Truly Free // COMPLETED

34. The End of an Era

Title may sound misleading but this isn't the last chapter !

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The day I've been waiting for has finally come, but in one of the busiest times of the year I have found myself caught up in others instead of my own excitement. Graduation season is just one big blur of ceremonies and parties and congratulations and crying. A seemingly never-ending cycle of the same thing for a week.

I've attended the practices and I know exactly what do to, but I can't shake this nervousness that's built up inside of me. Walking across that stage this morning will be the end of my high school career. My childhood. This is the beginning of adulthood. Going to college, finding a job, living life on my own. It all starts so soon.

My anxiety has only grown in the past two days as I've been to two other graduations. Gray and I drove up to be there for Aaron yesterday morning and took him back with us for Victoria's ceremony in Mississippi last night. The goal there was to introduce the two of them. I don't know all the details but Gray told me that numbers were exchanged. Yes.

I'm extremely tired this morning but I try my best to cover it up with concealer. I'm meeting Gray early to drive over to the school. After the ceremony and pictures, we're throwing the biggest party the neighborhood's ever seen. Over the course of the year, my dad and Mr. Shawn have built a gate in between our two yards so we don't have to climb the fence anymore and this new ease of access means that this celebration will span across the two properties. My parents have invited the whole neighborhood and our large family while the Corley's have invited theirs. We might just get a noise complaint.

I finish my makeup and straighten my hair, pulling it half back. In my closet hangs the white dress I've picked out to wear under my gown and I slip it on along with my shoes and grab my purse to head downstairs. My parents are waiting in the kitchen with a huge breakfast spread on the counter. They're just as excited as me.

"Congratulations sweetheart," my mom says as she hugs me. My dad follows suit and we sit down to eat. We go over the plan for tonight and agree to meet back here at four thirty.

I say my goodbyes and skip out the front door. I walk the short distance to Gray's house and knock on the door, surprised to see that it's Aaron who answers and his messy hair and pajama pants tell me he's just woken up.

"Good morning," I smile. He sighs and allows me in. I can tell he's extremely tired from our busy day yesterday. We got in so late from dinner with Victoria's family last night and here we are today, up and at 'em at 8:30 am.

"Gray, your wife is here!" Aaron shouts up the stairs before falling face first into the couch. The footsteps from the stairs cause me to turn my head and see Gray entering the living room looking so handsome in his white shirt and black dress pants.

"Can you tie this for me?" He asks me, holding out his tie. I roll my  eyes and take the fabric from him.

"You know how to tie it, stupid. You just want me to do it for you," I tell him. I quickly tie it around his neck and make sure it's the right length. His parents emerge from the kitchen looking as excited as mine. We talk about our plans for the party later as Gray grabs his cap and gown from the laundry room.

We soon arrive at the school's football stadium where the senior girls dominated the Powderpuff game just two weeks ago. Administrators are checking people off so we join the line that contains last names A-D. Gotta love the alphabet.

Once we're checked in we go find our friends who are standing off to the side trying to decide a meeting place for after the ceremony.

"I'm just saying the tree would be a good place," Howard defends himself. Nat shakes her head.

"And so does everyone else here," she says.

"What about the baseball field entrance?" Gray suggests. We all nod and agree to meet under the sign.

There's a squeal as someone grabs the microphone on the stage. We turn and see our vice principal commanding everyone's attention.

"Attention students! The commencement ceremony will begin in approximately forty-five minutes. The main doors to the school are open if any of you need to use the restroom. If not, please find your seat and wait patiently for the ceremony to begin."

Parents have started filing in and I spot mine and Gray's. Aaron is dragging behind the Corleys and our grandparents and other extended family are falling in behind. I suddenly become aware of how nervous I am and how badly I have to pee.

I grab Nat's hand and drag her with me towards the school. After finishing up in the bathroom we start back toward the field, but she stops suddenly outside the trophy case.

"Carraway High School Girls Soccer. First place," she points to the group picture of the team and hovers her finger over where I stand in the photo. "You were so good at it, Addison. Why'd you quit?"

"Just because I was good at it didn't mean I loved it," I sigh. "I only joined to begin with because you called me fat. I wanted to prove you wrong."

"That was probably the dumbest thing I ever did."

I don't respond as we continue down the long hallway, passing my locker on the way. I remember how it used to be filled with horrible weight loss ads and how I'd want to cry every time I wen to open it. These bad memories are soon replaced with heartwarming nostalgia at the reminder of the hundreds of papers fluttering out after Andrew passed. I recall the large group hug I received and all the support I was given.'

These halls hold lots of memories, good and bad. I think of the people I'll never see again and all the one's I never talked to. I bumped into people, I tripped over people's feet, I made new friends in these halls. My pictures are in the trophy cases and my name is outside on the wall that all the seniors sign every year. The end of my high school career is here and I'm dreading it more than I thought I would.