Beautiful: Truth's Found When Beauty's Lost Part 28

Melissa Lopez was salutatorian. She spoke about leaving their high school years, going forward into a new future, but always cheris.h.i.+ng what they'd had together at West Redding High. Then came Bly, who gave the valedictorian speech. He made everyone laugh. Then it was time for the cla.s.s president's speech. Ellie waited for Carrie Lincoln, the cla.s.s vice president, to be called in her place. Instead, Ellie's name was called.

"Elspeth Summerfield could not be with us tonight to accept this award of excellence, and so her sister, Megan Summerfield, will accept it in her honor."

Ellie could see her sister walking up to the stage. Mom was probably crying, and maybe a few others in her cla.s.s as well.

Megan cleared her throat. "I wish my sister could be with us tonight. It's been a very difficult year for our family. But it has also drawn us closer. My sister had done a lot of great things in her life. It's great that she was recognized like this. I'm proud of her, and she's the strongest, most beautiful human being that I've ever met. I accept this for her. Thank you."

Ellie felt the tears on her face before she knew she was crying. The applause rose and continued rising. People were standing, rising from the bleachers, and her cla.s.s stood as well. Ellie leaned her forehead against the fence and closed her eyes.

The school superintendent came to the podium. "Tonight is a night of celebration and accomplishment. For a moment, however, we'd like to remember Stasia Fuller. A moment of silence, please."

The moment was simply that, a pause in the program, and then Stasia was once again forgotten, just as Ellie was. The night was for those who were there, not for those left behind.

The names began, with cheers and applause from the crowd growing as they went down the list.

Ryan Blasing

Vanessa Hart

William Stefanos

Megan Marie Summerfield

And all the other names she knew, many since they were in kindergarten and grammar school together. They'd walked in the town parade, played catch-and-kiss, acted in school plays, teased each other for missing front teeth, and watched as they grew from children to adults.

"Please stand with me to congratulate the graduating cla.s.s . . ." And the hats flew into the air like fireworks with the sound of cheering, whistles, and applause.

Ellie wished to capture them there, to hold the caps up in the air, freezing time, going back in time, or just resting for a while as the world waited.

The world didn't wait.

She was so behind everything, when before, she was always ahead, always full out in front of everyone else and right on the hem of tomorrow.

Ellie drove home before anyone would know that she'd been out. The house was exactly the same as when she'd left an hour earlier. She just wanted to crawl into bed and either sleep or cry.

Megan wouldn't come home tonight-she was attending Sober Grad Night, which seemed an oxymoron. Will was leaving in the morning for his trip to Brazil for his cousin's wedding.

Ellie heard her parents' arrival. It didn't sound as if her aunts or anyone else had come with them. She hoped they'd leave her alone. She didn't want to hear about the ceremony or act as if she hadn't been there. She didn't want them to give her the award or be told that she'd received a standing ovation.

Someone tapped on her bedroom door. She ignored it, but Mom peeked her head in anyway. "Someone's here to see you."

"What?" Ellie sat up, surprised. "Who?"

But Mom had already disappeared, leaving the door open a crack. Ellie went to the hall and listened to the voices coming from the living room. She had to walk closer and closer to the stairwell before she recognized the voice talking with her parents.

"Hi," she said, walking into the living room.

"Hi," Ryan said.

There was an awkward silence, and then her parents left, offering final congratulations to Ryan.

"Yeah, congratulations," Ellie said to him.

"Thanks. And congrats to you," he said with a wide grin that made her heart literally skip a beat.

"I haven't actually graduated yet. I think it's official in a few weeks."

"Then congrats early. You look good, really good. I like the haircut too," he said with that old, admiring look in his eye.

She wanted to give a flippant response, something that stated the obvious, reminding him of her disfigured face. She realized she was in the jeans and Peter Pan s.h.i.+rt that she'd earlier thought he would have loved.

"You look great too." He was more the Ryan she'd known before, and also older and stronger.

"I went through a bad stint, but I've come through it. And now I'm a graduate." He stood taller, acting as if he was proud, which made her laugh.

"So, are you going to Sober Grad Night?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah. I have an extra ticket, if you want to go."

She smiled and shook her head. "No, but thanks. Why do you have an extra ticket?"

"Just got one, just in case."

"What about Tara?"

"I never wanted to go out with Tara. But after you didn't want me, I guess it was flattering for a brief time. I found her boring." He laughed at that. "So I have this extra Sober Grad ticket for you."

"That was nice. Thanks, but, you know. Your parents aren't throwing you a graduation party?"

"Actually, they are. I gotta get over there pretty quick. My family from the Bay Area is all up. I'm going to school down there next year."

"Really?" she said and felt a sting of both pride and sadness. Pride that he was getting out of Redding-something she had wondered if he'd do. And sadness at his leaving and that she knew so little about his life now.

"You had a lot to do with that."

She shook her head. "No. You did that."

"But I might not have without being with someone so full of dreams." He glanced down a moment, then picked up a small gift from the coffee table. He handed it to her. "I brought you a graduation gift."

Ryan still surprised her with the unexpected. "Do I have to wait till I have my diploma before I open it?"

"It can be a pre-gift." He sat on the couch then, and Ellie followed. "Usually I'd exit now. It's weird being in the room when someone opens your gift, I think. But I want to see your face with this one."

