Mako's Message: True story. I never attended my own graduation.
Also, I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to your reviews yet. I just...don't have the time right now. But I will get to them.
Today was Dave's graduation ceremony.
I didn't wear any of my new clothes to it though, since it's supposed to be, ya know, classy and shit. Or something like it at least. So I wore one of the sundresses Marcus bought me last year.
Marcus didn't come, since he had work and it's not the sort of thing he'd make time for anyway. But Angela did. What was a surprise was that Riley wasn't there. I guess she couldn't get the time off.
She showed up later when we went out to eat though.
It was kind of interesting, since I don't think I've ever spent that much time alone with his Dad.
Angela sat on the other side of me from him. I think she was still embarrassed about meeting him for the first time when she was hungover as fuck.
Anyway, it was the first time I'd ever really talked to him. Any time I've seen him before it was just in passing. Ya know, like, he'd be leaving for work when I was coming to meet Dave for our morning jog, or he'd stick his head in and say hi when Dave and I where hanging out at his place.
But while we were sitting there listening to speeches and watching the class of 2012 walk across the stage(I managed to restrain myself from 'boo'ing when Katie was called up) it was either talk or sit in awkward silence.
He asked me, "So, you going to miss having Dave in school with you?"
I told him, "Yeah. I didn't see him much during school since our schedules didn't match up, but not seeing him much is a pretty big difference from not seeing him at all." And it's not just Dave, Marty and Todd are graduating too. Marty might actually be a bigger gap, since he would eat lunch with us sometimes. Todd...well, we probably won't be seeing any less of Todd since we barely saw him at all in school. And of course I'll see Dave outside of school all the time.
Well, he's moving in with Riley so I probably won't be seeing him as much outside of school as I have been either. I don't even know where she lives yet so I don't know if we'll be able jog together in the mornings either.
Then he surprised me by saying, "I'll miss seeing you around."
And I was like, "Really?"
And he said, "Yeah. It was nice having a female presence in the house again."
I know it's been a long time since they were together, but I still asked, "What about Katie?"
He kinda grimaced and said, "She was nice, or at least I thought she was, but she didn't come over much. Nowhere near as often as you do. Plus his grades started slipping when he started dating her. After he met you though he really pulled himself together. I think you've been a good influence on his life because you've made him try to be a good example for you."
Then he smirked and said, "And of course, knowing there'd be a lady visiting encouraged me to make sure the house was kept in order. After Alice died," and boy did that throw me for a loop, because of course I thought White Mage Alice. I'd ask Dave why he never told me his Mother's name but I have a feeling the answer would be, "You never asked".
Anyway, he said "After Alice died, Dave and I went through kind of a...bachelor period and..." then he shuddered and said, "Let's just say I'm glad we were given a reason to clean up our act. Literally."
Then we stopped and clapped as Marty got his diploma.
Then he said, "It's gonna be real quiet around the house now actually. With Dave gone, Marty and Todd won't be coming around either." And then he...exhaled really slowly, "Those boys have been coming by since they were little kids."
I had another one of those moments then. I wasn't really sure why, but I told him, "I can still drop by in the mornings. No reason to change my jogging route."
He kinda laughed and said, "You can if you want. But I think you'll want to change it. Jogging to Riley's and back to your house shouldn't be much longer than what you do now."
All things considered, I'm kind of ashamed that I couldn't stop myself from smiling at that.
Todd went across and we clapped again. He spotted us and pumped his fists in the air. Angela cheered.
Mr. L stopped talking then, and we sat there for a few minutes in silence, watching more seniors walk by and become graduates. Then I asked something that I was kind of afraid to know the answer to, "Do you like Riley?"
He just nodded his head and said, "Of course. She's a great girl." I didn't say anything in response so he asked, "Do you like her?"
I said, "I wish I didn't."
He smiled and said, "You're jealous."
It's funny how two little words can make your blood run cold.
Angela started paying attention to us then. I only noticed because she stopped looking around at everything else.
Then he said, "You shouldn't be. Riley's not going to replace you or anything. I mean, it feels like every other story Dave tells me starts with 'Mindy and I'. You'll still be his best friend."
It's funny how six little words can hurt so much.
He kept talking, saying, "It's still kinda weird to say that. That my high-school-graduate Son's best friend is a 13-year-old girl. But I can't say I don't get it. You sure are one of a kind."
I almost stopped myself from smiling that time,, but then Angela had to nudge me and grin at me. It was a lost cause after that.
Then they called Dave up and as he walked across the stage we clapped harder than ever, and I whistled at him. He looked over at us and then raised his diploma up in a salute before finishing his walk.
There were only a few more people to be called after Dave, and once they were called, there was this big rush from all the friends and family and the new graduates to find each other and it looked like Mr. L was gonna join them but I was like, "Whoa, fuck that," and stood up on my chair and waved Dave over.
When he came over he looked me over and said, "You...look...nice." like he was trying to be careful about how he complimented me.
So I rolled my eyes and said, "Yeah, and you don't look like an idiot in that thing at all."
And then he rolled his eyes.
We moved further away from the mass of people, like everybody else was trying to except they were blocked in by the people still trying to find each other. Idiots.
Eventually Marty, Todd, and their families joined us. Todd's Mom came over to me and Angela and said, "So you must be Mindy and Angela. I've heard a lot about you from Todd, it's nice to finally meet you."
Then Marty says, "Yeah, Todd loves talking about the little ladies." And then he yelped and almost fell to the ground cussing at us because Dave and I kicked him in the shins at the same time.
Anyway, we all went out to eat and that's when Riley joined us.
She came up while we were eating, said, "Hey everybody!" and kissed Dave on the cheek, "Mindy, Angela, you're both looking nice today." Then she pulled a chair over and Dave and Marty moved aside so she could squeeze and started picking food from Dave's plate.
I couldn't decide on something to say so I just didn't. Angela started talking with her though, so I don't think anyone cared that I wasn't talking to her.
I don't know if it was one of Marty or Todd's parents, but one of them asked Dave what he was going to do now. He gave me a quick glance and said, "Oh, just more of the usual I guess. No reason to change anything yet."
I don't know if he was referring to our relationship or our training/patrol schedule, but I smiled anyway. If nothing else, it means he's not planning to put any distance between us, and the closer I can get to him the better.
