Unconditionally

One

One

Beth -

Looking at all the faces I’d never see again made me sad in a way. It wasn’t the usual feeling I got when I looked at my classmates but on that day there’s no other way I can describe how I felt.  Everyone’s family members looked so delighted, as they took countless pictures of their child’s success. Why shouldn’t they be? Those young adults had survived high school, which we all know can sometimes be an impossible thing to accomplish.

I must have been asked to sign at least thirty yearbooks for people who didn’t even know who I was before my Father finally got a chance to congratulate me. Since my Mother had passed away he hadn’t smiled much. Wrinkles had become more prominent on his stern face and his sandy hair had begun to turn grey. But on that day he did smile his crooked smile, I was pleased to know his cheerful grin was because of me and my accomplishment. To know my Father was finally feeling something other than pain really did make me want to cry with happiness and relief.

“Well done Sweetheart,” My Father said embracing me. “I’m so proud of you! And I know she would be too.” I pulled him closer to me as his words escaped his lips. My hands shook as I hugged my Father. It’s fair to say I was really emotional that day.

“Thank you Dad, for everything… I love you.” I laughed as tears formed in my eyes. I could see in his grey eyes he was fighting back tears as well.  

“Beth, don’t start otherwise I’ll cry.” He chuckled, kissing my forehead.

Once again I found myself gazing at my classmates I’d grown fond of over the years, even though I hadn’t even spoken to them all individually or even known some of them existed until recently I’d heard rumours and stories about each and every one of them in my years walking the halls. Like that one girl, Delanie that sat at the back of my Math class, she never engaged into conversation with anyone except from her best friend Amber. But I knew she was a nice girl because she’d always volunteered at school fundraisers every year to help those less fortunate.  It was only then I regretted not making more of an effort to get to know some people.

When my mother died I didn’t really bother with making friends or going to parties because I was too busy mourning someone who meant so much to me.  The only friendship I’d managed to keep hold of through everything was Simon. Simon was my rock through it all. He’d been with me every little step of the way and he never left my side. I could always rely on him, and I never wanted to lose him.

“Bethany Walker! Can you please sign my yearbook?” A familiar voice asked from behind me.

“Simon!” I squealed throwing my arms around him. “Congratulations! We made it.” I grinned.

“Congratulations to you too,” He laughed as he pushed his glasses back into position on his nose. “Hello, Mr Walker.” Simon greeted my Father maturely, extending out his hand for my father to shake.

“Congratulations Simon.” My father replied patting him on the back in a very manly way. As Simon recovered from my father’s strong impact on his back, my father’s infuriating phone began to ring in his suit pocket. “Excuse me, I have to take this.”

“There’s a party tonight at Zeke Welles’ house, you interested?” Simon asked, taking my yearbook from under my arm and scrawling a message onto the page.  I watched as his dark brow knitted together as he concentrated on the presentation of his writing.

“I don’t know if I can, Dad will probably want to go out for dinner at the club to celebrate,” I lied before my Father interrupted me;

“I’m sorry Beth. I need to go to the office. There’s some kind of dilemma they can’t handle. Is it okay if I go?” My Father apologised looking at me pleadingly. I knew it was all too good to be true. My Father always had to go to the office because of some crisis.

“Of course, we can celebrate some other time.” I forced a smile onto my face, as I kissed him on the cheek. Within seconds he was walking towards the school parking lot to return to the place he basically lived at.

“Well that settles it then, I’ll pick you up at seven and we’ll go to the party. We only graduate once.” He smiled mockingly as we walked over to take some pictures with teachers and a couple of people Simon knew from his classes. I couldn’t help but look back at my Father as he got into the car and his driver drove off.

Isaac –

My parents were reacting to my graduation like everyone else’s. They couldn’t stop telling me how proud they were and how I was the best thing that happened to the family, which probably was because I was most likely the only one in my Dad’s family to graduate high school. Let’s just say my family wasn’t very successful with their education, but they were enough for me. Having two parents that loved each other unconditionally and adored being married to one another was all that I needed.

“Party at mine tonight, I expect you to be there man!” Zeke smirked, hitting me on the back as he walked past me and my family with his own.

“Yeah, I’ll be there.” I replied pumping his fist. I could see my Mom roll her eyes to my dad obviously not impressed with me going to yet another party. It was fair to say Zeke’s parties never ended well. The police usually turned up to send us all home, or if that never happened there would be a huge teenage girl drama and things would start to get nasty.

“Andy, take a picture of me and Isaac.” My Mother commanded my Dad passing him her camera she seemed to take everywhere. There was never a time where something good happened she wouldn’t pull that camera out of her large black purse that seemed to have every essential supply inside.  As I smiled next to my Mother I saw her, Bethany Walker. She was so beautiful. She had one of those smiles that were just so pure, her lips were the perfect pink and her blue eyes were just as innocent as her personality. I watched as she laughed with her friend, Simon who was in a few of my classes. He was a nice boy but was just too shy to be friends with mine. Her long blonde hair moved as her body shook with laughter. She was just so perfect, but I never could ask her out because I felt bad, it just never felt right. How could you try and hit on a girl who’d lost her mother? I couldn’t hurt her more than she was already, not that I’m saying I would ever intentionally hurt her. But things happen and I didn’t know whether I could cause her anymore pain.

“Isaac, who’s that pretty girl you’re staring at?” My Mother laughed knowingly. It was as if that woman could read my mind. 

“She’s just a girl.” I lied. The truth was she wasn’t just a girl, she was the girl.