Not your Uni

Congrats you've graduated to the real world

So I get into my suit, it's loose and boxy, jet black with a stiff white dress shirt and a blue striped bow tie. My hair is up in a tight bun, I've done up my make up it's pretty simply; a bit of powder foundation to lighten the skin, the sunken in eye look with a bit of mascara and some nude lipstick.

I don't have a date, I've never dated some one or gone on a date. I'm a single pringle who has no one to mingle. I have a friend, singular, I'm going with her, and before you go OHH KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE and shit, she's a lesbian and her name is Margo. Margo has been my friend sense forever really, it's always been just us, she was my only friend. Best bitches for life, before she was out we were teased about being a couple or getting married when we're older. I'm not one for people in general but she's a beautiful stone butch Latina. Short cropped hair in a classic masculine style showing off her coils, snake bites, warm eyes, round face and a eyebrow scar. I see her vintage ford pick-up truck and a loud car honk, I bid my parents good bye and head out the door to Margo, I'll meet up with them later.

"Sup bitch get in," Margo greets.

"Howdy hoe, how's your day, bitch."

"Good, how's yours, shit," I respond, I get into the truck, sit shotgun and slam the door shut.

"Meh, bad sense I saw you," She jokes, I swear we are friends.

She starts to drive and blasts Shakira at full volume, we joke and exchange remarks how were single for life and probably going to get high after the ceremony. The drive isn't too long but it certainly isn't a 30 second drive either. It's probably the last time we'll see each other so we both agree to make the most of it.

. . .

"Ladies first," I say opening the door.

"Thanks, fuck face," a typical backhanded complement from Margo, trust me she just means thank you it's just her way of saying it.

We start running and fuck it we start running, now sprinting to the entrance of our high school. People begin to stare of corse, we have the world's biggest butch lesbian in a suit and big ol'goth kid in a vintage style suit, dyed hair and full makeup: we're a big ass scene. Everyone looks great, duh, but to be honest we the best looking there. We're actually walking now, but still have a shit-grinning, childish smile smeared across our faces. Entering the auditorium we're greeted smiling faces and program pamphlets and we spot our families sitting in the same row conversing.

Smiling and laughing then time seems to slow, my smile softens to a much more pleasant one, and open my arms to hug Margo's parent's. Small talk seems to start the typical how's it's going, what are you going to do after graduation, that kinda stuff. Everything seems so surreal, like I'm trapped in a dream about my graduation but really there. We all sit down and the principle starts to go on there speech, Margo and I sneak off quickly to get on our robs. We sit back down and wait for our names to be called.

. . .

"Margo DeJesus," the principle announces her name she glides up there, everything just seems to move in slow motion and it's slowing down and it give the strangest feeling. A warmth you could say that buzzes in my chest when something big, something you know is memorable is happening right now in that moment.

She gets her certificate of graduation and the crowd claps.

Names get called again.

. . .

"Edward Hutch," my name is called up, I stretch to him. He gives me my certificate and we shake hands and I walk up onto the stage. I stand there and try not let it get to me, I'm a bit crowd shy and stand there and wait to take my bow.

Margo looks over at me, we both smile it eases the tension in the hot humid room. Sooner than later we all bow and Panic! at the Disco's High Hopes starts to play on the speaker. She and I meet and jump off the stage and bolt to outside with everyone. We all throw up our fancy hats in the air and hand our stuff to our parents. We don't stay too long though, just so we can hang out a bit and give out goodbyes. Everyone knows you don't really keep in too close contact with your high school friends and acquaintances, so we make the most of it. We go back inside to make sure we got everyone, and to tell our parents we'll be hanging out for a bit afterwards. They give times to be home at and they're surprisingly reasonable. We get into Margo's truck and start the drive to our favorite hangout, the Old Witch's Woods.

. . .

It's a beautiful spot that no one really goes to, town lore says there use to be an old witch who lived in a hut here back when America was a fantasy dream and independent people were feared too much. We light blunts and crack open soda cans, joke around for our last time and stare at the stars. The weed isn't helping that feeling I talked about but it still feels like such a dream. We just talk and laugh and joke and dream, it's so weightless I never want this moment to end.

Earlier she had set a timer on her phone to when we had to go home. It's alarm rings in our ears and we walk back to Margo's car, the star lit sky our only lantern. It all goes silent and soft and the only thing that you here is Lana Del Ray's born to die playing softly on a scratched up CD. Her voice and it's static saying everything that was everything that was needed. My head rests on her shoulder, she strokes my shoulder and I play with her hair, it's a long ride home.

We pull up in my drive way and we both get out of the car, we hug. We hug for a while, long enough for her to remember the exact sent of my colon and the texture of the fabric. Long enough for me to know how her skin felt as it touched me on this humid night and how the exact way every stand to reflect slightest bit of light from the starry pitch atmosphere. Fuck it, we cry and cry like no tomorrow, I don't care in the moment.

"Goodbye Ed," she says her voice as brittle as the thinest glass.

"Goodbye Margo."

We release, then embrace again briefly she walks away sniffling and gets in and slowly drives away. Slow motion and I'm reaching out but not really because I'm stuck there frozen with only my thoughts. Drowning and gasping for air, no it can't be over not now, no, no come back, the moment can't be over yet. Not yet, no the night can't be done, this surreal dream in slow motion with the strangest feeling can't be over not yet. No this isn't real, it can't be happening.

Margo is gone only the traces of her is all that remains.

Not now, please.

Then it hits me I'm stuck to this real world full of magic and mystery all alone.

It begins to rain.

No one to really lean one, not even the normality of school.

Thunder cracks along the horizon.

No more friends or youthful fun, I'm an adult and I've just graduated to the real world. I go inside with this dream ending too soon and it went by so fast. My symphony the storm that lulls me to sleep in my bed.

Goodbye.