"Can you believe it? We made it! We actually made it!" Cora murmured to June as they straightened each other's caps, gowns, stoles, medals, tassels, cords and pins. That was right. Today, they and all their classmates were graduating high school. On this June 3, 1928, after 12 long years, they had done it and now, they were free!
"Honestly, yes," June chuckled. "I'm sure the principal wanted me out at least 30 times before this moment. She'll be glad now."
"Expulsion doesn't count, June," Cora pretended to patronize her classmate. "But you are right," she agreed. "I'm amazed the principal didn't ever kick you out and I'm surprised her hair isn't entirely gray because of you!"
"Seriously!" June agreed, then both of them laughed, reminiscing on all the trouble June had caused over the past four years. She knew the detention center and suspension room better than anyone else. Meanwhile, goody-goody Cora actually still had no clue where those two rooms even were. A fact June never let Cora forget.
"I'm just impressed you didn't do anything stupid between graduation and our last day of school!" one of June and Cora's other classmates agreed. Her name was Natalie Castillo and she was already tall and blond, but thanks to some heels and minor hair coloring, she was even taller and blonder. That made her best friend, Alexis, look so much smaller. She had already been Natalie's mini-me, but today seemed to accentuate that because Alexis had chosen to wear flats. They looked nice, but Natalie seemed enormous compared to her now.
"I seriously considered it," June admitted.
"June!" Cora chastised.
"But I didn't do anything!" June protested, raising her arms in surrender.
"But what were you planning?" Amy Lawhorn, another classmate, asked, usually straight-brown hair done up into two braids.
"Uhhh, I was going to see if I could get myself arrested, just for fun?" June asked, already shying away from Cora.
"JUNE!" June had good reason for trying to shy away. "You know officers Batez and Bentz wouldn't have gone easy on you!"
"I know, that's why I didn't do anything," June snorted. "I'm not that stupid."
"Are we sure?" another classmate joked. Her name was Courtney Ortega and she was the valedictorian. Cora had been a close contender, but hadn't quite made it, though she was more than fine with it.
"Actually, no," June admitted. "I don't know how I made it through either."
"Cheating?" Alexis suggested with a grin. Cora pretended to despair over the low morality amongst her classmates.
Before anyone could say anything else, however, the graduation ceremony began. The class exit their little side room and out into the main gym where ever single seat was filled with family and friends of the graduating crowd. June, Cora, and all their friends were grinning like madwomen as they walked in, Pomp and Circumstance being played as the crowd applauded the arriving seniors. Everyone obediently took their seats right as the last measure of Pomp and Circumstance was played, then the principal got up and gave the welcoming speech.
Cora was in the front row, being an honor graduate. June was several rows behind, only barely making the cut. Despite this fact, though, there was nothing but pride and joy radiating off of everyone. There was no envy or shame here today. It didn't matter what you did or didn't graduate with and it didn't matter if you were getting honors or regular. Just for this moment, everyone was united as one body, celebrating their survival and celebrating what they did achieve, rather than what they didn't or could have achieved. It was the warmest and most positive feeling in the world. June might've been a few rows behind Cora, but their hearts were together and both of them were grinning like idiots, equally proud of what they had done instead of wondering if they should've aimed higher.
It was a short ceremony, overall, the intro speech ending and leading right into the diploma hand out which led right into the valedictorian speech, but it was a wonderful ceremony nonetheless. When Cora walked across the stage, though only a few people cheered, she had never felt more proud in her life. Of course she knew she was going to graduate. She was smart and driven and came from a good family. At the same time, though, she still felt so proud that she had made it. Sure, high school had been pretty easy for her, all things considered, but there had still been some struggles and, just for that moment, in her eyes, every struggle, no matter how small, had been something to overcome and then celebrate. This ceremony was, to Cora, a celebration of all those cumulative triumphs, whether they were big or small, traumatic or simple, easy or hard. They were all being tallied up, counted and celebrated here and now and Cora was going to milk it for all it was worth.
June felt the same way. Though her struggles had been far greater and her successes far fewer, she still had technically graduated and she had overcome adversity as well. Her family, all seemingly 20 of them, cheered madly when her name was called. About half of June's family had graduated. The others were either still in school or already out, whether through expulsion or quitting. Thanks to June, the scales were about balanced. She made sure to salute at them with her diploma, earning a soft wave of laughter from everyone else in the crowd, including Cora.
Once every honor had been bestowed, Courtney took to the stage. With the lights gleaming off her dark red hair, she gave the closing speech and bade everyone goodbye and good luck before slowly moving the tassel of her cap from left to right (June had almost gotten into a fist fight with a teacher when he insisted that it was right to left) and every graduating student in the crowd mirrored her movement. It was a serious and exciting moment as everyone switched their tassels. Courtney was smiling so hard it looked like her face was about to split in half.
Once every tassel was firmly set upon the right side of the cap, the caps all went airborne, rising up on the cheering and screaming of parents and students alike. Then, even after the caps had all rained back down, a few more returned to the air in an encore of a throw. June ran to Cora at once, hugging her so hard that Cora was certain a rib would break, but Cora was so happy that she was sure that if June broke all her ribs right now, she'd still be laughing. Courtney and some of her friends were now dancing upon the stage, celebrating their triumph.
"We did it, we did it, we did it!" she hollered. Cora didn't even bother responding verbally, allowing the rest of her class to scream for her as she held June in the tightest and most loving embrace she could, kissing June over and over again.
Even after the ceremony was over and people were exiting the building for the last time, hugs and chatter were swirling around the parking lot. Already, a multitude of students and parents had congratulated June and Cora both for their achievements and even though Cora hardly recognized any of them, she accepted all their pride with a loving heart just because this kind of event brought out the community-side in Cora. For once, she really felt like she was a part of something big and not just one little student on her own. There was something so familial about this kind of event, even though Cora hadn't known too many people at her school. June, meanwhile, was off saying goodbye to any and everyone. It would be hours before she and Cora got home, but just for once, Cora didn't care at all. Instead, she only basked in the sun as the sounds of affirmations and congratulations filled her ears. They had done it. They had made it. They had graduated. Graduation was over. They were free at last!
AN: I know I set this in the 1920s, but I was basing it off my own graduation (which was June 3, 2018). Cora acts as my author-insert in the story, though there are obviously a few differences between me and her (having a June-figure in my life and having major problems to overcome). I was, however, a front-row honor grad! (Sorry, I won't brag).
Also, if any of this ceremony is historically inaccurate, I'm sorry. Like I said, even though it's set in the 1920s, it was based off of a modern story. (And by 'modern' I mean, less than 24 hours ago).