Congratulations Grad Students, Commencement Ceremony! Everyone!

[Lucas Scott]

Lucas nodded and looked down at Brooke and kissed her gently on the cheek. This was it. They were graduating from high school. Lucas never thought that this day would come. But here it was right in front of them. "You wanna sit down?" Lucas asked Brooke spotting Nathan, Haley, and Peyton.

[Peyton Sawyer]

Peyton laughed. "That's why I'll tell him right before I have to leave, so there is no tears, and I won't feel bad." she said with a joking smile. Peyton would never do that, because it would have been really mean. Plus it was her dad, he needed to know sooner or later. The real problem was, she never even told him she wanted to go there, and now she was accepted.

[Haley James-Scott]

"That's why I'll tell him right before I have to leave, so there is no tears, and I won't feel bad."

"You know that's not being fair to him." Haley said simply as she glanced around at the students taking their seats, "Well I'm supposed to go sit up there and look out of place." she joked with a small smirk on her face, before turning to Nathan and giving him a kiss.

[Peyton Sawyer]

"Nothing is ever fair." Peyton said with a small smirk. Then she also looked around watching everyone taking their seats. Peyton then looked back at Haley. "Well, I'll start thinking ahead for a cheer. Good luck." she said with a small wink then going and sitting in her seat.

[Brooke Davis]

Brooke left a small peck on Lucas's lips and nodded her head, finally pulling away from him. "Alphabetical order time..Guess this means I actually graduate before you." She joked with a smirk, letting go of his hand and going to sit down next to Kevin Dalton. She sent him a small smile and slipped the cap onto her head, once again resisting the urge to cry. Never again was she going to be captain of the cheerleading squad or student council president. From now on, she was a nobody.. A nothing. Brooke continued to blink rapidly as she watched Haley sit up on the stage, sending her friend a quick wink to show that she had her back. Haley and Brooke, although an unlikely friendship, also became a force to be reckoned with. Although no one would expect it, it was the truth. Now, Brooke didn't think that she would've been able to get through this last month without Haley.

[Haley James-Scott]

Haley glanced at everyone as they finally all were seated and found a familiar face, sending Brooke a smile, then searching for her other friends and family, not really finding anybody else. She was snapped out of her search when she heard her name. "And please welcome, this year's valedictorian, to say a few words--Haley James-Scott!" she heard the principal call from the podium, and forced a smile before taking a long sigh, and adjusting the cap that felt like it was falling off her head. Haley walked towards the podium and got out her cue cards, placing them down.

"Thank you." she said simply, not sure where to start in all honesty. "Well, my name's Haley James-Scott, as many of you already know, since well, Principal Gibbs already said it." she said with a small nervous smile, before searching for anybody to comfort her nerves. "You know, four years ago, I would've never pictured myself here. I mean, I always wished of being valedictorian, but over these past four years, I grew up. I gained a name, and I found myself. Now, many of you may still be searching for who you really are." Haley said glancing at Brooke, "But you'll find yourself when you least expect it, or in someone you would never have guessed." she added, glancing from Brooke to Nathan and then to her cue cards.

"Three years ago, if you would've asked me what I looked forward to most in life, I would've said graduating, and going to College. But I've already figured out that, your dreams change, and sometimes you find one that you never even knew you had."

"It's ironic, that while we're in school and can't leave, we can't wait until we graduate and get released into the real world. But, when we are able to leave, we don't want to leave. Leave the school that you've known for the past four years, the safe feeling it brings, the feeling that you'll always have someone there for you--because when you do leave, you know that there won't be those teachers to guide you through everything. There won't be your parents to tell you what you can and cannot do, you won't have somebody to catch you when you fall. Or to pick you up when you're down." Haley said as she flipped her cue cards, not really reading them, after practicing the speech, she pretty much knew it off by heart. She glanced at Lucas, and then to Peyton.

"Now, I can't guarantee there won't be pitfalls, and disappointments. Or those days when you just don't want to get up and face the real world, because - well - lets face it, there will be those days. But the trick is, to get back up and keep trying. And wherever you go, whatever you do, go there with all your heart - all your might - but don't forget why you went there to begin with."

"A wise man once said, 'Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.' - Dr. Seus." Haley smiled, "I hope that my achievements in life are these; that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were in need that I will have left the earth a better place for what I've done and who I've been. - but it's not what you do in life that matters, it's about who you are, remember that. Say hi to a person that you see walking down the street, help someone that's having troubles. Because you never know, they could be your next boss." Haley let out a sigh, and glanced at her friends once more, before glancing at everybody.

"And one more thing before I leave, then you all can get up and forget everything I just said. Remember where you came from, and who you are. Because, even though we don't go to Tree Hill High School anymore, we are still Ravens, blue, black and white, the best of the best. So let me be the first to congratulate you all, on being the graduating class of 2006!"

(Ahaha, I didn't realize how long that was )

[Peyton Sawyer]

Peyton listened too Haley's speech. It was really awesome, just as Peyton suspected. Everything she said was ture. Plus she did an awesome job and there was no need for Peyton to go make up a cheer. After Haley was finished, Peyton stood up and began clapping her hands. Hopeing everyone else would do the same. Because Haley's speech was truely amazing.

[Brooke Davis]

Brooke felt a tear trickle down her cheek upon hearing Haley's speech. She turned in back of her to find Peyton standing up and Brooke stood up as well, clapping loudly. She stopped clapping to cup her mouth with her hands, shouting over the cheers. "..The one..The only..Blue black.." She began to recite the cheer, smiling when she heard most of her other cheerleaders chant it as well. "..and white..The best of the best..That's right!" Brooke once again began to clap, her smile only growing. "Yeah, Haley!" She cheered, sending her bestest roomie a quick wink before sitting back down in her seat and continuing to clap happily.

[Haley James-Scott]

"Yeah, Haley!"

Haley laughed, glad that the cheerleaders had gotten the cheer that she had taken from the their own. "Thank you." she said simply into the microphone so that she could be heard over the clapping, and then stepped down, glad that everyone had enjoyed the speech.

[Peyton Sawyer]

Peyton laughed slightly and went along with Brooke's cheer along with the other cheerleaders. Then finally she sat down and stopped clapping as Haley came down. This was it, it was almost time to go, get deplomas and be done with Tree Hill High forever. This was the end, when everyone went their seprate ways. The thoughts made Peyton a little upset and a tear ran down her face.

[Lucas Scott]

Lucas listened to Haley's speech. It was in true Haley James-Scott fashion. It was a great speech and even he got a little sentimental while listening to it. After Haley was finished, he stood up and clapped his hands together. He smiled over at Nathan beside him. "That was pretty great, wasn't it?" he said with a smile. However, he already knew that Nathan was so proud of his wife.

[Nathan Scott]

Nathan smiled at Haley and at her speech. Haley was amazing in all ways and he was falling madly in love with her again. Haley's speech was beautifully written, he remembers how she stayed up and wrote all night. He wiped his eyes and clapped real loud and smirked at her. He mouthed 'Always and forever' and blew a kiss.

[Haley James-Scott]

Haley smiled, and mouthed I love you, back to Nathan, before sitting down in her seat once more, waiting for the Principal to give out the diplomas that everybody had worked oh-so-hard for over the past four years.