Wes and Toren by J.M. Colail Page A

to your place.”

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    J. M. Colail

    IT was unseasonably warm for mid-June and the auditorium wasn’t air-conditioned. The ceremony was needlessly long and rather boring. By the end, everyone in the audience used their programs as fans and from the stage, it looked like a whole bunch of giant, white butterflies. I felt dizzy from the heat, but I managed to walk all the way across the stage without tripping. I fingered the rolled sheet of paper with the red ribbon tied around it while the closing remarks were being made.
    Outside, students gathered with their families, but the warm, summer breeze didn’t offer much relief. Mom took nearly a whole roll of film before she even let me take off the polyester cap and gown. Alycia flitted around, chatting with her friends in the graduating class until she found Wesley.
    I blushed at the sight of him. He wore gray dress pants and a white, short-sleeve, button-down shirt with a black and gray striped tie. He looked really cute, even though his shoes didn’t match and his hair was all over the place. He seemed a little awkward in that kind of outfit, which made him all the cuter.
    He smiled and walked over to me, giving me a brief, platonic hug.
    He laughed and whispered in my ear, “Finally, the end of the oppressive education machine.” Then, he leaned a little closer. “You look really cute today.”
    I smiled and patted his back the way a friend would, then greeted Mr. and Mrs. Carroll. Wesley introduced his parents to Mom and Alycia and then he introduced his brother, who drove in from Pennsylvania just Wes & Toren
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    to surprise him. I was excited to meet him; Wesley mentioned that he had a brother, but he didn’t talk about his family much.
    Scott was taller than Wesley was and thicker with muscle; he had a football player’s physique and a cute, boyish face. He looked every bit the three years older than Wesley that he was, but I may have mistaken that for maturity. He seemed genuinely excited to see his brother, but Wesley seemed rather indifferent.
    Mom pushed me next to Wesley and pulled out her camera again.
    She made us put our caps and gowns back on and then took another dozen pictures. Wesley put his arm around my shoulders and when his parents weren’t looking, he slid his hand around my waist.
    “Oh! We’re going out for dinner to celebrate. Wanna come with us?” Alycia asked giddily. She tried to make it sound like she just thought of it, but I could tell by her smile that she had planned on asking.
    Mom didn’t miss a beat either. “Oh, what a good idea! Yes, we’d love if you’d join us,” she chimed in, smiling broadly.
    “That sounds like fun,” Mrs. Carroll answered, clapping her hands together. “Sure, we’d love to!” She looked at Mr. Carroll, who remained solemn but agreed.
    While our parents were discussing restaurant options, Jen and Olivia ran toward us, calling Wesley’s name. Jen bumped into me as she put her arm around Wesley. She glared at me briefly then whispered
    “sorry” with an edge of sarcasm. I stepped to the side as Olivia focused her camera on Wesley and Jen. Wesley glanced over at me and rolled his eyes and I felt a pang of jealousy as Jen wound her arm around Wesley’s waist.
    Alycia nudged me with her elbow, then crossed her arms and furrowed her brows. “Just who the hell does she think she is?” She tossed me a look from the corner of her eye and I couldn’t help but smile at her vicarious jealousy. “Hey, Wes! We’re leaving for dinner now!”
    Alycia called, staring directly at Jen.
    Wesley smiled and with a flick of his hand dismissed Jen and Olivia. Jen called out after him, telling him that they should get together soon. Wesley waved over his shoulder without looking back. Alycia 88
    J. M. Colail

    pushed me into Wesley and he laid his hand on my shoulder. Alycia grinned at Jen and, with a sense of satisfaction, we left for dinner.
    The restaurant was a fancy, Italian place with real cloth napkins,