Passing the Flame Part 1

By B. McIntosh




“Can you believe it Dawn?” Elaine whispered excitedly, “next year that will be us up there. We’re going to be graduating from high school!” “I know! It is unreal! It seems like not too long ago we were leaving primary school and now here we are, at the end of our eleventh grade year.”

Did you ever think we’d be here Dawn? I mean, think about some of the things that happened since we started high school. I didn’t think our friendship would survive, I didn’t think we would survive …”

“Well it’s not over yet” Dawn whispered jokingly, “give it time.”

“Dawn! I’m being serious…,” Elaine whispered annoyed. However, she quickly quiet down as the indignant eyes of the lady next to her turned their way. “Do you mind?” They seemed to say. “I would like to hear what’s going on.”

Dawn giggled quietly as she saw Lainie’s mouth close mid sentence. “Wow, she thought I haven’t seen anyone have that effect on Lainie for a long time. Her laughter however was short lived as she felt Elaine poked her in the side. This time Elaine giggled as she heard Dawn’s gasp.

Simultaneously it seemed, from left, right and in front, several annoyed, chastising eyes turned their way. Careful not to look at each other both girls sat up, with their hands in their laps, lips tightly compressed to hold back laughter as they listened to hear what was being said to the class of 2009.

“Class of 2009, ” the graduation speaker was saying. “As you leave here and walk into a new phase of your life I want you to always remember the words of this song by Rascal Flatts. As he finished speaking, the music which had been playing quietly in the background as he neared the end of his speech was turned up on these words…

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget, All the ones who love you, in the place you left, I hope you always forgive, and you never regret, and you help somebody every chance you get, Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake, and always give more then you take.

But more than anything, Yeah, and more than anything, My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small, You never need to carry more than you can hold, and while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, Yeah, this, is my wish.

“Class of 2009, this is my wish for you,” he finished as he turned and walked to his seat to the thunderous applause of the graduating class and the audience.

“That is so beautiful!” Dawn whispered to Elaine. She saw several of their friends who were graduating wiping tears from their eyes as it really dawned on them, life as they knew it was over.

The rest of the graduation ceremony passed quickly and Dawn and Elaine pushed their way through the crowd to hug their friends who were now officially high school graduates. “We’re passing the flame to you girls now,” one of them smiled as she hugged Dawn and Elaine. “It’ll be your time to shine soon.”
“Next year it will be us,” Dawn said echoing what Elaine had said earlier. “Lainie, we are almost there…”

I know I said Dawn and Elaine would be graduating but they weren’t quite ready. They wanted to share their senior year with you. It’s been quite a while since my senior year so I’m a little lost. How about sending me some ideas on what should happen with Dawn & Elaine over the next few issues.

(Fiction)