- 1 week later - 

Today is graduation! 

I can't believe it! Wow! 

Right now, my mum is driving me to the school and then I'll be up on stage and I'll be going to college soon. 

Time goes by quickly. 

I'm excited but also nervous. 

I'm wearing a cap and gown. The gown is blue and silky which matches the blue, silky hat. 

A few minutes later, we arrived at Oakwood High. 

We walked into the building and to the back of the school, to the field. That's where we're doing the graduation. I notice Sarah right away. And we walk over to her. She smiled. "Hey, Grace!" She said. 

"Hey Sarah! Today is the big day!" I said, while smiling. 

"Grace!" I turned around and saw my dad. Oh my gosh! I didn't think he would show up, but he did? I'm so happy! 

"Dad!" I said and ran up to him and gave him a giant hug. He hugged back even tighter. "Wow, you look so grown up, I'm so proud of you, Grace," he said. "And you will always be our little girl," he said looking at my mum ten back to me. I smiled. "I'll try not to cry until after," I said. He laughed. 

"Everyone please take your seats," Principle Morgan said into the microphone. "You'll do great, make a great speech!" My mum said. Which totally didn't give me a little stress. My mum and dad went to sit with the other parents. Sarah and I sat next to each other. 

I sat down in a chair and noticed Nate looking at me. He winked at me. I smiled at him and he mouthed the words 'Good luck, you got this!' 

I smiled and mouthed back saying: 'Thank you, you too!' 

He smiled back. 

Sarah and I hugged each other before listening to what Principal Morgan had to say. 

"Alright, everyone please settle down, today we are so happy to announce the graduates for this year! But, before I do, I would like to say a few words. This year has been an incredible school year! We have had some good and bad experiences throughout the school year, but we got past them, together. Our school represents a team. Together, we can accomplish anything! Our teachers have worked so incredibly hard to make this school year the best. So without further ado, I present our graduates for this year!" Principle Morgan said. 

Everyone clapped and then Principal Morgan began announcing the graduates to join her up on the stage, make a speech, and collect the rolled-up paper. 

"When you hear your name, please join me on stage, if someone is not here, we will hold onto their stuff and give it to them some other time. Abigail Baker, Amelia Mix, Ashton Beckett, Ben Doberman, Becky Sanchez, Blake Richardson."

When I heard Blake's name, I froze. My eyes started tearing up. Memories started replaying my head. When Blake and I first kissed, when we went on our first date to the movies and then to the beach, and how I felt so safe with him. The way he cared about me, actually hurts. All the thoughts of him, hurt me. Especially the thoughts of him framing me with the trophy's missing, the thoughts of him in the warehouse, the thoughts of him and Josh breaking into my house and of Josh cutting me, the thoughts of him trying to hurt me in school, the thoughts of him getting arrested, then whispering that he'll come for me, and the thoughts of his friend, James cutting my arm. 

I can't stop thinking about the connection that Blake and I had. It was much more than what Josh and I had. But, I can't believe that Blake was the reason that Josh and I even dated in the first place. I still can't believe that Josh cheated on me. It hurt so badly, it still does. It stings me. More than anything. And the way that Josh and Blake bullied me in P.E and just in school, in general, hurts me. 

My whole life and my past itself hurts me. It just does. 

Tears start streaming down my face and I can't help it. I'm growing up too fast, can I please have Marty and the scientist take me back in time? Please. I don't want to grow up, I don't want to be away from Sarah. But I'll be in California, and she'll be in Virginia. I don't want to lose my best friend. We've grown up together. I've been there for her, and she's always been there for me. Yes, we argue over stupid things, but a lot of friends do. It's normal. 

I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Sarah nudges my arm. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked. "Y-yeah I'm fine, why?" I asked while stuttering. "Well, you're crying, and you're not paying attention." She said. "Oh," I said. 

I looked around and found myself looking directly at Nate. He looked at me. He mouthed the words: 'Are you okay?' 

I mouthed back 'I'm fine.' 

But the truth is, I'm not. And I think he could tell because he gave me a frown and then pointed towards the stage, I think I should pay attention now, Principal Morgan will probably call my name soon. 

