Fri. 06/08/01 - Centralia Stadium - 8:00 pm

So here I am, dressed in my black robe and cap, looking like I'm graduating. Mr.. Bender had asked me to speak to the class of 2001. I'm sitting here next to the school's valedictorian, Christy DeLair. After Christy made her speech, Mr. Bender announced me. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Centralia's own celebrity, World Wrestling Federation superstar, Brandon "Ice" Mars." As soon as he announced my name, I got the biggest pop I had ever heard from my classmates and the people in the stadium as I stepped up to the podium.

"Thank you Mr. Bender and the class of 2001. To tell you the truth I was surprised when Mr. Bender asked me to speak, since in all actuality I should be sitting with my classmates, graduating myself. From my perspective it was the week on the set of Boston Public that did me in, but I believe it was going to happen either way, but enough about me, I'm here to talk about what the real world experience has taught me, but to tell you the truth it hasn't taught me anything, it wasn't a real world. Here in C.H.S. it was a safe and secure environment, I was never in any real danger, my WWF world was an entirely scripted one, It paid to follow a script and as much fun as that is, it wasn't real..."

I paused for a minute, then continued

"...As I was writing this speech, I thought about everything I would be leaving behind when I left Centralia, my environment, my friends, my school and it depressed me, I have been with these graduates for the last two years of my life and I have made some fantastic friends, Ashley, Stephanie, Dani, Andrea, Leah, Nicole, all of them got me through a difficult time in my life when I was seriously considering walking up to Stephanie McMahon and saying 'It's all over', but those women, and the rest of the class of 2001 made me come back to school and see everyone and I thought to myself that I can't let these people down, so I went back and I wrestled to entertain and not to disappoint, but in the end I failed, I failed myself and I failed everyone by not finishing what I started. Everyone told me that I had the potential to be great, but I failed...." I paused, before I started crying

"...I took time off from the WWF to get my life in order, Andrea took time off to prepare for college, Ashley left the WWF so she could pursuit her dreams. I might never see either one of them again, then again, I might see them tomorrow, who knows what fate has planned for us, but we take what comes our way. I don't know if I'll return to the WWF, but I say this. Things never turn out the way you plan, life can change 180 degrees in a split second and nothing can prepare you for the change, so you just have to go with it because you never know what that change might bring..." I paused again

"... If you'll bear with me, there are a few people I'd like to thank for the incredible memories I've had this year, Sensei Hirosaki for training me in Judo, Vince McMahon for giving me the chance of a lifetime to wrestle for the WWF, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Amy Dumas for training me for the WWF, Mr. Bender for allowing me, Andrea and Ashley to miss two days of school per week, Ashley and Andrea for not knowing what they were getting into when they came to Birmingham with me, Dani and Stephanie McKinney for organizing the "field trips" to the WWF events, Stephanie McMahon for listening to my ideas about my character and being so cool to my friends, and most of all to the class of 2001, you guys rock." I said as I left the stage, the graduates cheered.

I watched from the audience as the Class of 2001 graduated and received their diplomas, then from behind, I felt a pair of hands grab my waist, I turned around and it was Amy Dumas, I grabbed her and hugged her. Matt and Jeff Hardy came up and joined us, Jeff had a video camera.

"Beautiful speech" Amy said

" Thanks" I replied

" And we've got it all on tape" Jeff teased and he waved his video camera at me. Just then fireworks went off and Jeff rushed his camera up to capture it on tape. "You don't have to feel sorry for yourself, it'll get better. "Matt said, as I shed my first tears of the night, I hugged Matt and went off to walk with the graduates. I left in a limo with Ross Reichert, Nicole Gussin, Kyle Lipinski, Eleah Tomei, Casey Parker and Cody Grubbs, we went to Eleah's house for a graduation party.

Eleah Tomei's house - 10:00 pm

The house was packed for this party, I swear, every graduate was there, I waited a while before going in, when I did, the first person I saw was Eleah. I hugged her, then was pulled into the crowd of people, I didn't see who was pulling me until we reached Eleah's back porch, it was Andrea.

" I need to know right now, are you coming back to the WWF?" Andrea asked, practically yelling at me. I closed my eyes and listened to Guns 'n Roses "Sweet Child 'o Mine" play in the background. "Andrea, I don't know if I want to..." Andrea then hauled off and slapped me in the face. "You are being so selfish, what about that speech you made about not disappointing people, was that all B.S? I've already made me decision, Stephanie knows I'm coming back, she has got a storyline waiting for me at Unforgiven" Andrea replied angrily.

"That's just it Andrea, you've got your future planned out...." She interrupted me again "Is this about Boston Public? You told me that it was the time of your life, you've got everything to lose..." Andrea's boyfriend Kyle Gilmore opened the back door and saw us "What are you two doing out here, the party is inside." Andrea looked at him "Not now Kyle" she said, Kyle then went back inside, as I sat down on the steps with my head in my hands "Your right Andrea." She sat down next to me and put her hand on my shoulder "Get your life in order, then get out there and perform for the fans." She said, smiling, she then re-joined the party.

I stood there for a few minutes before I heard another female voice coming from the backyard. "She's right you know, you have to make a decision." I recognized the voice, it was Amy's. "How'd you get here?" I asked. "We followed your limo, Andrea is right you have to make a choice." Amy replied "I just got this grief from her, I'm going back to the party." I said. Amy grabbed me before I got to the door "You once told me that if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. Make a stand." Amy said, as she went in front of me and went inside.

Sat. 06/09/01 - My apartment - 12:30 pm

I dialed Stephanie's number on my cell phone. "Steph, it's Brandon, I've made a choice, I'll be back in the fall." I said "Great, see ya then." She said, we both hung up. I then dialed Andrea's number "Andrea, I've made a choice, you are right, I'm coming back with you." I said, I didn't wait for her to respond and hung up.

I hung up confident that I had made the right choice, this is not the last of Ice.