Flames [Completed]

(Over a Precipice)

Once I spoke to Ahzara about the scroll I received, she briefly explained to me why she freaked, and said she would swing around after the school's graduation to help me make the date. I'm not sure how she knows about it, but I'm looking forward to seeing her, and getting a better understanding of what the hell is going on.

The last few days have passed quickly. I've been busying getting graduation robes, looking at colleges and helping Alice plan her party because Bella still doesn't think it's a good idea. We've managed to stay out of each other's ways so far, thankfully. I really do not need a fight with all of this going on.

As vampires, sleep is not required, which I still have mixed feelings about, but it allows Jasper and I to spend hours together, uninterrupted. Being alone with him, surrounded by a deep forest, is a priceless gift I will never be able to repay. The home he has created for us both is so warm, and so welcoming.

While I worked out my worry and stress over graduation on an old busted up engine, Jasper watched and occasionally gave me tips. I wasn't aware before, but along with Emmett and Rosalie, he too has an interest in mechanics. We wiled the night away, and watched the sun rise from our glade.

Standing there, Jasper's arm around me, as the dim grey sky split wide open was magical. We watched the colours grow and change, from a gentle orange to pale gold. My mind finally processed what I had been fretting over for days, maybe even weeks.

Today, I graduate high-school for the first time, a huge milestone for a human. But since I got bitten and found out about my heritage, the idea of graduating felt underwhelming. Not now. Who knows if Jasper and I will ever go back to high-school, neither of us are interested in repeating it. I should feel the importance of what is about to happen - one of my last ties to the human world is going to be severed.

                                                                                     *

Rows and rows and rows of yellow-robed seniors fill the assembly hall, facing the stage. Parents sit at the back, waiting to see their children become adults, in their eyes. The air is stifling, nearly suffocating. Everyone is holding their breath.

Jasper's arm is draped around my shoulders, our seats pulled close. Alice grins at me from her seat along the row. An idle weight sits in my chest, refusing to move. While the teachers ready the last things, I scan the hall, but there is no sign of Renee, or my Father. Not that I expected either, but I would have thought Paul and

Renee would show for Bella's sake at the very least. We may be on bad terms, but I still want the best for her.

My head drops onto Jasper's shoulder, and he absent-mindedly plays with my hair, which has begun to curl beneath my chin. A question I had ages ago has been answered; Yes, vampire hair grows, much quicker than human hair, as well.

Jessica, our valedictorian, walks onto the stage for her speech, and the low chatter spread through the hall quietens. Eyes turn to her, and I smile faintly. She has changed a lot in the last few months, come into her own. I still don't get on with her, but she isn't a bad person. I hope she has a good life.

Jessica takes a deep breath, putting on her award-winning smile and facing the hundreds of people in front of her. "When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were things like astronaut, president, or in my case, a princess."

Scattered laughter fills the hall, and I shake my head, still smiling. She's good at this.

"When we were ten, they asked again. We answered rockstar, cowboy, or in my case, a gold-medalist. But now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how about this: Who the Hell knows?" She says, grinning at the thunderous applause and cheers she receives. "This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions, this is the time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere - fall in love, a lot. Major in philosophy, because there's no way to make a career out of that."