Lover- [Tom Holland×Reader]

26- Didn't fuck it up after all

Tom's P.O.V

"Anything for you, love." I whispered as I held Y/n in my arms.
She was going through a lot and I was feeling really guilty for not being there for her more often. It felt so good to finally see her, hold her. She pulled away, wiping her tears. 
"You okay?" I asked
"I am now." she responded with a sigh.

"Hey Y/n, they're gonna start now." Sofia said as we walked  towards the chairs where her batchmates were seated. I gave Y/n a small kiss before meeting up with Harrison at the back.
All the seniors were now wearing their caps, the tassels on the right side.

Everyone got seated and a few teachers and professors came onto the stage. The principal gave her speech and it was now time to hand the diplomas. I looked over at Y/n who had a big smile on her face but I could understand that she was extremely tensed about her speech.

Y/n's P.O.V

"We will now hand all of your diplomas so one by one as your names are called please come on stage." Miss Williams said after finishing her speech.  I took a deep breath and braced myself.
"Valedictorian, Y/n Y/l/n." she called out my name. 
I stood up and gracefully carried myself to the stage. She handed me my diploma. I bowed, facing the audience and turned my tassel to the left. Everybody clapped and cheered. I looked at Sof, my parents, the Hollands and Tom and all of them looked so proud. I turned on my heel and walked to where the teachers were standing, as I was instructed to do.

"Sofia Holland." Miss Williams said and Sofia walked on stage. She quickly glanced at me, flashing a smile before bowing and turning her tassel. She passed me while going down the small steps and mouthed 'All the best' with a smile. I returned her grin and nodded.

My mind kept going over the lines of the speech. 
Don't mess up.
It has to be perfect. 

I noticed Tom staring at me and let out a playful chuckle. He shook his head, smiling and then took deep breaths, suggesting that I should do the same thing to stay calm. I grinned at him, indicating that I was fine. But it felt like someone was making a milkshake out of my heart and stomach. I just decided to brush it off.
"Lorren Joseph." Miss Williams called out the name of the last person left to get their diploma and once that was done she said, "Now our Valedictorian, Y/n Y/l/n will be saying a few words. Y/n, the stage is all yours." she smiled softly and stepped down from the podium. 

Oh boy, here goes nothing.

I tried my best to show everyone that I was confident. I stood on the small stool to reach the mic as the podium was pretty tall. I let out a deep sigh, prayed that I wouldn't totally, completely and utterly humiliate myself and began.
"Uh- Good morning. I- I am Y/n Y/l/n. I have been given this huge opportunity to g-give a speech as the valedictorian of our batch." I paused, "I'm going to be honest here, public speaking- not my best area but I would be a fool to pass up on such an honor." I sighed. 

Good job not messing it up, I thought. I took a second to clear my head and gave it my best shot, hoping that it'd be enough.

"So the last few months of high school, they-they're crazy. So many emotions flying around that nobody can tell the difference between excitement, grief or nerves. No one wants to say it but we're all thinking about our last's, our last test, last high school party, last homework assignment and if we're going to see that one person again after graduation. We were all running away from the peers that we quote, unquote hated but only now have we realized that this bond, this family that has been created over these long 13 years of school, is unbreakable. We can't run away from family, can we?" I chuckled and so did everyone else, "Scrambling to make amends, reconnect and make new connections, it's all we know, it's all we've ever known. And now we're expected to create a whole new life for ourselves for the first time and that's exciting but mostly it's...scary. We're clutching onto the endless laughter with old friends, late night talks, dinner dates and every last moment that's familiar. A few months from now we're expected to look back and say this is the past. But there's still a bit of time left before we actually have to face reality and I want everyone of you to hold on to every last second of this wonderful journey. Do things that scare you and might probably drive you insane. Make mistakes and be crazy  and reckless. Fall in love with yourself and live life the way you've always wanted to. High school might be ending but like I said, a few months are still left until the burden of the world, your  world falls on your shoulders, so be wild. We have gotten so far and I am proud of each and every one of us. I will be missing you all very much. Take pride in how far you've come, have faith in how far you can go but never forget to enjoy the journey. Thank you!"

 I ended the speech and looked around. Everyone was silent. And then one by one all the students, teachers and family members started standing up and applauding. I felt a great sense of accomplishment and beamed with joy. 

I didn't fuck it up after all.