Graduation II

Since the gym was connected to the auditorium, there was a passageway that led into the auditorium through the sides. It was often used for special entrances during plays or as a quick route to transport items between the two locations. The teachers organized the students into groups, allowing them to enter the auditorium one by one to prevent the passage from becoming too crowded. Noho and Ezra stayed close together to ensure they'd be in the same group and wouldn't be separated.

There were about 163 students graduating, and each row in the auditorium could hold 35 people. Noho counted the students ahead of her and carefully calculated in her mind whether she and Ezra would end up sitting together. She counted 121 students who still needed to enter the auditorium, which meant a row and a fifth had already been filled.

*So, there are 54 people in front of me and 67 behind me. That leaves 28 people to fill up the second row. After that, there will be 26 people left,* she thought, running the numbers. *Perfect. There's enough space for both me and Ezra.*

The line continued to move forward, and eventually, Noho and Ezra made it into the auditorium. They sat down in their row and watched as the rest of the students filed in. Noho peeked behind her to see how many parents had shown up. *Wow. There's a lot.*

*If all 163 graduates' parents are here, and assuming each has both a mother and a father, that's 326 parents,* she thought. *But wait, excluding my dad, that makes 325. And most people have grandparents and other relatives who come to support them too. So, I'd estimate there are around 500 people here in total. Still, I don't see my mom anywhere in the crowd…*

"Are you excited to graduate and be done with school forever?" Ezra asked.

"Yeah, I'm just glad it's finally over," Noho replied, relieved. "What about you? Ready to graduate and start high school next year?"

Ezra sighed, looking annoyed. "Don't remind me."

"Oh! I just remembered something I need to tell you," Noho whispered.

"What is it?" Ezra whispered back.

"You know the lady I met in the alleyway? Well, I'm meeting up with her tomorrow at Central Park."

"Why would you agree to meet up with a stranger? Are you trying to get kidnapped?"

"No! It's fine because she's nice. She wouldn't do something like that."

"How do you know? That's what they all say until they get kidnapped, and suddenly she's not so nice anymore."

"I can tell her intentions are good. We're meeting to discuss more about the murder and other things. Do you want to come with me?"

*Other things?* Ezra thought. "Uh, I don't know if I'll be able to. If I had to guess, I probably won't. Are you sure it's safe?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry. "I think you should find someone to go with you."

"Nope. I don't need anyone. I'll be fine by myself."

"So, your mom just lets you go anywhere you want by yourself? She doesn't care?"

"I know, right? She's so cool!"

"Wow, I wish my mom was like that," Ezra said, his tone sad.

"Don't say that! Your mom is still pretty cool too," Noho encouraged. "I think my mom is like that because we're each other's only family. She's scared to lose me, so she lets me do whatever."

Ezra stayed quiet, staring at her.

"And maybe," Noho continued, "your mom is like that because she cares for you and doesn't want you to get hurt."

Ezra remained silent, pondering her words. Just then, the principal emerged from behind the curtain and stepped onto the stage, microphone in hand. The stage lights focused on him, and the auditorium fell silent as Mr. Deccans cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Welcome, students and parents, to the graduation ceremony!"

At his words, the students and parents erupted into cheers—except for Noho and Ezra.

"Today, we are here to celebrate the 163 graduates who are completing their time at [School Name]. We are proud of these students for their hard work over the past two years and their excellence in academics!"

"This is soooo boring…" Noho groaned, slumping down in her seat.

"Shhh! Be patient!" Ezra scolded.

"At this time, I would like to present awards to students who have excelled in sports, academics, clubs, and events," Mr. Deccans continued.

As the principal called students up to receive their awards, Noho's mind wandered. *Mr. Fake Homeless,* she thought, recalling how mysterious he was and the cryptic message he'd given her before she left: *"Don't tell anybody you came here."* But why? Was he more concerned about keeping his location a secret or about keeping Noho's visit a secret? Maybe a mix of both? She wasn't sure. Her thoughts drifted to the girl who had answered the door, her pale, starved appearance lingering in Noho's mind. *I wonder if she's okay.* She planned to visit them tomorrow before meeting Skye, hoping to uncover more information. She wasn't sure whether she was more excited to learn about the murder with Skye or about The Order with Mr. Fake Homeless.

Lost in her thoughts, Noho didn't notice when Ezra was called up for the "Best Athlete" award. By the time she snapped back to reality, he had already returned to his seat.

"Lost in dreamland?" Ezra teased, poking her in the head.

"Huh? Oh," she said, blinking.

"Look! The award I got!" Ezra said, holding up his certificate proudly.

"See? I knew you'd win that!" Noho said, grinning.

After Mr. Deccans handed out a few more awards, it was time for the final one: the Golden Scholar Award. This award was given at every eighth-grade graduation at Riverside and could only be awarded to one student in the entire school district. To win, a student had to maintain a perfect GPA, score the highest on all state tests, and have impeccable attendance. Some students at Riverside didn't care much for the award, but others—those striving for Ivy League colleges, prestigious connections, or simply the honor—had worked tirelessly for the past two years to earn it.

