Leo

"Right now, these moments are not stories this is happening. You are alive."

I didn't expect my dad to go all out for my graduation considering everything that has happened in the past year. But I wake up to his burnt best attempt at my mom's famous breakfast burritos and see take out IHOP laid out instead. That's a big deal for the guy.

We don't talk a whole lot, he's trying, but it's hard for him to be something he isn't. He's not my mom, but he's trying and that is more than enough.

I spend the morning in the shop before being shooed away for a shower. I put on my best clothes under my cap and gown. God, my cap and gown. How did this happen?

Who'd have thought that I, Leo Valdez, staple screw up, would graduate. On time, and with a semi scholarship to one of the best engineering schools in the country. I take every second to remember my mother, I hold her memory close in my heart before heading to the school with my dad. Our graduation is out in the 'stadium' aka a glorified patch of grass.

I see my friends almost immediately, before I'm even out of the car. Piper with her gown unzipped revealing more of her body than likely appropriate. Annabeth holding her cap in that top ten percent orange robe she's so proud to have. Hazel, desperately pinning her cap onto piles of unruly curls. Frank and Jason fumbling with their bow ties, while Percy still has his gown draped over his arm like a bath robe. His cap proudly on his head.

"What's up nerds?" I ask.

"We're graduating!" Jason takes my shoulders, shaking me abruptly.

"Yeah, dude, we are." I say once I've regained my composure.

"How the hell did this happen?" Piper snorts.

"Who knows?" Percy chuckle.

"You put that robe on right now, so help me." Annabeth chuckles, yet folds her arms like a disapproving mother.

Percy deliberately ignores her, and instead turns his attention to just above my head. "There's my favorite gay couple."

"I thought you and I were your favorite gay couple." Jason says sounding offended.

"Shut up, both of you." Hazel rolls her eyes as Reyna and Megan approach hand in hand.

"How are you doing?" Frank asks.

"Great." Reyna chuckles, her hand held firmly in Megan's. They still have that way of holding a conversation without saying a word. The squeeze of their hands, the gentle tug as Megan adjusts Reyna's cap. I wonder how many conversations they've had by the touch of their finger-tips.

I can feel myself picturing the life they'd have together, but stop myself before the thought can spiral out of control.

Something that you will never understand until you learn it the hard way: Live every moment as if it's a moment. We're so wrapped up in the great big ambiguous future we forget about now. Who knows what the world is going to throw at me next? NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING.

Stop pretending you know, and start realizing what you don't. Let me be honest, I really can't say that getting my degree means anything to me then. I know what it means, but the moment I have spent my entire childhood working towards, feels like nothing. It's a passing second that is so quick I'm suddenly sitting back down with a piece of paper and I can't help but think that's it?

It's hard to live when the world wants to know your five-year plan, but it's even harder to live a life looking towards the future. Live now, live as much and as large as you want. I don't know if this is my only life, or just one in a string of many. But I don't intend to live my life as if it's expendable.

Who knows what's waiting for me, but who cares? Today is enough, more than enough. So, I shoot my cap into the sky like it's a fucking rocket going into space and leaving the stratosphere. I don't bother to pick it up instead I hug the rando next to me.

As soon as we've greeted our parents and passed over our diplomas we drive out to Percy's small beach house in Montauk. Fourteen teenagers (Because yes we did drag Hazel's Alaskan friends with us. We are insane, trust me I know) at a beach house fresh out of high school is just as detrimental as it seems. But we're too full of life to recognize how good a horror set up this is.

In the bonfire light I see the brightest future I can conjure up for us. Piper and Jason's wedding, Hazel and Frank's hoard of children, and so many beautiful things. I'd cry if I wasn't so focused on skinny dipping in the ocean water. If I wasn't winning the massive pillow fight we've gotten into, or trying to figure out how much brownie batter would cover our ridiculous amount of cookie dough and manage to have all of it cook.

I could tell you that I believe in happy endings, except I don't believe in endings. I don't believe that anything is over, even when we are gone. I believe in happy moments, that we are allowed to be full of joy for simple reasons. Someday, somebody is going to try to take away every bit of happiness you hold in your heart. You can give it to them, as long as you know how to grow that happiness again.

If joy is like a forest, always have something to grow back, newer and more beautiful than the last. Guard the things you love, but let them go.

There are so many things I could tell you to do, but none are so important as living.

"Hey Leo!" Piper breaks my thoughts as we have somehow ended up the only ones awake. "Come on."

"What's up?" I ask noticing everyone else is long asleep.

"I want to watch the sunrise with my best friend."

"I'm your best friend?"

"You are… of course you are. Why?"

"I-… I don't know, it's just weird to hear you say it."

"Well, get used to it, I expect you to brawl someone over being maid of honor." She laughs musically.

"Maid of honor huh?"

"What? We're close, aren't we?"

"We have to be now, I'm your maid of honor." We reach the front porch, the sky a dark green. Hanging heavily like blackout curtain and I smile. "It's gonna be a good life, right?"

"If you want it to be." She says.

"I know…"

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"You think we're going to be friends in ten years?" She asks.

"If we aren't, we'll come to our tenth high school anniversary and it'll be like nothing has changed."

"You think so?"

"I do."

"Why?"

"I don't know… We grew up together, sure it was only a year. But the shit we've been through together… You can't break something like that, even if it fades."

"I love you." She says, "Do you know how big you are?"

"I am not fat." I laugh as the sun begins to peak over the sea.

"No, I mean you're larger than life." She chuckles, "How's Calypso?"

"She's better than ever."

"Because you're talking again?"

"I like to believe that's part of it."

"I bet it is, you're great to be around."

"I'm glad someone thinks so." Then she hugs me, it's sudden and she almost topples over me.

"You're a gift, and never forget it."

"How could I?" I ask so softly I wonder if she heard it. The two of us turn our heads toward the horizon watching the sun crawl up into the orange and pink sky.

Without an ounce of warning the two of us are sprayed with water guns from behind.

"Jesus fucking-!" Piper whips around to see Annabeth and Jason looking smug.

"Cowardly dicks." I snort.

"These cowards got you good." Annabeth shrugs before high-fiving Jason.

Piper is already chasing after them, I linger allowing the risen sun to take some of the water off of my clothes. I'm exhausted, but I'm also excited. For today, tomorrow, and every day that's coming. No matter what happens I'm always going to have these people, in my heart or in my life. For me, that's more than enough.

And by the way, if it means anything... We went through a lot together, and I just... I wanted to say. Thank you.