Abigail's POV  
The event had finally come to an end. The once bustling arena was slowly emptying as students left, their hands filled with balloons, prizes, and whatever snacks they could grab. The lights were dimming, casting a soft, warm glow around us as we all sat on the stage, watching the crowd dwindle away. The place felt almost peaceful now after the chaos of the day.
I looked around at everyone. We were all tired but satisfied, like we’d just conquered the world or something. My friends were still chuckling about random moments from earlier, Noah teasing Nathalie about how she almost tripped during the photo booth session, and Nathalie, in return, accusing him of rigging the map puzzle we had set up. It was just a regular moment, but it felt special in its simplicity, like something we’d always remember.
Just as the laughter started to die down, I reached into my pocket, feeling the small folded papers in my hand. I smiled to myself before interrupting the group.
“Guys,” I said, leaning forward slightly, “There’s still one last booth event today. But this one’s gonna be a bit different.”
They all looked at me with curious faces, waiting for more explanation. I could feel Nathalie shifting next to me, clearly excited about what was coming.
“Nathalie and I planned this one out. Took us days to prepare it,” I continued, unfolding the papers. I handed them out like it was some big mystery. “Here,” I said, “this is the map. Think of it like a puzzle. Each one of you has a different piece. You need to figure out the location by 5 o’clock.”
The confused expressions quickly turned into smiles as they realized it wasn’t just any event. They’d need to work together, and knowing this group, it was bound to be a hilarious mess.
Nathalie clapped her hands dramatically, pulling a disgusted face as she looked at the group. “But first, for the love of everything, please shower and change your clothes. You all smell like sweat and despair,” she said, scrunching her nose and fanning herself like we were all too much to handle.
I couldn’t help but slap her arm. “Stop it, you’re the one who almost knocked over a trash can during the event,” I teased, rolling my eyes.
The others, however, just glared at her, clearly enjoying her misery. “Geez, you guys need to get some humor!” Nathalie exclaimed, trying to laugh it off, but her face was beet red from embarrassment.
That made everyone burst into uncontrollable laughter. Nathalie was the group clown, even when she wasn’t trying to be. It was one of the things I loved about her, always keeping things light, even when we were exhausted.
As everyone stood up to head back to their rooms, I felt Nathalie lean in close to me. “Do you think this plan’s gonna work?” she whispered. “I doubt Emery’s gonna get lost with our little ‘fun.’”
I smirked, glancing over at the others. “I bet Finn will,” I said, giggling. The thought of him getting frustrated with a puzzle map was too good to pass up.
---
Back in my old room, Nathalie and I were getting ready for the final event of the day. We had tossed around a bunch of casual dresses, trying to pick the perfect one, though we both knew it wasn’t really about the outfits. The excitement of seeing how the others would handle the puzzle was what had us buzzing.
Out of nowhere, Nathalie spoke up, completely changing the topic. “So… how’s it going with Lucas lately?” she asked, smirking while I was busy ironing my hair.
I paused, looking up at her through the mirror. “What are you talking about?” I asked, pretending I had no clue where this was heading.
“Oh, come on, Abby! I know there’s ‘something’ between you two. Dare to deny it, and I’ll throw you through that window,” she teased, narrowing her eyes at me with that annoying smirk.
I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Nothing’s going on, okay? Stop being delusional.”
But she wasn’t having it. She kept teasing, humming some ridiculous love song under her breath. It was getting so annoying that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Honestly, Nathalie, I swear I’d sell you to the circus if it meant getting you to stop,” I said, shaking my head.
“You love me too much for that,” she shot back with a grin.
---
Once we were done getting ready, we headed outside, walking toward the meeting point. It was nearly 4:35, and no one had shown up yet. I glanced at Nathalie. “Who do you think will show up first?”
Without missing a beat, Nathalie grinned. “Oh, I’m betting on your knight in shining armor, Lucas.”
I rolled my eyes, but I wasn’t about to let her win this one. “Nah, I think your ‘lovey-dovey’ partner Finn will be the first to come running, begging for your love,” I teased, watching her face turn beet red.
“Shut up,” she muttered, but her flustered expression gave her away.
Just then, we heard the sound of running footsteps. I smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Here it goes,” I said, leaning back to see who it was.
Sure enough, Finn was the first to arrive. He was panting, his hair messy, and his clothes sticking to him from the run. “My room’s like, right near here, and I ‘still’ had to follow that stupid map!” he complained, catching his breath.
