Sweep Me Off My Feet

"Taryn Matthews." I heard the speaker announce before I walked onto the stage.

I slowly put one foot in front of the other, being cautious not to fall or stumble. I looked up from watching my feet and looked out to the crowd, who was cheering very loudly, and smiled. I winked over at Joe and waved to the rest of my family.

"Congratulations Taryn." Principal Jones whispered to me as I shook her hand and received my diploma.

"Thanks." I smiled back.

I shook the superintendent's hand and walked to the other side of the stage to return to my seat.

I smiled at Sarah when I sat back down, and waited as everybody else's name was called.

As promised, Joe and his family as cheered for Blair when she went to receive her diploma.

The rest of the names seemed to go by quickly, and before I knew it everyone was filing out of the building, and we were back into our lines, Blair in front, going back to the room we were in before we came in.

**********

"Taryn!" Joe yelled from across the street.

I turned around with a big grin on my face and ran towards him, jumping into his arms when I reached him.

He smiled down at me and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight.

"Taryn!" Frankie said running up to me also and wrapping his arms around my waist to give me a hug.

I detangled myself from Joe and bent down to give Frankie a hug.

"Hey Frankie! Did you see me?" I asked him, still at his level.

"Ya! I saw Blair too! She gave a long speech." Frankie explained to me.

"Ya, she did." I said to him with a smirk on my face.

"But she had to give the speech because she was the smartest person at of all of those people who went on the stage." I told him, trying to make it easy to understand.

"Really?!" Frankie said.

I nodded my head and smiled.

"Whoa!" Frankie said before he ran back off to his parents.

I laughed and stood back up, leaning my side against Joe's side.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and led us to our families.

"There's my little girl!" My mom screamed as she wobbled over to us in her high heels.

"Mom.." I groaned.

I hated when she called me her 'little' girl. I know that parents have an issue with their daughters growing up, but why must they constantly remind their daughters that they still think of her as a little girl. It doesn't boost our confidence one bit, trust me.

My mom wound her arms around me and gave me a hug. Everybody followed her to congratulate me, also.

"I have an idea. Let's go out to eat. For celebrations." My mom suggested.

We all looked at her and smiled, nodding our heads yes.

I pulled out my phone and texted Blair.

Blair, get your ass over to Williams asap. Bring your family if you wish to.

"Just texted Blair?" Joe asked looking over at me with a small grin on his face.

I nodded my head and smiled as I intertwined my fingers through his.

"Mom? Can we go to Williams? Please, please, please?" I begged.

Williams was one of the best restaurants I thought. It had been one of the places that has left a mark on my childhood. It had the best food, and my favorite gambling game, Quik Draw.

"I was way ahead of you, Taryn." My mom said before she gathered everybody to leave.

"Me and Taryn will take a car with Nick and Blair. We'll see you guys there." Joe said to our parents, grabbing Nick by the back of his shirt and pulling him back.

We started walking towards everybody, trying to find Blair.

"Where the hell is she?" I asked out loud, to no one in particular.

"I'm calling her cell now." Nick told me.

I nodded.

"Hey babe." Nick greeted.

"Williams? Is that a popular restaurant in Syracuse, or just a small, unknown resteraunt that you enjoy going to?" Joe asked, swaying our arm between us.

"A small, unknown resteraunt that my family enjoys going to. I've basically been going there since I could eat real food, not baby food." I told him.

"Ya, where are you?" Nick asked to Blair.

"Oh, who else should be there? Besides our families and Blair's?" Joe asked me.

"My old neighbor Shane should be heading there." I told Joe nonchalantly.

I felt Joe tense up and I laughed.

"Joe, settle down. I never had anything with Shane. We're just good buddies. It'd be way to weird if we ever dated, we've known each other since diapers." I told him.

Joe nodded and followed Nick.

"Oh, ok, I see you!" Nick said, hanging up his phone and running towards Blair.

They hugged and Blair waved goodbye to her family, walking towards us with Nick.

I smiled to her.

"Of to Williams!" We said at the same time and started walking to where the boys think they parked the car...