Graduation night: The real story

I have decided to write about my graduation night again but this time I feel the need to set things straight. So here is the real story. Although I have decided to skip the actual ceremony part because it was uneventful and boring.

As I walked to the pub with my friends, Liam, Bobby and Scott I was struck with worry as I remembered that my ex would be attending her new boyfriends graduation which happened to be mine.
We entered the crowded pub and didn’t see a single face we recognized until we entered the back section of the pub. My friends bought drinks and I decided to wait for a bit. (Names might get confusing here) I was looking for my other friend who was also named Liam. I will refer to this Liam as Liam B. and the one getting a drink as Liam M.

I figured Liam B. would be outside in the smoking area because he was a smoker so it made sense. He sat at a table surrounded by people who were laughing, he was their show monkey. They tell him to do something or make a certain noise and he does it. I thought it was pretty sad so I figured I’d pass on sitting with him for now and then I spotted Blayne.

I liked Blayne, he is my friend but I wondered if he was anybody else’s, one day everyone in the group would be nice to him and the next day they would be mean, I didn’t get it. I approached Blayne as he was close to finishing his cig. After a small conversation that I don’t remember much of, he asked “Do you want a drink?” and who would I be if I refused a drink so I politely accepted his offer and I followed him to the bar.

When I was stood at the bar, if you looked left you would see Liam M., Bobby and Scott all stood around a wooden barrel that was used as a table, after receiving my drink I told Blayne that I would be back outside in a minute or two and I approached them to catch up. Liam M. proceeded to inform me that sat at the table behind him was his girlfriend. Let’s get this cleared up, she is a psycho. He dumped her in December and she was still after him, she started texting a guy in our year so she had an excuse to be there.

After cracking a few jokes with them (I’m sorry for the lack of dialogue, this was over a month ago but just imagine I said something really funny) I went back to the smoking area and as I stepped out the door to my left was Liam B. and Alannah. (There were more people but I don’t want to over fill this with people) She looked perfect. I had the misfortune of spotting my ex and her new boyfriend staring at me but I proceeded as though nothing happened and I took photos with each person there but my favourite photo was the one with Alannah.

Taking a look back at before the ceremony, I was wearing a black suit jacket, a white shirt and a red tie with jeans. The suit jacket was my dad's so instead of risking losing it I decided I would change into my own black jumper before I went out for the night. Unfortunately I placed my ticket for the bus and getting into the nightclub in the suit pocket so I was without a ticket. Alannah panicked when I told her, she ran inside and found a class mate that organized the night out.
Emma, who organized the night offered me her ticket and said “I can just tell them I forgot it and I should get in” I felt bad taking her ticket so I refused. I checked my phone and realized it was on 15% percent and I knew it wouldn’t last the whole night. I made the decision to call my dad and ask him to bring my ticket to me and my battery pack with a cable so I could charge my phone. I lived 15 minutes away from the pub and the bus was going to arrive soon so it was a race against the clock.

During the 15 minutes I had another pint but there was an extreme lack of my ex and her boyfriend and I’m not complaining. I got a text from my mam that she was outside with my stuff, now, at this point I had drank three pints and two shots, (sorry if I failed to mention them) so I wasn’t sober. I stumbled outside and it was dark, only the street lamps illuminated the street. Here came the hard part, if you stood me in front of ten cars and one was mine in clear daylight and I was 100% sober, I couldn’t tell you which one was mine, so it was bloody difficult to find her now but I eventually did. I tried to convince her I had had close to no alcohol and I think she bought it.

The buses had arrived before I got my ticket but they were still being loaded, I stumbled to the first bus and asked a class mate who was at the top of the steps if Alannah was on the bus and after a minute or two of her looking around she came back with a no so I continued to bus number two and she was there, I was happy I found her but she was sitting with her boyfriend Liam B. as I got on the bus I noticed it was very full, there were two sets of two seats near the front on the right. I approached Alannah and Liam B. and asked “Do you guys want to move up here because I don’t particularly want to sit alone” Alannah was the first to answer and followed me to the front with her boyfriend close behind her. They sat in front of me and talked to me but after awhile he kissed her and I couldn’t bare to see it so I just looked out the window. After a little while Robert Browne sat beside me so he could talk to Liam B. and someone said
“This night club we’re going to do four shots for ten euro” and we all agreed to pay two euro and fifty cents each so we all got one shot.

We pulled up to the nightclub, we got frisked so we wouldn’t be bringing alcohol into a place that SELLS ALCOHOL! But anyway, we entered and we got our shots and we threw them back. Now, at the point is where my memory of what happened next fades, I blame the shot, I remember that after this point and before the next I tell you about there was a lot of dancing and drinking and smoking and socializing but what comes next is what kicked the night off in a questionable direction.

