Success Is the Best Revenge {Book 1} **Watty Awards 2012**

Chapter 3: Graduation

Over the next two weeks, I'd been just as depressed as usual. I rarely went to my Film Club meetings because I didn't want to run into Carson. He usually stayed after school for Yearbook Club meetings and the last thing I wanted was to talk to him, yet alone see him. I'd been avoiding and ignoring him ever since prom.

He had tried countless times to try to get in contact with me. He'd have his friends approach me, write me notes, send me text messages, but I always ignored them. Even Bridget and her bitchy friends would make rude remarks towards me and laugh behind my back and in front of my face.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The only silver lining was that it was that graduation day had finally arrived; the most nerve-wrecking day of my life. Dad, Eric, Aunt Joanna, and Uncle Fredrick were going to be coming to see me walk across the stage. I knew my mom would be watching from Heaven. 

I walked out of my bedroom for the last time as a high school senior. When I returned, I would be a high school graduate and future college freshman. A few weeks before prom I had gotten an acceptance letter from the Art Institute of Atlanta. I'd be starting video production classes there in the fall. 

"Awww, look at my little sweetheart all grown up!" my Aunt Joanna exclaimed in her deep country accent as I came down the stairs. I grinned at her and examined what she had on. Her outfit composed of a pink and white church-dress and a large matching pink hat that covered up her reddish/brown array of curls that sat atop her hair.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Ali," Uncle Fredrick said, smiling. He adjusted his red bow tie and bowed at me as if I were royalty. I laughed at the shinyness of his near bald head and walked over to give each of them a hug.

"Thanks guys." I felt nothing but happiness at that moment. All of my worries and fears seemed to have disappeared.

"Aww, look at my little sister! Gettin' her graduate on." Eric grabbed me and tried to mess up my hair.

"Stop it!" I squealed, gently punching him in his arm.

"You two, stay there. I want to get a picture of you both." Dad pulled out his camera. By now, we were used to Dad's need to take a picture of everything. Eric and I simutaneously smacked our teeth.

"My, God, dude do you ever run out of camera space?" Eric stood next to me with his arm around my shoulder.

"Nope." The camera flashed.

"Alright, enough memories! I'm going to be late if we don't leave now," I said, getting a bit annoyed.

"OK, everyone pile in the car," Dad said as he tucked his camera back into his pocket and pulled out his keys.

"I call shotgun!" Eric yelled as he raced passed me and out the door.

"Shouldn't I be sitting in the front?" I yelled after him.

He hopped in the front seat, ignoring what I said. I rolled my eyes and decided to let him sit there. Nothing was going to stress me out on this day!

When we arrived at Turner Hall, the place where the graduation was being held at, there were cars and excited people everywhere. It reminded me of prom, except less luxurious. As we drove, in search of a parking space, I caught glimpses of several familiar people. Some had tears rolling down their faces and others, bouqets of flowers crowding their arms and chests.

I sat back in my seat and listened as my brother and uncle were having a heated discussion about some sports topic. Aunt Joanna was shaking her head playfully, pointing at possible spaces we could park in.