• Sure — I can make it feel more like a realistic high school graduation party, but I won’t glamorize underage drinking or vaping.

Logan and I walked up the driveway to Ryleigh and Charlie’s graduation party and could already hear music blasting from the backyard. The second we stepped through the gate, we saw everyone. “There they are!” AJ yelled from across the yard. Jenna and Sam were sitting together on the patio while Myles, Carson, Miro, and Liam were crowded around a table arguing about who had the worst senior prank. Logan and Charlie immediately started talking lacrosse while Ryleigh pulled me into a hug and started filling me in on all the drama I had missed. Groups of people were scattered everywhere—some hanging around the fire pit, some sitting on the deck, and others standing in circles talking. A few people were trying to act older than they were, showing off cigars they probably hated and sneaking off to vape whenever they thought adults weren’t paying attention. Nobody seemed too concerned about it though; everyone was more focused on catching up, laughing, and making the most of one of the last times the entire class would be together. Logan grabbed my hand as we made our way through the crowd, saying hi to everyone we hadn’t seen in weeks. For a moment, it felt like every memory from high school was packed into one backyard.This version has more of that messy, realistic high-school-party atmosphere instead of the cheesy “summer nights” vibe.