I elbowed Nathalie lightly. “Go on, Nathalie. Give your ‘knight in shining armor’ some water,” I whispered with a grin.
Nathalie shot me a death glare and pinched my waist. “Shut up,” she hissed.
Finn, still oblivious to our teasing, looked confused. “What was that?” he asked.
“Nothing!” Nathalie said quickly, shoving a bottle of water in his hand.
I couldn’t resist one last jab. “By the way, Finn, Nathalie made that water extra special for you,” I said, barely holding back laughter.
“Abigail!” Nathalie groaned, but she was smiling.
Just then, more footsteps echoed in the distance. Emery and Noah had arrived, both looking exhausted.
“You two… I’m gonna kill you for making me ruin my makeup just to find this stupid event,” Emery huffed, her arms crossed.
Noah, on the other hand, was too busy chugging water, having already gone through two bottles like he’d just run a marathon.
Lucas showed up last, of course, looking perfectly composed as if he hadn’t broken a sweat. Nathalie started smirking the second she saw him, ready to tease me, but before she could say anything, I lightly slapped her back, making her choke on her water.
“Abigail!” she gasped, her water spilling over onto her dress and, unfortunately, a bit onto Emery, too.
“What the hell, Nathalie!” Emery shrieked, wiping the water off her face dramatically.
“Oops,” I said, feigning innocence. “My bad.”
“Oh, this is ‘not’ over,” Nathalie muttered under her breath, glaring at me.
I just grinned, clapping my hands together. “Okay, okay! Let’s go inside.”
---
As we entered the garden of Life, everyone was taken aback. Small bulbs hung from the trees, casting a soft glow over the long tables filled with food, drinks, and fruits. There was even a mini basketball game set up, a dance floor, and a claw machine.
The best part, though, was seeing all our parents having a good time. My dad and Lucas’s dad were grilling meat, while Finn’s dad sang some questionable karaoke. The moms were busy setting up, and Noah and Emery’s mom was snapping photos like she was the event’s official photographer.
“Wow…” Noah mumbled, clearly impressed by how everything had come together.
Nathalie and I exchanged a satisfied look. “Mission accomplished,” I said, giving her a high five.
“Kids! Come here, food’s ready!” Finn’s mom called out, waving us over with a warm smile.
As we made our way over, it hit me how perfect this moment was. Surrounded by friends, family, and the memories we were making.
The evening was perfect, and everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives. We were all gathered around the long table, laughing and sharing the chaos of the day. The sun was already starting to set, casting a warm orange glow over everything, making the garden look like something out of a dream.
Everyone was talking, but the stories of our little treasure hunt had somehow become the center of attention. Nathalie was sitting next to me, frowning in disbelief as I retold the moment she almost passed out from a bubble gun shot at the booth. 
"That did ‘not’ happen, Abigail!" Nathalie protested loudly, waving her arms around like she was about to argue in court. "You’re exaggerating, I wasn’t ‘that’ close to dying." 
I couldn’t help but giggle, watching her get all worked up. “It kinda was though. I mean, bubbles ‘everywhere,’ and you were shaking like a scared kitten.” I gave her a playful nudge, still laughing.
Nathalie crossed her arms and gave me a sharp look. “You’re impossible,” she said, though the corner of her lips was twitching, trying not to smile. 
Our parents were listening too, some shaking their heads, others chuckling uncontrollably at the image I painted. Nathalie’s mom had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. “She’s always been dramatic, hasn't she?” her mom said, wiping the tears from her face. 
Meanwhile, our dads were just shaking their heads, still grinning. “Sounds like something she’d do,” Nathalie’s dad added with a wink.
I glanced over at Lucas, who had been quiet for a bit, his expression looking distant. He was staring off into space, a serious look mixed with disappointment on his face. The laughter around us didn’t seem to reach him.
I nudged him gently. “Hey... everything okay there?”
He blinked and forced a small smile. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Of course, everything’s fine,” he replied, his voice unconvincing.
I frowned, not entirely buying it. I didn’t want to push him, but I kept looking at him, waiting to see if he’d say more.
He sighed softly after a moment. “I was just thinking... if Alex were here, this would probably be even more fun. You know, with his terrible jokes and all.” He chuckled a bit, but it sounded heavy, like it hurt to laugh.
