"You mean dad wasn't drunk that day?" She kept the penlight on, hoping it wouldn't die.
"Yeah, for once, he wasn't drunk." Maurice smiled, remembering the happy day.
"That is amazing. One for the books." She said sarcastically.
"You know what else I remember?"
"What?"
"The day you graduated High School and got accepted to NYU." He looked down at her.
"Oh, well, that was in the past." She looked down, remembering that day well.
*****Flashback*****
"Welcome to the graduating class of 1996!" The principal said into the mike at the podium in Central Park.
"I would like to you all to welcome our Valedictorian of the class of 1996, Mercedes Boscorelli!" The entire audience cheered, making Central Park echo as Mercedes stood up and moved to the podium.
"Thank You. As we all know, graduating High School is a pivotal step in our lives. Some of us will go on to be Doctor's, Lawyers, and some of us will go on to Government jobs. Some will succeed and some will fail. Whatever path you take in life will be your own. It started in High School, and the minute you stepped into the building, you made your choice. Some of us have gotten accepted to top rate colleges, and some of us have to go to community college, and there are a few who decided college wasn't for them. Whatever path you decide on, it is your own. I am not going to go on about life's choices and fate, because I do not believe in them. Fate is what you make it, not what it makes of you. Our independent lives start now. No more needing our parents, no more childish behavior. In high school we had cliche's, Most popular, The Geeks, The sports, the brains, and the blessed. We are no longer in those clichés. In the real world, you are just another person trying to make it. High School is over, welcome to the real world." She walked back to her seat as everyone started to clap. The principal went up and called off the names in alphabetical order. When Mercedes was called, she moved to get her diploma and then went down to sit with her family. She smiled, getting off the stage and made her way to her Mother, Maurice, and Mikey. She sat on Maurice's lap and giggled as he whispered to her.
When the ceremony ended, people say their goodbyes, mingling. Mercedes stayed by her family, as one of the Football heroes's walked up
"Congratulations, Valedictorian." He picked her up and swung her around as she laughed.
"Go catch a football, Jag off." Maurice pointed in the opposite direction. The guy looked at him, putting her down and walked away. She looked at him, like he was insane.
"What was that about?" She slapped his arm.
"I know his intention with you! I was his age once."
"Mo, He is my lab partner. He is dating one of the Cheerleaders, nothing will ever happen between us. He's not my type."
"Yeah, lab partners, that's their excuse one-minute."
"Oh will you two stop?" Mikey wrapped his arms around their shoulders and kissed her cheek.
"Congrats, Sis. What's next for you? What's your major at NYU?"
"Fire Science. Much to Ma's dismay, I applied for the fire academy. I start in July."
"Fire Science? You are going to be one of New York's lifesavers?"
"Going to try. I wanted the police academy, but I think 2 Boscorelli's on the team would just ruin the 55." She eyed her brother and kissed him softly.
"They couldn't handle the 2 of us together. The streets would be cleared and we would all be out of a job."
"Yeah, that's it, we did it for all the cops' jobs in New York. " She leaned on Mikey as he wrapped his arms around her. Just then her mom came and held her.
"My baby girl is Valedictorian! My baby, my baby! I knew you could do it!" She squeezed her daughter and Mercedes winced as her mom popped her back.
"Ma, let her go. Don't paralyze the poor girl." Mo looked at them and just shook his head. Her Ma froze and looked over as Anthony Boscorelli walked over. Mo froze and Mikey slid behind Mo.
"I hear congratulations are in order. You made Valedictorian. Never knew you could surmount past a cheap slut." He said, looking down at her with no expression.
"Get the hell out of here, Dad." Mo looked up at him and pointed away.
"I just came to see my daughter graduate. Wow, your chunking out there Mercedes ever hear of a Nutritionist?" He looked at her and looked Rose.
"Not here, Anthony, go away." She held her daughter's hand.
"Fine, I'll go. She's just a lowly piece of trash like you're other kids." He walked away. No one knew at the time that his one comment about her weight had destroyed her in more ways than one.
