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]

"But everyone grows up Braig," Aya pointed out, suddenly sober. "Flake doesn't work for someone in their thirties or forties, not in a healthy way anyway. Neither does brat or twit."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah." Braig agreed after a second, "But it'll be better if we grow organically rather than try to design something."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Hey, it's okay to dream and plan. That's part of what senior year is all about," she chuckled. "Cramming out heads full of plans, and planning, and what are you doing, what will you be?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Dreams are different than plans, and planning what you're going to do is different than planning who you're going to be." Braig said in return, "Don't limit yourself, okay?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Eh, when it comes to the future dreams and plans are a lot alike? All kind of vague for now." Very vague. "And I don't plan to pick every single detail in advance!"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Good." Braig said, then blinked at Dilan.

"I was hungry." Dilan said defensively.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Right, I'll tip more meat in the pan after the sausages!" Aya laughed and gestured for another plate. "Maple sausage! Dilan, do you mind if your next meat lot tastes a little like mushroom? I can start them cooking with your meat and just keep cooking them..."

[sliceitwithwind]

"I like mushrooms." Dilan said, "Thank you, Aya!"

Braig laughed, "It's cool, dude. Food is important."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Making sure, you didn't want any other seasoning so!" So it was polite to ask to share the pan! Yep, piling mushrooms in with meat! And some meat flavor in her fungus wasn't a bad thing either! "And pancakes in another pan in a moment if Dilan can reach down the flour for me." Pancakes were easy!

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan reached down the flour, "Of course, monkey!" he said, passing it over to her.

[mitochondriaaya]

"You know, I've had to climb up on the counter less since you've grown, it's kind of nice and gets me in less trouble," she chuckled, dipping out what she needed for a Braig-serving of pancakes. "Though Elcy still insists I should use step stools."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Mom's a mom." Braig pointed out, "She's always going to insist you use step stools."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I've seen her climb on the counter once though!" Just once, Elcy was tall, but the rice cooker had been wedged on a top shelf! "Chocolate chips in Braig or straight pancakes?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Well, yeah." Braig laughed quietly, "Mom's mom. Uh. I'll be good, just straight pancakes."

[mitochondriaaya]

"And she can alter the rules at will!" Aya laughed, pouring batter into a second pan. "Alright, you're being good. Duly noted. This just means you're going to find something else to have excessive amounts of chocolate in later right?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yup." he agreed cheerfully, "What time do we have to be over there, anyway?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Ceremony is at five, seating for you guys starts at four, and I have to be there at three-thirty to get properly lined up and such." so just after lunch they all needed to get ready?

"It's at the stadium a town over, so might be worth it to drive?" The place was big enough for a proper ceremony, but more importantly had enough seating so family members attending didn't have to limited!

[sliceitwithwind]

"Sounds good." Braig said, "I'm happy to drive...do you want to stop for lunch or make it?" Stopping meant he'd pay since they did all the cooking.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Whichever you guys want? I...can't remember what's between here and there right now my braaaaaaain." Ah, pancakes the size of Braig's head? Check!

[sliceitwithwind]

Dilan thought for a moment, "We could stop at that place Nevada used to take us when we went hiking? Kind of bring him along with us a bit?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Oh, I like that plan. Your plate and Braig's." The meat was warm now and the first pancake was done! "He'd be proud, right? That or call me an idiot for graduating early or something. He got annoyed at me sometimes when I talked about skipping too many grades."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Sounds good." Dilan handed plates over, "You think so, Braig?"

"He'd be proud, monkey, and we'll do that."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Alright, so we should leave here...about noon?" she hazarded, thinking it over. "And...good. I like to think he would be. My dad's been kind of tittery over the graduating thing but you know he's excitable."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Noon sounds good." Braig agreed, "That'll give us plenty of time."

Dilan walked over to give Aya a hug before going back to food."

[mitochondriaaya]

She just...really needed to know the graduating thing was okay? It was a very big, very final, step. The hug helped. "Now just need to figure out what to do between now and then," Aya admitted wryly. "Breakfast only takes so long, the garden is all weeded..." And no more homework to do so...