
Aaron had received 'Most Likely To Become President' and Penelope won 'Friendliest Girl'.
"Next one up is the 'Cutest Couple', a strange category to say the least, but none the less..." She started, pausing to read the names on her card. "Derek Morgan, and Spencer Reid!" Their faces, smiling lovingly at one another, showed up on the screen...a photo Penelope contributed, no doubt.
He closed his eyes for a minute before standing once more, eyes then locking with his boyfriend's. Derek smiled warmly at him, blowing him a kiss. He turned red as the people around them hooted and hollered, ignoring the few lone 'boos'.
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"And now we ask that our class valedictorian, Spencer Reid, please come to the front and share your wisdom for us all." Gideon laughed, gesturing for him to hurry up onto the stage.
Begrudgingly, he rose. He fumbled his way passed his seat partners, begging himself not to fall or mess up.
Spencer shook the principal's hand, shaking slightly.
"It'll be fine. I've seen how much you've grown since you moved here, you can do it." Gideon informed him encouragingly.
He nodded, taking what seemed to be the hundredth deep breath that day and took his place behind the podium.
He stared out into the hundreds of faces, all waiting to just get the show on the road. He searched for Morgan's face, his friends faces, but couldn't see them directly. But he knew, he knew they were wishing him luck, he knew they couldn't wait to hear him speak.
"60% of teens feel that the graduation and commencement speeches are "worth listening to"; however, that percentage drops to 43% of students who actually remember something from the graduation speech, implying more than half of the commencement speakers are forgettable." He informed them and a few chuckles were heard, "I hope I'm not a part of those statistics." He joked anxiously.
"I..I moved here halfway through the year, expecting...well, I actually don't know what I was expecting." He started again, his voice sounding just too loud to him. "But what I received, what I experienced, was something I never thought I would have the chance to do."
"On my first day, I was a scared little kid...I'm still that person, in a way..but I met people, friends, who I now consider a family. I met a guy that I'll proudly say I love, regardless of 'high school sweetheart' statistics.. I met teachers and staff who have encouraged me, much like I assume they've encouraged you...and the teachers who made me fear for my life.." His voice was a little more stable now, not following what he'd written down.
"On my second day, I encountered my first real bullies at this school, I had had many at my last one. I thought that that was how the rest of my year would go, getting beaten up and picked on..but it didn't." He admitted, not sure if any of them would even care about what he was saying.
"This school, while some refer to it as a prison.." He said, thinking of Emily. "Has been a place that all of us, for whatever reason, will miss. There are memories here, both good and bad, that will shape us into who we are in the future."
The crowd laughed at the 'prison' comment, and he smiled a bit. "Like the day that the huge food fight broke out during lunch.." He laughed along, "I don't think I'd ever heard a room go so silent as that day when Principal Gideon walked into the cafeteria."
"And I never, in my life, thought that he would join in!" Gideon smiled funnily at his story, he knew the students hadn't expected that.
"What I'm trying to say is..you can say that high school was the worst experience of your life, and I held that opinion for more than three years..but there are amazing memories, don't forget those." He told them, the crowd nearly silent. The sentiment didn't only apply to school.
He didn't know what else to say, "Thank you." He nodded and they clapped for him as he walked back to his seat, getting a few high fives along the way.
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"Spencer! Congratulations!" Stella told him excitedly as she pulled him in for a hug, the ceremony had just ended and the parents were crowding the field.
He grinned, "Thank you." He looked passed her to see his father smiling at him, feeling rather awkward.
"Good speech, Spencer..congratulations." His father told him, patting him on the back.
He nodded, pushing his hair behind his ear. "Thanks, I was worried about it."
"You did just fine! Let me take pictures!" She left him no chance to argue, pulling out a camera.
He smiled accordingly to her demands, he and his father being pushed together for various ones. He and Stella took photos together, William behind the camera. Eventually they found his friends and took group photos, parents in some.
