Chapter 3 — Graduation Day

Beep, beep, beep.

Not again.

Knock, knock.

I hear my door open.

“Charity, it’s time for you to get up. Today is your graduation day.” My mom says as she pops her head in to check on me.

“Alright Mom, I am getting up.”

She closes the door behind her. Slowly I drag myself out of bed. Graduation day, it is finally here.

I walk over to my bathroom and start my morning routine. When I am out of the bathroom, I hear my mom yell, “Charity come downstairs for breakfast before you get your graduation outfit on.”

“Coming.” I respond back to her.

I quickly throw on a t-shirt and shorts before making my way downstairs for breakfast.

When I hit the bottom stair, I hear an applause and yelling from my family, “Yeah the Graduate is here! Congratulations!”

“Thank you everyone!” I say with a bow.

“We are just so proud of you Charity, and we are going to miss you so much when you leave for college.” My mom says as she starts to get teary eyed.

“Ah Mom please don’t cry. You know I will come and visit. I am only a few towns away from you.”

“I know but you are just all grown up and I feel like it was just yesterday you were learning how to walk.”

“Oh mom” I wrap my arms around her and give her a good hug.

She pulls away from me and wipes her tears on the front of her apron and says, “Ok let’s eat, I don’t want the food to get cold.”

We all sit down at the table together and dig in. While everyone is eating, I take a moment and take this all in. This is going to be one of the last times that we all have breakfast together as a family for a while. This makes me a little sad but at the same time truly appreciative for what I have. A great family, and even though I am leaving for college, I know that I will still have this amazing family to come home to.

After breakfast, I head upstairs and start getting ready. My mom asked that I wear a dress for the graduation. I do this because I love her, and she does not ask a lot from me when it came to how I dress to express myself.

I pull out a simple black spaghetti strap dress that flows from the waist and goes down a little past my knees but has slits in various spots that comes up to the thigh. Nothing too much but with wearing the Graduation Gown in the sun I should not be too hot. I wear my hair down but curl it, so it is easier to pin the cap to my head, so it does not fly off if there is a breeze. I do my makeup a little lighter than the norm, I know my mom will be taking pictures and I want to make sure that she is happy with the photos.

I walk downstairs and my mom already is tearing up once again.

“Oh Jonathon, our little girl is all grown up.” She whimpers.

My dad walks over to her and puts his arm around her and says, “Yes Felicity, that she is. But look on the bright side soon we can start asking for little grand pups.”

“GRAND PUPS!” My brother and I both yell.

My mom giggles.

“Now Charity let’s head outside and get some photos of you by yourself before Silas shows up.” My mom ushers me to the door.

I start making my way to the front door and when I open it Silas is standing on the other side.

“Too late Mom, Silas is already here.”

“Hey Char, take a look at you,” he says as I do my little turn for him.

“Thanks Silas. You look rather good yourself,” I say as I start pushing him back outside.

“I do make this look good,” he says with a smile.

I shake my head and stand next to him where my mom tells us to, so that she can gets some photos before we head off to the ceremony.

After the photos Silas and I hop into the Beast and head off to the High School to do a rehearsal of the ceremony before it starts.

“Can you believe it Char; we are almost done with this place.”

“Yep, as of tomorrow it will be just you, me and the beast doing our road trip. A summer of fun with no parentals.”

“I am really glad we are able to do this trip before you leave for College.”

“Right? Me too! It’s going to be so weird living in a different town and not having you right down the street from me.” My heart starts to hurt a little knowing that things are going to change drastically after the summer.

“Hey, let’s not get an eye strain peering into the future. Let’s just enjoy that we are around each other now and we are about to Graduate!” He says to me.

“WOOHOO!” We both yell.

We get to the High School and pull into the parking lot. There are already a lot of people here for the ceremony.

“I hope this does not take forever,” I say as we get out of the car.

“Probably will.” Silas comments.

I pull my sunglasses on while turning to Silas and say, “Let’s do this.”

