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

[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.

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan followed, and Braig followed a little more slowly after that.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Slowpoke," Aya teased, hauling Braig in by the arm when Dilan was past. "What's on your mind?"

[sliceitwithwind]

Braig laughed, "Just trying to decide if I want noodles or a salad."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Nice try dork. You get both." She didn't really believe he was worrying so much as suspected he was working on a project in his head. The boys did that sometimes.

[sliceitwithwind]

Braig laughed, "So bossy!" he was, of course. He always was.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Well, yeah, you'd be lost if I wasn't sometimes!" she followed their waitress to a table and grinned. "People aren't bossy sometimes get trampled."

[sliceitwithwind]

"True enough, true enough." Braig allowed, grinning and sliding in, "You feel like ordering for everyone, monkey?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Nah, you were the one suffering the great debate. You should tell them the result of that personally." She snorted and bopped him with a menu before scanning her own to see if there was anything new.

"Though we should totally get the appetizer platter." Because they always did?

[sliceitwithwind]

Braig laughed, "Fine, fine."

"Yes!" Dilan said, "We always do."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Yeah, well, some of our habits are good habits?" And mostly food related! Imagine that! "I think I want a burger and a really big salad. My stomach feels kinda weird."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Sounds good." Braig allowed. Dilan said, "I'm having steak. Two of them. What kind of weird?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Bubbly kind of weird," Aya admitted, slumping against Braig's shoulder. "Not even like I've had too much sugar just...fizzy weird."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Nerves?" he asked, snuggling her casually. Physical touch: they all did it, and he was Olia. It would be weirder if he didn't cuddle her.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Probably," she admitted wryly. "Though not the kind of nerves I've had before. I guess it's just a really ig step as opposed to stupid stunts and stuff."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah." Braig agreed, and Dilan reached over to squeeze her shoulder. "You're going to do fine, though."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I know, it's just walking up and then sitting down again without tripping on my face..." Aya laughed and cuddled because it was helping "Still going to stick with mostly salad for now so I don't toss my cookies on the podium or something."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Makes sense to me." Dilan agreed, "They've got that mint drink here, if you want it? The non-alocholic one."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Can't hurt!" Aya admitted. "I swear you guys weren't this nervous when you graduated. You guys were all smug."

[sliceitwithwind]

"We were nervous!" Braig assured her, "I just never show it, and Dilan..."

Well, it wasn't that long after Lenna had died.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Alright, nervous and smug." She tugged Dilan a bit more sideways for a better hug and grinned. "You still pull off cool better than I do."

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan laughed and hugged her back. "It's a talent."

[mitochondriaaya]

"A talent I envy. I'd trade a lot for a little cool right about now. "Maybe my left arm or something."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Just take big breaths." Dilan said, "It'll help settle you."