I Knew You Once

Chapter 14

I get up from my seat and look at the people in the audience. I start clapping my hands. I pretend to see Mason grab his diploma and smiling his perfect smile. Nathan gets up from his seat and claps with me. With smiles painted on my parents' face they clapped too. Multiple claps joined.

"Wooh! Mason!" A voice came from the clapping crowd.

I turn my head quickly towards the voice. I see Cindy clapping her hands wildly with a huge smile on her face. She gives a wink. I laugh at her awesomeness and scream, "Mason! I love you!"

The audiences' claps grow louder. A tear drops. I'm so happy. I love you Mason. We graduated together. I produce a smile on my face.

It was time for my speech. "Our valedictorian! Julia Garters!" The auditorium filled with claps and cheers. Nathan whistled loudly and caught my attention.

I stood on stage. "Um..." My voice echoed through the room as I spoke into the Mic. "Let's just start off with...finally! We are getting out of here!"

People laughed at my little unexpected comment.

"The day I first walked into that high school, I was 14. I was childish and afraid. Afraid of the basics. About the lies that I was told about high school." I heard more laughs. "But. People didn't lie about how we'd get the greatest memories. Awesome friends. And fall in love and get our hearts broken a bit. These 4 years are when we realize that our life is so much more. We can't be perfect all the time. We make mistakes, but we learn from them. And on the last day of this wonderful journey, we are prefect. We know what to do, what we wanna be, how we're gonna get there, and we'll know what we'll do in the process... Finally!" A couple of people jumped at my sudden outburst of the word 'finally' hahaha I scared ya.

"We are finished. We are leaving high school." I think of Mason and threw my hat in the air and saw hundreds more fly. I did it. We did it Mason. You...and I.

After graduation, there was an after party. With drinking. I don't drink. There are going to be a lot of people there to tempt me. I always wanted to drink, but I don't wanna get crazy.

The first time I drank, I was 16. I went crazy. Let's just say 'ripped jeans and lipstick all over my face' crazy.

"Hey there, grad." I see Nathan with his hands out to hug me.

I run into his arms and hug him tight. "I can't believe I'm finally out of there!"

Nathan gives a chuckle. "Let's go party." He pulls away from the hug.

"You always ruin moments." I roll my eyes at him, turn my back and walk away.

He has been trying to get my crazy party side out ever since our first 'real' party together.

"Come on!" He puts his hands up. "I just wanna see you have one drink."

I turn to look at him. "No!"

"Please..." Nathan walks towards me with his arms out.

"Ugh! No! I'm really weird!"

"I like weird!"

"Maybe." I hug him.

"I will only take that as a yes." He strokes my hair.

"I'm not a dog." I comment against the stroking.

"You're right. You're a banana."

"Seriously!" I smack his chest. "You still wanna stick to that?"

"Ow!" He rubs his chest. "Yeah. I would always remember that awesome day." Nathan smiles with his thumb and finger on his chin. He looks up at the sky as if he was seeing the memory in one of the clouds.