The Come Up: Alex Brown, Chapter 3

It is the day of my graduation.  The 13^th of May to be exact.  It is a beautiful, sunny, summer day.  I can feel the heat from the sun burrowing deep into my skin.  My class of 2016 decided to have graduation on the football field.  I always told myself graduation would not make me nervous or cry, but now, now I can feel the pressure of adulthood slamming me into a brick wall.  I am nervous as hell now.  All of my after graduation plans seem unreasonable and just poorly thought out.

“SHHHHHHHHH!” I say to myself.  Sometimes I just have to turn off my thoughts when they go bad.  Anyway, today is supposed to be a great and memorable day.  I can see our plump principal bumping through the crowds of seniors, finding her way to the stage.  Other senior notice as well and start scurrying to their seat.  The moment has finally come.

“Good evening class of 2016…” the principal spoke clearly and strongly.  Sadly enough, I managed to zone out and find myself in my thoughts.  Not bad or good thoughts.  I thought about all of the teachers who told me I could be doing better.  I thought about my childhood friends and wondered how they were doing now.  For the first time, I thought about how my decision to move in with a long lost friend could be the wrong decision.  Then all of a sudden I hear the magic words.  “Alex Brown.”

The nervousness fades away and is replaced by pure excitement.  It’s a struggle just to keep pace and not pass up the person in front of me.  As I approach the stage anticipation reaches an almost unconceivable level.  I am already thinking about packing up for my trip.  I am ready to have one last chill sesh with my only buddy, just so I can leave right afterwards.  Now it is my turn to shake the principal’s hand, Mrs. Nato, and accept my diploma.  As we lock hands she slowly pulls me in and says, “Live long and prosper”, knowing I am a huge sci-fi fan.  This put a huge smile on my face as I accept my diploma.  I walk away and the excitement dulls down.  My mission has finally started, I will be successful.

My mother was the typical mother at graduation, or any other school event.  She screamed the loudest.  She dressed the finest.  She cried the most as I walked across the stage.  And as always she took more than enough pictures.  In the end I could tell she was just happy I didn’t go down like Noah.  She and I also knew this would be the last day I called her home mine as well.  But we had already said our goodbyes so I saw no reason to bring it up and crush her already broken heart.  So in the most casual way possible I just left.

My plan now was very simple.  Go home to change and pack everything I could.  Then, on my way out of town I would stop by my buddy Eric’s house for a final smoke sesh.