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And now the school year was over, and they had a long, glorious summer stretching before them. Nick was going to use the time to listen to Seth, to let him talk about whathewanted. He hadn’t suited up as Pyro Storm since prom night, fearing retaliation, and Nick hadn’t pushed. He wouldn’t, not with the weight of his own powers resting firmly on his shoulders. It sucked that it had taken Nick coming into his own for him to realize how heavy the weight could be, and he promised himself that he’d never again try to push Seth into something he wasn’t ready for.
And Simon Burke.
The chill Nick had felt when he watched that interview felt like Ice had come back and frozen him solid. A cure. Burke said he had a cure. And he already seemed to have the police in his pocket, even though he hadn’t been elected yet. Add to it the fact thatOwen Burke was out there, somewhere, and the future was a scary thing.
They watched Gibby and Jazz standing in the middle of the milling crowd, their foreheads pressed together.
Let them come,Nick thought as Seth kissed the top of his head.
Later, the four of them sat on the bleachers, watching the cleanup crew stack chairs and pick up discarded mortarboards, the tassels tangled and knotted. They were going to meet up with everyone later for Gibby’s celebration dinner at her house. Miles and Jo were hosting a barbecue with just those in the know so they could speak freely. Nick needed to go home and change first, but he had time. There was nowhere else he wanted to be.
“It should have been you,” he said, and they looked at him. He shook his head. “It should have been you up on that stage, Gibby. You earned it.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess, but I’m over it already. In six months, no one is going to remember who gave what speech. Who cares?”
Nick did. He cared very much. His fury at the school’s decision to disqualify Gibby from being valedictorian, given her participation in protecting the school, was only rivaled by his rage at the decision to kick Seth out for the rest of the year. Gibby’s parents had raised holy hell, but the school board wouldn’t budge, even under the threat of legal action. They were still investigating, they said. Gibby was part of that investigation. And until the investigation was complete, she couldn’t represent her class as valedictorian. Nick thought that was bullshit and hated Ice and Smoke and Burke even more. It was only later that Jazz had confided in him that Gibby had cried that night, angry tears at the unfairness of it all. Jazz had also told him that Gibby said she would do it all over again if she had to. Keeping people safe was all that mattered. Once a member of Team Pyro Storm, always a member of Team Pyro Storm.
“I care,” Nick said. “And I know Seth and Jazz do too.”
“We do,” Seth said. He brightened. “Wait. Hold on. You could do it now.”
She blinked. “What?”
Seth grinned at her. “Come on. I know you worked on a speech. Jazz said you practiced with her.” He pushed his glasses back up his nose, a curl of his hair hanging on his forehead. “And I bet it’s as amazing as you are.”
“Hellyes,” Nick crowed. “Seth, you have the best ideas. Gibby, you earned this. I want to hear what you have to say.”
Gibby shook her head. “I’m not going to—”
“You don’t have to do the whole thing,” Jazz said, kissing Gibby’s cheek. “Just do the last part. It’s my favorite.”
“Pleeeeease,” Nick whined. “Gibby, Gibby, GibbyGibbyGibbyGibby—”
“Oh my god,fine,” she said with a scowl. “I’ll do it if you shut up. You’re so annoying.”
“It’s his superpower,” Seth said. He paused, considering. “One of his superpowers.”
“Hey!”
Gibby snorted as she stood, smoothing her graduation gown. The metal bleacher creaked under her boots. “I didn’t finish it,” she warned them. “And no matter what Jazz says, it’s not very good.”
“She’s so modest,” Jazz said. “It’s perfect. Start with the part about living life to—”
“Yeah, yeah,” Gibby muttered. “I know.” The sun beat down on her head as she pulled herself to her full height. For a moment, Nick could almost see the adult she was becoming: lovely and formidable, capable of anything she put her extraordinary mind to. The world wasn’t ready for Lola Gibson. She was going to change everything for the better.
And then she began, her voice growing stronger as she went on.
“This life isn’t one I expected. I never expected to be the strong, queer Black woman you see standing before you all. I never expected to have the friends I do, people I would do anything for because I know they would do anything for me. It’s scary, thinkingabout where we go from here, leaving this behind. And it doesn’t help that the world is scary, too, filled with people who would do anything to make sure we don’t succeed. But I’m here to tell you that no matter how loud those detractors get—no matter how angry they are, how spiteful—our voices are louder. Our voices are stronger. And there is nothing we can’t do if we raise our voices together, if we lift each other up. The fight for change is never easy, but in the end it’s worth it, especially if those who come after us are able to live in a world that accepts them for who they are, no matter what that may be.
“So, when we leave here, I ask that you remember something: a world without hope isn’t a world at all. Hope is a boon. Hope is a necessity. Hope, when need be, is a weapon, one to be wielded with a firm but just hand. These are my hopes for you, for me, for all of us.
“I hope when you look back on the life you lived and the memories you built, you’re happy with the person you’ve become. I hope you’re floored by the simple things in life—a pretty girl smiling at you and only you, the sounds of your friends’ laughter, the way your parents hug you and push you to become a better person. Acing a test you thought you’d bomb. Believing in a person because he wants to be extraordinary, even if he goes about it by putting a cricket into a microwave. Watching a friend bring the fire to chase away the shadows. Fighting to protect others, not because you want to be a hero, but because it’s the right thing to do.
“I hope you’re brought to your knees by love—love for your family, love for your best friends, love for a girl who believes in you more than anyone else. We’re here, we’re queer, and you better get used to it.”
They laughed, even while tears streamed down their faces.
And then Gibby said, “And I hope you remember this time we had together. Maybe it wasn’t the best time for you. Maybe you were ostracized because you were a person of color, or because you were queer, or because you had ADHD. Maybe you kept secrets because you wanted to keep those you loved safe. Maybe you wished high school was over a long time ago. And it is. It’s over. This is an end, but it’s nottheend. When you leave here today,look back but remember to look ahead. The future is waiting for all of us, to make of it what we will.” She grinned. “Screw anyone who doesn’t think we’re capable, because we’re gonna make this world a better place, with or without their help. And to those who will try and silence us, a message: you will fail, and fail hard. There is nothing we can’t do. There is nothingIcan’t do. And I plan on showing you just that.” She sighed, scrubbing a hand over her face. “Uh, that’s it. That’s the end.”
