Rumor Has It I'm Dating the Football Captain

Chapter 100: Chapter 100 : Graduation Without Him

The campus woke up long before the sun actually breached the horizon.

Inside the small off-campus apartment, the early morning light was entirely ignored. The living room was a complete disaster of cardboard boxes, packing tape, and discarded coffee cups.

Audrey stood in front of the hallway mirror. She was wearing her long black graduation gown, but she was completely losing a battle with the velvet hood. She tried to loop it over her head, and it instantly tangled around her neck like a heavy scarf.

"I am going to strangle myself before I even get my diploma," Audrey muttered, pulling at the black fabric.

Zoya walked out of the kitchen. She was already fully dressed in her gown. Her cap was perfectly pinned to her neat, dark hair. She held a mug of black coffee and watched Audrey struggle.

"You’re putting it on backward," Zoya sighed gently.

Zoya set her coffee down on a moving box. She stepped up behind Audrey and gently pulled the velvet hood off. She flipped it around and draped it perfectly over Audrey’s shoulders.

"This entire ceremony is just a massive, overpriced photo op," Zoya complained quietly, picking her coffee back up. "We are going to stand in the blazing sun for four hours just to get a piece of paper they could have easily mailed to us for two dollars."

Audrey smiled at Zoya’s reflection in the mirror. "Thank you, Zoya."

Chloe rushed out of her bedroom. She was wearing a stunning red dress under her unzipped gown. She had a makeup brush in one hand and her phone in the other.

"Are we ready?" Chloe asked frantically. "My parents are already saving seats in the front row. If we are late, my mother will literally walk onto the stage and complain to the dean."

Audrey looked at her two best friends. The apartment was completely boxed up. The bare walls suddenly felt incredibly real. This was the very last morning they would ever spend getting ready in this space.

"We are ready," Audrey said softly.

---

Before the crowds completely took over the lawns, Audrey slipped away toward the journalism building.

The hallways were completely silent. She pushed open the double doors to the main newsroom.

Mrs. Higgins was standing by the back cabinets. She was packing old, archived newspapers into a cardboard box. She turned around when she heard Audrey walk in. She wore a sharp beige suit, looking just as strict as she had on Audrey’s first day.

"I figured you would stop by," Mrs. Higgins smiled gently.

"I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye," Audrey said. She walked over to the layout desks. The room felt incredibly empty without Ben yelling about margins or Daisy humming in the corner.

Mrs. Higgins reached into her leather briefcase sitting on the desk.

She pulled out a single sheet of paper, carefully preserved inside a clear plastic sleeve. She held it out.

Audrey took it. She looked down.

It was her very first article. The one she had submitted as a terrified, nervous sophomore. The page was completely covered in harsh red ink. There were massive circles, crossed-out paragraphs, and strict notes written in the margins.

"I kept it," Mrs. Higgins explained quietly. "I always keep the first drafts of the ones I know are going to be great."

Audrey traced the plastic sleeve with her thumb. It felt like holding a map of her own growth.

"You are ready for the city paper, Audrey," Mrs. Higgins told her. Her voice was incredibly proud. "You don’t need me anymore."

Audrey let out a wet laugh. A hot tear slipped down her cheek. She stepped forward and hugged her professor tightly.

---

By nine o’clock, the main campus lawn was absolute chaos.

Thousands of white folding chairs were packed with proud parents carrying massive bouquets of flowers. Classical music played over the heavy speakers.

Daisy was running through the center aisle. She was not wearing a graduation gown because she still had an entire year left at Westbridge. Instead, she had a bright press badge around her neck and two massive professional cameras swinging from her shoulders.

"Excuse me! Campus press!" Daisy yelled cheerfully, dodging a family of four.

She spotted a tall, familiar figure standing near the back of the crowd.

Ben stood with his hands in his pockets. He wore a sharp, tailored city suit. He had graduated two years ago, but he took the early morning train back to campus just to watch them.

Daisy ran up to him and immediately pointed her heavy lens directly at his face.

"Stop moving, Ben!" Daisy commanded. The camera shutter clicked rapidly.

Ben sighed, but he did not look away. He actually smiled. "I am standing completely still, Preston. You are the one bouncing around like a rabbit."

