Lily never minded waking up alone. Really, she didn't. Sure, it was better when Rose was there, but it really didn't matter. Rose tried to be there when she fell asleep, but it wasn't uncommon for her to leave in the middle of the night. It was unfair to think she would stay all the time. She couldn't sleep and there were only so many nights she could spend reading. There were only a handful of times she's woken up in the girl's arms.
Even still, she still missed the vampire's presence.
Lily was rudely awoken by a loud pounding on her door.
"Stop..." She muttered speaking barely above a whisper.
Of course, her voice was as clear as day to anyone else in the house that bothered to listen.
"Get up, Lily. We have so much to do."
Oh, it was Alice. Why would Alice wake her up?
Then it hit her like a freight train. It was graduation day. They were graduating today. Her entire class had to walk across the stage, grab their diploma, and embrace the next chapter of their lives.
Yeah, It would have really been nice to have Rose there today.
She grabbed a pillow and threw it over her face. She missed the feeling of simply being confused at being woken up. It was getting hard to breathe and it had nothing to do with the weight resting on her face. She didn't want to do this. Not today. Her breaths were shaky. She could tell. She willed herself not to crave. She could force it all down until she didn't feel anything at all. She could do this. She had this.
"Fine. Alice, just come in before you break the door." Growing up, Alice was one of the few Cullens that spent a lot of time with her. Alice and Lily used to be thick as thieves, but that time came to a close. As Lily found herself, their relationship strained. It wasn't anyone's fault, but it took some adjustment. They both had to relearn how to relate to each other. Lily was really glad Alice had Bella now and for eternity she figured.
Alice wasted no time entering the room, a familiar spring in her step. "About time. I've been bugging mother dearest for hours. It's already almost ten and we haven't even started."
Lily uncovered her face and sat up ready to face whatever Alice had in store. What she wasn't expecting was Jasper following behind his wife. He shot her a knowing and reassuring smile. Lily hated not being able to hide her feelings completely, but there was nothing she could do about it. She gave him a tight-lipped smile back that turned out to be more of a grimace.
"Honestly, Lily. It wouldn't hurt to pick up your floor every once in a while."
Lily shrugged looking around the room. She liked that her room was a little chaotic. It was clean, just slightly cluttered. Her room always used to be spotless. She didn't know how to explain how the mess brought her a sense of comfort that she felt at Scott's place. It was proof of life. There were entire stories to be told in the mess of clothes on the floor, in the extra blankets littered over the bed, and in the scattering of old books that Lily had never once touched. Lily had to turn away from Jasper's all too knowing look.
"Alice, please, we don't have to be there until one. I think we have time."
"Nonsense. There's so much to do. Everyone is mostly finished downstairs, but you take forever to get ready."
"I do not! Also, why are we having a party here again?"
"Not you too! Nothing is going to happen. Well, you take longer than anyone else in this house. Go shower. It's gonna be a long day."
"I literally showered last night, but I'll do it again if it gets you to leave." It was clear that Lily wasn't being serious.
"Rude! I'll remember that. Then, let's get started on your hair. What are you feeling about beach waves?"
"Alice, no. It's just gr... It's not a big deal. There's no need to make a big fuss over it." Lily desperately wanted that to be the case.
"Of course there is! It's yours and Bella's first."
And only, Lily thought to herself. She took another second to try to push back down her emotions. "Right. Well, I think it's too much. I'm not sitting still for that."
"Please?"
"No."
"Fine." Alice conceded. "How about I straighten your hair and just two braids to get your hair out of your face."
Lily looked at her eager sister and felt herself caving. "Fine." She sighed dramatically even as a smile started to grace her face. This was familiar.
She took a seat as Alice started her preparations. It was easy to relax with them and forget what all today held. She made a game out of pulling faces with Jasper in the mirror. They would both just laugh when Alice reprimanded them. It was also nice to hear Jasper joking around. It was really nice to hear Lily so at ease. The three fell into an easy banter.
