the one ( graham lansing )

# 12

I'VE NEVER WANTED TO CRY MORE IN MY LIFE, i mean high school had it's ups and downs and now it's all over. all of us are going our own way for our future, to be who we want to be now. it didn't feel real and i don't want it to feel real because i don't want to be far away from mandy and ben, the two people i love the most. it is exciting to enter a new chapter but also scary because i don't know what is going to happen and just having a graduation for it is even more terrifying.

mandy stood at the stage, where there was a podium where she could speak at. i sat right next to ben as we held the biggest smiles on our faces.

"hi, i'm mandy yang, your salutatorian because i got a 94 in pe and today . . ." mandy stood there not knowing what to say, she could feel all those looks that people gave her and she hated it but me, ben and latoya gave her reassuring looks which told her you got this, "well, today, i was going to give a speech filled with wisdom from my heroes like ruth bader ginsburg and ingrid downs. but instead, i'd like to share some advice i got from someone very important to me and that advice is: LAD. l which stands for looks, a for are and d for deceiving. for those of you who sometimes find yourself to think of who someone is by their looks like me, LAD basically tells us don't judge a book by it's cover, don't assume who someone is by what they look like. it applies to any time in life because it's important to be someone, no matter who you are and have goals, to get somewhere and even if people think that you are just some pretty face go and prove them wrong. so to all of that liam kenning-" before mandy keeps talking am i the only who is hoping she'd say i love you? just me? okay, cool. "-thank you for making my last semester of high school different and thank you for teaching me new things and to my fellow seniors, oh, i hope whatever life brings you next is amazing, and you could cherish it forever" she said, thinkign she finished but one more thing was in mind, i can always tell when she has more to say.

"oh! and one more thing, go bulldogs!" she said as everyone stood up, cheering as me and ben made a heart with our hands for her.

after that the three of us ended up taking pictures, funny, happy, basically any kind of pictures.

"i can't believe you both are leaving me for boston and new york"

"i'll miss you" i said as i looked at mandy.

"i mean, i can't say no to dr. downs offer to sit in her-" mandy started to say as me and ben finished her line.

"i will be back before labor day" mandy said as i nodded.

"same here so you'll have to pencil us in between dates with your new girlfriend" i said as we all held hands.

"can you guys believe i have a girlfriend?"

"can you believe it's latoya reynolds?" me and mandy said at the same time which made her come our way.

"at what point are you going to stop referring to me by my full name? you stop doing that to graham" she said which made me realize, i need to see graham before i leave.

"speaking of graham, i have to go say goodbye to him" i said as i walked outside, coming eye to eye contact with him before i leave.

"i'll only be a 3 hour flight away so feel free to always come visit me" i said, holding both his hands.

"i'll always come visit you" he said as i looked at my mom and andrew.

"this is goodbye" i spoke, as i felt tears form in my eyes.

"it is but it's not like we're never gonna see each other again" he said as i hugged him tightly, putting my forehead against his.

"god, i'll miss you" i said as i kissed him.

"i'll miss you too" he said to me as i walked towards my car, hugging my mom and andrew, telling them my goodbyes.

onto the next chapter, baby.