• DARA •

 

"Miss park!" The assistant principal, Mrs.Rodriguez, waves me over. "Get into place! Your name's soon to be called!"

 

She turns to look at sam, a frown on her forty- year-old face. All she does is sternly motion for him to get in line. sam chuckles and takes his place, two people up from me.

 

I try to look past the graduates to where some dark-haired girl was shyly walking across stage to get her diploma. I wasn't able to see the front row of seats where I knew Aunt was sitting...and probably chaerin as well.

 

I was anxious to see her.

 

"Melanie Dominquiez." The school's principal, Mrs.Reyes' voice echoes throughout the auditorium. "Congratulations..."

 

sam turns to look at me, winking. He was next. I gave him a thumbs up as his name was called. "sam dizon..."

 

• CHAERIN •

 

I kept shifting in my seat feeling uncomfortable and out of place. I wasn't even paying attention to whose name was being called. All I could do was stare at the roses on my lap and wonder of they even meant anything anymore...

 

I just couldn't stop thinking about how dara's possibly cheating on me. She just can't be... No. Not dara. Not the love of my life. No way.

 

" Sandara Park..."

 

My head snapped up the minute her name was called.

 

I somehow hesitated, a part of me wanting to see her while the other part just wanted to leave.

 

The second part of me must have won because I stood up and made a dash out of the auditorium, Aunt calling after me.

 

I squeezed my eyes shut and leaned against the front doors while outside, the roses clutched to my chest.

 

"So stupid..." I mutter to myself. "Stupid..."

 

• DARA •

 

"Sandara Park ..."

 

My ears shoot up and I see sam give me two thumbs up. I take a deep breath and begin to make my away across the stage and towards the well-known principal. I quickly turn to scan the crowd, my eyes instantly falling on a very proud-looking Aunt . I flash her smile... But the smile quickly disappears the minute I see the empty sear beside her. I assumed chaerin would be sitting there but...

 

Where was she?

 

I tried to scan the rest of the auditorium but I didn't have time as I approached Mrs.Reyes. "Congratulations." She smiles, handing me a diploma.

 

"Thank you." I thank her, forcing a smile back before sauntering off the stage.

 

"We made it!" sam takes me off guard by throwing his arms around me once I exited the stage, almost knocking me over.

 

"Yeah," I mutter. "We made it..."

 

"You ok?" sam pulls away, throwing me a puzzled look.

 

"I didn't see her." I mumble. "sHe wasn't there." sam frowns. "Yeah, she was. I saw her. sHe was sitting by your Aunt."

 

I shake my head. "sHe wasn't there when I walled across."

 

"Maybe she had to go pee." sam teases, nudging me assuringly.

 

I try to hide my chuckle as I nudge him back. "Don't joke."

 

"Sorry. Just don't get too worried, ok? Maybe she really did need to go use the restroom." sam tells me.

 

"Maybe." I sigh, pulling my cap off my head and fixing my hair.

 

"Congrats, dara!" jeff appears out of nowhere, about to pull me into a friendly embrace but I push him away.

 

"Not now, jeff." He pouts. "Don't I get a you-actually- graduated-I-can't-believe-it hug?"

 

I roll my eyes and pull him into hug anyways. "You actually graduated!" I tease. "I can't believe it!"

 

"Well, believe it." jeff grins after we break apart. "I graduated and got into college."

 

"You got into college?"

 

"Actually I don't know yet."

 

I chuckle. "Where did you apply too?"

 

"the university of tokyo ." He tells me with a shrug. I my head to the side. "You're willing to move to japan?"

 

He nods. "Any day. I just don't belong here ."

 

"Tell me about it." I agree. "Neither so I."

 

"C'mon," sam tugs on my arm. "They're almost going to call all the graduates onto the stage and I don't need Mrs.Rodriguez yelling at me any more this year."

 

I laugh. "Ok, sam. See you later, jeff." I wave and follow sam towards the group of graduates whose name's have already been called.

 

I heave a sigh and rest my head against sam's shoulder. "Think I'll see chaerin this time?"

 

sam smiles and drapes his arm around me, reassuringly squeezing my shoulder. "I don't think. I know, poptart."

 

"Don't call me poptart."

 

"Sorry, Muffin."

 

"That either."