Things took a turn for the worst when it was time for makeup. Alice was too focused to make any sort of jokes. Lily had to keep her eyes closed most of the time. It was hard to fight demons in the dark. She started wringing her hands in her lap. She tried to soothe herself. It was easier said than done. Finally, Alice finished with her eyes and she was released from the dark prison.
She watched in the mirror as Jasper leaned on the wall of the bathroom. He was obviously amused at the situation. He winked and Lily soon felt her nerves instantly settle and her fear being replaced with contentment. She shook her head no. She didn't want to stop having to fight against her feelings. It was human to feel this way. It was a testament to how much she cared. The feelings would help cement these moments in her memory. Life was messy. She knew that better now than ever before. Good always comes with the bad. Her life for the past few years, minus a few moments, had been really good. It was okay if things were going to be bad for a while. Hurt was an unavoidable part of life. It was worth it. Every part of it was worth it.
"And done!" Alice pulled back and clapped once as she viewed the results. "Here let me grab your dress."
Before Lily could even voice any sort of protest, Alice had already reappeared in her room with the dress behind her.
"Alice, I can just wear jeans."
Alice looked horrified. "You are not wearing jeans to graduation."
"Emmett did!"
"Jasper and Rosalie didn't. You should never take your fashion advice from that man. Bella and I will be in dresses too. Edward is wearing dress pants."
"Wait, is he really?" Lily chuckled a little. It was a little-known fact that Edward loathed dressing up. He liked to be proper, but he tended to avoid formal events. She figured he would refuse to wear anything besides the black jeans he wore religiously.
"Yes, and he didn't even put up this much of a fight."
"I'm going to be cold."
"No, you won't. The dress has sleeves."
Alice took the time to hang the dress so Lily could get a proper look at it. She could admit it was a nice dress. It was pretty simple. It wasn't loud or flashy.
"I don't know. I kind of just want to be casual."
"You might as well give up. I've already seen that you'll cave." Alice smirks.
"I can't tell if you're lying to me or not."
"And you're not going to figure it out now. Come on, stop killing time. Put the dress on."
Lily grabbed the dress and rolled her eyes waving the two vampires out of her bathroom to change. It wasn't long until she could see the final product. She wasn't expecting the person looking back at her in the mirror. It took her brain a while to recognize herself. After so many changes this year, she didn't know what to make of the sight. This girl seemed to be filled with the energy and happiness that the Cullens left in her. She knew exactly what this reminded her of. Her mouth twitched as she caught a laugh in her mouth at the thought. It felt like the end scene of one of those cheesy coming-of-age movies. Maybe she was the main character? She felt something in her shift. It was a new feeling. It was a brand new resolve. This didn't feel like a chapter coming to a close. It felt like a book reaching a resolution. This was the final act of the movie. Maybe there would have to be a sequel, but it would be a sequel that the author had never planned to write. It would pale in comparison, but it could exist. There was a possibility that no one would read it, no one would watch it, no one would care, but that's the risk of everything a person did. It didn't make it any less important to the characters involved.
Lily smiled at her reflection. She may not know the person looking back at her, but she will meet her soon.
Jasper, feeling the change in emotion, motioned to his wife to open the door.
"Oh, it looks so good! How does it feel?" Alice busied herself with making small adjustments.
"It's nice. I shouldn't have doubted you. It's great." Lily responded as she walked back into the room.
"Of course it is. Go grab some food for the road. We are picking up Bella on the way."
"Sounds good. Just...thanks. Thank you, Alice. It's really nice." Lily tried her best to keep her voice level. It was hard. She tried to communicate so much more with her words. This wasn't just about the dress. Alice seemed to understand.
"Lily, it was nothing. I'm always going to help you. You were my first sister. I can never forget that." And with that, Alice left the room.
Lily found herself looking at the last remaining person in the room.