The entire table fell silent, the energy suddenly shifted. I felt my heart clench. We all knew Lucas was still dealing with the loss of his friend. It wasn't something you just got over.
“Lucas…” His dad spoke up from across the table, his voice calm and gentle. “Sometimes, life doesn’t go the way we plan. No matter how much we want to force it, it’ll always lead us somewhere unexpected.”
Lucas looked down at the table, biting his lip as he listened.
“What we can do,” his dad continued, “is accept it. Even when it’s hard. Life doesn’t stop, and neither should we.”
Noah nodded in agreement, patting Lucas on the shoulder. “We’ve got your back, man.”
Lucas gave them both a small, appreciative smile and nodded his head. “Yeah... I know.” 
I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, giving him a comforting squeeze. “We’re all here, okay? Always.”
Lucas looked over at me, and I could see the gratitude in his eyes. Before I could say anything more, though, Nathalie leaned over the table, narrowing her eyes at us. “That’s fishy,” she said, grinning. “What’s with the cozy hand-holding, hmm?”
The color immediately rushed to my cheeks, and I pulled my arm away from Lucas like it was on fire. “Don’t ‘even’ start, Nathalie.”
She just raised her hands in mock surrender, smirking. “Oops.”
The entire table burst into laughter. Even our parents were chuckling, shaking their heads at how ridiculous we all were.
Finn grinned at his dad. “That’s exactly how Grandpa said you and Grandma fell in love, right?”
His dad chuckled. “Exactly. You better keep an eye on your daughter, Ethan, or before you know it, Lucas here will be proposing.”
“Alright, alright!” I interrupted, my face still burning with embarrassment. “Let’s just eat, shall we?”
The moment shifted again, and soon everyone was digging into the food, laughing, and chatting like nothing had happened. The night was filled with chaos and fun. Nathalie was pouting about losing a stuffed bear game to Emery, who was now holding ‘three’ massive teddy bears in her arms, much to Nathalie’s dismay.
“I ‘want’ one!” she whined, looking like a kid at the carnival.
Finn, Noah, and Lucas were having their own little competition at the mini basketball hoops, trying to outdo each other. And I? I just sat back, observing everything, my heart swelling with happiness. Everyone looked so carefree, so full of life. It made me realize how much I didn’t want this moment to end.
But my peaceful thoughts didn’t last long because Nathalie suddenly grabbed my hand, dragging me to the center of the garden. “We’re dancing!”
“What? No, I—”
“No arguments. Let’s go,” she insisted, already pulling me along.
The others quickly joined, and soon we were all on the makeshift dance floor, following along with the dance video playing on the big screen. The music was upbeat, and before I knew it, I was laughing along with everyone else. Noah, surprisingly, was the most energetic of us all, swaying his hips and getting really into the music.
“Who knew Noah had moves like this?” Lucas joked, his eyes wide with amusement.
Finn joined in, mimicking Noah’s moves with exaggerated flair. “This is how you ‘really’ dance, Noah. Watch and learn!”
Everyone was laughing so hard, especially when they started doing a low-to-the-ground move, getting lower and lower with each beat. Nathalie was clutching her stomach, tears streaming down her face from laughing so much. 
“This is hilarious.” she gasped between breaths.
I couldn’t agree more. Everything about tonight was perfect. It was more than just a day at the academy—it was one of those moments you’d look back on and smile, knowing it was a day well spent.
The laughter from our dancing finally started to fade, but the energy around us stayed high. My face hurt from smiling so much, and everyone looked just as out of breath and happy as I felt. Nathalie was still wiping tears from her eyes after watching Noah’s ridiculous moves, and Finn was grinning ear to ear, shaking his head at how out of hand everything had gotten.
Just when I thought we could settle down, Emery clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling. "Alright, everyone! We need to take a picture together. We can’t let this night end without a big family photo."
The idea hit me like a wave of warmth. A photo? Of all of us together? It felt like the perfect way to lock this moment in time, something we could look back on and remember. I couldn’t help but smile even wider.
"Finn, can you set up the camera?" Emery asked, gesturing toward the stand near the corner of the yard.
Finn gave her a thumbs up, already rushing over to adjust the camera. "On it! Everyone, get into place!"
There was a lot of shuffling around as we tried to fit everyone in, and it felt like pure chaos again, but the good kind. Nathalie grabbed my arm and dragged me to the front. “You’re not getting out of this one, Abigail. You’re standing right next to me and Emery.”
