Codeine Crazy

Three Men, One Dream (Epilogue)

Theo

    "Today is a day that we all think we are ready for, but as the time approaches we begin to dread it." Said the speaker, as I heard sniffled throughout the large church.

"This day... will be a day that we all will remember forever on."

    I adjusted the tie on my suit.

    "But, to achieve greatness, we must move forward, and that's exactly what we are here to do today, Class of 2017." He said, as he stepped away from the podium to let us know that he was finally done with his long ass speech.

    I looked at my valedictorian sash and glanced a few chairs to the right of me and saw that Keenan had his on and he smiled at me and nodded his head as he put his sunglasses on.

    I saw Crowdy sitting with his sash on all the way at the front.

    They begin to get ready to call names and the first two rows stood up as I sat back, ready to record Crowdy's name getting called.

    "Anderson Crowdy." Said the man, and I stood up and clapped extra loud.

    "Crowdy! That's my nigga Sauerkraut! My guy!" Shouted Keenan.

    "Wait this nigga name is Anderson? I done forgot." I heard him say and I shook my head, but we all knew that Keenan would cut up.

    "Harleigh Daniels." They man called.

    "Witcho hoe ass!" Yelled Keenan as he quickly looked down as if nobody already knew it was him.

    "Nigga cut it out before you can't walk!" I snapped.

    He shrugged and looked ahead.

    "Kleo Gupta."

    "Witcho fine ass, gone ahead girl!" Yelled Keenan again, and Crowdy stood up and looked over everyone and once he locked eyes with Keenan he gave him a look.

    Keenan held his hands up un surrender and laughed.

    "Okay, when Crowdy pop up with a knife and sitting in your closet, don't say shit to me."

    "You kinda right." Keenan said as he scratched the back of his head.

    It was finally our turn to get up. We were the last row.  As names were getting called, I could feel my anxiety rising and I was smiling hard, I've been waiting for this moment for my whole life. Finally, I was up next.

    "Theodore Washington." Called the man and I walked up and held my diploma with one hand and shook his hand with the other and smiled at the camera as they took pictures.

    "Yeah Theo! Go Theo! Woo! Yeah, that way! That's my guy Theodore!" Yelled Keenan and I laughed and as I was walking back, I looked back and Keenan was almost up.

    "High yellow ass nigga!" Yelled Crowdy in celebration.

    I saw his mother bawling crying, tears of joy.

    "Keenan Young."

    "Yeah nigga! That's my guy Keenan, get it boy!" Yelled Crowdy.

    Keenan began to do the blood walk off the stage.

    "Aye, do ya dance, do ya dance!" I hyped up and he walked off stage doing the blood walk and I recorded and we went to our seat and sat down and waited for the next few people to go.

    "Now that you have finished this chapter in your life, give yourself a round of applause. It was hard, but it was all so that you can live in this moment right here and say, we made it." Said the class president.

    "And remember, once a hornet-" She began, and we all finished with her, "always a hornet!"

    "Turn your tassles to the left." Said our principle as the class president went to her seat and we all did.

    "Congrats class of 2017, you are now officially, Marshall High School graduates!" She said and we all stood up and cheered as he threw our hats in the air.

--

    I put up the picture of Crowdy, Keenan, and I on graduation day in my dorm, and smiled as I remembered that day.

    My eyes then trailed to our paper for creative writing that we scored a perfect score on.

    3 men, 1 dream.

    I looked over Keenan's story, then Crowdy's, then mines. I then looked at the things that we went through during senior year. The drugs, then the heartbreaks, and almost experiencing death.

    It was truly a journey, but it was worth it all for the friends that I gained in the process. I wouldn't trade them niggas for the world, even though we had our problems, we never turned our backs on one another and that's what counts the most.

    I heard a knock on the door and heard two familiar voices outside my door.

    "It couldn't be.." I mumbled to myself as I opened the door.

    "High yellow ass nigga!"

    I smiled and dapped up Keenan and Crowdy.

    "What are the fucking odds?" I said and Crowdy shrugged and laid on his bed and began to unpack.

    "Crowdy and I suggested to room with you, and the dean's niece been choking on my nuts so I threatened to expose her if she don't make some shit happen." Keenan said.

    "Well, I guess. I can't act surprised." I said as I looked around the dorm.

    "Crowdy and I got all the connects. Crowdy's uncle the one who got us in this bitch so late." Said Keenan.

    "Really, what the fuck is Theo even bringing to the table? Theo you needa step your fucking game up man because this shit is ridiculous." Said Crowdy.

    "Shut the fuck up bitch." I said as I plopped on my bed.

    "So, what's next?" Asked Keenan, and Crowdy looked over between us, looking like he had the same question as Keenan.

    I looked over at our project, and smiled a little bit at how everything we aimed for and wrote about didn't go to waste. Also how far we came along from this time last year and how we managed to stay together and achieved our dream that we shared despite what hell we were put through.

    "We begin our chapter of life as Morehouse men."