Guessing that it was jewelry, her self-consciousness grew. But she was pleased as well at the thought. "Your mom wrapped it, huh?"

He shook his head and laughed. "You have no faith in me. I did it all myself."

"I am impressed." And she was. The little gold wrapping with the bow was so perfect, she hesitated to open it. Inside was a small white box. Ellie lifted the lid, then opened the folded tissue paper.

She saw gold, then the weaving of gold.

A bracelet.

It looked exactly like her grandmother's.

"Where did you get this? It looks just like mine."

"It is yours." He nodded proudly.

It was nearly too unreal to believe. "How?" was all that came out. Then, "But I thought . . . When did you find it?"

"A few weeks after the accident. Or maybe a month. I don't know. You were still in ICU down at Davis. I could only get in to see you a few times, and my parents made me come home. So I'd go out to the lake every day after school. My dad borrowed those metal detectors. But we couldn't find it. Then it started to rain. I actually prayed. And that day I saw something s.h.i.+ning-maybe the rain loosened some dirt or helped it catch the light just right."

Ellie shook her head in disbelief as Ryan took the bracelet out of the box. He gently took her arm and put the bracelet around her wrist. The touch of his fingers sent s.h.i.+vers through her arm.

"I can't even begin to thank you for this, Ryan. It's incredible."

He smiled triumphantly. "I nearly gave it to you a few times. But then we broke up and everything. I decided I'd mail it to you, or drop it off in a box on your doorstep. Then I decided to give it to you for a graduation gift."

Ellie didn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything."

"Me too, Els." He gave her a hug then, pulling her against his chest.

She smelled his cologne-the same scent she'd loved for so long.

"You know I'll always love you. I'm going away to school for a while. And you have things you need to do in your life. But maybe, I'm hoping . . . maybe if and when it's right, you'll fall madly in love with me too. Hopefully I'll still be available," he teased.

A flood of emotion filled her. "I do love you, you know. Thank you for that. And thank you for this." There was such a lightness within her. "And yes, maybe, if . . ."

"Maybe could keep the world going around," he said with that smile of his and a raised eyebrow. "I better get going now. There's a little note at the bottom of the box as well. I'm not sticking around to watch you read that."

"Keep in touch, okay?"

He wrapped his arms around her for another long hug that she wished would never end. "Oh, you betcha. You can't get rid of me so easily, Els. I'll be over to bug you over the summer. And next year I'll be on the webcam, asking for homework help."

She laughed.

At the door, he turned back. "You sure you don't want to just stop by Sober Grad?"

Her heart raced with panic at the idea. She bit her lip and thought of the text messages she'd received that night from a large number of her friends, telling her they missed her.

Ryan noticed her hesitation. "You could text Vanessa and a few of your friends, so it won't be this huge surprise. And I'll take you home as soon as you want."

Ellie knew she was so close to being past this. After tonight, the pressure would be gone to go back to school, to go to graduation. But what if she should do this? She'd missed graduation, and that couldn't come back.

"Okay, then."

Megan was waiting with Vanessa and the guys near the entrance to the country club that hosted Sober Grad. A balloon arch covered the entrance, and Congratulations, Graduates! hung above the balloons.

Ryan walked one protective step ahead of her. And then Ellie was pulled into a swarm. Vanessa was crying, and Ellie started crying too.

"I'm so glad you came. I've missed you terribly."

Everyone was hugging her, crying and saying how they missed her, how sorry they were for everything she'd gone through. Over the loudspeaker someone announced, "Our graduation is complete. Ellie Summerfield has entered the building, folks. Welcome, Ellie. This wouldn't be the same without you."

Ellie was surprised at the welcome, and equally surprised at her lack of self-consciousness. Perhaps Maggie would call this progress, but all Ellie knew was that she felt a sudden sense of belonging. Everyone was happy; they were saying good-bye even as they said h.e.l.lo, because this was their cla.s.s's final night together. They talked about their years together, about crushes and field trips. A few times someone would see her and the shock was apparent on his or her face. But that surprise would quickly dissolve into exuberance. They really did love her. And Ellie found the sudden rekindled love for her childhood friends.

While sitting with Megan, Vanessa, Ryan, and a number of their other friends around the swimming pool, a girl with a giant roll of raffle tickets stopped in front of Ellie. "I've wanted to talk to you for so long."

It was Lisa, the organizer of Ellie's fan club. She had volunteered for Sober Grad just as Ellie had done in years past.

"I've been a bit reclusive."

"I understand. It's okay. Just know that I'm here, even with school out." The girl appeared nervous in Ellie's actual presence.

Ellie thanked her. When Lisa said good-bye, holding up her raffle tickets to prove she had somewhere to go, Ellie called her back.

"Yes?" Lisa asked with a youthful earnestness.

"Have fun while you do all this. And don't make all this stuff your life. Remember to have your own life too."

Lisa looked confused but said she would, and hurried away.

Ellie was growing tired. She called Dad to pick her up, not wanting Ryan to leave the party. Once a student left Sober Grad, he couldn't return-part of the rules toward keeping it sober.

"Are you glad you came?" Megan asked, sitting beside her and lacing her arm through Ellie's. That was something her sister had never done before.

Ellie nodded. "Are you? I never expected you for a school function, rebel that you are."

"Yeah, shocking, isn't it? And what's more shocking, it's been great."