I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t resist. Everyone gathered around, some of the parents behind us, some of them squeezing in close, like they were all part of this moment, too. I could hear Finn fiddling with the camera, making sure it was balanced just right.
“Alright, countdown ends at five seconds!” Finn called out from behind the camera, waving his hands to hurry us all into position. “Compress, guys! Don’t leave any space!”
We all shuffled even closer, shoulders bumping, everyone laughing as we tried to fit together perfectly. I was squished between Nathalie and Lucas, and I could barely breathe from how tight we all were packed in.
"Okay, okay!" I shouted, raising my voice over the giggles and murmurs. "Everyone, get ready to say 'Chase Me Tomorrow!'"
Nathalie raised an eyebrow. "What kind of—"
"Just go with it!" I grinned at her, feeling the excitement bubbling up. 
The camera clicked. “Chase Me Tomorrow!” we all shouted at the same time, throwing our hands in the air like we were celebrating something much bigger than just a simple photo.
It wasn’t until after the photo was snapped, as we all started to break apart and check how it turned out, that I realized how much the phrase we shouted actually meant. It wasn’t just a random thing I had said. It was a symbol. 
"Chase Me Tomorrow," I whispered to myself, staring at the picture Finn was holding up for everyone to see. All of us, smiling, our arms around each other, our lives intertwined in this messy, chaotic, beautiful way.
“Why did you make us say that anyway?” Lucas asked, tilting his head in confusion as he glanced at me. “Chase Me Tomorrow?”
I shrugged, feeling a soft smile pulling at my lips. “I guess… I guess it just felt right. After everything we’ve been through, facing danger, fear, nearly losing each other—we didn’t stop. We’re still here, together, smiling. It’s like... life doesn’t stop no matter what we face. We just have to keep going, keep chasing the next day. Tomorrow will come, and we’ll be ready.”
Nathalie blinked at me, the realization settling in. “So, Chase Me Tomorrow... it’s like saying we’ll face whatever comes next, together. Right?”
I nodded, feeling the warmth of those words sink deep into my chest. “Yeah. Exactly. It’s like a reminder that no matter what happens, no matter how hard it gets, we’ll chase tomorrow. We’ll live through it. Together.”
Lucas looked down at the picture again, his eyes softer now, no longer distant. He smiled—‘really’ smiled this time. “I like that,” he said quietly. “It’s... comforting.”
Emery stood next to us, her arms crossed, but I could tell she was fighting back a smile too. “Yeah, I think it’s perfect. We’ve faced so much together, and we’re still standing. Still laughing.”
Finn waved the picture around proudly. “And now we’ve got proof of it too! A snapshot of all of us, in this moment.”
The parents, who had been listening to our conversation, all started nodding in agreement. Lucas’s dad smiled at his son, a look of pride in his eyes. “Chase Me Tomorrow. I think that’s something we can all live by.”
Everyone started gathering around the camera stand, wanting to see the picture up close. Our parents were laughing, talking about how much we’d grown, how much we’d been through, and yet, here we were, standing strong.
And as I stood there, surrounded by my friends, by our families, I felt something inside me shift. It wasn’t just a moment; it was a turning point. A realization that we had all survived so much. The close calls, the danger, the chaos... all of it had brought us here. Together. Stronger.
"Chase Me Tomorrow," I whispered again, feeling a tear slip down my cheek. Not a sad tear. It was... happiness. 
Tomorrow would come, and no matter what it brought, we’d face it head-on. Because we had each other.
Nathalie noticed my tear and nudged me, her voice soft. “Hey. No crying. You’ll make me cry too.”
I laughed, wiping my face quickly. “Sorry. Just... feeling emotional, I guess.”
“Well, you’re allowed,” she said with a grin, bumping her shoulder against mine.
As the night went on, the laughter and talking never stopped. We played more games, shared more stories, and the bond between us all felt stronger than ever. The photo? It was just the beginning. A symbol of our survival, of our strength, and of our promise to keep chasing tomorrow.
Because no matter what, life would keep going. And we? We were ready to run after it, together.
And that, I realized, was the real treasure. Not the games, not the chaos, but the people. The ones who stood by you, who held you up when you were falling. The ones who laughed with you, cried with you, and helped you chase tomorrow—even when it seemed impossible.
‘Chase Me Tomorrow.’ No matter how fast life moves, we'll always be one step ahead, daring it to keep up.