Wretched Roses √

Chapter 60-Graduation

*big time skip*

*brief descriptions of sexual assault*

Side note: Cameron, you'll meet them soon, goes by any pronouns in case you notice different sets of pronouns are being used for them, that's why

Freya's POV
I'd graduated. From grad school. Actually graduated. It felt like a fucking dream to me. Four years to earn my bachelor's and then three years to earn my master's, I hadn't expected it to pass so fast yet so slow.

"Toast to that you fuckers," I shouted, clunking down my shot with a grimace.

Over the years I did make some friends and Cyra and I grew closer. Ironically closer than we were before I moved out over two years ago. We all hugged, celebrating graduating. I smiled into the kiss she gave me and grabbed another shot after. Leona remained sober, claiming she didn't feel like drinking. Except for May, who was currently pregnant, she was the only completely sober one.

With Leona's closest friends there, my friends, my sisters, and their partners, it called for a small party at our apartment. After all, two of my friends had also graduated.

"I'm so glad grad school is over," Elio said.

"Fuck yeah," Cameron whooped, raising her glass.

"Stop bragging, I have one year left still. So over it," Noelle groaned, dramatically leaning back in her hair.

I patted her head. "I believe in you."

"You better, I'm this close to dropping out."

"I'm with you on that," Micaela joined in on the conversation.

Noelle shook her head, mouth filled with chips. "No, I've gone through six years plus like twelve years of school altogether. We're not the same."

Cameron rolled her eyes. "One's struggles don't take away another's."

Elio nodded. "They're right."

I agreed and stumbled away to the kitchen to get some water. After drinking so much, I was in desperate need of something to water it down. I glanced over to Leona, who was chatting with May.

When I came back to my friends, Micaela was gone. I raised an eyebrow and turned to Noelle. "Did you scare her away?"

She scoffed. "No, she went to chat with Elora and her girlfriend."

"She's hot," Elio blurted out, burping disgustingly.

"First of all, ew, second of all, ew again, that's my sister."

"It's not like she's a minor. She's like what? Twenty-one? I'm twenty-five, perfectly legal and normal."

"She is hot," Cameron agreed with a lopsided smile.

My eyes drifted to Micaela and then back to them. I gave them both a warning glare and chugged down a shot, promising myself it would be my last one. Then I smacked them both on their arms, an 'ouch' escaped them both.

"They're not wrong though," Noelle added under her breath, loud enough for me to hear it.

"Suddenly everybody has a crush on my little sister."

"I'm gonna approach her," Cameron announced, standing up and about to walk over there until I grabbed her arm.

"Treat her with respect you moron," I warned, removing my grip from her arm when she nodded.

Elio scowled. "Guess I'm too late."

"Shut up."

Leona's POV
May ranted on and on about how her ex-boyfriend, also known as her baby-daddy, was an asshole. I wanted to listen but in reality, I'd tuned the conversation out long ago. My mind was going a thousand miles an hour and I couldn't focus. A man, supposedly a friend of Freya's friends boyfriend, had been giving me the creeps all night long. He was chatting with Zarah and his girlfriend but kept glancing over at me with this off-putting, flirtatious smile. I'd shrugged it off at first but it had started to freak me out.