For Dark, the week leading up to graduation was a blur of tears from his classmates, inspirational speeches from teachers, and watching Disney movies in class since there was nothing else to do.

It was already Friday, meaning that after school all of the seniors would return to walk across the stage before they could put high school behind them for good.

"You glad to be graduating?" Anti asked Dark as they walked through the lunch line, pulling him from his thoughts.

"I guess." Dark shrugged.

In reality, he was scared since he had no idea what he was going to do, his future still undetermined.

"I'm looking forward to a summer of doing nothing!" Anti exclaimed excitedly as he picked up his tray of pizza.

"You still have work." Dark reminded him with a light snicker as he grabbed his own food.

Dark worked at McDonalds while Anti worked at a Waffle House not far from Dark, Mark spending his time doing odd jobs for people instead of finding a workplace to stay at.

"Well yeah, but I get free food." Anti countered as they walked to their usual table to find a few unexpected faces waiting for them.

"Hey guys!" Anti greeted Schneep, Jackaboy-Man, Marvin, Chase, and Robbie as he sat down.

"Velcome, it's been too long since ve had time to talk." Schneep replied, acknowledging Dark with a simple nod as the awkward teen sat down next to Anti.

Dark glanced around to see that Mark had relocated to a different table so he could play Cards Against Humanity with Felix, Marzia, Signe, Jack, and Amy.

"I know! Are any of you a senior?" Anti asked.

Schneep and Jackaboy-Man were the only ones that raised their hands.

"Robbie not old, Robbie fresh!" The pale faced male declared proudly.

"What he means to say is that he's a freshman." Marvin translated.

From what little Dark knew, Robbie was a nice kid that had trouble keeping up with his class and had speaking issues, causing many students to not like him even though he was nice to everyone.

"What about you guys?" Dark prompted Chase and Marvin curiously.

"I'm a junior." Chase answered.

"Sophomore." Marvin chimed in.

"Oof, good luck next year." Chase told Marvin teasingly with a pat on the shoulder.

Before they could say more, the bell echoed through the cafeteria, sending the students towards the trash cans to dump their trays before darting to their next classes.

It wasn't long until school was released, Dark driving Anti home on the back of his motorcycle.

"Hey, Jack is holding a graduation party at his house since his parents are out of town, you wanna come?" Anti shouted over the wind as Dark drove slightly above the speed limit.

"That sounds awesome!" Dark yelled back before he pulled up at Anti's house, waving goodbye to him before he walked his motorcycle back to his house.

Mark's mom was already waiting for him with a hairbrush in hand, ushering him to the bathroom and sitting him down on the edge of the tub while she fussed with his unruly hair.

Mark laughed at Dark from the doorway until Mark's mom dragged him inside as well and sat him down on the toilet, helping both seniors get prepared.

After hours of hair tugging and boredom, the pair emerged from the bathroom donned in their black graduation gowns with their caps tucked under their arms.

"I'm proud of both of my boys." Dark's father stated with a smile as he pulled the two in for a hug.

Dark looked at Mark to see his eyes shine with unshed tears as he stepped back, allowing his mother to envelop him in a hug.

Once they were ready, the group gathered in the car to go back to the school one last time.

Mark and Dark then walked to the cafeteria to meet with the other seniors while their family found their seats out in the gym.

"There's a lot of memories out there."

Dark jumped when he heard Anti speak, surprised to find him standing nearby.

"Yeah...my favorite is definitely when we beat Xilef at dodgeball." Dark admitted.

"Mine too." Anti nodded thoughtfully, seeming more quiet than usual.

"You okay?" Dark asked worriedly.

"Yeah, it's just...Jack told me that he's moving back to Ireland for a bit to go to college there." Anti sighed.

"Really?!" Dark exclaimed in disbelief.

"He said that he got a scholarship there and he's really passionate about music." Anti continued.

"I'll still be here for ya." Dark promised Anti.

"Thanks." Anti smiled weakly.

They fell silent as they fell into their lines, one leading to the right and the other to the left.

Both ended at the same space in front of the stage.

As the seniors walked through, the band played through Pomp and Circumstance while family and friends cheered for them.

Dark spotted his dad as he walked by, smiling when he flashed Dark an encouraging thumbs up.

Once all seniors were seated, the principal made a short speech that Dark tuned out before the band seniors stood up to go back to the band and play one last song together.

Dark hi-fived Mark as he stood up and walked back with a few others, taking his seat in the trumpet section.