I walked over to the bar in the nightclub and joined Alannah and Liam B. after saying hello he grabbed my shoulder and whispered in my ear “I've got to go for a couple minutes, look after Alannah, don’t let her do anything” I agreed but I was confused, Alannah didn’t need looking after but she either heard him or just knew what he was telling me. I didn’t want to make her feel like I was controlling what she did for the next couple minutes so I invited her to sit with me at a table after she got her drink, I think it was the alcohol in me but I decided I wanted to make her feel better so I told her a secret, “Hey, did you know that back in fifth year I actually had a huge crush on you” She looked shocked “Wow, really?” “Yeah, I walked into French class one day and I saw you and it was instant, I know this sounds pathetic but if you and Liam don’t work out-”
Alannah cut across me as I spoke “It’s not pathetic and yes, If we don’t work out I’ll go to you first”
Her saying that made me so f*****g happy “Oh and can we not tell Liam about this?” she agreed with me and promised not to tell him.

Alannah decided to go look for Liam B. because she thought he’d be with another girl, I noticed the people sitting at the table across from me and I joined them. Liam M. was there and he was hitting on a girl that had given off vibes all night.
Liam leaned towards me and whispered “Hey man, help me get with her”
I quickly replied to him and her with “You know, I’ve been getting vibes off of you two all night”
She paused and said “I heard what Liam just said to you”

My eyes shot open and I stood up from the table and as I walked I spotted Alannah and Liam B. stood against a wall, I sat at a table by myself which was against the same wall. Alannah's face fell into her hands and I was stunned, she ran outside and I followed her so I could comfort her. I walked out the door and she was to the right of me, crying. I asked her what happened and all she said was “I did nothing, I did nothing, I was with you the whole time” but after I heard that I was pushed inside by bouncers.

No word of a lie, I stepped inside the door and I started crying, I was crying because she was crying. I sat at a table that was to the right of the door and my friend Alan came over to see if I was alright and he was the real hero, he helped me so much, another friend came over and I told her what happened and I decided I'd go out and try talk to her again.

I stepped out of the doors and Alannah was sat on the side of the road by herself so I sat on her right and before I could say much we were moved closer to the door by bouncers because we were kind of drunk. I placed my hands on the wall and with my feet far behind my torso I leaned my head down.
“I lied to you earlier. I’m sorry, I told you I had a crush on you in fifth year, but I still have it”
She smiled and giggled “really?” “Yeah, it never went away” I laughed “Where were you in 5th year, you know, I wish I could take back everything I did with Liam and be with you” I died, that took me off guard. “Hey, do you want to have a drink with me before the bus comes?”
“I’d love to but I don’t want to go in there with Liam in there”
“Don’t worry, it’ll be alright”

We re-entered the night club and I went straight to the bar and ordered a Corona for her and an apple cider for me but before I got my drinks she rushed out because she saw Liam B. I was heartbroken, I placed my drinks on a table and told Liam M. to look after them. “Come back in and have a drink with me, I already have them”
“I can’t be in there with him, can you bring them out here?”
I nodded and went inside to see Liam M. had spilt some of her drink, I just grabbed her drink and mine and headed for the door but it was crowded, the bus was here and I couldn’t get out with the drinks so I sat back down and I waited for the crowd to pass, I chugged my drink and gave the Corona to Liam M.

I got on the bus and spotted Alannah, she was talking to someone about what happened, I sat in the seat across from her so that when she was finished talking to him I could move beside her but as she finished talking him she spotted me and went to stand up and sit beside me but Liam B. sat beside me before her and he was drunk off of his arse.
“Liam, hey, I just need to get passed you there, I need to talk to Alannah” while she stood beside him but out of his view he replied “Alannah? I hate her now but okay” her jaw dropped and I could see she might of started crying again.
I hopped over Liam’s legs and put my hand on Alannah's shoulder and guided her back to the seat she was in
“Was he just talking about me there?”
“No, no, he was talking about someone else”
I sat with Alannah the whole ride home, a little bit of context for me, I hate feet, cant stand them, and Alannah wore open heels so her foot was out and her strap on the heel became undone and she couldn’t redo it so I offered to help and she put her foot on my knee and I redid the clip and I had no problem with her feet which says a lot. The whole ride consisted of me asking that she was okay but when we both feel silent I made a small move. Her right hand was by her side and both of my hands were on the seat in front of me, my left hand dropped and I held her hand and we interlocked fingers and I didn’t lie in the other story, our fingers fit perfectly together, it was amazing. After a minute or so of holding her hand she let go because she was worried about Liam seeing. Alannah got off the bus at the same stop as Liam and that was it, end of the story.

This story is the true version of that night, I left out small details because this took place around two months ago. Alannah is currently still with Liam which… doesn’t make sense to me. All I know is that I would never treat you like that and that you deserve better than that, I’m not saying that I’m the better option, I’m the guy that tells you that you deserve better and you thank me in later life. I just want you to be happy. Thank you for reading this, this night was one of my favourites because of what happened on the bus ride home.