It's graduation day, I'm standing in line with my long blue gown and that stupid hat that has the long tassel that won't stay out of my face. I'm bored as I wait in line, so I keep blowing on the yellow thing watching it fly up and then hit me in the face again. Finally my turn comes up and I'm so consumed with blowing on my tassel that I barely hear them when they announce my name. I rush up on stage, shake a bunch of hands and then get my diploma.
I finally have it, the one thing I've been working for my entire life. I am at the top of my class, everything is going just as planned. I look out into the crowd and see my friends at the back, they all look so punk with their ripped skinny jeans, band t-shirts, and piercings. They don't have seats, they just stand at the back with Jenna taking pictures the entire time I'm on stage. They holler and clap the loudest when I come on. I smile big, because it's so good to see them here. They get weird looks from the adults surrounding them; the adults in tuxes and fancy dresses with perfect hair and money coming out of their butts.
I make my way down and take a seat next to George, he smiles at me and leans over to tell me congratulations. We listen to the Valedictorian give a speech about the good we can do in this world and how we can contribute to society, blah, blah, blah. We all clap as he comes down to join us. The principal comes up and tells us congratulations on graduating. Then, we take our caps off and throw them in the air; all cheering and clapping as the caps rain down on us. After that, we go to the back and find our family and friends. I don't know if my parents will be here, but my friends and Sandra show up. They all look so proud.
Sandra comes up and first and envelops me in a big hug. "I'm so proud of you Samantha, you're so smart." She has tears in her eyes, wiping them when she pulls away from me.
"Thank you, Sandra for everything." I say.
She just hugs me again and starts crying which makes me tear up. I wipe away the few that slipped down my face and walk two feet over to my friends. Chris comes over and picks me up, spinning me around.
"I'm so proud of you, babe." He says and kisses me.
"Our girl has graduated!" Ian yells and comes over to hug me. I stumble back a bit at the impact, laughing along.
"So proud of you." Scott says.
"EEEEEPPPP I feel like just yesterday I met you and now I'm married and you've graduated." Jenna says. Jesse and Jenna hug me too.
We all leave and head to a McDonalds a few blocks down from the school. I get a giant hamburger with the largest thing of fries I can buy. We sit around at the deserted McDonalds talking, there is only one employee working, and no one else around. It almost feels like those times that we had spent at our Safe Haven.
"So what now?" Scott asks me.
"What do you mean?"
"What are you going to do with your future?"
"I'm going to be a music teacher." I say smiling.
"Really?" Chris asks.
"Yeah, when we were talking awhile back you mentioned it, and then we went to see your old teacher and I saw how those kids looked up to him. I want to share music with kids, and I just want to have a job that revolves around music."
He smiles. "That sounds good."
"So when do you guys graduate?" I ask.
"We have the ceremony next week." Ian says.
"You're all graduating right?"
"Not ALL of us." Scott says and looks over at Ian.
"What?" Ian's face turns red. "Look, I just don't find school that interesting."
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Check Yes, Juliet
ChickLitSam is the good girl. She is destined to be a doctor, mostly because her parents tell her she has to be. She has only one friend, Alex, who is just as focused on school as Sam is. They don't socialize much, parties are frowned upon. Why party when y...
