Late Nights & Pillow Fights

Day 32: Gowns & Graduation

                        
                                  D a w n :

"Nadia Ayane Dawn Saffiya Caparelli."

The customary applause arose in the audience as I stood up and smiled at Headmistress Lovett, walking towards her to accept my diploma.

She smiled at me, holding it out to me, and as soon as my hands came in contact with it, my mother and aunts all stood up from their seats, screaming and shouting for me.

I laughed as I accepted my diploma, blowing a kiss to them.

"Saffiya habibti!" My mother shouted as tears fell from her eyes.

I looked up at the sky, trying to keep from crying as well as I waved at them and headed back to my seat, diploma in hand.

They soon quieted down as the next name was called, nobody else's family seeming to be as wonderfully obnoxious as mine.

I kept on looking at them, unable to stop smiling and unable to keep from crying.

I was officially out of school. I officially graduated.

"Lane Evans."

I felt the row behind me shift and I looked to the side to see Lane walking towards Headmistress Lovett with a smile on his face. He accepted his diploma and gave a small bow before heading back to his seat in the row behind me.

From looking at the audience, I couldn't tell which family was his. There was no cheering or standing up or anything, just the customary round of applause was all.

And even though it was brief, I saw him look out into the audience for a split second, as if he was looking for someone that he knew wasn't there. The look on his face as he had gone to sit down broke my heart. He was smiling, but his eyes were empty.

My breathing was heavy as I looked down at my lap, the rest of the names passing by in a blur. I just wanted to get off the damn stage and see my family and thank them for always being around for me, something I have taken for granted at times.

"Sindy Jiani Zhu."

Headmistress Lovett called out the last name and then we all stood up as Sindy got her diploma and joined us in line.

"And now, as you all move on and continue in your different paths of life, we wish you well. The faculty, the rest of the student body, the families and I, all wish you the best in your future endeavors even though we might not be with you in body, we are with you in spirit."

Another small applause started up, but was interrupted all of a sudden as Kurt yelled from the middle of the mass of kids.

"We graduated!" He shouted, throwing his hat up into the air, and then as if a volcano erupted, we all just started jumping up and screaming, throwing our hats up in the air after him.

"We made it!"

                           *     -     *     -     *

"Saffiya!" My mom shouted my name, opening her arms as she ran to me.

"Ommy!" I ran to her, wrapping my arms around her in a big hug.

She pulled back and kissed my forehead, smiling at me. "Saffiya, ana fakhour jidan bik ."