"I'm tryin' to keep it together but I'm falling apart
I'm feeling all out of my element
Throwing things, crying tryin'
To figure out where the hell I went wrong
The pain reflected in this song
Ain't even half of what I'm feeling inside
I need you, need you back in my life baby
When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby please cause
We belong together
Who else am I gonna lean on when times get rough
Who's gonna talk to me on the phone
Till the sun comes up
Who's gonna take your place
There ain't nobody better
Oh baby, baby
We belong together"
Mariah Carey, We belong together
Feeling a sense of de ja vu come over him Randy watched from the door to the bedroom as Riley hopped around trying to get a pair of heels on while trying to reach her cell phone at the same time. Don't Stop Believing by Journey played as the cell phone rang continuously as Riley suddenly tripped and landed face first on the hard wood floor.
Randy chuckled and walked over to Riley's phone stepping over his girlfriend in the process
"Hello?" He answered and then continued
"Ah Madison, yes, yes your bestfriend is here, she is on the floor though. Oh no, you didn't interrupt anything, I just got home, and well Riley fell again. Yes I know my good looks and all that jazz. Hold on let me get her"
Kneeling down in front of Riley he smiled at her "Babe? Maddie on the phone for you"
Riley shot him a dirty look and snatched the phone away. "Hi Maddie" She said into the phone, not moving from her spot on the floor.
Randy lifted her up and placed her on the bed. Taking his own shoes off he settled down next to her and Riley placed her head on his chest. It was two days before Riley's graduation, and Randy had just arrived home from a trip to England. Riley snapped her phone shut and sighed
"Whats up?" Randy asked
"Graduation" She replied
"Babe you'll be fine"
"Oh its not the graduation part that's freaking me out"
"College?"
"Yea…I mean…College…its college"
"So? You go to class, you make friends, you go out and party, you get drunk. That's college"
"Party and get drunk…you sound pretty ok with that for a boyfriend" Riley stated playing with the edge of Randy's shirt.
"I want you to experience college babe. Don't get me wrong, I don't want you doing that on a daily basis, and so help me god if you so much as kiss another man I'll…shit I don't know what I do but it won't be pretty"
"Are you worried?"
Randy paused and kissed the top of his girlfriends head. Was he worried? "Yes." He answered her, causing her to look up.
"Why?"
"Cause you'll be making new friends and getting drunk and partying" he replied, completely contradicting everything he had said about Riley going to college in the past.
"And?" Riley asked him kissing his check
"And you'll be with guys your own age and basically living life without me except for the week or so I come home" Randy said sighing and removing his arm from around Riley
"What are you saying Randy?" Riley said sitting up and looking at him
Randy paused and swung his feet over the side of the bed, his back to Riley. "I don't know." He sighed
Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
Two days later Riley stood in front of a mirror in a locker room. She zipped up her white graduation gown and turned around to face Jackie. "Well." She said
"Well my ass. We have all summer, and if you think we aren't gonna be friends after this summer, I'll kill you"
Riley laughed happily and hugged one of her closest friends.
"LETS GO LADIES" the assistant principal said and led them outside.
Riley, Maddie and Jackie looked around and said in unison "WHERE IS IDIOT!"
"Calm down ladies" Ms. De said from behind them. "He's still at school grading finals."
Maddie looked at her friends and spoke for all of three of them. "We aren't walking if he isn't here"
"Ladies"
"Seriously" Jackie stated. Ms. De turned towards Riley. Riley stood; frown on her face, hip jutted out, attitude pose taken.
Ms.De sighed and walked away.
"Damn attitude much Ri?" Maddie asked her friend
"I'm graduating High school, leaving my comfort zone, my boyfriend may not be my boyfriend come August, and my favorite teacher isn't here to see me walk." Riley said with a harsh edge in her voice.
Suddenly the line started moving and the girls looked at each other. All three stepped out of line and moved to the side.
