Chapter 26
That summer was spent much the way the previous one was. Harry and the musketeers did traditional "normal" teenager activities like going to movies and "hanging out," as well as playing Quidditch and flying races and tournaments that they made up on a daily basis. Again, their British friends came over for Harry's birthday and stayed for a few weeks. It seemed that during the previous year, Ron and Hermione had finally admitted their true feeling for each other. Then, since they were spending so much time together, Ron finally came to terms with his best friend seeing his sister, so Harry and Ginny were able to tell everyone about their relationship. Tori and George had continued to correspond and see each other when they could. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was planning on opening up a branch in the states and George was going to move to manage it. Keri and Fred had never reconciled and were still single.
Throughout that entire summer, Kayla felt a rising urgency to do something. She felt as if a storm was building and she needed to prepare for it, but wasn't. However, she didn't let anyone else know this. She put on a light, carefree face and attitude to go with it. But, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Something she needed to prepare for.
They all continued to train with Hope, even Harry. The gang from Britain also joined in while they were there. The entire group practiced integrating their fighting techniques with both types of magic: with a wand and without one. By the time the summer was over, Kayla was near unbeatable on her own. Partnered with anyone else, the duo was unstoppable. But, they kept training; kept trying to get better.
When the school year started, they began another round of trying to do too many things at once. Added her feeling of impending doom, Kayla was at a constant point of nervous breakdown. Anything more would have tipped her over the edge. But, somehow, she managed to make it through.
Something that helped was that Kayla and Hope decided that she should take a year off after high school before she even thought about college. She would need the year not only to clear her head, but also to go through intense training before she would finally challenge her father.
Towards the middle of the year, Kayla realized something that she didn't tell anyone else. She discovered that she was ready to face Charles. She didn't think another year would make her any more prepared. But, she decided to wait until the end of the year to say anything to anyone. Jason realized something was up, had known there was something wrong since that summer, but didn't say anything. He didn't want to alienate her; she would need all her friends supporting her until the end.
Somehow, she managed to make it through the end of the year, listening to everyone's plans for college and afterwards. For some reason she had this feeling that she wouldn't get the chance to ever make it to college. She knew she was unbeatable (as she had become during the year). It was just a sense of impending doom that got her down. She knew better than to ignore this sense, but her forte was not foretelling.
When their graduation finally came, Kayla was asked to speak at the ceremony. She had awesome grades, and she was also captain of the International Champion Quidditch team. After she was asked, she sat down to write her speech. At first, she couldn't think of anything to talk about. Then, when she just started to write her feelings, she felt like she couldn't stop. She wouldn't let anyone she the speech until graduation day.
The students all sat in their seats as the principle stood at the podium and welcomed the guests, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who do not know me, I am Principle Rosenthal. As always, this year's students have exceeded my expectations of them. I am proud to have known them and know that they will succeed in whatever they decide to do with their lives. However, without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce this year's student speaker, Kayla Osborne."
Kayla stood up and walked to the front of the hall and stood at the podium. She took a moment to look around at all the faces surrounding her. Then, she started to speak, "My fellow graduates and guests, I am truly honored that I have been asked to speak this afternoon. It is an honor that I will never forget.
"While I do not know all of you as well as I should, I know that I am proud to have been part of your class. I walked through the front doors of Bridgeton on the first day of our freshmen year feeling alone and bewildered. I know many of you were in the same boat, for I saw many who looked as I felt. Five people made me feel welcome. They introduced me to this world that I had never heard of before. I assume that, for those of you who felt like me, there were others who made you feel welcome and less confused. This is just one show of how this class is a wonderful group of people: we make each other feel welcomed.
"Whether or not I knew your name, I know I will miss walking down the halls and seeing your faces. No, we weren't close. We didn't hang out on the weekends. We didn't eat lunch together. But, you made me feel welcome. You helped others when they were lost. You always smiled back. Thank you for making my high school years bearable.
"I do not know where we will all be in ten years, or even five years or three months. But, I do know that you will be just as kind and helpful to those you find yourselves surrounded by. Wherever you are headed, remember that every action is repaid tenfold. Every positive action you perform creates a chain reaction; when you are kind to someone else, they want to be kind to another. When you are rude or mean, you upset someone, and they, in return, do not help someone else.
Thank you."
Kayla stepped down from the podium and returned to her seat amidst a round of thunderous applause. She did not know how her speech would be received. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't realize that the principle was calling names so she could hand out diplomas. She was shaken out of her reverie when she heard "Kayla Osborne." She stood up and walked to the front of the hall to receive her diploma before sitting back down.
When everyone's name had been called, the principle called, "It is my pleasure to present this years' graduating class! Congratulations, you made it." Everyone tossed his or her cap into the air.
It wasn't until the next day, when she was practicing with her mother, that Kayla broached a subject that had been bothering her since the previous winter. "Mother," she began, uncertainly, "I think it is time I confronted my father. I am going tomorrow."
