Blu's Mute

Chapter 28: A Smashing Graduation

“You’re a great kid Dominic, it’s an amazing thing what you’re doing today.” he smiled warmly at me and I nodded slowly. “Lets go, the honor students are about to walk out, and you need to lead them.” we hurried out of the office where all the other graduates were sitting around, laughing and talking.

The honor’s students walked out and sat in their seats first, then the other graduates behind. I, unlike all the other honor’s graduates, sat in a chair at the back of the stage that we’d walk across. Mr. Jones stood at the microphone and gave his speech, ending it with,

“And now I would like to hand the mic over to this years student commencement speaker; Dominic Favara.” I stood up as I took a deep breath, and stood at the podium, I looked out to the crowd of students and smiled weakly,

       "We all know how scary and exciting today is, its the first day of a new chapter of our lives. We're all leaving our family and friends to go on our own, wether it be traveling, college, getting a job, or the armed forces. We all have a path we're going to take after today, we'll lose and gain people, but its nothing different than what highschools been. There will still be the jerks, the shy kids, and the couple that gets a little too friendly in public." I earned a little rumble of laughter from the crowd, " And true, we're all losing our minds, afraid of if we'll be able to manage bills, taxes, ensurance, and all the other things we have to deal with.

    But we just have to embrace it, this our youth, the years we'll remember best, where we'll learn our greatest lesons to tell our kids of why you shouldn't put a furby in a dryer, or not to dance on a table drunk. This is our time, it's here, and you can live it, or fear it.

     Either way it's not going to change the fact that we're here, we've made it, and we're going somewhere in life. We each, everyone in front of you, beside you, and ten feet from you, have a plan, dreams and goals of where to be in ten years. So who's to say we can't? Fear is all thats going to hold you back, and you may not know if you're ready to face the scary unkown 'real world' but wouldn't it be more fun to try than hide?

     This is your year, you're the class of 2014, and nothing is stoping us from making the class of 2014 the most successful in our dreams. So don't be afraid of this, embrace it, no matter how scary it may seem."

I let out a deep breath I hadn't realized i'd been holding and the graduating class was going crazy. After the clapping died down the other honor students and I walked the stage, then the rest of the students did; once we were officially graduated everybody did the cliche cap throwing thing. Paige ran at me grinning and tackled me in a hug

“Your speech was great!” she squealed, I chuckled as her graduation gown was so large on her, I pulled from the hug and adjusted my stole and cords as she slipped my cap on my head. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist,

“Was that the surprise you wouldn’t tell me about.” I heard Blu ask with a chuckle, I turned in his arms and smiled,

“Yeah, what’d you think?” Blu kissed me firmly on the lips,

“I’m so proud of you.” he whispered, I wrapped my arms around his neck as his forehead rested on mine.

“Both my babies are graduated.” my mother said with a pout and tears in her eyes, her arms wrapped firmly around Chase. She bit her lip and tried to blink away the tears, “I couldn’t be any more proud of you Dominic.” she cooed as Blu let me go so she could hug me in a death grip, Blu’s aunt’s ran over and hugged him in tears, Nat held Jonah as she smiled at me and him.

I squirmed from my moms hug and gave Chase and my father a hug.

“Have you chosen what college you’re going to?” Paige asked me, a bouquet of roses in her arms, her father stood behind her with a smile while he spoke with my mom, using sign of course, as we walked to the parking lot.