The League > jariana (COMPLETED)

twenty-eight

The class valedictorian, Emma Franklin, reached for her diploma, remembering at the last second to shake the principal's hand. Nora was wearing sunglasses, her head down. I wondered what she thought about the speech, which touted a bright future, the meaning of success, and a challenge to all of us to smile at someone on a daily basis.

In the last months of school, Nora had slipped further behind, eventually losing her grip even on salutatorian status. She looked just like the rest of us in a simple red robe.

Tiffany Miller was one of three students selected to give a graduation speech. As Kennedy High's prom princess thanked her teachers, a whistle rose from somewhere in the middle rows. Hoots followed from the back of the bleachers. Everyone stared at her, waiting for a reaction. Images of Tiffany, dress clutched to her chest, paint dripping down her arms, girls giggling into cell phones, tripped through my mind.

She tossed a disdainful look into space and continued on with her speech. "Take the good things and leave the bad behind," she concluded. "Memories are all we have to take with us."

I thought of Justin's "success" box, filled with stolen artifacts to help him remember everything he'd done. Like getting souvenirs from the fair, he'd said.

Tiffany finished, and the audience clapped politely. Our eyes met, and I smiled back, clapping harder. It wasn't her clichéd speech that had impressed me. It was her resilience, something I hoped to find one day.

More people joined in until the entire crowd was clapping. Tiffany grinned and bounded down the steps. She edged past Nora and plunked down into her plastic, foldout chair.

Mr. Reid ended the ceremony with some generic wishes for our future. Hats and programs were tossed into the air like a flock of birds taking flight. I climbed onto my chair to search for my parents. Mom was in the third row from the back, aiming a video camera at me. Dad was waving his arms over his head. I'd never seen him look so excited.

My viola teacher, Mr. Watson, stood beside them, primly observing the scene. I was glad he'd accepted my invitation and apology. When I'd finished the Paganini at my last lesson, he'd granted me a rare smile and said, "I suppose the vacation was good for you."

Graduates filed into the aisle, forming an endless line that slithered up the hill toward the school. I moved to the side to wait for Zoe. She practically mowed people down to catch up with me.

"Congrats, Ariana baby," she gushed, out of breath. "Can you believe we made it?"

"Barely," came a voice behind us. Richie smiled as he wiped off the dots of sweat from his forehead with the blousy arm of his gown.

As they babbled on about graduation speeches, I spotted Nora at the top of the path, scanning the crowd. We hadn't spoken since Justin's arrest. Her gaze settled on me, her fingers curling in a tiny wave. I took a step in her direction, but she spun around and disappeared into the throng of graduates and their parents.

Richie reached into the gaping pocket of his gown and pulled out a wrinkled letter. "Guess what? I'm heading to California in three weeks."

My eyes cut to the first sentence: "The Culinary Institute is happy to inform you ..."

Richie grinned back at me.

"Congrats, my man!" Zoe clapped him on the back. "Are you going to get one of those marshmallow hats those chef guys wear?"

"I already own three," he admitted.

"Hey, my aunt and uncle live in Sonoma," I said. I was about to suggest that I could visit him in the summer sometime, but I didn't. It may have been the polite thing to say, but it wasn't the truth. Richie and I wouldn't be seeing each other after graduation; we both knew it. As much as I cared about Richie and Zoe, I understood that Justin was the tie that bound us together, and it had almost strangled us.

"The Bay Area's beautiful," I finished.

"I hear it's cool to be gay in San Francisco," Zoe said.

Richie raised the floppy collar of his gown and struck a pose, a poor imitation of either a rock star or a vampire. I wasn't sure which. Zoe and I laughed. He was so nerdy, so completely Richie, and that, by itself, was cool.

"What are you doing this summer?" I asked Zoe.

"You're looking at the next manager-in-training at Brooks Sports. I'm going to live at home for a while, at least until my mom gets out of rehab in July."

"That's great news, Zoe," I said.

"I'm saving up for the police academy," Zoe added, squeezing her eyes shut in anticipation of our reaction. When we didn't give any, she opened them and grinned. "I can sign up when I'm twenty."

"Officer Carpenter," I said, testing it out.

"Sounds really good," Richie responded before I could.

"Who knows, maybe one day I'll get the bastard for good," she said under her breath. But we both heard her loud and clear.

"What about you?" Richie asked me.

"I'm going to State," I told them.

"What about Barrymore?" Zoe asked. "I thought you were going to call them."

"I did, but it was too late. I missed the deadline. I'm going to audition again next year. Until then, I'll keep practicing, and try out for State orchestra. Get some life experience, you know?"

"I thought the viola wasn't your thing," Richie said.

"It wasn't Justin's thing," I responded.

The three of us looked past the graduation chaos, beyond the parking lot, to the mountains that separated Glenwood from the rest of the world.

Richie and Zoe walked off, blending into the crowd of celebrating graduates. My eyes swung back to the field like a person compelled to take another look at an accident scene. Justin's chair, still empty. I knew he was out there somewhere, and all I could do was hope that, someday, I'd be able to stop looking.

A/N:

AHHHH THE END.

wow what a journey it has been..

when I first started this book I did say this wasn't going to be romancey and stuff but apparently y'all suddenly couldn't read when I said that???? some people complained about it like boo maybe you should actually read the author's notes sometimes?? okay thanks

no but I'm so sorry for y'all who did like the book for what it is, but I won't do a sequel..I don't feel like it because I want to keep it original and not make it cliche so yeah...

but thank you so so much for all the sweet comments and votes, they mean so much to me!

if you haven't already, go check out my new book called ''Phone Calls'' that's what I'll be focusing on and it's such a fun book (I think lol) please leave a vote and a comment, letting me know what you think!

okay love ya <3