Friends Forever (LU-part one) *Graduation (Friends Forever-Vitamin C*
"Kyle! Are you ready? The graduation ceremony is about to start, and as valedictorian, I can't be late." Oliver said as he put on his blazer, and gave himself one final once-over in the mirror.
"I'm ready," Kyle shuffled car keys from one hand to another. "Wow, you look…uhhh…" Kyle froze in the bathroom doorway. Smiling, he walked over to his boyfriend and cupped his face in his hands and kissed him longingly. "No matter what happens today, I love you-and you're gonna be great." Kyle smiled, and patted Oliver's chest. "Now, let's go, before we're late."
Kyle and Oliver were able to find an apartment that was only ten minutes away their junior year, that they shared together. They liked the privacy, the freedom, and the idea of not having to share a 3 floor frat house with twenty other guys. The ride to campus was short and Kyle and Oliver held hands the whole way. Kyle parked the car in one of the available parking spots of the packed LU gym.
Getting out of the car, Oliver checked his watch. 10:45. Fifteen minutes. He grabbed his regalia from the floor and ran into the gym.
"Fish! You're late!" Dean Edmund Swift of the criminal justice department said as Oliver was running up to him whilst throwing on his robe and trying to adjust the tassel on his cap. Right or left? He had no idea. Dean Swift fixed it for him and ushered him into the room with the other candidates for graduation.
Kyle quickly ran into Dean Jessica Capwell's office and tried to turn on his Southern charm, which didn't work on Jessica.
"Nice try Lewis, bio-chem quarters, now!" Jessica yelled. Kyle raced to the bio-chem room to get lined up with the other candidates for graduation. At 10:50, the graduating class of 2001 was lined up in the gym hallway. "Graduation (Friends Forever)'' by Vitamin C blared out of the gymnasium speakers as graduating students friends and friends took their seats.
Oliver felt a vibration in his pocket, he reached under his gown, in his pant pocket for his phone and flipped it open. A text from Kyle.
"Ready?"
"I think so."
"No matter what happens in there, in life, you'll do great. Good luck today. Love you"
"ThxJ If we get lost in the crowd somehow, text me. Love you too."
A few seconds later, "Graduation" ended and "pomp and circumstance" began, every one was brought into the gym as a class but quickly disbursed into separate departments. Kyle looked around for Oliver and spotted him in the front row. He smiled.
"Good Morning, students, alumni, family and friends, welcome to Llanview University class of 2001 graduation ceremony." Applause erupted as the president of the school paused. "My name is Timothy Lindsey and I have been president of LU for the past nine years. I am also an alumni…" President Lindsey finished his introduction and then took a breath. "Without further ado, I would like to introduce valedictorian of Llanview University, class of 2001, Oliver Fish!" The crowd applauded as Oliver took the stage. President Lindsey and Oliver shook hands before he walked off stage.
Oliver adjusted the microphone, looking out in the crowd as he did so. He found his parents in the crowd and smiled. They smiled back. He scanned the crowd for Kyle, and they locked eyes. Then Oliver began speaking:
"These last four years in college have taught me who I am as a person. These last four years taught me a lot about friendships and life, but mostly about love. I'm not ashamed of who I am or who I love. Life is way too short for that. Your life is your own, and no one else's, don't live with regret-because someday it may just be too late. For four years, I've kept a secret from my family-from all of you." Oliver took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm gay." Oliver's fraternity brothers cheered for him and soon enough so did the rest of the crowd. Oliver looked over at his parents and they smiled. "Wherever life takes you, and whoever you choose to spend it with, be who you are and never be ashamed." Oliver looked at Kyle. "I know I'm not." Oliver smiled. "Thank you". Oliver exited the stage and sat down in the chair he previously occupied as the crowd continued to applaud.
When the ceremony was over and everyone was dispersing to walk outside, Kyle heard a whisper.
"Kyle?"
Kyle looked up to see Oliver.
"What are you still doing here? Aren't you supposed to be meeting your parents?" Kyle asked genuinely surprised to see Oliver standing before him.
"Yeah, but not without you." Oliver smiled and took Kyle's hand. "I'm ready, let's do this."
"Wait.."
Oliver looked at him puzzled. "What?"
Kyle smiled and kissed Oliver.
"Okay, ready."
They walked outside hand in hand. Oliver spotted his parents and walked over to them.
"Mom, Dad, Hi.."
"I'm proud of you." said Barbara, smiling at her son.
George cleared his throat.
"That was very brave, Oliver. While, I don't agree with your choices…"
"Dad, please, not now. Not today."
Kyle squeezed Oliver's hand.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mom, Dad, this-this is my partner, Kyle."
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Fish." Kyle greeted Oliver's parents.
"Hi Kyle, it's nice to meet you." Barbara moved closer to Kyle. Sensing she wanted to hug
him, Kyle let go of Oliver's hand, and hugged the woman that he hoped would someday be his mother-in-law.
When Kyle and Barbara broke apart, George reached out to shake his hand.
