Quints: The Wiccaning

Chapter 4.4

It was four past noon and all that was on their minds was whether Lora had threatened them or offered her help. There was no need to contemplate or speculate the situation, most of them were preoccupied about getting to the ceremony venue on time which was an hour before the actual ceremony. Though there were two bathrooms in the house; there were seven showers to take, seven dress clothes to get into, five graduation gowns to put on, hair to be done, and five faces that used make up. After three short hours, everyone was ready but Lucy, she kept reapplying blush and red lipstick like they were lotion and chapstick. Isadora warned her if she wasn't in the van in the next five minutes they would leave without her. Lucy laughed not realizing Isadora didn't care if she no longer qualified for a driver's license, her priority was for her grandchildren to walk and obtain their diploma casings. The engine blared only forty seconds after Isadora had buckled her seatbelt and the nonplussed vehicle roared out from the driveway and onwards to the eager ceremony. Heads turned, itching to descry Lucy running after them, but no such luck, however Isadora did mention that no way in Nadir would Lucy miss their high school graduation, she seemed so sure that they decided to believe her.

Nearly thirty minutes in traffic, but Isadora managed to deliver them to the front doors of an opulent theatre just in time for seating registration while she looked for a parking spot possibly seven blocks away. Once inside, they searched for the seats with their nametags taped to them; being organized in alphabetical order, it wasn't too difficult to seat themselves ten minutes before the ceremony began. Bleu sat in the second column back while the others sat as a group in the third, behind her. In past ceremonies, a long aisle segregated female students from the males. This year however, Ventura Prep was feeling inclusive. The seating arrangement at the stalls looked like a holiday fruitcake from the balconies, kind of messy but still enjoyable. The ladies wore a green cap and gown, the gentlemen wore the color red, and a golden chimera embroidered on the right chest of both cloths. Though all students were seated the doors remained open to straggling relatives. The ceremony could begin, it would roughly take ninety minutes to wrap things off and leave. After the sentimentalities and an unfulfilled we did it from the valedictorian, Bleu-Claire Alizée Fiori, students would begin to walk across the stage to greet their teachers one last time and receive an empty diploma case after their names were called.

"Good evening, Ventura Prep faculty and members. I'm supposed to say something along the lines of how these last four years have been life changing when in fact, I've learnt more about life this last month. My mother's death-" mouths widened and eyeballs became uneasy, "-was a real eye opener not just for me but for the rest of my siblings as well. You may know them as the quintuplets." People all around laughed. "While in high school, life is portrayed to us like a game board; you roll the dice, do what the spot you land on says, if you don't there will be consequences. I've learnt that you are your own person and can choose your own path. From a doctorate in science to laying bricks for the rest of us to wear out, we are the same community." As her speech grew more intense so did her audience clinging to their seats. "Companions, today we graduate and I bless the paths you take. Don't let anyone stop you. We are our own future." Applause and cheers were heard as the school director took Bleu's place at the podium to call up the graduating students of Ventura Prep. When it was Bleu's turn to go up, as tempted as she was to call them up by Fiori quintuplets, an odd fellow tapped her shoulder and her muttered words were projected to the present guests.

"Do I really have to call them up one by one?" The short fellow nodded looking at the laughing audience from the corner of his eye. "Very well. Bleu-Claire Fiori," Bleu stood and walked up to the stage as quickly as possible. "Corbin Fiori," once Bleu sat down, you could hear cheers from the balcony, it could only have been their grandmother Lucy. Lucy had just made it in time to see her grandchildren walk. The school director called up the rest of the siblings as fast as she possibly could. Three out of the five siblings were able to graduate with honors, one of them was also given the honor of valedictorian; everyone was so happy with their own accomplishments.

After the ceremony had concluded, all of the students met with their families in the lobby. Scattered congratulations could be heard coming from every direction as well as murmured afterparty plans, one in particular that would take place at the quints' home. When they got inside the van, Bleu brought up the wiccaning, she had a notion to propose to everyone. Watching the ceremony had given her the idea of an individual wiccaning for each of them instead of a collective one; this was more plausible to work because each one of them have different achievements just like they do personalities. Isadora smiled at her through the rearview mirror as a blessing to continue this proposal.

"Sure it will be sixty-five blessings in total but if it works, it'll be worth it. Plus, we have to be prepared and shield the wiccaning space just in case any unwelcome visits arrive," Bleu looked around the van as she asked, "So who would like to give it a try?" everyone sat silent but to her surprise they all had their hands up in agreement. "Okay then. It's time to party, freaks!" The van howled and screeched for the night was finally a real celebration.