“I sort of like the green,” Katie commented. “And I think green looks better on you.”
“How can you say that?” Tyson asked. “You haven’t even seen me in the blue ones yet!”
Emily folded her arms, smiled and nodded in agreement with Katie. “Tyson, we’re girls, we know how colors work.”
“Whatever,” Tyson said. “As long as I’m getting my diploma, I’m happy.”
“Well, that waitress at Stacey’s won’t mind what you wear,” Katie said. Emily laughed at Tyson’s look of annoyance.
“Actually, she’ll probably be disappointed that you’re wearing clothes at all.”
“Shut up,” said Tyson.
Before Emily finished laughing, her phone rang. She looked at her phone and the smile on her face died immediately as she answered it. There were a few groans of “Uh, huh,” before she hung up.
“I have to show my cousins around the school,” she told Tyson and Katie. “They’re all excited because this is their third time in the States.”
“Well, at least your family is here,” Katie said. “My parents aren’t coming at all.”
“That sucks,” Emily said. “But I’d rather be in your position.” And she walked away.
Tyson and Katie walked through the large auditorium doors. They were supposed to go backstage and get ready for graduation.
“Why can’t your parents come?” Tyson asked.
“I’ll explain later,” Katie replied.
Katie went into deep thought about telling Tyson everything now but thought against it at the same time due to the number of people around.
“Katie, you alright?” Tyson asked. “You’ve been a bit out of it all day.”
That was true. Even while they were exploring the city, Katie’s mind went back to the conversation she had with her parents the previous night.
“I’m sorry, you’re right,” she told Tyson. “I have to tell you something. But not now. After graduation.”
“Alright, well,” Tyson said, sounding nervous. “I have something to tell you now.”
Katie stared at him, waiting for him to speak. When he opened his mouth, he was cut off by the PA system.
“All students shall make their way backstage now. We will be doing final rehearsals in five minutes.”
Katie and Tyson made their way backstage. Hundreds of students did too, bumping against each other and tripping on their way.
The back wall of the stage was draped with blue curtains. The left wall of the auditorium was draped in green and the right side was draped in purple. Along the high ceilings were several large wooden beams, all of them hidden by the professional lighting system that lay just beneath.
In the middle of the auditorium was a huge Papier-mâchè bird hanging from the wooden beams. It was a swift, the school’s mascot that symbolized speed and intelligence.
The “final rehearsals” meant that they were all to change into their proper gowns quickly and then line up according to the list they were given. Then they would wait for the valedictorian to give her speech before stepping on stage to receive their diplomas.
Katie went to the left where the temporary girl’s changing room was set up while Tyson walked right, towards the very back. It didn’t take long for Katie to change and she returned to the area behind the stage where the rest of the students were waiting.
“Two idiots are pretending to have ‘sword fights’ in the changing rooms,” Tyson said as he returned. He looked up at Katie and said “Whoa,” audibly before she could inquire about the sword fight.
“Thanks,” Katie said, easing Tyson’s nervousness. “You look pretty good too. What were you saying about a sword fight?”
Tyson laughed and explained to Katie what happened. Katie rolled her eyes and told Tyson to forget about it.
Just then Emily walked up, mumbling something under her breath.
“Family being annoying?” Tyson asked.
“Huh?” Emily asked, looking up. “Oh, yeah,” she laughed and then said that she should go get changed.
“We’ll be right here!” Katie called out to her as Emily walked away. Emily turned around briefly and smiled before disappearing into a changing room.
“I hope she’s okay,” Tyson said. “It seems like her family is getting to her a bit.”
“She’ll be fine,” Katie told Tyson. “Would you excuse me for a moment? I just have to use the bathroom all of a sudden.”
“Sure.”
Katie made her way to the closest bathroom, which was down the hall outside the auditorium, and found it empty. She went to a stall and quickly did her business. While she washed her hands, she stared at herself in the mirror. Katie felt like a different person now, she could see the change in herself, even though nothing physical was different about her. As she stood there contemplating someone entered the restroom.
Absent-mindedly, Katie greeted the person who walked into the bathroom. The girl replied and when the door closed Katie realized that the girl who walked in was Sabrina.
Katie gasped and looked back but no one was there.
“Where did you go?”
Another girl walked into the bathroom and she had apparently heard Katie’s question.
“Are you talking about the last four years of your life?” the girl asked. She had poorly kept, red curly hair that appeared impossible to tame, though the efforts to do so showed. “I’ve been asking myself the same question all day.”
Katie didn’t say anything but the girl went on.
“The school psychiatrist found me earlier today and told me he would see any former students if they were feeling stressed about life.”
“I’m fine,” Katie said. She didn’t know the girl well but recognized her as being on the school’s volleyball team.
“Yeah, I wasn’t going to see him either,” the girl replied. “There’s something about him that makes him super creepy.”
Katie heard the girl but didn’t respond. The girl made her way into one of the stalls
