Atlas: A Top Gun: Maverick Fanfiction

Chapter 2: Graduation

A/N: We get a bit of a time skip, but I'm so excited to share this all with you! It's major set up for the next chapter where we get to meet Jake Seresin for the first time haha! As always, let me know what you think ☺️

Kelsey was anxious, more anxious than she had been in a long time. Her gaze scanned through the crowd of adults and seniors in caps and gowns, never landing on the one person she was looking for.

A sigh built at the back of her throat. For just a few weeks at the end of her Junior year, things had been back to normal. Things had felt just right. Brad had been back in town and even though she was healing up from her accident, she had all but forgotten about it.

They had gone to the beach, watched movies, played video games—did all of the things that they used to do. And then he had gone off to college again. It was true, he was better at responding to her messages now, but it didn't make up for the fact that he was never around anymore.

Deep down, Kelsey wondered if he resented her for the year that he had been forced to care for her, since Pete had been on-call for a mission. If he did, it certainly shone through during times like this.

He hadn't been there when she had gotten her acceptance letter to Berkeley. He hadn't been there when she had gotten her SAT and ACT scores back. He hadn't been there when she had gone to prom.

And now she was graduating today and he was nowhere to be found. But he had promised—

Kelsey was quickly learning to not place much stock in promises. She knew that the second she was going to Berkeley, Pete would go back to flying. Bradley would visit a bit more. But she would be on her own.

The truth of the matter is that she felt like she had been on her own for more than a while now.

Kelsey forced a smile onto her face, pink lip-gloss shining against the sun. She made her way over to where the Seniors were sitting, eyes falling on the crowd. Ever the distinguished guests, she could see Uncle Pete and Uncle Ice sitting next to Sarah and cheering in the crowd.

She silently wondered how the hell she had gotten so much family out of her mom's death.

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Kelsey was just making her way through the crowd when she was picked up and twirled around by Uncle Pete. She screeched in surprise, laughing slightly. As soon as he had put her down, she found Sarah handing her a bouquet of flowers.

"We are so proud of you, honey!" Sarah exclaimed.

Uncle Ice, who was recovering from a bad bout of chemo, but had insisted on being there, gave a warm smile. He pulled her into a hug and Kelsey could almost forget the fact that her brother hadn't bothered to show up.

"I'm sorry he's not—" Pete started.

"Screw him." Kelsey insisted, shaking her head. "He's off doing, God knows what. But I've got you guys and I'm really glad that you're here." She said warmly.

A short time later, she sat in a restaurant, the trio of adults around her. "Have you decided what you're going to do in school, sweetheart?" Sarah questioned.

Kelsey gave a shrug, taking a bite of her steak. "I'm honestly not too sure. I'm...all over the place, you guys know that."

All over the place was a mild way to put how the teenage years had been for Kelsey. After her traumatic summer, and recovery from that—she had been in and out of therapy and finally trying to handle everything that had happened.

She had all the time in the world to find herself. And if there was one thing that these adults were sure of, Kelsey Bradshaw was going to be a force to be reckoned with.