The Speaker had just concluded a thirty-minute speech for the Graduates of Seattle High and the Principal began calling the names of the students who were lined up to walk up on the stage and receive their Diploma. The sultry air had brought beads of sweat on Georgia's forehead and even her whole body. 

Good thing, I copped a different dress for my Celebratory dinner. Georgia pondered as she craned her neck, searching for her best friend in the line of students, and caught a glimpse of her black, shiny, straight hair just a few students before her.  She was fanning herself and wiping a sweat above her eyebrows and on the side of her cheeks when she received a text message from MrSmoothguy.

: "Hi! How is it going there, graduate?" with a smiling emoji. 

Georgia: "Perfect! haha perfectly hot in here, I'm about to walk on the stage all sweaty hahaha!"

:"Haha! Don't lose your cool, then!"

Georgia: "I am on the brink!" she replied jokingly. 

:"Okay, I'd better stay away, perhaps? Haha! Call you later?"

CALL ME??, Dumbfounded as she was, she remained calm.

:"Hmmm, okay. Surely, after dinner?" she replied, barely noticing that she was kind of shaking from excitement. 

:"Okedoke"

He's gonna call later, I'll finally hear his voice after all? Quite an improvement, huh? She thought in astonishment while walking towards the stage, just two students before her turn. Last time she tried calling him in curiosity, only to be answered by boisterous background noises, so she did not bother to ask him afterward. 

I wonder what his voice sounds like, she pondered, making some imaginary sweet voices in her head. 

"Georgia Marie Saunders" the voice of Principal Spears speaking her name through the microphone and echoing around the gigantic field of Seattle High brought Georgia back from her thoughts and wishful thinking. She immediately stepped on the platform and walked towards their Principal, shook her hands, and was handed her tubed Diploma. She scanned the crowd for her family and saw her Mom taking a picture of her, so she smiled, waved at her, and raised her diploma for them to see. 

The Ceremony was followed subsequently by a lot of pictures. Group shots with their families, classmates, teachers, and clubs. Trio shots, solo shots, and duo shots of the two best friends until their jaws somewhat locked into a smile. They bade their goodbyes to their friends as they were both headed to their joint family dinner. Their parents decided to celebrate together since Jovie's father was still in New York and was not able to make it in time for their Graduation. 

"That was tiring," Georgia complained.

"That was fun." Jovie corrected and elbowed her lightly.

"It's piping hot!" Georgia growled at her and Jovie just shrugged at her best friend's remark. 

As they were headed to the school's parking lot, a guy dressed in a blue polo and a cap who seemed like a deliveryman approached a group of students in front of them and asked, "Hi. I'm looking for Georgia Saunders?"

Jovie and Georgia both looked at each other, clueless. "I'm her Mother." Stepping forward, Georgia's mom implied with a curious expression. 

"WOW," Jovie mouthed at her, eyes wide and a discerning look. 

"Have no idea, bitch!" Georgia mouthed back at her mocking best friend, making sure her mom or dad wasn't looking, while she untied her Graduation gown so she could ventilate herself more. 

"We have a delivery for her." the deliveryman replied then went off and came back with a bouquet of Yellow Tulips. "I just need a sign here." presenting her mother with a sheet of paper. 

"Oh, here she is." Her mother motioned for her to come forward so she could sign the sheet of paper. "Do we get to know who the sender is?" asked her mom, eyebrows furrowed with curiosity. 

"Uhm, it doesn't have a specific name on the sender. You might want to check the card on there. Have a great day!" the deliveryman pointed to the card on top of the flowers before heading off.

Her mom, Gia, and Jovie all tried to reach for the card but Georgia's hand was fast as a bolt of lightning as she covered it with one hand, while holding the Bouquet in her other arm and tucking it away from the three."You, guys!" she exclaimed laughing.

Both families let out a myriad of murmur as she tried to keep the card inside her pouch. As riveted as she was like them to find out what was written in the card and whom it was from, she felt awkward with her family around her. "C'me on Georgie! Open it!" Genevieve protested, showing her cute chopped front teeth and everyone agreed with her as they stood outside their family car next to the Ong's. Much to her surprise, Gia grabbed her purse and immediately pulled out the card, and started running. Poor Georgia couldn't run after her as she was wearing a cocktail dress and heels apart from holding the bouquet. She stood there, her mouth opened in shock while everyone was cracking up. Amir even cheered Gia on. She too ended up laughing.

