The Rumour Mill - Completed

33. Awards

TOM'S POV

Thankfully my parents had believed my exhaustion and grey pallor was due to overdoing my revision and lack of daylight, my dad would be furious if he knew I was hungover. I'd headed straight for bed and despite longing for sleep Libby's words swirled round and round my head, keeping me awake.

At five o'clock I gave up on the idea of getting any sleep and instead headed for the shower. After twenty minutes of almost scalding water pelting down on my head and face I felt like a new man and once again ready to cope with my parents and party with my mates.

We arrived at the school at five to six and much to my dads annoyance our allocated seats didn't have him on the front row. Despite being only three rows back he complained bitterly until the ceremony began. My mum had to shush him whilst the Chair of Governors gave his obligatory congrats speech, after almost half an hour of him wittering on they were finally ready to start giving out our certificates.

Two minutes later Libby's mum had ushered the mayor into his position and was ready to start reading out the names of my class mates. After half dozen other kids had received their certificates it was my turn, I grinned like a maniac as my friends cheered when my name was called.

"Show some decorum" my dad hissed as I walked passed him and on towards the stage. I collected my certificates and despite the shit I was going to get from my dad I couldn't resist taking a bow, much to the delight of my rowdy friends. I glanced at my father and knew from the thunderous look on his face I was going to pay for that later. "Ah well shit happens I thought" and hopefully I'll be too drunk to care.

The rest of the evening was a complete borefest, the only highlight was watching Libby get her certificates. In the last 24 hours I'd mused several times at how beautiful she'd look in her dress and she didn't disappoint. The sheer fabric of her dress clinging to her perfectly, the deep red colour making her skin look milky pale, almost ethereal. As she collected her certificates her smile was breathtaking, it brightened her entire face and I wondered if I'd ever felt that elated, I highly doubted it.

LIBBY'S POV

The ceremony passed in a blur, it was a perfect evening. I'd almost burst with pride when my name had been called to receive the award for academic achievement and despite herself my mum couldn't help hugging me when I collected the award. As I turned to face the audience and wait for the official photographer to take the snap my eyes found Toms. He was staring intently at me, and unlike his father he smiled happily at me, he actually looked pleased for me. I'd wondered at the time how much trouble he'd be in, for his earlier antics, from the sour look on his face he was still fuming.

Thankfully the next award was for academic excellence and much to virtually the entire auditorium's disbelief Tom's name was called. The cheers and hollers resounded around the echoey hall. I was expecting him to swagger onto the stage and hold his trophy aloft like the FA cup. Rather surprisingly he accepted his award with grace and no fuss. I amazed myself by sighing my relief, perhaps he wasn't the complete idiot I had him pinned as. Hopefully his father would have forgotten his earlier indiscretion.

"Congratulations to all here tonight, you are a credit to your school, your parents and to yourselves" my mum began her closing speech. I zoned out for a couple of minutes as she rattled on about the excellent start the school had given each and everyone of us. I managed to refocus my attentions just in time to hear her invite us into the school cafeteria for nibbles and drinks.

TOM'S POV

"Right Tom, your mother and I will show our faces for a couple of minutes but then we are leaving." My dad said gruffly before I'd even lifted my bum off the seat. "And I suggest you aren't too far behind us."