Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMA’s POV : 

All the senior kids were hung-over.

How could they not? They were all drinking until daylight at Madison’s party.

Everyone except Tiff, Carrie, and I.

We stayed up all night, though, going through this pros and cons list.

The result of the list was still inconclusive, but it had to wait.

It was eight in the morning and my friends and I had somewhere else to be.

By the time I got to school in my cap and gown, I was already on my third cup of coffee.

Dad whipped out his old camcorder and he was following me around everywhere with a proud smile on his face.

Mom couldn't stop crying, she actually brought a roll of toilet paper in her handbag.

I was super jittery and I was sweating buckets as I sat on my chair amongst my fellow classmates.

The ceremony was being held outdoors, in the school courtyard.

The sun was shining so bright and I was feeling lightheaded.

I barely had breakfast, except for half a toast and three cups of black coffee.

And the worst part about this was that I had to get up on stage and deliver a salutatorian speech.

I was pretty sure I looked like a train wreck and make up could only go so far.

With my nervous and shaky legs, I heard my name being called out and I had to walk up that stage and stood on the podium.

On my way up there, all I was hoping for was that I didn’t fall on my butt and embarrass myself in front of hundreds of people.

And phew, at least we got that part down.

Standing on the podium, I looked out to the sea of people.

I was clamping up immediately.

But when I looked at my fellow classmates, I saw Tiff, Carrie, Mark, and Tyler cheering at the top of their lungs for me.

That made me smile and I calmed down a bit.

I took a deep breath and opened the folded up paper in my hand, preparing to speak.

"Welcome friends, family, and teachers.Without all of you, I wouldn't be where I am today.It is an honor to be standing before you on such a memorable occasion.I would like to start out by thanking my wonderful parents, mom for your loud constant push and dad for your silent strong support.Despite all my ups and downs, you two are always proud of me and I am so proud to be your daughter and I want to continue making you proud to be my parents,"

I looked to the crowd and I found my parents sitting on the front seat.

Mom was halfway through her toilet paper roll already and dad could barely hold the camcorder up.Still, he was smiling at me and giving me a thumb up.

"Now, I would like to address my fellow classmates.Let's admit it guys, it's been one hell of a ride.We came through these doors four years ago, confused and excited.And here we are today, standing in our graduation caps and gowns, still as confused and excited,"

I turned to my classmates and they let out a laugh.

"After today, all of us are going to different places to start a new journey.I don't know about you, but I’m absolutely unprepared.My friends and I stayed up all night last night and we came up with this pros and cons list.Basically, I was trying to make an adult decision about where I see my life is going.

adulthood,"

My classmates clapped and cheered in agreement.I waited for a while until the noise died down before continuing.

no such thing.You can never be prepared for life.Life just happens sometimes.The best thing you can do is to admit that you don't have it all together and you may never will,

darted around the crowd and it landed on a

saw lan

was smiling from ear to ear as our eyes met, meanwhile lan just stared at

all those things may end up being the best

said with a small smile

going forward, I hope that we would be

break the rules,

in love.Laugh with

dinner with your

Winston Churchill once said, the greatest lesson

wonderful journey ahead,"  I waved my hand goodbye and everyone followed with

dad were literally jumping

my classmates were giving me high fives and hugs as I made my way back to my

made it! I did it! I didn’t

the valedictorian

darn proud of her boyfriend as Mark walked to

a bunch of guys sitting at the back was laughing maniacally, like they

of 2018! We made it all!"he shouted into the microphone as soon

Emma, what a great speech.Shout out to all the teachers and faculties, y’all put up with a

love you

were all ugly and awkward people.We were going through puberty and we thought Kanye West was cool.Imagine that, how much things have changed.Now I know I’m supposed to be up here giving everyone a motivational speech about going forward into the future, but hey, my girl Emma’s already done

instead, I'm gonna leave you guys with this.If you think high school was rough, life is only going to get tougher after high school.The world

to the row at the back and these guys stood up with painted

held up a sign together and it said: FUCKTHEREST! : "Do what you love, and that,"he said again and everyone erupted in cheers and

shock but it was too late to do anything

class of

again and did the literal mic drop.  We all stood on

exactly what Mark always wanted to do for himself but he never got a chance to do

class president and he was always ‘perfect’, but this year he had grown

We all did.

be the

year, Tiff had finally found a guy that she was willing to commit

and her relationship to the limit and found that she

Tyler...He was so well beyond his years, I had

I ran to my mom and dad and

took more pictures with my friends and their

thanking all my teachers and saying goodbye

row, I noticed lan and

were looking at me like they wanted to see me, so while my parents were busy talking to Tiff and

into a hug as

shoved a bouquet of sunflowers and said, "We

Hailey.They're beautiful,"I smiled

"Congratulations,"lan said.

you,"I looked up

your speech, it was

but lan quickly cut her

we get a minute, alone?"he

sure.I'll be in the

and waved

said after Hailey was

"So..."I said.

were standing there

in the school area and a lot of students and teachers

your speech.It was

nervous, I thought I was gonna

smiled that mega-watt smile,