Status: Active
This Moment was Held for Me
Distracted
When I returned to the table Gerard and Frank still weren’t there.
“You okay?”Amanda said as I sat down again.
I smiled, “Yeah! Forget it. It’s fine.” I said pushing down my sadness.
“Okay,” she smiled back, “C’mon let’s be happy!” she giggled, “It’s our night tonight! Our graduation, okay?”
“Of course!” I said trying to be as positive as her.
“Good,” she nodded and turned back to her plate of dessert.
“Want some?” she said once she took a mouthful.
“Nah,” I said, “I’m good.”
Suddenly, another teacher announcement interrupted our conversation. They were calling all students to go to the back of the room for a group photo. As Amanda and I walked away from the table, I heard Amanda’s Mom talk about the after-graduation-party. Amanda was going and her Mom was asking whether I was able to as well. I sighed, already knowing the answer. I comforted myself with the fact that a warm bed, and Moo of course, was waiting for me back home.
Once all the students had assembled on the bleachers we were ordered to arrange ourselves in alphabetical order. Amanda and I ignored this rule because we wanted to stand next to each other. “Squeeze up!” the photographer directed us all.
“I hope no teacher notices us,” giggled Amanda.
I squeezed her hand as the photographer snapped photos of our grade. It was such a strange realization to think that this photo captured the last few moments that I’d ever see all these people.
I turned to Amanda after the photo had been taken and looked at her seriously.
“What?” she said.
I smiled at her, “You seriously are my best friend. Always.”
She hugged me tightly, “Mia, you too. Forget about parents, or boys. We’ll always be together, okay?”
I smiled at her as we walked back to the table.
“Mia?” Mom tapped my shoulder once we were seated again.
I turned to her with a smile, “Yes?”
“Amanda’s Mom was just talking to me about the after-party,” she said.
“It’s okay, Mom. I know I’m not allowed to go,” I said quickly.
Mom breathed out before saying, “But would you want to go, if you were allowed?”
I eyed her suspiciously, “Are you considering letting me go?”
A slow smile broke out on her face, “Perhaps.”
I looked at her seriously, “Really?”
She nodded slowly, “Well yes. If you want to. I was thinking about cutting your grounding short. You’ve been really great Mia; and I know how sorry you are. It’d be like my graduation present to you.”
I squealed and thanked her.
“Now Amanda’s Mom will drive you and some other kids to the party and pick you up at 2am. You’ll sleep at Amanda’s house. I’m trusting you,” Mom said seriously, “Okay Mia?”
“Yes! You can trust me! I promise,” I said as I kissed her cheek.
When I turned around to tell Amanda she was already grinning.
She leant into my ear and whispered, “Fucking awesome!”
Mom said goodbye to me after the Graduation Dinner was over. Amanda’s parents were also taking Toby, Sarah, me, Amanda and another boy called Derek to the party. They had a big car so we all piled in and started chatting nosily. Amanda checked her phone while we were in the car but there was still no message from Gerard.
“Well,” Toby said to me sarcastically, “Fancy seeing you here.”
I liked his tone immediately.
“Turns out my Mom had a change of heart,” I explained happily.
“Well I’m glad,” he smiled.
“Me too!” I laughed.
Amanda leaned over and joined our conversation, “Now we have to make sure Mia doesn’t get into trouble,” she said grinning, “We promised her Mom.”
Sarah laughed, “For Mia that will prove difficult.”
Toby looked at me, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” he said as he nudged me playfully with his shoulder.
As I leaned back into my seat, and tried to ignore Amanda’s obvious wink, I smiled weakly to myself. It was a nice moment to just relax and be a normal teenager again…If only Frank wasn’t constantly on my mind.
“You okay?”Amanda said as I sat down again.
I smiled, “Yeah! Forget it. It’s fine.” I said pushing down my sadness.
“Okay,” she smiled back, “C’mon let’s be happy!” she giggled, “It’s our night tonight! Our graduation, okay?”
“Of course!” I said trying to be as positive as her.
“Good,” she nodded and turned back to her plate of dessert.
“Want some?” she said once she took a mouthful.
“Nah,” I said, “I’m good.”
Suddenly, another teacher announcement interrupted our conversation. They were calling all students to go to the back of the room for a group photo. As Amanda and I walked away from the table, I heard Amanda’s Mom talk about the after-graduation-party. Amanda was going and her Mom was asking whether I was able to as well. I sighed, already knowing the answer. I comforted myself with the fact that a warm bed, and Moo of course, was waiting for me back home.
Once all the students had assembled on the bleachers we were ordered to arrange ourselves in alphabetical order. Amanda and I ignored this rule because we wanted to stand next to each other. “Squeeze up!” the photographer directed us all.
“I hope no teacher notices us,” giggled Amanda.
I squeezed her hand as the photographer snapped photos of our grade. It was such a strange realization to think that this photo captured the last few moments that I’d ever see all these people.
I turned to Amanda after the photo had been taken and looked at her seriously.
“What?” she said.
I smiled at her, “You seriously are my best friend. Always.”
She hugged me tightly, “Mia, you too. Forget about parents, or boys. We’ll always be together, okay?”
I smiled at her as we walked back to the table.
“Mia?” Mom tapped my shoulder once we were seated again.
I turned to her with a smile, “Yes?”
“Amanda’s Mom was just talking to me about the after-party,” she said.
“It’s okay, Mom. I know I’m not allowed to go,” I said quickly.
Mom breathed out before saying, “But would you want to go, if you were allowed?”
I eyed her suspiciously, “Are you considering letting me go?”
A slow smile broke out on her face, “Perhaps.”
I looked at her seriously, “Really?”
She nodded slowly, “Well yes. If you want to. I was thinking about cutting your grounding short. You’ve been really great Mia; and I know how sorry you are. It’d be like my graduation present to you.”
I squealed and thanked her.
“Now Amanda’s Mom will drive you and some other kids to the party and pick you up at 2am. You’ll sleep at Amanda’s house. I’m trusting you,” Mom said seriously, “Okay Mia?”
“Yes! You can trust me! I promise,” I said as I kissed her cheek.
When I turned around to tell Amanda she was already grinning.
She leant into my ear and whispered, “Fucking awesome!”
Mom said goodbye to me after the Graduation Dinner was over. Amanda’s parents were also taking Toby, Sarah, me, Amanda and another boy called Derek to the party. They had a big car so we all piled in and started chatting nosily. Amanda checked her phone while we were in the car but there was still no message from Gerard.
“Well,” Toby said to me sarcastically, “Fancy seeing you here.”
I liked his tone immediately.
“Turns out my Mom had a change of heart,” I explained happily.
“Well I’m glad,” he smiled.
“Me too!” I laughed.
Amanda leaned over and joined our conversation, “Now we have to make sure Mia doesn’t get into trouble,” she said grinning, “We promised her Mom.”
Sarah laughed, “For Mia that will prove difficult.”
Toby looked at me, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” he said as he nudged me playfully with his shoulder.
As I leaned back into my seat, and tried to ignore Amanda’s obvious wink, I smiled weakly to myself. It was a nice moment to just relax and be a normal teenager again…If only Frank wasn’t constantly on my mind.