June 11, 2010

4:00 PM

Kappa Gamma Phi house

Serena's POV

Kappa Gamma Phi is more than three letters embroidered on a sweatshirt; it's honor, tradition, and lifelong friendships.

As I look around at the empty bedroom that once belonged to Abbie and me, it dawns on me that it's actually over. I will never live in this house again and it won't be long before two other girls move into our presidential suite.

My mom is supposed to arrive in a few minutes, but until then I'm going to explore the house one last time. As I walk around downstairs, I see photos of Kappas from years past. The first one I stop at is the Alpha Class photo; our chapter's founding sisters. They look so beautiful with their bobbed hair and porcelain skin. Written in the corner is the year: 1920. That's exactly ninety years ago! I wonder what their lives were like in this house and if they're watching over us right now. I hope they see how great their chapter has become and I hope I've made them proud. Next, I stop at a photo of the executive board that was taken in 1942. Instead of taking a picture with the letters, the girls decided to take a picture with the American flag to show their patriotism during World War II. They all look so proud. I've read about them and what they organized for the war effort. Even though this was nearly 70 years ago, I feel like they're a part of me. Down the hall is a photo of a pledge class from 1957 with Betsy Wilkins in it. No one in this house other than me knows this, but as a junior, Betsy ended up taking her life in the room that Abbie and I live in. She was one of only three people to be president of Kappa as a junior so I feel as if we have a connection even though we've never met. No one knows why Betsy did what she did, but sisters who were close to her said that she was tormented by having to be someone she really wasn't. When I heard this as a sophomore, I didn't understand what they were telling me, but now I truly understand why Betsy did what she did. She was from a wealthy, conservative family and it was a different time; she couldn't just come out to her family or the other Kappas. In the living room is the sorority composite, which is the latest photo of our entire chapter. Every girl is pictured individually and her name is underneath her photo. Abbie's photo is slightly bigger than everyone else's and it's located in the center near the sorority crest. Underneath her photo, it says 'Abigail Carmichael, President'. She looks so beautiful and she's smiling wide enough for her adorable dimples to show. Next to that framed photo is the Kappa 2008-2009 composite. Under my photo, it says 'Serena Southerlyn, President'. I still get chills whenever I see that. These composites are going to be up for years to come and future sisters are going to be looking at them just as I am looking at them today. The last of the Iota Gamma pledge class is graduating in a couple of hours, but these photos are proof that we've carved our niche in Kappa history.

4:30 PM

Kappa Gamma Phi house

Abbie's POV

"Honey, what are you doing?" I ask my wife as I walk into the house and see her staring at the composites on the wall.

"Just looking," she says and I hold her close as she starts to cry. Serena has won the "Sister of the Year" award four times in a row. Kappa has been her life since she was a freshman and now she has to leave the house she loves. That plus pregnancy makes for a very hormonal Serena right now.

"Everything is going to be okay, bb," I tell her. "No one ever really leaves this place. You're going to be a part of Kappa forever."

"I feel so stupid. I know it's just a sorority and there's life after college, but I keep thinking about Connie and Cassidy moving in here this fall and I remember when we were these two bright-eyed sophomores who were so excited about finally living in our sorority house. We've spent the best years of our lives in this place."

"bb, these aren't the best years of our lives," I urge her. "We still have those years to look forward to. So many exciting things are still going to happen. Now come to my truck with me, I have a surprise for you."

When we get to my truck, I pull out four wooden picture frames and hand one of them to Serena. The top of the frame says 'Kappa Gamma Phi' and the bottom says 'Abigail Carmichael: Fall 2006'. The picture in the frame is one of me as a pledge. Once she sees it, Serena lets out the most adorable little squeal I have ever heard.

"This is the cutest thing I've ever seen," she tells me excitedly. After that, I hand her hers with her name engraved on it and a picture of her as a pledge. "No way! I can't believe how innocent I looked back then," she says after seeing it.

"I haven't shown you the best part yet," I tell her and then hand her two more frames. Both of them have 'Kappa Gamma Phi' engraved at the top, but one of them says 'Dallas McGill: Fall 2028' and the other says 'Mackenzie Carmichael: Fall 2028'.

"Our girls are going to be legacies," I tell her and my extremely hormonal wife starts to cry again. "I know it's still 18 years from now, but I figured we can keep these aside somewhere and put their pictures in them once they become pledges."

Serena doesn't say anything, but she doesn't have to. Instead, she wraps her arms around me and kisses me right then and there.

Her mother decided to meet her at the field instead of at our house, so we grab our caps and gowns and cords and head out the door. We're going to put on our caps and gowns when we get to the field, but for now Serena is wearing all of her cords. Draped around her is her Phi Beta Kappa honors cord, her political science honors cord, her Golden Key International Honour Society cord, her Latin honors cord, her College Honors cord, and most importantly her Kappa Gamma Phi stole. I'm so proud of my wife and all that she's accomplished over the past four years. She's graduating with a 3.97 GPA and heading off to Harvard Law School. Not too many people can say that.

