Friends

CHAPTER TWO: SEVENTEEN

June 8, 2001, Friday

As I hallucinate, I've gone through perception. It's the day I have my graduation, the graduating and honoring students of East High Batch 2000-2001. I signed my journal to remember it's mine. I may have forgotten to close a chapter but all of it was years ago. A new chapter beholds.

A chaos started next to me. "I want to place the television in this whole wide space of the living room," Jade said, pointing at Wayne's diagram of the future house we'll live in.

"Probably include rugs that are made out of fur and place them all around the room. Better if it's under these couches," Fiona said to Wayne, encircling the drawn furniture with a pencil thin mark. "That way, me and Jade would be comfortable."

"Can't the size of the television be this tall?" Harry drew a line around approximately twenty-six inches or above that measurement in an empty desk. "It's apparently enough for the five of us. Who knows what we are watching on that big screen."

Wayne complimented them, "I love all your ideas, but how about the designated rooms? We have the stairs in the right corner and we have the second floor. How will I organize the structure?"

Fiona recklessly said, "How am I supposed to know? Aren't you an aspiring architect?"

He replied, "I'm not the one in charge, remember?"

"Put six rooms, five designated rooms for all of us and one lavatory on the second floor," Jade suggested, a pencil in her ear would be the missing thing left. "Who would live in a house where there's only one lavatory in the living room?"

Wayne added, "I guess. There we have it, king-sized bed, are we?"

"As much as I appreciate all of you doing this, but shouldn't we be tuning over the speakers? Our names are about to get called," I stopped the commotion.

Harry asked, "Yeah, who decided to bring out the design?"

I said to him, "Wasn't that you?"

"Oh, am I? My mistake, Rode," Harry said. "Well, let's head up to the stage. Our section is about to get called."

"Hurry, you guys," I said, rushing everyone's designs. "Here, give me. I'll pass it over to your parents," I said to Wayne.

He suggested, "No, Charlie. Pass it to Jade's parents."

I said, "Got it, where are they?"

"Here, I'll hand it over," Jade said, reaching out her arm to me.

"Hurry," Fiona said to her. "The others are waiting for us to get out of the aisle."

Jade ran fast through the stairs, "Here I go. Why do I have to be the first one?"

I saw my parents at the front seat getting up as my name was called. Proceeded to the stage and helped me throughout the graduation. "Charlie Rode, an honor, with remarkable grades and outstanding attendance that recognizes a lifetime. His dream is to be an author since growing up. May that pass with flying colors," Mr. Watts said.

I couldn't believe the time when Mr. Watts became the principal last year. The 33 years old teacher who became my advisor and now, became the principal at 37 years of age. He announced my name and even rewarded me with the medal that passes the entire year of high school.

Hearing the word author out of his mouth. My father must've been at the last breath of his mouth and my mother was agreeing with him. I can feel that beneath their bones—through their spinal cords. I would devour that dream of mine but once I finish through this phase of mine. I got off the stage and my parents went back to their respective seats.