Aiyanna
"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.
When we were ten, they asked again. We answered rock star, 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 ?
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 is no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind and change it again because nothing's permanent. So make as many mistakes as you can.
That way someday when they ask what we wanna be, we won't have to guess...we'll know."
I clapped my hands and used all of the air in my lungs to cheer Jessica along with the hundred students dressed in yellow robes and hats, and their parents in the gym we were all gathered in.
Mike who was sitting on my left side with Angela, Eric and Bella while Edward was on my right one with Alice and Jasper, brought his fingers in his mouth to whistle. We all knew how Jessica stressed out about her speech all week, adding to the stress of final exams. It was only right for us to encourage her.
Then, the student march followed. Mr. Clapp tried his hardest to line us up alphabetically. My last name, being one of the first ones being called, made the whole ceremony feel like it happened in a fast forward motion.
Sam and Emily as well as Paul, Jared, Ricky Seth, Embry and Collin came. They were sitting with Billy Black who was also accompanying Charlie Swan. When my name got called, the boys and my parents stood up and made as much noise as probably the hundreds of us did for Jessica's speech.
I should've known that they wouldn't stay still like the rest of the families who clapped from their seat. I myself, made the same fuss at the boys' graduation last week.
"It's a miracle !" Paul yelled as I walked towards Mr. Reeves to take my diploma.
I tried my best not to laugh. I couldn't even argue with him about this, because it was indeed almost a miracle that I managed to graduate with the other students of my promotion.
"Congratulations, Miss Brown." Mr. Reeves told me.
"Thank you."
I walked off the stage and watched Alice, Edward and Jasper receive their diploma as well. They stood out from the crowd, their beauty and grace otherwordly. Although this was the umpteenth time they graduated high school, Carlisle and Esme still carried a proud expression on their face as they clapped their hands.
I joined the assembled graduates, waiting for the rest of the students to have their names called as well.
When Edward joined me, I was able to dwell in his presence I had missed for the past weekend. It was the first time I saw him since Saturday morning, when I woke up to his face. I haven't able to see him since then, because of the two-day shift I took.
"Congratulations, Aiyanna."
"Congratulations." I answered. "All honours go to you, for not giving up on me while serving as my teacher."
"I would never." Edward said, before he smirked. "Syracuse it is, then ?"
I nodded with a grin. "Syracuse it is."
Edward had told me that he also got accepted there, but also stood on his firm convictions to go to college with me. It would be a tremendous lie to say that I didn't like the idea.
"Just so I know, you didn't bribe the admissions, did you ?" I asked him, suspicious.
Edward laughed again. "I don't need Alice to know that you would never forgive me if I did this without your consent."
"Good. Thank you."
Soon enough, the amount of called students overwhelmed me. Jessica and Angela, walked towards me smiling. Edward moved aside to let me get chocked by their embrace.
"Oh, Aiyanna ! Isn't it amazing ? It feels like we just met and now we're all graduating together !" Jessica gushed in between her sobs.
The three of us let go of each other, and it was only then that I realized how much Jessica had cried. Her eyes were red and she kept blotting her face with her robe, staining it with the makeup around her eyes.
"Let's promise each other to meet often." Angela suggested.
Jessica would be off to California while Angela and Eric would go to the University of Seattle.
"Of course !" I immediately answered, refusing to let myself think of Seattle longer, with Edward present. "I'm so glad to have met you. It was a good two years." I continued, immediately regretting my words when I saw Jessica cry all the more and Angela's glistening eyes. "No ! I'm sorry !" I said, laughing as I hugged them again, bringing my head back to prevent the tears from falling. "You're going to make me cry too ! It's not over, guys. There's still the party tonight."
I felt Angela nod against my shoulder while she lifted her glasses to dry her tears. The three of us were a mess.
"I can't believe it's over." Angela mumbled.
Once all diplomas were given out, Mr Reeves gave his final speech which ended with all yellow hats being thrown in the air.
When time came for the girls to join their family, I turned around to find Edward, looking down at me amused.
"Are you okay ?" he checked, after wiping the tear I didn't feel rolling down my cheek.
"They did manage to make me cry." I sighed, shaking my head from side to side.
