Determinant -Guardians of Vesturon [3] Read Free

forgot to leave them at home. I went back inside and wrote a quick note to my parents.
    Good Morning Everyone!
    Well, today is the day. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Sorry I had to take off before you all woke up but since I am on all those committees, I needed to get there early. I also need to practice my speech. Wish me luck on that!
    Here are the tickets…you must have them or they won’t let you in. Make sure you arrive early if you want a seat. I’ll look for you in the parking lot afterward…that’s where everyone will congregate for pictures.
    Can’t wait to see you!
    Love,
    January
    I jumped in my car and headed down the street. Watching the sunrise at the neighborhood park beckoned to me. If I didn’t hurry, I would miss it. Early morning was always my favorite time of day. It must have stemmed from when I was little and scared of the dark. The sky quickly lightened from grey to light blue and the huge orange sphere inched up in the sky at last, casting everything in its warm glow. Morning had broken, so I headed over to the auditorium.
    The day flew by since there was so much to do but seven o’clock in the evening arrived entirely too fast. We all lined up for the processional into the auditorium. I looked around trying to spot my family, but didn’t have any luck. I wonder where they’re sitting?
    When I heard the MC say, “I’d like to present our valedictorian for this year, Ms. January St. Davis,” I found myself making my way to the podium. With sweaty palms and trembling hands, I held the pages of my speech. I had practiced it over and over and knew it by heart, but I was nervous nonetheless. This was the first time I would be speaking to a group this large and it was a bit daunting, given the fact that I was only sixteen years old—I had skipped two grades and was graduating earlier than usual. Relax January. Pretend you are all alone. Take a deep breath.
    And so I began. Initially, my voice shook and all the saliva in my mouth seemed to have evaporated. Water! I need water! My mouth felt like I had swallowed a huge gulp of sawdust. Just when I thought I was a hopeless failure, a miracle happened. Everything fell into place and my speech went off as smoothly as I hoped. It must have struck a chord because as I looked across the room, everyone was standing and applauding and I noticed several people were wiping their eyes. I was shocked because I never imagined I’d receive a standing ovation! I felt a huge grin spread across my face. Where are Mom and Dad?
    We marched across the stage to individually receive our diplomas, and then we were all filing outside and throwing our caps into the air. When we finished, everyone tore off in different directions to find their families.
    I scanned the crowd but soon realized my family was nowhere to be found. I puzzled over this because I knew I had left the tickets on the kitchen counter. I bet they left early to avoid the crowds.
    I snuck away from everyone and drove home as fast as I could without speeding. When I pulled in the driveway, I noticed my mom’s car was missing. I ran in the house anyway, yelling out in excitement, “Did you hear it? Did you hear my speech?”
    No one was in the kitchen so I tore into the den to find only my father there, sitting on his recliner watching TV.
    “Well?” I asked my voice laced with excitement. “Did you hear my speech? Can you believe I got a standing ovation?”
    “I wouldn’t know…I wasn’t there,” he responded in an emotionless tone.
    “W-w-what?” I stammered. “Where’s Mom? Did she see it?”
    “She’s not here and no she didn’t.”
    “What do you mean? Is she okay? Are Tommy and Sarah okay?” My stomach gave a sick twist as I thought that something happened.
    “Everyone’s okay. Your mother took them to Charlotte to Carowinds and they are spending the night.”
    “Wait. You mean she didn’t come to my graduation?”
    I felt like someone had just nailed me in the gut