 

• CHAERIN •

 

I thump my head against the wall and let out a groan. I have to go back in there but I just can't. I don't think I'll be able to stay in control when I see dara, especially when I feel like she's slipping through my fingers and I'm letting her.

 

"CL!" A familiar voice calls and before I can react, I'm pulled into a bone crushing hug which causes me to almost drop the roses still in my hands.

 

"Who-" I try to ask but I can barely breathe.

 

"Sorry." The person, obviously a girl, apologizes, pulling away from me.

 

I blink a few times to get a clear view and finally realize who it was. It was bom, dara's sister.

 

"I came to surprise dara-ssi." She smiles and then her head to the side, throwing me a puzzled look. "What are you doing out here? I'm pretty sure her Graduation's already started."

 

I sigh. "I don't know." I mumble, half lie and half truth.

 

"What's going on?" bom questions, brushing a strand of brown hair out of her eyes.

 

Wait, brown?

 

"Did you dye your hair?" I blurt, changing the subject, remembering her hair used to be strawberry blonde.

 

"No," bom shakes her, frustrated. "I mean, yes, I did. Don't change the subject. What's up, C to the L?"

 

I run a hand through my hair and give in, deciding to just go ahead and tell her. "I think dara's cheating on me."

 

bom opens respond but closes it again, a confused look falling onto her face. "My dara? As in, my sister dara? The girl who endlessly tells me how much she loves and misses you whenever we talk on the phone?"

 

I'm not gonna lie, that made me a smile a bit. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe dara wasn't cheating and she loves and misses me as much as I love and miss her.

 

But I couldn't help but feel just a bit betrayed about what I'd seen in her dressing room.

 

"I saw her with a guy," I tell bom. "He told her something about going to dinner and then she hugged him and..." I sigh. "The thing was, he was in her dressing room...with her..." I don't finish because a pound my head back against the wall for about the sixth billionth time since I came out here.

 

bom places her hand on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring look. "Maybe you should just go in, be there for her on her special day, and then talk to her about it when you think the time is right."

 

I nod in agreement. "K. Thanks, unnie."

 

"No problem." She smiles. "Now let's go inside. dara would want us to be there."

 

I nod again and she leads me inside. I exhale, feeling a bit relieved. bom was right. I should talk to her about it when the time is right and just be there for her on her big day...

 

No matter how hard it might be...

 

• DARA •

 

"...Welcome to the stage the graduating class of 2014!"

 

Cheers erupt in the crowd as all the graduates take their place. I'm two people down from sam, my eyes absentmindedly scanning the crowd for chaerin.

 

A wide smile forms on my face as I spot the familiar figure taking her seat beside Aunt .

 

chaerin.

 

I'm grinning like a fool as I stare at her , waiting for her eyes to meet mine.

 

My eyes linger to the person who had just sat down beside her and my cheeks begin to hurt as I smile even wider.

 

bom unnie!

 

I look back at chaerin. sHe's looking at me now, a bouquet of roses in her hands a small smile on her face.

 

But I can already feel something's off. her smile's not touching her eyes and bom unnie now whispering something in her ear. sHe nods and looks back at me. I realize she's making an effort to flash me a real smile but not succeeding.

 

My smile slowly disappears and I look away, a knot forming in my stomach.

 

I don't want myself not to worry about it too much.

 

Maybe I'm hallucinating. chaerin's fine.

 

Everything's fine.

 

It's a big day.

 

• • •

 

The minute the Graduation ended, I made a dash off the stage, my eyes searching for chae, bom unnie, and Aunt . The crowd had gone crazy, everyone congratulating their sons and daughter, sisters and brother, etc. I was barely able to find anyone I knew. Even sam had disappeared.

 

"dara!" A familiar voice calls, two hands waving me over from a distance. bom unnie. I grin and make my way through the crowd, throwing arms around her in a big, sisterly hug.

 

"I can't believe you're here!" I squeal.

 

She laughs. "I can't believe you graduated!" I chuckle and pull away from her, titling my head questionably. "Did you dye your hair?"

 

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Author's Note: Sorry guys for late update I just can't stop staring on chae's IG update .. Omo did you saw that ?? A CHAERA PIC .. whoooooo .. OMO ... I can't explain my feelings right now . whooooooooooo .. MENBOOONG ..kekekeke ^.^