The Opposite Of You Part II

Chapter 17

Splashing the cold water onto my face refreshed me. My eyes centering themselves towards my reflection. I pat my face dry with a towel. I set the towel down and walk out of the bathroom. "You okay Aria?" Ester asks, "yeah I'm just nervous...I just can't wait to leave." Isaac joins--- enter the room with a wrapped gift. "There's my two favorite women." I roll my eyes. "I've gotta go put on my makeup." I turn to go to the bathroom, "are you and Vanessa going out to eat later?" I laugh while plastering my red lipstick on my lips smoothly. "We don't...talk anymore."

"Why not?" I do my eyeshadow next and put on some mascara. "Because I kissed Jake and she thinks I slept with him." Ester gasps, shocked, "ha! I knew you liked him." Isaac says loudly. "It doesn't matter now because I know he was doing all of that out of spite."

"So there's hope for you and Nick?" I shrug, "I guess...I don't know he still doesn't really remember me." I walk out, "okay I'm ready to get the."-

"Langue."

"I didn't even say it yet."

As we arrive at the stadium I quickly climb out of the car. Ester notices Elena from afar. "Oh god don't look."

"What? I thought you liked Elena?" I said, "that bitch talks too much...damnit she saw us everyone act cool." Zipping up my gown Isaac puts on my cap. "Thanks, dad." He nods before pecking forehead. "Hello, Ester, Isaac." Elena smiles, "Elena." Ester lifts her head up. I keep my head from gazing up at Nick. "I'm so proud of you two, should take a picture." I nod awkwardly stepping beside him. "So Aria you're speaking today are you nervous?" I nod with a shrug, "I'll be fine." Nick wraps his arm around my shoulder and Elena takes the picture. "So beautiful I'll send this to you later." I walk off. Strutting over to Sara, who holds Arron in her arms. "Does she hate you?" Elena asks, "no we...just, I'm giving her space." Nick runs his hands through his hair. "I'm sure she'll warm up...she still acts as if she doesn't need anyone."

Ester says, "that and it's hard for her too."- Isaac pauses as Ester gives him a look. "Anyways congrats... I'll just go find us some seats." He says before walking off. Moments later, as we were in the process of finding our seats I stand, reading my speech inside the notebook Nick gave me. I kept it as a reminder, to never look back. I'm better than who I was before I'm Aria Tyler for god's sake.

I was popular, I was loved...and I lost it all. I was blind and I didn't appreciate things and people I should've appreciated. "What's that?" I turn to Nick who holds his cap in between his underarm. His tie slightly slanted. I push off and walk towards him. "Hold this." He takes his free hand and grabs my notebook slowly gazing at it he starts flicking through the pages, meanwhile, I attend to fixing his tie. "You write?" I nodded before patting his shoulders. Taking his cap I put it onto his head. "You're...really good."

Nick's eyes meet mines. "Thanks." He smiles, "yeah and...you haven't gotten to the last page." I chuckled, "oh yeah that...I-I...never finished why is there something on that last page?" He nods, "yeah...it's a letter from."- Taking back the notebook I close it. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Don't you want to know what it said?"

"Yea I do but...why should I? I'm pretty sure what you wrote was a joke." I stagger off with pride. "The complete opposite."

I sit down in my seat calmly preparing myself to walk across the stage. "Now we will have a speech prepared by our valedictorian, Aria Tyler." With grace and poise, I manage to make my way up to the stage and the mic. "Ahem, good evening fellow bluebirds, staff, and parents. We gather here today to celebrate another completion. Though we have lost some people on the way, we've gained some people as well.

You see when I first moved here I really didn't think I'd make it this far. I had lost my parents two years ago and it was hard. But I gained another pair. That and I've gained friends that became my family, they've made me laugh and cry. They've taught me not to be so cynical about everything. I was blind and I didn't appreciate things and people I should've appreciated. But I've learned a lot from the teachers and students, even from myself. That even though times are hard because there were and it got so bad that I wanted to die, I even cut myself...which made me hate myself...But I had people who cared about me and I didn't want to leave them. Anyways."- I pause with tears flowing down from my face. "As we leave here, and all the people who've you loved or hated, you appreciate them because they've made you better, thanks and goodbye." I walk off the stage wiping my eyes.

Then came the time to walk across that stage. Midway, through acceptance of everyone's diploma. I just felt the urge to cry, because I made it. I could've been dead but I'm here, I'm going to NYU. I'm going to tell my story, I grab my diploma and hide my tears. I hate myself sometimes because of it, why do I have to be so emotional?

Afterward, I stand around by my family taking photos and laughing as if we'd spent years talking about the glory days. "Aria I'm so proud of you," Ester says as both she and Isaac hug me. "Okay, mom I'm going to go. I'll see you at the dinner later since we're all eating together."

"Aria."

"What?" I asked, "you called me mom."

"Yea and I call Isaac dad. Bye." I wave.

I notice my notebook laying there on my passenger seat just mocking me with its gaze. Slowly I grab it, open it and I begin to read the letter. I had thought it was Nick's handwriting but as I looked closely at the words I noticed it wasn't his.