Find Her

Today is the day Parker is finally going to graduate from High school. Her parents should be flying back from Fiji today and will head straight to the school to watch her get her certificate. What they don't know, is that Parker is the Valedictorian for her year. She wanted that to be a surprise for all her family.

Parker was a proud Aboriginal woman, even though the rest of the family pretended to be white. They didn't want to know about culture, Parker had always been involved. Parker had light caramel coloured skin, browns eyes, brown hair which she had got hi-lights through and as people joked, skinny ankles. Her mother was of Aboriginal descent but her father was an arrogant white man. Parker had darker skin then her brothers who took after there father more then there mother.

Parker had clipped the five tickets on the fridge for her brothers to take and meet there parents at the school hall. They all had promised her to be there. Her brothers would come home from work early and then meet Parker at the school. Parker was going to be heading to the school early to help set up the hall for the ceremony. You see Parker was that type of girl, she always put everyone before herself. Parker helped anyway she could, she liked to help people and that's why she had applied to study a bachelor of nursing and midwifery. She had been accepted into the uni of her dreams with a scholarship but hadn't told her family yet. She didn't want to accept either because she would have to move across the country.

Parker shook her head clearing her thoughts of having to leave her family. That was a problem for another time, right now she had to get herself to the school to start the set up. She didn't have a car though like her brothers. Her birthday was a week ago but no one had been around to celebrate with her. Her parents were travelling and her brothers were probably out for work drinks or something. Usually for your 18th birthday in this family, you were gifted a car. Maybe that would happen tonight when her family were all together celebrating her graduating. Parker couldn't complain about her birthday really, William had turned up to drop off some files for Leon and had seen the cake. He had sung her happy birthday and then given her $500 to buy herself something.

Parker raced out of the house towards the bus stop, excited that she was ending one chapter of her life and be starting another. She was also excited that her parents were back in town. They had been on a cruise apparently on her actual birthday and her mum had rung two days after her birthday apologising to Parker for not calling her on her birthday saying that it was a surprise cruise her father had set up. She did promise that they would all be there tonight.

The afternoon went quickly for Parker as the graduation team set up the hall. Soon families started to arrive and were helping kids put on the graduation gowns and hats and finding seats in the hall. Parker had saved five seats for her family and was just going over her speech. She had memorised it but wanted to be sure she didn't forget something. This would be the first time that her family would be hearing of her achievements and what she had done during her schooling life. Usually they didn't have time to come to things, Parker understood because she was the baby and was unplanned.

As it got closer to the stat time the principle came over to speak to Parker. "Sweety, let me help you with your gown. I'm guessing your family is out looking for parking. It's horrible out there" the principle Mrs Andre stated. Parker looked at the time and was surprised but nodded none the less and allowed her Principle to help her dress. "Parker I am so proud of you and I'm sure your family are too" Mrs Andre stated seeing Parker scan the hall for her family.

William walked in yet another graduation hall, he was here on behalf of his father to present awards. He didn't mind it as one day he would take over for his father. William immediately spotted little Parker Jones, his best mates sister. Leon hadn't mentioned anything about the graduation so he had no idea Parker was going to be here. "Parker, I didn't know you were graduating" William stated when he saw Parker line up with the offical party. Parker looked up and smiled at William. "Hey Will, yeh I'm finally graduating. Did Leon come with you?" Parker asked causing William to frown. William knew that Leon and his brothers were out tonight getting laid as Leon put it.

Before William could answer the music started meaning it was time for the offical party and all the students graduating tonight, to walk into the hall. Parker was so excited, she managed to save the seats right near where she would be walking so her family would be surprised with her walking right by them. She couldn't wait to see how surprised they were and started to walk down the aisle following the people in front of her.

As Parker passed the now empty seats, her heart sank. Her family were not there and she had no idea where they were. Had something happened? She hoped they were ok. Parker was no longer smiling as she took her seat on stage. William immediately noticed and if it wasn't for the fact he was right in the front of the stage, he would of sent his mate a nasty text telling him to get his arse here pronto.

Parker discretely checked her phone but none of her family had messaged her at all. She had no idea where they were or why they weren't here at all. Parker swallowed so she didn't cry and placed a fake smile on her face. She didn't want to be here anymore. She wanted to be at home in her bed. That way she could pretend that her family knew she existed, that way she could pretend that her family actually cared about her. She wasn't naive at all, she knew her family took her for granted, she never asked for anything usually except for tonight, she had asked them all to be here and they promised they would be. She had believed them and that hurt the most, she had actually thought they would finally do something for her.