The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing
By: CNJ
PG-13
17: Graduation!
Kristy:
One, two, three, I
mentally counted. Yep, there went the graduation theme. Slowly, dignified
in our blue and white caps and gowns, the SHS graduating class of 2001
walked in two at a time, taking slow steps. Mary Anne, Anna, and Abby were
right next to each other since we were lined up alphabetically. Mona was
near the end of the line. Once we got to our seats on the lawn of Stoneybrook
High, Ms. Silverbein announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen...the graduating
class of Stoneybrook High School." All the parents, aunts, uncles, and
relatives clapped vigorously. I looked down the aisle and noticed that
Mary Anne's eyes were filling up. Of course. I hoped she had a lot
of tissues with her because I had the feeling that tonight, she'd go through
several boxes. We sat. The ceremony itself was a little dull, then perked
up when the speaker came up to give her commencement speech. Gates McFadden,
the actress who played Dr. Crusher on the old series Star Trek The Next
Generation, was the speaker. Wow...she turned out to be interesting!
In some ways, she reminded me of Abby, making several jokes that made the
crowd laugh. "...so if you'll excuse the old cliche borrowed from the old
series...let your dreams take you where no one has gone before," she finished.
Several of us were laughing as we clapped again. When it came time to get
our diplomas, Ms. Silverbein instructed us graduates to line up by the
stage row by row. I thought over the last four years as I waited for my
row's turn. I was really going to miss Stoneybrook, even though I couldn't
wait to be on my own in New York City. I knew Mary Anne felt the same way.
I was glad the BSC was going to be in good hands. I hoped Vanessa loved
running the BSC as much as I did. I wondered if she'd be a stickler for
punctuality the way I was. I wondered if Karen would stock up on plenty
of junk food like Claudia. I looked over to the west as my row stood and
got in line. The sight just took my breath away! The sun was bright orange
and tinged the sky a beautiful red with gorgeous pink streaks. I heard
a gasp and saw that Mary Anne had started to cry again as our row got close
to being called. Abby stroked her.
"Is she all right?" Eva
Torada asked me.
"Yes, I whispered. Mary
Anne groped around and managed to pull out more tissues as she blubbered
louder. Stacey, being the valedictorian, had her name called with "Anastasia
McGill with highest honors!" Mary Anne buried her face into a mound of
tissues and cried even harder. Along the line, the BSC clapped softly.
Stacey looked a little teary-eyed as she took her place next to the class
salutatorian, Adriane Gatesly. As Mary Anne's name got close, she struggled
to compose herself the best that she could. Mary Anne was an honor student,
so her name was called "with honors" along with all the other honor students.
As Mary Anne walked up to get her diploma, her tears started again, this
time more quietly. "Awwww..." the audience sighed. Mary Anne reached out
and hugged Ms. Silverbein, then wiped her face and almost tripped coming
off the stage. She sat and cried some more. Finally my name was called
and Charlie clapped once. I got my diploma, waved, and sat and waited until
the last graduate was called. FINALLY!!!! We'd GRADUATED!!!! We're not
kids anymore!!! Mary Anne cried on and off through Adrianne and Stacey's
speeches. As Stacey finished her speech, she got tearful and needed to
grab some tissues. Ms. Silverbein gave one last short speech. "...to all
our graduates...goodbye...we'll miss you...and good luck!" The applause
was nearly deafening and us graduates added our own whoops and howls.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Anne:
I can't believe it's really
over! Naturally, I blubbered my way through the ceremony, but it was just
so beautiful, including that sunset! I know Stacey's mom is SO proud of
her! Dawn and I met with our family. Of course Grandma was crying just
like me and we hugged and just sobbed a minute. When I hugged Sharon, she
cried also!
"Th-thank you...for being
there when I needed..." I had to catch my breath. "a...m-mother..." my
voice ended in a high squeak.
"It's so wonderful having
you as my daughter," Sharon told me. Then Dawn and I hugged, congratulating
each other. Even though I'd gotten sick of living in Stoneybrook, part
of me would really miss this place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stacey:
I had to wipe tears from
my eyes as I looked for Mom. I finally saw her talking to Mona Vaughn's
mom and rushed over. "Congratulations, Stacey!" Mom hugged me. I buried
my face into her shoulder and started to cry again full force. She held
me a minute, then slowly held me away. "My daughter the valedictorian...you
know, I'll really miss you in the fall when you go, she whispered, wiping
my face.
"M-me too..." I sobbed.
"Me also," Mona added, coming
up. She and her mom hugged, then Mona hugged me and started to cry, which
got me bawling again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Claudia:
TRIUMPH!!!! WE DID IT!!! I found my family standing with Kristy's and we all hugged, Kristy and I congratulating each other. "Congratulations, little sis," Janine hugged me too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of us BSC found each
other, including Basila, Mallory, and Jessi and we walked near the parking
lot away from the post-graduation party. It was almost dark by now. We
stood deep in thought and quiet a long minute.
"That was a gorgeous ceremony,"
Jessi sighed.
"It's bizarre," Abby added.
"I can't believe we're almost legally ADULTS."
"Our lives are going through
more changes," Kristy put in. "But it's great that we've managed to stay
close through all our ups and downs of high school." Just then, Caitlin
Giotti came up and we congratulated each other.
"Hey...can I take a picture
of you all...the famous BSC that changed the landscape of Stoneybrook forever?"
Caitlin held up her camera. We all laughed, then stood by a row of cars
first, then stood with SHS behind us. Above us, way in the trees, as if
to symbolize one era of our lives closing and another one starting, a bird
sang in a sort of song...it was a melody, sort of sweet, lilting, and sad.
"Say TRIUMPH!" Caitlin called.
"TRIUMPH!!!" We all shouted,
then we the senior BSC tossed our caps into the air as the camera snapped
one last time.
~~2002 Storyline Copyright by CNJ~~