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Graduation day.
I stared out at the crowd as the valedictorian gave her speech. My gaze landed on my family and I sent a nod of thanks. My smile didn’t appear until I met Brooke’s and Rob’s gazes in the seats next to my parents.
Brooke’s grin matched mine. She would happily flit through her senior year, socializing and serial dating. I had no worries that she would be fine. She beamed with pride for me and I was humbled that she was my friend, that she stood by me, and it wasn’t just because I was her ride to school.
My gaze moved to Rob’s. His smile was present, but there was sadness in his eyes that caught in my throat. For a moment, I wondered what would have happened if I had let him through my defenses on that drunken day. Would he be here now?
I already knew the answer, and I thanked God for never really aligning the stars for us. I thanked God for giving me a lasting friendship, instead, one I was sure I would cherish for years to come.
I glanced at my classmates and my gaze fell on Mia and Tina. We exchanged nods. A silent “we made it”, worthy of a shared smile. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it to this point, and I certainly didn’t think I’d have an ounce of sanity left.
I scanned the faculty and found Mr. Henry staring at me with the same pride-filled gaze my parents held. He sent a smile and a thumbs up in my direction and I pressed my lips together, forcing a smile while blinking back tears.
He’s the one who brought trust back into my vocabulary.
He saved me from the silence.
It wasn’t easy, but he made me take a hard look at myself, my motivations, my relationships. He helped rebuild my self-respect. He gave me the strength to tackle the silence and work through my fears. He gave me the guts to face Eric and tell him what he’d done to me.
Mr. Henry gave me the courage to speak out and embrace life instead of just going through the motions to survive.
Someday, I’d have to thank him for showing me that not all men were dicks.
I received my diploma and we all moved our tassels from one side of our caps to the other. As soon as they announced the graduating class of 1983, I took my cap and flung it with the rest of the class. Yellow and blue filled the sky and I grinned.
I had a bright future waiting for me out there, and it was about time I blew off the storm clouds and started chasing rainbows.
The End
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