Moving On
Title: Moving On
Characters: Dan, Vanessa
Rating/Word Count: PG | 743
One-Line Excerpt: So, it’s official, Mr. Valedictorian.
Finally, the end was here. After four years of higher education with a bunch of moronic elitists, he was getting out. Dan stood in the courtyard between St. Jude’s and Constance Billard waiting for the commencement ceremony to begin. He was all dressed up, but hadn’t put on his sapphire blue St. Jude’s graduation gown yet. All around him, his classmates and sister-school-mates were chatting with friends and family. Dan just wanted to go home and get out of his sticky-hot clothes.
Then, to his relief, walked in his best friend, wearing a matching blue jacket. He blinked. She was totally mismatched, but it suited her.
“I dressed for the occasion,” she winked and gave him a hug.
Dan eyed her up and down and settled on her face. “Blue’s your color. Makes your eyes bluer,” he blurted and blushed scarlet.
Vanessa smiled, her dimples showing. Letting the moment pass, she handed him the program in her hand. “So, it’s official, Mr. Valedictorian.” She teased, “You’re not going to go off script, are you?” Because Dan Humphrey had a tendency to blurt whatever came to mind. Case in point, her eyes. That was one thing; going off tangent about how much you hate your classmates during your valedictorian speech would get him into a lot of trouble. You can’t just ignore that.
Dan opened up the folded paper. There, on top, was his name under St. Jude’s valedictorian. He knew it was coming; he knew from the first month into freshman year, but it was different seeing it official. His eyes skimmed over the list of his classmates and Constance’s students. He sighed at all familiar names (over the friends, exgirlfriend, enemies).
“I’m going to read my speech. I will do everything in my power to avoid making an ass out of myself in front of everyone,” he promised. “Even though I’ll never see most of them again,” he continued, cynically. “No, wait, sure I will: in magazines, billboards, newspapers. They just won’t ever see me.”
Vanessa sighed, rubbing a couple circles on his back to calm him. “Don’t put yourself down, Humphrey. They’ll see your name in print. You’ve already had one story in the New Yorker; that’s more than most of them. And there’s more to come, I know it.”
“You haven’t submitted anything else, have you?” Dan’s eyes bugged out, heart racing. It was amazing news to hear that his best friend had sent in his story and it got published, but the thought of people actually reading his work still made him nervous.
Vanessa laughed. “No, but don’t make me do it again.” She, on the other hand, loved showing her films. “Grow some confidence. You’re good,” she winked and nudged his shoulder with hers.
“You’ll be my agent,” he grinned.
She shook her head. “Nope, but I’ll let you write for some of my movies.”
Dan smiled and nodded. “Team work at its best, huh, Abrams?” He watched her eyes twinkle and got lost in the different specks of color until his name was called by a teacher to get ready for the ceremony.
***
After the ceremony and a stop by at Nate’s party, the pair left. They were back in Brooklyn, walking around the streets before Dan went home.
“Hey, do you have a lighter?” he asked, out of the blue.
She raised an eyebrow.
“No? Okay. Hold on.” Dan walked away and returned two minutes later with the object.
“Are we smoking, Humphrey?” Vanessa questioned, watching him.
He shook his head excitedly. “No, but I have an excellent idea on how to finalize the end of hell and toast to a new beginning.”
“Poetic.”
Dan pulled out the graduation program and flicked on the lighter.
“Dan?” she questioned apprehensively. “Are you going crazy?”
“No, I’m sane as ever,” he replied, slightly manic in his voice. “This sheet of paper represents high school; symbolizes the Upper East Side and all its glory.” He lit it on fire. “Burn the city, cleanse thyself.”
The two watched the program burn, and when it reached close to Dan’s fingers, he dropped it. They watched the ashes fall to the ground.
“Feel better?” she whispered as to not break the mood.
He nodded and looked over at her. She turned away from the remains and their eyes met.
“NYU’s ours to explore, learn, and dominate,” she laughed.
Dan nodded, “Together.” He grabbed her hand in his and they went home.
