Chapter Fifteen: Graduation

For the next few months, everything seemed normal. Aradia was happy, even at Derse Academy. Damara was happy too, having kept up with school and done well enough to graduate with her friends. She came out of her room glowing in the cap and gown. The white fabric sparkled in the light. Hana emerged with her camera, insisting on pictures of Damara at every angle, and then pictures of her with Daniel, and with Aradia, and all of them together.
"Hana, let me take some of you and Damara," Aradia said, reaching out for the camera. Hana smiled, handing it off to her. Aradia snapped a couple quick photos as Daniel's hand came down on her shoulder.
"We gotta go," he said to all three of them.
"Alright, alright, no more pictures, then," Hana said, taking her camera back from Aradia.
"Wait, wait, one more," Damara smiled, taking her phone out. "Everybody in." They all squished close together and smiled as Damara took a selfie of all four of them.
"Okay, come on," Daniel said, ushering the ladies towards the car.
"Hey, send that to me," Aradia asked. Damara tapped away at her phone in the backseat, and as they drove off, a message appeared on Aradia's phone. She opened it up- there was the family selfie. That was the first time it clicked; the first time Aradia had truly seen the four of them as a family. She could almost feel her mother smiling down at her.

The graduation ceremony was a bit long-winded, but Aradia had her friends to pass the time, as they all had siblings that were graduating, and when Damara's name was called- somewhere between Porrim and Rufioh- Aradia, Daniel, and Hana all cheered as loudly as they could. And after Horuss Zahhak received his diploma and returned to his seat, the Class of Skaia High stood and threw their caps into the air, creating a sea of sparkling white and shimmery blue. At the end of the ceremony, there was a lot of hugging, and excited yelling and cheering, and Aradia got spun on her heel in the confusion, into Sollux's chest, and before she could say anything or understood what was happening, his lips were on hers, and she went onto her tiptoes to reach easier, and they just felt for a moment, with each other. Sollux pulled away first.
"Ah… heh… I…" Sollux stuttered.
"That was… unexpected."
"I… uh… d-do you wanna go out sometime?" Sollux blurted.
"Like… a date?"
"Yeah… yeah, a date. Definitely.
Aradia smiled. "Well the county fair is coming up; maybe we could do that."
"Yeah… maybe," Sollux smiled. "I gotta go. I'll call you?"
"Mhm!"
"Okay, um… bye," Sollux kissed her on the cheek again before disappearing into the crowd. Aradia, too, found her way back to her family, a giant smile plastered across her face. It was going to be a good summer.