Mina

Graduation

I adjusted the tassel on my cap, looking back at myself in the mirror. Today it was absolutely official. Today I was graduating high school and I could forever more leave everyone and everything in it behind.

Except for Chelsea and Max.

And maybe Owen.

We were friends. Most days, though I tried my hardest to keep Owen at a distance. But it seemed as much as I tried to push him away he just stayed.

I hadn't done anything about the letters from my dad with the exception of working my way through the stack. Reading and rereading them. Part of me felt like I knew him. Like if I saw him, I'd most definitely recognize him but the truth was, I had no idea what he looked like. And maybe he wasn't who he seemed. Which was why I still hadn't tried to contact him. I had started a handful of letters back but they never made it to the mailbox. I chickened out every time.

What if he didn't live up to the man I was slowly creating in my mind? What if he wasn't as genuine as he seemed in his letters? What if it was all an act?

I wasn't sure I could handle both my parents sucking.

Penny and I hadn't talked about the letters again. In fact when I woke up the next morning we carried on with our lives like we hadn't had a screaming match the night before. Like she hadn't purposefully tried to make me despise my own dad. Like she hadn't created my inability to trust a single soul.

I wasn't even sure if Penny had said anything to Carla, I hadn't, I still hadn't told anyone about them.

I had come close a couple times but the damage that Penny had done was too deep rooted and even though the words were on the tip of my tongue I always ended up swallowing them back down.

"Hey! There you are! They're making us line up." Chelsea said her voice bouncing around the empty bathroom. "Come on."

She waved her hand, a smile spread across her face. I let myself return her smile, taking one last look in the mirror at myself.

I met Chelsea at the door as she wrapped her arm around my waist, her head on my shoulder. Max was waiting for us just outside the door, tucking himself into my other side.

"I love you guys." I told them.

Chelsea pulled me closer, a small, more intimate gesture than the wet slobbery kiss Max planted on my face. I let out a laugh, willing myself the ability to enjoy this moment for all that it was.

I wanted out of high school, away from this town and the people in it. But I was only ever going to have this moment once, my two best friends by my side as we headed toward a pivotal point in our lives. After this everyone we knew and everything we were used to would disperse, going separate ways and all we'd have to look back on were memories.

————————

As the principal officially announced us as the "Graduating class of 2019" we all tossed our hats as high as we could into the air. Even me.

It felt good, better than I had expected. I felt lighter, more sure of myself and the plans I had laid out for myself. I instantly felt less stressed, now that high school was officially over.

I wrapped my arm Chelsea, Max not waiting as he clambered over chairs and our other peers to get to us. He tripped, colliding into Chelsea who fell into me and I landed with a thud back into my chair. The three of us laughing.

"We fucking did it!" Max yelled, grabbing Chelsea's face and planting a massive wet kiss on her lips.

"MAX!" She whined when she resurfaced, dramatically wiping her mouth of his affection.