Babydoll (BWWM)

29 - Graduation

"Promise me this," I say turning to him.

"Hmm?" He mumbles briefly staring at me before turning his attention back to the road.

"That my graduation at Tulane University does not get shot up?" I beg.

"I hope not babydoll." He says and that didn't calm my nerves. I was nervous about giving an acceptable speech, I'm nervous about crossing the stage even though I did it four years ago in high school, I'm nervous about getting shot up...thanks to Jackson and friends. My nerves were shot. Trust me, I'm not an extrovert at all, but I wasn't a complete introvert, I just liked to be alone sometimes. I hated presentations and speeches and everything that I had to do by myself or that involved large crowds.

But anyway, I was grown now and somehow those feelings were just supposed to disappear. Not to mention, they were streaming this live for the families who couldn't come. So even more people to worry about.

I felt like crying if I'm going to be honest, but I held my tears in for now. Let's hope I don't stutter because then I'd walk off the stage in the middle of my speech and out the doors.

"Babydoll? You're going to be fine you hear me? I'll be in the crowd, close as I can be for you, trust me nothing bad will happen. As for your speech babydoll, you got this I watched you write it and rewrite it and revise it late at night for like three nights. I think you'll be fine." He says chuckling at the end intertwining our hands. I really wasn't going to cry in the car, but the simplest forms of affection kill me. My throat began to burn from the tears so I just let some fall, drinking water to help.

He glances at me and brings my hand up to kiss it. Still holding his hand I lean against the window as he rubs the back of my hand with his thumb for reassurance.

***

"Now we'll have Tulane University's very own Miss. Kiona James who has managed to keep a 4.0 in all of her classes throughout her years. Give her a hand." This lady says but I wasn't paying attention enough to know who she was because I was thinking about a lot of shit.

As I walk out I hear applause. Lots of it, and some cheers. I really hated crowds and lots of attention. Focus on walking! You'll fall if you don't and you'll be embarrassed as fuck.

I clear my voice before putting my extremely long speech on the podium and lowering the microphone some. I look out trying to find Trece and Ziya in different sections with their majors up top but I couldn't. I look in the front to see the three stooges and Jackson smiling brightly which reassures me.

My heart was beating extremely fast. Calm the hell down. Bitch please, don't have your voice crack either.

"Hello guests, staff, and graduates, I'm Kiona James and as she said I've maintained a 4.0 in all my courses. I major in software engineering and have a minor in computer engineering as well as tech design."

Shit. I can't look down at my paper the whole time I have to look up.

Looking up at Jackson I begin to speak. "Uh, maintaining a gpa like that was not easy at all, I'll be the first to tell you, but  it payed off really well. I'm proud to announce that I was offered a job at a high position for the company Apple-" I got cut off by loud applause making me stand there awkwardly.

"PERIOD SUS!" I hear from the top making my eyes go wide. Anyway. I really bullshitted my way through this speech like everything else. Talking about how great and loving the staff were was an act! Bitch give me an Oscar because I just lied my ass off and gave the performance of my life. One of my classes my sophomore year we had to teach ourselves! I've done that plenty of times in highschool though.