Him by Carey Heywood (reading strategies book .txt) 📕

"Do we really need to go to this?" he jokes.

I wrinkle my nose at him, and he turns the car around. When we get to school, we kiss again before we are separated alphabetically. I'm between Jordan Mason and Russell Morgan. We shuffle along in line until all our parents and family have been seated in the gym before our class walks in. The applause is intense. I look around, wondering where my parents are sitting. I remember where we sat when Brian graduated, but I don’t see them there. I look around for Will and grin when I find him, and he blows me a kiss. Our principal and teachers are on a stage at the front of the gym. He welcomes all of us and gives a speech about hoping we all rise to the potential that is within us.

He turns the mic over to our class valedictorian, who turns out to be a girl I have never seen. I look back to Will and raise a brow. He laughs, shaking his head. I guess he doesn’t know who she is either. Her speech is short and sweet. I still have no idea who she is, but I'm a fan of her not taking forever. I cannot say the same for the keynote speaker. I miss his name, but he apparently graduated from our school and is now a writer somewhere. I fiddle in my seat. My ass is asleep, and if I do not stand up some, I may have to hobble across the stage.

I think the whole auditorium breathes a sigh of relief when he finishes. Row by row, our class makes its way across the stage. Our row stands when the last person from the row ahead of us heads towards the stage. Standing gives me enough time to feel blood circulate again, so I’m not walking like an idiot. I’m nervous enough that I’m wearing heels. My biggest fear is tripping onto or off of the stage. My step almost falters when I hear Will shout my name. I grin in his direction and hear a wolf whistle. I wonder if he did it. Somehow, I manage to accept my diploma and move my tassel without doing anything silly. I'm back in my seat when Will crosses the stage. He's popular, so the applause he gets is huge. I scream as loud as I can and hope he hears me. The only funny part of accepting our diplomas is when JJ goes up to get his. He pauses to kiss every female teacher on the cheek.

Once our whole class has their diplomas, our principal declares us graduated, and we all yell and throw our caps in the air. I have my name written in mine, and somebody hands it to me a couple minutes later. Our parents empty the stands and come to take pictures. As a mass, we start to make our way outside where there is more room. I see Will across the way with his parents. I start to walk over, but his mom gives me a weird look so I find my family instead. We take a ton of pictures and then even more once Will walks over to join us. He hugs me and gives me a sweet kiss in front of my parents. This dinner is going to be torture.

I walk over with Will to his car. We're meeting my parents at The Cheesecake Factory. When I take off my gown, his eyes widen, and he shakes his head. He's wearing a navy blue suit with a light blue shirt and patterned tie under his gown. When we're both in the car, I look to make sure my parents aren’t around before I grab him by the tie and kiss him. I can't wait to go to Bravo's. Will keeps his hand on my thigh as we drive to the restaurant, his thumb moving slowly back and forth. His touch does something to me. I wonder if he feels the same way.

We have a short wait for our table. Will sits next to me, and I gasp when he puts his hand on my thigh again, grateful for tablecloths.

"Are you alright, dear?" my mother asks.

"Oh, um, my seat is cold." I shiver.

"It is cold in here," my father agrees. "You should have brought a sweater."

Will slips off his jacket and helps me put it on before putting his hand back.

"What a gentleman," my mother gushes at Brian. Will moves his hand further up my leg.

He chokes on his water when I return the favor and put my hand in his lap. "Are you alright?" my dad asks.

Will gulps then says, "Fine, sir. Just went down the wrong pipe."

"So polite," my mother gushes over Will. "Don't you think Sarah looks pretty tonight?"

"Mother," I shriek.

Will squeezes my leg. "Yes, Mrs. Miller. I think she looks beautiful tonight and every night. I’m the luckiest guy in the world."

My mother looks at me with an expression like, 'see, even Will says you're pretty.’ I roll my eyes. If she only knew. Will's hand stays on my leg our entire dinner. We are so stuffed my parents end up taking our cheesecake to go so we can eat it tomorrow. Outside of the restaurant, we all hug before Will and I take off. I notice Brian saying something to him so I ask him about it once we're in his car.

Will cringes. "He told me he's going to chop off my hand if I can't keep my hands to myself and that he's not ready to be an uncle."

Will laughs at my horrified expression and puts his hand back on my leg. It's a thirty-minute drive out to the lake house. I am Will's navigator and read off directions from a print out Bravo