Chapter 13: Time After Time
Tina, Zeke, and Louise were nearing milestones in their academic careers. Louise was getting ready to graduate eighth grade and transition into high school, while Tina and Zeke were getting ready to graduate high school and potentially further their academic careers. Tina was accepted into Wagner College on a scholarship, which made it significantly easier on the family. Zeke, on the other hand, did not have the money to go to school, let alone pay for books. Big Bob had passed away that year and left his home and the restaurant to Bob, which he sold and put the money into the kids' college funds. They offered to split the payments of community college, as well as textbooks, with Zeke, but he refused. Zeke felt indebted to the Belchers. They took him in, offered him a job, and a place to live. He simply couldn't take more from them when they had given him so much.
It was the day of their graduation and Linda, for a lack of a better word, was a wreck. Her oldest daughter was no longer a little girl anymore. "I can't believe my little baby is growing up and going away!" Linda wailed as they waited for Tina and Zeke in the restaurant.
"Lin, she's just graduating high school," Bob said as he served Teddy and Mort, "this is supposed to be an exciting time. Sure, we'll all miss her, but we have to enjoy our time together."
"Yeah, mom," Louise said as she sat at on a stool, "Wagner's not that far and you're acting like she's being shipped off and you'll never see her again."
"Louise," Bob said startled, "you're not wearing your hat anymore."
"It's called a beanie," Louise corrected, "and yeah I'm just outgrowing hats. I'm thinking about growing out my hair. We all gotta grow up sometime." It was a site to behold in the Belcher family. She sat on a stool in a striped t-shirt dress, white shoes, and her hair down, which looked a lot like Linda's. That's partially why she wants to grow out her hair.
"Now my actual baby is growing up, too. Oh God." Linda said as she rested her head on the counter.
"Oh, god." Bob groaned. "Wait, where's Gene?" He asked as he looked around.
"He has to play during graduation, dad." Louise said.
"Oh, right. I keep forgetting he joined band this year."
Tina and Zeke entered the restaurant from the apartment dressed in their robes and mortarboards. "Oh my God my precious baby is graduating I need pictures now!" Linda yelled as she rushed over to them with her camera.
"Lin," Bob said dryly.
The ceremony was long, but moving to say the least. Not only were there speeches from the valedictorian and salutatorian, but there were guest speakers as well. Principal Spores, who retired from Wagstaff that year, spoke along with Huxley's principal and superintendent. Henry Haber, the valedictorian, gave an enchanting, memorable speech much to the surprise of his classmates. Tina was itching to start the next chapter of her life. She couldn't wait to meet new people, make new friends, and have new experiences. She wouldn't forget those she cared about, though. She loved Zeke with all her heart and her and her siblings had an unbreakable bond, even though they tortured her when they were younger.
After the ceremony they threw a graduation party at the restaurant. Most of her classmates and friends were able to make it, but not all, considering other families had things planned. They ate, mingled, and looked through their yearbooks while the parents drank. Tina scanned through her yearbook with Zeke and they eventually made it towards the back of the book, which were the senior superlatives and the final farewell.
The following are the class superlatives:
Most Likely to Succeed: Henry Haber and Monica Winston
Most Athletic: Michael Wheely and Kathryn Finn
Best Dressed: Ramon Ramirez and Tracy Schwartz
Most School Spirit: Gerald Frock and Jocelyn Stevens
Most Changed: Jacob Diaz and Tina Belcher
Class Clowns: Ezekiel Morris and Hannah Jacobson
Most Likely to be Famous: James Pesto Jr. and Desiree Williams
Best Friends (Girls): Tabitha Greene and Lillian Jones
Best Friends (Guys): Shaquille Davis and Tyler Nguyen
Class Flirt: Omar Hossam and Meaghan Hart
Worst Case of Senioritis: Nicholas Smith and Allison Parker
Class Musicians: Tanner Reid and Jennifer Gutierrez
Class Artists: Henry Haber and Dottie Minerva
Best Laugh: Joshua Marx and Kathryn Finn
Best Personality: Cameron Smith and Tamara Hester
Most Outgoing: Thomas Nelson and Jocelyn Stevens
Most Likely to Send Their Kids to Huxley: James Pesto Jr. and Morgana Kendrick
Class Couple: Ezekiel Morris and Tina Belcher
Note: I added last names, minor characters, and made some up for the senior superlatives page.