Chapter 2
In the morning, I was so excited to get to school. I showered quickly, dressed and had breakfast, remembering every last minute. Brian was very excited too, but it was only because he didn't have to go to school until September. He ran around the house, screaming, "No more school!" Mom quieted him and I walked out to the car. My Expedition was still being repaired, and I needed a ride to school. Brian and Mom hurried out of the house and to the car. Mom let me drive today.
"Mom, I'm so excited!" I cried, pulling out of the driveway.
"Mom, I'm so excited," Brian mimicked. I reached behind him and slapped his cheek. He started whining.
"Brian, stop. Or I won't let your friends come over tonight," Mommy threatened. He stopped yelling and glanced outside the window. I smiled at Mommy as Brian's elementary school came up.
"See yah! Wouldn't want to be yah!" he cried as he jumped out of the car. I looked at Mom helplessly.
"I'm sorry about that. He's only nine," she muttered. I pulled away, and there was a silent pause between us.
"I can't believe it's my last day," I mumbled under my breath. Mom grabbed my hand.
"June, don't think of it as your last day, think of it as one of the best days of your life," she advised. I nodded and pulled up to the school. I looked at Mommy and hugged her.
"Have a good day," she said, and I hurried out of the car, practically running into the school. Lilly and Cassandra were standing by their usual spot. I stood by them and waited for them to end their conversation.
"Why didn't you call us back yesterday?" Cassandra snapped. I gave her a questionable glare.
"I bet if you were me, you wouldn't have called back either," I retorted. Her eyes darkened, and she looked ready to hit me, but Lilly sprang into action and stepped between the two of us.
"Cut it out. Cassie, it was no big deal." Lilly turned to her and Cassandra settled down. Suddenly, someone's hands were on my hips and lifting me up, spinning me around and making my skirt flare out.
"Andrew!" I hissed when he put me down. He laughed and lightly pressed his lips to mine.
Jolts of electricity riveted up my spine. My first kiss! On the last day of school! I saw fireworks behind my eyelids, bright lights. He pulled away, and smiled, a look of content on his face. I was off in dreamland.
"Hi," he greeted.
"Hi," I blurted back. I was still in shock. Cassandra and Lilly both had identical smirks on their faces.
"What are you doing after school today?"
"Um, nothing," I replied.
"Why don't we go out for an early lunch?" I nodded. "Well, I got places to go, people to see. Talk to you later?" He placed his hands on my slender hips and kissed me again. More electric jolts up my spine. He smiled, ran his fingers down my cheek, and walked away. I turned to Cassandra and Lilly, and started squealing with excitement.
"Oh my gosh!" I cried. "He just kissed me." Their smiles were broad and welcoming. I jumped around and sighed.
"This has to be the best day of my life!" The bell rang, and we headed to the auditorium to practice for the graduation rehearsal.
I couldn't keep focus during rehearsal. All I could think about was my first kiss, rewinding it in my brain over and over again. Cassandra slapped my shoulder.
"What?" I asked, returning to reality. She raised her eyebrow at me.
"Pay attention," she hissed. It was time to make my pretend speech, and I walked up onto the stage and stood at the podium.
"Shall I give my actual speech, Miss Durham?" I asked. She nodded from behind the side of the stage, and I went to retrieve my actual speech from my backpack. I was shaking already; I was just about to give my speech to about 500 people, but there would be an even bigger attendance tonight. I slowly went back to the podium and a thick silence fell over the crowd. I took a deep breath and began.
I don't remember looking at the crowd. I kept my eyes glued to the lined piece of paper and waited until I was finished. I paused, said my last sentence, and listened as the crowd of seniors roared, cheered and applauded. They soon started to stand up and yell as loud as they could. I smiled, laughed and walked back to my seat. Andrew couldn't come up to me and congratulate, but I could feel that he was saying it all in his smile. I plopped down in my chair and slouched purposely, my cheeks turning bright red.
"You were excellent!" Lilly and Cassandra cried in perfect unison. We all giggled and watched as Miss Durham waited impatiently until the crowd had settled down. I sighed.
After the rehearsal, there was a "get together" with music and food in the gym. Cassandra and Lilly begged me to go, and I reluctantly gave in, being dragged along to the gym where the music was blasting. My ears began to ring, but I got to used to music. I watched as everyone danced and someone tapped my shoulder. I spun around and it was Andrew, smiling broadly.
"Care for a dance?" He asked.
