Graduation and beyond

[mitochondriaaya]

Graduation was just before her birthday, so Aya was fifteen when she slithered into the graduation gown and tried her hat on. Walking with a tassel (as practice proved) was distracting. She wasn't katzu, true, but she still had the urge to bat at it. Instead she had to look calm. Sedate. Grown up.

Yeeeeah.

At least she wasn't Valedictorian, that would have added a whole new level of stress to her last year of school! And still she'd almost been swayed by the teacher who suggested she stay another year. Almost. Life didn't wait though and the boys were already so far ahead of her that it was a laughable idea to 'catch up' but hey, at least they could all be in college for some of the same years! Sure, not the same college but...yeah. She went out with her friends the night before graduation, a low key party out on a floating dock with a lot of silliness and loud music, but hey, they were all seniors, it was expected!

She made it home in the morning in time to toss back a mug of coffee and try to think about breakfast. "Have to be at the field at...four? Four thirty. Right. Yeah." More coffee. The message light on the answering machine was flashing so she hit the button and listened as her dad rambled cheerfully about it being the day, and he had his ticket to the graduation, and he wasn't going to lose it and what else did he need to remember? "Your head," she chuckled, listening. He'd been leaving messages all week as the day rolled closer. It was nice for Jerrig to be excited.

Granted, traffic was going to be hell with the town turning out to see graduation at the nearest sports field and tourists flooding in to see the surfing competition in the town nearby, but as long as everyone left early they'd be fine right? Right. It wasn't like she had to drive.

Maaaaaaaybe staying out all night hadn't been the best plan though. The coffee waqs sitting heavy in her stomach and she felt her hands tensing around the mug as REAL LIFE loomed up in her mind.

Ouch.

Yeah.

"What was I thinking?!" It was totally okay to ask these things of the empty kitchen, yep.

Comments

[mitochondriaaya]

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're over worked." Aya was able to just barely touch the strap of his bag! She spent several careful moments teasing the strap close enough for a grip with her fingernails then triumphantly hauled it over!

"And I know she is. The world is still weird when Elcy cries. It's like seeing you guys cry."

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan opened the door for the others, "Well...don't look?" was all he could think to say.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Might try that. See if I can just kinda stare straight ahead at the podium or something..." she'd end up scanning the crowd anyway. She knew from practice the event was going to get boring.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Not gonna happen." Dilan said, opening the car for her, "You get too bored."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Yeah, I know." She slipped into the seat and scooted over as a matter of course. The bench seats in the old car were the best factor! No fighting over front and back when everyone could squeeze in! "You think such an exciting day wouldn't end up so boring right? We need explosions or something."

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan slid in next to her and habitually checked her seatbelt. He never had gotten over that.

"We could arrange for that..." Braig said thoughtfully.

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya held her hands out of the way so Dilan could check and reassure himself. It was just easier that way! "Are you offering to blow up the bleachers or something?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Nah. More like the football lockers." Braig said cheerfully.

[mitochondriaaya]

"...well...it isn't our arena and lockers." She admitted after a moment of thought. The one in the next town over was bigger!

[sliceitwithwind]

"Ah, well." Braig said, laughing and heading for the restaurant.

[mitochondriaaya]

"I was going to say that it's not ours so we're less likely to get caught but..." Aya laughed and tugged on Dilan's belt as they started rolling. Checking the checker was important to! "Any explosions and they'd suspect you on general principles."

[sliceitwithwind]

"So they would, so they would." Braig agreed cheerfully.

[mitochondriaaya]

"That's what I get for having genius brothers," Aya snorted. "Can't escape the blame when there's explosions. Why couldn't you guys have a rep for being weird fungus hunters or something?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Fungus doesn't run." Dilan said mildly, "No challenge to it."

"...We should go truffle hunting."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Doesn't truffle hunting involve pigs?" Aya chuckled. "They'd run from Dilan, then he'd have to chase them to get truffles from them..."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Well, Dilan could probably smell the truffles." Braig pointed out.

"I am not a pig." Dilan said with a laughing sniff.

[mitochondriaaya]

"And he'd never live it down with the girls. Imagine 'This meal was made with truffles Dilan sniffed out himself'." She held up her hand sin dramatic quotation marks.

[sliceitwithwind]

"No, no I wouldn't." Dilan agreed, "No fungus hunting, thank you."

"Unless you get a bio degree."

"...Maybe then."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Dilan...you are getting a bio degree!" ya laughed and poked his chin. "Does this mean we get fresh mushrooms for breakfast when you get your bachelors or just an endless supply of penicillin?"

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan laughed, "Yeah, I know. It's fun to joke." He wrinkled his nose at her, "Don't count on it. I'll probably be dealing with less edible fungus."

[mitochondriaaya]

"That's alright. In the case of non-edible fungus coming with your degree I invite you to never bring it home and to bleach heavily before bed!" Aya grinned. "I have enough bad dreams about communal gym showers without wondering what you were sent to analyze from Cuba or something!"

[sliceitwithwind]

Both of the guys laughed over that. "Deal." Dilan promised.

"And now we stop talking about fungus, because we're at the restaurant." Braig siad.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Awwww...but what if we want mushrooms?" Aya laughed and unbuckled. "We can switch to the kinds of things you're likely to bring home. I bet your souvenirs come with M.I.B. flashy pens in case other people catch sight of your items!"

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan just stuck his tongue out at her. "Now you're just being silly." he said, laughing.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Well, yeah, but I couldn't immediately think of anything Braig might be bringing home!" She laughed and slid out of the car, running forward to get the door for the boys.