****

Graduation

Thank Goddess between the packs and the humans that attended the High School our senior class rounded out to about a hundred students.

I was glad when they kept the speeches to a three-minute minimum. They started to finally to call out the graduate’s names.

I had to wait a little bit since I was in the middle.

“Missy Carlson”

Bitch.

“Dominic Furi”

Dick.

I was relieved that after today that I would no longer have to worry about seeing these people ever again.

I didn’t really hang out on this side of the bridge except to go to School and with me leaving for College I would be getting away from this pack even farther. Good-bye Missy and Dom I hope you two mate and I never have to worry about you ever again.

It was time for my row to be called. I got up with the rest of my row and we made our way to the stage. I looked at the sea of students that were sitting there and noticed Dom was staring me down. Even with my sunglasses on I could feel the stare down that he was giving me. I looked away and found Silas who was sitting in the back since his last name started with a W. I waved at him and blew him a kiss, which he gladly returned.

“Charity Meadows”

I walked over to the Principal and shook his hand as he said, “Congratulations Charity. I am going to miss not seeing you in my office for getting into some kind of trouble.”

“Me too Mr. Hargrove, thanks for taking it easy on me.”

Even though I was in that man’s office almost every week. He always just gave me either detention or community service. I was always surprised that he didn’t just suspend me or worse expel me.

I could hear a slight cheer for me as I continued to walk off the stage.

“Woohoo Char, that’s my girl” I heard Silas yell out and it made me laugh so hard I had to hold my stomach until I got back to my seat. Ha-ha his girl, he is a riot.

I was getting antsy as I waited for them to finish calling all the students names to receive their diplomas.

“Silas Winters”

I get up and start clapping really loud as I scream out, “Woohoo Yeah Baby, that’s my guy” Which had Silas almost rolling as he gets off the stage, I could hear a few girls growl around me with their jealousy. Yeah, you wish he were yours.

We were almost to the ending of the ceremony. Thank Goddess!

“Congratulations to our Graduating Class of Hudson High”

We all got up while throwing our caps up into the air and made a bunch of loud noise as the ceremony ended.

FINALLY! FREEDOM AT LAST!

Silas and I met up after dropping our gowns off and headed over to my parents who we found first in the crowd.

“Congratulations you two!” My mom squealed as she hugged both of us.

“Thanks Mom”

“Hey, I am going to go try to find my parents. I will see you later for the dinner?” Silas says before heading up.

“Yep, we will be there.”

Silas waves before turning back around and getting lost in the crowd.

My brother came up to me and bumped his shoulder into me before saying, “So little sis how does it feel to no longer be a high schooler.”

I laughed at his comment before saying, “I don’t think it has fully clicked that I am no longer a student. Maybe in a day or two once Silas and I take off for our road trip,” I say as I rub my hands together.

“That’s right, the house is going to be peaceful without your grunts and complaints,” he says with humor.

“Hey” I say as I knock into him.

He wraps his arm around my shoulders almost putting me into a headlock when he says, “Oh stop it, you know I am just kidding, and I will miss you while you are gone.”

“Sure, you will,” I say as I push him off of me.

“Alright you two, we need to be heading back. Charity, we will see you later for the dinner, right?” She asks me while giving me her mom stare.

“Yes, mom I will be there.”

She gives me another hug before she and my brother left.

And then there was one.

I started walking through the crowd to get to my car in the parking lot. I couldn’t believe that this day was finally here.

I knew exactly where I was going to go the second, I got into the beast.

I drove directly to my oasis. We were leaving tomorrow for our road trip, and I did not know when I would be back to see this place. Parking the beast in my normal spot. I slowly strip down out of my graduation attire and grab a t-shirt to put on once I shift back at the bridge.

I shift into my wolf, and I take off. Feeling the wind against my fur as I run up and down the forest my wolf and I enjoy the smell of the forest and the weather on our fur. As I make my way to the bridge, I find a large tree to shift behind and throw my t-shirt on.