"It's from a guy named Randall!" Gia screamed and let out a shrill upon reading the card and sprinted back towards them. 

"Jeez, thanks much!" Georgia hollered at her sister as Gia handed her the now slightly creased card. Gia stuck out her tongue in response.

"For the girl who has everything,

                CONGRATULATIONS!

-Randall"

"Randall? Who is that Randall guy?" her Father asked from peeking over her shoulders. 

"A friend, but this is probably a joke and  not from him." Georgia looked at her best friend quizzically before climbing inside their car. "It's most definitely from that girl. Cray cray!" she said pointing at her best friend who was already inside their car and was peeping in the car's window. Her father shrugged his shoulder in bewilderment. 

"It's not from meeee! It's from your Smoothguy!" Jovie shouted before their car drove away. 

It did not escape her mother's ears who was seated in the passenger seat. She turned to Georgia who was at the backseat along with her siblings. "Who was that?"

"Forget it, Mom. She's just making fun of me." Georgia replied nonchalantly while fixing her curls, trying to hide the butterflies in her stomach. As their father started the engine, she caught Genevieve staring at her, as if knowing what was inside her elder sister's mind and her tiny secret. Oh, Gosh this little brat, she might tell on me, she thought. She stared back at her with wide eyes. 

As if on cue, Genevieve blurted out. "He's her boyfriend. They talk on the internet."

"He's not my boyfriend, Genevieve. Stop it." Georgia demanded while looking at her parents, throwing her hands in the air in surrender. Her parents shushed them, only to both laugh at Georgia's reaction later on. "Mom, Dad. Pls?"  The car drive all the way to their house was quick, yet it felt like hours for Georgia. Aside from her two sisters whispering, as if she was out of earshot, Georgia had been dying to send a picture to Smoothguy and to express how thankful she was for the Tulips. 

As soon as she set foot inside their house, she sprinted all the way up to her room. Turning the computer on while unzipping her dress so she can change for her dinner dress as quickly as possible and connecting her digital camera to her laptop. As soon as she's on her pink fit and flare casual dress, she began sending a picture of her and the bouquet of flowers to Randall aka Smoothguy over their AOL chat thread.

Justinsgirl: "Thank you for this. I really love it."

                       "We're heading out for dinner now. Take care."

"Georgie! Be quick! Our reservation is in twenty minutes." Her Father called her from downstairs just in time when she was at her bedroom door. 

"Coming!"

They went for an opulent dinner at a Chinese Restaurant outside town. Everything was scrumptious starting from the Spring rolls and Soup Bun dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) as appetizers, Red Pepper, Almond and Fried Brown Rice, Chicken Fried Rice, Chow Mein, and Won Ton Noodles, Peking Roasted Duck, Kung Pao Chicken, Char Siu and Chocolate filled Baozi for dessert. Their table was not only filled with delectable foods, but also with laughter and a good chin wag in between. 

"So, he's sending you flowers now, huh?" Jovie interrogated her as they washed their hands in the Ladies' room while fixing themselves. 

"I'm not sure if it really was from him. Maybe it's just you, playing silly games on me, hate you!." Georgia answered as she tried to splash some water on her best friend. 

Jovie raised both her hands in defense to prevent herself from getting wet. "Eew, stop!" she muttered while wiping her forearms with a tissue towel. "And, it's not from me. Bible!" Georgia stared at her friend quizzically, searching for clues and reactions, just in case she'd try to hide her laughter. Jovie stared back at her without blinking. 

"Fine. I believe you." Georgia gave up. "I'll know later. I already sent him pictures and my thank you's. But, he also said he'd call me when we were at the Ceremony before I received the flowers."

"About time! hmmm.. practice your sexy voice now."  Jovie mocked her. "Hel-lo Randall, how was your day? Is it as hot as mine?" Jovie continued with a sexy and deep voice while looking at herself in the mirror seductively while biting her lower lips. 

"Shut up!" Georgia was surprised with her best friend's humor and they both burst into chuckles as they made their way back to their table.