Rachael spent most of the day digging around online, looking for more information about Sasha, reading reports, and looking at footage of Chell and Sasha fighting taken from other teammates. It was insane to watch some of the battle scenes she’d actually scripted take shape in front of her eyes. Perhaps even crazier was thinking that the trainers were actually going to attempt to teach her how to do that as well.

She didn’t see Graham again before the graduation ceremony. At dinner, she’d spent most of the time looking around for him but coming up short. Jazz was rambling on about the guy she was supposed to sit with, and Rex had his phone up in front his eyes, so all Rachael could do was sit and nod and try not to think about Graham, which wasn’t happening.

It didn’t help that Jared seemed to be looking at her every single time she glanced in his direction. He’d smiled and waved earlier, but it didn’t seem that sincere. He looked nice, dressed in a suit and tie, one slightly more dressy than what he normally wore to class. It made her assume that he would be going straight to the gym for graduation once he was done with dinner.

Rachael was not. She had a dress picked out for the occasion but hadn’t put it on before she went to eat, afraid she’d get something on it. So, after she finished her pasta, she headed back to her dorm to get dressed. Hoping she’d have a chance to see Graham, maybe even ask him what had happened earlier--as if she didn't know--she put on an extra spritz of a floral perfume that was similar to the one Chell wore but not exactly the same. She was done trying to be exactly like Chell.

The bleachers in the gym were pulled down, and when she walked in, there were already dozens of people seated. On the gym floor, there were about thirty chairs arranged facing the podium and seats for the staff split evenly on either side of where the speaker would stand.

Glancing around, she tried to decide where to sit. She could attempt to sit with other people, get to know them, or take a spot by herself. She was just about to do the latter when she saw Karma lift her hand. Realizing the girl was looking at her, Rachael decided to join her Lower Summer classmates, even though Belinda didn’t look thrilled to see her. Tony was smiling from ear to ear, and Doug looked slightly less uncomfortable than he had earlier. There were three other people with them she hadn’t met yet. Before she reached them, she sent a text to Rex to let him know they were all sitting together--except for Jazz who was on some sort of an odd date. Rachael saw her further down the bleachers chatting up that guy from the cafe.

“Hi, Rachael!” Karma said, hugging her as she stepped into the row. “You look so beautiful. That shade of blue is really your color!”

Rachael glanced down at the dress she was wearing, as if she couldn’t remember having picked it out a few hours ago. It was sleeveless with a fitted skirt that came to her knee, though a thinner layer of see-through fabric covered that. She felt beautiful in it.

“Thanks, girl. You look cute, too.” Karma had on a hot pink top and nice black dress pants. She thanked her, and then Rachael greeted the boys. Tony winked at her, and Doug’s hand was sweaty, but they were pleasant. Belinda just waved from the other side of Tony without stretching for her hand.

“This is Nick, Georgia, and Brit.” Karma introduced the three classmates she hadn’t met yet. They were all nice and shook her hand. Nick had to have just graduated, but he looked like he probably played sports in high school, maybe football, and Rachael thought Jazz was going to be upset she was missing out. Georgia was a red-headed southern beauty queen, and Brit was a thin blonde with stringy hair who looked like she either didn’t care too much about her appearance or hadn’t had a mother-figure to teach her. Maybe she just didn’t know what to do with herself.

The group chatted for a few minutes, getting acquainted. Rachael fielded several questions because she’d been there a few days longer--and also because she had created the entire place, though they obviously didn’t know that. Rex came in and silently sat down behind her, phone in hand, so she didn't introduce him yet. After a few minutes, a hush fell over the crowd as the staff came in and took their seats by the podium. Dr. Overbranch walked in last and stood behind the podium. The science and history professors were on one side while the trainers took their place on the other. Rachael strained her neck looking for other staff members--no one in particular of course--and then realized they were sitting on the front row of the bleachers. Leaning as far forward as she could, she tried to catch a glimpse of Graham, but it wasn’t until they stood to welcome in the graduates that she saw him. He was facing away from her, but even from behind, and just seeing the back of his head, he looked unbelievably hot.

Wearing black robes with red cords, the thirty new grads walked in, all smiles and ready to go out into the world to show what they’d learned. Rachael tried to concentrate on the ceremony, but she spent much of the time wiggling around on the bleacher, trying to get a better view of Graham. She was in trouble--serious trouble.

The valedictorian of the class was a large dude with a long beard and some girth in his shoulders. Rachael realized she knew him before he even started talking. His name was Roger Rush, and she’d created him last year when she was writing about some of the students going on a training hunt that went badly. It was crazy listening to him speak when all of the words that had ever come out of his mouth and reached her ear before had been hers.

He started off talking about the privilege of being at the academy, but then the speech grew dark as he began to talk about Chell and how honored he was to get to know and work with her. By the time he finished speaking, everyone had tears in their eyes--and Graham was headed out the door.

Rachael’s first instinct was to follow him. She started to get up off of the bleacher, but something was holding her there. At first, she couldn’t figure out what it was until she looked up and realized it was Sammi Knight’s stare. From her seat near the podium, she was glaring across the space, and the darts coming out of her eyes had Rachael paralyzed and unable to pull herself up off of her seat to follow the man whose heart she’d inadvertently broken. Whether it was magic, hate, or both, Rachael wasn't sure, but she wasn't going anywhere.