"Hello."
Did my father just shake my boyfriend's hand? Oliver blinked twice, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Oliver, your father and I would like to take you out to dinner tonight.."
"I'm sorry to interrupt." said a black haired man walking over to them.
"No, it's no bother." Oliver said knowing who the man was, but what he was doing there,
Oliver wasn't exactly sure.
"Detective and Mrs. Fish, my name is Bo Buchanan and I'm the commissioner with the
Llanview Police Department." Bo shook both of their hands.
"Is there a problem, Commissioner?" George asked concerned.
"None at all, Detective." Bo turned toward Oliver. "I came here to ask you if after
graduation from the police academy…would you like to work at the LPD?"
"I'd be honored, thank you." Oliver shook Bo's hand. Bo gave Oliver his business card
then walked away.
"Congratulations son." said George as he shook Oliver's hand.
"Congratulations. Now we have three reasons to celebrate. We'll see you for dinner for
dinner around six…" said Barbara.
"Three?" asked George.
"Yes. Oliver can truly be himself now with ought having to feel shame."
"Do you think they want a someone on the force that's…that way?"
"They took you George, and you're no prize." said Barbara as George glared at her. "so,
we'll see you both around six."
"Both?" Kyle asked.
"Yes. George and I would be honored if you'd join us for dinner."
"Don't speak for me, woman!" George said.
"Actually, on second thought." Barbara looked at Kyle.
She's gonna change her mind thought George.
"Kyle, You're welcome to join Oliver and I for dinner…"
"What about me?" asked George.
"You do know how to dial a phone, don't you?" Barbara walked past George and to their
car. "Are you coming? I'm about to leave without you." Barbara got in the car and left.
Guess he's walking.
"Can you believe how amazing your mom is about all of this?" Kyle asked Oliver as he
unlocked the door to their apartment.
"I love my mom, she's awesome." Oliver followed Kyle inside then threw his keys on the
living room table.
"Agreed." Kyle came up behind Oliver, and slipped his arms around his waist. "but I really
don't wanna talk about your mom right now…"
Oliver played coy.
"Oh, what do you wanna talk about?"
"I don't wanna talk." Kyle took Oliver's jacket off of him then began removing his
graduation regalia.
".? You know we need to…"
Kyle kissed Oliver's neck.
"Shut up, Fish."
Kyle took Oliver's hand and led him over to the couch. He gently pushed him on the
couch while kissing him. Kyle moved his way down from Oliver's neck to his chest. Kyle
pulled Oliver's t shirt over his head which gave him more access to Oliver's chest.
"Sexy. .." Kyle said in between kisses.
"I think we should move this to our room, the doors not locked" Oliver managed to say.
"Stay there." Kyle got up, went over to the door and locked it.
"Doors locked, we're alone..'' Kyle said walking over and sitting on Oliver's lap.
"I want you so much" Oliver said.
"Take me then. What's stopping you?"
Oliver kissed Kyle. "There's not enough room here baby, and when I take you, I want all
of you." Kyle got off Oliver's lap and extended his hand. "Let's go."
Once in their bedroom, Kyle lit candles all around the room then turned to Oliver who
was fiddling with the contents inside their night stand. He found what he was looking for,
took it out and threw it away.
"What are you up to, soon to be Officer Fish?" Kyle walked up behind him. Oliver smiled
and turned to Kyle. "We've been together for four years and I know that we're committed
to each other and that we're in love with each other. You are the only person I want to be
with for the rest of my life…"
"Are you asking me to marry you?" Kyle asked pushing Oliver back on the bed. "because if
you are, the answer is yes." he kissed him.
"I want to marry you someday, Kyle, but what I was going to say was…" Oliver paused. "I
don't want to use protection anymore-ever." Oliver began to undress Kyle and gently
make love to him.
A few hours later after they had showered and changed, they went to Applebees to meet
Barbara for dinner. Once they all sat down to dinner, Oliver filled Barbara in on the last
four years.
"Kyle and I have been together since the spring?" Oliver looked at Kyle for confirmation.
Kyle nodded and Oliver continued. "spring semester of freshman year. I wasn't sure what I
was feeling toward him but I knew it was more than friendship. Rather than face it, I spent
the first two years of our relationship drunk. It wasn't until last year, junior year, I realized
that what I was doing, how I was behaving, wasn't fair to us or our relationship." Oliver
took Kyle's hand. "I love him so much Mom, I never want to lose him."
"I see that and you both have my support one hundred percent ." Barbara smiled
Long Live (LU Medical School-part 2) *Long Live-Taylor Swift*
"I called Roxy and she's gonna watch Sierra until Layla gets off of work at 5 then her and Cris are gonna take her for the weekend." Oliver walked behind Kyle and kissed his shoulder.
"Can you believe you're graduating from med school today, Dr. Lewis?"
"No, I really can't. it's been a long road and you've been with me every step of the way."
"Of course I have and I always will. Sierra and I aren't going anywhere. Ever. We're a
family, and that's how its gonna stay." Oliver turned Kyle around and kissed him. "I love
you."
