BAD OMENS ✬ luke hemmings

6.7 | long live

No one told her how nerve-wracking it was to walk across that stage.

However, Aria crosses it, praying and hoping that the cap doesn't fall off her head because of how flimsy it is due to the years of graduates who have worn the same navy blue cap and gown. Should she have pinned it in place before leaving home?

God, is it jarring to be on stage—the subject of everyone's attention?

From the corner of her eye, amidst racing thoughts and a focus on not tripping over her feet, she spots her parents in the crowd—behind most of the recently graduated senior class who sit in the front rows—and has to stop the childlike grin on her face upon seeing her friends looking absolutely ridiculous as they stand from their seats cheering.

The same way she did for them when they walked, except she had to peer through the auditorium door and risk getting yelled at to 'get back into place' every time she did. It's almost funny—but scary because she's sure the parents sitting behind Michael are laughing, and Aria's willing to bet that so are her parents.

She crosses the stage, shakes the hand of the director and principal, and then gets her diploma. It's underwhelming, considering the past four years were anything but. Like the other graduates, and from what they've all run over in rehearsals, she poses for a quick photo, then walks down the steps toward her designated row.

Aria vividly remembers when her sister graduated four years ago, and the most shocking part of that revelation is she doesn't remember the last four years going by as fast as they did. Riley's graduation ceremony felt like it went on forever. Still, at the time the only person Aria wanted to cheer for was her sister. She hadn't known anyone else and didn't particularly care about anyone else.

She even went to Ashton's graduation... how is he doing? She hasn't seen him in a while.

Now, for her graduation, everything goes by in a quick blur.

Not even rehearsals went by this quickly, because rehearsals, in Aria's mind, weren't real.

Students finish their walk, and the principal makes a closing speech before the senior class is invited back on stage; where they move the tassel from right to left, hearing the applause from parents in the crowd.

Balloons drop in celebration, and music plays through the speakers as all the seniors fill out of the auditorium. They move toward the courtyard for the final photo-op so they can all throw their caps in the air.

The second Aria steps out of the auditorium; she pushes past her classmates in search of her friends. She holds her cap, keeping it in place, as her heeled boots echo on the tile and the sleeves of her gown ride down her arms. Rushing toward the glimpses of bright red hair, she crashes into Michael, instinctively linking her arm with his.

"We were wondering where you were," Michael says, leading them out of the doors into the courtyard. "Would've waited, but Harris was out there yelling at us to get a move on." He snorts, rolling his eyes.

"Where are Sade and Jonah?"

"Up ahead," he replies, nodding his head forward to the two who have already reached the grassy area of the courtyard – Sade looks through the crowd for Aria and Michael, impatiently waving them over.

"Let's go then," Aria says, pulling Michael ahead, ignoring his whining. The one thing she wants out of today is for them to all be standing together for the final photo, and the girl has been apart from her friends for the past hour due to her last name – she would like to talk to them.

It doesn't matter that she'll see them all tonight, tomorrow, or almost every day for the next week – each moment counts now. There are no guarantees that they will all return for the holidays. Aria knows damn well that Michael and Sade aren't – so, yes, she's grasping at straws, trying to live in her little bubble until it's impossible.