Graduation
It’s finally here. The day I have been working so hard for over the past three years. I was finally graduating college and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. No more tests, essays, or classes. All that’s left to do is get through the ceremony and then I’ll be on my way back home to start my life. I’ve been going over my valedictorian speech in my head since I woke up this morning. I really don’t want to mess this up. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am now. I have twenty minutes before we line up and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t getting nervous. I was ready to get this day over with so I could be home with my family. Granted I’m only about forty minutes away from home, but I wanted to live in a dorm and have the whole college experience.
I take one more look in the mirror before heading to the ceremony. My hair is pulled back in a curled ponytail and I’m wearing a dark blue that accented my curves just right. It came up just above my knees and it was gorgeous. My makeup was simple, consisting of foundation, some contouring, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara. When I was all set to go, I grabbed my purse and headed out. It takes about ten minutes to walk to the auditorium and a few seconds to put my cap and gown on along with my ropes.
“Willow! I’m so proud of you princess.” My dad said as he came over to give me a hug. My mom and sister followed behind him. After we hugged and they congratulated me they headed to their seats since the ceremony was about to start. I headed to my seat on the stage and waited for the dean to get done with the introduction.
“We here at Yale University would like to thank you all for coming to support and celebrate our graduating class of the 2020 school year.” The dean started out. He went on to talk about the determination and hard work of our class before it was my turn to speak. “I would like to welcome our valedictorian Willow Thompson to make her speech.” As I stood up there were people clapping and of course my dad, mom, and sister were shouting and hollering in the crowd.
I got up and headed to the podium to make my speech willing away the nerves and the urge to vomit. It doesn’t help that my wolf won’t stop pacing in my head saying that our mate is near us, so I put up a wall to block her out.
“Thank you, Dean Waller.” I say before stepping up to the podium to start my speech.
“Hello everyone and welcome to the commencement ceremony for the class of 2020. We finally made it. Dr. Seuss once said ” You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. You are the guy who’ll decide where you go.” I chose this quote because it goes with what I will be talking about today.”
“What now? From everything we have learned at school, what will you remember? What will you forget? Personally, I hope to remember the good times I had with my friends and all the memories I have come to cherish during my time here at Yale. I hope to not forget everything I have learned.” That got a chuckle from the crowd. As I was about to continue, he walked in. Levi Andrews.
MATE! My wolf yelled in my head. Obviously the wall I had built didn’t hold.
This can’t be happening. I’m in the middle of my speech. What is the Alpha doing here? Does he feel it too? As if he can read my mind, he looks at me and I blush. Then it dawns on me. His brother, the beta and one of my good friends, is graduating today as well. I haven’t seen him since high school. That’s a story for another time though. I hear someone clear their throat behind me and that makes me blush even more. How long have I been staring at him instead of finishing my speech? I clear my throat and get back to speaking. “I’m sorry, where was I? I h-hope to be able to remember the experiences that I have had while here.” Damn it why did I stutter? I clear my throat, again, and continue. “So, what will you all remember and what will you forget?”
“We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for each one of us working hard and dedicating every ounce of our time to finish classes. It wasn’t easy, but we are here and now we just figure out what now? Some of us know what happens next, but some of us have absolutely no clue what to do. We also wouldn’t have made it here if it wasn’t for our educators putting up with us. When we complained about that grade we didn’t like or the essay we had to stay up all night to finish or even the all-nighters we pulled to study for our tests. I’m sure it isn’t easy dealing with sleep deprived individuals who live on coffee.” Once again everyone laughed. I could still feel his eyes on me, but it was giving me some confidence that I didn’t have before. I suppose it could be the mate bond. “Finally, to all the graduates sitting in front of me today, some of you I know personally and others I know from passing by and some I don’t know at all. So, here’s to the Graduating Class of 2020!” Everyone claps as I head to my seat by Alexis with the other students.
The dean says a few more words before he starts to call each of us to get our diplomas. Almost everyone has been called up to the stage before it was my turn. “Willow Grace Thompson.” Dean Waller called my name and I could feel his eyes on my back as I walk up to the stage. It’s distracting. I’m trying to concentrate on not falling instead of turning around to look at him. I walk up the stairs surprisingly not falling and got my diploma and shook his hand as my mom takes pictures and then head back to my seat. It doesn’t take much longer before the ceremony is over and as Dean Waller introduces us as the Class of 2020, we all throw our hats in the air and cheer. I get up from my seat and head to find my family when I’m intercepted.
“Babe! I’m so proud of you!” My ex-boyfriend Jake came up to me. He refuses to accept the breakup.
“Don’t call me that Jake. We’re not together anymore. Why won’t you accept that?” I said as I tried to walk to my family.
“You can’t get away from me that easy Willow.” He said as he grabbed my arm a little too hard. That’s why we broke up. He wasn’t the nicest person. At first he was amazingly sweet, and it just accelerated as the months went on and I wouldn’t have sex with him. “Let me go! Jake, I mean it. You’re hurting me!” I whisper/yelled at him.
“I like it when you fight me, and you know it.” He says.
“Get away from me. My parents are coming over here and I don’t want to make a scene!”
Before I know it there is someone behind me. “I suggest you get your hands off of her before I make you.” It was him, Levi, my mate.
“What exactly are you going to do Mr. Alpha?” Jake sneered. Oh no this can’t end well. Of course, he’s drunk and will challenge anyone. I can smell the alcohol on him. I don’t even know how he managed to walk straight to climb the stairs to the stage to get his diploma.
“Oh, I’ll do a lot of things. Starting with ripping that arm off your body if you don’t get it off my mate.” Jake’s eyes went wide as his drunken brain comprehended what was going on. He let go of my arm.
“Are you okay?” He asks.
“Yeah I-I’m fine. I need to go over to my family. Thank you Alpha.” I said as I went over to my parents and sister, trying to ignore the tingles that ran through my body at his touch.
“Ready to go home?” My dad asks me.
“Yes. I need to get out of here anyways.” There is so much that they don’t know. They don’t know what happened between Jake and me. It’s time to go home and get my life going. Time to forget the past and move forward.
