𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞

ɢʀᴀᴅᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

The time has finally come. After years of hard work, I'm finally done, finally finished. Today was May third.

My graduation day.

I smoothed down my long white, flared sleeve tight dress as I looked in the mirror. A pair of plain black heels was worn with this dress.

My beautiful, curly hair was parted in the center as it cascaded down my back. My make-up was quite simple. My brows had been plucked and shaped.

My lashes were long and mascara-coated. My lips were glossed and my nose and cheekbones were highlighted.

I smiled as the clock struck twelve.

It was finally time.

I grabbed up my graduation gown and slid it over me. With the intention of returning after the ceremony, I left everything in this room.

As soon as I exited the school, I went straight to my allotted seat. Because I was a little early, I got to watch a lot of other students walking to their seats with a happy and proud smile on their faces.

Looking past that, I noticed a few faces I recognized. Because they were the closest to me, I immediately saw the two of them. Luca and Rome.

They glanced at me and waved wildly, which made me laugh. As I turned away and the chairs became increasingly crowded, my stomach began to ache.

My stomach churned with nerves and butterflies. It was almost as if my own organs couldn't grasp what was happening.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. I tried to remind myself of how far I had came and how close I was to reaching my goal.

When my stomach calmed down, I realized that seemed to work. As I looked around, I noticed that all of the seats were taken, indicating that the ceremony was about to begin.

The formal introduction began. Teachers, staff, and board members spoke one after the other, congratulating the students for their hard work over the years.

After a half-hour, people were being called up to the stage to get their degrees.

I sighed, knowing that this would be a lengthy process, but I kept my head high and waited patiently for my turn.

Name after name was shouted out. Nerves returned when the list of names drew closer to my last name. On my left, someone gently nudged me.

"Are you nervous? Your face says it all," said the man next to me.

An uneasy laugh escaped my lips. "It's that noticeable? But, yes, I'm a little nervous."

He shook his head. "Don't be, only tell yourself how far you've gone. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so take advantage of it."

Before I could respond to his comment or even ask for his name, his name was called. He stood up and winked at me, before coming onto the stage to receive his degree.

Sol Monroy.

Before receiving his paper, he shook the director's hand. He then began walking back. When I heard my name, I snapped back to reality.

"Valentina Morales."

I stood up and smoothed out my outfit before coming onto the stage. To avoid falling, I kept my head high and walked in small steps.

I heard screaming and hollering from the back of the crowd. I was certain my family and friends were cheering for me. Without returning the stare, I smiled and shook my head.

I shook the director's hand when I got close enough.

He said softly, "Congratulations, Ms. Morales." I accepted the paper he had handed me with a big smile.