• June 19th, 2032 •

18 year old Cassandra Watson balanced a shoe box on her hip as she cleaned out her locker. It was the final day of school before summer, and for Cassandra, it was the final day of school ever. She had finally done it. Despite a lot of arguing and hatred for school, Cassandra graduated from high school at the top of her class.

She currently had two trash bags and a bigger box at her feet as she was sorting through the things in her locker; one trash bag was for recycling of old loose sheets of paper that managed to hide away in her locker while the other was for trash (obviously), and the bigger box was for her text books and anything else that had to be returned to the school.

Her little shoebox was for the accessories she had up in her locker, mainly the little Polaroid pictures that her best friend, Elizabeth, had insisted she take through out the year.

"You need a creative way to remember your senior year, Cassy," Elizabeth had told her before snapping the first picture.

Cassandra took another picture out of her locker and smiled at it. It was a picture of her and her dad dancing at her prom. Cassandra had her head on John's shoulder and was smiling at the camera, while John was trying his best to hide the tears streaming down his face.

The next picture she took down was one of her and Elizabeth on that same night. Just after prom had ended and the graduates were about to go home, Elizabeth asked a mutual friend to take the Polaroid camera and take a picture of her and Cassandra. Elizabeth threw off her heels and jumped onto Cassandra's back, her bare feet sticking out on either side of Cassandra's hips. Cassandra, who was smaller than Elizabeth in both height and muscle, had stumbled forward, resulting in the picture being the two girls mid-laughter, and mid-fall.

The third picture was one of Cassandra and Sherlock just before she went to prom. Sherlock couldn't go, not that he had any interest in going anyways, but Elizabeth insisted that Cassandra should get a picture of her and her godfather on the night of her prom. In the picture, Cassandra was sat beside Sherlock on the couch. Sherlock had his laptop on his lap as he was looking into a case. Originally, Cassandra was smiling at the camera while Sherlock was staring intently at the laptop, however whatever was on the screen distracted Cassandra last minute and the picture turned into the two staring at the laptop screen.

"I think that really captures their relationship," John commented when he saw the final product.

Cassandra was about to take something else down from her locker when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She placed the shoe box on the floor and looked at her phone. A text from Sherlock.

Come to 221b when school is over. I have something for you - SH

Cassandra, who was not one for surprises, was about to reply to the text when another came in. Also from Sherlock.

Also, congratulations on graduating at the top of your class. Not surprised - SH

Cassandra smiled. As she began typing her response, a flash caught her attention. Cassandra looked up to see Elizabeth standing there, holding her trusty Polaroid camera.

"That's a good one," Elizabeth commented, taking the picture from the camera and shaking it till it came out. "Final picture of senior year. How do you feel, Miss. Valedictorian?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "It's just a title. Someone else will have it this time next year. And besides, it's just based in academic smarts, most of we won't need once we leave here."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You're downplaying this. It is amazing, Cassie!"

Cassandra shrugged. "It's nothing. Sherlock taught me a lot growing up, I used that knowledge to get me through school."

"Whatever you say," Elizabeth chuckled. "So, where's Miss. Valedictorian's boyfriend?"

Cassandra couldn't help but smile widely at the statement. Despite her best efforts to keep boys out of her personal life, Cassandra had given her heart to someone she knew she could trust, which was ironic considering he was once her bully.

Yes, Cassandra's boyfriend was her primary school bully, Austin.

Of course, John and Mary were against this when they first heard. Sherlock was very against it, seeing as he had witnessed Austin's bullying firsthand. But even Cassandra, who was considerably a genius, still had her rebellious teenage nature. Despite her parents' protests, Cassandra stated dating Austin.

He proved himself to John and Mary, showing that he had changed since their younger days, however Sherlock was harder to persuade. While he had to admit that he couldn't deduce anything wrong with Austin, he still couldn't get over Cassandra dating someone who had once made her feel so terrible.

"Probably cleaning out his own locker," Cassandra replied. "Sherlock says he has a surprise for me after school, so I'll go to his then see Austin after. It's not like I won't see him before."

Elizabeth smiled at her best friend and passed Cassandra the picture. In the picture, Cassandra was smiling down at her phone. It was beautiful, almost poetic even. She had to smile again. The last ever Polaroid picture of senior year. It still felt so surreal.

