A multiverses of YOU and I

Chapter 8: A dead valedictorian's speech

Stacy Underwood

I slowly opened the paper which I had folded in half.

Hands trembling, I positioned the mike up to my lips and swallowed the lump in my throat that had started to build up.

"Hello," I said softly.

Everyone was looking at me attentively.

"I have not prepared any speech today because I do not need to," I said voice trembling a little.

"I have in my hands Cynthia Duncan's, our last valedictorian's speech."

"I am extremely glad and so happy from the bottom of my heart that you guys thought me capable enough to vote me as valedictorian even after everything I have done."

"I once out of anger told Cynthia Duncan that I wish she would go die, not knowing that she was in fact dying for real," I said as I sobbed, wiping the tears that had fallen on my cheeks.

"I went to apologize to her for what I had said. I honestly deemed myself incapable and unworthy of receiving forgiveness from the person I had most caused pain to. But nonetheless Cynthia forgave me even after all I had done to her saying that there was something else I was capable of doing."

"I feel beyond honored and happy to be standing here right now and to be given the opportunity by Cynthia herself to deliver her valedictorian speech she had prepared for you guys."

"Everybody knows Cynthia Duncan. I mean to say everything was special about her. Her hair, her character, her compelling charisma, her kindness, her hardwork, her intelligence. I mean that girl topped our school and made us proud by coming first even after being sick and going through what she had to."

"I thought why had I hated her so much but then I've come to realize that it was not hatred I'd felt. It was jealously all along because I could, no matter how many times I tried, be better or even try to be better than her."

"Because truth be told, even I wouldn't have forgiven me for doing what I had done, had I been in Cynthia's position. Yet here I am guilty and sorry because Cynthia forgave me even after all the bad things I did to her with a chance to repent as she said by delivering her speech here today."

"So here goes," I said trembling as I opened the letter.