Being Bad

Chapter 82: Beginning Of The End

Lia James

If you could only choose one significant moment to capture in your entire life, one that you are only allowed to remember, what would you choose? Would it be when you met the future love of your life? Would it be when you got engaged or married? Maybe when you gave birth to your first child?

If I were to choose, it would be right now. Sitting among four-hundred other students, waiting to receive a piece of paper that confirms a chapter in their life has ended. Some may call it an ending to an important part of their life, but I call it a beginning.

A beginning of an end.

In simpler terms, graduation day.

After being rudely woken up by my Dad, he served me a "special" breakfast which really just consisted of pancakes and bacon arranged nicely with a fruit cup on the side.

My Dad wanted to be sure he could make it to my graduation since he missed Henry's graduation a couple years ago, after he went on a business trip to Arizona and didn't make it back in time. So, he really wanted to make sure he was here for mine, even if it means calling un-paid time off from work.

Noah and Layla were supposed to be flown from Maine with my grandma, but all the flights were cancelled after a tropical storm appeared to be heading their way. Grandma wished me my best, and it was nice to see her, Noah, and Layla on a video chat. They've grown so much since I've last seen them in August.

Now, it's June and I can't believe how much time has passed. It truly was a blink of an eye.

Of course, my Dad and Aunt Alex all made us stand by the fireplace to take pictures before we left for the ceremony. Aunt Alex wanted to put the a picture of us on the wall, so she wanted it to be perfect. Which ultimately made us a few minutes late.

But here we are, sitting as a class in unison, together for one last time.

I sat towards the front, and a few rows in front of me was Lina and Mason. They sat in the front row, waiting excitedly for the ceremony to start.

In back of me sat, Jace, Cole, Brady, Jade, Andrew, Eli, and Ryan. Ollie sat two rows in front of me, just behind Lina and Mason.

Boys were dressed in white and girls were dress in blue with our caps sitting on top of our heads. We anxiously waited to move our tassels to the other side, in commemoration of our exit out of high school and into the real world.

When the principal ascended the podium stairs, we knew that the ceremony was about to begin.

With a few taps of the microphone, Principal Green began speaking eloquently.

"Welcome parents, friends, family, and most importantly, this years graduating class. I can whole-heartedly say that you have finally made it. The end begins now."

"To start this welcoming address, I would like to highlight this quote: 'It is absolutely still possible to make a difference'. Now, I know that many of you are off to all different places all around the country, but I still believe this quote to resonate with each and every one of you. No matter what your plans are for the future, whether you are going to college or starting a business. What matters is how hard you work to make a difference or create change. People who just follow the rules, have no room to grow into the person they're meant to be. But those who think outside the box? Well...they are guaranteed to go far. You see, when I look down at this year's graduating class, I see a sea of students waiting to find their purpose in life. Waiting for that bell to ring inside their head telling them that their path to their future is near."

"This years graduating class has the most substantial ability to make a difference. I truly believe that. I see entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, sports players—" I received a few nudges from nearby classmates. "Actors, dancers, singers, models, you name it and this class can achieve it. All you have to do is believe in yourself and never give up. When you guys put your mind to something and focus like it's the only thing that truly matters in this world, then you will go far guaranteed. Albert Einstein didn't wait for his ideas to come to him. He worked for them, and that determination made him the most influential man in history. Be the next Albert Einstein. And create change. But most importantly, be yourself while doing it. Thank you and congratulations seniors. You deserved this."