There’s been so much again, that’s happened lately, yet I could never bring myself to type about it unless I can’t get it off my mind by some other way.. The scene is that Thursday was my graduation day out of high school, but it was also my one year mark since being with my girlfriend. On Monday, my mom randomly tells me that she wants to go to my graduation, then she begins to yell at me for not telling her when it was, and a whole bunch of other bs. I tell her that I didn’t tell her because she probably didn’t want to go to it anyway since she’s never been to my performances for Homecoming, Battle, VSU, Choir, etc. but then she starts to change the subject again. I then tell her that I have tickets, and that I’m giving her one, but then she says that she needs two because my six year old sister wants to go as well. When I tell her that it’s for my girlfriend, she begins to lash out on me, asking questions like, “why do you always bring her everywhere,” and, “why does she always have to be next to you,” or, “your family comes first before she does.” Next thing I know, she begins to talk about how my brother was so much better, when he was the one who yells Fuck you straight to her face and talks crap about her religion. I didn’t want to deal with it anymore so I go upstairs.
On Wednesday, the day before graduation, she begins to yell at me to go get my gown so she can iron it. I decide to bring up the times of the graduation ceremony, so then she would know when to wake and get ready, which would be at 9:00AM for me, and 10:00AM for her. I ask her to drive me along, since I now know that she’s going, and she tells me no, because she doesn’t want to wake up that early and do nothing for an hour. And so I began to ask around for those who could’ve drove me to San Jose State University the next day. Luckily I found a ride from a friend, and I was excited to see my friends for possibly the last day in my life, and reconnect with old ones who came to watch.
That morning, I wake up early and get ready and my girlfriend comes over to get the ride as well. My mom then wakes up about 20 minutes before I leave and starts to iron the gown while saying that I probably took it out this morning because she didn’t see it last night. When my friend shows up at the door to drive me, she refers to him as, “this guy,” and starts talking to me in a disgusted voice as if she hated him just because he was driving me. I ignore it and get in the car, and we all start heading down to SJSU. On the way, I call my mom once more to remind her, and she confirms it.
When the ceremony started and we walked in, I kept looking around, but didn’t see any sign of my girlfriend, friends, or my mom and sister. But as the ceremony went on, it got to the point where it was my turn to go up and receive the diploma case thing, and I see my girlfriend on the side taking pictures of me and cheering me on. When I get closer, she tells me that my mom isn’t even there yet. She wasn’t even going to see me walk across the stage. I was saddened, but I still hid my smile throughout the rest of the ceremony. But as the last group of students walk up, a bundle of leis start to come down the row for me, so I knew that she came way too late. When I get out, I see my girlfriend and my sister waiting for me, and my mom wasn’t even there. We celebrate a little bit and begin to walk out. My mom eventually finds us and starts making us pose for pictures and such. The only time I got to myself to take pictures with friends was because they happened to walk by.I couldn’t even see my friends one last time. The very last time before we all split off in different directions, and I couldn’t even get a last photo with most of them. Especially my best friend who I wanted to see one last time. But no. We had to leave. I tried to stall and look for my friends.. See if anybody wanted to go out and eat so I could at least celebrate my graduation.. I couldn’t find anyone. I felt like it wasn’t even my graduation anymore because my mom would be pressuring me to leave the entire time. About 5 minutes after the ceremony, we left. I didn’t argue with her.
I cried the entire trip home. I couldn’t see my friends one last time. I would have no lasting memory of them. I wouldn’t be able to eat out with them one last time. I wouldn’t be able to spend that last day of high school as high schooler. I wouldn’t even be able to actually graduate from high school. I hid it from her and my sister, but my girlfriend easily saw me breaking down and she cried the entire trip with me.
We got back to my house, and then my mom left soon after so that I could take care of my sister again. I kept crying on girlfriend’s lap. I felt like a little kid who was betrayed. It could’ve been the worst day of my life. But then my girlfriend reminded me. It was exactly one year since we’ve been together. She talked and talked to me. She raised my spirits up and somehow made me smile again. She convinced me to be happy, and to stay strong. If it wasn’t for her, I would have probably been in my room crying alone for the rest of what should have been one of the happiest days of my life. The rest of the day sort of flew by. One of my friends came over and hung out, and the night came. I slept happy that night.