THE KISSING BOOTH INVASION

30. GRADUATION

The last few weeks of school were crazy. With finals graduation celebrations for each member of the crew.  Even Lee and I had a huge bash and decided to make our last Costume Party in high school.  This party we decided to co-dress.  Lee was Hercules and I was Xena.  Noah really didn't like me wearing my Zena costume but he eventually let it go.  I had a blast, especially since Noah kept wrapping his arms around my waist and running his finger along my exposed midriff.  He had me giggling all night telling me what and how he wanted to remove my costume.  Then chuckling when I would blush and smack him.  At one point in the night while I was sitting on his lap with his arms around me and he just finished whispering yet another string of things he wished to do.  I leaned in and gently blew in his ear and nipped his earlobe.  Then I grinned, very happy with what I had achieved.  As I was getting ready to stand up he grabbed me pulled me back down and said "don't you dare damn I am quite the predicament right now and I need a moment.  I whispered in his ear "then you need to stop teasing me"  I winked at him.  Needless to say, it was shortly after that incident we disappeared for the rest of the night.

My alarm going off made me groan.   I really wasn't in the mood to get up and tried to roll over to go back to sleep.  When all of a sudden Brad came an jumped on my bed and yelled "good morning are you ready to graduate ShellyBellie."  "yes, I am BradleyBear"  I got up went downstairs for breakfast and ran back up to start getting ready.  After putting on my the Blue A-line dress that fell into a full skirt above my knees with a little yellow petticoat underneath that peaked out below the hem that I bought for graduation I grabbed my cap and gown and tassel and headed downstairs.  My dad looked at me and said "I can't believe my little girl is all grown up.  Your mom would be so proud of you, top 10, honor graduate, Valedictorian, going to Harvard."  As tears shown in his eyes he grabbed me and hugged me tightly.

As each one of us was called up to the stage to receive our diplomas our major accomplishments were announced as well.  After all the graduates were called and received their diplomas the principal stood up and said "There is one final award.  It is an award that is rarely given out.  It represents all this school has and all our students can give.  This year we have two students that will receive this award.  As many of you know in this class you have two classmates that bring out the best in each other and work together as a team.  It is very rare you see one without the other.  They are best friends.  During last years carnival, they decided to do a kissing booth.  I was not thrilled with this idea as many of my staff were not as well.  We were all worried about the potential dangers it could bring.  Well, we were wrong.  Not only did these two students make sure everyone followed the rules they also raised close to $700.00 that first year for our annual fundraiser that year it was for cancer research.  This year they were asked to bring it back and they raised more than twice that amount bringing in $1,600 for women's shelters that cater to women leaving abusive relationships.   I would like to announce this year Buckley Hall Humanitarian Awards go to Rochelle Evans and Lee Flynn.  As Lee and I went up to the stage to receive the awards we smiled and hugged each other.  Lee went up to the mic and being the jokester that he is said: "I just thought it would be funny last year to have a girl who has never been kissed run a kissing booth." Every one laughed.  I step up to the mic and say "not funny Lee, the only reason I agreed to do it was so you could kiss your crush.  All kidding aside.  The kissing booth opened a lot of doors for us.  It had Lee and I find the people that mean the most to us and it helped raise a lot of money for our charities.  We have left all the rules and instructions for the kissing booth in the Dance Club locker so that next year the kissing booth will live again."  Lee and I walked off the stage hand in hand and I looked at him and I couldn't help but let a tear slide down my cheek knowing that we are both leaving our childhood behind us.  He looked at me "one last big event for us Shelly before college.  Soon you will officially be a member of my family and I can't wait.