“Congratulations, Batch 2018!”
The crowd burst into claps as the graduation ceremony ended. I blinked, looking around with my eyes widened in awe.
It really ended. We graduated high school! One by one, the herd of the crowd squeezed into each other as they excitedly rushed to their sons, daughters, or relatives to congratulate.
I wanted to go to find mom and Nathan but couldn’t move from the crowd so I just stayed, standing in the middle.
With the chaos and loud chattering of words of congratulations here and there and the flash of cameras as excited moms rushed to their graduated child, “Snow!” I heard someone calling out.
I spotted mom squeezing from the crowd with a camera in her hand. She was grinning from ear to ear, “Congratulations, Snow!”
I didn’t waste a second and pulled her in a hug. I have been planning this as soon as I graduate. “I did it, mom! I did it for you.” I took off my graduation cap and placed it on her head. “Thank you for everything.” She just stared at me, not replying but instead had tears in her eyes. “I’m… so happy. I’m sure your dad too.”
“Yeah… after this, make sure to visit him.” She said,
I looked around, “Where’s Nathan?”
“Oh, he went to his friends.”
My eyebrows raised, “Friends?”
Mom just shrugged, “Maggie’s nieces and nephews.”
I nodded. I spotted Hannah and the squad from afar. My eyes accidentally swept to Luke who was also looking at me. I offered a small smile to him, and he smiled back, flashing me a thumbs up.
“Snow!” Hannah and Emma came to hug me. I grinned.
“We finally did it!” The three of us squealed simultaneously.
“So what’re your plans after this?” Leroy came, high-fiving me.
“Still don’t know… still not sure…” I shrugged. Dax also came, squeezing my shoulder lightly, and congratulated me. I congratulated them back.
“Hi, pretty Snow!” A little voice called out. I looked down and saw a little ray of sunshine.
“Hi, Caleb!” I waved.
“You’re still pretty! I’m gonna be your boyfriend soon okay?” He suggested. I can’t help but laugh at that. “Well.. okay…” I nodded.
“Snowwy!”
In an instant, a furball ran towards me and landed face-first on my legs. “Nathan!”
“Don’t leave me okay?” He looked up at me and had this look of terror in his cute little face.
Creasing my eyebrows, I leaned down and patted his head, “Why would I?”
“Because you are going to college, and that’s far far away from here.” He answered.
“Who told you that?”
“Eionny….” He pouted.
“What?” I shrieked.
“Hi stupid.” From behind us, a voice said. I turned around just in time to see Eion’s smirk.
“Hey, there’s a kid!” I covered Nathan’s ear. Oh, my poor little precious baby’s ears. I’m not gonna get him stained from this cruel world.
But I guess I was too late to say it since he adapted it fastly, “Stupid? Snowwy stupid!” Nathan exclaimed. Eion high-fived Nathan. I glared at Eion.
“What are you saying to my little brother? Give back his innocence!” I demanded fake crying and turned away from him.
“What? I just said that you will go to a college so far from here so he should be a good boy.”
I looked at him like he was nuts. “What made you think that? I’ll just find somewhere nearby.” Besides, I couldn’t get myself to leave my family here, leave alone my mother and brother alone? Oh hell no.
“Well, I’m going to Yale university.” Eion shrugged, playing with his graduation cap.
“And then?” I asked.
“You will too!” He exclaimed.
“Why?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Because you’re my girlfriend.”
I coughed at that. Glaring at him, I asked again to confirm if I heard it right, “What?”
“You’re now my girlfriend, right?” He replied confidently. I looked around and heaved a sigh of relief that no one heard it as the squad, my mom and the others were busy taking pictures and such.
“I don’t remember agreeing to be your girlfriend, Eion,” I said.
“But, you already said you love me that night.” He started and I nodded.
“Well yeah, but saying I love you and agreeing to be your boyfriend are two different things,” I responded.
He sighed. “Yeah yeah, whatever floats your boat. You’re going to be mine anyway.” He said.
I sighed, really. He’s so stubborn.
“Did you and Luke already talk? Just tell him already. Your mouth denies it but your heart tells the truth.” He said.
Well, he had a point. I haven’t talked with Luke about it yet since we were preparing for this graduation a few days ago…
I was scared and talked to him about it…. Plus, I can’t seem to find the right timing. I’ll find a time soon…
“Let’s just talk about that next time. What’s this Yale university you’re talking about anyway. Why are you also dragging me along? I don’t have the money,” I said.
He brushed it off, “Don’t mind that. I’ll pay.”
“No. I don’t want it. I want to go to college in peace. Without you.” I refused.
He blinked at that, not believing what I just said. “Without me?”
I nodded, “Yeah.”
Cause I feel like I can’t graduate with him around. I have to focus on my studies first.
He sighed, “Well that’s cute but I already arranged the papers, you can’t back down.”
I scoffed at that, “The heck, Eion! You don’t have the right to decide for me!”
“Well, I have.” He shrugged. “And we’ll leave tomorrow.”
Is he serious? What in the world? The crowd was still noisy around us but all I can focus right now was what Eion’s saying to me.
Shrugging off what Eion just said to me, we celebrate at Hannah’s house, and enjoyed ourselves as we are going to open a new chapter of our life. What could possibly happen in college?