Keep Me Guessing

My foot was tapping incessantly and I was doing everything to not throw up. I was sitting in a folding chair at a huge arena, listening to the principle drone on about how far we've come. Up in the actual seating of the stadium were my aunt and uncle, mom, dad, and Faye. Graduation day had finally came, and I was a basket case. Jack was sitting next to me, looking the same as me in the long blue robes and hat, and laughing at me quietly. I guess it was a good thing that I was sitting next to Jack, because he could do a good job at cheering me up. Kara and Rian were also next to each other, but Alex, Brie, Zack and Cheyenne were alone. Although, Zack and Cheyenne were rather close.

"Jack, I'm going to fall off the stage, I swear to God I am."

"Addison Sophie, you are not going to fall of stage." He said seriously. "You know, I am surprised you're not up there as valedictorian, or even salutatorian."

"Yeah well, I'm not for two reasons." I said bitterly. "One, I transferred here my senior year, so that ruined things. And obviously, if I was smarter, that wouldn't have mattered."

"Oh come off it, Addie." Jack rolled his eyes. "You're very smart. But I can't believe you've been here a year you know. Are you coming on tour with us?"

"Tour?" I asked incredulously.

"Oh, fuck." He muttered. "I wasn't supposed to mention it yet…"

"Will you two shut up?" the person in front of us hissed.

"You shut up Jane." Jack muttered.

"Seriously, we're not being loud."

But after that both of us fell silent, mainly because of my nerves. They calmed down slightly while the valedictorian, Tyler Spence, was giving his speech, but started up again when the diplomas were handed out. I sought to find my family again when I got on stage and found them beaming at me; I smiled.

"Addison Sophia Barakat," the principle said. I stepped up to get my diploma and took it, taking my picture, listening to the cheers come from my friends and family. "Jack Barakat."

I turned around and gave Jack a thumbs up and cheered. Once I sat back down in my seat, the tears started to flow. I listened intently to the remaining names, screaming loud for each of my friends- and then.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I give you, the class of 2006!" Caps flew off everybodies heads, including mine. I caught it when it came abck down and laughed.

"Come on Jack, let's go find everyone." I said tearfully.

After finding Cheyenne, Zack, Brie, Alex, Kara, and Rian, some smiling, the others crying, we were found by our parents. My mother and father hugged me and kept saying how proud they were of me. Pictures were bound to be taken now and later, when we got home. Pictures of me, me and Jack, Zack and me. I was getting sick of pictures. When I look back at them I'll probably be crying in them. Or, by any chance of luck, I will look like a proud graduate with a real smile and a dry face.

I piled into my aunt's car with my parents and little sister while Cheyenne rode with my uncle, her parents and Jack. It had been decided a week ago that it would make the most since to have the grad party at my aunt and uncles for a few reasons. One was because both Cheyenne and I had our parents flying in from Washington and another was that Jack, Cheyenne, and I all lived at the same place. So, the Merricks, Gaskarths, Daniels, Dawsons, and Sampsons followed us back to the house. Waiting for us were cake and presents; although most of us had told them we didn't need a present. Whilst in the car I had struggled to get out of my cap and gown, laughing when I saw that everybody else had done the same. Inside our parents will still cooing about how proud they were, and in Alex and Jack's case, how relieve they were that they graduated.

"So, what are your plans now?" My dad asked me.

"Well…" I said, stalling, stealing a glance at Jack.

"Actually uncle Kyle," Jack said. "The band is going on tour this summer, and we wanted to know if she can go. Actually, we want to know if all the girls can go."

"It's up to Addie." My dad said. The other parents murmered in agreement.

"Well, I'll go." I said. "And be able to get to college when the tour ends."

"I'm in for sure." Brie laughed. "What's another time on the road?"

"Same for me." Kara said.

"I guess I have to then, don't I?" Cheyenne laughed.