"Aiyanna !" I heard one of the boys, probably Embry, call for me while he and the rest of the boys made their way through the crowd.
They could easily be seen in the crowd, first because of their height and secondly, because they were the only ones from La Push who came today. Their eyes narrowed once seeing Edward, and I glared back at them as they did so.
Although the fact that I imprinted on Edward ensured his safety around them, the boys still didn't like the fact that he was a vampire. As if it was something any of us could do about it.
"I believe I have to leave you." Edward guessed.
I nodded. "I will see you at the party."
Edward brushed the side of my face with his hand and stared at me as if he was looking at his most precious treasure.
"You are gorgeous, Aiyanna."
I pursed my lips, unable to receive a compliment the right way, and covered half of my face with my hand.
You must have forgotten our old rules. No compliments ! - I reminded him, to which he laughed as he walked away.
"Hey, hey, hey !" I exclaimed when I felt my feet leave the ground only to be thrown in the air like a child.
Why couldn't these boys just be normal and hug me or do anything else less embarassing in front of half of Forks' population ? When they put my feet on the ground again, I sighed.
"Consider yourselves lucky because I can't kill you right there." I threatened them.
"I am so proud of you, Aiyanna." my mother crowed as she made her way through the walls the boys made around me, to hug me.
"I told you ! If I can do it, she definitely can !" Paul told my father who stood beside him.
"Don't compare my Aiyanna to you." my father told him, to which Paul chuckled. "It was nice of you guys to show up. Are you eating with us ?"
"That's a given." Jared expectedly answered.
"We have to get Billy before that." Embry reminded us.
"I'm right here." Billy answered from behind him, coming towards us thanks to Charlie Swan, pushing his wheelchair forward.
While Charlie and Billy congratulated me, my parents did the same with Bella who had been walking behind her father. I rarely saw Chief Swan, which almost made me forget that my mom worked with him and actually became friends with him. Unlike their daughters...
"We were thinking of going to the Lodge ?" Charlie suggested with an eager smile. "What do you think ?"
"Is that okay with you, kid ?" my father asked me.
I nodded. "Yeah, sure."
"You guys are coming too ?" Charlie asked the boys he probably knew since they were born. "What are you taking ? Steroids ? Drugs ?" he then accused them while measuring Paul's arm in his hand.
Paul laughed. "Even if we did, we wouldn't tell you." he teased, earning a glare from Charlie.
"We better leave now. We're not going to be the only ones hungry." Billy intervened.
Billy was right.
The Lodge was crowded. It was a bit overpriced for what it was but it was the only formal restaurant in town which made it popular for events such as today.
Dinner dragged until early evening, but at least it kept my mind busy and kept Edward from freaking out after reading my thoughts.
Finally, after socializing with the boys and all families around my father got his change back and put a tip on the table, giving us his signal to go.
I walked to the parking lot first with the boys, for the greater enjoyment of the owners of the restaurant that I had caught talking about how they'd run out of ingredients for the other clients because of how much the boys ate.
While my parents were saying goodbye to the families inside, I sent the guys home after reminding them of next day's schedule. Of course, none of them forgot since it was related to the battle they almost wished for it to happen sooner.
"Aiyanna ?" my mother asked, being the first one to join me.
Contrarily to my father, she was as uncomfortable as I was in these kind of crowded places.
"Over here." I answered.
It was almost dark in the parking lot. The air was thick and the clouds were thick enough to make someone wonder if the sun had set or not.
Following the sound of my voice, and also remembering the spot where my father had parked the car, she joined me and leaned against the passenger door.
"It will take another five minutes for him to say goodbye." she told me, not surprised. "You're going to the Cullens' party, right ?"
I nodded. She stared at me, as if she was trying to read something on my face. I narrowed my eyes, waiting for her to directly ask what she was dying to know, because except confusion, I wasn't sure what else she would see on my face.
"I saw you with Edward, earlier." she started.
I laughed. "I didn't know you liked to gossip like this, mom !"
"I'm sorry." she chuckled. "I'm just very intrigued by this whole imprint thing. When your Nana talked about it, it all sounded mystical, almost unreal. But now that you're living it, I can't help but be curious. What is it really like ?"
