THE LOST CAUSE BAR #wattys2017

Chapter 1

The caps go into the air. The graduates around me cheer. Their loved ones from the stands rush down to hug and congratulate the gowned people that surround me.

A tear streaks down my check. I reach to take off my own undecorated cap while others look for their adorned covers. Wiping the tear track away as my hand comes to rest back at my hip.

Taking a few seconds to reign in my emotions. I calmly walk out of the chaos made by the hurried movements of others to get through the chairs and through a tunnel echoing with joyous noise following me.

The parking lot is full of cars, but still except the police officers prepared to direct traffic.

My heels click against the concrete studded with rounded pebbles whole the faint zip of the closure to the graduation gown ripples through the eveing dusk.

In the short walk to my car tears, that built up in the coliseum, start to overflow and spill down to my chin.

My goals in life rest now the amount I can achieve, endless. My happiness shouldn't depend on one unreliable person making an appearance at the culmination of all my years of hard work. I shouldn't shed tears over the loss of his support and I will not, not now or ever again.

As the heavy door of my Bronco shuts I draw a heavy breath that turns in to a sniffle, patting my eyes dry with a hankie then check them for redness or puffiness in the fold down visor.

Tonight is going to be about my achievements; six years, six years of working my ass off with school and working full time, graduating with my Masters in Business no less.

The night is quickly drawing up around me. The noise and the lights from vehicles around me start flickering as people arrive at their vehicles.

Wanting to get out of here quickly, I start my car, while checking the activity of other cars before backing up. The distance between the cloud of happiness surrounding the campus tonight and my bronco grows as I use all the power held in my baby, my one possession that I have more pride held in than my diploma.

I worked on him when I needed a break from school and work. Gradually restore him to his former glory. And man did he turn out gorgeous. When I found out that I was granted the accounting position in Pasadena at an up and coming law firm I finished him, with fixing the rusted panels with real steel and an enameled paint job.

The idea of knowing my days here are limited takes a lot off my shoulders.

The history and people here too over bearing to endure.