MIXED EMOTIONS

32. GRADUATION DAY

It was finally graduation.

I was ecstatic. Excited and relieved. Finally out of high school and ready to start a new life. I couldn't wait to have that diploma in my hand.

"Girl, if you don't stop moving I'm going to burn you." My mom complained as she wanded me hair and my aunt doing my make-up.

"Sorry." I apologized. I was finally ready after getting dolled up and taking millions of pictures with my family. I had to take a whole bunch of photos with several different cousins, aunts and uncles and family friends I didn't even know existed. But I happy they came to see me graduate.

Then thoughts of my dad came to my mind. I was always daddy's little girl. Always used to spoil me. Now we didn't even speak to each other. He never came by the house anymore after that whole fiasco.

I was going around forgiving everyone, but I still couldn't forgive my dad. It was more personal. It hit home.

We piled in to our cars and made it downtown to Nationwide Arena late, even when we tried to hurry. My family could never be on time for anything.

I rushed to where everyone else stood in line. I squeezed between a girl and Jason. He leaned down and whispered, "Lookin' good, baby. You got all dolled for me, didn't you?" I smiled. He was such a flirt.

"Just for you, boo." I joked back with him. I'm honestly going to miss him, off all people. He's so funny and easy-going. Always flirting with someone. I'm going to miss everyone, really.

The closer we get to getting our diplomas, the more reality hit me. This is really over. I'm proud of myself, being able to be a Valedictorian. I never thought I could make it. But I did.

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Nervous butterflies came to my stomach when it was time to give my speech. I was used to public speaking, but this felt different. So real.

I came to the podium and smiled. I can do this, I thought.

"Good Morning everyone," They crowd greeted me back. "From freshman, all I could think about was how hard it was going to be. How difficult I expected it to be. I was right," I chuckled.

"We're graduating. Can you believe it? Four years ago, most of us walked into those halls as nervous as we were the first day of school. We were the freshmen, the low men on the totem pole. Now, those same four years later, we're leaving the school behind to a whole new crop of people, most of whom were just as nervous as we were when we arrived.

It has been a long four years and a short four years. Long because of all the drama and bad homework, the boring readings and early-morning extra credit projects, and all the other little pratfalls that hit us in high school. Short because of the lifelong friendships, the lasting memories, and the truly interesting and amazing things we learned between the occasional bits of drudgery.

Good or bad, long or short, I will always remember this place. While I'm thrilled to be our valedictorian, I can't say I've spent as many hours as some of us have between these halls: Our teachers, of course, spend an inhuman amount of time here, and many students do as well. Most of them even do it of their own choosing. I came by to get a book I forgot last night around 8 p.m. and found a fellow student, the head of the graduation planning committee, still here putting crepe paper on chairs and laying out programs in each and every seat. Now that's dedication.

It takes that kind of teamwork to survive anywhere in life, I've found. I know my experience is limited, but every problem I've overcome has been because someone has been there to help me. My support net ranged (and still ranges) from my parents to my friends to my teachers, depending on the kind of trouble I've had and its severity.

This isn't to say I've been a troublemaker-I only got sent to the office twice, and one of those times was a misunderstanding-but even for me, a relatively quiet student, a lot of help has been needed to get me through at times. This is where our high school truly excels, at least that is what I feel.

What's next? I will be going to college, as will many of my classmates. More of us yet will go to various branches of the armed forces to help keep our country safe home and abroad. Others may get right to work, or even take a year or more off to decide what they want to do. Leaving high school is such a brutal transition, as our Principal once put it. Now I don't know what the world has in store for any of us." I took a deep breath and continued.

"But, I do know how I'll deal with those life events, though: by using the skills and info I've picked up here. It all comes down to help, and I've got plenty of people to thank for that: parents, of course, teachers, friends... I guess that means the biggest thing I learned in high school is to lean on others when needed.

There's another, more important, side to that idea as well, and it's the one piece of advice I'd like to give you as we get ready to cross this stage for the last time: Make sure you're around when other people need someone to lean on. They'll thank you for it. Without the support of family, friends and the staff of Easton High, and God's blessings and the strength he gave me, I wouldn't be walking across this stage today. But by the grace of God, I am!"

Tears cascaded down my cheeks when I saw my two loyal friends. Camille and Chris. They've been nothing but true friends. I stared at Lexi, Jayden and Kristian. I wouldn't be as strong as I am today if it wasn't for them. Their mistakes, my mistakes made me strong. Stronger than I will ever be.

I would not be seeing any of these people anymore. It was kind of bittersweet.

"Congratulations, Class of 2014! We did it!"

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ALL THANKS TO @Panda_Monium123 FOR THE GREAT SPEECH! :) Thank youuu!

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