It's was a quiet morning. I woke up feeling better than ever. Today was my graduation and I was so excited to end the last chapter of my life and move on. Leaving behind all of the things that stuck to me in high school.
I just finally can't believe it's over already, four years of assignments and exams for this very day, the day I can escape it all.
I get up and do you usual check of Snapchat, and instagram, and get ready for the big day. I put on my favorite outfit, Jeans with a flannel, and green converse.
I make my way down the hallway and to the stairs, halfway down, I see my mom standing in the kitchen. She notices me and her face lights up with excitement.
"Theres my girl! Are you excited for today?"
"Yeah, i'm a little nervous though." She walks over to me and gives me a big hug. She pulls away and puts my hands in hers.
"Oh it will be alright, I'm sure you can do this, I know you don't like change but I will always be here for you, ok?"
"Yeah, well I better get going, I have to do some errands before tonight" I draw my hands away and turn to grab my jacket and my keys.
"Well you better go and get them done, your Aunt and Uncle will be here in a few hours for pictures!"
"Trust me, I won't be long." I smile at her before turning for the door.
While driving down the road I check my pocket for what I needed, making sure I hadn't misplaced it. Patting down my pockets to feel for a small slip of paper. I find it, and take it out, read it over a few times, and put it back in my pocket, reassuring myself that nothing could go wrong.
I arrive at my destination. Jennifer's house. My other half since 6th grade. This was the night that I would finally do what I've been planning for 3 years. Working out every detail to a T.
I catch myself and realized that I was wasting precious time. I Jump out of my car and slam the door. I jog up the driveway to the start of what would be the happiest day of my life.
I arrived at the front door, waiting for the right moment. It had to be perfect. Just knock on the door and leave the note, what's so hard about that?
I take a deep breath and prepare myself to get out of there as fast as my legs could carry me. My hand advances towards the door as it opens unexpectedly. I Jump back, startled. I see Jennifer standing in the doorway.
"Hey, uh, What are you doing Ash?"
"Ummm" Standing there awkwardly, I start to panic.
"Uh, hello, earth to Ash?" This is bad, I didn't want to give it to her directly, what do I do?
"Oh, um, I-I needed to give this, don't read it now read it later, like not later later, but like after I leave later. Ok well I need to go do stuff, see ya, love ya, bye" I ran down the driveway at the speed of light, and jump in the car. Taking more deep breathes to calm myself. That went so well, ten point to Ashley.
I notice that Jenny is still staring at me. I look up at her, smile and give her a small wave, before starting the car, and driving away.
-Jennifer's POV-
The wheels on Ashley's car screech as she speeds away. I'm left standing in the doorway, extremely confused about what just happened and why she was acting so weird. I hear a voice call to me from inside my house.
"Jenny who was that?"
"It was just Ash, mom"
Well she's gone, I guess I can open it? I look down at the note, very neatly made and sealed. I undid a little heart sticker that held it closed. To my amazement, it was quite a short message.
Jenny,
Meet me in the abandon house on Green St. after graduation
At 10:30PM. I have a surprise for you.
Love, Ashley
Why couldn't she just have told me this? This sounds kind of strange. What kind of 'surprise' would she even have? Guess I'll have to see tonight.
-Ashley's POV-
Okay, okay, you did it, you can follow through with this. My hands had a death grip on the steering wheel as I drove home very slowly. My breathing was still very unsteady. Why should I be anxious about this, I've already worked out anything go wrong with this, it's practically done already. It'll be okay Ash, It'll be okay.
I pull into the driveway to see that my aunt and uncle's car is in the garage. They're here early? They shouldn't have gotten here until five thir- I look down at my phone screen and see that it is five thirty on the dot. HOW IS IT ALREADY FIVE THIRTY? How much time did I waste on the way back? Calm down, calm down, all you have to do is sneak in through the back door and get everything set up.
I crawl out of my car and sneak out across the yard, making sure no one sees me in the front window of my house. I sneak to the back of the house, look in through the doorwall, and see they're all sitting in the living room. My aunt and uncle were sat next to each other on the couch, all dressed up in their nicest clothes. They were sat across from my parents, who were looking very formal as well. I take a deep breath and open the glass sliding door, making a horrendously loud noise as I do so. I forgot this door squeaks.
My Mother is the first to spot me. looking over her shoulder, she alerts everyone that I'm here.
"Honey you're finally home. where have you been?" My mom asks, sounding very concerned. I had no excuse for this, and I needed to make up something, fast.
"I-I was just… stuck in traffic"
"Oh, ok, well, you need to get ready quickly, we still need to take pictures with Jenny before we head out and then we-"
"With Jenny?" I cut her off very abruptly.
"Well, yeah is there a problem with that?"
"No, no it's ok, I just need to, go do something before she gets here"
"Sweetie are you alright? You seem a little bit, jumpy." She gets up and starts to walk towards me very slowly. I back away to the foot of the stairs, as I guarantee to her that everything was alright.
"No, I'm fine, I just have to do something really important"
"Ok, well you go do that, Jenny will be here any second now." She walks back to her seat and continues the conversation they were having before.
Without saying another word I rush up the stairs, knowing I didn't have the time to set up everything as I wanted it to be. I slam the door to my room and make sure everything is in place. My gown is laid out, with my cap put right next to it, I have the shoes I want to wear, and… and... The thing for Jenny! That's what I need. I shuffle over to my night stand and pull out what I've required to pull all of this together, along with it's holster.