"I can't dance!" I shouted back over the roar of the music. He grabbed my hand.
"C'mon, it's easy!" He cried. He pulled me into the middle of the room and stood there. "C'mon," he urged. He started to dance, and I burst out laughing. He stopped suddenly and smiled.
"What?" I asked curiously and he shook his head.
"Show me what you can do!" He said. I sighed, closed my eyes, and started to do the best I could. He obviously enjoyed it, because when the song was over, his eyes were full of appreciation.
"That's practice for tomorrow night," he whispered in my ear. I shivered. What was that supposed to mean? I kept this question to myself as I walked over to get myself something to drink. I heartily took a glass of punch and gulped it down, making sure that I didn't drip onto my shirt. Cassandra pulled on my arm.
"What was that?" She asked astonishingly. I shrugged.
"What?" She rolled her eyes angrily. The DJ came on the mic.
"OK Ladies and Gents, this last dance is dedicated to the seniors of '04!" The crowd cheered, and Vitamin C's "Graduation" song came on. Andrew tugged on my arm and put his hands on my hips. I looked up.
"Save the last dance for me?" He asked softly. I snaked my arms around his neck and nodded.
It had to have been the best day of my life. Cassandra and Lilly were standing against the back wall, their slender arms crossed over their chests, a look of agitation on both of their faces. I flashed them a quick smile and returned my eyes back to Andrew's hazel ones. Before I knew it, the dance was over, and people were being escorted out of the cafeteria. Me and Andrew walked out, hand in hand. We stopped in front of the gym, and he crushed his lips to mine. I almost considered pushing him away, but my hands remained at my sides.
"See you later?" he said softly, almost so I couldn't hear him. I nodded, and started to walk away.
We had one hour left of school until my high school career was finally over. It was a time for signing year books and saying the final farewells to friends. I had just about everyone sign my yearbook until I had to buy more autograph pages for it. Cassandra and Lilly each took up one page, and there were so many people that had wanted to sign it. I basically made a line and had them come to me, exchanged books, and write a lengthy message for them. After everyone was finished, we stood in front of the clock and watched as the last few minutes of school were counted down. Some girls were crying, wailing that they would never see each other again. The bell rang, and people hollered and screamed, rushing out the doors and running through the hallways. I met up with Lilly, Cassandra and Andrew in the hallway.
"This is it," I said sorrowfully. Andrew slung his arm around my shoulder. I shrugged it off.
"Yeah," Lilly mumbled. Someone walked by, and sparked her interest, so she pulled Cassandra with her and walked off. I sighed.
"How about some lunch?" Andrew asked. I shrugged and followed him out to the student parking lot.
Five minutes had passed since the dismissal bell rang, and already, students were creating havoc on the school. Vandalism, Drugs, Sex . . . anything you could possibly imagine, it had happened. We quickly got into Andrew's red Explorer, and peeled out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
"That was hell," Andrew mumbled. I nodded as I looked out the window. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I said. I was tired, and it had been a long day, and now it was over, forever.
We pulled into a Mexican burrito shop and sat on the patio, watching the loud traffic go by. I ordered a bean and cheese burrito, Andrew ordered some nacho's, a Mexican pizza, and a soda. He stuffed his face while I daintily took bites.
"So, what are you going to be doing after this?" Andrew inquired with his mouth full. I felt sick to my stomach to see the contents in his mouth fly out.
"I'm going to leave for Harvard," I replied quickly, turning away. He swallowed, then took a sip of his coke.
"You're leaving?"
"Didn't I just say that?" I asked quite snappishly. He suddenly smiled.
"Then I guess this is just a summer fling," he muttered. I shrugged.
"Maybe not even the whole summer. I start in September," I reminded him.
"Well, it's June now. We've still got a while," he protested, grabbing my hand. I impulsively let him take it. "Give it a chance June. It could be the best summer you've ever had." His eyes were pleading with me.
"I don't like long distance relationships," I said, slowly taking my hand away. "It wouldn't work. And besides? How could I know if you weren't being faithful? There are more pretty girls than just me."
"Don't you see? You're the only one I'm interested in!" He cried. I shook my head.
"I don't want to argue. . ."
"Then don't." He snapped. He took a huge bite of his pizza and chewed it up angrily.
"You could at least chew with your mouth closed," I said softly. He looked at me.
"Thank you for correcting me," he said mockingly and closed his mouth. I finished the last of my burrito and tossed it in the trash.
