𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝓶𝓮~

𝓐 𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓹 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽-6

As I woke up, I took a long bath, letting the warmth wake me up fully. Then I started getting ready.

I pulled on my white dress shirt, carefully buttoning it up, making sure each button was perfectly aligned. I looped the tie around my neck, tugged it into place, then slipped on my navy-blue suit jacket, smoothing the fabric as I checked myself in the mirror.

The suit fit me perfectly—the trousers sat just right above my polished black dress shoes. I looked… good. Maybe even better than good.

I reached for the cologne and sprayed a little on, then set my hair with gel, running my fingers through it one last time.

"I'm ready," I murmured to myself as I stepped out of my room.

Chloe's eyes widened as soon as she saw me.

“Oh my god, Oliver—you look so good! Number 26 is literally going to faint when she sees you looking this handsome,” she gushed.

I looked down, my face warming as I blushed.

She always knew how to fluster me.

When I reached the college, I was greeted by the principal at the entrance.

“Welcome! We’re so glad to have you with us today,” he said warmly, his voice laced with excitement.

“Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here,” I replied politely.

“You’re a bit of a celebrity around here, you know,” he chuckled. “We’ve heard so much about your work. It’s an honor to have someone of your caliber join us for today’s event.”

I smiled. “That means a lot. I’ve heard great things about this college from my sister Chloe. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this place is all about.”

“We’re thrilled to have you here as our special guest. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to connect with professionals in the industry—we’re hoping your presence will inspire them,” he said as he led me further into the lobby.

“You’ll find the event hall just down this hallway. The students are eager to meet you, and we’ve planned a brief tour of our creative arts facilities later, if you're interested.”

“Sounds great. I’m looking forward to it.”

“I won’t keep you any longer, Mr. Castellan. Enjoy the event—and please let me know if you need anything at all.”

“Will do. Thanks again for having me,” I said with a polite nod as I stepped into the event space.

“This is your seat, sir,” a staff member guided me to a seat in the front row.

“Thank you,” I replied as I sat down. I glanced around, noticing Chloe and Number 26 weren’t there.

I signaled a staff member. “Hey, why isn’t my sister Chloe here?”

“She’s a junior, sir. This event is only for senior year students.”

“Oh,” I said, realization sinking in. That meant Number 26 must be a junior too—that’s why she wasn’t here either.

The event began. The principal stepped onto the stage and gave a glowing introduction before calling me up.

As he handed me the award, the room filled with applause.

“Now, we’d like Mr. Castellan to give a speech,” he said, passing me the mic with a proud smile.

I took a deep breath, glancing out at the sea of faces.

“Wow… um, thank you so much for this incredible honor,” I began, my voice steady but sincere.

“I really don’t know where to begin. This is honestly not something I ever expected. I’m just a guy who found a camera and started capturing the world around me. I never imagined I’d be standing here today, accepting an award from such a talented and creative group of people.

“First, I want to thank the college for having me and for this award. It means a lot to be recognized by a place that values creativity and passion.

“It’s not just about the work—it’s about the people, the connections, and the stories we get to tell.

“You all inspire me already, and I can’t wait to see how far you’ll go with your art.

“To my family, my friends, everyone who supported me—thank you.

“But most importantly, thank you to all the students here. You're just beginning to carve out your own stories, and that’s so powerful. Keep pushing, keep creating, and enjoy the journey—it’s the most beautiful part of life.

“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

The room erupted into applause again, and as the event ended, the principal approached me with a kind smile.

“You know, you should stay a little longer. Maybe take the tour… and go home with your sister?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” I replied, smiling at the thought of seeing Number 26.

Later, I sat alone in the cafeteria, eating lunch—I hadn’t realized how hungry I was. That’s when a girl slid into the seat next to mine.

“Hey, Oliver. We meet again.”

I blinked. “I’m so sorry… I forgot your name.”

She laughed lightly. “Alicia. We met at the prom, remember?”

“Oh! Right. Now I remember,” I smiled.

“So, how have you been?”

“I’ve been good. Just received this award,” I said, pointing toward the plaque.

“Oh my god, congratulations! Chloe must be so proud of you.”

“Yeah… she must be,” I said with a small chuckle.

“You know, I always wished I had a brother like you. But I’m an only child.”

“Really? That must be boring. But hey, if you want—you can treat me like your brother. That way, I get two sisters,” I teased.

Her eyes lit up. “Really?! Oh my god, now I have a hermano mayor! Yay!”

I tilted my head, grinning. “What’s hermano mayor?”

“It means ‘older brother’ in Spanish.”

“Oh wow—you know Spanish?”

“Yeah, I’m from Spain!”

“That’s cool! I have a friend in Spain named Harry.”

“Harry what?”

“Harry Davis.”

Her eyes widened. “The guy with blue eyes?”

“Yeah! Wait—how do you know?”

“He’s my cousin, lol.”

“What—no way!”

“I know, right? It’s crazy!”

“Yeah, lol. Now I remember—he used to talk to his cousin Alicia at night sometimes. That’s you! This is insane. By the way—do you know where Chloe is?”

“She’s probably in the hallway, talking to her best friend. They’re inseparable.”

“Oh, nice. Maybe I should go meet her.”

“You should! But you know… you look really handsome today in that suit. Maybe you should take a few pictures of yourself.” She glanced at my camera. “I’m not as good as you, but I do have a decent eye. What do you say, hermano mayor?”

I laughed, handing her my camera.

“Sure, hermana menor. I know a little bit of Spanish too.”