Sinking
006.
2007.
I had to make six calls in order to make it to Take’s graduation. I won’t bore you on the details, because trust me when I say it was boring. I also had to go out and buy a damn dress and a pair of new damn shoes and do my damn hair.
I had to sit and endure all of the stares from parents that knew I dropped out of school. I could hear them whispering about me and even pointing sometimes. It was a graduating class of seventy people – it would have been seventy-two if I hadn’t dropped out and Charlie Marine hadn’t moved away. But I didn’t have Charlie’s fortune of transferring and not being riddled by stares. It was a little unnerving, to tell you the truth (even though I really didn’t give a rat’s ass about what these people think), because I wasn’t used to all of that attention. Being friends with Take always made me second place in everyone’s eyes and I was just fine with that.
The whispering died down when the ceremony began but occasionally I would feel my face burning with their eyes. By the time the ceremony started I was already pissed off and wanting to leave. I even considered sneaking out but the graduates were entering and Take would notice my absence in the lake of 200 people.
70 of my peers took their seats on stage and I picked out Take in the back of the rows. His smile was as big --if not bigger than the day he got his lip piercing. I touched mine in nostalgia.
He wore a metal around his neck, a golden braid, and a shawl over the cheap looking red polyester. I could only assume they represented excellent grades and that he was valedictorian. On his cap was something black -- like he painted the top of it.
I could spy his infamous lip ring gleam off the gym lights and was again reminded of the day he received it. I guess it was because that was a mark of how much we had changed in the past year and a half. Back then we were both stupid kids (him more successful) who just wanted to live. Now I was some bum drop out with three jobs and a dog to feed while Take was on his way to Harvard. I didn’t feel different – I wondered if Take did.
“Um. Ha, so I won’t try to bore you for too long.” I was snapped out of my daze when I heard my best friend’s voice through speakers all over the gym. “I know you all want to get out of here to start partyin’ it up. But I will admit after ten years with my classmates – my friends – I do have something to say.
“I could spend an hour here naming every single thing I love about every single person in this room. Believe me that I could. I know it was hard for us, all seventy of us to grow up in a small school system in such a big city.” He smiled. “I just want to give some thanks. No sappy lyrics, no tears, just some gratitude. To the school for giving me great opportunities to succeed and follow my dreams. To Mr. Galloway for the letter of recommendation that I owe my acceptance to Harvard. And thanks, Mom and Dad, for making me the way I am. I don’t think I would be happy with being me if I were any other way.
“And finally, I want to thank my best friend. You all know her, I’m sure.” He smirked. I could feel my cheeks burning. “She’s the one who was with me when I got my lip piercing, committed my first misdemeanor, went to my first rock concert, skipped my first class, and was the first person to make me smile since I got here in the second grade. I know parents are the ones who are supposed to raise you, but a best friend – especially like Hannah – is the one who really molds you. Your parents can only do so much, until you find a best friend. That’s the one person who knows all of the dirty little secrets in your heart.
“I’ve never known someone so honest to the world and to herself. Not once had I ever caught her lying to herself about who she was or putting up a mask to the world. Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when I wasn’t sure about who I was or who I wanted to be. And Hannah, being who she is, inspired me to find out who that was. I’m still trying to figure out who I am exactly, but I know for sure I wouldn’t be the Take right now if it weren’t for her.
“Anyway, I thought I’d publically embarrass her one last time before we all go on our separate journeys. And I think we could all try and be more like her -- the world could use it. So good luck Class of 2007 – keep your dreams high, your glasses full, and may your futures be bright.” He gave a nod and walked back to his seat. Everyone else began clapping – me too.
I wasn’t clapping the fastest or the loudest but I was screaming on the inside. Only one person could ever dedicate an entire valedictorian speech to a single person and still be classy, and it just so happened to be my best friend.
It wasn’t until then I realized how much Take admired me as much as I admired him. I guess I had always assumed he was totally confident (perhaps even over confident) at everything he did. Once again this kid was teaching me another lesson at life—
He waved to me as he stepped off the stage and moved his tassel to the other side.
--that everybody was human, that we all made mistakes, and that was okay.
