The next two months following prom, I worked my butt off to finish the school year out so I could catch up with the rest of the seniors. That was the one stipulation for me to accept the NYU scholarship: I had to catch up and make better in the last months.
On the last day the seniors were required to be in class, I was called into the guidance office where he told me that I had I caught up, I would be allowed to graduate, and he had just gotten off the phone with a representative from NYU who had said they were excited to be seeing me in the fall.
I'm graduating. It took hard work but I done it. Kyle, Erik, and Christina helped of course. I honestly can't thank them enough.
Currently, I was sitting in Sara's vanity chair while she did my makeup. She, just like she did for prom, was taking the day of graduation a little too seriously.
"Would you stay still? It's hard to do your make-up when you won't be still." She muttered. She and Christina keep insinuating that graduation would be the biggest day of my life.
"I don't understand why I have to dress up. It's just getting a get out of hell free card called a diploma." I muttered.
Christina gasped. "Graduation is something you will look back on and smile and want to go back every day!" She practically yelled at me and I decided to just let her be. It was silent for next hour while Sara did mine and Christina's makeup.
"Finally you're done!" she said excitedly and turned me to look in the mirror. I gasped audibly at my reflection. I wasn't the girl who lived in fear of my scars but the girl who embraces how she looks and makes the best out of her scars. The girl staring back at me is the Devyn I've always wanted to be.
"Oh my god." I breathed out. "Sara, what did you do to me? This isn't me. I mean, what you did at prom was amazing, but this..."
"Girl that is you. The only thing I did was put some natural colors on you.
The rest is all you. Now for the dress." She said.
"What dress?" I asked as my phone started ringing. I looked at who it was and smiled to myself. It was Kyle.
"Hey." I said, twirling my hair still looking at my reflection.
I wonder if this is this girl Kyle sees when he looks at me? Is this who Kasen saw?
"Hey Princess."
"What's up?" I asked him. He was at Erik's; he has a reason to call.
"We're going out after graduation tonight."
I smiled. "Are we now?"
"Yep. So wear something nice."
"And if I said I didn't want to?" I teased. Instead of teasing back he just sighed.
"Please Princess?" he asked.
"Fine. What time?" I asked giving in. He knows I can't tell him no anyways.
"Right after graduation." He said.
"Hey Kyle, I need to help Devyn get ready, so tell her bye so she can blow your mind with superhuman good looks!" Christina yelled over the phone. I couldn't help but laugh at her. I could hear Kyle laughing as well.
"She's right. I'll see you at graduation. Okay, Princess?"
"Whatever Kyle." I said but I couldn't help the smile forming on my face.
"Love you."
"I love you too." I said and he hung up.
"Now, about that dress." Sara and Christina said smirking.
"You knew about this didn't you?" I asked and they both nodded. Sara passed me a plain mint green sundress From the back of her closet that would go great with my skin tone.
"Go put it on. You have to leave in 30 minutes." She said. I quickly grabbed the dress and went to put it on. Putting it on without messing up my hair was a very hard feat but I did it. I put my shoes on and made it downstairs where I was surprised to Erik was waiting for me.
Was Kyle already there? I thought we were going to ride over together?
"Finally ready?" He asked us and we nodded. We headed to the car. Erik led Christina to the car ahead of me, a hand on the small of her back. I smiled slightly, but it left me wondering where was Kyle?
We were well on our way to the university where graduation was being held when Erik broke the silence between all three of us and said, "Devyn, whatever Kyle says to you tonight on this date promise me you'll think first?"
Should i be worried now? I just nodded my head and spoke, "Okay? I promise I will." We walked into the auditorium, and I immediately starting searching for Kyle. I couldn't find his mess of hair anywhere, even with some of the seniors already wearing their caps.
When I locked eyes on Kameron and he began to walk towards me, i began to freak out. What did he want now. I began to back away, trying to get away from him, but a backed into something—someone. When his arms snaked around my waist pulling me to him, I froze.
He nestled his face into the nook of my neck and whispered, "It's alright, Princess, he won't touch you while I'm here." I relaxed in his hold and spun to face Kyle, the one person who I know will never leave me.