"Yeah, for once, he wasn't drunk." Maurice smiled, remembering the happy day.
"That is amazing. One for the books." She said sarcastically.
"You know what else I remember?"
"What?"
"The day you graduated High School and got accepted to NYU." He looked down at her.
"Oh, well, that was in the past." She looked down, remembering that day well.
*****Flashback*****
"Welcome to the graduating class of 1996!" The principal said into the mike at the podium in Central Park.
"I would like to you all to welcome our Valedictorian of the class of 1996, Mercedes Boscorelli!" The entire audience cheered, making Central Park echo as Mercedes stood up and moved to the podium.
"Thank You. As we all know, graduating High School is a pivotal step in our lives. Some of us will go on to be Doctor's, Lawyers, and some of us will go on to Government jobs. Some will succeed and some will fail. Whatever path you take in life will be your own. It started in High School, and the minute you stepped into the building, you made your choice. Some of us have gotten accepted to top rate colleges, and some of us have to go to community college, and there are a few who decided college wasn't for them. Whatever path you decide on, it is your own. I am not going to go on about life's choices and fate, because I do not believe in them. Fate is what you make it, not what it makes of you. Our independent lives start now. No more needing our parents, no more childish behavior. In high school we had cliche's, Most popular, The Geeks, The sports, the brains, and the blessed. We are no longer in those clichés. In the real world, you are just another person trying to make it. High School is over, welcome to the real world." She walked back to her seat as everyone started to clap. The principal went up and called off the names in alphabetical order. When Mercedes was called, she moved to get her diploma and then went down to sit with her family. She smiled, getting off the stage and made her way to her Mother, Maurice, and Mikey. She sat on Maurice's lap and giggled as he whispered to her.
When the ceremony ended, people say their goodbyes, mingling. Mercedes stayed by her family, as one of the Football heroes's walked up
"Congratulations, Valedictorian." He picked her up and swung her around as she laughed.
"Go catch a football, Jag off." Maurice pointed in the opposite direction. The guy looked at him, putting her down and walked away. She looked at him, like he was insane.
"What was that about?" She slapped his arm.
"I know his intention with you! I was his age once."
"Mo, He is my lab partner. He is dating one of the Cheerleaders, nothing will ever happen between us. He's not my type."
"Yeah, lab partners, that's their excuse one-minute."
"Oh will you two stop?" Mikey wrapped his arms around their shoulders and kissed her cheek.
"Congrats, Sis. What's next for you? What's your major at NYU?"
"Fire Science. Much to Ma's dismay, I applied for the fire academy. I start in July."
"Fire Science? You are going to be one of New York's lifesavers?"
"Going to try. I wanted the police academy, but I think 2 Boscorelli's on the team would just ruin the 55." She eyed her brother and kissed him softly.
"They couldn't handle the 2 of us together. The streets would be cleared and we would all be out of a job."
"Yeah, that's it, we did it for all the cops' jobs in New York. " She leaned on Mikey as he wrapped his arms around her. Just then her mom came and held her.
"My baby girl is Valedictorian! My baby, my baby! I knew you could do it!" She squeezed her daughter and Mercedes winced as her mom popped her back.
"Ma, let her go. Don't paralyze the poor girl." Mo looked at them and just shook his head. Her Ma froze and looked over as Anthony Boscorelli walked over. Mo froze and Mikey slid behind Mo.
"I hear congratulations are in order. You made Valedictorian. Never knew you could surmount past a cheap slut." He said, looking down at her with no expression.
"Get the hell out of here, Dad." Mo looked up at him and pointed away.
"I just came to see my daughter graduate. Wow, your chunking out there Mercedes ever hear of a Nutritionist?" He looked at her and looked Rose.
"Not here, Anthony, go away." She held her daughter's hand.
"Fine, I'll go. She's just a lowly piece of trash like you're other kids." He walked away. No one knew at the time that his one comment about her weight had destroyed her in more ways than one.