Aria's Twilight

Graduation Caps, Really?

Aria's pov

As we ascend, I took in the eclectic art pieces from around the world, Ethiopian crosses, Dresden China, Asian scrolls. We reached the landing to find a wall of dozens of artistically arrayed silk squares with tassels. I looked closer and realises what they are as I turned to look up at Edward since I stood on the step below him with an amused smile on my face.

"Graduation caps, seriously?"

Edward smiles as well as he looks at the multi-colored caps. "A private joke. We matriculate a lot."

"I get that, but going to High School over and over again, that's gotta suck. I mean, what a nightmare." I let out a shiver in fear causing the older boy to laugh.

Edward continues to lead me up the stairs " True, but the younger we start out in a new place, the longer we can stay there."

I thought on it and it made sense but it was also very sad to know that no one place could ever really be the Cullens home. Since the family never aged they could only stay in one place for five or ten years before they had to relocate to keep the humans from being suspicious.

We came to a long hall at the top of the stairs that was paneled with a honey-colored wood, the same as the floorboards.

"Rosalie and Emmett's room... Carlisle's office... Alice's room..." He gestured as he led me past the doors.

He would have continued, but I stopped dead at the end of the hall, staring incredulously at the ornament hanging on the wall above my head. Edward chuckled at my bewildered expression.

"You can laugh," he said. "It is sort of ironic."

I didn't laugh. My hand raised automatically, one finger extended as if to touch the large wooden cross, its dark patina contrasting with the lighter tone of the wall. I didn't touch it, though I was curious if the aged wood would feel as silky as it looked.

"Why do you have this?" I asked him "It must be super old."

He shrugged. "Early sixteen-thirties, more or less. And It belonged to Carlisle's father."

I took a minute to try and count out how old that would make the good doctor but as math wasn't my forte, I decided to just ask. "Are you alright?" As I was about to speak I was questioned by a worried Edward.

"I'm fine." I smiled at his concern for me. "Just wondering how old Carlisle was."

"He just celebrated his three hundred and sixty-second birthday," Edward said. I looked back at him, a million questions in my eyes.

He watched me carefully as he spoke.

"Carlisle was born in London, in the sixteen-forties, he believes. Time wasn't marked as accurately then, for the common people anyway. It was just before Cromwell's rule, though."

"Oh." was all I could think of as I stared in bewilderment.

"I'll tell you more about Carlisle later, but lets continue our tour for now."

He led me to the last door in the hall. "This is my room."

His room faced south, with a wall-sized window like the great room below. The whole back side of the house must be glass. His view looked down on the winding Sol Duc River, across the untouched forest to the Olympic Mountain range. The mountains were much closer than I would have believed.

The western wall was completely covered with shelf after shelf of CDs. His room was better stocked than a music store. In the corner was a sophisticated-looking sound system, the kind I was afraid to touch because I'd be sure to break something. There was a wide and inviting black leather sofa. The floor was covered with a thick golden carpet, and the walls were hung with heavy fabric in a slightly darker shade.