Excerpt--
Take a breath, Lana.
Everything will be okay.
My stomach churned when I noticed his perfectly combed chestnut hair walking through the corridor by himself, just like any other day. I basically jumped out of the bush, nearly tripping in the...
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All night, I was twisting and turning, imagining countless embarrassing scenarios where I acted like an idiot on stage while receiving my diploma. Graduation and prom were some of the biggest moments in any girl's life, and I had to experience both in under twenty-four hours. I, Lana Hart, was walking into womanhood with no tips to succeed.
The moment of truth, the stepping stone into the real world was moments away from our grasp. This was what our twelve years prepared us for. Shivers traveled down my spine as I thought about stepping out in front of the bright lights and shaking the hand of an administrator. I'm one step closer to completing Mommy's dream.
Hope you're smiling right now, Mom.
My uniform was folded and streamed last night, so I wouldn't have to rush all morning, especially since our time was so limited. Who thought having prom right after graduation was a great idea? Because clearly, they didn't calculate how long it took for our hair to be styled.
After my typical routine, I dashed downstairs, noticing our family already waiting for us. Declan's mother had a camera in her hand, ready to attack us like the paparazzi she was.
"Morning." I yawned, covering my mouth.
"Oh, morning honey! You look amazing!" she smiled, rushing over to fix my collar.
"Thank you," I responded.
"Stay right there, Lana," she nicely demanded, bringing the camera to her eyes. "Smile bright! You look amazing."
Her compliments caused my cheeks to flush pink and for my smile to grow bigger, reaching my eyes. The clicking sound of the camera echoed through the room, and the flash constantly blinded me every five seconds. My father was in the background already tearing up only at my photos; I couldn't imagine how he's going to react during the ceremony.
"There! Tilt your head upwards, okay! Just pretend Declan is behind the camera," his mother suggested, snapping the photo the second I giggled.
"Mrs. Novak!" I whined, my stomach becoming a dome of swarming butterflies.
"Let's try one behind the chair," she advised, gesturing to go behind the chair.
Obeying, I moved behind the chair, propelling my arm on the headrest and placing my chin in my palms like a blooming flower. My cheeks burned from all the smiling, but it would be a lie if I said I didn't enjoy being photographed. It brought me back to those younger times when my Mom acted the same way Declan's mother did.
"Why do you need so many photos of her, she looks ugly anyway," Sam interjected, sitting criss-cross applesauce on his cushion chair.
"Shhh, Sam! Where are your manners?" Mrs. Novak narrowed her eyes towards him.
"Whatever," he mumbled, rolling his eyes and dropping his gaze back to his phone
"I can't believe today is the last day I'm going to see Lana wearing that uniform," my father sniffled, rubbing his palms together.
