Sincerely, Emily ✓

18 • Read The Letters

NO.

No. This was not happening. This was not —

It was happening.

"Emily!"

Oh my God. Mom was going to see this. She couldn't see this. She would ask questions.

Like the stupid person I was, I dropped my head against the unfinished letter. My cheek was pressed against the soft, cool paper, and my eyes were facing Mom's — well, horizontally.

"Wassup, Mom?"

"Uh. . ." she said, uncertain. "I was just going to tell you that I'll be going to Miranda's, for some paperwork that I need to — honey, what's wrong?"

I tried to look relaxed as I was sitting in my wheelchair, in front of the table with my head rested on it. "Nah'ing. Just trying to. . . find a new persspphec-tive in life."

God, Emily, could you be more obvious?!

"O-kay," Mom said slowly. "Don't forget you have to be next door in twenty minutes."

Oh my God. I completely forgot about that.

We were going to Oliver's graduation ceremony.

I know, I know. I felt like we were just starting senior year yesterday. But no, today was finally the seventeenth of June, the day everything would change. Last terms were over, and now he was graduating.

Which meant Val and Devon were also graduating.

Which meant they were going to be there.

Could this day get any worse?

"Emilyyy! Come on, we're going to be late!" Jessie's voice rang in my ears as she stepped inside the house, already with a fancy, blue dress.

I took a deep breath.

I could enjoy today, I kept thinking. No need to tell Oliver right now. I don't want to ruin his mood. Today was his day. Don't make him worry.

Everything's going to work out well.

________

"Oliver Joseph Grant."

Everyone cheered and clapped as he made his way over to the stage, an award-winning smile on his face. He shook hands with Principal Kenneth and was given his diploma. Oliver, walking to the podium, raised a fist and screamed into the microphone, "TAKE THAT, CHUMPS!"

Laughter erupted through the crowd, then it quieted down when Oliver raised a palm. 

"This year has been amazing. I might've not been in this school as long as most of you guys, but I feel like we've known each other since birth." A group of boys and girls across from me chuckled, and I bet that was the "group" he liked to hang out with when he wasn't busy taking care of me.

An odd feeling made my chest ache.

"It's been tough, though," he continued, licking his lips. "A lot of people thought I wouldn't make it, considering the fact that I was failing a lot of classes." Wait, what? He hadn't told me any of that! "But I wouldn't have passed them if it weren't for one person. She's been through a lot, more than any of us has. And I thought, if she could get through it, I could get through just a few tests, right? So, I did. She gave me the motivation that I needed, and she didn't even realise it. And I think she knows who she is, so — "