Status: On hiatus.
Reunion
six
Brooke approached the podium, visibly shaking. His heart went out to her; she was always so nervous when it came to public speaking. Her eyes sought out his and he flashed her a reassuring smile and gave her a thumbs up. She grinned ever so slightly, giving him a little nod before she started to speak.
"I'm not going to take too long, because on a day like today, there's not much that hasn't already been said. There's probably some valedictorian somewhere else, saying words pretty close to mine now. When it comes to graduation speeches, they've all basically been done before.
"I want to talk about regret." Her eyes sought his out again and Dan felt his stomach drop out.
"People talk about going through life with no regrets all the time, something I used to think was an impossible endeavor. My list personal regrets is long.
"I regret asking others to do things that I could have done myself. I regret not taking a stand when I should have. I regret the chances and opportunities that I passed up out of fear."
Her eyes found his again as a single tear fell down her cheek. "And I regret, most of all, not telling the people I cared for the most how I felt before it was too late."
Brooke continued, but Dan couldn't focus. His head was spinning, a fog settling into his brain. Was she talking about him? The thought swam around in circles as he thought of her. Of the little moments they had shared, here and there. Of her smile, which sometimes seemed that they were only meant for him. Of that one time after her dad had passed away, when he could have sworn that something had sparked between them ...
Ronnie's hand on his arm brought him back to reality. Of course, that's what she was talking about. Not him, but her father. Dan focused back on her just in time for her speech to conclude.
"I will try to never let the fear in my heart stop me from doing anything ever again. I think regrets will always exist in our lives. But I'd rather regret something I've done, than something I didn't. My hope for you, my fellow graduating class, is that you also find the courage and conviction to do the same."
"I'm not going to take too long, because on a day like today, there's not much that hasn't already been said. There's probably some valedictorian somewhere else, saying words pretty close to mine now. When it comes to graduation speeches, they've all basically been done before.
"I want to talk about regret." Her eyes sought his out again and Dan felt his stomach drop out.
"People talk about going through life with no regrets all the time, something I used to think was an impossible endeavor. My list personal regrets is long.
"I regret asking others to do things that I could have done myself. I regret not taking a stand when I should have. I regret the chances and opportunities that I passed up out of fear."
Her eyes found his again as a single tear fell down her cheek. "And I regret, most of all, not telling the people I cared for the most how I felt before it was too late."
Brooke continued, but Dan couldn't focus. His head was spinning, a fog settling into his brain. Was she talking about him? The thought swam around in circles as he thought of her. Of the little moments they had shared, here and there. Of her smile, which sometimes seemed that they were only meant for him. Of that one time after her dad had passed away, when he could have sworn that something had sparked between them ...
Ronnie's hand on his arm brought him back to reality. Of course, that's what she was talking about. Not him, but her father. Dan focused back on her just in time for her speech to conclude.
"I will try to never let the fear in my heart stop me from doing anything ever again. I think regrets will always exist in our lives. But I'd rather regret something I've done, than something I didn't. My hope for you, my fellow graduating class, is that you also find the courage and conviction to do the same."
♠ ♠ ♠
That's it for tonight's updates. I have another story to work on and some homework to do tomorrow, so I'm hoping to update again Monday at the latest.Here is the part where I beg for comments and recs. How are you guys liking this? Am I jumping around too much?