T H I R T Y
I wonder what it's like to be loved by you
MRS. PATTERSON WAS HOLDING HER BLACK CAMERA AS SHE WAS POINTING AT LUKE AND PEYTON.
"Ok! Smile!" Exclaimed the woman and both smiled widely. He had his hand placed on her waist while she was laying both hands on his shoulder.
Both with their graduation gowns, they were trying to hold their smile as their parents took photos of them.
"So your mom has no idea we broke up?" Murmured Peyton, still holding her smile.
"I haven't talked to her in months what did you expect?"
"I don't know. Maybe a warning?"
"I did warn you."
"You sneaked into my room fifteen minutes ago and told me. That's not a warning."
"Okay!" Exclaimed Emily. "Should we drive you—"
"No! Peyton and I will take the truck and pick up the guys. You can go behind. Bye bye."
Luke grabbed Peyton's hand and dragged her towards the truck. She quickly got in and Luke got in at the other side.
Ella was quick and jumped into the truck, just in time for Luke to start the car.
"We don't have to pick up the guys. Alex said he'll do it."
"Yeah, but they don't know that."
"When was the last time you guys talked?" Luke exhaled.
"Maybe when the album got out, I don't know."
"Luke that was months ago."
"I know..." He cleared his throat. "You wanna put music? Anything to avoid having this conversation? U2 maybe?"
"Well... we can talk about what happened."
Oh yeah, that night. It was two weeks ago yet, they both remembered it perfectly.
They haven't had a conversation about it or any long conversation really since it happened. And Peyton was dying to know what was he thinking about it.
"Ok, uhm... what happened... happened," was the thing he said. "Why? Do you want it to happen again?"
"What? No! I'm just... I don't want us to leave this in a bad place. It's been hell of a long breakup."
"Tell me about," he whispered, accommodating his graduation cap and the valedictorian stripes. "Tay..."
"I'm leaving, Luke." He nodded. "I'm leaving in two days and I really don't want to leave without making sure we are best friends."
"We are! We are best friends, we will always be best friends. You can't get rid of me."
Peyton smiled. "Good."
"Good."
They arrived to the school where they saw Alex and the other guys waiting for them. Luke was nervous. He was so nervous and the fact his parents where there wasn't making it easier.
"Let's just... pretend we are together for the day because I cannot tolerate my mother's yelling and disappointment in my graduation." Peyton nodded. "Why am I shaking?"
"Hey, you are gonna do fine. Your speech is going to be great."
"Who came up with the idea that the valedictorian should make the speech? That's... stupid. I didn't even want to be valedictorian. When they told me, Carrie almost kills me."
"You are gonna do fine. Let's go." Both got out of the car.
Luke was trembling. This was his last day in Los Feliz High School. That was important. There he met his friends. He saw his band grow, then fall and then grow again in those buildings.
As soon as he saw Peyton's hand grab his, suddenly all those thoughts faded away, now only focusing on Peyton's skin touching his. His eyes were focused there, and still where when Peyton dragged him towards the rest of the group.
"The valedictorian is here!" Yelled Willie as he hugged Luke by the shoulders. "How are you valedictorian again?"
"Shut up," he mumbled, making everyone smile. "Is it too late to give the title to Carrie?"
"Yeah, it is," replied Carrie as she appeared behind them. Luke smiled at her. "The damage is already done. You can begin apologizing by telling me how cute I look."
Luke smiled. "You look amazing. Give us a twirl." The girl did it and everyone cheered her. "You look like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality."
"Well thank you very much, Luke."
"Should we get in before they give you your diplomas?"
Everyone nodded and they walked inside the building. Luke was still holding tight Peyton's hand as they followed their friends.
Julie, Flynn and Ella separated from them, walking towards the chairs while they walked towards the line of graduates.
"I'm so anxious to hear Luke's speech." Said Carrie to Peyton. They were next to each other on the line. Carrie was wearing again some high heels Cristina Aguilera would be envious about, and Peyton had to look up to talk to her. "Have you heard it?"
"No, he... he kept it to himself. I think that's good, you know?" She nodded. "His parents think we are still dating."
"No way, why?"
"He hasn't told them otherwise. He asked me if we could just pretend for today and I agreed."
"And you aren't comfortable with it?" She shrugged.
"I don't know... I would jump from a moving bus for him. Pretending for day that we didn't break each other's hearts it's the equal to jumping to death. For him, I'll do it."
Luke had Reggie behind him and Alex in front. He was nervous. He was only staring at the piece of paper, repeating in silence his speech. What happens if he forgets it? What happens if he falls?
"Luke, you'll do fine. Stop shaking," said Alex as he took the sheet from him and kept it in his pocket. Luke tried to get it back but Reggie stopped him. "Worry about something else."
"You don't understand, Alex, they chose me to give the speech. Me. From all the people in this building they chose me. And when I'm nervous I start saying pop culture references and it's really weird that I haven't compared this moment to having my arm stuck between a wall and a rock."
