Young Justice: Brightest Day [Solstice Book Two]

Six

Cassie took my hand and squeezed it gently as we pulled up to the Delhi University Stadium. My phone and my world shone a little brighter with a text from Kaldur.

'Where are you?'

'Just got here.' I started typing as fast as I could to get him a follow-up message before he replied, cringing inwardly at my many abbreviations. All's fair in love and texting.

'Have to meet up w/ the rest of the class. Look for Cassie, sit w/ my fam. See u after the ceremony.'

Mom's two fingers- with the perfectly manicured nails that showed she was spending this semester in the classroom and not at a dig- plucked my phone out of my hand just as I hit "Send".

"Kira, do I need to keep your phone from you during the ceremony?" She tutted disapprovingly.

"Mum, I'm twenty years old now!" Being slightly taller than her, I snatched my phone back when she tried to hold it out of reach.

"Oh really? Then why am I still paying your phone bill?" Dad teased. I shoved my phone deeper into the pocket of my graduation robes while Cassie reasoned with Helena that she needed her phone to be able to take pictures of me.

I found my spot in line next to Jai. Alphabetically, 'Lita was just a bit behind us, while Karan and Shiv were somewhere ahead of us in the long line of University students set to receive their diplomas today. Most, like Karan, Jai, and myself, were set to receive bachelor degrees before continuing on to something bigger and better, like a doctorate. Lalita was going to pursue an internship in London's fashion industry, and from what I'd learned from Karan, Shiv had no plans for the apparent future other than to float along with a job at his father's bank. Which was strange because he bragged about being accepted into a nursing program over gelato the other week.

I laughed to myself at how hard he was trying. After today, we'd probably never meet up again, even Jai and Lalita were "breaking up" because they didn't want to worry about long-distance relationships. Under any other circumstances, Jai would have been the only friend from school I'd ever see again, but since Karan's parents were dead set on arranging a marriage between the two of us, we'd probably be seeing a lot of each other until my parents got it into their heads that I was my own, independent woman, and my relationship with Kaldur was more serious than not .

I marched across the stage after Jai without any mishaps, and took my degree from the college dean. An hour after this whole thing was supposed to start, I finally got to throw my graduation cap in the air, never to be seen again. At that moment, I didn't care. all I wanted to do was scream with my best friend and find some comfort in the arms of my boyfriend-slash-technical-fiancee. Despite my high hopes, I knew that wasn't how the evening was going to go.

Kaldur was waiting out in the parking lot, but I couldn't tell if he was with my family because the moment we met eyes we were sprinting to each other. As always, he lifted me up into the air, spinning me around until I was breathless and dizzy. I had no idea how he managed to stay upright when he set me back on solid ground. Thank goodness that I wasn't wearing heels, despite my diminutive stature.

"I am so proud of you," He whispered. I wondered how I'd gotten to this point, where my Atlantean boyfriend, who'd spent his life training a dozen superheroes and training himself to finally become the leader of the Justice League of Earth, could tell me how proud he was of me.

I had to be the luckiest girl on Earth.

Or at least I was, until my parents started shouting my name.

"Kiran! We have someone we want you to meet!" My father shouted over the crowd, blissfully unaware of my romantic interlude with Kaldur. 

Cassie snuck up behind me before I could meet who could only be Karan's parents.