Jasper's face had that odd but familiar mix of pride and regret. It was almost wistful. Lily could feel her fragile walls starting to crumble. Neither one really knew which words to say to each other. Jasper could feel how close Lily was to breaking. It was all simmering at the surface threatening to spill over.
Jasper didn't hesitate to step forward and wrap his arms around Lily. Lily let her arms reach out under his arms before bringing them back so she could get his shoulders. Jasper could feel the slight tremor in her breath as she found to gain control again. They stayed like that for a few seconds as Jasper felt her relax slightly. She tightened her grip slightly before releasing him completely. She stepped away and gave a tight nod.
"Lily, you're allowed to not be happy all the time. You don't have to keep it all down." Jasper spoke in his low steady tone.
"I know, but it's easier. It would be too hard to repair if I crack now."
The words hung between them.
"You're going to be okay, right?" Jasper questioned.
"I'm going to be okay," Lily reassured, letting herself voice some false confidence.
"You're going to leave." It wasn't a question.
"Yes." Lily was past the point of lying. She figured Carlisle would have told everyone, but he did have many details. No one did.
"Okay. When?"
"End of summer."
"We have some time. Good. Don't do anything crazy."
"Wasn't planning on it cowboy."
Jasper laughed. "Ahh, that's a good one. Jazz get's a little boring at times. Come on, let's join the others. I can hear Alice driving them crazy already."
"Your wife does love a party."
Lily watched as a smile graced Jasper's face, a look only reserved for Alice. "Yeah, she really does."
____________________________________________
Rosalie was a big fan of traditions. There was some comfort to be found in the similarities between time periods. Some things became so repetitive that they created a sense of home or belonging. Graduations had not changed much over the past couple of decades. That was especially true in small towns. For the majority of the students, this could be their last major life accomplishment that was guaranteed.
Yes, Rosalie was very familiar with traditions, even if the Cullens did not participate in many. She should have been prepared, but she didn't think anything could have prepared her for the sight in front of her. She was vaguely aware of Jasper moving quickly past to join Alice in her last-minute preparations, but that all flew through the wayside as she watched Lily walk down the stairs.
A nonexistent breath caught in her throat as time seemed to freeze. Lily was wearing a white dress, a beautiful white dress. She could feel her brain racing in an attempt to make sense of the scene in front of her. Rosalie could do nothing but watch as Lily struck up a conversation with Carlisle and Emmett. She was frozen in place. She didn't know how to react. She was stunned silent.
She never allowed herself to dream of the future. There was always pain associated with thinking of futures that could never come to pass. Rosalie never let herself picture Lily getting married. Now, it was all she could think about. Lily was perfect in every single way. She wanted to do nothing more than take the girl in her arms and steal her away for eternity. A million different possibilities flashed before her eyes. Now that she saw it, it was the only thing she wanted. She wanted it more than blood. It was greater than her desire to be human. She wanted her more than she wanted a child of her own.
What good was a future if Lily wasn't by her side? She wanted her fairytale ending. She had given up on that dream long ago, but now it came back with a vengeance. She wanted to be the reason Lily was dressed in white. She wanted both of them to be dressed in white as they solidified their love. Rosalie wanted forever.
A voice broke her out of her fog as a warm hand rubbed her arm, "Hey, are you okay?"
Rose didn't hesitate to smile. "Of course, dear. You look great."
"It's a bit much, but Alice insisted. I don't mind too much." Lily muttered.
"It's perfect. You're perfect." Rose reassured her, careful to not say too much.
Lily didn't hesitate to press their lips together in a short kiss. "You too, babe. Time to head out or Alice will kill us all."
Rosalie didn't even hear Alice's response, too focused on Lily's bright laughter in response. She simply allowed Lily to guide her out of the house with their joined hands.
She didn't even mind when Edward, reading her thoughts, sent her a small pitying smile.
____________________________________________
Lily didn't remember Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper's graduation being this boring. This was worse than any class she had to sit through the previous four years. The red robes felt absolutely awful. She made a mental note to thank Alice again for the dress again. These sleeves were a life savior.
