𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 | A Top Gun Fanfiction

Chapter 37: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦

 "Knock, knock," I sing along to the rap of my knuckles against the slightly ajar bathroom door. A bemused, "Who's there?" sets a smile on my face. "Someone who's name starts with an S and rhymes with—...nothing apparently."

From the other side, Ghost gasps aloud, "Snothing? My favorite person ever? Is that really you?"

Snorting, I flick the door open. Focused on her reflection, Ghost hardly reacts as I enter the bathroom, recovering from my belly-flop of a joke. Without having to ask, my RIO scoots to the left, letting me in on the mirror so I can see what a horrible job I'm about to do in an attempts to look presentable for graduation. I glance at my wrist, hoping for a hair-tie, but I must've lost it in the sheets somehow. Despite the rollercoaster yesterday turned out to be, it finished on a high note. True to her word, Ghost took us out for burgers. Maverick joined us. No one had to hear it from him, it was obvious he hadn't eaten all day. Starving or not, I wouldn't have let him skip out anyhow. I missed him...I miss him...every second he spends, down in the dumps, is a second lost. It's a constant see-saw, bouncing between two Mavericks. The one I prefer seems more shy than ever, always darting behind his darker, carbon-copy, so excuse me if I cling to my boyfriend when he's back to his silly old self, blowing bubbles in his milkshake and giving me piggy-back rides across the diner parking lot. Yesterday was a breath of fresh air. And salty sea water, I chuckle, still not over the look on Maverick's face when the wave hit us. I completely embarrassed him with the story at the diner.

"Good," Charlie laughed, "Be glad the ocean got to you before I could."

She meant it for me too.

It isn't hard to see how relieved she is that we'll both be graduating.

Not as relieved as me.

I scrap the pathetic excuse for a bun that I've fabricated whilst lost in thought, and start again, gritting my teeth against the painful tug of my curls looped in a moderately sized knob at the back of my head. Ghost seems to be having a harder time of it, but the fly away hairs and what I'd consider infuriating layers hardly phase her. She takes her time, humming softly. Her tongue darts between her teeth for every strand she had to push back into place. Sucks that she can't just leave it as is. The messy, barely awake artist look she's got going is sure to fry Iceman's heart. Wouldn't that be a sight? Iceman, flustered at his own graduation.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ghost mutters, tucking the last of the rogue hairs into place, along the shell of her ear. She trails the finger down the side of her face, eyeing a small blemish in the mirror. "I've tried to guess what could possibly cause you to smile and frown so consistently, but no dice."

"Well that's because there's more than one thing on my mind."

"The main being?"

"Graduation, obviously."

Ghost suppresses a smile, "And Maverick?"

"Yeah, and Maverick."

"And...?"

We lock eyes with one another's reflections. I raise a brow, challenging her insinuation. She's a tough cookie; never once succumbs to my intimidation tactics. Sighing, I tie off my hair, and offhandedly throw Iceman's name into the mix, immediately regretting my decision to comply to her noncompliance. The glint in her eyes warns of a lecture so I run my fingers under the sink water and busy myself smoothing the frizzy wavelengths jutting from my scalp.

"Stirrups, I know you're still angry with him —"

Understatement of the century....

"But today is a good day. Neither of you should allow any room for a storm, it would be unfair to the rest of the class and their families who came for sunshine and celebration. Besides, I spoke with him on the phone last night and he promised that he won't poke the beast. He's willing to let it lie, so please don't rain us out, okay?"