Fallin

27 [ Final ]

2 years later.

Jennie's POV

"For the closing remarks please welcome our batch Salutatorian from the Business Administration Department, Jennie Kim!" I heard the emcee yelled and accompanied by the visitors' applause and a few shouts from my best friends. I stood up and walked slowly towards the stage.

"Thank you Dr. Cooper." I smiled at our University Chancellor after he shook my hand, to then take the position behind the podium. I scanned everyone seated in the bleachers and my fellow graduates, heaving a deep breath before giving them a warm smile.

"Patten University... wow." I chuckled, making the rest of my batch mates laugh.

"To be honest, I can't say much about our school because the alumni already speaks for itself, and surely I can't give you anymore wise words or words of wisdom for our Valedictorian already gave you more than enough." I joked, earning another laugh from them.

"But let me seize this moment to thank the people who have been a part of our lives, let me take this opportunity to thank our teachers, our professors, who made our college lives a living hell. Shout out to Mrs. Griffin for giving me a B+ in second year to which the trauma I still carry." I nodded my head at our elderly professor seated beside our department head to which she just laughed.

"No but we're cool, it was just a misunderstanding because I wouldn't be a Salutatorian right now if she gave me B+!" I cleared out.

"Let me also take this chance to thank our professors who not only treated us as students, but as family. To those who not only taught us lessons in our chosen field but also at life, thank you for believing in us, for having faith, for not giving up on us. You guys are so passionate and you all deserve more than just a simple thank you, you hone us to be the better versions of ourselves and for that we can't take you enough." I looked at the school staff one by one and sincerely bowed to show them my gratitude.

"And to my fellow graduates, job well done for enduring, for cramming, for falling in love, for the endless partying, for falling asleep, and juggling through deadlines after deadlines. The endless cursing was all worth it."

"I am proud of you all for I have seen some cried, some almost give up, while others got left behind. But college is never a race, do not ever doubt yourself just because you fell a little short, timing and patience will get you through everything. Great things await you, you need only to have faith in yourselves." I paused and scanned the room to look at both the familiar and unfamiliar faces who have been a part of my four years in college. Some were tearing up, while the others stayed silent.

"College life... To be honest, I never expected to be a Salutatorian. Actually, the valedictorian I had in mind was different too." I smiled a little at the thought, a clear memory that seemed to be just yesterday.

"She was this tall blonde girl who wore hoodies and baggy pants with her thick glasses and was carrying this huge stacks of books, she was Patten University's biggest nerd." I chuckled, looking at my group of friends that are silently crying at the mention of the love of my life.

"She used to eat alone at empty classrooms and make group works alone, library was almost like her second home. You can say she was a loner, but she had friends, friends that treated her like family...."

"She believed that she was invincible, that she can just swiftly move around the campus and disappear anytime without anyone knowing, but she was wrong... she was wrong because I noticed her." With glossy eyes and a lump on my throat, I began to swallow with difficulty, pausing briefly before continuing my speech.