Chicago (GXG)

Part 30

Graduation

I get out of bed hurriedly after looking at the time on my phone and realizing that I might be late.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" I cursed at myself while rushing to put on my clothes. I can't believe that the last day of school would be my doom after the hundreds and hundreds of days I've endured so far.

I shouldn't give up yet though, I have my graduation clothes in my locker at school and I'll graduate on time if I can just make it to school somehow.
I skip breakfast and call Ronnie to let him know about my tardiness.
"Hey Ron, can you wait for me with the graduation cap and gown thingies by the front door? You know my locker code just go get them please?" I begged him before he could even say hello on the other end.

"Uhh, sure." He laughed and I can hear him get up from somewhere, he must have been sitting.
"Thanks dude. Gotta go." I said and hung up the phone to run faster.
Thank God my dad isn't here to witness my failure...

He went to work and sadly won't be at my graduation but he said we can have a party-slash-gathering with Val and Ron, plus whoever they want to bring. Why can't he skip a day? Well, today happens to be some sort of evaluation day to see if he can get some sort of big promotion. I'm happy for him and it's nice that we both get to move up a peg in life today.

Val and Jonathan should already be there though, probably wondering where my dumbass is. If she calls me I'll pickup but I don't have time to make another call right now.

I get done with my hair and mascara, it's not much but atleast it looks clean.
I take off and run to my bike, realizing I forgot my house keys and the door is now locked. "Well I sure do hope nothing important was left in there." I say to myself as I unlock my bicycle.

I hop on it and ride like the wind, I have about fifteen minutes until I have to be sitting in the crowd and waiting for my name to be called. I weave through the cars and other bikes not caring if I hit someone, I am in a horrible hurry.

I finally make it to the school's front entrance and I see Ron waiting with Jackson, and thankfully they have my gown and cap. They are talking to each other and don't see me run towards them at full speed. I snatch the clothes from Ron's grasp and run past them to the bathrooms, not saying a word. I need to get this shit on as fast as possible.

I struggle for a moment until I finally figure out how a few of the clasps work and then after that is over with I throw on my cap. I leave the bathroom after checking my face in the mirror and the time on my phone. Five minutes until I'm free, yes!

I run down the hallway to where the graduation was set up outside. There is a nice field next to our school and they've always kept graduations out here as long as the weather was nice. I find my seat after looking for people I know and sat down next to my class. I look around and see the back of Val's head poking through the crowd. She's looking forward and I'm behind her so unfortunately I don't think she knows where I am or if I'm here at all. I eventually just get stuck thinking about her instead of the names being called.

These last few months together have been amazing and I couldn't be happier. We've even had a couple of double dates with Joanne and Ronnie, who also seem to be doing more than fine. Both of our relationships have been getting closer and closer as graduation creeped around, and I can't even imagine how nice it will be to live with Val.

School has been going great and I've even made a few new friends. Not the kind that I would hang outside of school with but the kind of friends that one has at school, I guess. Jackson, Ronnie, and I have been hanging out more often as a trio as well.

Jackson's got himself a man nowadays and I think that they're wonderful together. It's like everybody around me has gotten into a relationship of some kind, even my parents are officially back together! Not married, but together.
Dad visits her and they talk on the phone too. She can't talk all day though, only when she has call time or whatever.