Prologue
Our class of fifty seniors lines up outside of the gymnasium in our blue caps and gowns, awaiting our cue to start walking. Mr. Stewart, our Principal, stops talking at the podium, and the music begins. In a single file line, we make our entrance, and the applauding begins from our friends, families, and underclassmen.
As we fill the rows of chairs that were reserved for us in front of the podium and projection screen, Mr. Stewart stands once again. He and Mrs. Vice go through all of the scholarships; some of the seniors got good ones, but my two sisters and I got full ride scholarships to University of Georgia. Studies come easy for me, and I helped my sisters along the way, causing them to get just as good of grades as I did. Thanks to our efforts, the University offered all three of us a full ride for academic excellence.
Mr. Stewart announces, “That is all for the scholarships.” There’s a round of applause for all of us that stood, walked up front, and received our scholarship acknowledgements. Mr. Stewart goes on, “Our valedictorian is an outstanding student. She holds a 4.0 GPA, she had straight A’s throughout her time in high school, and she participated in many extracurricular activities. Please give a warm welcome to Callie Fisher, who will now be delivering her valedictorian speech.”
Standing, I walk back up to the podium with my folded-up piece of paper on hand in case I forget something. I shake hands with and thank Mr. Stewart before facing my fellow classmates and the crowd gathered in the bleachers. Leaning towards the mic, I start my speech.
“As I look around this gymnasium full of friends, family, and underclassmen who have gathered here today to celebrate the end of this chapter of our lives, I want to tell y’all a story. There’s a woman in this crowd that, eighteen years ago, had 3 babies. At one time! All three were girls, and she raised them by herself for most of their lives. Yes, she worked a lot, and she worked hard for her family, but she taught those girls everything they needed to know about making it on their own when they grew up. Now, as I stand here today, eighteen years later, I can say that no matter the mistakes or accomplishments we have made, she has stood by our sides. I know that no matter where life takes us she will always be there cheering us on. I hope today we made you proud, Momma.”
I look out at the bleachers full of people and find her in the crowd, then blow her a kiss and continue on. “Today marks a day in our lives that we will never forget. It’s our graduation day. As we look among the crowd of people that sit in front of us today, we reflect on the past four years. We have experienced many things during this time in our lives. We have cheered for each other, shed tears with each other—and we may have had experiences that our parents should never know about.” That gets the crowd laughing and, when they settle down, I finish up my last bit.
“To my classmates today: We can close the book on this part of our lives, so take a good look around and hold all of your memories in your heart forever. We have built moments here in the last four years, and while some should be forgotten, I’m sure others should go down in the hall of fame. In the end, remember where you came from, never give up on your dreams, and always reach for the stars. Congratulations to us, we did it! Happy Graduation!” The crowd and graduates erupt with clapping and yelling.
Mr. Stewart calls name after name to receive their diplomas. “Callie Elaine Fisher.” As I walk up the stairs, our guidance counselor congratulates me and shakes my hand. Mrs. Vice hands me a rose and also shakes my hand, then Mr. Stewart places the diploma in one hand, shakes the other, and says, “Congratulations.” I walk down the opposite set of steps and hear, “Cayden Marie Fisher.” A few minutes later, he says, “Cydney Rose Fisher.” We did it! The Georgia Peaches have graduated high school and are about to go on to the University of Georgia in Athens this fall—and they won’t know what hit them with us triplets.
When we were looking at different colleges to attend, we were kind of set on the University of Georgia even before we found out they were offering us all a full ride scholarship. One of the perks is that it isn’t far from home, only a couple hours’ drive away. We don’t want to get too far away from Momma.
The campus is unlike anything I’ve ever seen with its fresh green grass, trees you can lean against while studying, and the brick buildings that give it a historical feel. It should feel historic, since it was founded in the 1700s. Some of the buildings have those thick white pillars lining the front, making them look like mansions rich people live in. Some have more than one story, so when you’re pulling into the parking lot they’re the first you see, and it’s a beautiful sight at night when they’re lit up.
Wide sidewalks run along the perimeter of each building and connect, leading you to the different buildings. When we did our tour, I asked how big the campus was and they told me 762 acres. There are 465 buildings on campus. That’s freaking huge! To me, anyway, having come from the little town of Senoia, which doesn’t even have a population of five thousand.
We’re ready to see what college life has in store for us, and hopefully we don’t get ourselves in too much trouble, because the men on campus outnumber the women. With the three of us, you can never be sure. We are three southern ladies that like to have fun, party, and sometimes get a little dirty.