Graduation would probably be better if she was sitting next to people she actually liked. They had to be seated in alphabetical order. Last year, she was able to sit with the rest of the Cullens and Bella. Now, she could see Alice and Edward sitting together in the C's while she was solidly in the F's with 'Fields.' The difference between them had never felt so glaringly obvious. It was on visual display. At least she wasn't the only one alone. Bella was near the end of the crowd with 'Swan'.
She blocked out Bella's friend, Jessica, as she started her speech. No high schooler had enough experience to have words of wisdom worth listening to. That was mean. Lily was sure Jessica was a smart girl, but her patience was running thin. It's not like she could even escape these people immediately after the ceremony either seeing as the majority of them would be in her house later.
Finally, it was time for them to walk across the stage. One row at the time, they slowly moved through the student population. Most of the students walked across with little fanfare. The crowd clapped politely for each student. There were a few students who received a few howlers from the audience from their families. Lily was suddenly very relieved her family tried not to draw attention to themselves. She was sure Emmett would try to pull something like that if he could.
Alice and Edward seemed to actually enjoy receiving their diplomas. Lily thought it would have become boring over time, but it never seemed to take away from their enjoyment. She wondered if that's why Esme kept all the graduation caps. It marked an accomplishment each time. It's the same way parents keep strange trinkets from childhood. Lily was pretty sure Esme still had the terrible piece of pottery she was forced to make in middle school.
Finally, she was forced to stand at the side of the stage as one of her teachers called their names. Graduation wasn't boring anymore. Now, it was terrifying. Lily didn't want to have all these eyes on her. If the Cullens never came back, she could have skipped the entire thing. Of course, if they hadn't returned, she wouldn't have Rose so this was a fair trade. She would happily do this a thousand times if it meant she got to kiss Rosalie again.
She's at the top of the stairs.
"Lilianna Anya Fields"
She set her gaze forward as she stepped on stage. She expected the polite clapping. What she wasn't expecting was a loud whistle and the loud cheering that followed. Her focus was pulled towards the audience and she was helpless to stop the laughter that burst out of her. In the back of the audience, she could make out the outline of Scott and Laura. She had no idea how they knew to be here, but she didn't care. They were absolutely ridiculous and she loved it. It was the last thing today. Not one to be outdone and seeing Lily's positive reaction, Emmett stood quickly and yelled "You go, girl!!"
His comments made another wave of laughter break through her lips. She took her diploma and shook hands with the principal. She could only roll her eyes playfully at the amused look on his face. She sat down in her seat as the rest of the students had their moment in the spotlight. She took pity on Micheal and simply clapped for him. She knew he would find no humor in any sort of over the top action. She couldn't help but cheer as Bella walked across making the other girl blush.
After what felt like an eternity, they were finally released to their families. She weaved her way towards the back of the crowd. She had caught Rosalie's eye quickly and mumbled she would head over in a moment. With their advanced hearing, she should have had no trouble hearing her. She had other people she needed to find. Bella and Charlie were already over there. They would be fine.
She doesn't hesitate to run towards the figures as soon as she spots them. She wraps Laura up in a tight hug.
"Why are you guys here?!"
"Did you really think we would miss this?"
"Did you really think we wouldn't figure out what event would have made you call out of work Ms. I-Never-Miss-A-Day-And-Beg-For-More?"
Scott's and Laura's voices overlapped each other. Laura's response was significantly nicer so Lily decided to ignore Scott.
"I wasn't trying to make a big deal out of it, but I'm glad you're here. Almost gave me a heart attack hearing you guys."
"You enjoyed it, kiddo. Don't deny it." Scott responded while he pulled the girl into a hug of his own.
"Wasn't trying to."
"They grow up so fast." Laura teased.
"Hey!"
