Pathways

You could tell what day it was just by entering the car park of the school in the early morning. Everyone buzzing around making sure they looked perfect before embarking on the journey of a lifetime; graduation day. There were hundreds of students floating around in navy caps and gowns grabbing pictures with all their fellow classmates, telling them how much they'll all miss each other when really as soon as the day is over and everyone's out of their mind drunk they won't give two craps about one another. Goodbye high school, hello real life.

Even on this special occasion everyone was hunched into their little cliques. The elites were in the centre of the quad; smiling their shiny white smiles and wearing their too high to walk in heels, you could tell they were uncomfortable but it was fashion so who cares. Towards the back you had you're classic jocks who were trying to act above it all, as if their whole experience of high school was nothing but a boring part of their lives. They would never say it but they knew today was going to be the best day of their lives so far. Countless other groups were scattered around in the warm, summer breeze but this story isn't about any of those groups, this is about one specific group. The group that's there but is never acknowledged, the ones who stayed in the shadows for their high school experience and would now go out in the world and blossom to the grown woman they would soon become.

This was the clique full of the girls who didn't have a clique. You had your too smart for the elites, but not smart enough for the nerds, your partier that didn't go to house parties, your lovebird who didn't flaunt it to the whole world, and the rest who purely didn't have a place. 

The bell chimed saying it was time for the, soon-to-be, graduates to make their way to the gym where they would get their five minutes of notice in front of their sobbing mothers and bewildered fathers then they would hurry back to their seats in heels or much too long dress pants only to throw the cap they've had sitting in their closets up into the air, and probably losing it in the flurry of other caps, and then walking out and getting hammered later that night. This would all lead up to something they would remember as one of the 'best days of their lives,' when in reality only half of them would remember it at all. 

The cliques separated from one another, shouting over where they'll meet later in the day for pre party cocktails and final touches to makeup before spending their evenings in bars with other graduates and 40 somethings hoping with all their might to get laid. Everyone took their nicely labelled seats and waited for the head master to come in and make a speech before giving everyone a diploma and announcing where everyone would be heading off to for university.

The speech is long and boring, as they are most of the time. Full of 'it's been lovely getting to meet so many young students who I know will be able to achieve so much,' and 'I'm happy that our school will forever be behind such a wonderful group of students.' After the head master had finally finished her speech the long list of students started getting called out. We won't go through all the students because, like the ceremony, we'd be here for hours, we'll just list the important ones.

Bethany, or Beth, Cartwright was first to be called, Beth didn't have much of a rich family history and she lived a pretty quiet life, she wasn't one for loud music or parties and generally kept to herself, she was a good kid and a good student.

"Bethany Cartwright will be taking a year off and then resume studying at University College London majoring in Fine Arts, good luck to you Beth," the headmaster said, the chorus of obnoxious claps and 'woohoos' that could be heard were from her group of seven friends who she shyly waved to as she walked off stage in her heels.

Then came Hannah Davis, Her parents were really religious and that gave Hannah a very sheltered life but she never seemed to mind. 

"Hannah Davis will be studying Early Childhood Education at the University of Newcastle. Good luck Hannah." The same chorus of claps and whistles sounded as Hannah's heels carried her off the stage.