CH.86:"GRADUATION DAY"

HARRY’S POV

Upon finalizing the movie, the director, the producers and the entire team were all very much happy to finish the film on time. We had a little party in celebration to it. The movie will be released in the second week of November and the whole fandom have been tweeting about the upcoming OTRA:Backstage Access which we were all super excited about.

Lindy’s graduation was happening tomorrow and I was so disappointed that I wouldnt be able to be there for her because we were so busy doing the promotions for the album and the movie. She invited me for a small dinner party in celebration for her and Avery’s graduation and I was so devastated that I had to turn her down. The band had radioshows and TV guestings in England that was the day before today and on the same day as her ceremony and a huge event that we did a year ago called 1D DAY which will happen tomorrow.

I cannot believe how I could miss her Big Day but I made sure I apologized.

As soon as we were on quick commercial break for the TV show, I went backstage and checked my phone as soon as I see Martha’s message. Speech is about to start!

I quickly replied, I have five minutes.

She is having her speech now. Martha replied as soon as she started video calling me. Her phone was right away focused on Lindy standing on stage giving a speech.

Lindy look amazing up there and how her short hair locked so great on her. I didn’t even notice that a smile was creeping out of my face when I was watching her and I couldn’t be more proud of this woman who has accomplished so much for herself. Her speech was insightful and how she shamed the bullies who bullied her. She looked nervous to be there but her eyes looked like she has never been this happy.

“I’m so proud of you.” I commented while watching the video.

LINDY’S POV

The Honors’ Program was wonderful and I was so glad I was able to join it. I had fun in Yale and met a lot of incoming students too. I made a few new friends and it was so fun meeting people from other states. The Pre-College Program was pretty much helpful too and really made us realize that as incoming freshmen, we need to be physically, mentally and emotionally ready for this new path we are taking since college is not the same as how we spent our life in high school.

I met a few professors in Yale who were very much accommodating and some students recognized me through the Jimmy Fallon Interview and the #StandingUpWithLindyMovement that happened a few months ago. I never regretted choosing Yale because I ended up meeting people who were more than what I had expected here. This was going to be such a wonderful experience especially for a girl like me who had always kept my circle small.

When the program ended, I diverted my attention and focused it on my graduation commencement ceremony and the upcoming Halloween Dance. I made sure I practiced my speech and got busy preparing for the dinner party we will be having in our humble home after our graduation ceremony. Mom told me to invite Harry and she thinks it’s about time to close the gap since it has been months when things happened. She understood why Harry had to do what he has to do to protect me and I think mom has always been a stan for Harry.

Sadly, Harry couldn’t be here because he had shows to do and I told him it was totally fine since he was also busy with promoting their fifth album and their upcoming movie which everyone in school and the entire world is taking about.

October 25, 2015

I was very much anxious and excited for this huge day that my family and I had to celebrate together. Avery wore a very shimmering red dress over her toga and her make up was done to perfection plus her hair was beautifully set by her. On the contrary, I wore a white dress and did a little light make up on me as I fixed my shoulder length hair which my mom helped me with.

As soon as we were in the venue, we were all super nervous seeing a few of my batchmates who dressed to the nines and looked absolutely stunning. Our parents were then showed to where the parents were allowed to sit as soon as the ceremony started. I sat next to Martha as I got more nervous for the upcoming speech I will be handing out to my fellow graduates.

“You look amazing!” Martha exclaims happily.

“You do too. I love the hair!”

She flaunts, “Extensions.”

I giggled with her.

“Is your speech ready?” She asks.

I nod.

“Let us all welcome on stage, for her inspirational speech from our class Valedictorian, Lindsay Suzanne Swanepoel!” Our principal introduced before the entire class started clapping.

I nervously stand from my chair and walked up the stage. As soon as I stand on the platform, I was massively nervous as I was placing my speech over the stand. I face the entire crowd who were paying their attention to me and how it made me have sweaty hands.

"Friends, Teachers and Parents. Good day!” I greeted everyone through the microphone.

I stare at the crowd, “Four years ago, most of us walked into these halls as nervous as we were on the first day of school. We were all freshmen, the lowest of all men on the totem pole but it didn’t matter because we were all excited to be here. We were all excited about how our high school life would turn out to be. Now four years later, look at us, we're leaving the school behind. But most of us today are just as nervous as we were when we first arrived here.”

Martha smiles at me as she started recording me.

I couldn’t help but smile, “It has been a four long years to most of us. We had a lot of moments and dramas in this school’s hallways and how we manage to stand tall to this moment. All those high school drama and bad homeworks done, the early-morning extra credit projects, deadliest deadlines, all the boring readings, and gosh how we all hated when our alarm clock wakes us up by six AM.” I hear a few students laughing because I know they can relate.

“All those little pitfalls that hit us all in high school and we all had our own ways on how to deal with it alone. Let me not forget to thank those people who were poking fun of me and bullying me because I wouldnt be as brave as I am now without them. The bullies who loved seeing people getting bullied because they know that’s the only thing they are good at. To those people who still experience bullying up until today, get up on your feet and fight for what you believe in. Fight for yourself and don't let other people bully you because all of us are equal.”

