When it Happens

Chapter 22

Graduation Day

To make it long story short, an hour after I dropped Shannon off at the airport, she came back in linked arms with Mason. After Shannon had poured her heart out to him, he realized she was more important than baseball at a good school. He had decided to walk on at some nearby university. It wouldn't be as good as a program as Oregon, but he said if it was for Shannon, he'd do anything.

Now that's love.

When I came home that Sunday night, my mother was beyond pissed at me, and I'm not going to lie, I felt really bad. I had totally forgotten about our movie plans. She told me how she had felt that I was pushing her out of my life, how she had felt lonely ever since Dad had died, yadi yadi ya- we bawled with each other and then ended up having a movie night of our own to make up for it.

The next day was the last day of school. We got our yearbooks, did our signings, pointed out our embarrassing head shots... except, while in 4th period, Nate and I found an adorable picture of us during the first time we dated.

Everybody was surprised to see Mason back for that day, as they all expected him to be in the athletic office of the coach at OSU by now. Shannon told me he had to tell the story about twelve times to everybody who asked. 

And all of that led to Graduation Day. Honestly, I had been dreading this day my whole life. Graduating meant you were onto the next chapter of your life, which basically forced you to grow up. I never understood why everybody wanted to grow to be an adult so quickly. That meant that anything and everybody you loved and was used to so much in your childhood was taken away from you. It was over, the glory days were done. Today would be that day. And I wasn't ready at all.

I heard a knock on my bedroom door as a laid cradled up in my bed, tears flowing from my eyes. My mom walked in, furrowing her eyebrows at the sight of me. 

"Vivian! What are you doing? We have to leave in 30 minutes! Even Bobby's ready!" I don't think she registered that I was crying, but when she finally realized it, she frowned and sat on my bed.

"Honey, what's the matter?"

"Mom, it's over. Today's the day my childhood ends," I say with a sniffle.

"Honey, this day happens with everyone. It's a part of growing up."

"Yeah? Well growing up sucks. I'll never have an excuse to have spitball wars with Fryer, or will I be able to walk in after a long day of school with my bed already fixed. I'm even going to miss school."

"You're just afraid of change. I swear honey, you'll get used to it. And hey, it's not over yet. You've got Summer. I promise you, I'll keep fixing your bed until you leave for college. Then I'll be stuck with Bobby. Blech."

I give a small laugh and she pets my hair, playing with it slightly. "You know, your father would have been so proud of you."

I remembered him for a moment. He really would have been so proud of me. All those years of him raising me to be just like him: hardworking, dedicated, relentless... I grew to be him. My heart hurt at the thought of him. "I miss him."

She nodded, and we sat there for a minute, as she played with my hair, brushing her hands through my long brown hair. "I really should start getting ready," I said. "Thank God I blew my hair out straight last night." My mom gets off my bed, and as she's walking out, I hug her from the behind. 

"Thank you. For everything you've done for me these past 18 years of my life."

She gives me a kiss on the top of my head and hugs me back. "You were always my favorite child."