At least I am mostly covered if someone does come by. Ever since that time with Dom, I have been more guarded about my spot.

I walk across the dirt to make my way to the bridge. There is a light breeze that kicks up the smell of the river and I inhale as much as I can to lock it into my memory.

I am going to miss this place.

Bark, Bark.

I turned and I see my friend sitting on the other side of the bridge. I kneel down to the ground as he saunters over.

“Hey boy, I was hoping I would get to see you before I go.”

He tilts his head to the side while pointing his ears up more.

“Yeah, I’m leaving boy and I will be gone for a long time. But maybe someday I will be able to come back.”

I wrap my arms around him and give him a kiss on his head. He looks at me and licks my face before turning and running off.

“Good-bye Boy. Maybe I will see you again and you will show me who you really are.”

I got up from the ground and turn to lean on the bridge again to breath in the wonderful smells from the riverbed.

“Well look who I found, if it isn’t my favorite little troublemaker.”

Seriously. My shoulders slumped.

I turned to the other side of the bridge and saw Dom staring at me as he held on to both sides of the bridge.

“Come on Dom, not today.”

He continued to make his way closer to me.

“What? Troublemaker doesn’t want to play today?” He says in a mocking tone.

Sasha: Me! I do! I want to play.

Me: Not a chance!

“No Dom, I just came here for one last time before I go.”

“What do you mean before you go?”

“Tomorrow I leave on a road trip and after that I am heading off to college,” I say with a shrug. Why does he look so concerned it’s not like he cares what I do?

He grabs me and pins me to the bridge with both hands behind my back. I try to wiggle free, but his grip is tight, damn this guy has been training.

Sasha: Can’t lie the guy does smell pretty good.

Me: No, you are not allowed to enjoy his scent.

He sees me trying to get myself free and says, “What? You think I was going to let you get away from me so easily. If you hadn’t noticed, I am no longer that scrawny little boy you threw when we were Freshman.”

“Come on Dom, what do you want me to say? I’m sorry?” I say as I continue to do something to get myself free, I thrust my knee in between his legs but he was able to block that move. I feel myself getting more and more frustrated, why can’t I get free.

Sasha: Wish I could I help you, but I am enjoying this way too much.

Me: Traitor Dom just stands there and stares at me. I finally give up and take a moment to catch my breath realizing that he is just staring at me.

“What?”

He closes his eyes and starts to sniff me moving closer to me until his chest is brushing mine.

Sasha: Mm he’s yummy.

“I can smell you troublemaker, you like this.”

Sasha: Yes, he’s right we do like this.

Me: Maybe you do, horndog. But I don’t.

Sasha: Keep telling yourself that.

He takes one of his hands and runs it up and down the side of my body as he continues to stare into my eyes. I dare not look away and continue to stare at him showing him that he is not phasing me.

“Why would you come out in only a t-shirt troublemaker, don’t you know that the Big Bad Wolf likes to wander around and catch little girls.”

I start to laugh.

Sasha: If he is the Big Bad Wolf, I would love for him to chase me and catch me.

I roll my eyes at both of them.

“Seriously Dom? Do the girls really fall for that cheesy stuff?”

I could tell that got under his skin causing his breathing to increase. He was getting irritated. He took his hand and wrapped it into my hair pulling my head back. I was stuck helpless and could not do anything but stare into those icy blue eyes.

He leaned down and captured my lips. At first, I just stood there completely dumb struck to what he was doing, but as the kiss continued, I found myself kissing him back. He let go of my hands and wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me closer to him.

I finally got a moment of clarity and realized what I was doing, I thrusted my knee into his crotch, and he doubled over, once he brought his head up, I punched him in the lip before throwing my shirt off and shifting into my wolf to get out of there as fast as I could.

Sasha: What are you doing? Let me go back!

Me: No! Just keep running.

“This isn’t over Troublemaker.” I heard him yell faintly.

I turn around to see if he is behind me, but he is not, I think to myself “It is for now!” I continue to run straight to the beast not looking back.