luck | harrison osterfield au

3. june

"Do you think this dress is appropriate for the graduation ceremony?" I looked up from my phone facing Liv dressed up in a rather revealing dress. She looked stunning. She always looked stunning in everything she put on her. Whether it was a jogging suit or a night dress. However, our school was not very welcoming to girls when it came to appropriate clothing. Julie, who was sitting next to me, and I made eye contact and we both had a worried look in our eyes.

"It's not like they could dress-code you on your last day." Liv looked at me with a doubt in her eyes. "'Besides, they won't be able to see it anyways under your graduation gown." I added quickly.

"You look exceptional though."

"I know, right." Liv responded to Julie's remark and made a twirl in her dress. "I was saving it for a special occasion so-." She could not finish her sentence for Harriet sprinted through the front door. She looked at us with disbelief and the room went silent for a moment.

"Do you think I could get dress-coded?"

"Who cares," Harriet threw her hands in the air and then motioned to her phone showing us time, "if you are not able to make it in time? I have been waiting for you three in the car for fifteen minutes now." I felt sorry for leaving Harriet in the car alone waiting for us, but I honestly did lose track of time. I was ready a long time ago thanks to my anxiety about being late to any kind of important event. Nevertheless, Liv never shared this anxiety of mine despite the fact she was late to every event that had settled a specific time of start. Her problem was that she always thought she had time until she did not.

Fortunately, we arrived nearly half an hour before everything started and looked for Veronica who would be making a speech in the name of all the students in the senior year. She was an active participant in the school life which was a thing I admired a lot about her because I was not able to balance my school life with the other parts of my life as she did. She did these kinds of speeches countless times and looked like a presidential candidate ready to destroy her opponent in a debate. Her expression changed to a large smile when she saw us approaching her and waved at us.

"You should put on your gown Livi or else you get dress-coded." Was the first thing she said to us when we got to her. Olivia rolled her eyes although she put on her gown without any protest. I looked around at all the people who were coming or were already seated chatting with each other in a cheerful manner.

I do not know if it was the sunlight or the fact that this was their last day in this institution, nevertheless everyone seemed happier than they did in all the four years together. And I did not blame them if it was not for my friends or a few good teachers I would not miss this place at all. The nonsensical rules, unuseful skills that I learned and the hours I spent sitting and learning things I despised were overthrown by all the great memories we shared in the musical room with our amazing teacher or cheering for Liv when the baseball team won their most important match or simply sitting at lunch during break hoping it would never end. But here we were four years later wishing we would have known all the things we knew now, wishing to slow down time for the one last time before we would take a step into adulthood where nothing would be as dreamy as it used to be. I listened to Vee mentioning all these things in her speech, and even though I heard it multiple times this week when she gathered us to be her audience when she was preparing, it made me a little emotional. One era came to an end and another one was starting. The scary thing was that I did not know where it would lead me and not only me but my bandmates as well.

After getting our diplomas, I was not sure if it was called like this and despite my four year stay in the States I still could not get the education system, we met with our parents looking proudly at us, taking pictures and videos and I somehow felt like a child in kindergarten again. My parents were not the emotional type of people but I could swear I saw a few tears ricochet in the sunlight. I was their only child after all. I looked around at all the families gathered around their children or talking with each other, probably about the next big step in their children's life aka university. I could not help but wonder whether I did not disappoint my parents in this, sure I accomplished a great deal of things that my peers could only dream about, yet that silly little voice in me still bugged me for not choosing the route approved by the society.