The Unhidden

Chapter 20

~Graduation day, Friday~

Well today is the day, after this day I am no longer in High School. The day that I pick my future, the day that I will walk across this stage in front of the entire Senior class, the very day eleven years ago I lost my parents and almost lost my life. It's kind of hard to think of the day as a great day, it's almost as if it's bittersweet. The day I lost my parents, well it's just hard.

I don't think the school planned the day graduation goes on. Sometimes I think they just didn't want to have the Seniors waiting so long. I personally don't want to graduate today, maybe it can be tomorrow, or the next day, just not today. Most of the students know that my parents died on this day, some do not. I can see how, as the fire chief and the police chief both reopened the case, now calling it a homicide. I know my parents were murdered in cold blood, I would have been dead too, but I'm not.

Eleven years ago today my parents lost their lives and eleven years later, well I'm graduating from High School, bittersweet.

Right now I am in my orange gown, Rebecca is right beside me in her orange gown, the school has given us a white cap to decorate. The boys well they got the same thing but their gown is white and cap is orange. I have black shorts and a red tank under, Rebecca is wearing dark blue jean shorts with a white tank under.

"Carr I know today is going to be rough but we're all here and we aren't going anywhere" Chad and Constance hugs me tightly. Harold isn't here right now as he had to go and get Chrissy, Adam, Nikki and our grandparents'. Harold said they were going to meet us there.

As students of the Senior Class we have to be at the school so they can transport us in limos to the convention center downtown. We all pile in the car and move to the school in record time.

"Girls we are so proud of you, now Carr do you have your speech ready?"

"Yes" I sigh.

"Great then we will see both of you at the ceremony." Rebecca and I get out of the car and they drive off. We head to the front of the schools and sign in. I have to sit right next to Rebecca when we get on the limos and at the ceremony. We don't talk but we do sit at our assigned seats.

Let me explain about the speech, well Becca and I both got pulled out of class about a month ago and was wanted at the principals office, long story short he wants me to write a speech mostly about my feelings and highschool career. Becca was offered one also but she turned it down.

I relax as more of my classmates get on their assigned limo. Once everyone is on, about 800 students, we all head to downtown. It is a short ride about 20 minutes. We get there and in single file we all go in the building. We take our seats but I stay standing as the principal walks to me for the speech. Minutes pass and I stay standing on the side of the stage waiting my turn. Seconds later our principal introduces me to the stage. I slowly walk up to the podium and look at my fellow classmates. Then I close my eyes and breathe, then I start my speech:
"Today, eleven years ago as many of you know two people in the Williams family died in a house fire, they had left their youngest daughter an orphan. Those two people that lost their lives are my parents Julianna and Greg Williams. Life is short as I could've died with them, while they were here they would always tell me to look farther and brighter you couldn't go wrong. Now as I am 17 they would say the same thing because even though we hurt or something bad has happened we control our future. Some of us wanted to be princes or princesses, others wanted to be lawyers or doctors, we choose what we want to do and what we want to be the light shines through on the darkest of nights, we may not see it but it's there. My parents would love to be here but they are. Graduating from school doesn't stop up but it does let us start something new. Most of you are going to college or the army, or just doing your own thing. Highschool no longer stops us, but starts something new with these diplomas you can do anything you want, legal wise. No ones stopping you from having the life you want so congratulations the Senior Class and let's make it through sitting down for two more hours because in the end it will be worth it." I finish my speech and the Class went crazy clapping.