"Even if they do take 5 years to finish high school." Lily looked at Scott confused as he continued, "Because that is the only way you could be 19." He ended the statement with a pointed look.
Lily laughed. She was pretty sure they had long stopped pretending. "Exactly. Worst 5 years of my life."
"I think I see Emmett. Oh, are those your folks?" Scott asked as the crowd started to clear out.
"He's had to miss for sure. Yes, those are my foster parents."
"They're young," Laura commented.
"They're old to me."
Scott gasped and covered his heart. "Hurtful. Shut up, brat."
Laura ignored her partner. "We brought a gift."
"You didn't need to do that. I've been taking advantage of your home for months."
"Well, technically it comes from the bar and it comes with a stipulation," Scott spoke as Laura handed her the card.
"What?"
"You get the card, but you have to take the summer off."
"No deal. Take it back."
"Too late. It's already in your hand." Scott shot back.
She opened the card and felt her mouth drop open. It was a little over $3,000.
"I can't take this."
Laura explained, "Scott set up a tip jar for the nights you didn't work. It was all tips from customers. It's not our money, don't worry about it. It didn't even affect Scott's tip. People wanted to help out before you start school. Take the summer off. Enjoy your family."
"Living ain't cheap down there."
"Hot too. You'll need some new clothes." Laura added.
"That should keep you set until you find a job. Just don't forget about little old me when you get another cool boss that lets you crash on their sofa."
"You know I only stay for Laura," Lily responded without thinking.
"Everyone's a hater. Don't worry, I only stay for Laura too." Scott lamented.
"Please never say hater, again."
"Deal. That felt awful. Now, let's go say hi to your family. I bet they're waiting on you."
"They have plenty of time to spare," Lily smirked at her own joke.
Scott led the way as Lily fell into step behind him.
"You and the blonde girl, Rosalie, that's a thing, right? That's the story?" Laura's voice was only slightly louder than a whisper.
"What?"
"You and the other blonde girl are dating or fucking. I can't tell which."
"Oh my god..." Lily choked on her words.
"Oh, it's both." Laura then raised her voice. "Scott, I was right. You owe me $5!"
"Please keep your voice down." Lily was absolutely mortified. She knew her family could hear every word. She quickly made eye contact with Rose across the room and she had the audacity to smirk. Lily's face heated up more. "How did you know?"
"Someone was a little too annoyed at your attention to us." At Lily's confused look, Laura continued, "She was glaring at us the entire time we were talking."
Lily didn't even have time to respond before they reached their destination. Lily was quick to introduce everyone. Scott and Laura seemed to enjoy putting a face to the names they had heard. Bella was taken slightly aback when they knew who she was. It was significantly less awkward than the meal they shared with Rosalie and Emmett.
It was clear to the Cullens that those two were still not big fans of them. As much as the girl seemed to welcome them back, they had still left. Scott and Laura couldn't forgive that. As much as Lily tried to hide it, they knew she wasn't in the best spot mentally or physically when they met. They were both glad she was going to Wake Forest. She deserved to get away from this deadbeat town. They were quick to stand on either side of Lily when she returned. Lily didn't even seem to notice. Slowly, the group made their way out to their cars. Lily suddenly got an idea.
"Hey Scott, what time do you guys have to be back tonight?"
"7. Why?"
"We're kind of having a graduation party. It won't start for a while, but you can come up to the house and get some food. We're just putting some last minute things together."
"I don't know..." Laura hesitated.
"Please, I'm not ready to say goodbye, yet. Really, it's the least I could do after you've done so much for me. I can never repay you."
"You don't need to repay us." Scott was unusually soft.
"I know. I do know that, but I don't think you guys realize how much you've helped me. I wouldn't be the person I am now if it wasn't for you. I'm going to miss you two a lot. You're like two of the most important people in my life. It's gonna be hard to give you up."
"I know, sweetie. We're gonna miss you too." Laura's voice wavered. Her eyes were misty.