"Calm down, Luke, they picked you for a reason. Now shut up, they are gonna start giving the diplomas."
Luke stared at the sky before he looked at the stage, looking at how his classmates where receiving their diplomas. He exhaled deeply, closing his eyes.
Think of something else, think of something else.
"Alexander Matthews..."
No time for that.
"Luke Patterson, valedictorian."
Luke breathed in before stepping on the stage, grabbing the diploma from the principal and stepping in front of the cheering audience, locking eyes with his mom.
He smiled at her before moving the tassle to the left and stepping off the stage and hugging Alex.
"We graduated bro," he said and Alex nodded.
"We graduated!" The blond exclaimed with a smile.
Both felt how Reggie jumped towards them and hugged them, the three starting to bounce in their place.
"We are high school graduates!" Yelled Reggie. "Oh, the things we are going to do now. We are adults!"
"Not technically, but okay," said Alex smiling widely.
"Peyton Swan," called the teacher.
Luke turned around to look at the stage. How Peyton stepped in with grace as she picked her diploma and changed her tassle to the other side shyly.
That made Luke smiled.
She stepped down of the stage and hugged Luke, who was quick to wrap her with his arms, hiding his face in her hair.
"We did it, Luke!" She exclaimed as he lifted her for the ground before breaking apart the hug, looking at her.
"We did it, butterfly." She smiled.
The saw how Carrie got off stage and smiled at the guys, holding up her diploma.
"High School graduate," she sang, making the others smile. Alex hugged her by the shoulders as they saw the last student receive their diploma. "Luke! You are up now."
The boy looked at Peyton for a few seconds before he walked away, standing in front of the stairs towards the stage. All his friends took their places on their chairs and looked towards the stage, waiting for him.
This was it. Here he goes.
"Now this year valedictorian will give us some words. Please welcome... Luke Patterson."
As he stepped on the stairs, his friends started cheering loudly, making him laugh, trying not to blush. He shook hands with the principal before he stood in front of the microphone, looking at all the parents and guests, sitting on the white chairs on the football field.
"Principal Frederick, teachers, graduates, family and friends, my name is Luke Patterson." The cheering began again, and he gave his friends a serious look.
Luke breathed in before continuing.
"I never though that I would be consider for talking to my classmates about responsibility, kindness, respect and the future when I kinda failed in all those classes." That received a laugh from the audience. "So I'm not going to because that would be hypocrite and we are trying to change the world here."
Peyton smiled as Carrie held her hand, both looking at Luke.
"During my life, I've waited at the train station at Paris with Rick Blaine, I've experienced George Bailey's Wonderful Life, I've travelled next to Huckleberry Finn, I've been transported to a different era thanks to Jane Austen, and I've read what I've been avoiding till I'm 21, I guess, thanks to the Beat Generation. I'm not legally allowed to state otherwise." That received a laugh. "I've seen every landscape I could've imagined, and memorized every dialogue I've heard. But since me and my classmates are now stepping into the real world, I should talk about that too."
"He's doing great," whispered Willie and Alex nodded.
"Can you believe he wrote that himself?"
"The real world is something so rare that we watch our parents hide from it in their bedrooms when they arrive home, watching the same old episodes of Golden Girls and Seinfeld and worrying about the Hollywood celebrities lives instead of their own. I swear to God I know everything that happened between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 2016 thanks to a Thanksgiving dinner because grown ups prefer to talk about that than their own mistakes. Yet, here we are now stepping into that clouded world for the first time that our families have hidden from us."
Peyton smiled, looking at Carrie. "Are you crying?"
"Shut up."
"Me, as I assume many other classmates of mine, have hidden from that real world using music, movies and books to do it. I can't even recall the copies of Agatha Christie and Henry James receiving dust under my bed, the ones I used to read every time I get grounded instead of acknowledging my mistakes. We, now high school graduates, are going to be seen and treated like adults, even though we've never been adults before. I bet to all of us here our moms or family made breakfast for us this morning, didn't they?"
The crowd laughed.
"Being an adult is scary, it means making our own choices. It means that my mom is not going to be outside my door to tell me that my clothes are hideous and that I can't go to Uncle Sam's wedding dressed like that. And that's a bummer, but we'll survive. The real world can be scary, terrifying. Yet, it can be really exciting. We don't know what's out there, yet, I don't know about you guys but I'm so excited to find out. Now I'm going to talk about myself so prepare yourself."
Peyton sat up straight, staring at him as he talked.
"I want to mention people that are part from my real world and not from a John Hughes movie I've seen a thousand times. People that have inspired me to become the person that is now here on stage talking you about how scary the world is, yet how exciting will be. I want to thank Alexander Matthews, Reginald Roberts and Julie Molina, two of them who are graduating with me today. Julie, catch up, girl, we are leaving you behind." Julie laughed. "These guys are my band, a great part of my heart, and my partners of passion. I can't imagine any other people that would be able to follow me to my craziness, and I'm so excited to jump into the real world with them tomorrow. Well, with Alex and Reggie. I'll help you with your chemistry homework, Jules, don't worry about it."
