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by Admin

  Billy had possessed an unusual amount of patience as long as could remember. Maybe it was because he knew that existence wasn't some random thing, that people were put here for a pre-determined amount of time, and to be anxious, to try to hurry things up would only result in missing out on what had been intended, to receive less of the intended gift. He had always felt that he had been created for a special reason, that his life was not in vain, that there was a purpose he was intended for. How Raylee fit into his life, however, remained ambiguous. He opened his eyes and stared at the spread of flowers.

  Had he been wrong? Was this a romantic attraction? He glanced at the violet flower once more. No, that wasn't it, though this connection was definitely special. Perhaps, he ended up determining, it was best not to worry much over it but to let the mystery unravel gradually and naturally, for whatever it was, it was worth waiting for.

  Crystal

  H

  omecoming was around the corner and Crystal had no one to go with. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was indignant. Billy should have been taking her, but he just didn't express any interest in her.

  Looking into the mirror, she pushed her eyes open wider, moved her lips around, huffed, then tried on three different lipsticks and eyeshadows, but nothing made her look significantly prettier. Grumbling, she tried styling her hair with curls, then straightening it, but no matter what she did, she still saw the same Crystal Jordan, who clearly wasn't good enough for Billy Thurman. Humiliation burned through tears that shot down her face.

  There was only one reason he wasn't pursuing her. Raylee Johnson.

  She clutched the corners of her vanity and fumed. Wiping her eyes, she smeared mascara across her face.

  "Great." It was almost time for school and she looked a mess. And she had to get there early to meet up with Gina to discuss their weekend plans.

  Wiping off all of her makeup, she didn't bother putting any on. In the mirror, she honestly didn't look any less pretty. Interesting. Her mom had always counseled her about society's expectations and how good you must look for boys, that her face was too plain to please. For the first time, she was doubting her mom's words.

  It took her a few minutes to find Gina. She must have forgotten they were meeting in the parking lot. Crystal spotted her inside one of the empty classrooms. She was hunched over a table, her hands fiddling with something. As Crystal came closer, she saw that the votes

  for Homecoming Queen were scattered in front of her with the exception of one neatly piled stack. Crystal didn't fail to notice that the ones spread about had the names of girls they didn't like or girls not in their circle of friends. Gina was crumbling the papers and tossing them into a small grocery bag.

  "What are you doing?"

  Gina jumped at the sound of her voice, looked up, then relaxed. "Oh, it's you. Just getting us ready for an exciting dance." She motioned to the discarded pile. "Can't have any losers take the crown."

  Crystal's heart dropped. Gina had been her best friend for years. But she couldn’t' stand there and watch as she fixed the vote. It would be a lie. She didn't know why that should bother her suddenly, but it did. Maybe it was because of Billy. For the first time in her life, a guy didn't like her and that made her reevaluate things, herself in particular, which resulted in a realization that she wasn't perfect, but that she was pretty, and she didn't have to pretend.

  All those years of lying, of acting better than everyone else, had been fun, had made her popular, well-liked, but it had also been exhausting.

  "No, Gina. Put them back."

  "Huh?" Her hand paused in mid-air.

  "Put them back. It's not your decision to make. Let Janie win, or Cara, or any of those girls, it doesn't matter, as long as it's not rigged."

  She scoffed. "This is a joke, right? You're kidding me, right?"

  But Crystal was serious. "No."

  Gina crossed her arms and shook her head. "Fine, but you'll have to do it yourself."

  After that, things between them grew strained

  fast. By the time the end of the school year came around, they had stopped talking to each other. Crystal wished it didn't have to go that way, but Gina made it clear that she wanted nothing more to do with her. They had grown apart.

  Crystal spent most of senior year feeling dejected and rejected. Which is why, when she discovered that she and Billy were chosen as King and Queen at prom, she started to wonder if this might be the turning point in her life. She had never stopped liking Billy. Might this be the very event, a sort of fate, that brought them together?

  The music of their generation popped through the speakers as Billy escorted her in. They hadn't come together as an official couple, but Crystal could at least relish in the fact that they had both been chosen by the school.

  Head of the prom committee, Crystal had chosen a team of students who spent several afternoons carefully planning for the dance. She was pleased to see what an amazing job they had done transforming the gym into a fancy venue. The silver and blue decorations were gorgeous. Strands of soft blue lights were draped around the room, eliciting a romantic glow for partners.

  Her heart was soaring. This was going to be her night, but the conviction of that changed as soon as she saw Raylee. She knew that nothing romantic was going on between Raylee and Billy. But she still felt the unsettling insecurity creeping in anyway. Not wanting anything to ruin this night, she quickly redirected her attention to Billy. He was talking with Henry and David. She felt alone and tried not to cry or look awkward or let that feeling of rejection take over as she filled a plate with snacks.

  Mr. Grabisch took the stage. "Ladies and gentleman, this year’s prom king, Billy, has been a huge blessing for us these four years. He single-handedly began our school's first charity drive to raise funds for Silver Canyon Foster Care." Applause echoed throughout the gym. The morale was high. "He was there to help Coach Powers boost the spirit of our football team even when they didn't believe in themselves. And what happened?”

  "Victory!" the whole room roared.

  "That's right. We won our first game in ten years. But, more importantly, Billy has lightened the darkest of days for many students, be it someone who experienced a loss, to someone who just needed an extra boost in chemistry. Billy, the class of 1994 thanks you and wishes you all the best in your future endeavors." Principal Grabisch stepped away from the microphone and led one last deafening round of applause as he held up the shining crown.