"Can you take me home?" I asked.
"I though we were going to go somewhere after this. Like to the pool hall," he said.
"I never agreed to that, and you never mentioned it to me," I retorted. He stood up, wrapped up his food and tossed it in the trash.
"You're chariot awaits," he said sarcastically, and I felt like striking him, but I kept my hands to myself and crawled into the car. We drove silently, and when he pulled up to my house, he leaned over and brought me towards him in a kiss. I pushed him off.
"Hey!" He flared as I opened the door and gathered my things together. "You don't have to be such a prude. Don't you have any manners?" I spun toward him.
"Yes, I do, Andrew Louis. You're the one who doesn't have manners. I'm not going to be treated as a trophy girl by your side. And about prom, you can forget about even going unless you can change your attitude and treat me how I'm supposed to be treated." I slammed the door and marched up the walkway to my house. Andrew's tires screamed as he floored the gas pedal and drove away. I entered the house and announced my arrival.
"I'm home!" I nearly screamed, running upstairs and throwing my stuff on my bed. Daddy came out of his office and greeted me.
"What's wrong?" He questioned when he saw the frown on my face. I ran my fingers through my hair.
"Oh, nothing," I breathed. I didn't feel like explaining to him what had happened. "Where's Mom?"
"Right here!" She sang as she shut the door to her bedroom. "We have a surprise for you."
"A surprise?" I asked. They both nodded.
"Come with us." Mom said, pulling me downstairs. I followed her downstairs and into the garage. The lights were turned off, and it was pitch black.
"Now close your eyes," Mom squealed. She couldn't contain her excitement. I clasped my fingers over my eyes and heard the light switch being flipped on.
"OK, open!" Daddy exclaimed, and my hands flew away from my face to see a black Mercedes sitting in front of me, a big burgundy ribbon wrapped around it.
"Oh my goodness!" I cried, running towards it. The paint had a shiny new gloss on it, reflecting the garage lights. I turned to my parents, who were both beaming with happiness.
"What happened to my Expedition?" I asked.
"We traded it in," Daddy blurted. I ran my fingers down the hood. I looked back at the both of them.
"Oh, thank you so much!" I ran to them and gave them each a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"It's your present," Daddy said, handing me the keys. I watched them glimmer in the garage light, and then eagerly took them from him and held them in my hand.
"You can drive it right now if you like," Mommy suggested. "Also, if you're going out, could you pick up Brian and Eddie from school?" I nodded and climbed behind the wheel. It had a six speaker stereo and a navigational system. I waved to them and opened up the garage door, and sped away to the elementary school.
Once I had pulled up, I had to get out of the car and wave to him and Eddie. His eyes bulged wide as he scampered over to the car.
"Whoa!" He exclaimed. "Where did you get this?"
"It was a gift from Mom and Dad. Get in," I commanded and he crawled into the back-seat, along with his friend Eddie.
"This is cool!" He cried as I sped off. I shrugged. The two started horse playing in the back seat, and I turned around.
"Stop it!" I screamed, and both of their eyes got wide, and it was quiet the rest of the ride home.
I took my time getting home. Riding in my new car had bought a smile to my face, forgetting about Andrew's stubbornness. I pulled up into the driveway, and Eddie and Brian leaped out of the car, hurrying into the house. I took another good look at my car and got out, hanging up my keys on the key rack by the garage door and walking inside.
Mommy was in the kitchen, starting dinner already. Daddy was gone in his office, reviewing files and speaking with clients over the phone. I went up directly up to my room and pulled out my diary, making sure to lock my door in case Brian and his friend decided to do a little spying.
Today, I must admit, has been confusing. First off, I got my FIRST kiss by Andrew! I nearly passed out with joy. Then afterwards during rehearsal for graduation, I had to deliver my speech to the senior student body. I was extremely nervous; I hadn't even rehearsed for my parents yet! Nonetheless, I performed for the crowd. surprisingly, I received a thundering applause from the crowd, and that I was grateful for. After the rehearsal, we went into the gym and had a dance sort of thing, I guess. Andrew urged me to dance, but I refused, but then started to ease up and dance. I guess it was acceptable for Andrew, because his eyes were dancing with approval. The dance was finished, and it was time to sign year books and count down the last minutes of school. It was a time of desperation and sadness for most, but for me, it was mostly sadness. The last four years of my life were to be ended as if they never happened. . .
