Mine | Ethan Dolan (AU)

epilogue|

May 2018.

Luca's pov|

"Rylie Warren, head of the student counseling community. She has helped dozens of students this past school year and personally I am thankful for her work for this school and for her peers. Congratulations." I put my hands to my cheeks, yelling as loud as I possibly could while Grayson and Ethan shouted beside me.

"That's my girl!" Grayson yelled, pointing a finger into the air from the side of the stage and directing it to Rylie who was accepting her diploma.

I glanced at Ethan, incoherently smiling widely up at him.

The heels I stood on only helped me about three inches, but he had had a major growth spurt since last December.

Her shoulder-length blonde highlighted hair swayed back and forth as she took the paper that was framed in glass, posing in the middle of the stage with the principal next to her.

As the cheers and applause echoed through the field, she made her way off the stage and Mr. Dunn started announcing the next person.

She started dancing, smiling stupidly at me while I held my arms out for a hug.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, starting to swag back and forth as I held onto her, both of us already laughing.

"You did it Ry, you did it." I whispered into her hair, adjusting my grip around her.

"Fuck, we did this shit."

"If you don't mind, I'd like a hug from my now graduated girlfriend." Grayson was smiling now too, his cheeks red and speckled with facial hair.

My hands were up in surrender as I moved away from Rylie.

Gray wasn't hesitant to wrap his arms around her waist, kissing her passionately with Ethan and I standing and watching awkwardly.

"That's the worst hug if I've ever seen one." He murmured.

With a light scoff, I back-handed his chest which caused him to let out a dry chuckle.

"Besitos please." he said, pursing his lips together while he started leaning down towards me.

"Ethan if you don't-" I muttered, standing up on the tips of my toes and connected my lips with his.

-

Reality was finally hitting me.

It's all over.

Childhood.

Playing tag, birthday parties, play dates, all the times we stayed up too late on school nights, sleepovers, swimming in the neighbors pool.

That's all in the past.

And what about teenage years? Parties, being reckless, road trips, living in the moment, first kisses, first times.

That's all gone too.

"Aye! Over here!" Dad called, snapping me back.

Ethan had his arm around my shoulder, guiding the four of us towards Mom and Dad.

His arm was around her, and his free hand held two bouquets of flowers; red roses for Ry and sunflowers for me.

"Dad, you didn't have to." I said.

"You expect me not to get my girls flowers, after they graduated? Hell outta here."

"You owe me a dollar Daddy." Josh chirped, holding onto moms hand.

He was in a cute blue button up plaid shirt with his black vans and khakis that she made him wear.

His hair was sleeked and parted to the side with gel that still showed the late waves that formed on his head.

"Ugh, you're gonna take all my money boy." Dad pulled money from his pocket, seeing as it was a five dollar bill.

Josh had snatched it before he had the chance to snatch it back.

A mischievous smile spread across his lips when he stood with his mouth gaped and eyebrows lifted upward.

"Congratulations girls." Mom had a big smile on her face, handing Josh off to Dad as she pulled us both into a hug.

This is all so surreal.

I wrapped my arm around her, shock still written across my bare face while I tried to comprehend what all was happening.

"Where do you wanna go for dinner?" Dad asked.

I stared blankly at him and watched Josh fiddle with the button of his pocket that was on his jacket.

"Jose's?"

He smiled at me, probably bigger than I've ever seen, and nodded his head without saying a word.

He handed both Rylie and I our flowers, a small piece of paper at the top of them that had a little note in his handwriting.

Mine read: I'm proud of you baby. You never seem to surprise me with all that strength you got. Keep being my Marie. And don't forget mira las estrellas.

The salted water formed in my eyes without consent or warning, and I stopped to look up at him with a small smile on my face.

Ethan's palm pressed against my shoulder. One: you. Two: okay.

I looked up at him. "I'm good. Just- thinking."

"I know how you feel Bub, it's all over. But you have me, Ry, and Gray. And they have you. I have you. We'll be good." he smiled, and I got lost in his eyes.

They were greener in the raw sun, and it made me feel like I was in the snow globe.

I was in the globe full of love.

It was bright, and yellow, and- safe.

"I love you." I whispered.

"Yo también te quiero." Was his response.

And he locked his fingers in mine and all seven of us walked off the field before the crowd got too heavy.

And that was the end to all the wild, crazy, teenage years with the best people in my life; and the start of the best, hectic, adulthood I could ever fucking ask for.