Through the Dark | ✓

Eighteen

* 6 weeks later *

Dani was sitting in the 13th row, while Ethan was sitting in the 8th row. He constantly turned around to smile at her and she would smile back.

"Ethan Harris." The spokesman said.

They were finally in their commencement, receiving the piece of paper that they've worked 4 years for. She saw Ethan walk on the stage to shake the hands of all the administrators that were there. She looked to her right and noticed Mr. Harris, Jeffrey and Joy sitting on the bleachers. Joy wiped a tear with a napkin, Jeffrey was clapping and Michael was recording the entire thing with an enormous smile on his face. She smiled looking at the people she learned to care and appreciate throughout these few weeks.

"YA ETHAN!" She screamed, placing both her hands around her mouth to make her voice louder. He turned to look at her and wiggles his diploma folder with a big smile. Her heart swells seeing him so happy. He walks off the stage and stands close by, to cheer her on when she goes up.

A couple of rows down and the "M's" are finally up. "Danielle Miller," the same man that announced Ethan says.

"WOAH DANI!" Ethan cheers, lifting his diploma up in the air. When she gets off the stage she runs toward Ethan and jumps when she reaches him. He carried her as if she didn't weigh anything. They hugged for a long time, until he felt someone tap his back. He carefully placed her down and looked over his shoulder to see his dad, Jeffrey and Joy.

"Congratulations!" They all said. They hugged each other and took their pictures. Joy gave Dani a bouquet of roses with 6 balloons and Jeffrey gave Ethan a big brown teddy bear with the same amount of balloons.

"We need pictures of only you two," Michael said. Ethan and Dani quickly placed their gifts on the floor and posed with their diploma folders. They did regular photos then came the silly ones. In one, Ethan picked up Dani and placed her on his back, but she couldn't stop laughing. "Now let's go, I left town's best chef at home to cook us a delicious meal and I also have a big surprise for you both."

They drove back home and were immediately greeted to the delicious smell of food. "I'll be down in a minute, I want to leave my stuff." Dani said before walking up the stairs.

"So do I." Ethan said following after her.

She was about to enter her room when Ethan came from behind and hugged her, "We did it," he whispered.

She turned around when he let go, but as she was about to speak he crashed his lips to hers. It's as if her lips had a mind of their own because they followed his lips every move. She felt his body come closer to hers, feeling warm at the contact. The pulse of her heart intensified as each second passed.

Ethan didn't know what he had done, but realized it all too late. He was finally kissing Danielle, something he wanted to do since the day he took her to the arcade. It wasn't love at first sight, but his feelings toward her just kept growing. His heart beat was going in over drive and his head felt as if it was spinning uncontrollably. But what surprised him was that she was giving in to the kiss, she hadn't pulled away. So did she feel the same toward him? Feeling it was time to get an answer, he began slowing down the kiss and eventually stopping it. He smiled down at her, "that was amazing."

Her mind was out of control, she didn't know what to say. She just wanted to run in her room and scream, not because she didn't enjoy the kiss or because she doesn't like Ethan, but because she was so insecure about herself. But she didn't want to do that and make Ethan feel bad, so she smiled at the ground. "It was," she responded.

"Guys are you coming down already?" They both jumped at the voice of Michael coming from downstairs.

"Coming," Ethan quickly responded. He then turned his attention back to Dani, "we could talk later okay? When we're alone."

"Yeah," she replied. "I'll see you downstairs then." Her cheeks were beginning to feel warm, she had never had a first real kiss, so practically making Ethan her first kiss.

"Okay," he smiled before heading to his room.

Danielle quickly entered the room, leaving her stuff on her desk. She walked to her bed and sat, touching her lips, rewinding what had just happened.