Page 86 of Chase

“Okay because you rudely cut me off, you miss out on your present,” Arden tells Rhys while he motions to someone off to the side of the stage.

Rhys shakes his head and comes back to us.

“Anyone know what else he has planned?” Rhys asks.

“Nope, no clue. But he’s been working on something the last few weeks,” Chase replies.

One of the year eleven students who is helping tonight comes on stage with a trolley full of boxes.

He starts handing them out to us. There are only fifty students in the graduating class.

A box for each of us. Another two students come out to help hand them to the right person.

“You get shoes,” he says pointing to someone who just got handed their present.

“And you get shoes,” he says again.

And again, over, and over. He stops when he gets to us.

“You all get shoes.” He walks over to us. “Except you. You were rude,” he says as he snatches Rhys’ box away from him.

He turns to the crowd. “Please look under your tables,” he says excitedly. People start to pull out their chairs to look under the table.

“You all get shoes!” He yells to the room sweeping his arm across the room dramatically.

“I’ve always wanted to say that. I feel like Oprah,” Arden adds.

“You may look inside the box now.”

There’s a collective gasp throughout the room.

Inside the box is a pair of sneakers with the most intricate design on them. There’s a card sitting on top.

Limited edition graduation shoes. A way for everyone to remember me.

Designed by Arden

Arden designed a pair of sneakers—expensive sneakers by the look of them—and gifted them to everyone in attendance tonight.

This is crazy. Even for Arden.

“You’re welcome everyone. There is a stall set up in the back of the room where you can exchange your shoes for the right size.” Arden says as he drops the mic.

Actually drops it in the middle of the stage.

Without turning it off. There’s a horrible thud over the speakers.

Mrs Gilmore comes back on stage and picks the microphone up.

“I’m not going to miss you at all next year Mr Blakely,” she says, turning to Arden.

He’s made his way back to us. He puts his hand over his heart.

“You wound me Mrs G. You know you’ll miss me,” he says sweetly. Mocking her in a way only Arden can.

She shakes her head and turns to the crowd.

Well at least I know where Rhys gets the head-shaking thing from.

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