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If anyone has had to go through the high school graduation process, they all know it's a pain in the butt. First there are the practices. You need to learn the names of the people you're in between, find them, and get into single file by orderly fashion. Then you learn to walk in a straight line. After that, you have to synchronize your sitting and standing with the other 300 plus students. Then you learn how to receive your diploma and how to walk off stage and sit back down. This is done repetitively over the span of, I guesstimate around 4 hours; how exhausting. I learned one thing only; high school graduates can't move in unity very well.

On Graduation Day, however, you have to make sure you're up to dress code. Girls must wear solid white shoes and a dress that doesn't appear in any way, shape, or color from under the gown. Boys have to make sure they have on black shoes and a collared shirt with a tie. According to the Graduation Fashion Dictator we don't walk if we refuse to follow guidelines.

Jack had just dropped me off and was parking the car on Graduation Day. My family was supposed to show up with his in an hour. During that hour, Jack and I were supposed to find our spots in line and then have our clothes scrutinized. I'll bet if you have a loose thread you'd be plucked from the line. Luckily I was graduating with honors, meaning I was special and got to cut in line. Instead of being number 200 and something, I was number 30; yay me. Jack, however, was number 98 which was a row or two behind me and Rian was number 119. To my approval Lisa and Alex were way in the back. Zack had his own graduation shindig to attend, but I got his number and texted him a congratulations.

An hour went by and we were all in line. The next thing I knew, I was sitting, standing, single-filing my way over the stage, getting my name called, and throwing my hat in the air and kissing Jack. It was so fast. I just wished my dad was here for this. He had shipped off two days earlier than planned. He wasn't supposed to leave until tomorrow but apparently President Bush was in dire need of his services in the Middle East. My mom had to take my grandmom home in Virginia. She was going to stay the night there. I didn't want to go and so Jack was going to stay the night at my place with me.

"Aimee, don't you want to go to Marc and Chris's party?" Jack asked as he pulled onto my street. I had my graduation cap in my hand and playing with the tassel.

"I'm pooped, Jack. I can't party. You can go if you want, it's fine," I said with a smile. I didn't want to ruin his time by letting him feel he had to stay with me.

"No, no it's cool. I needed to talk to you anyway," he said with a grin. What about, I wonder. He parked and I went up to my room, got clothes, showered, and plopped onto my bed. Jack took a shower and changed too before crawling into my bed with me.

"What'd you want to talk about?" I yawned lightly as I cuddled into his side. He moved so that his body was basically devouring mine.

"All Time Low," he said simply, pressing his face against mine. "We're going on tour."

I smiled and kissed his cheek. "That's so great. When?"

He didn't say anything for a while. Pulling back he looked down at me. "Well, that's what I wanted to talk about. It's in a couple of weeks."

The color of my face drained. He waited this long to tell me he was going on tour in just "a couple" of weeks. How could he? I didn't say anything about it. "Can we talk about it when we wake up?" I asked him softly. I needed to sleep, to get away from my thoughts. I didn't want to think about this now. If we talked about it now I'd end up fighting with him and I didn't want that. It'd be our first fight.

"Sure baby-face, sure." He held onto me tightly as though he'd lose me if he didn't. The thing was, if he wasn't holding me as he was he probably would have.

The sun came soon enough and I was happy waking up until I remembered the news Jack had broken to me at the last minute before we went to sleep. I stared at his face, thinking, reasoning with myself. I traced the features of his face gently with my finger. I kissed his pronounced Lebanese nose that I found to be quite handsome and his slightly thinned lips I found charming and romantic.

So what if he went on tour? It was his dream after all. And telling me almost at the last minute? Well it could have been worse; he could have waited till the week of instead. Touring would make him happy. I liked him so much, I wasn't about to hold him back from anything he wanted to do. It was there I decided, as I stared at the freckle on his cheek, that I would support him no matter how far he was. He woke up some time later and we talked about touring. It didn't turn out as I had hoped.

"Jacky, please; I'm okay with you going off on tour. What's the big problem now?" I asked, exasperated. Sine we started this whole discussion it's lasted an hour now.

"The problem is, you won't go with us!" His brows furrowed, clearly upset by my decision to stay behind.

"Jack, I don't want to be around Alex, especially if Lisa's going to be there too. Besides, I have an internship I need to carry through with. Jack please don't look at me like that?" I asked him, reaching over and holding his hand. I kissed his shoulder. "Jack please, I want you to have fun. Go on tour, I'll always be here for you to come back to."

He still didn't say anything. It wasn't till a long moment's silence later that he answered. "Aims, I can't have fun if I know you're here alone. It's either you come with me, or we..." Even though he trailed off, I knew what he wanted to say.

"Or we break up, right?" I asked softly, letting his hand go. He made no motion and didn't attempt to correct what I had said. "Jack, I love you, I really do-"

"Then come with me; please just tell me yes."

"I can't do that, because I don't want to, Jack." I pressed my lips gently to his cheek. "I'm always going to be here for you though, even if we're not together."

He turned his head and I saw the hurt in his eyes just before he gave me a sweet little kiss. "I'll… I'll find you when we get back. I'll text and E-mail you during tour and send pictures, okay?" He held my hands tightly as he managed a small smile.

"Sounds perfect Jack; I'll be waiting for them."

"Instead of... breaking up, let's just call it a short separation?" he asked me quietly. I nodded my head and pressed my lips to his cheek.

I spoke up, "Okay, just until you get back." I bit my lip gently, not knowing what to say after all of that.

"Let's watch a movie for a little bit before I have to get home," he suggested. We spent almost all of the day watching movies. Even though we weren't together anymore, I noticed we still acted like a couple, just without lip on lip contact. Breaking up with Jack killed, but it was necessary. He was going to make it big, I could feel it.

Two weeks passed and I was helping Jack load all of his things for tour. I was taking photographs of them getting things put up, hugging their parents goodbye, everything. I was going to miss them, those lugs, even Alex.

"Aims, we've got to hit the road now. C'mon already with the photos," Zack laughed closing a door shut.

"Okay, okay, just one more with me. A big group photo, okay?" I tinkered with the camera and found the timer. I set it up on Alex's mailbox and we all gathered around the camera. Three, two, one, the flash went off; it took the photo and I hugged them goodbye.

Rian and Zack gave me huge hugs and Alex and I shared an awkward handshake before Jack finally pushed us against each other in an awkward hug. Finally Jack gave me a little kiss on the forehead and the biggest hug he could muster before getting inside. I waved them goodbye and felt myself cry a little. Maybe I should have gone with them if I knew it was going to hurt this much.