August

1

Someone's graduation cap-shaped balloon has floated up to the top of the high auditorium ceiling. It bobs like a buoy at sea around the lights. The crowd of families and friends maintains a continuous rumble of  sound that crescendos after the name of each graduate is announced, reaching higher peaks for the more popular students and lilting up to polite cheers for everyone else. 

Mona's almost up to the stage, ready to cross and receive her high school diploma. She supposes she should be excited but she just gazes up at the lost balloon. As she's ushered forward she nearly trips on a wire from the camera man's little photo-op right before the stage. A hand reaches out and grabs the edge of her graduation gown. 

"Careful," says a student in line behind Mona. She mumbles a thanks. 

"Mona Rose Murray."

And then she's on stage, and she can hear her parent's voices in the crowd. A light flashes and she shakes hand after hand and then she smiles somewhere, hopefully towards the camera being forced in her face and not towards the ground which seems to rush up to greet her and - 

Few people can claim the right to say that the fell off the stage at their graduation. One of those fortunate enough to have that honor bestowed upon them would be Mona, with a particularly graceless trip granting her the great mantle. 

She brushes it off, laughing. Her right elbow stings and maybe her pride a little too, but she isn't humorless. When she straightens and brushes herself off, the crowd cheers louder. She waves, nods, then returns to her seat.

As soon as the ceremony ends, Mona finds her best friend Olivia in the bustling crowd outside of the auditorium. 

"Mona, oh my - I can't believe you seriously fell off the freakin' stage!" Olivia says, after hugging Mona tightly. 

Mona shrugs and chuckles. "Didn't look like anyone else was gonna do it. I had to step up." 

Olivia giggles. "I love you. Speaking of love - did you see who came?" 

She wiggles her eyebrows and against Mona's better judgement, her heart skips a beat. 

"No." 

"Yup! And he's over there!" 

Mona squeezes her eyes shut as Olivia grabs her shoulders and spins her around. Cautiously she ventures one eye open, and once her suspicions are confirmed she squeezes it shut again. 

Him. 

His hair is shorter but still the same shade of brown sugar and sun through a jar of honey. Still fine and messy. Still falling into his eyes, eyes like sea glass on the beach in midsummer, shadows on snow in midwinter. There are still freckles spattered like watercolor over his high cheekbones and regal nose. He's wearing a white t-shirt, probably some for some band she doesn't know, with a dark knit cardigan. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. The veins in his forearms are prominent. His hands are in the pockets of his jeans, relaxed. His sneakers are untied. 

He's surrounded by a circle of friends in graduation gowns and caps, probably the ones he came for. 

Mona stiffens in response to Olivia's push in his direction. 

"No, wait, no," she says. She opens her eyes. He's getting closer. Mona would rather fall on her face again. 

"Yes, yes, yes!" Olivia says, still pushing Mona. "You've liked him all four years of high school and now you're going to the same freakin' university! It's now or never, baby!" 

"I'm okay with never!" 

Olivia drops her hands from Mona's shoulders. "Fine. Suit yourself, Mona Melona." 

Mona sighs heavily. She casts one last glance in his direction before turning around to face Olivia. 

"I'm going to find my parents. Let's take some pictures together." 

Across the courtyard outside of the auditorium, August cranes his neck to find where she went. He scans the sea of people for her little blonde friend. The friend was always easier to find. Somehow she seemed to have more presence in a crowd then her. 

He'd seen her just a second ago, laughing with the blonde friend. She'd straightened her hair, and it fell in dark waves down her back. He didn't realize it had gotten so long. Her eyes were crescent moons when she smiled, and brown like sienna earth after the first spring shower. He wishes he'd been close enough to hear her laugh. It had been a while. 

He had graduated two years ago already, and he'd seen her occasionally around town. He hadn't realized it until now. 

He'd missed her. 

He laughs softly to himself. 

"August?" asks his friend, the graduate he's here for. "Something funny?" 

"Oh, no," he replies. "I was just - that girl who fell off the stage. Where is she going?"

"Uh...home, probably?" 

"What? No, where's she going to university," he laughs. 

"Oh! Ha. I heard she got into Beaumonte. You'll see her there in the fall." 

"Hm. Good," he smiles. 

His friend elbows him. "What, got a crush already? Have you fallen for her? 

August runs a hand through his brown sugar hair. 

"I think so."