Page 51 of Our Moon
“I’m sure you were,” she smiles, patting my leg again.
“So Mr. Monroe isn’t going to kill me?”
She stifles another laugh. “No. There will be no killing. Though I can’t speak for Trevor and Alex,” she grins. She has the same grin as Ally, or Ally has the same grin as her. Whatever. I just got the “all clear” from my secret girlfriend’s parents, and I couldn’t be happier. Not even death threats from Trevor and Alex could bring me down right now. I couldn’t hide my smile if I tried.
“And now we present to you, our graduates,” Principal Daniels states from the podium. We turn our attention to the front. Alphabetically, Ally and Alex are somewhere in the middle, so we’ve got a little ways to go.
“Jonathan Miller,” he eventually says and Mrs. Monroe readies her camera, knowing Alex will be next. “Alexander Monroe,” he says. We all whoop and holler as Alex walks across the stage and accepts his diploma. He gives a big grin and a wink to the crowd as he shakes the principal’s hand. He steps off to the side, not leaving the stage just yet. I know he’s waiting for Ally.
“Allyson Monroe,” Principal Daniels calls. We whoop and holler again when Ally’s name is called, Alex as well, startling Principal Daniels because he didn’t realize he was waiting beside him. I smile as my girl takes her diploma and shakes his hand. Then laugh as Alex grabs her in a bear hug and spins her around. She swats at him, but I can tell she’s laughing, too, loving that she gets to share this moment with him.
Mr. and Mrs. Monroe have tears in their eyes as they watch the scene. Trevor is holding his cell phone up, capturing video, I’m sure. And Mrs. Monroe hasn’t stopped clicking on her camera. I’m sure they were probably like this when Trevor and I graduated, too.
The ceremony eventually wraps up, and Ally and Alex take pictures with some of their classmates. Mr. and Mrs. Monroe talk with some of the other parents, while Trevor, Joey and I hang out off to the side waiting on them.
“Where’s dinner?” Joey asks, referring to the celebratory dinner we will be having after we get out of here.
“Where do you think?” Trevor sighs.
“Lombardi’s,” I supply.
“Figures,” Joey laughs.
After Ally let Alex pick their birthday restaurant, she insisted that she get to choose their graduation restaurant. And Lombardi’s it was. No one was surprised.
“Alright, you kids ready?” Mr. Monroe asks as he and Mrs. Monroe walk over, Alex and Ally trailing behind.
“Yeah,” we three say together.
Mrs. Monroe laughs, “Hungry much?”
“Starving,” Joey answers. He’s always hungry.
“Come on, then,” she wraps her arm around his shoulder and starts walking to the parking lot. “Ally and Alex, I want you to ride with us,” Mrs. Monroe calls out. We rode in two cars because there wasn’t enough room in one, and because we’re planning to split up after dinner.
“Come on, Ma,” Alex whines. “I want to ride with the guys.”
“You’re going to that party with the guys after dinner, you can ride with them then,” she says. “I want my twinnies to ride with me.”
“Just entertain your mother,” Mr. Monroe nudges him.
“Alright,” he agrees dramatically.
“We’ll see you at the restaurant, drive carefully. Watch out for all these people,” Mr. Monroe gestures towards the full parking lot.
“Got it, dad,” Trevor says as we walk off to his car.
Before I follow him, I look over to Ally and catch her eye as she’s talking animatedly to her mom. She smiles a small smile, and I smile back. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough, I can’t wait until our relationship is out in the open, so I can swoop in and hug her or kiss her whenever I want and no one will look at me like I’m crazy. Sure, I might get punched by her brothers, but at least I could hold her hand if I wanted to.
I can’t believe her parents know! And why didn’t they say anything sooner? Ally is going to be so relieved to know that. I can’t wait to tell her. It will make the big reveal tomorrow that much easier.
“You coming, Baker?” Trevor calls.
I take one last, quick look at Ally. “Yeah,” I call out and run to catch up with him and Joey.
“What was that about?” he asks once we’re in the car. I’m riding shotgun and Joey’s in the back, texting away on his phone.
“What’s what about?” I play dumb.