Andrew took me out to lunch, which ended in a fight. He was acting quite rude to me, and I told him that I wouldn't go to prom with him unless he shaped up to be a respectable date. My advice and words of warning probably went in one ear and out the other. He drove away angrily, but that is enough of my bad encounter.
I came home and found out that my Expedition was never to be returned. Instead, I got a new Mercedes! It's a piece of work, I must say. I took it for a short drive to Brian and his little friend Eddie home. They started fooling around in the back of the car, and I yelled at them to stop. I wasn't going to let them destroy my new car.
Now I'm home, and I'm debating to what I should do now. I was thinking about practicing my valedictorian speech for my parents, but I think I'm going to keep it a surprise until tonight. I think I'm going to set out my graduation dress and go downstairs for an early dinner.
I hid my diary and made sure it was securely hidden and walked out of my room, seeing Brian chasing Eddie down the hallway.
"Stop it!" I chastised. "Go outside for that." I pointed to downstairs and they both scampered off, pretending to be secret agents. I rolled my eyes and went into the kitchen.
"Hello dear," Mom said, looking over my way as she chopped an onion up, blinking away the tears that came from the acid of the onion. I walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a soda.
"Are you nervous yet?" Mom asked. Suddenly, the butterflies started to flutter their wings against my stomach. I frowned and opened my soda.
"I'm very excited for you June," she replied suddenly. "I couldn't wait for the day to see my baby graduate from high school." I nodded and put my soda on the counter and walked toward her.
"What's for dinner?" I asked, putting my hand over my abdomen, wanting my nausea to wash away.
"A pork chop casserole. You'll like it," she assured. I nodded again and decided to visit Daddy in his office if he wasn't too busy. I knocked on his door, and heard him say, "Come in." I opened the door and closed it softly behind me.
Daddy sat behind his large oak desk, his elbow propped up on the desk, looking through stacks of paperwork. He looked up and grinned.
"How was the ride?" He inquired immediately. I smiled broadly and sat down in one of the chairs that sat in front of his desk.
"It's beautiful Daddy. I love it so much," I squealed. He laughed.
"Good." He returned to his paper work and sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"I just have so much to do. . . " he explained.
"You'll be there tonight, won't you?" I asked hesitantly. He chuckled.
"Of course. I wouldn't miss you graduation for the world," he boasted. I beamed.
"Wonderful. Dinner will be served soon. We're having a pork chop casserole," I informed. He nodded and retreated back to his paperwork. I left him alone and went into my room, hearing my phone ring in the distance. I was hoping that it wasn't Andrew, but when I picked up the phone, it was.
"Can we talk?"
"Andrew, I'm not in the mood to argue. I don't need anything else to worry about tonight," I muttered.
"I want to apologize."
"Then go ahead," I said carelessly.
"Are you going to listen?" He asked.
"I don't know. I might if it's acceptable," I said, sitting down on my bed carefully. He took a deep breath.
"June, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have treated you like that. I don't know. . . I was just . . . acting weird. It's the last day of school!" He exclaimed. "And I really like you June. And I want us to work out." I shook my head. Why was I doing this?
"Andrew. . . "
"June, please, just listen to me. I would really like it if you went to prom with me. I haven't given up on you yet."
"I don't know-" Mom called me down for dinner. "I have to go. We'll work it out tonight, OK?" I hung up and hurried downstairs, fleeing from my thoughts. I sat down at the dinner table and hung my head low.
"What's wrong June?" Daddy wondered. I shook my head.
"Nothing Daddy," I implied, but he looked at me skeptically and watched as Mommy came out of the kitchen, carrying the casserole. She served Brian and Eddie a plate, and I served myself a meager size and took small bites.
"Are you OK June? You don't look too happy," Mommy noticed. I shook my head.
"I'm just extremely nervous," I muttered, taking a sip of my drink. She nodded and picked up her fork. Brian was playing with his food, and Eddie soon caught on to it.
"Brian, Eddie, stop playing with your food," Mom snapped, and they quit and started eating. I finished quickly, already full.
"I have to start getting ready. May I be excused?" Mommy looked surprised.
"But June, you haven't eaten very much of your dinner," she pointed out.
"I know, but my nerves are biting at me," I said. She shrugged and nodded. I flew away from the table and went into my room to turn the shower on and get in. My mind continually wandered. Andrew had got me thinking. What if I gave this a chance? I shook my head. I wasn't going to think about this. I was going to have one of the best nights of my life.
