Epilogue
“Girls, it’s time to go, we don’t want to be late!” Mom called from the bottom of the stairs.
“Coming!” I yelled in reply as I stood before the mirror and smoothed the front of my white cotton dress. Why on earth did they make us wear all white to graduate like we were virgin brides? What a stupid tradition.
“Hold on!” screamed Amy from down the hall.
It had been three months since Amy had come clean about all the evil things she had done, and we were finally on speaking terms, even if things were still tense.
I could hear her door open as I made my way down towards the top of the stairs.
I turned back to see her glance in my direction before going down the back staircase but she didn’t acknowledge me.
Down in the kitchen, Mom met us with our usual smoothies, but I was tied up too tightly in my god-awful white dress and too terrified to even think of spilling something strawberry pink down the front of it to consider having any.
“No thanks,” I said apologetically. My Mom scoffed at my denial and set it down on the counter.
“Amy? How about you?” she said, holding a glass out to her instead.
“Sure. Thanks,” she said as she took a few sips then set it down. Suck up.
“You both look beautiful. Let’s get going, I want to get a good seat.” Then she turned and headed towards the garage door.
“You look nice,” I said to Amy as she gathered her things before following Mom. She gave me a half smile and nodded but didn’t reply. Alrighty then.
We rode to school in silence, other than Mom commenting on the flowers that were beginning to pop through the soil in various yards.
Neither Amy nor I could have cared less but we humored her with the occasional “Mm,” or “Huh” just to appease her.
As soon as we arrived we split ways from Mom and found our seats on the stage.
I had forgotten that we would be seated alphabetically.
That meant that I would be seated next to Amy.
My lucky day. I couldn’t wait to suffer through an hour of her cold shoulder in this sweltering heat. If only I could sit next to Chris.
Once I found my spot I made my way back out into the crowd to look for Chris who had surely arrived by now.
Ever since everything that happened, he had taken every chance to spend time with me, and I was learning to let my guard down and let him love me in a way that my Dad never did.
It was a risk, but I was finally willing to take it.
Just as I was walking up the aisle, Isabelle came trotting towards me.
“Allie! There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” she said with outstretched arms. As soon as I was close enough, she pulled me in for a hug.
“Easy tiger, I’m still in pain,” I said, and she immediately eased her grip. Even though physical therapy had dragged on for months, I still wasn’t making much progress and was still in almost as much pain as I was when the accident happened.
“Hi, dear!” Mrs. Wharton said, trailing up behind Isabelle. “I’m so happy to hear about your new venture at Virginia Tech, that’s wonderful news, I know you’re going to have a great time.”
“Thanks! I know. I’m really excited, I only wish that Isabelle was coming, too.”
“She’ll be right up the road. JMU isn’t that far away.”
“Road trip!” yelled Isabelle, as she waved her arms wildly above her head.
Just then, I felt warm hands on the back of my clammy neck. It must have been 105 degrees outside.
“Hey Superstar,” he said softly into my ear. I spun to meet his gaze. He stood before me in a navy blue suit and a green and gold tie. His dark waves of hair wilder than ever. I loved that he didn’t slick them back.
“There you are,” I said, as I reached a hand to his cheek, but he caught my wrist and my eyes went wide as this public gesture. However this time, he brought my wrist to his lips and kissed it before dropping it to his side and lacing his fingers into mine. I let out a breath of relief.
“You slay me, baby. God you look amazing.”
“I look ridiculous. These white dresses are so stupid.” He laughed at my embarrassment.
We stood beneath the shade of the tall pines begging for a breeze, making small talk with our class mates waiting for the ceremony to begin.
After what felt like ages, the Headmaster cut through the chaos and called everyone to attention, directing the crowd to find our seats.
That was the students cue to head inside the building to get ready for our grand procession.
“Come on, let’s go,” Chris said as he tugged me lightly and we followed the rest of the students inside. “I guess I’ll see you after,” he said and then he left me to go find his place after the letter “O.”
After the teachers got us all organized, Pomp and Circumstance started to play and we began the processional down the aisle between the sea of people. I could feel every eye bore into me and I wished I could fade away into the atmosphere. I could hear my sister behind me.
“You’re hating this aren’t you,” she said quietly.
“Shut up, Amy.”
As we filed onto the stage and stood before our seats, the Headmaster greeted the crowd, we all sat down and then my sister made her way towards the front of the stage.
Here came the part where everyone made the grand distinction between Amy and Allie Wyatt.
Amy was Valedictorian and I was a field hockey washout.
But at least I had a scholarship and she didn’t.
For once, she was writhing in my shadow and I was relishing it.
Chris, sitting three rows ahead of me, turned around and winked.
I knew what he was thinking. None of this mattered.
At the end of the day, I had what mattered most to me.
As Amy droned on, I was sweating bullets, fanning myself with the graduation program and begging whatever God existed to please let this be over soon.
I could see that all my classmates around me were shifting in their seats, likely wishing the same thing as me.
Surely everyone was bored out of their minds listening to Amy’s empty wants and wishes for people she hardly knew.
I wanted so badly to blurt out Who cares! Sit down!
When she finally wrapped it up and sat back down, she had the biggest smile on her face like she had just won a Nobel Peace Prize. The crowd clapped for her as the Headmaster made his way back to the microphone and began to call each of us to receive our diplomas.
“Good job,” I said, trying to be the bigger person.
“Thanks.” It was the first time she had spoken to me all day.
“Everything okay?”
“James is being a dick. I think I’m done with him.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. Just like that? At least that means you’re free to date who you want when you get to school, right?”
“Right. Just like that. Who needs him.”
I guess it was easy for Amy to let go. I don’t know what James did to deserve such an easy dismissal but I also didn’t care to press for details.
When the Headmaster finally got to my name and read it aloud, I found Madame Holly in the crowd and watched her face melt.
It had finally hit her and I couldn’t help but smile.
I had pulled off a six year running joke.
After the ceremony Madame Holly came charging towards me and she had a look of both horror and amusement on her face. “Ms. Wyatt! Why on earth have you let me call you Amy since the 7th grade? I am so embarrassed.”
“Because I wanted to see how long it could go on,” I said matter-of-factly.
“Well, of course I knew that your name was Allie,” she backpedaled.
“It’s okay, Madame Holly, you were always my favorite teacher and I knew you knew who you meant. It never bothered me. I thought it was so hilarious. Thank you for being such a great teacher.”
“You’re bound for great things, Allie,” she said as she squeezed my shoulder, and then she was gone.
Chris found me again and threw an arm around me.
“Should we get out of here?” he said glancing around the crowd.
“Yes, I just need to find my Mom” I said as I reached up to take his hand in mine, then he pulled me in for a kiss. “I’m so sweaty and gross.”
“As if that ever stopped me before,” he said in a low voice meant for nobody else to hear.
“Chris! We’re in public.”
“Relax. Nobody heard me.”
“Chris, congratulations!” came the voice of my Mom, as I spun around in horror. Had she heard that? Please say no.
“Thanks, Mrs. Wyatt. Do you mind if I whisk Allie away to Friendly’s for some ice cream?”
“No dear, that’s fine, you two have fun.”
As I climbed up into Chris’s truck he reached across and pulled me close.
“It’s just you and me baby. Us against the world,” he said, “but God, you’re killing me in that dress.”