"Oh no. Kid, you made us all emotional now. Fine. Let's go see where you live. Just now, change is good. Laura and I are even looking at selling the bar and moving closer to her folks. Change doesn't mean you have to leave everything behind. You know my cell. If you ever need anything, we're just one call away. You're going to do great things. You have a good head on your shoulders. They aren't going to know what hit them when you show up."
Lily laughed as she wiped a tear out of her eye. "Shut up. Stop being nice. I'll ride with you to give you directions. No more feelings today. I'm done."
"Aw."
"Laura, no. No more. Lily's in charge now."
____________________________________________
Party prep was easy when you lived with a group of vampires. Lily was basically just in charge of keeping Scott and Laura from finding anything suspicious. Laura complimented Esme multiple times on the design of the house. This seemed to make her mom happy. Esme's homes were always her passion projects. Lily was quick to offer them refreshments as they moved into the living room.
Bella joined the other humans in the living room knowing that she could offer no help to the vampires trying to finish preparations in secret. She also felt welcomed into their group. Sometimes it was nice to spend time with other humans. It was far less stressful. It was easy. Bella wouldn't give Edward up for the world, but she missed how relaxing it was before she knew of anything supernatural.
Lily connected to the speaker and offered Scott her phone. He always controls the music in the bar. It made sense that he could pick songs here as well. Soon, the four of them were trying to out lip sing each other. It was so unbelievably stupid. Lily knew she had to look ridiculous. It was the most fun she had had all day.
Carlisle watched the humans sing along to the song blaring through the house. Bella and Laura had both migrated to the couch and drank some water leaving Scott and Lily to dance alone. Lily laughed as they shouted the lyrics at each other. He watched as Scott passed some invisible microphone to Lily making her perform the bridge of some awful rock song from almost 20 years ago. He watched as Scott took one of her arms at the end and twirled her with a large grin on his face. Jealousy was not something he dealt with often, but he felt it now. He was realizing there was going to soon be a part of Lily's life that he won't be asked to be a part of. Carlisle felt as if they never regained the relationship they had before they left. She wouldn't even tell him where she was going to school. Scott and Laura obviously knew. Lily wasn't even trying to sabotage anything anymore. It was what it was.
Carlisle had always pictured what would happen when Lily grew up. He always pictured her wedding day when he would get one last dance with his girl dressed in white. He never imagined that he would have to watch someone else take his place. He would never get to see that day. He had a feeling none of them would. Suddenly, he understood Rosalie's mood from earlier today. She wouldn't get to be there either. That was worse. He moved from his spot to find Rosalie sitting by herself in the kitchen. He gave her shoulder a tight squeeze. It was obvious that Rosalie was at war with herself. He hoped they could find some sort of peace in each other.
Needless to say, he wasn't all that sad when Scott and Laura had to leave.
____________________________________________
By the time Scott and Laura left, people were already starting to arrive. Lily barely had any time to rush upstairs and change into something more comfortable. She would be damned if she had to wear a dress the entire evening. She also didn't want people to think she was dramatic enough to have an outfit change in the middle of the party. It wasn't what she originally had planned, but it still looked nice.
Honestly, the party was nice. Sure, there were plenty of people that Lily had no interest in talking to and people seemed way too interested in snooping around their house, but it was fine. After Scott and Laura left, Bella and she were able to relax some before people started showing up. Lily could tell that Bella enjoyed the distraction. Her life had been so dangerous lately it was probably nice to have such a normal experience.
Edward hadn't left Bella's side the entire night. He even joked around with all of her human friends. It was nice to see Edward so relaxed. For as long as Lily knew him, he had always seemed the most serious out of all of them. There was a tension that never seemed to leave him. Bella had changed that completely. Lily knew Edward struggled with hearing people's thoughts. It was easy to get a superiority complex when you could hear every dumb trivial thought that someone had. He hated socializing with others but no one could tell that today. He chatted and joked while keeping an arm loosely hung over Bella. To some extent, it made it easier to leave knowing that Bella was good for Edward. She was good for everyone. Her family would be okay. She didn't need to worry about them. Edward turned towards her. He must have been scanning people's thoughts. He gestured inviting Lily to turn their conversation but she shook her head no. She had other people she wanted to talk to. Little did she know, he was trying to subtly invite her to more. Every thought she had about him mirrored what he felt about the changes in Rosalie.