In the morning, I was so excited to get to school. I showered quickly, dressed and had breakfast, remembering every last minute. Brian was very excited too, but it was only because he didn't have to go to school until September. He ran around the house, screaming, "No more school!" Mom quieted him and I walked out to the car. My Expedition was still being repaired, and I needed a ride to school. Brian and Mom hurried out of the house and to the car. Mom let me drive today.
"Mom, I'm so excited!" I cried, pulling out of the driveway.
"Mom, I'm so excited," Brian mimicked. I reached behind him and slapped his cheek. He started whining.
"Brian, stop. Or I won't let your friends come over tonight," Mommy threatened. He stopped yelling and glanced outside the window. I smiled at Mommy as Brian's elementary school came up.
"See yah! Wouldn't want to be yah!" he cried as he jumped out of the car. I looked at Mom helplessly.
"I'm sorry about that. He's only nine," she muttered. I pulled away, and there was a silent pause between us.
"I can't believe it's my last day," I mumbled under my breath. Mom grabbed my hand.
"June, don't think of it as your last day, think of it as one of the best days of your life," she advised. I nodded and pulled up to the school. I looked at Mommy and hugged her.
"Have a good day," she said, and I hurried out of the car, practically running into the school. Lilly and Cassandra were standing by their usual spot. I stood by them and waited for them to end their conversation.
"Why didn't you call us back yesterday?" Cassandra snapped. I gave her a questionable glare.
"I bet if you were me, you wouldn't have called back either," I retorted. Her eyes darkened, and she looked ready to hit me, but Lilly sprang into action and stepped between the two of us.
"Cut it out. Cassie, it was no big deal." Lilly turned to her and Cassandra settled down. Suddenly, someone's hands were on my hips and lifting me up, spinning me around and making my skirt flare out.
"Andrew!" I hissed when he put me down. He laughed and lightly pressed his lips to mine.
Jolts of electricity riveted up my spine. My first kiss! On the last day of school! I saw fireworks behind my eyelids, bright lights. He pulled away, and smiled, a look of content on his face. I was off in dreamland.
"Hi," he greeted.
"Hi," I blurted back. I was still in shock. Cassandra and Lilly both had identical smirks on their faces.
"What are you doing after school today?"
"Um, nothing," I replied.
"Why don't we go out for an early lunch?" I nodded. "Well, I got places to go, people to see. Talk to you later?" He placed his hands on my slender hips and kissed me again. More electric jolts up my spine. He smiled, ran his fingers down my cheek, and walked away. I turned to Cassandra and Lilly, and started squealing with excitement.
"Oh my gosh!" I cried. "He just kissed me." Their smiles were broad and welcoming. I jumped around and sighed.
"This has to be the best day of my life!" The bell rang, and we headed to the auditorium to practice for the graduation rehearsal.
I couldn't keep focus during rehearsal. All I could think about was my first kiss, rewinding it in my brain over and over again. Cassandra slapped my shoulder.
"What?" I asked, returning to reality. She raised her eyebrow at me.
"Pay attention," she hissed. It was time to make my pretend speech, and I walked up onto the stage and stood at the podium.
"Shall I give my actual speech, Miss Durham?" I asked. She nodded from behind the side of the stage, and I went to retrieve my actual speech from my backpack. I was shaking already; I was just about to give my speech to about 500 people, but there would be an even bigger attendance tonight. I slowly went back to the podium and a thick silence fell over the crowd. I took a deep breath and began.
I don't remember looking at the crowd. I kept my eyes glued to the lined piece of paper and waited until I was finished. I paused, said my last sentence, and listened as the crowd of seniors roared, cheered and applauded. They soon started to stand up and yell as loud as they could. I smiled, laughed and walked back to my seat. Andrew couldn't come up to me and congratulate, but I could feel that he was saying it all in his smile. I plopped down in my chair and slouched purposely, my cheeks turning bright red.
"You were excellent!" Lilly and Cassandra cried in perfect unison. We all giggled and watched as Miss Durham waited impatiently until the crowd had settled down. I sighed.
After the rehearsal, there was a "get together" with music and food in the gym. Cassandra and Lilly begged me to go, and I reluctantly gave in, being dragged along to the gym where the music was blasting. My ears began to ring, but I got to used to music. I watched as everyone danced and someone tapped my shoulder. I spun around and it was Andrew, smiling broadly.
"Care for a dance?" He asked.
