Nothing Personal

“Zooey, there’s a package for you!” Zo’s mom called from the stairs just as Zo was about to put in her other earring. She sighed as she stood and ran downstairs to see her mom holding a small brown box in her hand.

“Who’s it from?” She asked as she took the box from her and looked at the return address. All that was written there was A.G. written in messy handwriting. She shrugged and ran back upstairs to her room and saw Penny glance at her.

She sat on her bed and carefully opened the box and saw that there was another smaller box inside along with a note. Taking the box out first, she opened to see that it was a necklace with a small wooden heart with little printed flowers on it. Staring at the necklace for a few moments, she figured she mind as well look at the note to see what the hell was going on.

Zooey, I know you must be thinking how strange it is to be getting a random package from someone you don’t know. But don’t worry; it’s just me, no creepy stalker like Jack Grey wanting to get in your pants.

Just kidding. Anyway, I saw this the other day while we were out around town waiting to play that night and I thought of you right away. I don’t even really know why. Just for some reason as I passed it, the first thing that came to mind was you.

So, I got it and decided to give it to you for a graduation present. I tried to work this out so that you got it on the day of graduation, so hopefully it got there on time. But if not, congrats on your graduation! I’m so proud of you. I knew you’d do great!

And if it’s too weird to see this as a gift from the creepy guy in your head, you can also see it as a good luck charm from a very handsome stranger. But whatever take it however you like. But please tell me when you get this; I want to know what you think.

Congrats grad, you’ll do great! I know you will! Alex.

Zo couldn’t help but smile as she looked to the necklace again. It was small and the wood was light and hung on a thin silver chain. It was beautiful though she didn’t understand why Alex thought of her. But she loved it.

“Who’s that from?” Penny asked as she continued to do her makeup. Both of them were already in their dresses and were just finishing up their hair and makeup. Well Penny’s makeup. Zo refused to wear makeup.

“Hmm, from a friend who lives out of town. He sent it to me for graduation.” She replied with a blush. Penny was about to push the matter but then caught the annoyed look on Zo’s face and dropped it, going back to her makeup.

*Ok, so here I am getting ready for graduation and I’m told that I get a package in the mail from a very strange A.G.* Zo said as she put the necklace on and smiled.

*You got it!?* Alex asked in a worried yet excited voice and Zo couldn’t help but laugh as she touched the pendant lightly and smiled. *Let me see it on you!* She rolled her eyes as she walked down to the bathroom to look at her reflection in the mirror sending him a image through her mind’s eye. *You look beautiful.*

*Shut up, I just want to get this over with. But thank you, seriously. I appreciate it. It’s beautiful.*

*I’m just glad it got there on time. I was freaking out about that.* She noticed that he seemed a little nervous about it and couldn’t help but smile. The man who seemed so cool and chill in every single circumstance was nervous about giving a girl a necklace. It was one of the cutest things Zooey had ever seen in her life.

*Anyway, so do I finally get to know your last name? I know it starts with a G now.* She asked hoping that he would actually finally tell her. She had been noticing that he was giving her a little more of a glimpse into his life lately and maybe he was finally going to open up more.

*Don’t you have a graduation to go to?* Well forget that idea. The wall was back and he wasn’t going to let her know anymore about him. It was worth a try.

As if on cue, Zooey’s mom yelled up the stairs to tell the girls to get going. She grabbed her flats and clutch that she had with her and then followed Penny out of her room and down the stairs. When she got to the bottom, she saw her mother, Penny’s mom, and her brothers standing there with stupid grins on their faces.

“Picture time!” Zooey’s mom nearly yelled as she pulled out her camera and both girls groaned. “Ok, Zo get with your brothers. This is one of the only times they’ll both be in suits and actually looking nice and the first and last time we see you in a dress!”

Zo rolled her eyes as she stood next to Colter and Do stood in front of her and they both put their hands on his shoulders. They all smiled as the flash went off and as they were about to part, their mother stopped them and made them pose once more. After at least five pictures with the three of them, Penny’s mom suggested a family photo.

There was at least a billion pictures taken and Zo realized that it was even worse then when they had gone to prom. And finally, once they were done, they all piled into their car since they were all carpooling and headed over to the high school.

Zo took a deep breath as she saw the school coming into view and couldn’t help but smile when she realized that this was the last time she had to go to that school as a student. All she had to do was get through the ceremony and then they would be free forever. Then she would never have to worry about school again. She could be free to do whatever she wanted.

Playing with the necklace Alex gave her as she stood in line, she couldn’t help but start to feel nervous. This was the moment she was had been waiting for for nearly four years. What if she tripped? What if she accidently got up when her name wasn’t called? There were so many what it’s going through her head that she was beginning to wonder if she should just bolt out of there and get her diploma after this whole mess was over with.

*Zo, just close your eyes and breathe,* Alex told her and she couldn’t help but smile at the familiar voice. The line of graduates was alphabetical order by last name and Penny was all the way in the front and she was surrounded by people she had hardly talked to for four years.

She did as she was told and tried to focus on Alex’s voice as he continued. *Seriously, don’t worry. Everything will be fine. You have a great life ahead of you. Just think, after this hour and a half you will be free. You can go anywhere do anything you’ve ever wanted. Just breathe and keep your mind off of it,*

*Yeah ok,* she replied as she took another deep breath. *You’re not going to leave during the ceremony are you?*

*No, I’ll be right here with you through it all.* She sighed in relief and started to feel a little better. At least Alex would be there to help her get through it.

The teacher in charge of keeping all the kids in order while they waited called everyone to attention and the whole room quieted down as she began to speak. “Alright everyone, we’re about ready to march. Make sure to stay in the proper order and not talk as you walk.”

