Fighting For Love

Epilogue

Niamha sat among the people that he had been thru hell and high water with for the past year. She looked around at the smiling faces that meant more to her than anything she ever thought possible. Cruising over the sea of gold’s and blacks, she faintly made out the figures of her friends all sitting in their seats. Niamha couldn’t help the smile that broke out on her face as her eyes connected to the one that held her heart. He managed to set afire to her body with one look, hold her soul prisoner with a whisper of her name from his delectable lips, be her bestfriend, her lover, her fiancé, the key to her happiness – and she couldn’t ask for anyone better to hold that position. As she stared back into the pools of his forest green eyes, she saw a reflection of his love and happiness that he had for her. The two of them stayed locked onto one another just smiling away like idiots until the principal walked across the stage and asked for everyone’s attention.

“Excuse me ladies and gentlemen,” Principal Cullen came on and waited for the crowd to get quiet, “first off I would like to congratulate for the bottom of my heart the class of 2012 graduates.”

The entire room erupted in applause. Families were whooping and hollering from the stands that surround the graduates in the middle of the gym floor. After everything quieted down Principal Cullen continued, “We wish to begin our ceremony now and we ask that everyone please rise for the presentation of colors by our graduating Color Guard.” And that’s how the ceremony went. All Niamha could remember was plenty of speeches, and sitting there trying to keep her eyes open from all the talking the old folks seemed to wanna do. Niamha was close to having her head hanging like so many other students, when the distinguishable graduation walk song began to play. It was like the key that unlocked all the graduates of their worries. Everyone sat taller; some straightened their caps, ran a hand over their gowns, and wiped the spit from the corner of their mouths. Everything fell into place once the first names were called.

“Now presenting the 2012 graduating class from McDougal Prep High School.” And procession began. One by one each name was called and they all walked across the stage to receive their diploma. Niamah sat as patiently as she could considering she was nervous as hell and had to pee really really badly, for her name to be called. As the line continued and grew closer and closer to herself. She looked at the smiles on all of her friends faces, the look of pure happiness and joy to have that final piece of paper that pulls you out of the world you’ve always known and places you in the world of the unknown – the real world.

“Now presenting our next graduate Niamha Woodrow, with honors in all subjects including Dance. Niamha has been accepted into the University of Dawn and the University of Summit. She has decided to double major in Communications and Dance with a double minor in Broadcasting and Education. She plans to either be a Sports Broadcaster or a High School Dance teacher,” as they were reading Niamha’s information she made her way across the stage and shook the hands of the five people that stood before her. She reached the end and shook Principal Cullen’s hand before stopping to pose for a picture, “Well Niamha if you’re ever looking for work in that educational position, look no further than the place you call home.” She walked off to the end of the stage and began to descend the steps when she felt the pain. It was like the whole world stopped and dropped and there was nothing there but herself wrapped in a bubble of her own as she fell to her knees. It wasn’t like in the movies where everything happens in super slow motion. No. Niamha could feel every minute of every regular second tick by as she lay on the ground. She could faintly make out the sounds around her as the screens and erratic movements of the people around her. She rapidly blinked away at the lights spots beginning to cloud her vision. She felt the tug on her head in a direction, but she was so far gone she couldn’t tell left from right. She head lolled to the side and she struggled with darkness and light to make sight of the figure in front of her. She couldn’t believe this was happening, she thought it was all over. They thought this was all over. She broke thru long enough to see Landon’s sad face leaning over her body holding onto the wound trying to stop the blood from pouring out. She mustered up all the energy she could and raised her arm to his face. He snapped his head over to hers and she saw the tears running down his face. She saw the loss – the defeat in his eyes as he watched the light slip from hers.