It was graduation day and I nearly jumped out of bed, I was very excited. I took an extra hot shower that day, put on a beautiful white dress that my mother had bought me and looked at myself in the mirror. I remember thinking that my shower must have been too hot because my skin looked red against the white silk and sighed. Nothing I could do about it, right?

I walked slowly down the stairs and was surprised when I heard applause. My mother and father were waiting downstairs and were clapping as I descended to them. "Congratulations, honey. Do you like the dress? Your mother picked it out."

"It's beautiful, dad."

He walked up and wrapped me in a tight hug. "Are you nervous? You look red."

"No, I just took a hot shower and am now regretting it."

We laughed together as he let me go. He took a step back and my mom hugged me, too. "Congratulations, Shizuru. Where's Natsuki? I thought she would be here."

As if on cue the sound of her motorcycle engine filled the room then shut off. Her key turned in the lock and the she flew into the room wearing a long blue dress that I wondered how she had worn on the highway on a motorcycle. I never asked her. "Sorry I'm late, I had to wait for my mom to call. She's coming to graduation so I told her I'd meet her there." She approached and we kissed. "That dress looks amazing on you, but are you sunburned or something?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Natsuki. I took an extra hot shower and it left me a little red." I looked her up and down and was impressed by what I saw, her hair was loose over her bare shoulders exposed by her dress that fit her form like a glove all the way past her knees and to her heels. I wondered how she had driven her motorcycle in heels but, again, I never asked. I merely looked and smiled as I often did causing a blush to appear on her face. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, are we taking your car or my bike?"

"Neither." My father interrupted. "Since we will be attending I thought we might wish to attend in style." He opened the door for us and we were greeted by a handsome driver in a tuxedo standing next to a black limousine. "I took the liberty of renting a limo for the day, so shall we."

"Wait." My mother opened her purse and took out a camera. "Shizuru, you and Natsuki stand over by the house, I want to get one of you two all dressed up." We stood in front of the house and Natsuki put her arm around me. Just before the flash I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. I still have that picture...somewhere.

Afterwards we hopped into the waiting limo and rode to the academy. It was my first time ever riding in a limo. I remember sitting next to Natsuki, her hand warming mine on the seat between us, across from my parents who made use of the nearby minibar.

That ride felt longer than it normally did to get to Fuuka, but in reality it took about the same time. The driver opened the door and my mom exited first, she was anxious to stretch her legs and secretly wanted to be seen getting out of a limousine. She must not have realized the class of students who attended Fuuka academy, most of the students arrived in limousines.

Reito exited a particularly flashy one, decorated with flags representing his native country. He helped his mother out of the car, who wore a beautiful blue satin dress with a matching shawl, and took her arm as they walked to the auditorium where the ceremony was to be held.

One of the only students to not arrive by limo was Yukino, she was dropped off by her mother who kissed her goodbye and apologized that she had to work that evening. She swore that she would get off early and try to be there when she walked the stage. I don't remember if she kept her word.

Haruka arrived in a limousine similar to ours, in fact I think they were from the same company because I distinctly remember the two drivers sharing a smoke as we walked to the auditorium. The noise of conversation filled the entirety of the space when we walked into the room. Every student who had started at Fuuka at the same time as us had graduated, no one had fallen behind. The stage was decorated with a type of lily that symbolized ambition, a large podium stood at the forefront where I, as class president, would have to give the opening speech. A speech that I was, more or less, prepared to give.

I stood hand-in-hand with Natsuki, my parents similarly behind us when we were approached by Saeko who looked rather out of place in her dark pantsuit with her hair tied in a neat bun. "Natsuki, are you here to watch your girlfriend walk the stage." She smirked in that way that meant she was teasing Natsuki.

Natsuki responded in her usual way, by rolling her eyes. "I'm graduating too, mother, or did you forget that?"

"Then I guess I'm out fifty bucks." Her smirk increased at a rate parallel to Natsuki's rising annoyance. She noticed my parents standing behind us and stepped passed us, holding her hand out. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Viola, I'm Saeko Kuga, Natsuki's mother."

My father shook her hand. "It's a pleasure, Saeko, I'm Masato and this is my wife Reiko." My mother shook her hand as well. "You must be excited to see Natsuki graduate."

"Surprised, more like." She looked towards Natsuki who turned and walked away, letting go of my hand and muttering something about finding is something to drink. Saeko chuckled. "In all seriousness, it is exciting to be here. When I signed her up for this school I wasn't sure she would make it. It's good to see her mature." She turned back to my parents. "I hear she caused you plenty of trouble. Did you make up with your daughter?"

My father would avoid the topic whenever possible, but I guess he felt comfortable enough with Saeko to discuss it. "The problem was mine, Ms. Kuga. I was too blinded by my own selfishness to see that Natsuki truly made Shizuru happy. As I've gotten to know her I find that I actually like her."

My mother tossed in her two cents. "She's been a good influence on Shizuru, I'm glad that she and Shizuru are together."

