The Payback or The Adventures and Pranks of Zachary O'Connor

Chapter Twenty-Two: Gabby's Speech

My parents had insisted that we show up together for graduation. I wasn't annoyed by this considering it was actually a big deal. My mom wanted to invite her siblings, but I had a limited number of invitations, and three were already used. We didn't wanna hurt any other relatives' feelings, and my grandparents had already passed away. Therefore, it was just the four of us, including my brother, that arrived at the arena where the circus occasionally passed through. It was a sunlit May Saturday, perfect for an afternoon doing something, not locked up inside of an arena all day. I spotted Anti as we walked in. We bid our parents and siblings goodbye and went to take our seats out on the floor of the arena. A wooden stage stood at the front of the arena, with hundreds of chairs in front of it.

"We're here," I said to him.

"Damn. We're graduating high school," Anti muttered.

I shook my head and we headed to our seats. Obi and O'Connor right beside each other, same as always. It'd been like that since elementary school.

"Always together," I sat down, sighing.

"Not for long," Anti said quietly.

I looked up at him.

"I'm really sorry to be going, man."

"Hey, none of that. Sit down. You're still with us for a while."

The two of us sat and just watched as the people that we had known for 13 or more years trickled in. This would be the last time we saw many of them. John sent our group chat a message saying where he was. We looked to see him in the stands and waved. Bay River's graduation was tomorrow, and we'd be attending that as well. Meghan was sitting rows ahead of us while Gabby had a seat up on the stage beside the salutatorian. The salutatorian was some kid named David, and he had a sour look on his face, resenting Gabby. As people sat down on either side of us, the heat became stifling. It took about 30 minutes of us sitting there for the actual ceremony to start. Anti and I were already itching at our collars, and the ceremony was due to last for another couple hours. Eventually, the principal walked out onto the stage, and the room's buzz grew silent.

"Welcome," said the principal, "to the Walkerhall High School Senior Class Graduation Ceremony. We would like to welcome friends, family, teachers, and of course, our seniors."

The principal continued with the pleasantries for about seven years, and everyone was sweating profusely before he finally introduced Gabby. Gabby stepped up to the podium. She was wearing her green graduation robe just like the rest of us, but she was considerably more comfortable. Her face was not shining sweat, since she was not sitting in a pack of sardines like her peers. She smiled brightly before beginning.

"Hello everyone, I'm Gabriela Serafina, the valedictorian for the Walkerhall Senior Class."

I had to resist the urge to yell, "Hey, Gabby!"

She began her speech.

"This year has changed everything. Never again will I take for granted how much the people I love mean to me. All of us are going to go our separate ways, but being a part of this group of people has meant a lot. It still means a lot to me because I can deliver this speech to you. All of you need to know that we can't forget about what has happened this year, or anytime in the past four years. We have formed relationships that will last our lifetimes, and relationships that won't, but, most importantly, we have also learned how to make these relationships. We have learned to make our lives mean something.

"This is important. What you've learned in the past four years will matter for the rest of your life. I don't mean the calculus, with the countless derivatives and integrals, nor do I refer to the history of the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. I'm talking about the way we've learned to think. The way we've learned to interact with other people. The way we've learned to live, laugh, love, and find what drives us to do what we love. What makes me work is the people who have come to be important to me, and who will be important to me. I strive to have a future career that will provide for those I love in the best way that I can.

"The biggest and most indelible memories of high school won't be endless hours of solving systems of equations or pretending to understand the symbolism in Shakespeare. When we think back on it, we'll think of the moments spent with our friends, the teachers that helped us out of tough situations, the ones who advised us. We'll think of the football games, the wins and losses, the marching band buses, the talent shows, the musicals, the pep rallies, the club meetings, the practices where we worked hard and played harder, the secrets exchanged, the stories told, the pictures taken, the hearts broken, the hands we held, the moments where something just clicked, the teachers that took the time to help or that got to know you as more than a student. The people in this room: teachers, friends, parents, family members, and coaches have all affected us in many ways. They have found what drives them. Our goal is to find what drives us.

"Let me tell you about one of my personal heroes. One of the hardest working men I have ever known is my band director. He's in the crowd right now. My band director manages three concert bands, two percussion ensembles, a marching band, and a jazz band. This man has dedicated his entire life to music and spreading his love of music to students. I know that he stays at the school late every single night, but I have never once thought that he doesn't absolutely love his job. He tells us regularly that he's working his dream job. I'm not telling to become a band director, but I am telling you that you need to find that thing that drives you as much as music drives him.

"Chances are, some of you have already found it. I want to be an engineer, for example. I want to create the world that all of us will one day be living in. Some of you want to be doctors, or biologists, or teachers, or business men, or architects, or chefs. Maybe some of you do want to be band directors, but I'm warning you that it's a lot of work... If you haven't found that drive yet, go out and do it. Live and experience. Have fun, but stay committed. It's easier said than done; I understand..."

Gabby paused and looked out over the crowd for a few moments before resuming.

"This year, one of my best friends died."

A paralyzing silence took over the large space.

"Since then, my life has changed significantly, and I'm sure that many of you have been affected, too. There was a period afterwards where I shut everyone out. I certainly wasn't the only one either. My point is this: look where I am today. I am valedictorian of my high school class. Fellow seniors, we are going to have struggle. There will be problems. There will be some serious ones... and some not so serious ones, but there will be problems. I am certain that all the adults in the crowd agree with me. But you know what? Life goes on. We continue to fight and flirt and fall in love and face our challenges and fall. Even when we do fall, though, we pull ourselves up and push hard against that adversity.

"I know that sounds clichéd, but it's true. Life has gone on, and it will continue to. We will move forward onto bigger, better things. We'll remember... We'll forget. We'll change. We'll stay the same. We'll have good times. We'll have tough times. We'll love. We'll lose. We'll live. And in the end, we will die. But until then, we have so many things to experience. I wish you all the very best of luck. Now, go out and start living."

And Gabby sat back down.