Disclaimer: Joan of Arcadia has been canceled, thus it doesn't belong to anyone. I am someone, so it isn't mine.
A/N: Sorry it has taken forever on this chapter. I know where I'm going, just not how to get there. But here it is.
Graduation
Today was graduation day. I didn't really want to go, but I couldn't bear to disappoint my parents again. They have waited a long time for this day, who am I to deny them the sight of me walking across the stage? I think I regret my decision.
When the man assigned to distribute the caps and gowns had made sure that everyone had one he announced that there were two left. Everyone turned to look at me, then one girl told the insensitive prat that one of our classmates had been in a car accident and wouldn't be attending. No one knew who the other cap and gown belonged to, that's how little notice people pay to Andy now. I don't know if they would have noticed before either, without Kevin Andy blended into the crowd.
Five minutes before graduation was supposed to start the principal pulled me aside. Apparently Kevin was supposed to receive this huge sports award and give a speech. Now that he was unavailable to do so the leader of our school, who you would think would have some sensitivity, wanted to know if I would except the award and speak for Kevin. I asked if Kevin's family had been offered this chance and he told me that it had been their idea in the first place. How was I supposed to say no after I found that out?
Most of the first part of the ceremony is a daze in my brain. I vaguely remember standing to offer thanks to "the great one", I guess that's what they're calling God in public school now, and after that there were speeches. The only thing that brought me out of the fog was the mention of Kevin's name and the fact that Samantha Swift, the girl sitting next to me, was pushing me out of my seat. "You have to go up and except the award and speak," she hissed as the audience and my classmates stared at me. I rose, shakily, and went up to the stage. I took the award in my left hand and shook the principal's hand with the other, then I turned to the microphone and just about went blank. The next couple of minutes are a blur, the next thing I remember is finishing up the speech with, "Thank you from me and especially from Kevin," and stepping down off the stage.
After the ceremony had finished my family went on to the reception/party we had set up months before. All of my friends and I went in on it together, and we had made place cards for everyone and their families. I took one look at the empty place next to mine, as well as the empty places next to my family, and fled that smelly overcrowded hall.
Which leaves me here, sitting on my bed wondering how different I would feel now if I had waited for Kevin that fateful night. Yes, I definitely regret going.
A/N2: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! To those of you who said there wasn't enough action, that's sort of what I'm going for. This is Beth's emotions, not the actual events taking place. If you're looking for a Beth centered fic with action check out Beth Prier's "A Life Worth Living". (Oh, hope putting that in was okay.)
To Beth Prier (SP) thank you for reviewing this!