That summer was spent much the way the previous one was. Harry and the musketeers did traditional "normal" teenager activities like going to movies and "hanging out," as well as playing Quidditch and flying races and tournaments that they made up on a daily basis. Again, their British friends came over for Harry's birthday and stayed for a few weeks. It seemed that during the previous year, Ron and Hermione had finally admitted their true feeling for each other. Then, since they were spending so much time together, Ron finally came to terms with his best friend seeing his sister, so Harry and Ginny were able to tell everyone about their relationship. Tori and George had continued to correspond and see each other when they could. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was planning on opening up a branch in the states and George was going to move to manage it. Keri and Fred had never reconciled and were still single.
Throughout that entire summer, Kayla felt a rising urgency to do something. She felt as if a storm was building and she needed to prepare for it, but wasn't. However, she didn't let anyone else know this. She put on a light, carefree face and attitude to go with it. But, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Something she needed to prepare for.
They all continued to train with Hope, even Harry. The gang from Britain also joined in while they were there. The entire group practiced integrating their fighting techniques with both types of magic: with a wand and without one. By the time the summer was over, Kayla was near unbeatable on her own. Partnered with anyone else, the duo was unstoppable. But, they kept training; kept trying to get better.
When the school year started, they began another round of trying to do too many things at once. Added her feeling of impending doom, Kayla was at a constant point of nervous breakdown. Anything more would have tipped her over the edge. But, somehow, she managed to make it through.
Something that helped was that Kayla and Hope decided that she should take a year off after high school before she even thought about college. She would need the year not only to clear her head, but also to go through intense training before she would finally challenge her father.
Towards the middle of the year, Kayla realized something that she didn't tell anyone else. She discovered that she was ready to face Charles. She didn't think another year would make her any more prepared. But, she decided to wait until the end of the year to say anything to anyone. Jason realized something was up, had known there was something wrong since that summer, but didn't say anything. He didn't want to alienate her; she would need all her friends supporting her until the end.
Somehow, she managed to make it through the end of the year, listening to everyone's plans for college and afterwards. For some reason she had this feeling that she wouldn't get the chance to ever make it to college. She knew she was unbeatable (as she had become during the year). It was just a sense of impending doom that got her down. She knew better than to ignore this sense, but her forte was not foretelling.
When their graduation finally came, Kayla was asked to speak at the ceremony. She had awesome grades, and she was also captain of the International Champion Quidditch team. After she was asked, she sat down to write her speech. At first, she couldn't think of anything to talk about. Then, when she just started to write her feelings, she felt like she couldn't stop. She wouldn't let anyone she the speech until graduation day.
The students all sat in their seats as the principle stood at the podium and welcomed the guests, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who do not know me, I am Principle Rosenthal. As always, this year's students have exceeded my expectations of them. I am proud to have known them and know that they will succeed in whatever they decide to do with their lives. However, without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce this year's student speaker, Kayla Osborne."
Kayla stood up and walked to the front of the hall and stood at the podium. She took a moment to look around at all the faces surrounding her. Then, she started to speak, "My fellow graduates and guests, I am truly honored that I have been asked to speak this afternoon. It is an honor that I will never forget.
"While I do not know all of you as well as I should, I know that I am proud to have been part of your class. I walked through the front doors of Bridgeton on the first day of our freshmen year feeling alone and bewildered. I know many of you were in the same boat, for I saw many who looked as I felt. Five people made me feel welcome. They introduced me to this world that I had never heard of before. I assume that, for those of you who felt like me, there were others who made you feel welcome and less confused. This is just one show of how this class is a wonderful group of people: we make each other feel welcomed.
"Whether or not I knew your name, I know I will miss walking down the halls and seeing your faces. No, we weren't close. We didn't hang out on the weekends. We didn't eat lunch together. But, you made me feel welcome. You helped others when they were lost. You always smiled back. Thank you for making my high school years bearable.
"I do not know where we will all be in ten years, or even five years or three months. But, I do know that you will be just as kind and helpful to those you find yourselves surrounded by. Wherever you are headed, remember that every action is repaid tenfold. Every positive action you perform creates a chain reaction; when you are kind to someone else, they want to be kind to another. When you are rude or mean, you upset someone, and they, in return, do not help someone else.
Thank you."
Kayla stepped down from the podium and returned to her seat amidst a round of thunderous applause. She did not know how her speech would be received. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't realize that the principle was calling names so she could hand out diplomas. She was shaken out of her reverie when she heard "Kayla Osborne." She stood up and walked to the front of the hall to receive her diploma before sitting back down.
When everyone's name had been called, the principle called, "It is my pleasure to present this years' graduating class! Congratulations, you made it." Everyone tossed his or her cap into the air.
It wasn't until the next day, when she was practicing with her mother, that Kayla broached a subject that had been bothering her since the previous winter. "Mother," she began, uncertainly, "I think it is time I confronted my father. I am going tomorrow."