"I have to document everything," Daisy beamed, lowering the camera. She adjusted his tie quickly. "I am glad you came back."

"I wouldn’t miss it," Ben replied softly.

---

Coach Miller stood near the edge of the massive crowd.

He wore his best suit. He watched the graduating seniors file into their seats. He saw Chloe waving frantically to her family. He saw Zoya sitting perfectly straight, her head held high.

Coach Miller crossed his arms. He looked at the empty spaces in the rows.

There were no reserved seats for them. But in his mind, they were glaringly obvious.

Mason. Jackson. Leo.

They should have been here. They should have been sitting in those white chairs, complaining about the heat, waiting to get their diplomas. Instead, they were scattered across different professional clubs in completely different countries.

His phone did not buzz. There were no text messages.

Mason had disappeared into the professional leagues two years ago.

Coach Miller hadn’t heard much from him since.

Audrey had tried calling him after he left. So had Leo. But Mason’s old number had never answered.

Maybe he had changed it.

Maybe he simply didn’t want anyone from Westbridge reaching him.

Coach Miller didn’t know.

He only knew that Mason had thrown himself completely into his career and never looked back.

Coach Miller let out a slow, quiet sigh. He offered a sad smile to the empty air.

Football had given those boys their absolute biggest dreams. But it had also taken them away from Westbridge long before they were ready to leave.

---

The ceremony finished just before noon. The second the dean dismissed the class, the lawns exploded into cheers.

Everyone met near the large stone fountain in the center courtyard.

Ben walked up to Audrey. He looked at her black cap and gown, and then he pulled her into a massive hug.

"You survived," Ben laughed, letting her go. "Now you have to deal with real editors. They are much meaner than me."

"Nobody is meaner than you," Audrey joked back, wiping a happy tear from her eye.

Daisy ran around them, directing everyone with total authority.

"Okay, everyone together!" Daisy yelled, waving her hands. "Zoya, look at the camera. Chloe, stop crying, your makeup is running. Ben, if you blink I am going to fire you!"

They all laughed loudly. They squeezed together in front of the fountain. For one beautiful, sunny afternoon, they felt exactly like normal college students again.

---

Eventually, the afternoon faded. The massive crowd began to thin out.

Cars were loaded. The goodbyes started.

Zoya stood by a waiting taxi. She hugged Audrey briefly and gave Chloe a rare, genuine smile. She was heading straight to the city to begin law school.

"I already blocked out time in my schedule to call you guys every Sunday," Zoya promised quietly. Her dark eyes were surprisingly soft. "You are not getting rid of me just because I’m moving away."

Chloe’s family packed her bags into a large SUV. Chloe hugged Audrey so hard they both cried again. She was starting her new economics job on Monday. She waved out the window as her father drove away.

Ben checked his watch. He had a train to catch.

He gave Audrey one last proud nod, smiled warmly at Daisy, and walked toward the campus transit station.

Soon, the brick courtyard was completely empty.

Only Daisy remained. She stood near the steps of the journalism building, holding her heavy cameras. She watched the last of the cars disappear down the road.

Audrey walked over to her. She hugged the younger girl tightly.

"Take care of the newsroom, Daisy," Audrey whispered.

Daisy hugged her back. She nodded against Audrey’s shoulder.

"I will," Daisy promised softly.

The torch was officially passed.

---

Audrey walked away from the newsroom.

She walked alone across the quiet campus. She had her messenger bag on her shoulder, carrying her leather-bound degree and the clear plastic folder containing her very first article.

She took the long way around.

She walked past the tall metal gates of the football pitch.

Practice was already happening. The sharp sound of a whistle cut through the air. Freshmen players were running laps. New defenders were throwing themselves into the mud. They were chasing completely new dreams.

Audrey did not stop to watch them. She just kept walking.

She followed the long concrete path until she reached the main front gates of the university. The massive iron arches stood tall against the fading afternoon sky.

Audrey stepped through the gates. She stopped on the city pavement.

She turned around and looked back at Westbridge one last time.

The campus was still breathing. It was still beautiful. It simply did not belong to her anymore.

Audrey smiled. She turned her back to the gates, faced the busy city street, and walked away.

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