"Girls" The principal came over to them. Riley turned and looked at her. "I don't care. I busted my ass for four year. Four damned years. And the teacher that means the most to me, the one that impacted my life the most ISN'T HERE? Because you set some bullshit deadline that you knew he couldn't make? I don't give a shit. Every single person in this class knows me and my girls got our diplomas. My family and friends know it. I don't have to walk. And neither do these other two. You are gonna be the one that looks like an imbecile when news of this leaks. Not us, but you. Mr. Santiago taught us to stand by what we believe. And that's what we are doing. And if you can't support us in that, then you SUCK as a principal." Riley turned on her heel and walked away.
Maddie paused and looked at the principal. "What she said!" she said
"Yea!" Jackie said
As the girls caught up to Riley, Madison laughed and said "Why can't you ever leave anything for us to say?"
"Sorrrrrrry" Riley laughed and linked arms with her friends. They plopped down on a bench and giggled.
"You do realize we just walked out on our graduation" Jackie said blowing on a flower
"Idiots. All three of you. Idiots." Said a voice behind them
The three girls turned around and looked to see Mr. Santiago in a black graduation gown, hat in his hand.
"IDIOT" the three girls squealed
"I never told you to skip graduation. I swear. Let's go!"
"How did you finish on time?" Jackie asked
"Kathlene helped me" He answered as they walked down the path to catch up to the line of graduates.
"Who's Kathlene?" Madison asked
"Girlfriend?" Riley suggested realizing that the teacher hadn't mentioned a girl all year
"You'll find out" He said and led them to the auditorium where the graduation was being held. He quickly helped them find there place in line and took his own seat.
Soon after one by one, each graduate walked across the stage. Riley held Mr. Santiago's gaze as she waited on top of the stage to walk. He nodded his head at her, and she walked. Smiling lightly at the principal she took her diploma, stopped for a picture and proceeded. She took her spot between Madison and Missy and grinned. Her principal concluded with a speech and then stopped. "Oh wait! We forgot something! Will the graduating class of 2005 please turn their tassels?"
And that was when most of the class lost it. Tears were spilling down cheeks and smiles were all around as they filed out of the auditorium. Walking into the sunny afternoon, Riley gripped Jackie's hand, looking for her boyfriend and family. Squinting she found them standing by a tree. Her parents came, because they were after all her parents. Randy was there, by her side, as he always would be no matter what happened. Omar was there, holding a bouquet of roses. And John. John was there, because he deserved to be. It was the only other person Riley could think should be there. Smiling Riley let go of Jackie's hand and bounded towards everyone. Into Randy's arms she went and he picked her up and spun her around. Handing her off to Omar, Riley hugged her cousin tight. As her feet hit the ground she smiled at her parents and hugged them too. John stood off the side, smiling lightly as he watched his former bestfriend beam with excitement.
"Hug?" he asked and opened his arms wide
"Hug" she replied and lightly hugged him.
"PICTURE TIME!" Jackie laughed and bounded towards her as the two posed, soon to be joined by Madison. The three girls laughed and posed all the while keeping a look out.
"There are MY girls" they heard and spun around
"Idiot!"
Mr. Santiago slipped into the picture and smiled along with them. Soon all families were summoning the girls to leave. The girls stood in a circle; Mr. Santiago with them and all looked at each other. This was the end of their high school career, but Riley knew that nothing was ever going to part them.
"I..." Jackie started
Maddie immediately understood and continued "I'm trying"
Riley picked up. "To keep it together but I'm falling apart"
Mr. Santiago grinned. "Would you girls calm the hell down?" he laughed. The song the girls quoted was the first song on the Shakespeare CD he had given the class on their last day. Songs he had picked, and We belong Together was the song that he knew would always remind him of his favorite class. Grinning he hugged the girls watched as one by one they walked away. His job here was done.
A/N: Graduation chapter! Wow seems so long ago…and no I didn't almost boycott my graduation…though the Shakespeare man was late, and Me and Vivi did go into a panick. And I wish I had told off my principal. Argh. No worries, We still gotta cover the summer and some of college in this story!