Characters: Dan, Vanessa
Rating/Word Count: PG | 743
One-Line Excerpt: So, it’s official, Mr. Valedictorian.
Finally, the end was here. After four years of higher education with a bunch of moronic elitists, he was getting out. Dan stood in the courtyard between St. Jude’s and Constance Billard waiting for the commencement ceremony to begin. He was all dressed up, but hadn’t put on his sapphire blue St. Jude’s graduation gown yet. All around him, his classmates and sister-school-mates were chatting with friends and family. Dan just wanted to go home and get out of his sticky-hot clothes.
Then, to his relief, walked in his best friend, wearing a matching blue jacket. He blinked. She was totally mismatched, but it suited her.
“I dressed for the occasion,” she winked and gave him a hug.
Dan eyed her up and down and settled on her face. “Blue’s your color. Makes your eyes bluer,” he blurted and blushed scarlet.
Vanessa smiled, her dimples showing. Letting the moment pass, she handed him the program in her hand. “So, it’s official, Mr. Valedictorian.” She teased, “You’re not going to go off script, are you?” Because Dan Humphrey had a tendency to blurt whatever came to mind. Case in point, her eyes. That was one thing; going off tangent about how much you hate your classmates during your valedictorian speech would get him into a lot of trouble. You can’t just ignore that.
Dan opened up the folded paper. There, on top, was his name under St. Jude’s valedictorian. He knew it was coming; he knew from the first month into freshman year, but it was different seeing it official. His eyes skimmed over the list of his classmates and Constance’s students. He sighed at all familiar names (over the friends, exgirlfriend, enemies).
“I’m going to read my speech. I will do everything in my power to avoid making an ass out of myself in front of everyone,” he promised. “Even though I’ll never see most of them again,” he continued, cynically. “No, wait, sure I will: in magazines, billboards, newspapers. They just won’t ever see me.”
Vanessa sighed, rubbing a couple circles on his back to calm him. “Don’t put yourself down, Humphrey. They’ll see your name in print. You’ve already had one story in the New Yorker; that’s more than most of them. And there’s more to come, I know it.”
“You haven’t submitted anything else, have you?” Dan’s eyes bugged out, heart racing. It was amazing news to hear that his best friend had sent in his story and it got published, but the thought of people actually reading his work still made him nervous.
Vanessa laughed. “No, but don’t make me do it again.” She, on the other hand, loved showing her films. “Grow some confidence. You’re good,” she winked and nudged his shoulder with hers.
“You’ll be my agent,” he grinned.
She shook her head. “Nope, but I’ll let you write for some of my movies.”
Dan smiled and nodded. “Team work at its best, huh, Abrams?” He watched her eyes twinkle and got lost in the different specks of color until his name was called by a teacher to get ready for the ceremony.
***
After the ceremony and a stop by at Nate’s party, the pair left. They were back in Brooklyn, walking around the streets before Dan went home.
“Hey, do you have a lighter?” he asked, out of the blue.
She raised an eyebrow.
“No? Okay. Hold on.” Dan walked away and returned two minutes later with the object.
“Are we smoking, Humphrey?” Vanessa questioned, watching him.
He shook his head excitedly. “No, but I have an excellent idea on how to finalize the end of hell and toast to a new beginning.”
“Poetic.”
Dan pulled out the graduation program and flicked on the lighter.
“Dan?” she questioned apprehensively. “Are you going crazy?”
“No, I’m sane as ever,” he replied, slightly manic in his voice. “This sheet of paper represents high school; symbolizes the Upper East Side and all its glory.” He lit it on fire. “Burn the city, cleanse thyself.”
The two watched the program burn, and when it reached close to Dan’s fingers, he dropped it. They watched the ashes fall to the ground.
“Feel better?” she whispered as to not break the mood.
He nodded and looked over at her. She turned away from the remains and their eyes met.
“NYU’s ours to explore, learn, and dominate,” she laughed.
Dan nodded, “Together.” He grabbed her hand in his and they went home.