Beside You~a.i.

Chapter 34: Graduation

~Bailey's POV~:
It was the day of my graduation. All thirteen years of school are finally paying off, all of those long nights studying or working on homework, all of those stupid tests I had to take, and every grade I received have led me to this day.

I wasn't giving a speech and I wasn't going to receive any special awards or anything. It's not like I'm valedictorian or anything...I'm just like the majority of these students. I will walk up on that stage, receive my diploma, shake hands with some staff, move my tassel from right to left, and take my seat once again to finish watching the rest of the students do what I just did.

I stood in my room, graduation gown on. I was staring at my reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall near my bed, thinking back on everything that led to this day. I thought of the easy days in kindergarten when we would make crafts and practice writing our names on small sheets of paper. I remember sticking chopsticks in my hair during our free time in 2nd grade. I also recall stealing Ben Johnson's little rubber toy elephant in 3rd grade. I remember being scolded in 4th grade for pretending to smoke a candy cane. I can recall learning how to play the piano, then the guitar, and finally playing for the percussion in our school band and marching band. I remember the weird transition to middle school, then high school. I remember all of those disappointing grades and scores on tests, those hard homework nights. I remember first dates and that first kiss at Brandon Hunter's soccer game, after he scored a winning goal. All of those memories, all leading up to today.

There was a faint knock at my bedroom door that forced me out of my thoughts. "Hey sweetie, I just came to check on you." My mom walked into the room and I smiled her way, "Are you almost ready? We should leave soon to get to the ceremony on time." I nodded and told my mom I would just be a second. She left me alone to run a quick check on my hair and makeup, but I was downstairs not too long after she had left.

When I had gotten out to the family minivan, my entire family and Ashton were waiting inside. "It's about time." Maddie grumbled. I don't know what got into her. I took a seat in the way back, next to Ashton while Maddie closed the car door and we left for the Mariucci Arena, where the ceremony would be held. I go to a big school with over a thousand people in the senior class so they have to hold our graduation in the hockey arena for the University of Minnesota's men's hockey team.

The ceremony will last about four hours maybe. I've been to a few in the past for band and they have all taken that amount of time, roughly. When we got to the arena I said a quick goodbye to my family and Ashton pulled me in for a small kiss, before I raced to the area that was filled with the other graduates. "Bailey!" I turned my attention to Ava who was running towards me, her arms outstretched. I held out my arms as well and we hugged tightly. "We're finally graduating Bailey!"

"I know! We made it." Ava and I have been friends since that first day in kindergarten, we've been through everything together and now we're finally graduating, together.

Soon we were getting lined up to head out to our seats in alphabetical order. Ava and I were separated at that point since her last name began with an 'N' and mine with a 'C' but we promised to find one another after the ceremony. All of the students were led to their designated seats, like we practiced in the rehearsel yesterday. My seat was to the right of Jake Corst, a guy I had dated a year ago. To my right was Amanda Crawford, a quiet girl with a very nice personality.

The ceremony began with a few words from staff then the speech from the valedictorian about success, then from the class clown who made everyone laugh at his jokes and graduation puns. I've always enjoyed the outgoing nature of Tim Grayson, and his ability to make anyone laugh. Things carried on slowly after that as there were more words from the principal and vice principal, then the superintendent. Speeches were boring and unnecessarily repetitive, but soon they were lining people up to receive diplomas.