"Gavin Rox, Georgina Miles, Grace Walker, Heather Mills," Principal Morgan continued. I was nervous. I got up out of my chair. "You got this girl!" Sarah said. Which made me smile. I wiped my tears away. 

I walked past Nate. "I believe in you," he said. Which made me smile even more. 

I walked up to the stage, still smiling. 

I got this. I got this. I got this. I got this. 

I was now standing on the stage. "Here you go, Grace Walker, congratulations!" Principal Morgan said while handing me the rolled up piece of paper and then shaking my hand. "Thank you," I said while smiling. "Would you like to make a speech?" She asked. It took me a second to decide. "Yes," I said, suddenly feeling slightly more confident. 

She pointed to the microphone, I walked up to it and held it in my hand. I looked around on the field, analyzing the crowd of people. I saw my mum and dad they were slightly crying while smiling, they gave me the thumbs up. I nodded and smiled. 

"Hi, for those of you who may not know me, I'm Grace Walker." I began to say. "I've had great memories here at Oakwood High School. Some memories were bad and some were good. I'm happy to have made good friends. Friends that you trust with all of your secrets and friends that you can tell anything to. I'm thankful for all of the teachers and how hard they've worked to make this school year as successful as they can, and thank you, Principal Morgan, for all that you do, I sincerely appreciate it. And, I have had a pretty rough past but I'm finally starting to move on with my life, but it still pains me to know how much it hurt. I've not been feeling so good with myself for a while now, and I feel like I should just say that because why not? And, I want to make something very clear. And I really think that everyone should listen closely to what I'm about to say. Bullying...is not okay. It's not. Some of you may be tempted by others, just so that you can be cool, or feel better about yourself. But, you know that it's not true, you're perfect. No matter how many people say you're not, you are. You can do anything you put your mind to. Just remember that your special. You have amazing things to be grateful for, don't throw them away and waste them because of what some other people say. It's not true, at all. Everyone has their rights to be different, you need to be a leader. Show the world how you care. Show people your more than what meets the eye, your perfect, you're a star! Thank you so much for letting me talk today, I hope y'all have a wonderful day and I wish you all luck in your future! Bye!" I said and I put the microphone back on the stand. 

I actually feel pretty proud of what I just did. Principal Morgan hugged me. And she usually doesn't like hugging people, so I guess I'm different. I walked off the stage, smiling. 

I walked back to my seat, and my mum and dad came over to me, "Grace, that was amazing! What you said was so incredible I'm glad I filmed it," my mum said. "Thanks, I'm just trying to make people happy," I said. "Well, we're so proud of you!" My dad said. "Thanks," I said and I smiled. 

Jake, Nate, and Sarah, we're finally called and they all made amazing speeches! 

Everyone else got called up to the stage, collected the rolled-up paper, and some of them made speeches and some of them didn't. 

"Alright everyone, those were all amazing speeches. Congratulations to all of our graduates again, and let's throw the hats up!" Principal Morgan said. 

Ashton, Jake, and Nate all ran over to Sarah and I. 

"On three. One, Two, Three," Principal Morgan said. 

And all of the graduates threw their hats up into the sky. 

We had a giant group hug and then everyone went to their parents and hugged them. 

Then, Ashton, Jake, Sarah, Nate, and I had a group hug. "Friends forever," I said. 

Then, there was a giant cake. The cake was vanilla with blue frosting. On the cake, it said 'Congratulations Graduates!' 

Everyone grabbed a blue plate and had some cake. Nate and I fed each other a little bit. To be honest, it was actually pretty cute. Ashton and Sarah did the same. 

"Grace, I love you, and I always will," Nate said. "I love you too, Nate, and I always will," I said. We laughed a little. 

Then I turned to Sarah. "Even though I'm going to college in California, and you're going to college in Virginia, we'll always be best friends. No matter what happens, no matter what crazy shiznits we get into, we'll always be besties! I love you, Sarah!" I said. We started to tear up. "Aww, I love you too, Grace! And you'll forever be my best friend!" Sarah said. 

Then, a while later, my parents and I went back home. I got really tired from being up so late that I went to sleep.