Rural

Chapter 40: To Graduate or Not to Graduate | Final Chapter

Chapter 40: To Graduate or Not to Graduate | Final Chapter

       I didn't know why, but the school was waiting until graduation day to let all of us know what we got on our final exams, meaning I wasn't sure if I was going to graduate or not. I mean, I was confidant I passed but I was also confidant that I was straight a few years ago and we all know how that turned out.

       I still didn't get why they were making us wait until right before the graduation to see if we passed or not. Surely, I wasn't the only one in this situation.

       All of us seniors got to the school early to prepare for the graduation and to wait for our test scores. I only had to worry about my math exam, so I was pacing outside of my math classroom, waiting for the scores to be posted. I really needed to pass otherwise I wouldn't be able to go on tour.

       Not too many people were in this hallway. In fact, most people were gathered in the cafeteria so I guess I was one of the very few people waiting for test results.

       Kitty soon walked over to me, already wearing her graduate gown, like some of the students had already done. Mainly because they wanted to take pictures and stuff like that. "So are the test results posted?" she asked.

       "If the test results were posted, I wouldn't be pacing the hallway," I said. "I don't get why they're making us wait until today to figure out if we passed or not. Why not email us the results? Or do basically anything that doesn't involve waiting until the last minute."

       "Yeah, I never got that," Kitty said. "They've been doing it for years and they never thought about changing it. It's stupid, isn't it? Waiting until right before you graduate to find out if you're actually graduating. Like, imagine getting into your cap and gown, taking a bunch of pictures, seeing that your exam results are posted, and then you find out you fail."

       Hearing Kitty say that only made me start to think everything. My mind immediately went to the worst case scenario, where not only do I fail and not go on tour, but Sawyer and I start having communication problems because he would be so busy on tour. And then he ends up failing for a cute horseback rider all because I couldn't send him nudes.

       Kitty must have seen the worried look on my face because she said, "Jamie, don't worry about it. I'm sure you passed. I mean, you did do well on the practice test I gave you. Though you probably would have done better if you didn't take the test in a room that gave you clear view of the farmland. I lost count at how many times I caught you checking out Sawyer."

       "He was doing it on purpose," I said.

       "Doing what on purpose? His chores?" Kitty asked.

       "Yes. He knew that I would check him out so he just had to do his chores shirtless."

       "Jamie," Kitty said. "He ended up going shirtless because you took a 'bathroom break' and 'accidentally' spilled water on his shirt."

       "Genius, right?" I asked.

       "Not when you were supposed to be doing your practice test," Kitty said. "Do you always do that when you're supposed to be focusing on something important?"

       "Not always," I said. "I haven't done it at all when he was helping me practice for the cross-country competition." No matter how much I wanted to... "Homework and studying is another story." I then sighed. "How long is it going to take for the results to be posted? I can't handle this anymore."

       "Why don't we go get your graduation cap and gown?" Kitty offered.

       "Am I even allowed to get it if I didn't pass?" I asked. "Because, let's say I didn't pass, wouldn't that be a messed up system? Letting anyone get a cap and gown when they didn't actually pass?"