"Are you ready?" Haley walked up to Justin who was tying his tie.
"I can't believe I have to give the eulogy."
"Well you were her best friend."
"I don't even know what I'm going to say."
"You haven't written it yet?"
"It's written I just didn't write it."
"Who wrote it then?"
"Here you go." JC walked in and handed him a stack of index cards.
"Thanks."
"Now it's chronically in order of occurance. It's a 3x5 timeline of her life. I put footnotes too they've been highlighted."
"OK thanks." He folded up the cards and stuck them in his pocket.
"You wrote it for him?"
"He told me to."
"Oh well that makes it OK then."
"Now make sure you read over in case you have any question. Oh and before I forget I put stress marks above places where you need to emphasize."
"We better head over to the church." They walked out from Justin's room and out the front door of the parsonage. They walked across his lawn and into the church. Then through the sanctuary and up to the pulpit.
"Hi Dad." Justin said.
"Reverend." JC nodded.
"So, you ready big day?"
"I'm kinda nervous, what if her family doesn't like what I wrote."
"Listen son, I've given my share of bad sermons, and there's one thing I know, if the shoe don't fit it ain't yours." JC and Haley were confused.
"You're right dad. Thanks I think I can do it now."
"Um Reverend, what does that mean?" JC asked.
"It means if you're doing something you don't know how to do, don't do it."
"That doesn't help him he has to do it anyway."
"It helped me, so don't say anything to get me confused."
"OK whatever helps you read that beautiful speech."
"Is it really beautiful? You sure are modest." Haley obsevered.
"It's poetry in motion."
"This stuff ryhmes?"
"No, some of the best poetry doesn't ryhme. Haven't you heard of Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost."
"Yes I have that Frost guy he's the one that nips at your nose around Christmas time."
"OK, ya know what I gotta leave." He walked away from the pulpit.
"Wait up for me." Haley followed him to the back where the others were.
"What time is it?" JC asked.
"10:55."
"We better sit down it'll start soon." They walked up to their seats and sat down. As soon as their seats were taken Justin's dad walked up to the pulpit.
"Ladies and Gentlemen we gather today to mourn the lost of Paige Margret Tyler. We thank the Lord above for letting her grace our presence for the short time that she did." His dad continued to speak then it was time for Justin's eulogy. He walked up there and pulled out the cards JC made for him, at the same time JC pulled out a second copy. Haley looked over at him.
"Do you want a copy I got it memorized." JC whispered.
"No thanks." She whispered back. Justin stared at the hundreds of people looking at him. He cleared his throat and began reading JC's speech.
"For everyone who knew Paige knows she will be missed by everyone who's life she had touch." JC stared up at him. He was reading it very dully. He turned to Haley.
"He's forgetting the stress marks. He's butchering my beautiful words."
"Shhh." Justin continued having trouble with big words or not putting empahsize on words JC had marked. After the service Paige's mother walked up to Justin.
"Justin that was a beautiful eulogy you gave today. You said it with so much passion." JC rolled his eyes.
"Thank you Mrs. Tyler." She walked away from them. "Thanks for the great speech JC, everyone loved it."
"You're welcome, but let's get out of here it's making me so sad."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joey was sitting in the princpal's office, 3 months later.
"Excuse me, Claire could please call Haley Charles down to my office?" Mr. Thomas said before coming in the room.
"What did she do?"
"This isn't about her, this is about you."
"Oh, that whole jello thing, I'm sorry."
"What jello thing?"
"Um, nevermind so what's going on?"
"I've been reviewing your permanent record. It appears that unfortunately we have to hold you back a year."
"What?"
"Actually, we should've held you back a couple years ago."
"So I'm stupid."
"You're not stupid, you're just slow. You spend more time in this office than in any of your classes." There was a knock on the door. "Come in."
"Oh I didn't know you were with someone, oh hi Joey."
"Hi." He said sadly.
"Why so glum, sugar plum?"
"I have to stay here another year."
"Excuse me, this will take a really quick second. Congratulations are in order."
"What did I do?"
"Nothing, except you are this year's valedictorian."
"Nuh-huh. You must be wrong it ain't me."
"I'm pretty sure it is."
"I think you wanna talk to JC he's the smart one not me."
"No, you beat him by 2 tenths of a point."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"I can't accept this honor sir, I want JC to have it."
"But..."
"I'm really flattered, but this doesn't mean anything to me. He's worked so hard to try and get this and I want him to have it."
"If you say so."
"I do, but I would appreciate it if you didn't tell him that I really won."
"Very well then, you two are dismissed." They got up and left the room.
"What did you do that for?"
"What?"
"Now, all we're going to hear is how he's so smart."
"He doesn't say that."
"He always corrects me you know, whom, whom, whom. Sometimes it's who!"
"He needs this more than me. My daddy ain't going to kill me if I don't get it, his will."
"Why would his dad kill you?"
"Not me him, kill him."
"Ohh."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JC, Jenny, and Joey were sitting outside and Mr. Thomas came up to them.
"JC, just the one I was looking for, congratulations are in order."
"What?"
"You are this year's valedictorian."
"Oh, surprise."
"Yes, very well now carry on children. I'll see you next year Joseph." He walked off.
"What does that mean?"
"It means he'll see me next year when I go to school for another year here."
"I'm sorry."
"It's OK I think I'll get Haley to tutor to me." JC broke out laughing. "What so funny?"
"It's just you would turn to Haley, who obviously doesn't have a smart thought in her head instead of me the valedictorian." Joey rolled his eyes.
"Hey, don't say that about her, she's smarter than you."
"I know she's your best friend, but come on she's a ditz, flakey you know not all the crayons are in the box."
"You're right, she is stupid. She was stupid for giving up her being valedictorian for a jerk like you." He started to walk away.
"Wait! What does that mean?" He turned around.
"Nothing I promised I wouldn't tell."
"You have to now."
"Fine, she actually beat you by two tenth of a point, but it means so much to you, she let you have it."
"Oh." He sat thinking for a second.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Graduation Day~
"Hey guys, I'm proud of you. You all look so grown up. I'm gonna miss you." Joey said. "I gotta go get my seat now." He left.
"We gotta go get in line."
"Yeah." They walked over and stood in line.
"Hey, Haley." JC whispered.
"Yeah?" Mr. Thomas walked by.
"Oh Mr. Thomas."
"Yes?"
"I want Haley to be valedictorian."
"Why it's yours?"
"No it's not Joey told me what you did."
"Remind me to thank him." She said sarcastically.
"I want you to get up there and talk."
"But I don't have a speech prepared."
"You know me." He pulled out a stack of index cards. "Remember the stress marks."
"You want me to read all of this."
"Just the first and the last one the others don't matter it's just me showing off. Ya know like the capital of Albania."
"Oh yeah Tiranė."
"Yeah, just don't butcher my beautiful words."
"I will try to do justice to this."
"OK enough chit-chat let's get this over with." Mr. Thomas ran off to get ready.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And finally Yolanda Zellinger, and I present to you the class of 2000." They all threw their hats in the air and cheered.