Saeko scratched her head. "We're talking about my daughter here, right? This is quite a change from how she used to be. She was quite the hellion in her younger days. I remember the first time she brought a girl home, I was livid. She and I didn't speak for months after that, but I finally came to my senses and realized that she was more important to me than some quarrel. Soon after that she started attending Fuuka and, since I work in DC, I found her an apartment nearby and we've been better since."

"You must really care for her."

"I do," Saeko turned to me, "but I still think you're too good for her." She smiled and Natsuki returned, handing me a soda from a nearby machine. "You didn't bring one for me? I'm glad I raised such a considerate daughter." Natsuki started to fire back but Saeko wrapped her up in a hug. "I'm proud of you, Natsuki."

Natsuki didn't say it, but I noticed that she was touched by her mother's gesture.

Ms. Sanada picked that moment to walk up. "Sorry to interrupt, but everyone is ready." Natsuki and I followed her to the front of the auditorium where all the other students stood including Haruka, Yukino and Reito. As the student council president and Vice President me and Reito took our places at the front of the line. I would have to give a speech and introduce the valedictorian and salutatorian of the class.

Ms. Maria stood at the podium, much as she had on our first day. "You are all here because you have proven yourself to be the best and the brightest, and I am proud now to let you all out into the world. Now, your student council president would like to say a few words. Ms. Viola."

Ms. Maria stepped back and I took the podium to a wave of applause. I could see my father and mother clapping for me from the middle of the room. "Thank you all for coming, and congratulations on your graduation. It was a long road, full of trial and tribulations but you survived. The reward for all your hard work is to be able to call yourselves graduates of Fuuka academy. A noble honor."

Ms. Sanada approached and handed me the certificates for the valedictorian and salutatorian. "Now, to announce the salutatorian of your graduating class. Ms. Aoi Senou." I had never met Ms. Senou as she was from class two, an average looking brown haired girl approached the stage and I handed her the certificate. "Congratulations Ms. Senou, your dedication to excellence has granted you this singular honor." She waved to, who must have been, her parents and she left the stage to much applause.

"Now, the class valedictorian is..." I read the name on the paper with such shock that the room stood still when I was finished. "Natsuki Kuga?!"

Natsuki stepped forward and approached the podium, a broad smile on her face that filled my heart with joy and my mind with confusion. I knew she was intelligent, but valedictorian. I smiled as I handed her the certificate, our eyes met and I shuddered. My mouth opened but I couldn't say the words. So I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind. "I love you."

The silence deepened and I blushed at having uttered such a thought in front of the entire student body. Natsuki's smile never faded, she merely threw her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss. "I love you, too." Applause rose from the audience as Natsuki stepped off the stage and found Saeko in the crowd.

I read off the names of the remaining graduates, each one filed by to receive their diploma before joining their relatives in the crowd. Most walked to applause of some sort, some to more than others. Reito received more than his fair share as did Yukino. I noticed that most of Yukino's applause came from one side of the stage where a great many of, what I assumed to be, her family stood. When she stepped off of the stage she approached them and was nearly engulfed by hugs and praise. Haruka walked to some applause, but I noticed that she joined Yukino and her family after she took her diploma. I guessed that her own family couldn't attend.

After the last person had walked across the stage Ms. Maria handed me my diploma and thanked me for being an excellent president. I bowed my head and stepped off of the stage to the loudest applause yet. I found my parents standing with Saeko and Natsuki, my father and mother both hugged me and Saeko shook my hand and congratulated me. I stood next to Natsuki, who held my hand until the ceremony was over.

Ms. Maria took over the podium. "Congratulations to all who graduated today, and condolences for all those lost along the way." This is normally the part where she would read the names of those who didn't make it, but since our whole class had graduated she stood silent. We cheered. "This is a first. I don't remember a year where not a single student failed out." She stood in silence for a moment. "Well then, that is all. Congratulations and we hope to hear good things from all of you."

Ms. Maria left the stage and the ceremony ended, the crowd started to split up and go their separate ways. I stayed with Natsuki but somehow my parents got lost in the shuffle. Just outside of the auditorium we met up with Haruka and Yukino standing apart from the others. Haruka waved as we approached. "Come on, we're going to check out the campus one last time. Take a trip down memory lane."

I walked hand-in-hand with Natsuki following Haruka and Yukino through the halls of Fuuka and taking in the last we would see of the place. We passed the hallway where Haruka fought to defend Yukino and Natsuki had taken the blame. We continued passed the restroom me and Natsuki often used and into our homeroom class where we had spent the last four years. Except Natsuki since she was in class two.

We sat in the seats we had taken when we were students, Natsuki sat next to me in what had been Reito's seat. I found it ironic. We sat together and reminisced until Saeko found us and we left the building for the last time. Haruka and Yukino said goodbye and left to find their parents while mine were waiting for me at the limousine. "Shizuru, we invited Ms. Kuga to join us for dinner."

"You're usually so anti social, mother."

Natsuki commented dryly, to which Saeko replied, "I thought it would be nice to have dinner with the parents of the girl who's wasting her life with you."

Natsuki angered at the comment and my parents chuckled awkwardly, still unsure about their strange relationship. I laughed, and Natsuki took my hand. "Come on, Shizuru. I'm riding with you."

"We both are, or did you think your little bicycle was going to carry both of us?"