  Several classmates patted Billy on the back as he made his way to the stage. Principal Grabisch proudly placed the crown on Billy's head.

  "Thank you, Principal Grabisch. Your words are more than generous. But I should really thank everyone in this room. Without you, I wouldn't have had reason to accomplish all this.” The crowd went crazy.

  Billy

  B

  illy kept busy outside of school senior year. Unlike a majority of students who had enough credits to breeze through their final year, he was committed to honing his acting skills in preparation for a solid acting career.

  He'd just gotten the acceptance letter from NYU and would be starting the Bachelor's program in film next fall. Aside from a few elementary school plays and middle school shows, the two high school performances were the closest that he'd come to being professional, having starred as the lead in both.

  This year's play ended up being even more funny than last year's, and the turnout had been so successful that they had added two more shows. While his role had been an awesome addition to his resume, it was working with Raylee that had brought him the most delight. Their connection continued to mystify him, but he was just happy to be near her. Whatever she did, or whoever she was, made him feel secure.

  He'd been ecstatic at the news of returning to his hometown, as had his parents, but the thought of being away from Raylee nagged at him. He'd seen her working at Kim's Burgers, but knowing how nervous she was, he'd never gone in. He didn't want to disr
upt her flow.

  He sat back on the couch, watching the muted commercials. Maybe it was better this way. Perhaps they would see each other again, so the distance would give her a chance to grow and become her own person without the intrusion of some guy who made her nervous. Besides, she had Paul McCoy, who was a good guy, and clearly, a good

  loyal friend to her. He still didn't get why she should matter so much to him. He didn't know her all that well, but he felt like they had known each other for years.

  Then there was the prom, where his uncle had covered all of the things that Billy had done for the school and the community throughout the year, which had made him feel a bit on top of the world.

  Crystal ended up impressing him. She had changed considerably from the self-centered girl he'd met into a girl who was trying to find her way. This year, a lot of things had surprised him. In addition to all of the opportunities he'd been given, varsity quarterback, Silver Canyon High’s newspaper head writer, to his social status, he was dumbfounded when he began to develop a liking to Crystal. It wasn't a full-blown desire for her or anything, but he actually liked her. And he simultaneously felt like he was betraying Raylee. A strange conundrum.

  Raylee and her best friend, Paul, moved over to the lemonade and punch table.

  "Having fun, I hope?" Billy came up beside her. Raylee nearly dropped her punch.

  "Yes," she sputtered. “Congratulations.”

  Billy was tickled by how nervous he made her, but he didn't let on that he was aware of it. "Thanks." He looked behind him. "Well, I have to dance with my queen. Have fun." He looked at both Paul and Raylee before heading to the stage where Crystal eagerly awaited him.

  "Isn't this so amazing?"

  "You and your staff did a stupendous job decorating, Crystal. You should be proud."

  She blushed. "Thank you." Then they made their way to the center of the floor and danced their dance as king and queen as almost everyone watched with a mixture of happiness and longing.

  A week before graduation, Billy got word that he would be valedictorian. He accepted the granting with honor, looking forward to sharing this final moment with his classmates and the school staff, all of them who had welcomed him, supported him, and cheered him on these past two years.

  On the morning of their graduation, Billy went through his speech one last time. It was short, but memorable, something he hoped would positively affect the class of '94.

  "Fellow students, we have come far, as others have before us. Though life was sometimes tough, it was also full of fun and laughter and successes that we have only seen the starting lines to. You have been wonderful, all of you." He faced the staff, then his peers. "You welcomed me from another state halfway through high school. Coach Jarvis gave me a shot on the varsity team." Some of the team cheered while the coach nodded.

  "You took us to victory!" Henry shouted, and the crowd roared, not unlike a gladiator stadium.

  Smiling, he proceeded. "You liked me so much that I got to be King again." This time, shouts from everyone. "Thank you for being so supportive. And, so, as we leave this wonderful school and start a new path, remember who your friends are and thank them, thank your parents, your teachers. Don't forget where you came from." He paused, looking at the sea of faces. "This is the beginning of the end!"

  The whole class got to their feet and threw their caps into the air. Billy felt his face break into a grin so wide that it hurt his face. He almost choked on tears, the synchronicity was so beautiful and rare. And inevitable, his mind went to Raylee. She was with Paul, and she was crying and laughing at the same time as they hugged each other. That made Billy feel better about leaving. Indeed, it was time to go.

  Paul

  G

  raduation was over and Paul was back in full swing at work. Instead of going off to college like many of his classmates, he'd decided to stay in Silver Canyon and learn every aspect of his father's business. He figured there was no better way to learn than to do it hands on. His dad was a true business man, one of the best, and he felt honored that he was the one to teach him the trade.

  Staying home also meant more time with Raylee. Kim's Burgers and kept her busy, but she still managed to find time to hang out, usually at their favorite pizza place. She was supposed to have started college in the fall, but she thought it better to earn some money first. The bigger reason, she'd shared, was that she felt unprepared to start the journey. She'd even had doubts if languages was the route she should take. And she'd never been out of Silver Canyon.

  "Raylee, you have this whole list of reasons."

  "I know, it sounds crazy, but I guess I'm just afraid."

  "Well, I'll be here either way."