"I can't dance!" I shouted back over the roar of the music. He grabbed my hand.
"C'mon, it's easy!" He cried. He pulled me into the middle of the room and stood there. "C'mon," he urged. He started to dance, and I burst out laughing. He stopped suddenly and smiled.
"What?" I asked curiously and he shook his head.
"Show me what you can do!" He said. I sighed, closed my eyes, and started to do the best I could. He obviously enjoyed it, because when the song was over, his eyes were full of appreciation.
"That's practice for tomorrow night," he whispered in my ear. I shivered. What was that supposed to mean? I kept this question to myself as I walked over to get myself something to drink. I heartily took a glass of punch and gulped it down, making sure that I didn't drip onto my shirt. Cassandra pulled on my arm.
"What was that?" She asked astonishingly. I shrugged.
"What?" She rolled her eyes angrily. The DJ came on the mic.
"OK Ladies and Gents, this last dance is dedicated to the seniors of '04!" The crowd cheered, and Vitamin C's "Graduation" song came on. Andrew tugged on my arm and put his hands on my hips. I looked up.
"Save the last dance for me?" He asked softly. I snaked my arms around his neck and nodded.
It had to have been the best day of my life. Cassandra and Lilly were standing against the back wall, their slender arms crossed over their chests, a look of agitation on both of their faces. I flashed them a quick smile and returned my eyes back to Andrew's hazel ones. Before I knew it, the dance was over, and people were being escorted out of the cafeteria. Me and Andrew walked out, hand in hand. We stopped in front of the gym, and he crushed his lips to mine. I almost considered pushing him away, but my hands remained at my sides.
"See you later?" he said softly, almost so I couldn't hear him. I nodded, and started to walk away.
We had one hour left of school until my high school career was finally over. It was a time for signing year books and saying the final farewells to friends. I had just about everyone sign my yearbook until I had to buy more autograph pages for it. Cassandra and Lilly each took up one page, and there were so many people that had wanted to sign it. I basically made a line and had them come to me, exchanged books, and write a lengthy message for them. After everyone was finished, we stood in front of the clock and watched as the last few minutes of school were counted down. Some girls were crying, wailing that they would never see each other again. The bell rang, and people hollered and screamed, rushing out the doors and running through the hallways. I met up with Lilly, Cassandra and Andrew in the hallway.
"This is it," I said sorrowfully. Andrew slung his arm around my shoulder. I shrugged it off.
"Yeah," Lilly mumbled. Someone walked by, and sparked her interest, so she pulled Cassandra with her and walked off. I sighed.
"How about some lunch?" Andrew asked. I shrugged and followed him out to the student parking lot.
Five minutes had passed since the dismissal bell rang, and already, students were creating havoc on the school. Vandalism, Drugs, Sex . . . anything you could possibly imagine, it had happened. We quickly got into Andrew's red Explorer, and peeled out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
"That was hell," Andrew mumbled. I nodded as I looked out the window. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I said. I was tired, and it had been a long day, and now it was over, forever.
We pulled into a Mexican burrito shop and sat on the patio, watching the loud traffic go by. I ordered a bean and cheese burrito, Andrew ordered some nacho's, a Mexican pizza, and a soda. He stuffed his face while I daintily took bites.
"So, what are you going to be doing after this?" Andrew inquired with his mouth full. I felt sick to my stomach to see the contents in his mouth fly out.
"I'm going to leave for Harvard," I replied quickly, turning away. He swallowed, then took a sip of his coke.
"You're leaving?"
"Didn't I just say that?" I asked quite snappishly. He suddenly smiled.
"Then I guess this is just a summer fling," he muttered. I shrugged.
"Maybe not even the whole summer. I start in September," I reminded him.
"Well, it's June now. We've still got a while," he protested, grabbing my hand. I impulsively let him take it. "Give it a chance June. It could be the best summer you've ever had." His eyes were pleading with me.
"I don't like long distance relationships," I said, slowly taking my hand away. "It wouldn't work. And besides? How could I know if you weren't being faithful? There are more pretty girls than just me."
"Don't you see? You're the only one I'm interested in!" He cried. I shook my head.
"I don't want to argue. . ."
"Then don't." He snapped. He took a huge bite of his pizza and chewed it up angrily.
"You could at least chew with your mouth closed," I said softly. He looked at me.
"Thank you for correcting me," he said mockingly and closed his mouth. I finished the last of my burrito and tossed it in the trash.
