Blind to Beauty

Chapter Eighteen

“You don't love a girl because of beauty. You love her because she sings a song only you can understand.” ― L.J. Smith, Secret Vampire

    I sat in the crowd next to Lacey while our valedictorian did his speech. He had been going a good five minutes at it and already I was so bored I thought my eyes were going to fall out. He kept drowning on and on about his freshmen year here and how he never thought he’d become valedictorian. I didn’t think that these speeches were meant for this, but whatever.

     Ms. Barely sat on stage behind him, nodding her head and sniveling into a tissue. She was pretending to be upset that she would be losing another generation of seniors. She did this every year. She’d get the sympathy of some of the parents, who were oblivious of her evil ways. Faculty, students and the remainder of the parents would simple ignore her sniveling and roll their eyes.  

      After what seemed like forever the valedictorian was coming to the closing of his speech, and for this I listened. I always liked listening to the closing lines of movies, reading the last sentence of a book and of course the last words of a speech. It was usually something that was memorable or impacted your life in some way. If it didn’t… then it wasn’t a very good book, movie, or speech.

      “Four years ago, I walked through the doors of this school for the first time, not knowing what to expect. I made amazing friendships that I would never have dreamed of. I learned how to write a great English paper, how to solve a calculus problem, the different parts of the human body and what each one is used for. But most importantly,” here he paused, gazing over the crowd for dramatic effect, “I learned not to judge a book by its cover. Everyone, no matter how they look; no matter how they appear to act on the outside; no matter their background or past… Everyone has something to offer to your life. Good or bad it’ll make you a better person in the end. And Wilmer High School has taught and given me that.”

      The crowd erupted into applause and everyone threw their hats in the air, laughing and whooping with relief. It was finally over. Those twelve years of schooling, peer pressure, awkwardness, misery… it was all over. Life as we knew it was over and something new was going to start.

      Lacey hugged me tightly, yelling something in my ear that I couldn’t hear over the roar of everyone yelling with delight. I assumed it was something about how much she loved me and that we’d stay friends forever.

     Back at my house, my dad was grilling hamburgers and hotdogs, my mom and Mrs. Larson were making salads, and Mr. Larson was bringing the coolers onto the outside patio. Some of the few guests that were invited to this little gathering were already there enjoying the veggie tray and mingling. Lacey was talking animatedly with her aunt. Then there was me. I was just sitting at a picnic table by myself, twisting the cup of Pepsi around and around.

      I was wondering where Seamoore and Casper were. The picnic had started a little over an hour ago, and they still hadn’t showed up. I knew Seamoore wasn’t one to show up on time, but I figured with Casper coming along too, he’d force him to be on time for once.

     When people would walk by and congratulate me on graduating high school, I’d plaster a smile on my face and thank them. I wouldn’t persist a conversation with them, and vice versa.

     After the hamburgers and hotdogs were grilled to perfection it was time to eat. Everyone rushed to the grill and formed a line, plates in hand. The line was only fifteen people, since it was a small picnic, but it still was a wait. Not being one patient enough to wait in lines I sat back at the table, watching everyone else get their food.