I looked up at him and smiled, but one question still came to mind. "Where were you? I thought we were going to ride here together!" I asked him, placing my hands on my hips. He smiled and chuckled lightly.
"I'm sorry, Dev, but I had a surprise that i had to go pick up for you." He whispered and then pointed up into the stands. I looked up, squinted and then gasped when i realized. Sitting in the stands with a perfect view of the graduation was Kaitlin, my best friend from Arizona. Sitting beside her was Sara. They both waved frantically at us, and I waved back.
"Thank you, Kyle." I whispered, attacking him in a hug.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention please?" Our principle said and that was our queue to go sit down. We separated and all the seniors hurriedly and frantically—with every teachers help—formed the line up based on last name alphabetical order.
"I would like to welcome you to the graduation ceremony for the graduating class of 2015!" he said and everyone clapped. We all walked in and took our seats.
"I would like to congratulate every single person in this room for making it thus far. Even so, I would like to acknowledge someone who asked to speak, simply because she has something she wants to say that will aid you in your journey. May I present to you Gabriella Sumter!" He said and Gabriella got up and went to the stage. I tried to stop listening when she started talking, but something about her was different. There was a glow that was different.
"Thank you Mr. Star. I want to start by saying congratulations to us all. We have earned this. Each and every one of us worked hard in our special way to get where we are. We learned, we grew, we matured.'
"We began this school as children, and now we're leaving as adults. We have wisdom from all the teachers and faculty and even our parents to carry with us no matter which way life throws us. Right here, right now, we are on the right path somehow.'
"And I know I've done some horrible things to many people in my life. I wasn't mature enough to realize i was in the wrong. But two of those people being our very own classmates Devyn Walters and Kyle Mason. I did some pretty horrible things I wish I could take back. Some things I will regret all my life. But I'm using these regrets as a light to make a new for myself... and my baby."
She's pregnant?
"Graduating and leaving this town will help me start anew. I don't regret my last four years of growth and I hope none of you do either. I would like to thank everyone for listening." She finished. The principal went ahead and gave her diploma to her before she started crying. I know you don't leave early in graduation but she just dropped a bomb in the middle of her graduation speech.
She must have talked that through with him before hand...
I knew where she was going. It's where I would go after a speech like that. I got up to go after her and Since I'm a Walters, my name will be called at the end of graduation. Erik grabbed my wrist when I stood. I nodded my head once and he let go, understanding this is something I had to do.
"Gabriella?" I asked when I made it to the school bathroom.
"Go away." She said but came out of the stall anyway. I took a good look at her and I could see the bump. The worst went through my mind.
She could be farther along than what it's showing.
"Please tell me the father isn't Kyle." I begged her, not that begging was going to change the DNA
"No, no it's not him, trust me." She scoffed, but the heartbreak was evident.
I was hesitant to ask, but I spoke next, "Then whose is it?"
"Does it matter? He's not in the picture anyway." She retorted.
"Yes it matters! Take it from a girl who grew up without a father and a mother."
"It's Kameron's" She whispered so low I almost couldn't hear her.
"Does he know?" I asked and she nodded her head. I opened my mouth to say something when she cut me off.
"I don't deserve your pity. You should get back to Kyle. Go get your diploma. I'll be fine being a single mother." She said.
"I'll go, but we're not done Gabriella. Kameron will be a part it's life."
"His. His life. It's a boy." She corrected me.
"Well don't worry, you and your little boy's life will be great. I promise you that." I said and then I went back to the auditorium. When I sat back down Kyle shot me a confused look and I just shook it off telling him I'll tell him later.
Halfway through the names being called Kyle got called. Then a little while Christina did, and finally Erik and I got called. There were two other people after Erik but we were pretty much done.
"What did Gabriella have to say?" Kyle said when we were dismissed and out of the high school. At the moment we were driving to this mystery 'date' Kyle has planned.
"She told me who the father is.." I said. "Kyle, it's Kameron. He's not even in the picture."
"Then she deserves it." He said.
