Happy 2012, everyone! :)
The end to this story is quickly approaching. I don't know how many chapters are going to be left, but all I know is that the story will soon be over. I have another story idea in mind, so I'm super excited to start writing that. As much as I loved writing this story, I'm almost kind of glad it's almost complete, because I've been working on this since August and I'd love to start fresh. By the way, thanks for all the kind reviews, they make my day!
Dressed in their long, black graduation robes, Rachel and Kurt made their way up to McKinley high school's front door. Today was a very important day- there were only three days left until the summer vacation began, and in about an hour or so, the graduates of McKinley high school were going to walk out onto a large stage dressed like Hogwarts professors and graduate from high school. Rachel Berry, of course, was the valedictorian for the night. There was a writing contest a few weeks before the ceremony, and the only one who signed up to try out for valedictorian was Rachel. So of course, she won by default.
"I can't believe we're graduating today," Rachel sighed as the two friends entered the school. "It seems like only yesterday that Rachel Berry first walked these hallways."
"It seems like only yesterday since I was shoved into a locker," Kurt mumbled. He was actually really glad they were graduating high school. Glee was great, but that was the only safe place he had at that hell-hole. Everyday was torture for him, so naturally, getting away from it all would be perfect.
When the two made it to the auditorium, they spotted Finn and Blaine. They smiled at their boyfriend's (or, one smiled at her boyfriend and the other smiled at his husband) and walked over to greet them. They were dressed in the same outfits as Rachel and Kurt, and Kurt giggled at his step-brother, too tall for his uniform.
"Hey," said Kurt, "Where's everybody else?"
"They're coming," Finn replied. "I think Puck is driving like, five people there."
"That's not a very good idea," Rachel said, unsure of her tone. "He's going to crash everybody into a wall like he did that time he went to juvy."
They all laughed. But, as a matter of fact, in no time, everyone arrived, all dressed in the same robes with different hairstyles and shoes.
"Well, where do we go now?" Artie asked, rolling his way over next to Quinn.
"The graduates are supposed to go up onto the stage in alphabetical order," Tina said. "So I guess, go find people with the first letter of your last name and wait with them."
Tina's vague idea eventually payed off. Soon, all of the grade 12 students who were graduating were huddled into groups of people who shared the first letter of their last names. The A's waited in a long line behind a door that lead into the auditorium. Kurt was a little upset that he didn't get to wait with Blaine. He stood patiently with people he didn't know (except Finn) until it was time to go inside.
When everyone was seated in the auditorium, parents sitting in the top half and students sitting in the lower half, the buzz in the echo-y room immediately calmed down. Principal Figgins made his way up to the stage, where everyone started to applaud. He fixed his red tie and smoothed it down before he stepped up to the microphone.
"Good evening graduates and family to the 2011-2012 McKinley high graduation ceremony," Principal Figgins said in his thick accent. "Before we begin, we'd like to call up the valedictorian, Miss Rachel Berry, to say a few words."
Rachel stood up from the B section she was sitting in and made her way up gracefully to the stage. People started to applaud, and she stood proud, speaking clearly into the mic with the voice everyone got a little tired of hearing sometimes, but still loved it ultimately. She smiled widely at the audience.
"Good evening, everyone," Rachel announced. "My name is Rachel Berry and I'm going to be your valedictorian for tonight. Today, we reflect on the past four years we spent at McKinley. It seems like only yesterday that we've all walked through those front doors. Now, we've all grown up and we're onto better, and bigger things. I'm not going to lie when I say that everyone had a different high school experience. For some of us, maybe we were popular, athletic, pretty and had everything handed to them. Maybe for others, we had insults and threats thrown our way everyday."
Kurt was surprised, as well as the rest of the audience. No one had expected the perky and intelligent Rachel to discuss such a personal topic with a crowd of people. But she was absolutely right. Talking about how great and fun high school was would be a lie, because it hadn't been that way for everyone. For some, it meant getting praised for having a nice face or fake breasts everyday. Other people contemplated suicide because of their surroundings.
