This is her last class in high school ever, and if it were any other class she wouldn’t have shown up today. It’s the same thing that’s been going on in most of her classes today—lights low, a movie on the TV at the front of the room. People chatting and giggling, munching on treats that they’d brought in and passing yearbooks to be signed. Zelda’s joined in—signed a few books, passed hers around. But at the moment, she’s completely separate from the other whispering, crunching students around her, completely apart from the low buzz of the movie. She’s in a different world.

She’s looking at Scott without being obvious about it. It’s a skill she’s developed over the past few months. He’s wearing that yellow polo today. She likes that one. It makes him look so bright and summery, and it makes her want to snuggle up against his warm chest and never ever move away from it. Of course, most of his shirts make her want to do that. Scott in general just makes her want to do that.

One more day. One more day, and then they can do whatever they want. Zelda won’t be a student anymore, and Scott won’t be at risk of losing his job. They can’t punish him retroactively just because right after graduation he starts stepping out with a former student. She’s checked. She’s done her research on this. Once she is legally no longer his student, they are free to hold hands and snuggle and kiss in public as much as they’d like. She won’t be eighteen for just a little bit longer, but that’s surely something that they can gloss over. She’s only a little over a month shy of the big one-eight. It’s not like they’ll be having sex on the sidewalk or anything.

Her brain stalls for a moment.

Sex.

She hasn’t had sex with Scott yet. They’ve actually been very very good about that. No inappropriate touching. Nothing beyond kissing. Good kissing, but just kissing. She hasn’t actually had sex with anyone since Nico, and there are some days that she really thinks she could go for forever without it. She could easily spend her life just coexisting with Scott, snuggling up with him and reading, watching movies, being together. They could sleep in the same bed and wake up and eat waffles and have their morning coffee and she would be alright with that, because obviously their relationship goes deeper than sex. If it didn’t, they would have done something by now.

She thinks like that sometimes. But only sometimes.

Other times, sex is right there at the top of her mind, refusing to let her think about anything else. Like now for instance. One minute she’d been daydreaming about them walking down the street holding hands, and the next she’s thinking about Scott naked, wondering what he looks like under that yellow polo shirt. She’s wondering what he feels like, what the planes of his muscles would feel like under her palms. She’s wondering if there are any scars, any marks that she will fall in love with and press her mouth to and taste, kissing as her hands slide over him, learning every inch of his warm skin.

“One more day, and we can do whatever we want.”

Zelda pulls her eyes away from Scott, coming out of her trance. “Huh?”

“One more day, and then we’re graduated. Free free free.” The girl in the seat next to her is grinning, waving a carrot stick with every free as though she’s conducting a symphony. She laughs. “You excited, Zelda?”

Zelda laughs, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. “Oh lordie.” She shakes her head. “You have no idea.”