Graduation

[Zodiac]

It was a sunny afternoon. The temperatures broken to the point most could feel comfortable sitting outside watching to commencement ceremony without feeling like they needed fur parkas and mittens. An almost rhythmic pulse of applause rose from the assembled guests as each graduate was named and they walked across the stage and received their official degree one by one.

One of the guests stood out from the rest in her rather eccentric garb. Her finest traditional clothing of silk and velvet and harmonizing colors stood out in the sea of suits and dresses most chose to wear. The boots that vanished under her hem line and the black gloves that emerged from her sleeves catching a few eyes and raising a few eyebrows perhaps, but it was the veil she wore, almost obscuring her face totally until someone stood right in front of her and leaned close that caught the most stares. Hiding within the layers of lace one could see a set of sunglasses perched on her nose. She sat with her legs crossed and balanced a purple parasol over her shoulder in the direction of the sun and a large brimmed plumed hat. She applauded with the others as the names were announced but said nothing.

The woman finally perked up when one particular graduate stood ready to ascend the stage. The SLR camera pulled from her oversized purse as she quickly took aim and rapid snapped several shots.

"..Jennifer Millicent Hayes..." The name came through the public address system. The camera was quickly slipped over her neck as the woman stood up and applauded wildly. One gloved hand vanished under the veil and an ear-shattering whistle was suddenly heard as the graduate shook hands with the announcer. Quickly the camera was brought back into play and caught several snaps of the girl receiving her degree. The woman in the multi colored clothing danced a bit then and fist pumped the air with her free hand, only to sit back down as she had been. Silent, tranquil, applauding with the others as the next graduates were introduced. After eight more had received their degrees, the woman picked up her purse and excused herself. Once out of the row she was sitting in, she quick stepped her way from the area as if she was trying to meet a deadline of importance, almost running across the open grounds being warmed by the bright spring sunshine.

***

Once all the formalities, hugs, well wishing and the like was finished, Jennifer made her way across the campus grounds to a small grove of trees thick with underbrush just now beginning to bud and blossom. It took her a few moments to find the break in the foliage, but she eased herself past and found the colorful woman sitting leaned up against a tree. A tablet in hand as she checked the local stock indexes while a large black cat laid next to her leg dozing away.

"You know, what you did today by coming out in broad daylight was the most insane and stupid thing I have ever seen you do." The girl looked up from her pad and cocked her head in time to see the girl smile. "And I love you for it."

Zodiac stood up and embraced the girl tightly. "I would not have missed this for anything. I told you that." her mindspeak answered for her. "Let me see. let me see!"

Jennifer handed her the leather covered book that held her degree within. "Bachelors, with honors. So what is next? Masters? PhD? Doctor Hayes maybe?"

"Oh god, I have no idea." Jennifer laughed. "I am just amazed I got this far with it all." She looked at the veil hiding the vampire's face from the daylight. "I could not have done this without your help."

"I imagine you would have had a more subdued and calmer internship with someone not like me," she giggled. "Of course, a true resume of your experiences with me would leave any other applicant's chances at zero if you could tell them."

"Oh sure. That would be fun." she adopts a professional sounding tone. "Well, Miss Hayes, we see by your resume you have practical business experience in stopping vampires from attack your customers and chasing fadebeasts from your establishment with a broom, remaining calm with guns and knives pointed at you, raising owls, and you like cookies. Excellent management skills." Now both women were laughing.

"But seriously, what if this outfit of yours had malfunctioned? Then what? Soak up what was left of you with a sponge of something?" Jennifer laughed, then looked closer. "What exactly are you wearing under your clothes anyways?"

"Never mind."

"Tell me or I will drag you kicking and screaming back out in the sun." the girl mock threatened her employer. Zodiac made a grand show of her opera styled gloves and thigh high boots kept her limbs from harm, then reluctantly opened the top buttons of her blouse. "You came to my graduation in a white cat suit under your clothes? Isn't that taking the 'Mistress Zodiac' thing a bit far?" She laughed. Jennifer knew her boss had experimented with ways to keep the sun off of her flesh and latex was probably as good an answer as anything if it was opaque enough.

"I figured the white would reflect the heat better," the mystics thoughts whined. "But black or white or whatever color I think, for the first time since I was turned, I feel like I am sweating. It's stopping the light but not the heat build up."

Jennifer placed her hand against the slick material and looked surprised. "You feel like a shrink wrapped chicken on a grill. Are you crazy?"

"Just never been in the sun this long before since the change," she admitted while buttoning her blouse back closed.

"Is the van nearby?" Jennifer asks.

"No worries, I can get home easy enough. You got parties and such to go to."

"Are you sure? I come by later and hear how you went up in a ball of fire, I will be very pissed."

"No, no, just go have fun. I can get home from here. I promise."

"You best be, Got a nice late night party to hit as well. Want the reason for my success to join me for that one." Jennifer warned her.

"Why would you want to take a cranky old witch to a party with you?"

It took the girl a half a second to answer. "Because despite all of the ups and downs over the last four years, we started out as friends and I like to think we still are."

"Still friends. You just come pick me up this eve, and after the party we can come back and get the van. I'm proud of you, Jenny Boo. Celebrate the day." She lifted the thick veil and planted a soft kiss on the girl's cheek.

Zodiac handed the girl back her degree and stood up with Ginny in her arms. Parasol over her arm and purse in place. She waved as a puff or teleportic fire flared for a moment, leaving nothing behind.

"Add to my resume that teleporting witches no longer fazes me," Jennifer laughed. She slipped free of the hiding place and made her way back to the campus grounds proper.