They played a beautiful piece that Dark didn't know the name of, but loved nonetheless since Mark had a solo in it.

Once they were done and had returned to their seats, the choir seniors sang with the choir one last time.

Then it was time to walk across the stage.

Dark swallowed nervously as he stood up and followed his class to the side of the stage, anxiety building up in him.

Each senior walked across the stage and shook hands with the board of education leaders as they received their diplomas, applause ringing out after them as they would return to their seat.

"Anti Seipteach Súl."

Dark bees as he watched his friend hesitantly walk up the steps to the stage, his stride brisk.

He paused to smile for a picture while he took his diploma like the other seniors had, his gaze locking with Dark's momentarily before he walked offstage.

"Mark Edward Fischbach."

Dark clapped as loud as he could for his cousin as Mark confidently took the stage, his smile wide.

Several more seniors went by until there was only one left.

Dark.

"Dark Damien Iplier."

A raucous applause filled Dark's ears as he shakily walked across the stage, his pace faltering when he saw Xilef glaring at him in the crowd.

Dark took a deep breath and continued, smiling as he took his diploma and returned to his seat before his legs could give out from underneath him due to nerves.

"And now, we'll hear a speech from Xilef."

Dark's eyes widened in surprise as Xilef stepped back onstage, refusing the mic offered to him as he looked out at the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Xilef boomed to gather everyone's attention.

"You hear it at every graduation, yet it still rings true. Our lives are truly just beginning, and there's no people I'd like to be with as I start the next chapter in my life." Xilef continued, his gaze falling on Dark and Anti.

"Even those here that I have wronged for being the kind of man I could only dream of being."

"But now," Xilef continued as he tore his gaze away from the pair.

"Lets all get the hell out of here!" Xilef shouted, eliciting cheers from the seniors as they stood up and threw their caps into the air.

"Dude, I still can't believe that we've graduated." Anti admitted as he walked with Dark to his family.

"I know. I'll see you at the party!" Dark promised Anti before he was dragged away by Mark's mom for pictures.

By the time pictures was done, Dark had just enough time to change out of his robe and into a t-shirt with jeans before he picked up Anti and drive to Jack's house.

The party was in full swing when the teens stepped in, loud music blaring from the tv in the living room while people drank in the kitchen.

"Hey guys, glad to see you two here!" Jack greeted the pair, offering them red solo cups filled with some kind of alcohol.

Dark refused his since he had to be their ride home while Anti gladly accepted one, greedily downing the contents before coughing, his face a bright red hue.

"You really are Irish!" Jack laughed as he patted Anti on the back before leaving.

Dark soon lost track of Anti in the crowd of dancers and those talking, although he didn't mind much since Mark and Amy kept him company.

It wasn't until the party started winding down that Dark became worried about Anti.

"Anti?" Dark called out as people filed outside to go home, his eyes scanning the crowd until he spotted a flash of green.

Dark chased him into the abandoned kitchen, finding him lounging on the table with an empty Jack Daniels bottle in hand.

"Hey D-Darkidoo." Anti hiccuped with a grin as he slowly sat up, his speech slurred.

"Oh boy." Dark muttered under his breath.

"C'mon, we're going home." Dark told the drunk teen, helping him off of the table.

Dark grunted as Anti collapsed on the floor, his body landing on top of Dark.

His mouth was close enough that Dark could smell the alcohol radiating off of him, his eyes looking into Dark's until he closed the gap between them.

Dark stiffened in surprise at first before he relaxed into the kiss, knowing that what he was doing was wrong.

Soon they broke off for air, Dark's face flushed in embarrassment as he quickly stood up and helped Anti up as well, basically dragging him out to his motorcycle to take him home.

When Dark got to Anti's house, the lights inside were off much to his relief as he guided Anti inside.

"You're a gooood noodle." Anti announced as Dark laid him in bed, covering him up in his blankets.

"And you're a drunk potato." Dark countered as he retreated into the bathroom, returning with a cup of water and Tylenol in hand.

He laid the medicine by Anti's bed for when he would wake up before he went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee, returning upstairs to find Anti fast asleep.

Dark tuned to go home, satisfied with his work and he left the room.

"I looove yoooou Darki." Anti called out after Dark, his words slicing deep into Dark's heart as he returned home.

Thoughts burned in Dark's mind as he laid in his own bed, one single question being the most prominent.

Did Anti really mean what he said?