Everything That's Precious

Chapter Nine: Graduation

5 months pregnant

I was finally done. It was finally over. At least it would be in about 10 minutes. I was in my yellow cap and gown. Jared, oh sweet Jared, was sitting two rows in front of me in his blue cap and gown. Our school colors. Blue and yellow.

Jared turned around and our eyes met. He smiled and I smiled back. Five months pregnant and he still didn't care. He said it didn't bother him. I guess one would consider that a good thing because ever since our date on the lake two weeks ago, Jared hasn't left me alone. He claimed I wasn't getting rid of him now and he had nothing to worry about because I didn't plan on that anytime soon. Jared made me smile, he made laugh, he made me happy. I deserved to be happy, didn't I? I deserved to have someone make me smile, didn't I?

Diplomas ready to be given, the names of the graduates began to be called.

"Hannah Alvez," Mrs. Keller, our principal, said into the microphone on stage.

It went on like that, the names of my fellow classmates being called and me not caring, me not cheering like everyone else, until I heard a name that made my heart flutter.

"Jared Gregory."

Jared got up from his seat, walked to the stage, up the stairs, and over to shake our principals hand. I screamed and clapped; I even got up out of my seat. Jared turned to walk off stage, but before he walked down the stairs he turned and looked straight at me. Jared smiled and winked like he usually did. Then, he walked down the stairs in a jog, his tassel swaying back and forth.

After that, I only cheered for one more person before it was my turn to get my diploma.

"Jenna Keaton."

I did the same thing for my best friend that I ha done for Jared. She looked at a few people before walking off stage: her mom and dad (who still hated me), her little brother (who still loved me), her grandmother, and her boyfriend. When she reached the bottom step of the stairs to the stage, she smiled at me and blew me a kiss. I smiled back and pretended to catch her kiss. I was in the middle of Jenna-induced nostalgia when I heard what I had been waiting for

"Sophia McKenna," Mrs. Keller called.

My name echoed through the clear blue sky of the football field. I heard my mom, my brothers, Devon and her boyfriend, Nate, and my grandparents cheering. Getting up out of my seat, I walked the walk of champions. I walked the walk of winners. I walked the walk to my new beginning. Not many people cheered for me from our class. Just Jared, Jenna, and a few of the people who were just generally nice, but that was enough for me. As I shook Mrs. Keller's hand, she leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Good luck."

She pulled back and smiled. I smiled back meekly. I turned and looked straight into the eyes of my classmates. I looked into the eyes of those who had hurt me lately, the eyes of those who choose to ignore my situation. I looked into the eyes of my old friends, the eyes of my cheering best friend. Last, I looked into Jared's eyes. He wasn't cheering anymore, just smiling. And in that moment I knew I had done it. Looking into the eyes of Jared, I knew. My life had just begun. I was turning the page of my book to the next unwritten chapter, and I was ready. I was not scared anymore.

I walked back to my seat and sat. I met my mother's eyes and saw that she was crying. Not the "Oh my goodness, my daughter's having a baby" tears, but the "My baby did it" tears. Proud tears. Happy tears. I smiled at her. I met the eyes of both my smiling brothers and laughed; they were the best. Lastly, I looked a Devon. My older sister; my best friend. She was crying, too. She wasn't crying motherly tears or sad tears, but the same tears that started falling freely down my face seconds ago. They were tears of new life. She was crying because she had felt it, too; the new chapter of my life. She was crying for me. She knew it would be hard and that I would struggle, but she had faith in me. She knew I could do it, and she' would be by my side through it all. She would always be there. My big sister. My friend; my Devon. Always there.

I was too happy the rest of graduation to even care when Kyle's name was the last to be called. Too happy to care that he looked right at me and tried to make eye contact. Too happy. Too happy. I barley paid attention to what the principal said and most of the valedictorians speech until she, Emma Wrigley, finished with something that would stay with me forever.

"Our lives are just beginning. We are like newborns in the arms of the world. We may go on and often look back on these past four years, but the things that have been said will no longer affect us. The things that once mattered no longer will. We will no longer be held back by the burden of loneliness, conformity, rejection, or self-consciousness. We're free. We can go on and we can grow. We'll make mistakes and learn from them. We'll meet new people and make new friends. Most of us will lose old friends, but all of us will have new experiences. I bet some of you are thinking, we already do all of those things, but it's different now. We'll experience all these things as official adults instead of teens or children. One thing I know that won't change for me, and hopefully for you all, too, is my memories. I will never forget the past four years. I will always remember all the times we've had together, good and bad. I will carry you all with me forever. I hope you all have a long and wonderful life, something I hope for myself, for all of us. So hear goes nothing class of 2012! WE DID IT!!" Emma exclaimed.

She began to walk away and the principal took the mic from the stand. However, before Emma reached the edge of the stage, she turned around and ran back to the where Mrs. Keller was preparing to speak again.

"Sorry Mrs. K, one more thing," she said, interrupting the principal's most likely well thought out closing speech and then turned to us, her audience, "I would like to say one last thing before we turn our tassels. I, personally, would like to apologize for the class of 2012 to all the students who have never really felt accepted among us. To all those peers who were bullied for who they are or what they stood for. I would like to apologize to you for the way you've all been treated these past few years, for the way you've been ostracized. You are all such wonderful people. I'm sorry, and I hope," she spread out her arms and looked around at our classmates, "We're sorry."

I was speechless. Emma continued.

"Come on guys, who else wants to apologize?" Emma questioned.

There was silence for a few seconds and then, shocking me from my head to my toes, Kyle stood up, looked directly into my eyes, and yelled, "I do!"

And after he did, everyone else did, too. They all started to shout "Sorry!" I began to cry, but I smiled through it. I couldn't believe this. They might have been apologizing to many, but it felt like some apologizes were meant directly for me.

"We're sorry and we wish you the greatest of luck. We're sorry to anyone who's ever felt alone amongst our class because you aren't. We will forever be apart of each other, and I don't believe we would have survived the last four years without one another. Thank you, 2012, for everything," Emma finished with a smile and walked off stage.

Mrs. Keller took the mic again, said a few more words, and then finally, after what felt like years, exclaimed, "Class of 2012, you did it! Turn your tassels! I'm so very proud of you all! Welcome Bailey High's alumni!"

And we did. We all turned our tassels. Some threw their caps into the awaiting sky. Most did, actually, but not me. I held tightly onto my cap, a symbol of my new beginning; the first sentence of my new chapter. As I held my cap tightly to my chest, I began working my way through the crowd to Jared. He was laughing and cheering, holding tight to his cap, too. When he finally saw me running towards him, he quickly closed the distance and wrapped me in his arms. Tight and perfect, like two missing pieces of the same puzzle. He was still holding me when our graduation song started to play. I looked into his eyes and saw that he was crying. We kissed, our tears flowing together into one waterfall.

Graduation. We had done it. I had done it! Here I come new life; here I come. I looked at Jared and smiled. He rested his hands on both sides of my stomach. Here we come.