I love you, bb, I really do.

5:30 PM

Intramural Field

Casey's POV

I've officially passed on the G-Pi presidential ring just as Allegra passed it on to Stephanie, Stephanie passed it on to Amber, and Amber passed it on to me. I tried not to cry, but with Chrissy there to preside over the ceremony, I couldn't help but tear up. When it was over, she held me and told me how proud she is to have me as a daughter.

I can't believe our undergrad years are actually over. When I first moved into the dorms as a freshman, I felt like these years were going to be an eternity. I was 17 years old, far from home, and I had no idea what I was going to do with my time here. Little did I know I'd meet Alex that very same day. As I look at her snapping pictures with Bridget and Olivia, I start to think about how she's even more beautiful now than ever before. I regret everything I've done to hurt her, but I know we've moved past that and our relationship has never been stronger. Alex is everything to me. She's my wife, the mother of my child, and most importantly she's the one person I can turn to no matter what happens in life. Alex and I have a connection that not many people understand, but all that matters is that we understand it.

"We did it! We actually freakin did it," I tell my friends once they're done taking pictures.

"I know! It seems like all of the bullshit we put up with is actually worth it," Bridget responds.

"All the sleepless nights spent studying for finals," Olivia says.

"The 15 page papers that are half research and half BS," Alex adds jokingly.

"Waking up for an 8 AM discussion section only to get to your classroom and discover that it's cancelled," I add.

"It's all over!" Bridget exclaims.

"At least until law school starts for Casey and me," Alex says.

"And then the vicious cycle shall repeat," I say.

Five minutes later, Abbie and Serena meet up with us and I can see that the two of them are smiling uncontrollably.

"You two just got laid, didn't you?" I ask.

"Better," Serena says.

"Rena, I don't think there's anything better than that, but if you insist," Abbie tells her.

"We had a talk with my mom," Serena informs us. "She's really excited about the baby and she wants Abbie to stay with us this summer. She even apologized to her for everything and she says that Abbie is the best thing to ever happen to me. She's right about that, too," Serena says and then kisses her wife.

I'm about to congratulate them, but the music starts signaling that it's time for us to walk in.

"Holy shit!" Abbie says. "It's time!"

"This is it," Alex says.

"But it's not the end," I tell them. "We have to promise that it's not the end."

8:00 PM

Outside the Intramural Field

Alex's POV

We have officially graduated and the Class of 2010 is history. Casey and I spent half an hour taking pictures with our closest friends and even some acquaintances we knew we'd never see again.

We said our tearful goodbyes to Abbie, Serena, and Olivia and now we're taking pictures with our family members. Charlene is snapping pictures of Caleb with her new daughter-in-law Bridget and my mom is taking pictures of Casey and me with Kylie. I put my cap on Kylie and lift her up to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm so proud of you girls," my mom says.

"Hey, Ginger Kid!" Caleb says once Charlene is done taking pictures of him and Bridget.

"What?" Casey asks.

"Just because you graduated doesn't mean you're cool," Caleb tells her. "You're still a dweeb and even when you're some hot shot lawyer in New York you're still going to be a dweeb. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't," Casey says. "I'll also never forget that you suck dick at Mario-Kart."

"Fuck you," Caleb says and then hugs his sister.

When we're walking back to the parking lot, I see congratulations signs for the class of 2010 and welcome signs for the class of 2014. They'll be arriving for orientation in two weeks. It seems like just yesterday I was coming here for orientation and wondering if I had made the right decision. As I look at the people around me, I realize I did make the right decision. Had I gone to any other school, my life would have ended up differently. I would have made friends but they wouldn't be Bridget, Abbie, Serena, and Olivia. Maybe I would have fallen in love, but she wouldn't have been Casey. No one could ever come close to Casey. I wouldn't have had the same experiences. There wouldn't have been countless debates about what state the Simpsons live in or who is hotter: Jeannie or Samantha from Bewitched. I wouldn't have eaten grilled cheese and ketchup sandwiches with Casey for lunch every day during freshman year or discovered that Twinkies taste even better at 3 AM. I know it all sounds so trivial, but when I look back at my college experience it will be the little things that I'll cherish. The way my dorm room looked, the way the campus buildings are illuminated at night, the smell of the grass outside the social sciences building. It's all flooding my memory right now and as we're leaving I'm trying my best to take it all in.

Three years ago, Allegra told Casey and me to cherish what's left of our college experience and today the two of us said the same thing to Connie, Aubrey, and Cassidy. It won't be long before they're experiencing the same thing we experienced today. College is over and it's been a life-altering four years and if I could do it all again, I wouldn't change a single thing.

The End!