"It's a Ducati, mom."

"I know, I bought you the damn thing. You never even thanked me for it."

I sat down next to Natsuki on one side while my parents and Saeko sat across from us. My mother chuckled while both Natsuki and Saeko huffed and folded their arms. "You're both so alike, like Shizuru and Masato. They're both so hard headed. She must get it from him because I'm so easy going."

My father rolled his eyes in a way that always made Natsuki laugh. She would say it was because I gave her the same look. I will deny that to this day.

-IPR-

That night we sat around a table in Chez Minuet, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. My father bragged that he had reserved the table before I had even started at Fuuka. When I asked him what he would have done had I failed he merely replied, "Then I would have saved it for your wedding."

Saeko had ordered a bottle of wine for the parents while me and Natsuki drank water and looked over the menu trying to decipher some of the ridiculous names for food. I settled on what appeared to be chicken on a bed of pasta with alfredo sauce that looked very appetizing. Natsuki couldn't decide on a dish so she ordered the same as me.

Saeko and my mother were embroiled in conversation while my father took the opportunity to talk to Natsuki about her Ducati. "So do you maintain it yourself, or do you have a mechanic look at it?"

"For the most part I handle the regular maintenance. If something major fails I'll take it to the mechanic for convenience. Since I live in an apartment without a garage I don't have a place to work on it myself."

"It sounds like you're self-sufficient. What are your plans going forward? College?"

"I would like to someday, but I have yet to decide what I want to study. For now I think I'll find a job, something that pays well, until I've made up my mind."

I don't remember how I came to the idea, but I decided that now was the time to have a conversation I had been waiting to have with my father. "I've decided to go to Harvard law, follow in your footsteps."

My father smiled. "I thought you would."

I wrung my hands with worry. This was the part of the conversation I was dreading. "I've been thinking that it would be much easier for me to get to school from the city," My father nodded, following me but not quite seeing the end yet. "and since Natsuki lives in the city," It slowly dawned on him what I was asking. "I thought that I could move in with her."

My father's face was expressionless. Saeko and my mother had stopped their conversation and turned their attention to Masato who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "You're really catching me off guard, Shizuru. This is sudden."

"Not at all, I've actually been thinking about it for some time now." That was no lie, it had been on my mind since our spring break trip when Natsuki and I had discussed it. "I think it would be beneficial for both of us if we moved in together."

Before my father could respond Saeko decided that this was the time to unveil her graduation gift to her daughter. "How interesting, and do you think you two will be comfortable in Natsuki's efficiency apartment? That space would get pretty cramped for the two of you."

"We can make it work." Natsuki countered.

"Of course you could, my dear. You're a survivor, but how fortunate that you don't have to." All of the eyes at the table were on her now. "I've kept a small house on the outskirts of the city for some time now, waiting for the right moment to give it to you. I think this is the right moment." Natsuki's eyes widened. "I mean, valedictorian? I'm extremely proud of you, Natsuki."

That moment was the closest I've ever seen Natsuki to crying. Her eyes watered, she stood and gave her mom a big hug thanking her profusely. After that my father had his say. "It saddens me, not to see you move in with Natsuki, but to see you moving out of my house. I've been preparing for this day, but I thought I still had more time." My father patted me on the arm. "If this is what you've decided, then I'm happy for you."

Now it was my turn to have misty eyes. "Thanks, dad. You're the best."

"I must say, though, I think it would be a waste not to use your talents." My father returned to his conversation with Natsuki. "Even I wasn't valedictorian of my graduating class, Natsuki. You could be anything you want to be."

"That's the problem with anything, having so many options that not one stands out. I'll decide eventually, but for now I'm content to be with Shizuru and support her any way I can."

By then the waiter had returned with our food, which I devoured as I hadn't eaten anything else that day. Natsuki hadn't finished her food so, as usual, I ate what remained on her plate while she leaned back in her chair and talked to her mother. "So how big is this house?"

"It's a three bedroom, two bath. Probably more space than you need right now, but when you two have children you'll have a place to put them."

Natsuki swallowed. "Children? And how exactly would we have children?"

"I've already told you, a surrogate."

I joined in the conversation as soon as I had finished Natsuki's food. "I'm not going to let some guy touch you, even for one night."

I smirked. "Who says he'll touch me?"

Natsuki blushed. "That's not happening either."

"I didn't say you'd have to enjoy it." I leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear. "What if he was really handsome?" Her blush deepened. "Dark hair, green eyes and a perfect smile." Just then I noticed the name tag on our waiter. Thomas Franz.

-IPR-

Shizuru shakes as another part of her memory fails her. She tries to recall her husband's face, his smile, his laugh, anything. It's in vain, and she feels more of her world melt away from her. She feels something tear at her and can't explain the feeling, but somehow she knows that Haruka is gone from this place. Her world is crumbling around her, she feels as if even the ground before her will give way to the blackness of eternity. A sleep without dreams.

She writhes in the chair like she is aflame yet still he watches, like a silent judge listening to her testimony before granting her pardon or condemning her. The psychiatrist, or is that neurosurgeon, merely looks on in quiet patience. "Later that year me and Natsuki moved into that house together."