The Year of Avery

Prologue: The End

Pomp and Circumstance played as my senior class and I marched along the grass on that cool June evening. I looked up to the stands to see my parents smiling down at me. I smiled back at them and gave them a little wave.

The procession was everything that I had dreamed it would be. Now eighteen, I felt as if this was the moment I had been waiting for all of my life, or, at least, since I was fourteen, entering my freshman year.

Freshman year seemed like yesterday: the smell of freshly painted walls; the thrill of the adventure, of what lay straight ahead; the sun shining in through the high windows. Over the next couple of years, of course, I grew less and less naïve, until, finally, I had reached my senior year, and I was no longer thrilled by the adventures of high school. I was no longer impressed by the freshly painted white walls because now I knew that the paint was covering up some pretty graphic images. At this point, the high windows reminded me of a prison: its windows were so high that sneaking out was virtually impossible, but, if one were to attempt to sneak in, they would surely plummet to their death, or at least get some sort of nasty concussion by hitting their head on the silver lockers directly below.

"We made it," my best friend of thirteen years whispered to me as we sat down together. I looked over at her. Her long, black hair was straightened to perfection, not a single hair out of place. I couldn't help but smile.

It was a bittersweet moment. I knew that, in just three short months, she would be moving to Boston to attend Boston University, and I would stay in Los Angeles. I couldn't imagine my life without seeing the obsessive behaviors that defined Angelina Terrence. Despite the fights that she and I had over the years, we were still the closest friends that any two girls could ever wish to be. She was way more than my friend; Angelina was my sister.

Though, admittedly, we were two very different sisters. Angelina was something of a perfectionist. Her personality was almost textbook Type A: she worked hard to get what she wanted; she was extremely aggressive and competitive, which helped her shine on the field; and she was by far the most ambitious person that I knew. She spent her days organizing and reorganizing her room, vehemently studying, and practicing every sport and instrument know to humankind.

On the other hand, I liked to think things through, carefully and systematically, instead of just charging full steam ahead. I wasn't the class or the student body president. I wasn't even in student council. I didn't play sports, except for volleyball in the tenth-grade. I quit halfway through my eleventh-grade season because I was too stressed out, something I didn't like. Angelina used stress to her advantage, something I found extremely unhealthy. Also, I didn't like being pushed by the setter.

"I can't believe it," I whispered back to her. I could hardly keep myself from cheering. I looked around at the students sitting down, and it was then that I saw him. He was eyeing me carefully, and I felt myself blush. It was hard to believe that I had only met him this year because it felt like I had known him all of my life. All I wanted to do was run up and hug him, but I had to refrain.

"Welcome, family and friends," the principal announced once every student had taken their seats, "to the graduation of the class of 2015!"

There were cheers from the stands, but the center of the football field was the loudest as my class cheered. But that all faded out as I thought about all the events during my senior year that had led up to this moment.

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A/N: Hey, everyone! I hope you all enjoy this!

Just a small side thing. Please, don't advertise your stories here or ask for a follow-back. If you want me to read something, you can message me, and I'll check it out.

In the meantime, don't forget to vote, comment, share, and follow. Like I said, I really hope you enjoy this. If you have any comments or ideas, again, feel free to share. It's been a VERY long time since I wrote anything. Like, really long... The last time I posted on Wattpad, I was 15. And that account has since been deactivated. Lol.

Anyways, that's it. Don't want to leave a super long author's note. Thank you!

XOXO, K