Lily made her way to the back deck where she caught her small group of friends gathered around a round table. She laughed as they spotted her and Amber quickly waved her over. She looked far too eager.
"Finally! Sit down. Where have you been?" Amber demanded.
"Amber quit being so bossy. She has to play host."
"Actually, Micheal, that's all Alice. I just didn't know where you guys ended up." It was a half-truth. She also spent some time trying to find Rosalie but was unsuccessful.
"Probably too busy visiting lover boy." Amber teased.
Lily groaned. It turned out that Emmett's display at graduation may not have helped matters. "Dear Lord, I was not with Emmett."
"Sure, you weren't. I didn't even say this name yet you knew who I was talking about."
Becca finally butted in, "Alright Alright. Now that we are all here, let's break out the good stuff."
Lily was thankful for the topic switch. She kicked Micheal's shin as he shot her a knowing look. She almost made it through the entirety of high school without anyone finding out. He would not ruin it now.
Becca reached into her bag and pulled out a silver flask. She divided the amber color liquid between their four glasses before settling back in her chair. Amber quickly grabbed her glass.
"Now, this is a party!"
The four fell into a pleasant conversation. They found themselves reminiscing over their four years together. There was a bittersweet undercurrent to their words. The alcohol provided a nice little bit of warmth to their systems. It was the type of feeling one can only get from spending time with people who knew them well. Lily found herself wondering if Rosalie would join them outside, but she knew the other girl wouldn't. She's been keeping her distance all day. It hurt, but Lily knew it was for the best. Maybe some more separation wouldn't be a bad thing. Emmett could have joined them if he wasn't preoccupied with splitting time between Rosalie and Jasper who were both tense over the concept of having so many humans in their home.
Lily could have sworn she could feel Rosalie's eyes on her constantly through the night even if she had been unable to spot them.
Slowly but surely, people started to leave. It was completely dark outside and the cold was starting to get to the group. They pretended it didn't affect them. Lily was in the middle of a story when the group seemed to get distracted. Lily turned around in her chair back towards the house to see what could have caused her friends' attention to wonder. It wasn't hard to find the cause.
Rosalie was making her way towards the small group. She was walking with a purpose. Her eyes simmered with barely concealed rage. She avoided interacting with other students when she could, but she really wanted to talk to Lily. She knew it was irrational, but she found it easier to remain calm around the other girl. Her friends seemed to be nervous.
"Wha.."
Rose spoke before Lily could even finish her thought. "The wolf showed up."
"Really?! The audacity to show his face here." Lily didn't need to hear the name. Jacob's action still appalled her.
"Wolf?" Amber questioned, looking at the other three at the table for some context.
"She means dog." Lily quickly tried to correct their slip of words. "But like worse than a dog. Rosalie just likes using colorful language. What the hell is he doing here?"
"He's here for Bella of course." Rosalie rolled her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to pick the boy up and throw him out a window.
"Well, that's no good. He's not going to do anything with everyone here."
"Okay. I think that is our queue to go." Becca clapped as she stood gathering her things. It was late.
"Wait. Okay, Rose, just a minute."
Lily walked her friends to the back door. Amber and Becca left quickly leaving only Micheal and her.
"Micheal, I swear to god if you make me cry I will kill you."
Micheal just laughed like he couldn't believe her words. "Wow, someone's in touch with their emotions tonight."
"Don't start with me. It's been a long day."
"Yeah, same. I'm heading back with my brother and sister-in-law tonight."
"What?" Lily was shocked. She couldn't imagine Mrs. Roberts letting him leave too quickly.
