At the End

Chapter One: Graduation

I woke up and stared at the ceiling, I still had thirty more minutes to sleep but how could I sleep today of all days. Graduation is today. My thoughts ran through my brain, never ending. Believe me I'm excited, although I have my Valedictorian speech. I've been preparing for this day for the past four years of my life. I couldn't wait to walk across the auditorium stage, but now looking back I'm going to miss high school.

Finally my alarm clock buzzed to life, disturbing my train of thought. I reached across the bed to my nightstand and hit the snooze button. No sooner than the buzzing stopped, my mom walked in holding a box. "I was waiting for your alarm to go off before I brought this in." She set the wrapped package onto the end of my bed and walked back out. Before shutting my door she turned around, "I love you Cambry."

"Love you too." I half smiled. My mom and my relationship have drifted apart the last couple of months. My dad died last summer in a car accident and instead of learning to cope with it, my mom went into drunken episodes where she would drink too much to forget her pain. I understood what she was going through, but she left me alone half the time. I finally told her she needed to clean up her act or I was moving out, so now she's a month sober. I of course miss my dad but I can't let it affect how I live my life. I know he'd want me to be successful so that's what I'm going to do.

I picked up the box after checking my phone and responding to a few text messages. I pulled at the wrapping, which came off very easily, and opened the box. Note this wasn't a small box. As soon as I opened the box I smiled. It was a long, flowy, light blue dress. Mom had taken me shopping last week and I saw the dress in the window of a little boutique, but I didn't get it. I got out of bed and pulled the dress out of the box and set it it over the chair in front of my vanity. I went to the bathroom and washed my face. I then proceeded to curl my dark brown hair and do my makeup. I usually don't put this much effort into my appearance, but today was special. I slipped the beautiful dress on, it fit perfect. I put on my favorite pair of white wedges and looked in the mirror. I grinned at all the effort that was put into this outfit. I grabbed my cap and gown and walked downstairs.

Mom was sitting at the kitchen table drinking some coffee and eating toast. She looked up at me and smiled the biggest smile I've seen her smile in a long time. "Well would you look at that. You look beautiful Cam."

"Thanks mom. Nice pick."

"Well we both know I didn't pick it out."

I laughed a little and sat down with her. " I was waiting to tell you until I found out for sure, but I got accepted to Columbia."

She jumped up screaming in excitement. "I told you that you could do it!" She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. "Oh honey, I'm so proud of you." She let go. "Okay now you better be off, you don't want to be late to your own graduation. I'll meet you there."

I slid off the seat of the chair and grabbed my car keys off the counter. I walked outside, cap and gown in hand. I don't drive a super fancy car, it's just a 2007 white GMC Sierra truck. It was my dad's. After he died we got it fixed because I told me I wanted a part of him. I stuck the key in the ignition turned it, the engine purred to life and the radio clicked on. I plugged my phone into the aux cord and turned on my favorite band, Cage the Elephant. Singing along I backed out of the driveway and drove. I lived less than five minutes away from the school if I took the short route, but today I decided to take the long one. It extended the drive by a good ten minutes, but it was the only way I could clear my head sometimes. Than music continued and no sooner than I left my house I was at the school. The parking lot wasn't very crowded so I pulled into one of the closer spots and parked. I flipped down the sun viser to take one last look before I went inside. I shut the engine off and got out.

I took my seat next to a guy named Holden Thomas. He was my best friend. We've known each other since we were two, out dads worked together until the accident. Luckily, Holden and I stayed through it all.

"Wow Cam. You clean up nicely." He grinned cheekily. I blushed and punched his arm softly.

"Not too bad yourself."

"Ladies and gentleman." Principle Baxter walked onto the stage over to podium. He was a tall, slender man with a kind face. "We are going to begin this special occasion but welcoming our valedictorian Cambry Michaelson." I stood up, walked across the room, up the stairs onto the stage, and over to the podium.

"Thank you Mr. Baxter." I smiled. I took a deep breath, I was ready for this.

"Senior year is unlike an other year. Here are a few things you should know. It won't hit you when you wake up on the first day of school, or as you walk into the locker room for your final season of high school ball. It won't hit you when you attend your final pep rally and football game. It won't hit you when you're attending your last homecoming with your best friends and your boyfriend as the DJ spins old and new music. It won't even hit you when you attend your senior prom. It won't hit you when you fill out many college applications hoping to get into that one special one. You don't feel it when you're partying and having fun with your friends on your senior skip day or your senior picnic. You don't start to feel and realize it until you walk across this stage. You then realize you won't ever see half of these people again. You share so many memories with so many of these people and you won't see them again, but that's okay. We are here today to celebrate all of the hard effort we put into the past thirteen years of our lives. We are here to celebrate because you passed, you heard back from the college you wanted to go to. You enjoyed your senior year and you're going to enjoy the rest of your life. You're going to walk across this stage in a minute and you're going to think to yourself that you did it, and with that I congratulate everyone. You all have bright future ahead of you full of mistakes and memories. Today is the day that your life begins."

Everyone began to clap. This was a million times better than I could ever imagine it. Principle Baxter walked back onto the stage as a walked off. He began to call the names of all the seniors. I saw many familiar faces walk across that stage, but everything became a bit of a blur until I heard my name. "Cambry Michaelson." I stood up and walked over to the stage. I took another deep breath and smiled. I took small strides across the large stage over to the podium. Mr. Baxter shook my hand and handed me my diploma. We then froze in the moment long enough for the photographer to get a good picture. I walked back to my seat in awe of this moment. The moment I've been waiting for. The names continued calling and finally the last name was called. All of the seniors were called up one last time to do a final walk across the stage. I held Holden's hand in order not to lose him.

The crowd roared as we all walked across our auditorium stage. This was the last day of some of the best years of my life. I turned to my three best friends Boston Marshall, Annika Jones and Holden. I'm glad to have had them by my side through the good and the bad.

The auditorium was starting to clear out. It's sad to think that after four years of your life, it all changes. All of your friends are starting to go separate ways. That's why you take the last few moments of peace that you can and make the best of it. That's what Boston, Annika, Holden and I decided to do.