Forget Me Not | ✓

18 | The Silver Wolf

   
  
  
    
     
    
18
Eclipse
T h e   S i l v e r   W o l f
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  

THE CULLENS WERE all laughing to themselves as they took their seats in the Forks High School auditorium for graduation. They'd lost track of how many times they graduated from high school and college, but it never got old. They loved being the center of attention to the teenage humans as they tried to figure them out. Even Carlisle, being the humblest of the lot, found the scrutinizing stares from the adults and curious glances from the rest a bit funny. Rosalie and Emmett sat down beside Esme and Carlisle as the graduates took their seats and awaited to be called – among them was Jasper, Alice, Edward, Bella, and Adele.

Adele resented the mustard-yellow cap and gown she wore and Bella felt the same way. The colors grew gradually worse with the passing years. As Adele sensed Jessica's salutatorian speech coming to an end, she dove into her pocket for her valedictorian speech.

"When we're were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up," she glanced at her paper and addressed the crowd confidently, flipping her light brown hair behind her back. "Our answers were things like an astronaut, the president – or in my case, a princess." That earned a few chuckles from the crowd. As Adele slipped away to go behind stage, she eyed Bella and Edward's entwined hands and sighed. Much to her dismay, Bella was absolute on being Changed after graduation. With every passing moment, she could only think about this being her last milestone experience as a human – and it would also be on of the last times she'd spend with her father, who sat proudly near the front.

"When we were ten, they asked again and we answered: rock star, cowboy, or in my case, a gold medalist." she paused and looked around the room, "But now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer." she smiled a bright smile, "How 'bout this: who the hell knows?!Hoots and hollers erupted from the crowd of graduates and from behind the curtain, Adele spotted Bella and saw the look on her face – Jessica's words were sinking in with her.

"This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions, it's the time to mistakes. Take the wrong train and gets stuck somewhere chill. Fall in love – a lot. Major in philosophy 'cause there is no way to make a living out of that." she laughed because she realized this was the ending to a big chapter in her life. She'd live her human life to the fullest – Adele only wished Bella could borrow her abilities for a day just to see all of her options. "Change your mind. Then change it again. Because nothing is permanent." But Bella's decision would be permanent. She'd be choosing immortality and that was irreversible. "So make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask again, what we want to be...we won't have to guess." Jessica finished, "We'll know."

As Jessica bowed and shook the principal's hand, the crowd roared with applause and she smiled gleefully. Her speech was epic, after all. She walked off stage and took her seat in the front row of graduates. "And now," said the principal, "A word from this year's Valedictorian."

With a sugary smile, Adele made her way to the podium and placed her written speech in front of her. Silence fell among them and she took in an unneeded breath to imitate nervousness.
"My fellow peers..." she began, and then she took her speech and crumpled it up. "I'm sorry,...no..." She glanced at Carlisle and Esme, who watched on in confusion, to Edward who had a knowledgeable smile on his face, and then to the dozens of faces belonging to people she didn't know – people who would never know hundreds of years of woes. They would only know this lifetime, the spectacular now.