She turned back around but no one said anything since the fact that they were about to graduate sunk in to everyone. When they heard the music start, Zo took another deep breath and listened to Alex’s encouragement as she followed the person in front of her down the hall to the doors to where the gym was.

*You’re doing great,* Alex said as she began to walk down the aisle and made herself focus on walking and not tripping. When she got to the steps, she looked down to watch her feet and then made her way to where her chair was and sat down. *See, not that hard. Now look like your paying attention.*

*Shut up,* she muttered as he just laughed. The principal came to the front of the stage and turned his back to them and then began his long speech. Zo wrung her hands together and tired to focus on his words but her mind was on too many other things.

When the speech was done, they began to let some of the other students give their speeches too, but Zo’s mind still wasn’t there. Every now and then Alex would comment on something, mostly just to let Zo that he was still there but they mostly sat in silence and Alex left her to her own thoughts.

Then the diploma’s came. The principal began to call the kids names one by one and they would stand and make their way over to shake his hand and then get their diploma from him. One by one, the A’s were called, then the F’s, then the O’s….

“Zooey Elizabeth Peters,” their principal called and Zooey stood and slowly made her way to the front and gave her principal the best smile she could come up with as she shook his hand and took her diploma from him with the other.

After she let go of his hand and the next name was called, she took a deep breath and moved her tassel on her graduation cap to the other side. And as she made her way back to her seat, it finally hit her. She did it. She graduated. She was done with high school.

*Oh my God, it’s over with.* She whispered to herself and she heard Alex cheering.

*You’re finally done with school,* he confirmed with a chuckle. *So how do you feel graduate?*

*Umm I don’t know.* Alex just laughed again as the principal finished calling names and introduced the class of 2012. She stood along with the rest of her class and gave a small whoop as the rest of the class erupted in cheers and ‘hell yeah’s’ and the caps started to fly into the air.

They began to file out of the gym and as soon as they were in the lobby, Zo instantly started to look for Penny or any of her family. She spotted Penny first and gave her best friend the first real smile of the day and ran to meet her and threw her arms around her.

“We did it! We finally did it!” Penny yelled in her ear as they began to jump up and down in each other’s arms.

“We did! I can’t believe it! You’re now officially a college freshman!” Zo replied as Penny blushed. She had already been accepted to one of the colleges in their state and would be starting their in the fall, which happened to be the same one Colter went to. It wasn’t a real shock to Zo though; Penny was smart and had gotten accepted to every college she had applied to.

“My babies!” A voice yelled as Penny and Zo looked over to see Zo’s mom basically running over to them with her arms open. Her face had tear streaks and Zooey noticed that her hair was a little messy since the last time she had seen her.

“Hey mom,” Zo said as she let go of Penny and went to hug her mom. She started to babble about how her ‘little baby girl is already graduated’ and ‘I remember when you were still just in diapers’. She did the same thing at Colter’s graduation.

The pictures began again because ‘I’ll only be able to get you to wear your cap and gown once and then you’re going to just throw it away’ as Zo’s mom put it. So they spent another fifteen minutes taking pictures with everyone again. Alex kept Zo sane as she smiled halfheartedly to the camera and the flash all but blinding her.

Finally they were finished and Zo took off the gown as soon as she could as they made their way out to the car. Both their moms were going nuts and Penny’s mom drove their beat up old minivan back to Zooey’s house for the small graduation party they planned. When they got back, Zo immediately went to the stairs to get out of the ridiculous dress she was in. She grabbed her favorite pair of skinny’s and a shirt and bounded back down the stairs with no shoes on.

She found everyone else already in the kitchen eating snacks and talking happily. Her mom hadn’t over did it with the decorations but just put up a banner that said ‘congrats grad’ and put a s at the end of grad since it was her and Penny’s party. There were a few streamers and matching paper plates and cups, but both girls didn’t want a big ordeal so their moms had kept it simple.

Both of their moms had made their favorite foods and all they had to do was warm them up and then they could start eating. They all were seated around the table in the kitchen and began to pass the food around talking and laughing. Zo was just glad that it was over with. No more stressing about school and now she could go looking for a real job and maybe take a few classes in photography if that’s what she chose to pursue.

As they ate, Zooey started to notice the little noises Dorian was making next to her. She looked down to see a pained look on his face and when she asked quietly if he was ok, he just nodded and tried to give her the best encouraging smile. She let it go thinking that he was just in a little pain.

He took pain meds for the cancer and had already taken some earlier and couldn’t have anymore so there was really nothing she could do about the pain beside suggest that he go lay down for a little while. But he had refused and Zo figured it was because he didn’t want to make a scene at the party. The tiny little boy was fighting against cancer and still thought about others before himself. He was nuts, but she loved him.

A while later, Zo had put Do in the back of her mind as she helped her mom clear the dishes. But was reminded when she heard Colter yelling for their mom in the other room and instantly picked up on the worry in his voice. Zo and her mom put everything that they were doing down and then rushed into the living room where everyone else was.

Zo instantly began to panic as she saw her little brother doubled over holding his stomach tightly and tears flowing from his eyes. Zo and her mother dropped to the floor beside him and tried to have him tell them what was wrong but all he could do was cry and clutch his stomach.

Then Zooey saw it, a little trickle of blood coming from the side of his mouth. Her mom must have seen it at the exact same time that she did since she instantly turned to Penny’s mom and demanded her to call 911 as fast as she could. Penny’s mom rushed out of the room to get the phone and then her mom turned back to Do and tried to get him to calm down telling his that help was coming soon. But all he could do was cry more.