Babysitting the Bad Boy

Chapter 40

"So, Miss Valedictorian, have you finished your speech yet?" Maya asked, sitting down across from me.

I sighed, "Nope. I have no fucking clue what to write." I said.

Graduation was in three days and I had no idea what to write for my speech. I had three days to write a speech culminating the last four years, two of which I was not a part of, and for over half of the two I was present for everyone hated me. 

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" She asked.

"Well a part of me wants to be like, 'most of you just sat there and watched while I was tortured for years so fuck you, the ones that did torture me, fuck you even more, and to the like 10 who were actually nice thank you.'" I said with a shrug and Maya laughed. 

"While I would be more than overjoyed to watch you give that speech at graduation, unfortunately I feel like that's a big no-no so you're probably gonna have to go with something else." She said.

I smiled, "Yeah," I said with a shrug, "I don't know. I'm sure I'll come up with something." I said.

I was sure I should've felt something more about high school being over. And only having the remainder of the summer to spend with my friends and my boyfriend before moving across the country to go to college. 

But for some reason I was fine. While my classmates were trying to savor every last second of it, I couldn't wait to get out of Baker Hill High School and never step foot in the building again. I couldn't wait to go to college. I couldn't wait to have a fresh start. But I couldn't help but feel like something was off. There was something that wasn't right. And I didn't know what.

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"The Valedictorian  is the student that has the highest overall GPA in their class. Our GPA is calculated on a 5 point scale. And depending on the grades a student may receive in an AP course, the highest possible GPA to achieve is a 5.7. This years' valedictorian has taken 10 AP courses throughout her high school career here at Baker Hill High school. Which is extremely impressive considering she did not join this class until the beginning of her junior year. She graduates today with a 5.68 GPA, and a full scholarship to the University of California Lost Angeles as a communications major. Ladies and gentlemen, Ariel Montgomery." Mr. Monohan said into the microphone to introduce me.

I approached the podium to loud applause. I stepped up to the microphone with a smile, looking at my class in front of me, and the audience surrounding us in the gymnasium, "Good afternoon everyone," I started.

For some reason, I wasn't nervous.

"I would like to start, by offering a thank you to all of the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, and anyone else that may have been present in our lives for the last 12 years of our schooling. I would also like to thank our teachers and administration for providing us the proper education, and tools to succeed that we have used to get to where we are today."

I made eye contact with Lucas who gave me a smirk and a wink, before taking a breath and continuing, "As Mr. Monohan said, I did not join this graduating class of Baker Hill until the beginning of my junior year. 

"When I was eight years old, my parents and I moved to Baker Hill from Killarney, Ireland. For the next six years, I found myself alone, with no friends to talk to. I never understood why I could not make friends. And so, I did what anyone would do. I ran away. I ran away back to Ireland."

I looked up and made eye contact with Maya, who was giving me a wide smile, "For the next two years I learned a lot about myself. And I learned how to fight." I smiled inwardly to myself, knowing that Lucas would understand my hidden joke.