[CONTENTID1]GRADUATION DAY - 3RD PERSON POV[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]A/N: yay our kids made it to graduation! 

"I can't believe we're graduating." Cleo stared at herself in her pocket mirror, her bountiful hair curled and capped by a black mortarboard with a gold tassel. Penelope did the same, reapplying her pink lipgloss while Suyun peaked at herself in the mirror over her friend's shoulder, fixing her mascara. "Oh my god. We're graduating!" 

"I think I'm gonna throw up," Cassie mumbled, clutching her stomach. Her friend, Rebecca, started patting her back and Tanya flashed her a reassuring smile. Principle Baxter was still delivering his commencement speech and it was obvious the guests were getting as bored as the students themselves. The graduates finally started getting called up, those receiving honours diplomas first. As everyone expected, Penelope got valedictorian. When she went up to collect her scroll, Henrietta, Victoria, Arthur, Nate and Daewon Park stood up, cheering louder than any of the other guests. The rest of the graduates collected their diplomas and it was time for more speeches.

"I present to you the valedictorian of Wilson High's 2015 graduating class, Penelope Park," Principle Baxter announced and the young girl blushed, walking onto the stage and shaking his hand yet again. She stood behind the lectern and placed her hands on it, casting her eyes over the crowd. 

"I'd like to start by thanking you all for coming today, parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, brothers, sisters and, of course, teachers. This is a pivotal point in all of our lives and I think I speak for all of my classmates when I say we could not have gotten here without you. You, who perhaps put a bandaid on our scrapes and told us not to cry because good always comes after bad. You, who perhaps made us that special lasagna we love so much despite the fact that you're allergic to cheese to teach us that people must be willing to make sacrifices for the ones they love. You, who maybe gave us a detention when we goofed around in class because you knew we were capable of so much more and you wanted to see us succeed. My point is all of you played a role in the life of the person you're here for today."

She looked at her family and smiled.

"Personally, the most important people in my life are staring back at me. The woman who raised me is looking me in the eye and I know exactly what she's thinking. She's thinking 'dios mío, I need to fatten that niña up a bit'."

The crowd chuckled and she carried on. 

"No, but really. She's probably thinking how much god blessed her but I think it's the opposite. God blessed me, he gave me a strong, kind and compassionate woman to guide me. He gave me a mother to soothe my cries when I had nightmares, to punish me when I doodled all over the walls, to bake for me when I had a case of the sweet-tooth and to love me unconditionally. He gave me a role model. Without her, I wouldn't have a beautiful sister that looks after me, even when she's a thousand miles away because she was raised to be responsible and kind. I wouldn't have a brother-in-law that showers me with love and gifts, I wouldn't have a nephew I already adore on the way. Thank you, Henrietta De La Rosa, for being my guide and the mother I should've had from the beginning. Thank you, Victoria Dawson for being the best sister anyone could ask for. Thank you, Arthur Taylor, for being the father figure I needed when my own father wasn't there for me. Thank you, Daddy Park, for finally stepping up. Thank you, Cleo Montenegro, for being my best friend, for showing and teaching me things I can never, ever repeat."

The crowd laughed.

"Thank you Kim Jongin for showing me how to love despite the social strain on our relationship, and Oh Sehun for being understanding and comforting when I needed someone."

Penelope continued with her speech and by the end of it, tears were spilling and noses were sniffling.

"There will come a day when we're all old and grey and dying, and we'll look back and we'll be asked 'did you live a worthy life?' I sincerely hope that when this day comes, you'll answer 'yes'. There is so much pressure on us in this day and age to get the best job, the best house, the best car, the prettiest wife or the richest husband, even the smallest dog. It's like society is trying to unload all their failed hopes and and dreams onto us and I have one thing to say about it. To hell with it! To hell with it all. Do what you want, do what will make you happy because like someone close to me once said, you're the only one who's going to have to live with those decisions. Those people who are telling you to do one thing or another with your life are the same people who will run and bail on you when things go bad. But it's easy for me to say, right? Here I am, valedictorian, top grades in the entire Dallas county. My whole future is set out for me. Less than a year ago, I hated the thought of it. Who knows, maybe if I was born into a different life I'd have different dreams, different ideals, different everything. But my mind's been tainted, I know what I want to do with myself or at least what I think I want to do with myself. What I've been told I want to do with myself. I'm the product of today's society's expectations.  I'll tell you one thing, though. I will not let myself be brainwashed anymore. As the future of this world, we have the right to choose how we want to live, we have the right to want whatever we want, not what our parents want. So I say to hell with it. When death comes knocking on my door in fifty, sixty, seventy, however many years...I want my answer to be yes." 

The guests all stood up and started clapping, Penelope's peers cheering the loudest. They hooted and whistled, their faces alit with newfound hope and respect for their classmate. Penelope bowed and walked off the stage, waving at her family before returning to her seat. The ceremony went on and finally ended after another long hour. The graduates were released, each of them rushing to get to their proud families.

"Come here, my little valedictorian!" Victoria squealed as she threw her arms around her little sister and hugged her tightly. Penelope giggled and nuzzled her big sister's shoulder, her fingers curled around her back. Daewon wrapped his arms around his daughters and hugged them, Henrietta, Arthur and Nate joining in in the embrace.

"Ok, ok, that's enough," Penelope croaked, feeling crushed. Her family released her, her sister still holding her hand. "Can you believe it? I'm at the end of my high school journey."

"Are you sad?" Victoria asked, rubbing the back of her hand with her thumb. 

"Not yet. Right now, it's all excitement and happiness that I got my honours diploma," she replied, grinning gleefully. "I am starvin