He kicked his lips as he held his laughter. He took a pause before continuing.
"I want to thank my best friend, my Golden Girls marathon partner, the Baby to my John and the Bonnie to my Clyde, even though she never agreed to rob banks with me. Bummer." Peyton chuckle. "Peyton Swan, I've known you know for thirteen years now, since I was five years old and you were so little I thought you worked for Willy Wonka."
The girl rolled her eyes.
"I still remember when you moved in next door and a you had a butterfly on your head and you were trying to take it off, but it wasn't working. So I stepped in, with my superman cape and my high leveled ego to your rescue, and I don't recall any moment we've been apart since I took that devilish creature off your hair. Thank you, for stepping into the real world with me, for taking that leap of faith in that reality we've both been hiding from since we were little kids. And I can't wait till we get to know New York next year, together, butterfly."
Peyton's smiled vanished from her face as she stared at Luke.
She had no idea why was she the only one surprised.
"And lastly, because I don't want to make this all about me even though I'd love that, I'll like to thank my parents, Mitch and Emily Patterson."
He cleared his throat before continuing.
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to find out what I'm going to do in the future by myself. I wasn't those kids whose parents formed them since the beginning and learned their passion when they were little, I learned it by my own courage and voluntarily. I found out what I wanted to do on my own and thanks to them I got the strength to fight for it till the end. I learned that people are going to bring down your dreams, are going to think you aren't good enough for them, and that I should kick all of that negativity away. And if after that I still want to do my passion, it means that it's because that's what I'm meant to do in the future."
"That was so passive-aggressive. He learned it from you," said Reggie to Carrie, making the girl gasp.
"I want to finish my speech with two quotes. One, from one of my favorite authors, Henry James: «Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact». And the other one from Monica Geller from Friends: «Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You are gonna love it.». Thank you very much."
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As soon as their graduation party finished, Luke seemed tempted to climb the tree towards Peyton's room.
It was quite difficult with the graduation gown and the cap, but he managed to reach the half roof and storm in the room almost tripping, but arriving with both feet on the floor.
"Luke," she said and he smiled as he stood up.
"Hey... big graduation party, huh? I never though Eddie Gabriels could drink that much. He's so skinny."
"I came here early so I didn't see it."
"Yeah, I figured since I didn't see you there." She nodded. "I think we should have a chat."
"Yes... uhm... in your speech."
"I'm going to New York with you Peyton." She raised her eyebrows. "This past month I've been suffering because we've been apart, and that's when I realized I don't want to be apart from you ever again." He breathed in before continuing. "I talk to the guys, Ella made some calls, and they'll stay next year in LA with Julie and then after Julie graduates they'll move in with me. I'll still have to make some spontaneous trips to LA to see the guys and press conferences but the rest like recording music and all I can do it from New York. Until Julie graduates will be tough but we'll get through it. So, I'll see you after the tour, in New York, because I'm not going any—"
But before he could finish, she jumped into his arms and crashed her lips with his, taking him by surprise. He was quick to maintain balance as he held her waist, trying not to fall.
"I expected you to yell at me." She chuckled.
"How could I? I've never been happier."
POP CULTURE REFERENCES GUIDE
"You look like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality."
Miss Congeniality is a 2000 American comedy film directed by Donald Petrie and starring Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, and Candice Bergen. Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock), a tomboyish detective, is made to infiltrate the Miss United States beauty pageant as a contestant after her department learns that the event is under threat from an anonymous bomber.
"And when I'm nervous I start saying pop culture references and it's really weird that I haven't compared this moment to having my arm stuck between a wall and a rock."
This is the plot of the movie 127 hours. 127 Hours is a 2010 British-American biographical survival drama film by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn and Clémence Poésy. In the film, canyoneer Aron Ralston must find a way to escape after he gets trapped by a boulder in an isolated slot canyon in Bluejohn Canyon, southeastern Utah, in April 2003.
"During my life, I've waited at the train station at Paris with Rick Blaine"
Rick Blaine is Humphrey Bogart's character in the movie Casablanca. He's talking about the scene where Rick waits for Ilsa in the train station.
"I've travelled next to Huckleberry Finn"
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain, first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884.
"I've been transported to a different era thanks to Jane Austen"
Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favorable social standing and economic security.
"I can't even recall the copies of Agatha Christie and Henry James receiving dust under my bed"
Henry James was an American author, who became a British citizen in the last year of his life. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language.
"And the other one from Monica Geller from Friends: «Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You are gonna love it.»"
Monica Geller is Courtney Cox's character in the famous sitcom Friends (1994-2004). She says this quote in the first episode of the show.