"No matter what group or clique we were in," Rachel continued, "We've all experienced the same things: boyfriends and girlfriends, drama, heartbreak, peer pressure, humiliation and success...but no matter what we've been through in these past four years, we're all the same. We are all the same humans making mistakes and having flaws that shouldn't always be called out at. We've survived this long, and going into the academic and social experience that is secondary school just proves that we, as young graduates, are strong enough to make it in the real world. So, move on from here. Do great things and take your memories with you, because even if they weren't what you expected, they still make a part of who you all are today. Thank you very much, fellow graduates, and I hope you were all able to understand the true meaning of achievement through these words. Enjoy the rest of the night."
When Rachel was finished speaking, everyone broke out into a fierce applause, some giving a standing ovation and some even wiping away tears. There was something about how she had chosen her words that made them so true and relatable. Rachel smiled and bowed, making her way off of the stage and back into her section.
"Thank you for that magnificent speech, Rachel," Principal Figgins returned to the mic. "Let's begin with the ceremony."
The long list of students began, the annoying but traditional graduation music playing in the background from a loud speaker. The A's were up first. Kurt spotted Artie, rolling over to the Principal, shaking his hand and accepting his diploma, and he cheered for is friend. When Blaine made his way to the stage, Kurt couldn't help but keep himself from squealing as his husband kindly accepted the roll of paper. Kurt stood up, cheering and applauding like the rest of some people, and right away, Blaine looked out into the audience, spotted Kurt, and gave him a wink. Kurt nearly swooned and fainted.
When it was Kurt's turn to get up onto the stage, he did something that was completely in his character. After accepting the tiny scroll with a blue ribbon tied neatly in a bow around it, he stepped forward and bowed grandly. He almost wanted to cry when he saw Burt and Carole smiling proudly, applauding. Kurt didn't even notice the weird looks other parents were shooting his way.
You did it, the little voice in the back of Kurt's mind said. You made it out. Even with your sickness. Even with the constant torture from the bullies. You're free. You should be proud.
But even Kurt knew he wasn't completely free.
When the ceremony was finished and Principal Figgins closed the occasion with a few last words, everything turned into an 80's movie about high school love-affairs. At the same time, everything seemed to move in slow motion, and all the graduates grabbed their flat, black caps and tossed them into the air. Cheers and laughs and a few tears made their way over the crowds of kids as the caps were suspended in the air.
"Kurt!" He heard his name being called over the throngs of screaming, excited teenagers. Amongst the chaos, he saw Blaine, even in the blur of black robes and diplomas. Blaine smiled widely at him, running towards him (or at least, doing the best someone can run in a large crowd).
Kurt opened his arms as Blaine came running into them. Once again, everything was in slow motion, more hats being thrown into the air when Blaine pulled his husband in for a long, passionate kiss. They didn't care if anyone saw, or made fun of them, or made them stop. This was just as much of their moment as it was anybody else's.
Blaine pulled away from his breathless, rosy-cheeked husband. He chuckled and hugged Kurt tightly to his chest.
"I'm so proud of us," Kurt mumbled into Blaine's shoulder, "I'm proud of all of us. I'm proud of you, Blaine."
"I'm proud of you too, sweetie."
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
The boys pulled away when they noticed people starting to shuffle out of the auditorium. They linked hands and made their way up to the door. Of course, nobody brought up the subject of Kurt not applying for college or university because of how serious his condition might get. Blaine was going to a university only about two hours outside of Lima, which was close by just in case Kurt needed him for anything. But still, the thought of Kurt alone in a hospital or at home waiting while Blaine went off to learn about the real world...it made him swallow hard.
"Hey, love-birds!" a voice boomed from behind them. The two turned to face Puck.
"You wanna come to get a bit to eat with us?" Puck jerked his thumb over his shoulder to gesture to the rest of the glee club.
Blaine looked at Kurt and Kurt looked at Blaine, smiling.
"Let me get changed out of this table cloth first," Kurt wrinkled his nose. "I am going nowhere public dressed like a dead Mary Poppins."
Blaine laughed, throwing his head back. They were adults now, and in that moment, they were infinite.
Hey, just a quick authors note again. I'm sorry if this chapter seemed rushed. I didn't originally want to put this into the story, but I really just mentally needed some sort of closure with McKinley and the ND as an author. This is going to be the last time McKinley is talked about in the story, Thanks!