Charming Down South

Chapter 12: Uncover

"Ready?"

Nick looked down at our entwined hands and then back into my eyes.

I smiled back shakily

Today's graduation. I was selected as valedictorian, and have to give a speech. I shuffled my feet which were in some black flats. I had on a form fitting white dress that flared out at my knees, and black jewelry.

I pulled my graduation gown on over my head, dropping his hand for a second before he grabbed it back.

I smiled up at him, we've been "together" for about three days now, ever since he walked into that coffee shop.

"Ready" he gave me a soft kiss on the forehead and lead me through the doors to the auditorium, which was slowly filling with people.

We sit down in the last two seats in the front row.

I looked around at the faces of my classmates as they took their seats. we all looked older, more mature.

My eyes landed on the man sitting next to me. we had one year left. one year until I went off to college after my by year, and one year until he leaves to New York.

I feel my eyes glaze over as he runs his fingers through his hair, messing it to perfection.

I thought of how quickly my opinion of him changed. I saw him as a self centered perverted jerk, but now I see him as a caring gentleman. and still kinda a pervert.

The principal walked up to the podium on the stage and tapped the mic. Seeing as it was on, he leaned in and started talking

"Tonight we are here with 98 students here at southern comp, to bestow upon them the honor to graduate."

The crowd applauded.

"I'll now call off the names of the students, when you hear you're name, please come up and receive your diploma and rose.

"Bella Axon" I clapped and cheered as Bella walked up the steps to receive her diploma and rose, she teetered up their in some high heeled shoes, I told her not to buy yet she did.

She took her diploma with a grin on her face and a blush on her cheeks.

The next student was called. so was the next one, and the next one.

Me and nick were called up. same with Chris, Justin, and Liam. Luke was last and he walked to the stage with confidence, throwing kisses to the crowd.

I laughed and rolled my eyes, typical luke, he just had to one up me.

"Now the top fifteen."

No one I knew was in the top 14 except this one kid I sat next to in math.

"And now please welcome your southern comp valedictorian of 2015, Lacey Baily."

The crowd clapped as I walked towards the microphone.

"We are now in the world." I licked my dry lips and shifted on my feet.

"We are in the real world as adults, as workers, as drivers, as voters, and as citizens. when you walk out of these doors, your high school story will be a distant past, and even if you don't admit it, all of us in here are terrified. parents are terrified you'll grow up and be trash.
You're siblings won't have anyone to look up to, and we are all afraid we aren't good enough."

I softened my voice.

"But listen to this, to me. yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, right now is a gift, for it's called the present."

"So just for the next few hours let's live like there's no tomorrow for today is truly a gift."

The crowd cheered and I saw Bella wipe a tear from her eye.

"Up till now, we've all been wearing masks. the jocks may be hiding how well they are at math, the so called nerds may be able to spiral a football better than Peyton Manning. we all have masks. my mask is this."

I shook my hair from the ponytail and got rid of my braces and glasses.

A small string of gasps sounded through the crowd.

"I was a model, named lucky. I made about 6,000 dollars per photoshoot, but when I came here I was no one. I had six friends that saw me for who I really am. so just tonight don't only live for today, take off the masks we have on, that are blurring our visions. thank you."

I scampered back down to Nick who swung me around in the air and gave me a sweet innocent kiss.

"That was fantastic." he whispered in my ear.

I winked at him and said

"I know"

I giggled as he rolled his eyes and lifted me in the air again.

He set me down and took our caps in his hand.

"To being us" he said

I nodded "to being us."

He tossed our caps into the trash can and we ran out the doors.

"How does it feel?" He asked as we ran through the parking lots to his motorcycle.

"I'm not sure, still caught up on the moment."

He laughed and took my hand.

&&&&&&&&&

1 YR LATER

"I got in!" I screamed.

I ran through the house, waiving the peice of paper in the air.

I quit my modeling job to go to college and it looks like I'll be doing just that.

"NYS EXCEPTED ME!"

I hugged my plush animals on my bed.

No one was home so who else was I supposed to share it with? My fish, I'm not insane.

I ran to the front door and quickly snatched my keys out of the tray.

I drove ten units over the speed limit, all of the way to the building.

Nicks grandpas building to be precise. this was where he was training to go to their headquarters or whatever in New York.

I sprinted all the way up to his office, grinning from ear to ear.

I skipped down the hallway and swung his office door open wide.

"What the!"

That's not nick. that feminine voice, that wasn't Nick.

My heart stopped in my chest when I saw the girl sitting on his desk.

"Lacey"

My eyes broke away from her to see Nick standing there with messed up clothes and a smudge of lipstick on his lip.

"Wha-" my voice broke as the girl slipped her blazer back on and disappeared from the office.

"Lace, it's not what it looks like."

I threw the paper at him and ran from the room. I made my way down the stairs, my view clouded with tears.

It burns . I can't believe he did that. well of course he did, I was never good enough, how could I ever think I was.

I slammed the door to my car as he ran out onto the street.

"Lace!"

I slammed on the gas pedal. goodbye, goodbye forever.

That day I learned something. I learned just because people look like princesses, doesn't mean they get a happy ending.

His words made me feel loved, and needed. heck I thought I was in love with him! Yet to him, it's all just a game.

They say sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?

Well, we see how that turned out.