Chapter 20: School Winds Down Quickly
A/N: I think the best way to get the last few weeks of school covered is just to put them all together in one chapter. I might bore you to death if I tried to stretch out the last few events into separate chapters.
(Senior Prom)
By the time Prom rolled around, Lizzie and Gordo were favorites for Prom King and Queen. The whole senior class had fallen in love with the couple. They were so perfect together, everyone knew they'd have a happy life together. Miranda had broken up with her boyfriend and was just going with a group of friends. She didn't really want to go to the Prom, but it was their one and only Senior Prom, so she went to humor her friends.
The theme of their dance was "Heaven on Earth". The floor was surrounded by fake clouds and angels hung from the ceiling. It was kind of corny, but pretty nonetheless. Lizzie was wearing a beautiful blue dress and Gordo looked adorable in his tuxedo. Miranda had gone with a sparkly red dress for Prom and she looked stunning in it.
The trio had their picture taken together, then just Lizzie and Gordo had theirs taken together. They looked amazing together in the picture. All night long, it was impossible to separate Lizzie and Gordo. It was as if they were attached with superglue. They danced the night away in perfect harmony. When it came time to announce the Prom King and Queen, they were barely paying attention. Their eyes were locked and they were staring at one another.
"Class of 2007, your Prom Queen is Elizabeth McGuire!"
"Lizzie," Miranda elbowed her blonde-haired friend, "that's you!"
"Oh...I won?" Lizzie sounded genuinely surprised. The dancers all cheered as Lizzie made her way up to the stage to be crowned Queen.
As she stood smiling happily, they announced, "This year's Prom King is David Gordon!"
Lizzie's smile grew even bigger at that announcement. Gordo made his way sheepishly to the stage. He didn't like all the attention on him, but he smiled anyway. They placed a crown on his head and then lead Lizzie and Gordo to the center of the dance floor. The crowd parted and the band began to play a slow song. Lizzie and Gordo danced together and everyone watched the happy couple.
"Hillridge High School Class of 2007, once again your Prom King and Queen, David Gordon and Elizabeth McGuire!"
The seniors all cheered for them and then the music started for everyone to dance again.
"Gordo, I had the best time tonight," Lizzie confided as they rode home in the limo.
"I had an amazing time because I was with you," Gordo stroked her cheek lovingly.
"David, you're so sweet," Lizzie sighed contentedly.
Gordo was admiring his beautiful fiancee and noticed a tear slip down her perfect cheek. "What's the matter?" he asked with concern.
"Nothing, I'm just really happy," Lizzie smiled.
Gordo wrapped his arms around her and they kissed. The limo came to a stop in front of Lizzie's house and Gordo walked her to the front door.
"God, I love you," he said as he stared at her beauty.
"I love you too," Lizzie kissed him briefly as she felt her parents watching.
"Goodnight, my queen," Gordo grinned his lopsided grin at her.
"Goodnight, my king," Lizzie smiled brightly.
(Senior Banquet)
"Welcome Class of 2007, to your senior dinner," the principal announced as the students sat, all dressed in fancy clothes, at round tables throughout the banquet hall, "First up, we will be serving dinner. Once you have had a decent chance to eat, we'll be bringing up our keynote speaker."
Waiters, as if on cue, poured out of the kitchen, pushing carts full of covered platters. They served served all the seniors their dinners of baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans. Their dessert was strawberry cheesecake that looked better than any dessert they'd ever had before.
"Wow, this dinner looks fantastic," Lizzie said.
"It smells delicious," Miranda agreed.
"Let's stop talking about it and eat," Gordo announced.
"Good point," Lizzie picked up her fork and began to eat.
The food was delicious and everyone was finished in about half an hour. The principal got up to announce their keynote speaker. It was a former football player (A/N: the speaker at my banquet was a former Broncos player, you wouldn't think he'd be a good speaker, but he was).
He spoke a little bit about his career as a football player and then spoke about how life would be in the real world. He emphasized how important it was to always be positive about life because the path ahead (going to college and all) would not be all easy stuff.
Once he was done speaking, it was the moment most people had been waiting for: the senior slideshow. It was an hour long slideshow of pictures of all the senior from different times in their senior years, and all of high school. Lizzie was in quite a few pictures: Powder Puff, Homecoming, the musical, the talent show and Prom. Miranda and Gordo were in their share of pictures too. Everyone in the senior class was pictured at least once. The last picture was the official senior class picture that had been taken earlier in the school year. All of the seniors at the banquet were guaranteed a DVD copy of the slideshow at graduation practice.
(Seniors Last Day of School)
A week from graduation and three weeks before the end of school, the seniors had their official last day of school. It was a very leisurely day for the seniors. They didn't have to be to school until 3rd period. Then there would be an all-school assembly where the seniors sat down in the center of the the gym, while the rest of the school took their usual seats in the bleachers.
They did their official good-byes and closing ceremonial things for the Class of 2007. Then they showed the slideshow again (for those who hadn't been to the banquet and for the rest of the school).
At the end of the slideshow the principal stood up in front of the seniors, "Class of 2007, we love you, we're going to miss you, it's been an amazing four years. We all have memories that will last a lifetime. But now, it's time for us to say good-bye to you. Go out to the courtyard and enjoy your senior barbecue!"
The seniors filed noisily out into the courtyard where there were grills filled with hamburgers and hotdogs. There were even vegetarian options for those who wanted them. The rest of the school was released to go back to class, but were not allowed in the courtyard. It was a seniors only event. It was their last day of school, their last chance to hang out and have fun as a class. Their official last time together would be at graduation.
"Man look at the line for food already," Lizzie complained.
"It's okay," Gordo said, pulling out his digital camera.
"Oh yeah, we should get pictures with all our friends," Miranda got her own camera out.
They spent the next half hour going around and having their pictures taken with their best friends. Everyone was thouroughly enjoying themselves.
Finally the food line died down, and Lizzie, Gordo, Miranda and the rest of their group of friends went to get their food. There was a trashcan filled with ice and pop. On a table opposite the grills, there were bags of potato chips, cookies and a cake that said "Congratulations Class of 2007 - YOU MADE IT!".
Everyone ate and danced to the music, took pictures with friends, passed around yearbooks to be signed and had a good time. At about one, people started filing out of the courtyard. Some people seemed almost reluctant to leave, but most people were going off to have parties and celebrate that high school was over.
A/N: This chapter was shorter, another sort of filler. I think the story has been drug out long enough though, and it's time to bring it to a close. I believe the next chapter will be the last one, unless I suddenly think of something else to add to this. I'm pretty sure it's almost over though. I hope you, the readers, have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Just think I was a senior in high school when I started writing it, and now I'm a freshman in college (hard to believe it's been nearly a year, I had no intention of it taking this long). Time flies! Please review and let me know how you like it.