It's weird, watching them now. They've gotten old.
Caleb would die if he heard me say that. Already getting sensitive about his age and he's only 20. I think he's just freaking out that I'm graduating and that means he doesn't have any high school friends left. He really has to go out and grow up.
He's sitting by the railing, smiling at me with that face of his that's growing more and more like an actual man every day. Beside him stands Milo, who has looked every inch the adult for years now. Milo isn't touching him. They don't want to drag attention to themselves in this small town. It has to be weird, though, because I know they haven't had to hide it for a long time now.
They still stand a little closer than is quite polite.
"I hate you for graduating," Caleb says instead of a congratulations.
Milo cuts in, "He doesn't mean that. He's just having a mid life crisis a little early."
I'm amazed at the way they've grown into each other. It wasn't always that easy. But they were both infatuated enough to weather the years of arguments and collisions until they learned to settle down together.
Caleb is not exactly the poster child for domestic bliss, but he's come a long way. Milo has learned to actually speak up when Caleb starts working himself into a frenzy and they are both better for it.
I've grown a lot- intellectually speaking, obviously, as I'm still painfully short. High school is done and over now, the diploma in my hands and Caleb and Milo here to congratulate me in their own ways. I have other friends to see and family to cry on the shoulders of, but I've missed these two.
They're at college now. Not the same schools, but ones close to each other. Only 15 minutes apart, but miles and miles from me. I can't blame them. I intend to move far for my own college experience- a theatre program in New York.
"We need to hang out," Milo says, smiling softly. He's not just quite, now, he's got the self-assurance to back it up. It's strange, seeing them again. It's all the same, with little shifts and additions.
"Otherwise, I'll crash whatever party you go to." Caleb tells me and there is that weird moment of wondering if that's really a joke.
I nod at them and step forward to give them a hug and get out of the tide of people walking away from the little room they'd used to hold our diplomas hostage for the promise of our good behavior. I didn't do anything outrageous, so I am an official high school graduate.
Caleb looks around, shiftily, then leans forward to give me a bruisingly tight hug. "I'm proud," he whispers, as if afraid someone will catch him being sweet. Milo pats his head, patronizingly, still a good six inches taller than him. Caleb reaches an arm back and half-heartedly swats at him.
I lean forward and kiss his cheek. "Thanks for making high school fun," I tell him.
"No probs," he jokes. "It's what I do."
It's been four years since I began Coward and I thought I'd just drop a little flashforward moment. It's from Kate's POV, in case I didn't make that obvious enough. Shocked people still read this story and cringing a little at how jerky the writing is, but I'm glad people enjoy it.
All of my love,
Cae