Chapter 58
So Terrance wasn’t happy about the internship, but Bethany thought another year apart wouldn’t hurt them. Dana agreed with her, only because that was what she expected. Privately, though? She gave them six months, tops. If Terrance wasn’t already sleeping with someone else, she’d be surprised.
Of course she didn’t tell Bethany that. God, no. She valued their friendship too much. But she had her suspicions, and the moment Terrance proved her right, she planned to be there to pick up the pieces.
Outside in the hallway, she heard a door slam, one of the other residents on their hall up and at ‘em just as early as she was. Beyond the window, in the parking lot, a car pulled up with a radio blaring, shattering the morning quiet. So much for sleeping in, she thought. Might as well get up.
She stretched as she slid out of the top bunk. When her feet touched the ground, she saw Bethany’s eyes peeking over the bed covers, watching her. Dana smiled. “Morning, glory. Ready to graduate?”
“Ugh, no,” Bethany groaned. “I’m not ready to be an adult yet. Can I get a few more months of no responsibility?”
“Ha! You and me both.” Holding onto the bottom of her bunk, she stepped up onto Bethany’s mattress with both feet and shook it to wake her friend. “If you wanted to become a professional student, you should’ve taken less courses each semester so you wouldn’t finish on time. It’s too late now. At least you have a job to go to.”
Bethany slapped at Dana’s foot closest to her. “At least you get a summer vacation. Enjoy it while you can. It may be the last one you ever get.”
Jumping off the mattress, Dana laughed. “I’ll think of you while I’m sunning myself down in Nags Head.”
“You aren’t—are you really going there? No fair!”
Dana laughed again, then hurried for the door, dodging the pillow Bethany threw after her. She was going to miss this. Hell, I’m going to miss her.Part of her already did.
* * * *
The graduation ceremony wasn’t as bad as Dana had feared. The convocation for her individual major had taken longer; the College of Arts and Sciences was one of the largest divisions in the university, and if she had known the ceremony would take most of the evening, she would have skipped it. But her parents had come up for that one, too, so she’d been forced to sit through a roll call of over a thousand names, watching as each student walked across the stage to receive a handshake from the dean and a fake diploma (the real one would be mailed over the summer) and waiting for her turn. Though she’d been in school all four years, she only recognized a few of the names, but like her classmates, she’d clapped for each and every one.
By comparison, graduation was a breeze. The hardest part was getting the stupid mortarboard cap to stay on her head right. It took her mother an obscene number of bobby pins to hold it down at an angle Dana liked. Then there was a lot of hurry up and wait—she had to line up with the rest of the students in her major and wait outside the arena where the ceremony was held as the parents and visitors were all seated inside. Her mother, teary-eyed at seeing her in the cap and gown again, kissed and hugged her until her father managed to pry the woman away. “I’m so proud of you!” her mother sobbed.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,Dana thought, waving as they joined the lines leading inside. Remember that in a few months when I’m still unemployed. I’m getting an English degree; who’s going to hire me with that?
Then again, look at Bethany—a French degree and already had a job. So Dana might find something herself sooner rather than later. Her first stop when she returned home would be the local paper. It wasn’t The Washington Post, but maybe they were looking for a fresh face. She wouldn’t know until she tried.
After the ceremony was over, the first person Dana went looking for wasn’t her mother or father but rather Bethany. Her friend saw her coming across the crowded floor of the arena and shrieked. Dana replied in the same manner, her adrenaline running high. When Bethany tore off her graduation cap and threw it in the air, disheveling her curls, Dana tried to do the same but couldn’t manage without ripping half her hair out in the process. Those damn bobby pins were in there good
“We’re free!” Bethany cried, catching Dana in a tight hug as they came together. “How’d that old chant go? No more teachers, no more books? Something like that.”
“It’s no more pencils,” Dana corrected. “But I’m the only one who’s free. You have a job to go to starting in a few days.”
Bethany waved her hand, dismissive. “Pssh. I’ll worry about that when it gets here. Right now I is gradumated!”
Dana laughed and shook her head. “And already forgetting everything you learned.”
“You bet!” Catching Dana’s wrist, Bethany gave it a squeeze as she sobered up. “Hey, listen. Since you’re not working—”
“Go ahead, rub it in,” Dana joked.