Pomp and Circumstance
Author: MagsRose
Disclaimers: No harm meant.
Rating: FRC
The four Lone Gunmen sat in the crowded gymnasium. They'd gotten
there late so the only seats left had been high up in the bleachers. "I'm
going to get a nose bleed at this altitude," Langly complained.
"You're the one who made us late because you had to blow dry your hair
so stop whining," Frohike grumbled. He nervously scanned the audience
over the top of his sunglasses. He was taking a chance but he hoped it would
be worth it.
"Hey, I wanted to look good for this so shut up already. And take those stupid sunglasses off. You look like a moron wearing them inside like this."
Frohike slid the glasses back up his nose. He couldn't really see the audience without them anyway. "I don't want to ruin things by having an adoring fan recognize me." He slouched down in the seat a bit to hide behind the person in front of him but then he couldn't see the stage. He sat back up. "And if you were so worried about looking good for this you should have worn something other than that ratty old Ramones T-shirt. It's time to grow up and dress like an adult."
"She expects me to dress this way. I don't want to disappoint her."
Jimmy checked his empty wrist for the fifth time, once again forgetting that he hadn't worn his watch. "What time is it?"
"It's thirty seconds later than the last time you asked," Byers said getting irritated by all the complaining and sniping. "And Frohike if you were so worried about being spotted by one of your 'adoring' fans, why did you insist on coming to Florida?"
"Because I promised her, that's why. And one does not break a promise to a lady." No one could argue with that. They knew this was important to her and none of them wanted to miss the big event.
Jimmy was concerned about the size of the crowd. "How is she going to see us way up here like this? There are so many people here. It won't be any fun if she doesn't know we're here."
"She'll find us, Jimmy, don't worry. She knows we're coming," Byers assured him. "I have a great deal of faith in her. She'll look until she finds us."
"I sure hope you're right."
Langly called everyone's attention to the stage. "Look! The bigwigs are here."
Several important looking figures in long robes found seats on the stage. Some of them were wearing strange looking hats. As soon as they were all in place, music filled the gymnasium. The doors at the end of the room opened wide and the graduates entered in pairs. They were all dressed in the same navy blue and gold robes and wore the expected flat mortarboard hats with tassels.
Everyone in the audience as well as on the stage stood up for the procession. Frohike started complaining that he couldn't see. "Just stand up on the seat," Byers suggested.
"No, I'll look like an idiot," he insisted.
The three taller men continued to watch the graduates as they came in the door. Frohike did his best to try to see around the shoulders of those in front of him. "There she is!" Jimmy yelled.
"Where?" Langly asked.
"Right behind that tall guy with the long red hair," Frohike said.
Byers turned and looked up at Frohike who was now standing on the seat. "I thought you didn't want to look like an idiot."
"Yeah, well sometimes it's worth it to look a little silly. You do it all the time, don't you?"
"Bite me, Frohike."
"Just tell me where, Byers."
"That's disgusting," Langly told them. "Knock it off and pay attention or you're going to miss everything."
Jimmy was waving vigorously in the hopes that she would see them but so were a lot of other people in the audience. He gave up after she found a seat in the front section with the rest of her fellow graduates.
Once everyone was in place, the music stopped and the long boring speeches began. The Gunmen pretty much ignored these. They sat and watched as their favorite graduate scanned the audience looking, presumably, for them. She waved at a large group of people at one point. The Gunmen all looked at the group that waved back at her. They must be her family: her mom, her dad, her grandma, and some others. They knew she had a bunch of sisters and a brother. The five little ones must be her nieces and nephews.
She sat and listened to the speeches for a while. The Gunmen sat back a little disappointed. Jimmy turned to Frohike. "I thought you said she knew we were coming."
"She does. Maybe she saw us and we missed it."
"I don't think so. She would have waved at us, too." Jimmy said trying very hard not to sound like he was pouting.
Finally, it was time for the graduates to receive their diplomas. They walked up on the stage one at a time. As their names were announced, they shook the hand of the most important looking man on the stage who then handed them a rolled up piece of paper.
After watching more than half the graduates walk across the stage, it was finally her turn. Her name was announced, "Amy Jonas."
Jimmy stood up and with his arms raised in the air he yelled, "YEAH, AMY!!!!!!!" The other three also stood and joined him in clapping and cheering loudly. Amy turned on the stage and saw them way up in the bleachers. She shook the important man's hand and took her rolled up piece of paper. She smiled and waved at them as she walked off the stage.
Congratulations on your graduation, Amy! We all knew you could do it!