The Artist | #3✓

Chapter 4

The graduation ceremony was noisy, stuffy, and generally not the type of environment anyone would want to be in. I watched as Ji-Hun and Wyatt go up for valedictorian and salutatorian. Ji-Hun's parents were there, and his sister who'd graduated two years ago was there too. She was standing by the podium with a camera. I sat through the prize giving ceremony with my parents after that. My father got up whenever Wyatt was called, and he did complain about having to get up too much which made my mother and sisters laugh. Xander just sat on his seat and concentrated on his phone, not doing anything apart from that.

I took off the gigantic graduation gown immediately I got my certificate, and got to my seat, feeling instant relief. It had felt like a heater in there.

"Is it over yet?" Xander muttered beside me. He sounded exhausted, and like was pleading for me to say yes. I didn't blame him, we'd been sitting here for hours. And now Wyatt was talking on stage. I doubt I'd even be here if my parents didn't want to come and see Wyatt take gifts and give a speech. Wyatt was going out of state for college. He'd be doing medical science in the same college as his boyfriend, who'd be doing computer engineering. I wasn't sure what Aiyana was going off to study, but it was probably English or classical literature — maybe both, from what I've heard her talk about with Wyatt. They'd taken their exams earlier in the year ahead of most people in our year so they already had their results.

A round of applause swept through the crowd when Wyatt was done with his speech, and he was soon replaced with the principal. My parents didn't sit through the talk. My mother motioned for us to get up. My sisters and Xander headed for the car, while I walked side by side with my parents after they gave him a hug, and let him leave. We headed for the art studio since my mum and dad wanted to have a chat with my art teachers. They didn't attend the ceremony since they had to help with the planning and decorations for prom night that was in two days.

When we got to the door of the art room I could already hear the voices of some students. I rose a brow in confusion when my mother opened the door to reveal a crowd of senior students in their graduation gowns crowded by the design table with Mr. Steve. The person that stood out most was a girl I recognized as the social coordinator for the student council who was now holding a clipboard and moving from table to table.

"It's quite bust here," my mum said as we walked in. My father hummed in agreement as they wandered to the walls filled with artworks. I could catch my mum's smile as she traced the thick dried oil paint strokes of one of the pieces I'd done roughly a year ago. May parents soon started talking to each other, probably forgetting that they were here to talk to my teachers.

As I stood by the door and waited for my parents, I started to wonder what Wyatt and the rest were up to. I remembered that he was going to lunch with Ji-Hun and his parents. Also, I noticed Felix somewhere in the crowd. He'd come in casual clothing, and about a few minutes towards the end of Wyatt's talk — probably straight from his college that closed for the holidays the day before. The whole graduation ceremony must be unofficially over now, seeing as more people in gowns were slipping into the art room, and that I could hear people and the sound of their shoes trending through the hallway from behind the door.

"Caleb. I didn't notice you, how long have you been here?" I blinked, looking away from the crowd of students by the design table to find Mr. Dave walking towards me. He was wearing an overall that was covered in printing paint, and he was smiling although I could catch the tired look in his eyes.

"A while?" I shrugged, watching as he chuckled at my reply. I took my gaze away from him and directed it to my parents who'd wandered away from the wall with the oil painting, and were now looking at the acrylic works on another wall.

"My parents are here," I added, turning to watch Mr. Dave's eyes widen in shock. He didn't say anything, just headed straight for them in a beeline. I smiled a bit, understanding his shock. They were well-known artists, but they barely visited my school. I'm not even sure my father has been here at all.