"We should go to the assembly, yeah?" Elizabeth asked. "Got your big speech."

Cassandra rolled her eyes again and closed her locker, which was pretty well clean. She put the shoebox into her bookbag and the garbage bags in their respective bins before heading down to the assembly. Because it was the last day of school and Cassandra was valedictorian, she had been asked to give the end of the year speech.

Cassandra had originally started writing a speech, however she decided something like this deserved a speech from the heart, not from the paper.

The noisy gymnasium of Cassandra's school as buzzing with excitement for summer. The realization that this was the last time she'd ever be in there washed over Cassandra, but she didn't feel like crying as most the other senior girls were doing. Yes, it was sad, but at the same time Cassandra couldn't wait to leave.

"Hey."

An involuntary smile spread across Cassandra's lips as she saw Austin making his way through the crowd of people towards the two girls.

"Hello there," Cassandra said and gave Austin a quick peck on the lips.

"Excuse me, where's mine?" Elizabeth joked.

Austin rolled his eyes. "Honey, I think we should find Lizzy here a boyfriend."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh please, boys are gross. Once I'm out of here, I'm going to university, starting my career. Then you two can find me a boyfriend."

Austin was about to retort, in his and Elizabeth's usual bickering manner, when the feedback of a microphone drew everyone's attention to the school's principal.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced. "As summer draws nearer, I must remind you all to stay safe while you celebrate your time off of school. To our seniors, I bid you farewell for the last time and I wish to see you all achieve great success in your future. To send us all off before we dismiss for summer is this years valedictorian, Cassandra Watson."

Elizabeth and Austin cheered loudly and purposefully in order to embarrass Cassandra as she took the stage. She rolled her eyes at the two and took the principals place at the podium in front of the whole school. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Come on, Cas, you helped Sherlock solve murder cased when you were barley 13 years old. You can give a speech.

"Students," she began as the words suddenly rushed to her head. "teachers, today is a big day. For many of us, many of...my own age - " She couldn't confidently say "friends" as her only true friends were Elizabeth and Austin. Most people saw Cassandra as a brainiac and a bookworm. " - it's the first step into our future. However, I don't believe this means we are taking a step into adulthood."

Cassandra threw a look to Elizabeth, who gave her a confident thumbs up. Cassandra gave her a small smile before continuing.

"I know that every student has been told that once they graduate, they will be taking on adult things such as jobs, bills, families. But I don't believe this. I believe that leaving high school is indeed giving us a chance at a future, but just because we won't have to rely on our parents or guardians anymore to wash our clothes or feed us doesn't mean we're adults. I believe everyone in this room should stay as young as they want as long as they want. We may be taking on adulthood, but that doesn't mean we are becoming adults."

The room was stunned by Cassandra's words. Cassandra Watson, the girl genius who was more than likely going to take on her father and godfather's legacy straight out of high school, who had basically aged 40 years in her short 18 years of life, was telling not only her graduating class but the entire school not to grow up too fast.

Elizabeth started the applause, then Austin joined in. Soon enough, the entire room was cheering for Cassandra. She smiled brightly and added a quick, "Thank you, enjoy your summer" before beginning to walk away.

However, something caught her attention. Something that stood out from the cheering students. A figure in the back of the gymnasium, dressed head to toe in back clothing with a hood over their head. Cassandra watched as the figure just stood for a moment, before making a gesture she could only assume was a nod and began to head for the gymnasium doors.

Cassandra was watching him leave when the principal put a hand on her shoulder and blocked her path.

"Cassandra? Are you okay?" he asked.

Stupid oaf, move!

"Yes sir," Cassandra said with a fake smile and a nod. "Have a good life."

She brushed past him and raced for the gymnasium doors. She expected to beat the figure there, however there was no one except students there. Cassandra pushed the doors open and looked into what she once called the "never ending hallways" to find that they were empty. No black covered figures anywhere.

"Cassy!"

Elizabeth and Austin caught up with Cassandra while the rest of the student body was still in the gymnasium, listening to the ending remarks from the principal.

"Babe, what's going on?" Austin asked.

Cassandra looked down the hallway, as if the man would suddenly appear the longer she stared.

"I don't know," she mumbled. No one was more surprised to hear Cassandra say those words than herself.