After an hour, the last name was called and a lanky looking boy left his seat and climbed the stage with his head down in embarrassment. His heart beat loudly in his chest as the entire audience watched him silently and he slowly strutted to receive his diploma. The headmaster patted him on the shoulder and said, "Keep your chest up. Being ranked last does not mean you failed. It just means others did better than you. It is nothing to look down on yourself about. This is the first chapter in your academic life. You have other chances to turn things around, alright?" he asked as he patted the boy on the head.
"Hmm! Thank you, sir, I'll do my best", the boy nodded with tears in his eyes as he continued on, shaking the hands of the director of education and the members of the school board and returned to his seat. The secretary and the teacher with the cart left the stage and returned to their seats as the principal thanked his honored guests, who took their seats as well.
The principal then requested the graduands to stand up as he led them through the school's final graduation ritual. He had them all grab the tassels of their graduation caps and turn it from the right to the left, signifying their change in statuses from graduands to graduates. The audience then joined them as he then led them all in a celebratory cheer. The newly graduated students chucked their caps into the air in celebration.
The ceremony ended soon after and the hall let out. The entire ceremony lasted only a few hours. After the graduates left the auditorium, they run to their families who welcomed them with hugs and praises, though, those who ranked at the bottom of their grade were met with lukewarm receptions and sympathetic hugs from their families. Several contracted cameramen went through the crowds, taking the pictures of those who requested it.
The Griffins, Millers, Silendiana and Dr. Michelson welcomed the kids after they run up to them. The parents hugged their kids, showering them in praises. "Mom! Dad! I can't believe you actually made it", Delgato shouted as he run up to his parents, who stood beside Silendiana, and embraced them. "We are glad we could make it. We wouldn't miss such an important day", they replied.
Delgato's father Linul Smith and his mother Tanya Smith were both Archeologists who travelled the world searching for never seen before artifacts and relics. They had been away for a while leaving their son in the care of his uncle who was a detective, although he was also always busy, giving Delgato all the time in the world to hang out with his friends.
"Hey there! Sorry I'm late", Delgato's uncle Detective Noland Smith appeared out of the crowd donning a plain but sturdy looking jacket. "Noland, you came", Linul said as Detective Noland approached them. "I had actually hoped to get here before the ceremony ended but a case popped up suddenly that I had to handle", he informed them.
Just as he got near them, his eyes fell on Silendiana and had a serious case of déjà vu. The beauty, the sense of serenity and the hidden strength that emanated from her slender body. Even with her change of temperament, how could he ever forget her; the only person to ever manhandle him right in the middle of the police headquarters. He started to sweat bullets as she noticed his stare and turned towards him.
"Oh my! Who do we have here?" Silendiana asked with a smile. "Do you know him?" Clarice asked. "We're acquainted. I had business with him years ago. It's all in the past; don't worry about it", Silendiana said waving off the situation. "Nice to see you again", Detective Noland said in an embarrassed tone.
As they chat with each other, a stylish hammer stretch pulled up before them. "Our ride's here. We have a lot of celebrating to do", Maxwell said as the butler opened the door for them. All the other observers marveled at the luxury car before them. The group entered the car and the butler returned to his seat at the front. He nodded to the driver who drove off the school's campus; envious eyes glued to them the whole time.
They soon arrived at their destination. It was the Grand Dutchess restaurant, a four-star family restaurant in the city. They had reserved the entire restaurant for the afternoon, and with famous people like the Millers and Griffins patronizing their restaurant, they were more than happy to accommodate them.
The celebratory party went on for hours; the staff of the restaurant pulling out all the stops to make it the best party ever. Their effort paid off as, after the party, Maxwell tipped them each abundantly, more than they had ever received as salary the entire year.
After the party, the Millers hosted the Griffins at their manor to give Samuel and Catherina the chance to interact with their parents before they had to leave the next day. Maxwell also took the chance to speak to Bernard about the possibility of their conglomerates joining together in an alliance. With their statuses as the greatest businessmen in their respective cities, forming an alliance is bound to promote their businesses further. Bernard of course happily accepted and they toasted to their new alliance.
Early the next morning, Bernard and Vivian said their goodbyes and left for Sienna Metropolis. A similar situation happened with the Smiths who had to resume their archeological trip. They spent the night interacting with their son and left for the airport in the morning. The kids then all gathered at the jungle base that afternoon to meet with Silendiana and Dr. Michelson.
After they sat down, waiting for Silendiana to arrive, Lisia came in to serve them tea but they noticed something different. "I'm glad you noticed. We've upgraded Lisia's android body from a robot looking type to a more human looking type. She can walk through the city and everybody will be none the wiser", Dr. Michelson declared proudly.
"Wow! Congratulations on your body's upgrade Lisia", Samuel said. "Yeah! Congrats Lisia. You're really pretty", Sylvia added. "Thank you", Lisia said with a slight bow and left the conference room. "You know, with how pretty she is now, it will not surprise me if random guys try to hit on her", Sylvester noted. "They could very well try. She has an anti-pervert system. If anyone tries anything funny, they will be in for a world of hurt", Dr. Michelson said with a laugh.