My graduation ceremony was quite the grand event. As glad as I was to be finished with school, I honestly couldn't wait to get the ceremony over with. All I could do was focus on the day that I would be leaving for Cairnholm, which was exactly one week from the ceremony. Throughout the entire ceremony, as I sat amongst my fellow graduates, I was completely zoned out. My mind was happily soaring through the clouds, on a pair of smooth, black wings. I heard absolutely nothing either our principal nor our valedictorian spoke of. To the vast audience of parents before me, I probably looked as if I was planning some great event in my head. I had not a care in the world.
When it was my turn to receive my diploma, I stalked up to the principal, shook his hand, posed for a quick picture and hurriedly returned to my seat. Once seated again, my mind went back to the clouds.
The very minute the ceremony was over, I set out to find Helena in the sea of people the crowded the outdoor stage. I wove and wove until I found her sitting on a stone bench in the schools small flower garden, sitting beside her parents.
Even after all the time Helena spent with me, her parents resumed to dislike me. In fact, as I strode towards her, I overheard her father mention something about needing to use the bathroom, and he and his wife scurried away.
"Congratulations, Helena!" I cheered, wrapping her in a hug.
"And to you!" she replied happily.
Her and I then wandered away from the crowded school yard and went to the parking lot. It was empty except for a few parents who were there fetching their cars so they, too, could leave and avoid the crowd. I blamed the few not, for some of the parents were so pushy to take pictures of their graduates and their friends that they didn't care if they bumped into you or not.
Helena and I went to my Jetta. She hopped up on the trunk and just stared into the mess of pushy people. I went into my glove box and pulled out my only vice: an old tobacco pipe that I picked up at a thrift store. I pulled it out, and lit it up. I joined Helena at the trunk.
She laughed when she saw the pipe in my mouth.
"Since when do you smoke pipe?" she giggled.
I smiled. "Since I came to the conclusion that cigarettes are not...peculiar enough for me," I replied swiftly.
It was actually thanks to Miss Peregrine that I had picked up pipe smoking. I recalled all the times she and I had spent in private, talking, and she'd pull out her pipe and light it up. The tobacco had always smelled more satisfying to me than cigarette smoke. And when I had found the pipe at the shop, I knew I had to give it a whirl. To my satisfaction, I enjoyed it much so and it was more than enough to calm my nerves.
She laughed again. "Peculiar?" She shook her head, red hair flying about her neck. "Minnette Stonington, what on earth could possibly not be peculiar enough for you?"
"You have no idea," I replied, winking. Taking in the view of the school, I sighed. "I'm surely not going to miss this place."
Helena nodded. "Me neither."
"Minnette!" then called the voice of my father.
I looked to the left to see my parents striding up. They both appeared cool and collected. For once, I could actually sense their pride in me. They looked like all the other normal parents, both by their clothing and by their posture. The looked positively normal for having such a peculiar daughter.
"Congrats, honey," my mother said, placing a peck on my cheek.
"Congrats, baby," said my father.
"Thanks, guys," I replied.
They took turns greeting Helena, then my father asked her if she was excited to go off for college.
Just then, on the edge of the woods that lay to the left of the parking lot, I saw something very unexpected. There, perched on a low tree branch, was rather a large bird. A bird in grey color. I knew a lot of birds, but this was without a doubt one of the biggest birds I had ever seen. Suddenly, my heart began to feel warm.
Miss Peregrine!
"I'll be right back, guys!" I said happily as I swept off the trunk of the car and bolted toward the woods.
Just the thought of Miss Peregrine coming to see me overjoyed me. I ran as fast as I could to the woods. The closer I got, the more excited I became. I was about to burst when I neared her, but was disappointed quickly when the falcon spread her wings and took off deeper into the woods.
I halted.
I hadn't used the Ymbryne language much since I had left, but I decided to attempt at it. I pursed my lips. "Miss Peregrine?" I was extra careful not to let anyone hear me.
No answer.
That stung a little. Miss Peregrine had to know how much I was missing her and the children, and there was no doubt that they were missing me just as well. It would be unlike Miss Peregrine to visit me without a word, unless she anticipated someone to come up behind me. To hear my cooing and squawking would most likely unnerve a normal.
I would remember to ask Miss Peregrine when I saw her next.
I sulked back to the car to, thankfully, discover that my parents and Helena were jabbering away, and had not paid attention to my outburst. I would've felt like a fool had they seen me chase after a falcon which chose to elude me.
"You okay?" Helena asked when she noticed me.
I stiffened. I could not lead anyone onto anything they wouldn't understand.
"I am."
And from that moment on, I silently vowed myself to never chase falcons in this world ever again, even if they were speaking Ymbryne at me.
A/N: Sorry if this chapter was boring, but it was rather necessary. Promise.