"No one deserves to have to raise a child alone. The baby doesn't even deserve to grow up without a father. He didn't do anything. Plus, Gabriella can't go to college and raise a child."
"What are you saying, Devyn?"
I thought for a moment. "I want to help her."
"After what she did?" he asked.
"Yes. I wouldn't wish raising a child alone on anyone. If Kameron won't help her, I want to help her."
He sighed and said, "You have one huge heart Princess."
"I know, but you know you love me." I said.
"That I do." He said as we pulled into a parking lot. "I'm going to blind fold you, okay?"
"Whatever. As long as you're not dragging me into the woods to kill me." I said.
"You have some imagination." He said and he could hear the smile in his voice. We walked hand in hand to this place I had no clue of. I was about to take another step when Kyle stopped me.
"Okay, you can take the blindfold off baby." He said and I slowly took off the blindfold. I gasped as I took in the sight before me.
There in front of me was a table for two surrounded by candle light in front of a pond surrounded by stars. We were currently standing on top of a hill that had an excellent view of the pond.
"Kyle, this is just beautiful." I said.
"I found it one night after a party. I was pretty messed up. And I wandered here and it became my place. My home I guess." He told me.
"Did you do this?" I asked him, gesturing to the candlelight dinner.
"I had some help." He said and led me to the table. He pulled out my chair for me and pushed it in when I sat down.
And who said chivalry was dead?
"What goes on in that head of yours?" Kyle asked as he sat down.
"Oh you know just normal girl stuff: Lip gloss, puppies, murder, cute celebrity ship names, how amazing my boyfriend is. The usual."
"Oh... Wait murder?" he asked with fearful eyes and I busted out laughing. I couldn't help it. Soon Kyle joined in on the laughing. I was laughing so hard I hadn't even noticed someone had brought out food. It was a burger and fries. The exact same thing I ate the day I met Kyle. It's hard to believe how much had happened between Kyle and me since then.
We were halfway through our meal when I noticed he was sweating a lot.
"Kyle? Are you okay?" I asked him.
"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine." He said and I knew something was up. I grabbed his hand over the table and looked him in the eye.
"What's wrong?" I asked him. "And don't lie to me." I added in.
"It's now or never I guess." I heard him mumble. "Devyn, I have to ask you something." He stood offering me his hand. "Would you like to dance?" He asked and I nodded. I kicked off my heels and took his hand. He pulled me into his arms and we swayed back and forth slowly as he hummed the tune of Marry Me by Train. He hummed until I heard the actual music. I looked around and could faintly see Katelin's silhouette. I smiled to myself and brought my eyes back to Kyle's.
"Devyn, I love you so much. I never knew I could love someone as much as I love you. You make my smiles brighter. My days' worth living. You make my life colorful. I miss you when we're apart. I go crazy missing you. You came in and stole my heart with one swift motion. When you ran away, and I couldn't find you, I went crazy. I thought I had lost you. I don't ever want to feel that away again. I don't want to be apart from you unless we have to be. I don't want to see another day without you. Devyn Nicole, will you make my dreams come true and make me the happiest man alive by marrying me?" he asked me as we were dancing. He got down on one knee and pulled out a little red box with the most beautiful ring I've ever seen inside.
I had tears in my eyes and I covered my mouth with my hand. I couldn't speak. I just nodded. I nodded violently. He slid the ring on my finger and stood up. He lifted me into a hug and spun me like a little kid. When he brought me back to the ground he crashed his lips to my own. When he pulled away he kept his forehead against mine.
"You know, I completely understand the home thing. I for the longest time thought my home was Miss Donna's or just Arizona in general or that I didn't have a home because I didn't have family or parents to call mine... But then when I met Erik and you and Kasen and even Christina, I realized home doesn't have to be a place. Home can be a person. Home can be a place where you feel safe." I said looking down at the ground. He took my chin in his hand and pulled my face up to his gently. Even in the darkness I could see his face soften as he pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder.
This was my home. Not the place, not the state. My home was in his arms. Where I felt safe. We pulled away and sat down on the ground and started to look at the stars. I glanced at Kyle and smiled again.
Where would I be if I hadn't fallen for My Brother's Best Friend?