THE ROSE AND THE THORN

Chapter 47

Dear Diary,

The school year is finally coming to a close. Our lessons end in less than two weeks and then we have a month off before the HSC exams start. The exams officially end on the 9th November, and our graduation ceremony is three days after that. I wasn't going to apply to any universities, but I was offered a fully paid scholarship to attend Australian National University for my soccer achievements. Ruby didn't let me say no, so now I'm going to university to study sports science. I think I'm going to take a gap year though and do some travelling; Aimee wants to backpack through Asia and I've been dying to see Europe for a while now.

I'm meeting up with Aimee, Scotty and Con in an hour at the diner. Aimee wants to plan an end of year graduation party and of course, it's being held at my house. I told her we would meet at the diner to organise it since we won't have time to while studying for our exams.

Since our argument about Cara, Ruby and I have been doing well. She's been cooking dinner every night, force feeding me vegan meals. I didn't think I would like them at first since I've always been a big meat eater, but I'm actually enjoying them. I'd never admit it to her, but I'm considering going vegan. I gotta get ready and head to the diner now. If I'm late, Aimee will kill me.

Ciao

I closed my journal and shoved it under my pillow, rolling unceremoniously off my bed and dragging my feet towards the bathroom. I jumped in the shower and quickly rinsed off, brushing my teeth at the same time - something that Ruby called 'weird' and I called 'multitasking and saving water'.

I threw my hair up into a ponytail, put on a pair of high waisted black jeans, a white T-shirt and some vans, and went downstairs. Ruby was day on the lounge, pen lid between her teeth, marking eighth grade exam papers.

"Some of these kids..." she muttered, "I don't know how some of them are still alive."

"That bad?" I chuckled.

"One kid answered 'at least seven' to the question 'how many bones are there in the human body?'" she exclaimed, sounding completely exasperated.

I laughed loudly, walking over to grab my skateboard from beside the lounge.

"Well, I mean...they're not wrong," I shrugged, earning a piercing glare from my girlfriend.

I walked over and pressed my lips to her creased forehead, her angry lines smoothing out immediately.

"I'm heading to the diner to meet up with the gang, I'll be back later," I murmured against her forehead.

As soon as I stepped foot out of my door, I put my skateboard on the ground and hopped on, pushing forward and gliding along the pavement. It didn't take long to get to the diner, and before I knew it I was picking up my skateboard and walking through the diner doors.

Scott, Connor and Aimee were sitting at our usual booth, the boys looking unenthusiastic about planning another party. In their opinion, all a party needed was girls and alcohol, and I was inclined to agree.

"Indi, over here!" Aimee called out, waving me over as if we hadn't been sitting in the same booth for two years.

Scott and Connor fist bumped me as I sat down, Aimee giving me a one armed hug before pulling a notebook from her bag and opening it on the table.

"Aimee treating another party as if it's her wedding..." Connor mumbled under his breath, before flinching as Aimee kicked his shin under the table.

"We only get one graduation party, you'll thank me one day when ours is better than every other school in the district!" Aimee snapped, poking her tongue out before referring back to her notebook.

For what seemed like hours, Aimee took us through her graduation party plans, from decorations to alcohol, to the Facebook event name and description. All I had to do was agree and nod along when she suggested ideas.

"So it will start two hours after the graduation ceremony finishes," Aimee explained as she closed her notebook loudly. "Everyone will have time to go home and get ready before heading to India's house. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Scott, Connor and I all chorused.

The four of us spent the rest of our afternoon talking about our future goals, our upcoming exams, our graduation and our schoolies plans.  We had all booked a cabin on a party island in Fiji, and we were all insanely excited. Years ago I remember being excited for schoolies, thinking of all the hot girls I'd be able to fuck. Now, I'm excited to have fun with friends and celebrate graduating high school. Fucking girls was the last thing on my mind. I had my girl, and she was perfect.

"Where'd you go, Indi?" Scott said, dragging me from my thoughts.

"She was probably thinking of her girlfriend!" Aimee teased, and I elbowed her side roughly.

"Shut up," I muttered, and the three of them laughed.

"God, I can't believe how soft you've gotten. Who would've thought?" Connor laughed, leaning over the table and pinching my cheeks.

"Shut up you guys!" I whined, swatting away Connor's hands as he giggled cheekily like a small, annoying child.

"Indi, as much as I love you and am so happy you've finally settled on one pair of tits for the rest of your life, we have more important things to discuss!" Aimee sighed loudly, pointing at her graduation party notebook.

"Why don't we just do what we did for my eighteenth, but add more drinks, cups and decorations since we'll be inviting the entire grade?" I suggested to Aimee, and her eyes widened.

"God, why didn't I think of that!" she gasped, flicking back through her notebook to find the pages where she had so intricately organised my eighteenth party.

It was in that moment that I realised; I didn't need my mum or my dad. I had everything I needed right in front of me. My best friends and my girlfriend. And I had never been happier.