"I kind of came out before I came over here. I'm not exactly welcomed back right now."
"Oh, Micheal..."
"No. None of that. It was about time. It was driving me crazy. I'm starting college in the summer session really. It barely made a month's difference."
"Still..."
"It is what it is. I wasn't planning on coming back here anyway. I hate small towns."
Lily pulled the boy into a tight hug. "You should have told me you were doing that today. I would have been there for you."
"I know, but you inspired me in a way. I saw how happy you were with Rosalie. I want that, at some point. I want the freedom to fall in love with the man of my dreams. My parents can choose to be a part of it or not."
"Rose and I, we aren't..."
"Lily, you're a terrible liar. You're also an idiot. You have that look again today."
"What look?!" Lily tried to defend herself. She didn't have a look.
"The one that means you want to run. You're leaving too aren't you?"
"Yeah. Not until August, but yes."
"I figured. For what it's worth, I think it's a mistake."
Lily tried to act unaffected. "Already enrolled. It is what it is. You're not the only one that doesn't 100% fit with their family. I was never going to be able to stay here forever."
Micheal seemed to ponder this information. "There's something you're not telling me. Wait, don't try to deny it. I'm not going to make you say what it is, but it's something strange. I'm not going to pretend to understand but just think twice before leaving it behind. You deserve to do that for yourself. I'll stand by your decision though."
Lily felt her eyes start to water. "I'm not going to see you again am I?"
Micheal's eyes mirrored hers. "No. Probably not."
Lily released a wet laugh. "You know, I had a strange thought this morning. I thought that today felt like the end of one of those dumb coming-of-age movies and here we are giving each other an overdramatic goodbye."
Micheal joined her in her laughter while he pulled her into another hug.
"I love you, man."
"I love you too Lily."
"Please take care of yourself."
"Same to you. I need to head out. Just, think about it."
Lily could only nod. She watched as Micheal literally walked out of her life. Her only consistent rock from the last four years left down the road. She was only aware of Rosalie joining her when the icy hand gripped her shoulder in support. She mindlessly reached back to squeeze the hand and let the two of them rest there.
Lily forced herself out of her thoughts.
"Okay, now what was this about Jacob showing up?"
Rosalie wasted no time relaunching into her rant. Lily let her own annoyance build at the boy's actions. It was easier to focus on that than the battle she was losing with time.
____________________________________________
Alice walked down the stairs to rejoin the party. It was interesting having so many people in their home. Their home was always their sanctuary, but it was fun. The night was starting to wind down. Most people had already left. Bella was having a good time. Even Lily seemed to be enjoying herself. Rosalie waited a surprisingly long time before demanding the girl's attention. Alice didn't see the big deal if people knew the two girls were something, but it seemed like a big deal to them. She knew it was hard for Rose that people thought Lily was available, but she kept her mouth shut.
At least she had until now. It looked like Rosalie was ranting about something. What surprised Alice was that Lily seemed to be getting just as angry. She tried to figure out what could have caused it when the smell hit her. Wolves were here. Jacob must be here. She knew Lily and Rosalie both had issues with him. Before she could even think about interjecting, she was pulled into another vision. She gripped the railing tightly to keep her balance.
She was running through the woods. She was running right beside Forks in Olympic National Park. She recognized the clearing.
A decision had been made. The newborn army was ready to attack. Riley and Victoria must have reached a final decision.
The army was coming here.
They needed to prepare.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading!! I hope you've been enjoying it. Please leave thoughts and reviews if you can.
Also if it interests anyone, I've been reworking some of the older chapters. They still aren't great and need some more improvements, but I think they've gotten better. Over the past week, I've made changes to chapters 1-. All the plot points are the same and I tried to keep all the same words but just add to it. Most chapters have like 1000 extra words or more. If you get a moment to check them out, please let me know if they are better or worse. I honestly would really appreciate the feedback.
Until next time!