...And also these.

[thespaceopera]

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Comments

Graduation Tassel

[notmutantbutmiracle]

Hmmm... Why not back on the highway then?

[As she offers a decision, the graduation tassel catches her eye. She had noticed it before, but had not thought anything of it at first--thinking it was merely some car decoration. However, a closer look seemed to imply then it was more than just some random decorative piece. She reaches out a hand and spins the threads in her fingers.]

[unfulfilledpotential]

Uh, sure-- [Before he can get them back onto the highway, she's already touching the tassel. The second she does, the road ahead of them fades, and the car comes to a halt as a memory plays before their eyes.

An elderly man stands behind the podium at a graduation ceremony, with a large banner for the Class of '98 hanging behind him. "Now, it's time to introduce our valedictorian, a student who exemplifies academic excellence as well as extracurricular achievement and social conscience... Ladies and Gentleman, Ms. Topanga Lawrence."

As the young woman takes her place on the podium, she says, "Thank you, Mr. Feeny. My fellow class members of '98, I am very honored to be your valedictorian and I worked very hard on this speech. However, I'm not going to give it - because I know somebody who could give a much better speech than I ever could. Ladies and gentleman, my good friend, Shawn Hunter."

Shawn, who had been sitting in the front row, says to a friend, "Hey, you only go to high school once," as he stands up and hugs the young woman as tightly as he can.

Once he takes his place, Shawn begins by thanking Topanga before beginning with, "I attended John Adams High School sporadically during the last four years. I barely have a C average. That's why I'm here. Mr. Feeny asked us to write about what we were feeling this week - and of course, I was feeling like I always do, I couldn't wait to get out of here." He stares at the audience, the nervousness clear in his eyes. "But now, high school is over. Just when I'm finally free, I find myself sneaking back into this place and sitting in the hall, thinking about my friends and all the time we spent here.

And you, Mr. Feeny," Shawn points to the elderly man who had spoken earlier. There's so much pride in his voice - from that sentence alone, you know Shawn and this man have a long history together. "I started thinking about you. How you've always told us what to do, without ever telling us what to do. You taught us about life. I was thinking about how much this place has been my home - and how many times I screwed up while I was here, how I coulda done better. ... I'm sorry. I coulda done better. Congratulations to those of you who did."

Mr. Feeny comes up to him, right as the speech ends, and says as he pats Shawn's shoulder, "That was a fine paper. No one could've done better."

The memory fades back into the highway, and the car again cruises as a decent speed, but Shawn looks almost pensive as he stares ahead at the road.]

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[This time as the memory ends and Wanda finds herself back in the car, there are tears in her eyes. She doesn't quite remember how or when they got there, but that didn't seem to stop them from falling. She quickly wipes them away on her sleeve, looking a little confused but also still a lingering sadness. What made it all the more peculiar for her is she cannot remember ever going to school in the traditional sense. She never went to a building on a daily basis to study topics, such as math, history, or literature. She never had the opportunity to make friends with classmates. Yet, the emotions were there as if she had just experienced all of that.]

[unfulfilledpotential]

[Shawn peers over at her, not quite sure if he should call attention to her tears - girls, in his experience, never liked it when you saw those. So instead, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pack of tissues.

His smile's sympathetic, even if it doesn't quite reach his eyes.]

I said I could've done better then, but... the more I think about it, the less convinced of that I am.

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[She accepts the packet of tissues from Shawn, turning slightly away from him to wipe the tears from her eyes. It was honestly a little odd, the emotions felt authentic, and yet they came from a source that was not. The memories were truly not her own, yet they seemed to illicit such a powerful response from her. She doesn't say anything at first, not until she feels satisfied that she's appropriately regained her composure.]

Why... why do you say that?

[unfulfilledpotential]

[It's weird, how easily he's pouring his heart out to a complete stranger, but... it feels natural too. Dream logic. Shawn's never going to understand it.]

Well... grade-wise, yeah. I could've put a lot more effort into my studies. But when you think about the friends I made? And the time I spent with my teachers, and like, the experiences I had with them?

I put my whole heart into those, and I got really good relationships out of them so.... I can't say that "I coulda done better." Because I did more than better.

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[Wanda nods her head, finishing drying her eyes and offering the package of tissues back to Shawn.]

From what I have seen, I would say that you certainly did more than "better."

[unfulfilledpotential]

[He shakes his head. Consider the tissues a dream present!]

Thanks. Um, I know it's weird introducing myself considering that I must be dreaming you up - but I'm Shawn. Sorry you had to hear my speech before you actually met me.

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[She giggles a little, smirks, and then gives her own name in response.]

Wanda.

Thank you for sharing it with me, even though you hadn't met me yet.

[unfulfilledpotential]

You're welcome.

Hey, uh - don't worry about anything else you might stumble on. My life's an open book, as far as I'm concerned. [In the waking world, not so much, but there's something comfortable about a road trip and the music and just everything combined.]

[notmutantbutmiracle]

Really?

[She cocks an eyebrow, and a playful smile spreads onto her face.]

Your entire life? Even your more embarrassing moments?

[unfulfilledpotential]

Depends on your definition of embarrassing. [He returns that smile right back at her!]

I did barely pass high school. Mostly 'cause I slept through half of it.

[notmutantbutmiracle]

You can do better than that. You must have at least one or two moments that you are embarrassed by? No practical jokes or pranks played on your behalf?

[unfulfilledpotential]

Oh, there were plenty of pranks. I wasn't really embarrassed by them.

[Except, right after he says that, he winces, because there sure came a memory flooding back into his brain...]

Well, there was one time. Dad wanted to try and get money the legal way, so he was uh, a school custodian for a while. That, I was proud of. The other kids insulting him for it? Way less cool.

[notmutantbutmiracle]

[The smile dips from Wanda's face, replaced with a look of sympathetic concern.]

I am sorry. I did not mean to- I'm sorry.