I sling the black nylon holster over my shoulders and around my body, fastening it around my back with a 'click' from its plastic buckle. I pull it taut, making sure it would not move about while wearing it. Following that, I thrust the firearm inside before and securing it with its velcro strap. Immediately after I change into my gown, concealing the weapon. While smoothing out the creases in my gown, the door behind me opens.
"Hey Ashley you ready?" I turn around to see Jenny standing in the doorway.
"Y-yeah, I'm pretty much all set." I start walking towards the door and she stops me with her hand on my shoulder.
"Before we go downstairs, I wanted to ask you something about that note you gave me earlier." My heart beats fast. Did she figure out what I wanted to do? No, she could have.
"Um, yeah?" I utter weakly.
"Why do we have to go to that creepy abandoned house? You know I hate that place."
"B-because it's perfect."
"Perfect for what?" She says with a curious tone in her voice.
"Perfect for the 'surprise.' and surprises are meant to be kept as a secret so, you, will find out later" I remark while smirking as I playfully point a finger directly in her face.
"Well, ok, but I don't know if I can trust you." she laughs, smiling back.
I slide past her, out the door as she follows. We trudge down the stairs to greet more family that was patiently waiting to see us.
Later that evening we were at the graduation ceremony. I was sat next to Jenny, as we oh so conveniently fall right next to each other in the alphabet, our families had taken their seats somewhere in the crowd of people.
Our row got up to stand in a line to wait for our names to be called, we were only a few behind the next to be announced. Oh my god what if I trip? I'll not only embarrass myself infront of my whole class, but their families as well. What if they call my name wrong? What if i didn't actually graduate what if… My thoughts are suddenly cut off by a nudge from Jenny behind me. My name had already been called and I was too busy worrying that I didn't hear it.
"A-hem, Ashley Tallen?" After I hear my name a second time, it registered in my mind that it was my turn to walk across the stage. I take a deep breath, put a smile on my face and put one foot in front of the other.
As I walked it seem that time had slowed down. I focused on my breathing and tried to remain calm. I reach my school principal. In one hand he has my diploma, and the other is outstretched for a handshake. I cautiously take the document from him and meet him halfway for the handshake. As I was doing so, I heard screaming and yelling from the crowd, it was not only my family but Jenny's aswell, they were all yelling my name in celebration. I gave the crowd a little smile, before releasing from the handshake and walking across the remainder of the stage and walked down the stairs.
Before I sat down I spun around to see the person next in line.
"Jennifer Tamaro"
Right on queue, she strutted across the stage, taking her diploma with grace. Her eyes inevitably fell on me and her smile only got bigger. I started walking to our seats as she followed.
The rest of the ceremony was the rest of the names, a few speeches, and finally, a farewell.
Our principal walked up to the podium, and gave a 10 minute goodbye speech. When he was finally done he said
"It's been an honor to have all of you, but now, the time has come. I am dismissing you for the very last time, Thank you." The whole senior class stood up and threw their caps into the air, and everyone else gave a congratulatory cheer.
I looked over at Jenny, and while doing so, she slid her hand behind my back, dipped me, and kissed me right in the middle of everyone. Others saw and started hollering at us with joy. This was a night I'll never forget.
-Jennifer's POV-
While driving along the road to the abandoned house Ashley wanted to meet up at, I look down at my clock and see that it's 10:25PM. I look down at the note that says 10:30PM and shove it back in my pocket. I'm going to be a little bit early. That should be fine though. Ashley never really was really strict with times.
A couple minutes later, I pull up to the house. The outside of the house was withering away due to its exposure it the elements for so long. The whole house gave off an eerie vibe, from the dark windows with old ragged curtains still hanging, to the actual structure of it, that made it seem as though it could topple over at any minute.
I turn off the car and open the door, where I'm met with an unusually cool breeze that gave me chills all over my body.
Walking up to the door I try and figure out what surprise Ashley could have, and why this rickety old house was the perfect place for it.
I reach the door and slowly turn the knob. I pushed the door open as it made a very loud 'squeak.' I stumble forward, making sure not to step in any holes in the I make it to the center of the room the door closes very violently. I jump and Swiftly turn around to make sure no one was there.
"Ashley?" no response "Come on Ash, you know I don't like it when you try and scare me.
I stand in complete silence for around a minute or so, until something falls behind me. I turned again to my original orientation and decide to pull out my phone for some light. I turn on the screen and before I can turn on the flash, I hear the sound of a gunshot, and before I know it, I'm on the floor, in pain, clutching my right leg.
An ear-splitting shriek comes from my mouth as my vision goes blurry. Before I pass out, I could see The figure of someone standing in the corner, holding a gun.
"A…Ashley?"
-Ashley's POV-
In this dark, and cold house, I stand holding a smoking gun that I'd been possessed to pull on my own girlfriend. I go through my mental list of things I've wanted to do. Every single one is checked off. I've done it. I've completed everything i've wanted to for the last 3 years. Now I can finally move on. Or… can I?
I lay in the middle of the dark, cold abandon house. Right next to my other half since 6th grade. Now that we're graduated we can finally end the last chapter of our lives, together. The room lit up with the warm, inviting light, of the flames that surrounded us. I take Jenny's hand in mine as I wait. Spending my last moments with her, that's all I've ever wanted.