A few hours later, when Kyle was getting into his graduation regalia, Oliver made a phone call.
"hey Samantha, is everything ready?"
A few hours later, Kyle and the rest or Llanview Medical School class of 2011 were called
one by one to take the stage to receive their diplomas.
"Dr. Kyle Lewis!" Dean Samantha Everly called. Kyle ran on stage and took his diploma.
"Thank you." Kyle was about to exit the stage when Samantha rolled the tape which
stopped Kyle from moving. Kyle stared at the screen. He hadn't seen that face in years.
Although she was considerably older, her face stayed the same. He
started to cry as the person spoke. "I'm sorry I stayed away all these years. I had no
choice.." Static sounded and the tape went black. Samantha shut off the machine.
"I want you to know I'm so proud of you and I love you so much. I never wanted to leave
you or stay away." Everyone focused their attention to the back of the room where the frail
woman sat in her wheelchair attached to oxygen. Kyle ran to the woman. So many things
were going through his mind. How? When? Was it really her?
"Mama?"
Cynthia Lewis beamed at her son.
"Yes Son, it's me. I'm here now."
After the ceremony, Kyle, Oliver and Cynthia went back to Kyle and Oliver's house and
Cynthia had told them how when Kyle and Rebecca were young, she got mixed up in a lot
of drugs and a lot of sex and was shot twice due to busts gone bad.
"I'm so glad Oliver tracked me down, I tried to look for you so many times after I got out
but Russ said you and Becca got sent away." Cynthia said.
"Who's Russ?" Kyle asked
"Russell Lager…he was my pimp. I was a prostitute. That was the only way I knew to
make fast money to support us, but Ted had taken you and your sister away from me
because I was deemed unfit. Tell me, did he treat you all right?"
"Yeah." he lied. Kyle could tell Cynthia was dying so he wasn't about to tell her that his
father raped his sister and beat him the way he was sure his mother was beat by Russ.
Cynthia took a breath.
"How long have you and Oliver been together?"
Kyle smiled and took Oliver's hand before answering. "we've been together for ten years
and we have a two year old daughter named Sierra Elizabeth. She's staying with her
godparents for the weekend but we can pick her up, it's no trouble, they're our neighbors,
they live next door."
Cynthia beamed at that idea. "Yes please."
"I'll get her, catch up with your mom." Oliver offered.
"Hey Cris, hey Layla, I hate to this, but would you mind if I took Sierra? Kyle's mom
wants to meet her grand daughter."
"So, that's the surprise you've been working on for all these months." Layla handed Sierra
to Oliver.
A few minutes later, Oliver came back with Sierra in his arms.
"Mom, meet your grand daughter, Sierra Elizabeth." Kyle said as Oliver sat down next to
Cynthia with Sierra on his lap.
"Sierra Elizabeth, so pretty." Cynthia said as she noted Sierra's eyes started to flutter.
"I think someone's sleepy."
"Why don't I lay her in her bassinette and you can sit with her awhile?" Oliver offered.
"her rooms right this way."
After Oliver laid Sierra in her bassinette and left, Cynthia started to sing to her.
"Baby sneezesMommy pleasesDaddy breezes inSo good on paperSo romanticBut so bewilderingI know nothing stays the sameBut if you're willing to play the gameIt's coming around againSo don't mind if I fall apartThere's more room in a broken heartYou pay the grocerFix the toasterKiss the host Good-byeThen you break a windowburn the SouffléScream a lullaby"
"I remember this." Kyle said from the doorway. He walked in and began to sing:
"I know nothing stays the sameBut if you're willing to play the gameIt's coming around againSo don't mind if I fall apartThere's more room in a broken heartAnd I believe in loveBut what else can I doI'm so in love with youI know nothing stays the sameBut if you're willing to play the gameIt's coming around againI know nothing stays the sameBut if you're willing to play the gameIt's coming around againSo don't mind if I fall apartThere's more room in a broken heart"
Kyle and Cynthia began to sing together:
"The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spoutDown came the rain and washed the spider outOut came the sun and dried up all the rainAnd the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout againI believe in loveAnd who knows where or whenBut it's comin' around againThe itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spoutDown came the rain and washed the spider outOut came the sun and dried up all the rainAnd the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout againI know nothin' stays the sameBut if you're willing to play the gameIt's comin' around againThe itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spoutDown came the rain and washed the spider outOut came the sun and dried up all the rainAnd the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again"
"Look, Kyle, she's sleeping." Kyle pushed his mom out of Sierra's room then turned the
light out.
"She's down for the count." Kyle said wheeling his mom into the living room where
Oliver was sitting. He wheeled his mom in front of Oliver then sat down next to him.
Hours later, after they were in bed, Oliver turned to Kyle
"You like your surprise?"
"I love it…and you. How did you…?"
"I have my ways." Oliver kissed Kyle's neck. "Congratulations again, Dr. Lewis."
THE END