"You kids have fun tonight." Fran looked at each of them, winking. "But not too much fun."
They all laughed, wishing goodbyes to their families and retreating back to the school. Anyone who was staying for the graduation party had to be there before eleven.
"You guys, we're done!" JJ jumped for joy, stopping to retrieve her fallen cap.
"This school better throw a kick ass party, man!" Derek said, "There's supposed to be inflatable slides."
"Is that your idea of a 'kick ass party'?" David questioned in amusement.
He shrugged, "It can be."
A few other students passed them, some already out of their gowns.
"I've never been on one." Reid commented.
"Of course you haven't." David joked.
Emily spoke as well, sadly. "We need more time..so we can force you to do all the things you missed during your childhood."
They reached the school doors, walking inside to see everyone gathering around and eating the various snacks set up.
"We still have time.." Penelope said, more as a reassurance to herself.
"We promised to meet up every summer. We can plan things for then." Aaron spoke confidently, Hayley came up then.
"Hey honey!" She said sweetly, kissing his cheek. She faced the others- making them smile too. "Hey guys! That was an awesome speech Spencer, and very truthful."
He blushed, she was always so nice. "Thank you!"
"Do you guys mind if I steal Aaron for an hour?" She questioned, knowing how tight-knit the group was.
"I think I'm allowed to answer that one on my own." Hotch laughed.
She rolled her eyes with a smile on her face, "No hon..."
Emily smiled, "Go ahead and take him, as long as he doesn't leave before they lock up shop."
The girl nodded, taking hold of Aaron's hand and pulling him away. Hotch gave a small wave.
"What should we do first?" Derek asked, absently stroking Spencer's hand.
"Let's go to the dance floor!" Penelope decided, forcing her friends with her.
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Spencer was tired, it was four AM and while the party had generally died down, with people randomly sleeping in the hallways, he and his friends were still roaming around the school.
"We're not supposed to be up here.." Jayje said nervously, they were on the third floor of the school even though they were told to stick to the first floor.
"Relax JJ, they aren't even checking up here- they think all of the stairways are locked." David reassured her.
Emily looked out one of the windows, the only source of light in the dim hall. The others (including Aaron) joined her.
"One more hour and we're out of here for good." Will commented, breaking the silence. A few of them nodded.
"We really should get back down there.." Reid told them, tugging Morgan's arm lightly.
The mood was solemn as they turned away from glass, all slightly huddled together.
Penelope started crying, and David sighed. "Oh god, please don't start this...it's high school, we're not dying."
Emily snorted, but looked unsettled as well. They all did. "Yeah, it's not the end of the world..you should be happy we're leaving this hell-hole." Prentiss said without much conviction in her voice.
They opened the door to go down stairs, only to find principal Gideon on the other side.
They all went wide-eyed, Aaron even failing at trying hard to contain his surprise.
Hotchner coughed, "Sir, we..we uh.." He couldn't come up with a valid excuse, quieting and waiting to be yelled at.
The principal stared at them with disapproval, but didn't chastise them, was there perhaps a hint of a smile? "You all should get downstairs, the raffle is about to begin."
They nodded, silently and quickly following him.
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The sun rose at a steady pace as the teenagers stepped out of the school for the last time, hesitantly walking the pathway to Aaron and Emily's cars.
"So, who's going with who?" Hotch asked the group.
"Derek, Spencer, and Pen with me..Will and JJ live closer to you." Prentiss replied, smiling at him as she leaned against her car.
He nodded, unlocking his and allowing his passengers to get in.
Spencer paused, staring at them all. Everyone was tired, and sad..and happy.
Derek gave him a side hug and glanced towards the teens, all still standing around the cars, "We should all meet up at Christy's tomorrow morning."
Slowly a shared grin spread throughout the group, "Sounds like a plan." LaMontange agreed, ducking into the backseat.
Spencer smiled too, never wanting to forget that moment before climbing into the car. "See you guys later."