Strings Attached

Chapter Twenty-Four

I sighed. "You're ready," I assured him. "I'm not. I feel like I'm about to enter a whole new planet, but I don't have the right equipment. I feel like an astronaut who goes to the moon without a helmet and an oxygen tank."

Teddy smiled. "Don't worry, Chris. College can't be that bad."

I shrugged. "The funny thing is... I used to look forward for this moment, the moment high school was finally over and I finally went to college, but... now I just want to go back, you know?"

"I know," said Teddy. "Sometimes growing up makes you realize how amazing life was before you had any compromises."

"Exactly," I said, sighing.

"And adults expect us to enter the adult world without making any mistakes, which only adds up to the pressure of becoming an adult..."

"I know. It's like we are expected to make the right choices all the time because our future depends on it, which it kind of does, but... the truth is that I know for sure that I will make mistakes along the way, and I fear that one of them may cost me my future..."

Teddy smiled. "Don't worry, Chris. You'll be fine. We'll be fine. We all make mistakes every now and then, but at least we try our best not to make them. We can only hope we will make the right choices."

"Well," I said, smiling and grabbing Teddy's hand. "At least I know I made the right choice by choosing to be with you."

"And I could not be happier for that choice," he said, kissing my hand softly.

"I guess the future doesn't matter as much when you are living in a present as beautiful as this one," I added.

"I guess so, too," said Teddy. "Because if you are my present, then things can only go upward from now on."

"Do you really think so?" I asked, smiling brightly.

"I do," he said. "As long as I'm with you, no future seems scary to me anymore."

I smiled and kissed Teddy's cheek. "You always know what to say, Teddy Bear."

Teddy winked. "You know it."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

He smiled and poked my belly playfully. "You know you love it."

I smiled. "I do." 

***

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," said Teddy as soon as the principal handed him the microphone. He was about to give his salutatorian speech, and I did not want to miss a second of it.

Teddy had not wanted to show me his speech when he finished writing it because he claimed that he wanted it to be a surprise, and I had been eager to hear it since a week ago, when he had told me that it was almost ready.

Henry and I were sitting next to each other. We were both eager to hear Teddy's and Louise's speeches.

"What if he gets too nervous and he can't keep going?" I asked, biting my bottom lip.

"Relax. He won't. That boy knows how to deal with these situations. I think you're way more nervous than he actually is," said Henry, amused.

I rolled my eyes. "I just don't want him to get nervous."

"The only nervous person here is you," said Henry, smiling. "Just let him be."

Teddy cleared his throat and continued speaking. "We are here today because we managed to survive high school. That, of course, is a huge achievement in itself, but the true goal here is to go to college." He sighed. "College is... Well, it's college."