Rose was
happier than she had ever been. It was
her last day of high school and the senior prom was scheduled for tomorrow
night. Tony had asked her to be his date
and Rose and her mom had bought her first formal dress just last evening. Though money had been tight since her dad’s
death, five years ago, her mom insisted on buying the dress, telling Rose that
she deserved it after performing so well in high school.
In fact, Rose was elected to be the class
Valedictorian and had been accepted to Stanford’s College of Architecture. Since her childhood days, she was fascinated
with modern buildings whenever her family would visit the city. Having been raised in a small, farming town,
the size and beauty of those structures never failed to inspire her.
Last fall, when she and her mother visited
the campus, the possibility of her acceptance seemed far-fetched and Rose had
second thoughts about her goal. Leaving
her mom and younger sister would be difficult and, despite her stellar grades
in high school, she wondered if she had the inner strength to succeed at the
college level.
But now, on her last day of high school, she
had no doubt that she had made the right decision. Following the prom and her graduation
ceremony next week, she would begin her last season as a lifeguard at her
town’s community pool. She looked
forward to a relaxing summer and, hopefully, to a few more dates with Tony
before she left for college.
He had become a good friend since moving to
town during their junior year and she couldn’t ask for a more kind and handsome
companion. In fact, Tony was her first
and only boyfriend, reflecting her devotion to both her education and the needs
of her family. The possibility of a
future marriage often crossed her mind but a college degree would have to come
first and he had plans to join the Air Force.
Entering the Art Room for the final time,
she hung up her backpack and walked over to Mr. Moyer’s desk, thanking him for
his inspiration and for the letter of recommendation, a glowing report that
surely eased her way into Stanford. He,
of course, offered his best wishes and asked her to stay in touch through the
years.
As she was expressing her intent to do so, a
series of pops echoed through the hallway.
Suspecting that one of her classmates had set off fireworks to celebrate
their final day, Rose opened the door and turned to face the prankster. She did not get a look at him and never had
another thought.
Five days later, three days before her
planned graduation, Rose was buried in her prom dress.
