1 Graduation Day

It's the end of senior year and I'm so ready to get out of here. If you're wondering who I am, Hi. I'm Callista but you can call me Cali. Today is graduation day and the last day I will ever see most of these people. I wasn't the most social person in school mainly because of everyone kind of bullied me for my looks.

I only had a few friends that I really associated with and I'm happy that they stuck with me for most of my life. I love to read, write, and play video games. Reading is my utmost passion though. I'm a bit vertically challenged at 5'2 but I'm proud of my size and wouldn't change a thing.

I have waist-length naturally red curly hair and I have one brown eye and one blue eye. I'm mixed with Native American, White, and Black. I wouldn't say that I am fat, but I have some meat on my bones and a curve in all the right spots. I don't particularly like my body, but I don't really hate it either.

I'm a bit of a nerd. I took all AP classes my entire high school career and passed with a 4.8 GPA. I was bullied a bit because of it but my friends were always there to defend me before anything serious could happen. Speaking of my friends, let me introduce them to you.

I have my best friend Emma who is the opposite of me. She's more outgoing and approachable. She has black hair and hazel eyes. She's about 5'6 and has a curvy figure. She's also mixed like I am.

Then there's my friend Evan. He is a bit of a drama queen, but we love him anyways. He has red hair like me and green eyes, and he's a whopping 6'3. He's like the giant of the group so Emma and I always ask him to give us piggyback rides.

Then there's James. James is the jock of the group and played for the basketball team. He was on the Varsity team as soon as he tried out and we were all proud of him for that. I went to every single one of his games, and every game they won. He's around 5'11 but tries to convince everybody else that he's 6 foot. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

These are my best friends and I hope that in the future we stay together and make many more memories. With that being said, we will be splitting from each other for a little while when college starts up.

Emma got accepted into 3 colleges. Kwick University, Stranger Isle University, and Crescent Moon University. The last two were a bit far from home and she wanted to stay close to home, because she has to take care of her siblings and her mother, so she chose to go to Kwick University.

Evan wanted to leave the country and study abroad so he's going to France for his first 2 years. We were all sad when we found out about him leaving but, we just want him to be happy and follow his dreams so, we got over it and wished the best for him. We all plan on visiting him while he's there so, he's not getting rid of us that easily.

James got a full-ride scholarship to WhasherVille University for basketball. He was super excited and even let out a little squeal when he found out. We all laughed so hard that the soda I was drinking came out of my nose. That is one moment we are all going to remember and one that he is never going to live down.

As for me…well, I'm not sure if I want to go to college. I mean I applied to colleges and I got accepted, but I just don't know if I want to commit.

My mom and friends understand where I'm coming from. I still feel like there's still more to discover than just going to a university and getting a degree. I want to explore all my options and then go on from there.

That pretty much sums up everyone in my life and me. Time to get back to the ceremony.

As I look up to the stage, I see it's time for my row to take the stage. I watch as one by one everyone crosses the stage before me. Some people make funny faces or do a funny dance and then make their way off. I laugh at them and clap for them as they do so.

I hear my name called and I make my way to the steps. I take them one at a time because the rob is a bit too long and big on me. I shake hands with my principal and receive my diploma. I trip a little as I walk back down the stairs, but I recover quickly and make my way back to my seat.

All the rest of the names are called, and we all file out of the hall towards the entrance as instructed. We all gather on the steps and graduation comes to an end. We all throw our caps into the air with a big cheer and you can hear cameras snapping away at our last day together. We begin dispersing to our respective relatives and friends, hugging and crying as we made it out of the prison that is called high school.

My friends find me after the group picture, and we begin taking our own photos together. We had taken our robes off because they just made us look like moving rectangles. I was in a form-fitting strapless floral dress with white flats. I had straightened my hair the night before so it would cover my back. Emma had on a pink summer dress with matching heels and she had curled her hair to frame her face. The boys were in a nice dress shirt and pants with ties that matched our dresses. Evan matched me and James matched Emma.

No, we did not plan that…it just kind of worked out that way.

We make silly faces and jump on top of each other. We end up tumbling over and looking like a whole circus act, but we don't care. Laughing at each other, we brush ourselves off and help each other up. Evan pulls me up and swings me around in a bear hug making me laugh. James does the same to Emma and the courtyard is filled with our laughter. Some parents ended up giving us weird looks, but I just roll my eyes and mind my business.

Evan sets me down and tucks my hair behind my ears. "I'm proud of you munchkin. Glad you made it out of that hell hole with us."

I punch his chest and smile up at him. "Thank you, Ev. That means a lot to me. I'm glad you guys stuck with me through it all."

James and Emma walk back over to us and we join in a group hug. Me being the shortest

Our parents soon found all of us and they had tears in their eyes.

"I am so proud of you. I couldn't have asked for a better daughter." My mom said through her tears.

"Thanks, mom. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Hey, Cali! Are we all meeting at your house for a grad party?" Evan asked.

"Of course! We can have a sleepover too!"

And so, the craziness begins.