Chapter 16
Sutton
I’d been dreading graduation all year, long before Mom even found out she was sick.
The thought of walking across a stage, shaking hands, and accepting my diploma was daunting enough.
It was the fact that I would be doing it in front of my father and his family, but not a single one of them would be there for me. They were only there for Maya.
All my life, I’d told myself I didn’t care what Wade did or didn’t do.
I had no desire to have him be a part of my life.
That wasn’t a lie I’d been feeding myself—that much I knew for a fact.
Being honest with myself on that aspect didn’t mean I wasn’t hurt that he didn’t want anything to do with me.
Mason escorted me to where I was supposed to walk out with the rest of my class.
My name was almost at the end of the list, with Maya being closer to the middle.
There were nearly a hundred other students between us as we waited for the headmaster to welcome us out.
Maya turned to speak to the person behind her in line and purposely caught my gaze.
Her smirk was more of the mean sneer that I’d seen plenty of over the past four years.
I ignored her and that lingering twinge of pain from missing my mom. She would have been so proud of me.
It was that thought firmly in my mind that had me straightening my shoulders and walking out with my head held high as we were finally introduced.
For the next hour, I sat patiently through the commencement.
At one point, I thought the headmaster would never finish his speech, but then the valedictorian stepped up.
I only half listened, fighting the urge to turn around to find Mason and his parents in the audience.
Having them there was enough. It was more than I’d imagined having after losing Mom.
Smiling to myself, I imagined how close she and Harper would have been if they’d ever met.
Once again, I was reminded that my mother was my guardian angel.
She’d sent me not only Mason, but Harper too.
I swallowed the lump that tried to fill my throat, sending my mother a thankful prayer for watching over me.
Once speeches were over, it was time to receive our diplomas.
I stood off to the side, waiting for my turn to walk across the stage.
Maya’s name was called, and I heard her mother’s happy shout, Wade’s deeper voice as he yelled, “That’s my girl!
” My eyes began to burn, but I blinked back the tears.
I would not shed a single one for a man who was insignificant to me.
All too soon, it was my turn. I flexed my fingers, forcing a smile when the student in front of me stepped forward once her name was called. Almost over. Deep breath. Big smile…
“Sutton Rose Russell,” the headmaster spoke clearly into the microphone.
I’d barely taken a step when there was a roar in the crowd.
“Sutton!”
“That’s our girl!”
“Woo-hoo, Sutton!”
There were too many voices for me to identify. It was more than just Mason, Harper, and Shane. It sounded like…
Dallas. Violet. Shaw. Heavenleigh. Bliss. Piper. Hayat.
My head snapped in their direction, but I saw more than just them.
People on either side of them. Three full rows, right up front, where the board members and biggest donors were usually seated.
Tears blurred my vision as I walked on legs that trembled.
I did the handshake, tassel switch, and took the certificate.
All while continuing to glance at my friends.
Harper caught my gaze and blew me a kiss, her and Dallas screaming my name again. By the time I made it to the other side of the stage, I was almost sobbing. They’d come. For me.
I didn’t know how that was even possible.
There was normally a strict limit for each family, and every guest had to RSVP months in advance.
I’d thought it was a small miracle that Mason and his parents had been able to attend at the last minute.
As soon as I was off the stage, the crowd went quiet again, and the next name was announced.
Still struggling to keep hold of my emotions, I made it to my seat. Somehow without tripping or bumping into anyone. From where I was sitting, I couldn’t see the crowd unless I turned around. It was rude, but I did it anyway. Noticing that I was looking their way, Heavenleigh and Bliss waved.
A week ago, I had no one. No family. No friends. No Mason. Now, I had it all, especially Mason.
Once the last student retook their seat, the headmaster lifted his hand to call for quiet.
“As we all know, our annual talent show was last week. Each year, Harper Stevenson graciously promotes the first-, second-, and third-place winners. Thanks to her, our program has grown exponentially. It is with her help that our school continues to have one of the country’s top fine art programs.”
Applause echoed around the auditorium.
“This year, we encountered a very dramatic situation that not only highlighted our filming department, but also opened the door to expand on our competition policies.” He paused and cleared his throat, and I noticed his ears turning bright red.
“Moving forward, we will ensure that every contestant is, above all else, safe and seen while on our stage.”
I crouched a little lower in my seat, realizing he was referring to my accident.
It wasn’t his fault. Maya had tripped me, and I’d been too in my own head to see it and overcorrected, which was why I’d fallen.
No one, not even Maya, could have imagined it would end the way it did.
Although, I was sure she hadn’t been the least bit sad.
“That being said, we have decided to retract Maya Myers’s third-place win.
After a review of all footage and Maya’s entrance form, it was determined that she did not comply with the rules of the competition.
” Gasps went up around the auditorium, and I looked right at my sister.
Her mouth opened and closed rapidly, making her look like a fish.
“As much as it pains me to disqualify her, rules are rules for a reason.”
“OMG, yes!” I heard someone whisper loudly behind me. “That snotty bitch is finally getting a taste of what she deserves. I’m so happy I get to be front and center while it happens.”
“Right?” someone whispered back, giggling. More people started whispering, which turned into a dull roar within a matter of heartbeats. “Maya finally met karma.”
“Now, I’d like to bring up our three winners, because they deserve to be celebrated, and our new third-place winner should share in the spotlight.”
“No.” Maya finally seemed to snap out of it. “You can’t do that!”
Pretending not to hear her, the headmaster spoke again. On the screen above the stage, footage of the competition began to play. “Our new third-place winner is…Lark Meadows!”
I started clapping, still too stunned by the sudden turn of events. Lark had done a dramatic reading of her favorite poem. It had been a gut punch, and I’d loved it. She, like Tyler, had never been openly mean to me. She’d never been particularly nice to me either. Still, I was happy for her.
Lark jumped to her feet, tears flooding down her cheeks as she walked up onto the stage. Tyler’s name was called next, the crowd clapping as he made his way up. And then the headmaster looked directly at me. “And, of course, our rising cello star, Sutton Russell!”
“Woo-hoo!” The crowd started thundering again. “Sutton!”
Still a little confused, because normally at the point in the graduation ceremony, I would have expected the headmaster to have said, “I give you the class of…” Instead, I was walking almost numbly back toward the stage.
As I passed the row where my sister was sitting, Maya was very obviously pissed. I almost smiled at the sight of her face. It was turning different shades of red with her fury. She glared at me when she caught me looking her way.
When I reached the steps to the stage, Mason was there, waiting to offer me his hand to assist me.
He walked me up but then paused and kissed me.
Right there in front of everyone. My knees went weak, and I melted against him.
He took his time lifting his head, his eyes glittering with pride and amusement. “You deserve this, beautiful girl.”
“I love you,” I whispered.
That earned me an even bigger smile from him, but he stepped back, melting into the shadows and leaving me to walk into the spotlight.
I moved unhurriedly, not wanting to take the chance of repeating my fall the previous week.
Once I was beside Lark and Tyler, the headmaster lifted his hand.
“We wish you three every possible success.”
Harper appeared from the other side of the stage.
She walked with confidence, passing the headmaster and the row of teachers, not stopping until she got to us.
Pausing in front of Lark, she shook her hand, congratulating her.
Then she did the same to Tyler, telling him how much she had enjoyed his performance.
When she got to me, she pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
Tears blurred my vision yet again. I knew graduations could be emotional, but damn, at this rate, I was going to be dehydrated by the end of the day.
I was so choked with emotions that I couldn’t even respond.
Hugging her tighter, I let the tears fall while the headmaster cleared his throat. “And now, I give you the class of…”