"Can you take me home?" I asked.
"I though we were going to go somewhere after this. Like to the pool hall," he said.
"I never agreed to that, and you never mentioned it to me," I retorted. He stood up, wrapped up his food and tossed it in the trash.
"You're chariot awaits," he said sarcastically, and I felt like striking him, but I kept my hands to myself and crawled into the car. We drove silently, and when he pulled up to my house, he leaned over and brought me towards him in a kiss. I pushed him off.
"Hey!" He flared as I opened the door and gathered my things together. "You don't have to be such a prude. Don't you have any manners?" I spun toward him.
"Yes, I do, Andrew Louis. You're the one who doesn't have manners. I'm not going to be treated as a trophy girl by your side. And about prom, you can forget about even going unless you can change your attitude and treat me how I'm supposed to be treated." I slammed the door and marched up the walkway to my house. Andrew's tires screamed as he floored the gas pedal and drove away. I entered the house and announced my arrival.
"I'm home!" I nearly screamed, running upstairs and throwing my stuff on my bed. Daddy came out of his office and greeted me.
"What's wrong?" He questioned when he saw the frown on my face. I ran my fingers through my hair.
"Oh, nothing," I breathed. I didn't feel like explaining to him what had happened. "Where's Mom?"
"Right here!" She sang as she shut the door to her bedroom. "We have a surprise for you."
"A surprise?" I asked. They both nodded.
"Come with us." Mom said, pulling me downstairs. I followed her downstairs and into the garage. The lights were turned off, and it was pitch black.
"Now close your eyes," Mom squealed. She couldn't contain her excitement. I clasped my fingers over my eyes and heard the light switch being flipped on.
"OK, open!" Daddy exclaimed, and my hands flew away from my face to see a black Mercedes sitting in front of me, a big burgundy ribbon wrapped around it.
"Oh my goodness!" I cried, running towards it. The paint had a shiny new gloss on it, reflecting the garage lights. I turned to my parents, who were both beaming with happiness.
"What happened to my Expedition?" I asked.
"We traded it in," Daddy blurted. I ran my fingers down the hood. I looked back at the both of them.
"Oh, thank you so much!" I ran to them and gave them each a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"It's your present," Daddy said, handing me the keys. I watched them glimmer in the garage light, and then eagerly took them from him and held them in my hand.
"You can drive it right now if you like," Mommy suggested. "Also, if you're going out, could you pick up Brian and Eddie from school?" I nodded and climbed behind the wheel. It had a six speaker stereo and a navigational system. I waved to them and opened up the garage door, and sped away to the elementary school.
Once I had pulled up, I had to get out of the car and wave to him and Eddie. His eyes bulged wide as he scampered over to the car.
"Whoa!" He exclaimed. "Where did you get this?"
"It was a gift from Mom and Dad. Get in," I commanded and he crawled into the back-seat, along with his friend Eddie.
"This is cool!" He cried as I sped off. I shrugged. The two started horse playing in the back seat, and I turned around.
"Stop it!" I screamed, and both of their eyes got wide, and it was quiet the rest of the ride home.
I took my time getting home. Riding in my new car had bought a smile to my face, forgetting about Andrew's stubbornness. I pulled up into the driveway, and Eddie and Brian leaped out of the car, hurrying into the house. I took another good look at my car and got out, hanging up my keys on the key rack by the garage door and walking inside.
Mommy was in the kitchen, starting dinner already. Daddy was gone in his office, reviewing files and speaking with clients over the phone. I went up directly up to my room and pulled out my diary, making sure to lock my door in case Brian and his friend decided to do a little spying.
Today, I must admit, has been confusing. First off, I got my FIRST kiss by Andrew! I nearly passed out with joy. Then afterwards during rehearsal for graduation, I had to deliver my speech to the senior student body. I was extremely nervous; I hadn't even rehearsed for my parents yet! Nonetheless, I performed for the crowd. surprisingly, I received a thundering applause from the crowd, and that I was grateful for. After the rehearsal, we went into the gym and had a dance sort of thing, I guess. Andrew urged me to dance, but I refused, but then started to ease up and dance. I guess it was acceptable for Andrew, because his eyes were dancing with approval. The dance was finished, and it was time to sign year books and count down the last minutes of school. It was a time of desperation and sadness for most, but for me, it was mostly sadness. The last four years of my life were to be ended as if they never happened. . .
