Chapter 4
A Graduation Party
The interview had gone poorly but Tegan still managed to secure a partial honors scholarship on top of a $700 Incoming Freshman scholarship with the portfolio of drawings Tegan had done with her colored pencil art teacher. Tegan’s friend, Gayle, was confident larger scholarships awaited her. Tegan wasn’t so sure.
Graduation came at the very beginning of June and Tegan was able to sit next to Mike during the ceremony. When she went up on stage to receive her diploma she was beaming and not because she was excited to be graduating high school. To her, this was no big deal. Everybody graduated high school so, what was so special about it? Still, when her friend Gayle told her to tell the gas attendant that she had just graduated high school, she did as she was told and for a brief moment felt that maybe it was something special after all.
The next day began the graduation parties and although all through high school Tegan hadn’t attended a single party or dance she was suddenly making an appearance at half a dozen parties. It was mostly because she was a follower and was just following her friends around bouncing from party to party.
Richard had given Tegan an invitation to his party but she hadn’t planned on going until she heard her favorite teacher, Frau, who had retired the year before, would be there. Tegan went in hopes of seeing her but she never showed.
Tegan found herself at one point in the kitchen of Richard’s house trying to open the cooler to get a drink. But there was some sort of locking mechanism on it that took her way longer than it should have to figure out. As she stumbled through opening the cooler and at the same time feeling foolish and self-conscious she was unknowingly being watched.
Richard’s brother, Charles, was also in the kitchen, on the other side, standing with his long-time friend, Dave, who, in his early twenties was already large and balding. Charles was floored by the girl in the white wolf T-Shirt helplessly fumbling with the cooler. She looked out of place somehow. Almost as if she didn’t belong on this planet. She was just too cute.
Dave said, “Forget it, she’s way out of your league.”
Now If Tegan had overheard this, she wouldn’t have believed it. She always felt far from beautiful. Tegan struggled with a negative perception. She thought her eyes were too deep-set and eyebrows too low and thin, making her eyes appear small, her forehead too shallow, skin too pale. It felt to her that the “beauty mark” on her upper lip was mocking her. She was the last person on earth to deserve a “beauty” mark. She did however like her nose — the one feature her sister and her did share — with its small indent just above the bulb, giving it a distinction from other “boring” unindented noses.
Tegan left the kitchen without ever noticing the boys were there. She found herself in the foyer with Richard and his new girlfriend. Tegan didn’t know this girl well and she was definitely not someone with whom Tegan would ever be friends. She was surprised that Richard would date someone like her since they were polar opposites. Richard was uptight, always followed the rules, and was working hard to prepare himself for a successful future. Kathy, on the other hand, was into drugs and partied like she didn’t have one. Her parents were wealthy and perhaps that’s what Richard liked about her. Richard always placed an abnormal emphasis on money.
Tegan was on the banister in the foyer with Richard and Kathy when Richard began talking about his brother.
“Charles works so hard at college, you know, he could have graduated this year — after just 3 years — and then this would be a double graduation party!”
“Yeah, but he has no life,” Kathy said.
Tegan didn’t really know Charles, except for the rumors that he was a modern-day genius. But she could relate to putting academics over “fun,” and thought Kathy’s comment was rude. But as usual, she remained silent.
Just as she was about to leave, Mike showed up! Tegan was thrilled to see him even if he was with Andrea so she followed them back to the party for just a bit longer. When she finally did leave, Tegan twirled around happily on her way back to her car and as she turned around back toward the house, noticed someone watching her from the back patio. Embarrassed but happy, Tegan ran to her car.