Everybody laughed at her comment, I knew she was going mainly to meet a guy on the tour, but I wasn't going to say a word about it. It wasn't long before Alex and Jack were talking about being hungry so the cake was cut. I smiled at my sister, she was sitting alone on the couch.

"Hey, Faye, something wrong?"

"No…" she said.

"Something obviously is."

"We're moving."

"Excuse me?" I said. Everybody turned to look at me. "You're moving?"

My parents exchanged a tiny smile. "Back here. We're coming back sweetie."

"That's amazing!" I screeched!

"When?"

"Our stuff is being shipped as we speak Addison." My dad grinned. "We're moving about fifteen minutes from here."

"It's about damn time you moved back here Kyle." My uncle laughed.

"Yeah, well. We don’t want this kid too far from us any longer." He smiled fondly.

I had graduated from high school, found out I am going on tour for the summer, and learned that my family was moving here to Maryland, all in the same day, and surprisingly, I'm still living. On a normal day, having this much good news could only result in something tragic happening; but nothing bad could happen today. I walked over to where Zack was and wrapped my arms around his waist. He turned to kiss my cheek before diving back into the conversation he was having with his dad. I patted his shoulder and walked away, back to my parents whom were looking slightly awkward, talking with Cheyenne's parents.

"Hey sweetie," My mom said, kissing my cheek.

"Yo," I said, laughing as I struck a gangster poise.

"Sweetie, you're not a gangster, and are never going to be." She patted my shoulder.

"Just crush my dreams mother!"

"That's my job."

"Mom I see wrapping paper!" Jack screamed suddenly.

"Oh dear lord," aunt Michelle sighed. "Might as well give it to him now, do you agree Dan?"

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll try to open it now anyways." My uncle said. "Jack, bring it our here, but wait to open it."

Jack scrambled to grab his present while I waited patiently with Zack, Alex, Rian, Cheyenne, Kara, and Brie for our parents to give us ours. Once we were all sitting down, cake forgotten, Jack ripped open his present to find a new guitar, he looked at, gawking before squealing and hugging his parents. Then came Zack who got a new bass, Alex got new accessories for a guitar, Rian a certificate saying he had new drums waiting at home, Brie's parents gave her a used car, Kara's a dainty necklace, and Cheyenne got enough money for a car. Then, I opened a laptop, and smiled hugely.

"Thanks so much mom, daddy." I said, hugging them, like everyone else had done to their parents.

"You're welcome." My dad said. "You'll need it for school this year. And for your writing while on tour."

"That's right, I will."

The conversation between the adults picked up after that and they let us walk off to talk. We set off towards the park, dead silent, not saying one word. For most, once high school ends, you don't keep contact with most of the people you knew in high school. With the boys going on tour more and more, after this summer even, it might be difficult to keep in touch with them and their growing fame. Cheyenne didn't get into a college in Maryland, nor in Seattle, but she got in at one in New York; I was going to miss her. Then there was Brie and Kara, who were both going to Towson as well- the question is: can we keep up with this friendship?

"I told you guys this would be your year." I said as we sat down on the merry-go-round.

"And you were right." Zack teased. "As per usual."

"Just don't forget about us when you get bigger." Brie said, kissing Jack lightly.

"How could we do that?" he asked her. "I mean look at you!"

"Seriously," Kara spoke up. "Everything's going to change now. With Brie, Addie, and me staying here and going to Towson, Cheyenne going to New York, and you four recording and going on tour? Nothing will be the same."

"Don't go." Alex said, thinking it was that simple. "Take online courses, come with us ever time."

"I can't do that Alex." I said softly. "I've waited so long to get into college, to walk around the campus and everything. I can't just not go."

"Same here." Brie and Kara muttered.

"I barely got into college." Cheyenne said. "It'd be stupid for me not to go."

The eight of us fell silent, all of us thinking the same thing. How could we stay in touch with such different schedules? I sighed and snuggled closer into Zack, his scent running through my nostrils, I fought back the urge to cry. One of the happiest days of my life was slowly turning sad- there was no way I would be able to say goodbye to these seven people.