Hopefully y'all didn't die from a sugar overdose this week! XD This chapter's for Blood Rose Knight

Song: Where Do I Go From Here

By the time the end of the school year rolls around, all the seniors are chomping at the bit and raring to go. They're done with classes, done with finals, done with high school. All they want is a diploma in their hand and enough money to get them started as they set out into the adult world. Some will go to college while others will immediately join the workforce. Either way, they want to be gone. Everyone agrees that the graduation ceremony is long and tedious. But before the students at Hetalia High go through that ordeal, they must first sit in the gymnasium one last time for a farewell assembly. While it's not nearly as long (only an hour) the rest of the student body clearly doesn't want to be here. It's the end of the year for them too, and the freshman, sophomores, and juniors really don't care about what happens to their senior classmates. Still, they'll sit and applaud when needed. which is enough for the principal.

Elizaveta sighed as the stragglers filed in and sat down. The gymnasium hummed with life all around her, but for once she didn't feel like talking. This was it! After tomorrow, she'd be gone! It was exciting and terrifying… Growing up, finding a job, going to college…

She jumped as someone squeezed next to her on the crowded bench. "Wha?! Oh, hi Roderich."

Roderich nodded, his dark hair shining in the sterile light. "I can't believe it's finally happening."

Elizaveta chuckled. "I know! Four years seemed so long when I was a Freshman." She looked over at the 9th grade section. Some of those kids looks so small! One brunette girl was a mouse compared to the blonde haired, blue eyed boy whose arm was wrapped around her.

"What are your plans?" Roderich asked. Elizaveta bit her lip,

"Well, I've got some scholarships and grants to get into a community college. I'll get a teaching degree there... and a job. Not all of us can get an enormous scholarship to Juilliard, after all." She smirked at him and he blushed. Roderich was a brilliant pianist, genius even, and Elizaveta had no doubt he'd play at Carnegie Hall some day.

A voice from behind called out, "Who needs as scholarship when you can just be awesome?"

They both groaned as a young man with wild white hair and red eyes sat on Elizaveta's other side. The albino was dressed in his customary black shirt and dark jeans that accentuated his pale skin and gave him a devilish look. Not that his red eyes made him look saintlike. He cuddled up close to her and leaned his chin on her shoulder.

"Ksesese! So, do I get a kiss like you used to give me?" he purred in her ear. Elizaveta shrugged him off and felt her cheeks get hot as Roderich stared.

"I-It's nothing! Just something that happened a long time ago!" she stuttered.

"Mmmhmm! Lizzy loooooooooooved me! We used to kiss all the time. I bet she still loves me! You love me, right Li-OW!" He groaned as Elizaveta smacked the back of his head.

"Shut UP, Gilbert!" she hissed.

Any reply he might have had was cut off as the principal grabbed the microphone and called everyone to order. The noise level died slowly, and Elizaveta finally noticed two tables were set in the middle of the gym with brightly colored cords piled on them. Oh right, the honor cords for graduation.

After the usual sappy introduction and obligatory round of applause, the passing out of the cords began. Elizaveta had to get up several times; a fuchsia cord for 4 years in English, silver for being on the Dean's List, green for science, burgundy for math, bronze for scholarship recipients, etc. Soon enough however, she noticed that Gilbert and Roderich would get in a heated conversation once she left to get her cords. Nothing unusual; they hated each other. What was unusual was that they always stopped when she came near again.

So they were talking about her, eh?

After the first few cords Elizaveta realized that if she looked a bit distracted or paused to wave to a friend, they would continue for a few precious seconds and she'd catch snippets of their conversations.

Roderich: "You're crazy. Do you want to get killed?!"

Gilbert: "It's none of your business what I do, geek! Oh, hey Lizzy."

Gilbert: "-If you want her so badly, why don't you stick around?"

Roderich: "As if you're one to talk, Beilschmidt... Good job getting on the Dean's List, Eliza."

It was maddening. They were fighting over something, someone, and she had no idea who it was! Finally there was only one pile of cords and it was pitifully small. The principal said, "These red, white, and blue cords are for the people who have enlisted to join the military after graduation. Several men in uniform stood up and walked to the table, one from each branch of the military.

The principal called out names slowly, allowing each young man and woman to walk down, receive the cord, and shake hands with the officer of whatever branch they had enlisted in. They got the biggest cheers by far, whether it be from patriotism or because everyone was excited the assembly was almost over.

"...Gilbert Beilschmidt will be joining the marines…."

Wait, what?!

Elizaveta gaped as Gilbert stood up and walked down the stairs. Gilbert had enlisted?! He'd never mentioned anything of the sort to her! …Then again, why did she care what he did? It wasn't like his well-being was any of her business.

"That idiot! What's this going to prove?" Roderich muttered.

All three of them were silent as Gilbert joined them once more. They stayed quiet as the last announcements were made and one last big cheer was made for the graduating class. Elizaveta felt her heart drop every time she looked at Gilbert. Crazy, wild, annoying, carefree Gilbert had enlisted! He might never come back home! Please, please, PLEASE come back home…

She flinched as people jostled around her, trying to get off the bleachers and out the doors to the buses. Roderich grabbed her shoulder. "Elizaveta, I need to tell you something!" The blush was back and he looked nervous. Elizaveta waved him off though, there was only one thing on her mind.

"Can you call me later? I need to do something first." She missed his look of utter disappointment as a thatch of white hair caught her eye in the crowd. Skipping over benches, Elizaveta almost ran into Gilbert from behind. He saw her coming though, and caught her easily. She'd never noticed how strong he was before…

"Gilbert, I…." What was she supposed to say? That she'd miss him? That he'd better come home?

His scarlet eyes gazed into her green ones for a few seconds. Tenderly running a hand through her brown hair, he leaned down and captured her lips in a brief kiss.

"Wait for me, okay?"

And then he was gone.

QAQ My baby's going off to war!

Editor's Note: Viva doesn't like it when I swear, so there's not much I can say here except that AAAAAAAAGH PRUHUN STUPID STUPID ARSCHLOCHS.

Ahem. That is all.

Ah, yeah, this is supposed to be Fryingpangle btw, hopefully you can tell. ^_^' Also, CHAPTER FORTY?! WUUUUUUUUT?! ONLY TEN MORE CHAPTERS!