I had to make six calls in order to make it to Take’s graduation. I won’t bore you on the details, because trust me when I say it was boring. I also had to go out and buy a damn dress and a pair of new damn shoes and do my damn hair.
I had to sit and endure all of the stares from parents that knew I dropped out of school. I could hear them whispering about me and even pointing sometimes. It was a graduating class of seventy people – it would have been seventy-two if I hadn’t dropped out and Charlie Marine hadn’t moved away. But I didn’t have Charlie’s fortune of transferring and not being riddled by stares. It was a little unnerving, to tell you the truth (even though I really didn’t give a rat’s ass about what these people think), because I wasn’t used to all of that attention. Being friends with Take always made me second place in everyone’s eyes and I was just fine with that.
The whispering died down when the ceremony began but occasionally I would feel my face burning with their eyes. By the time the ceremony started I was already pissed off and wanting to leave. I even considered sneaking out but the graduates were entering and Take would notice my absence in the lake of 200 people.
70 of my peers took their seats on stage and I picked out Take in the back of the rows. His smile was as big --if not bigger than the day he got his lip piercing. I touched mine in nostalgia.
He wore a metal around his neck, a golden braid, and a shawl over the cheap looking red polyester. I could only assume they represented excellent grades and that he was valedictorian. On his cap was something black -- like he painted the top of it.
I could spy his infamous lip ring gleam off the gym lights and was again reminded of the day he received it. I guess it was because that was a mark of how much we had changed in the past year and a half. Back then we were both stupid kids (him more successful) who just wanted to live. Now I was some bum drop out with three jobs and a dog to feed while Take was on his way to Harvard. I didn’t feel different – I wondered if Take did.
“Um. Ha, so I won’t try to bore you for too long.” I was snapped out of my daze when I heard my best friend’s voice through speakers all over the gym. “I know you all want to get out of here to start partyin’ it up. But I will admit after ten years with my classmates – my friends – I do have something to say.
“I could spend an hour here naming every single thing I love about every single person in this room. Believe me that I could. I know it was hard for us, all seventy of us to grow up in a small school system in such a big city.” He smiled. “I just want to give some thanks. No sappy lyrics, no tears, just some gratitude. To the school for giving me great opportunities to succeed and follow my dreams. To Mr. Galloway for the letter of recommendation that I owe my acceptance to Harvard. And thanks, Mom and Dad, for making me the way I am. I don’t think I would be happy with being me if I were any other way.
“And finally, I want to thank my best friend. You all know her, I’m sure.” He smirked. I could feel my cheeks burning. “She’s the one who was with me when I got my lip piercing, committed my first misdemeanor, went to my first rock concert, skipped my first class, and was the first person to make me smile since I got here in the second grade. I know parents are the ones who are supposed to raise you, but a best friend – especially like Hannah – is the one who really molds you. Your parents can only do so much, until you find a best friend. That’s the one person who knows all of the dirty little secrets in your heart.
“I’ve never known someone so honest to the world and to herself. Not once had I ever caught her lying to herself about who she was or putting up a mask to the world. Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when I wasn’t sure about who I was or who I wanted to be. And Hannah, being who she is, inspired me to find out who that was. I’m still trying to figure out who I am exactly, but I know for sure I wouldn’t be the Take right now if it weren’t for her.
“Anyway, I thought I’d publically embarrass her one last time before we all go on our separate journeys. And I think we could all try and be more like her -- the world could use it. So good luck Class of 2007 – keep your dreams high, your glasses full, and may your futures be bright.” He gave a nod and walked back to his seat. Everyone else began clapping – me too.
I wasn’t clapping the fastest or the loudest but I was screaming on the inside. Only one person could ever dedicate an entire valedictorian speech to a single person and still be classy, and it just so happened to be my best friend.
It wasn’t until then I realized how much Take admired me as much as I admired him. I guess I had always assumed he was totally confident (perhaps even over confident) at everything he did. Once again this kid was teaching me another lesson at life—
He waved to me as he stepped off the stage and moved his tassel to the other side.
--that everybody was human, that we all made mistakes, and that was okay.