"And now, before our eighth graders receive their diplomas, we have one final award to present," Mr. Deccans announced, his tone brimming with anticipation.

The auditorium erupted into applause and murmurs of excitement. This was the moment half the students had been working toward for years. Winning an award like this—even in eighth grade—was an honor worth bragging about for a lifetime. Mr. Deccans called a Riverside alumna onto the stage to present the award. She introduced herself, sharing how she had also won the Golden Scholar Award and describing the joy she'd felt receiving such a prestigious honor. She went on to become a scientist specializing in cancer research, and her work had earned multiple awards and was now being used in the pursuit of a cure.

"And now, it is with great pleasure that I announce the recipient of this grand award," she said.

The auditorium fell silent, every student secretly hoping their name would be called. The alumna opened the large envelope containing the award and the winner's name. Noho's mind was calm, her thoughts clear: *Obviously, it's going to be my name.*

"And the winner is…" The alumna paused for dramatic effect. "Noho Hocho!"

The auditorium erupted into cheers, Ezra's voice the loudest of all. Noho wasn't surprised; she'd known since the start of seventh grade that she would win. She stood up and walked gracefully to the stage, accepting the award with a practiced ease. She posed for photos, her smile polite but not overly enthusiastic. As the flashes went off, she couldn't help but think, *He's so unserious. It's annoying me,* as Mr. Deccans rambled on.

"Well, there you have it, folks! Our winner of this year's Golden Scholar Award!" he boomed. "Do you have anything to say? Why don't you give a speech, tell us your plans for the future—"

"No thanks," Noho said quickly, stepping off the stage and heading back to her seat. Despite winning the school's most prestigious award, she felt no joy. It wasn't a surprise; she'd always been generations ahead of her peers. When she returned to her seat, Ezra greeted her with a high five.

"Congrats on the award! See, I knew you'd win!" he said, grinning from ear to ear.

After the awards ceremony, each student was called up to receive their diploma. The audience clapped as each name was called, celebrating the graduates. Mr. Deccans gave a final farewell speech, his voice cracking slightly as he wished the students a good summer. With that, the ceremony ended, and the students and parents spilled into the foyer to celebrate.

Parents searched for their children, gifts and flowers in hand. Noho and Ezra decided to split up to find their families, planning to meet back up afterward. Noho's mom spotted her immediately, her bright pink hair standing out in the crowd.

"Nohooo!~" her mom called, waving enthusiastically.

Noho recognized her mom's voice and ran toward her, wrapping her in a hug.

"You came!" Noho said, her voice filled with excitement.

"Of course I did! Did you think I wouldn't show up?" her mom replied, squeezing her tightly. "And I knew you'd win that award! I cheered the loudest when your name was called!"

*I think it was Ezra, but I won't tell her that,* Noho thought.

"I brought you a graduation gift! Do you want to open it now?" her mom asked, holding out a gift bag.

"Actually, I'm going to hang out with Ezra for a bit. I'll open it later," Noho said.

"Okay! That's totally fine," her mom replied, smiling.

Out of the corner of her eye, Noho noticed Ezra with his family. His parents, siblings, cousins, and grandparents were all there, each holding gifts and flowers. *It's nice that he has such a big family to support him,* Noho thought, though she couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy.

"I'm working the night shift tonight, so if you come home after eight, I won't be there," her mom said.

"Working again?" Noho asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I know, I'm sorry. But if I don't work, we won't have a house anymore. I'll try to take weekends off so we can spend more time together, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you later!" Noho said, running off to meet Ezra by the school doors. He was leaning against the doorframe, a large gift bag in his hands.

"Is that my gift?" Noho asked.

"Maybe," Ezra replied, shrugging.

"Let's get out of here. I don't want to spend another second in this school."

"Ah, okay," Ezra said, glancing back over Noho's shoulder.

*What's he looking at?* she wondered, turning around. She saw Principal Deccans deep in conversation with her mom.

"What the—why is he talking to my mom?" Noho said, her voice tinged with frustration.

"Probably about your award, but I don't think it's anything to worry about," Ezra said. "Come on, we have plans, remember?"

"Yeah, you're right," Noho said, walking out of the school.

Ezra ran after her. "Wait for me!" he called. When he caught up, he asked, "So, where are we going first? The alleyway, the casino, or your house?"

"My house?" Noho said, stopping abruptly. "I thought we agreed we're going to your house."

"Oh, well, I just remembered we're doing renovations, so it's not safe to go over there right now," Ezra explained.

"Oh, I see. Rich people things," Noho joked, continuing to walk. "My house is boring. There's not much to do there."

"That's okay! We can just play a board game or something."

"With two people? That's even more boring," Noho said. "Let's go to the casino first. I brought some money, so let's see if we can multiply our cash!"

"Okay, sure! Whatever you say," Ezra said, following her.