Students started cheering for me and it made me smile.

“Good or bad, I will always remember this place. While now, I'm standing before all of you, thrilled to be our batch valedictorian. To our teachers, thank you for the inhuman amount of time spent with us. It takes the kind of teamwork to survive in life and you were all great advisors for all of us. I know our life experiences are limited, but to every problem I've overcome it's because of the people that has been there to help me, from my parents to my best friend and to my devoted teachers. All depending on the kind of trouble I've had and it's severity.”

I glance at my paper, “What's next? We'll all be going to college. Many of us, I'm sure, will go to some various branches of armed forces to help keep our country safe. Others may get right to work. Some might even take a year or more off before they decide what to do.”

I notice other students were now crying, “Leaving high school is such brutal transition. I don't know what the world has in store for any of us. So I guess the biggest thing I learned in high school is to lean on others. Make sure you're around when people need someone to lean on. Whether it's a brainiac, a computer geek, chess wizard, jocks, and the cheerleaders. They'll thank you for it. Heck, one of them might even mention you in their valedictorian speech!”

Tears turned to smiles and I was smiling at how I stand here taking one last glimpse of my classmates and my school. “Congratulations, class of 2015! We did it!”

Astounding applause filled the entire place and I was then congratulated by the faculty on stage and our ever dynamic principal. I thanked them before we took a photo on stage amd as soon as the ceremony finished, we ended it by throwing our graduation caps in the air while screaming so happily. We were all graduates in a blink of an eye while Martha and I were hugging each other as tears filled our eyes but we were happy.

Later that day, we had a little celebration in our house through dinner with my parents, Avery, Ted and Martha. My parents were both super proud of us and managed to survive dinner without bickering with Avery. Mom had cooked dishes which were my favorite and Avery’s and enjoyed the wonderful dessert that she made via YouTube tutorial.

Avery and Ted left as soon as dinner was done since they were heading out to a party in one of Ted’s friends which mom had to force dad to agree. I helped mom washing the dishes while Martha was wiping them dry as we talk in the kitchen. As soon as we were done, Martha dragged me out to our backyard where we managed to set up a white screen so we can enjoy watching movies in the garden under the nightsky. We usually do this when we were younger and how I missed doing this with her. She set up the projector facing to the white screen in front of us as I was fixing these bean bags over our lawn.

“What should we watch?” Martha asks.

I sat on the red bean bag, “We should go for something romantic.”

“I found a perfect one.” She says.

I turned to the white screen and as soon as the video played, I was shocked to see a video of Niall.

“Hi Lindy! I am so proud of you and what you have accomplished! Today is your big day and I want to congratulate you for finishing it. You killed it Lindy! We are all so proud of you and we wish we were there to cheer you on. Best of luck for your journey in college and always know that One Direction is always there for you.” Niall smiles.

I turn to Martha who was smiling at me and I didn’t know she had this to surprise me before I look back to the next video who was Liam, “Cheers to being the class valedictorian Lindy! Your speech was a killer!”

“You’re not going to see her speech Liam.” I hear Louis on the background.

Liam turned to him, “I know but I also know her speech is going to be a killer.”

I laughed as I was watching it.

“Anyways Lindy, we are all super duper proud of you! You’re such a wonderful girl and you have so much to accomplish in the future! We are all rooting for you and on your success. We love you! We miss you so much!!” Liam smiles and waves.

I smile as I feel my tears filling my eyelids while the video turns to Zayn and his wonderful eyes and attractive face. “Hello Lindy! We have heard you’re class valedictorian! Congratulations! We’re happy for you because you deserve all the good things in life. I hope we can get to hang out again like the last time with the other lads. You mean so much to us and we miss you!”

I wiped my tears off my cheeks.

“Lindaaaay!!” Louis appears on the prompter and how I laughed as soon as I saw him. “Oh man, you have come a long way and I could never be more proud of you. Congratulations on being class valedictorian love and we wish we were there but sadly we had to do some shows. But always know that we will always be here for you no matter the distance and always remember that you always have my back. You’re like our little sister in the band and we really really miss you.”

I smile as I keep wiping my tears and getting all emotional.

“But not as how much Harry misses you.” Louis adds and it tickles my heart. “We love you Lindy and we hope we can see you soon before you get all busy with college. Don’t get all busy with those college boys, Harry is still waiting for you.”

I chuckle softly.

The video finally focus on Harry and how I awfully missed him so much. His green eyes were focused on me as if he was really standing in front of me while his smiles his dimpled smile that I have always loved and how it infectious it was.

“Hello Lindy. I am still sad that I was not able to be there to support you but I still wish I was. I couldn’t be prouder of what you have accomplished and what you will accomplish. So many things are happening in your life right now and I am so happy for you. I hope you will fulfill all your dreams. Congratulations on your graduation and for being the class valedictorian.”

He smiles at me, “I don’t know if this is right to say but I genuinely miss you.”

I bite my lower lips as I feel more tears were flooding my cheeks.

“I do miss you. A lot actually.” He says.

“I miss you too.” I answer to Harry’s recorded video.