“There you are!” he says, relief saturating his words. “I was beginning to worry we’d have to start without our Valedictorian!”
“Sorry. I overslept.”
“Not a problem, not a problem at all.” He rubs his hands together. “I, for one, am so looking forward to your speech. I’m sure your parents are as well! I made sure they were seated in the front row.”
“Joy.”
“I knew you’d be pleased,” he says, missing my sarcasm completely. “Josephine, in case I don’t have another chance, I’d just like to tell you how wonderful it was to have a student like you at this academy. You were a credit to your peers and a delight to have in class. You will be missed around here. Brown is lucky to have you!”
I’m somewhat touched by his unexpected sentiments. I never thought he cared much for me. “Thank you, Headmaster. I appreciate it.”
“I should go — we’ll be getting started soon.” He nods at me. “Best of luck! See you up there.”
All around me, my fellow seniors snap selfies in their caps and gowns, commemorating the day in photographs. Not one person asks to take a picture with me. No one even looks my direction.
The closer the clock creeps to noon, the more unsettled I become about Archer’s glaring absence. I can barely remember my speech. Only last night, I had it memorized word for word.
“Five minute warning!” a woman with a clipboard calls. “Please start to line up alphabetically by last name! Two lines. A-L on the right, M-Z on the left.”
People begin to shuffle toward their places. I take a deep breath, leaning back against a column for support. Reaching into my billowy gown pocket, I pull out the index cards and study the lines scribbled there.
Winston Churchill once said, ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.’
I flip to the next one.
As we stand here on our graduation stage, ready to collect our diplomas and move into the next chapter of our lives, I cannot promise you instant success… but I can guarantee, without a shadow of a doubt, at least some failure.
I flip again.
We all fail. That is an inevitable part of the human condition. It is how we recover from those failures that truly defines us…
“Josie!”
The twins’ voices jolt me away from my cards. I look up just in time to be folded into a double hug. They squeeze me tight, talking over the top of one another.
“What happened last night?”
“I can’t believe you ditched prom!”
“And withReyes!”
“Did you two do it?”
“Um, hello? Did you see that kiss he gave her? They totally did it.”
“You’re probably right. It was an epic kiss.”
“Totally epic.”
“Spill, Josie!”
“We’re dying for details, here!”
I pull back, trying to smile. “I promise I’ll tell you guys everything later. Right now, I just need to get through this speech without falling apart in front of my parents and everyone I’ve ever met.”
“No fun.” Ophelia pouts. “I hate waiting.”
Odette’s brows waggle. “You mean it?Allthe gory details?”