Andrew took me out to lunch, which ended in a fight. He was acting quite rude to me, and I told him that I wouldn't go to prom with him unless he shaped up to be a respectable date. My advice and words of warning probably went in one ear and out the other. He drove away angrily, but that is enough of my bad encounter.
I came home and found out that my Expedition was never to be returned. Instead, I got a new Mercedes! It's a piece of work, I must say. I took it for a short drive to Brian and his little friend Eddie home. They started fooling around in the back of the car, and I yelled at them to stop. I wasn't going to let them destroy my new car.
Now I'm home, and I'm debating to what I should do now. I was thinking about practicing my valedictorian speech for my parents, but I think I'm going to keep it a surprise until tonight. I think I'm going to set out my graduation dress and go downstairs for an early dinner.
I hid my diary and made sure it was securely hidden and walked out of my room, seeing Brian chasing Eddie down the hallway.
"Stop it!" I chastised. "Go outside for that." I pointed to downstairs and they both scampered off, pretending to be secret agents. I rolled my eyes and went into the kitchen.
"Hello dear," Mom said, looking over my way as she chopped an onion up, blinking away the tears that came from the acid of the onion. I walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a soda.
"Are you nervous yet?" Mom asked. Suddenly, the butterflies started to flutter their wings against my stomach. I frowned and opened my soda.
"I'm very excited for you June," she replied suddenly. "I couldn't wait for the day to see my baby graduate from high school." I nodded and put my soda on the counter and walked toward her.
"What's for dinner?" I asked, putting my hand over my abdomen, wanting my nausea to wash away.
"A pork chop casserole. You'll like it," she assured. I nodded again and decided to visit Daddy in his office if he wasn't too busy. I knocked on his door, and heard him say, "Come in." I opened the door and closed it softly behind me.
Daddy sat behind his large oak desk, his elbow propped up on the desk, looking through stacks of paperwork. He looked up and grinned.
"How was the ride?" He inquired immediately. I smiled broadly and sat down in one of the chairs that sat in front of his desk.
"It's beautiful Daddy. I love it so much," I squealed. He laughed.
"Good." He returned to his paper work and sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"I just have so much to do. . . " he explained.
"You'll be there tonight, won't you?" I asked hesitantly. He chuckled.
"Of course. I wouldn't miss you graduation for the world," he boasted. I beamed.
"Wonderful. Dinner will be served soon. We're having a pork chop casserole," I informed. He nodded and retreated back to his paperwork. I left him alone and went into my room, hearing my phone ring in the distance. I was hoping that it wasn't Andrew, but when I picked up the phone, it was.
"Can we talk?"
"Andrew, I'm not in the mood to argue. I don't need anything else to worry about tonight," I muttered.
"I want to apologize."
"Then go ahead," I said carelessly.
"Are you going to listen?" He asked.
"I don't know. I might if it's acceptable," I said, sitting down on my bed carefully. He took a deep breath.
"June, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have treated you like that. I don't know. . . I was just . . . acting weird. It's the last day of school!" He exclaimed. "And I really like you June. And I want us to work out." I shook my head. Why was I doing this?
"Andrew. . . "
"June, please, just listen to me. I would really like it if you went to prom with me. I haven't given up on you yet."
"I don't know-" Mom called me down for dinner. "I have to go. We'll work it out tonight, OK?" I hung up and hurried downstairs, fleeing from my thoughts. I sat down at the dinner table and hung my head low.
"What's wrong June?" Daddy wondered. I shook my head.
"Nothing Daddy," I implied, but he looked at me skeptically and watched as Mommy came out of the kitchen, carrying the casserole. She served Brian and Eddie a plate, and I served myself a meager size and took small bites.
"Are you OK June? You don't look too happy," Mommy noticed. I shook my head.
"I'm just extremely nervous," I muttered, taking a sip of my drink. She nodded and picked up her fork. Brian was playing with his food, and Eddie soon caught on to it.
"Brian, Eddie, stop playing with your food," Mom snapped, and they quit and started eating. I finished quickly, already full.
"I have to start getting ready. May I be excused?" Mommy looked surprised.
"But June, you haven't eaten very much of your dinner," she pointed out.
"I know, but my nerves are biting at me," I said. She shrugged and nodded. I flew away from the table and went into my room to turn the shower on and get in. My mind continually wandered. Andrew had got me thinking. What if I gave this a chance? I shook my head. I wasn't going to think about this. I was going to have one of the best nights of my life.