I sighed, leaning against the car as well. "It's like everything she said. I feel connected to him, all the time. My body knows where he is even at a distance. I feel...awake only when he's near, like I'm only complete with him."
She nodded slowly, not being unfamiliar with my words. They were only reinterpretations of Nana's explanations.
"I am sure she would have been proud to see that you have found him. She would have been proud of you for being who you have become over the year." my mom told me, as she put her hand on my shoulder.
I pursed my lips, and nodded, feeling my throat tighten. Nana would have indeed, loved to see me imprint on someone.
"Okay, I'm done !" my father let his voice be heard once he came out of the restaurant and joined us. "Do I drop you at the Cullens' ?" he then, asked me.
"Yes, please."
My father drove while listening to my indications which served as his guide. Alice said she put their adress in the invitations she sent out, but I was sure people were still going to get lost in the dark.
"If this party gets too wild..." my mother began.
"Don't worry about it. Carlisle and Esme are going to be there. I'm pretty sure you could come too." I reassured her.
She shook her head, declining the offer. "I have had my share of people for today."
"Now that I think about it, it was the first time I saw Edward since your birthday." my father added, failing to show his displeasure when talking about him.
"You didn't even want to see him in the first place." I answered. "Turn at the next bend."
"I see you've forgiven him, so I ought to forgive him too."
My mother chuckled, looking at him. "It almost looks like you took her breakup personally, honey."
"She's my only kid, of course I did." my father groaned.
From the backseat, I could see his mouth get wider once the way to the Cullen's house cleared out. The trees on each side of the road were dressed with twinkling lights on the three last miles before reaching the residence.
There was no way for anyone to get lost this way.
"Wow." my parents mumbled in awe.
"Alice." I sighed, while my father parked in front of the house. I was ten minutes early, so there weren't any guests yet. "She doesn't do things halfway. I might let her organize my wedding, at this point."
"What wedding ?" my father asked in panic, to which I only laughed as I got out and shut the door. "What wedding, Aiyanna ?!"
Edward opened the front door while I walked up the stairs of the porch. I looked behind me when I saw Edward try to hide his amusement, probably because of my faster's thoughts from inside the car.
Unexpectedly, Edward walked past me to stand in front of the passenger seat's window, where my mother was sitting.
"Oh my God..." I whispered when the window rolled down, and my father leaned towards it.
"Good evening, Mr. Brown. Ms Brown." Edward greeted them politely.
Dragging my feet on the ground, I walked down the few stairs I had walked on and stood beside him.
"Good evening." my father answered, coldly.
I opened my eyes widely, hoping he would understand the message I was trying to convey through them : Be nice.
As a response, my father glared at me before his expressions softened while my mother didn't say a word and simply nodded. I guessed she would never really be comfortable around him.
"I will keep an eye on Aiyanna and make sure to bring her home afterwards." Edward stated.
"Sure, you wouldn't leave her in the woods twice, would you ?" my father commented.
"Dad !" I intervened, but was completely ignored by him, who kept his eyes on Edward.
Edward, on the contrary, stayed professional if I may say and spoke again. "I will not repeat the same mistake."
Although the depth of my relationship with Edward was known by the four of us, my father decided to ignore it tonight and let his previous suspicious take over him.
"Call us if anything happens, Aiyanna." my father then told me, before he leaned back and drove off.
My father and the rest of the world probably had different visions on how forgiving someone looked like, because what just happened looked nothing like it.
"I want to dig a hole and jump in it." I sighed, hiding my face with my hands embarassed.
Edward's hands caught mine to pulled them down. "His reaction is only normal, Aiyanna. What I did wasn't right. I will always live with the deep regret of leaving you there so suddenly."
"Can't we all just act like nothing ever happened ? If nobody can move on, how can I ? It all happened ages ago."
Edward smiled lightly and nodded, but even if he did so, I couldn't believe him. Knowing him, it would take decades if not a century for him to get rid of his guilt. Pretending I didn't read through him, I walked towards the front door of the residence again, with Edward following me.
"Before we get in, do you mind telling me what's going on ?" Edward suddenly asked, making me freeze in my spot.
"What do you mean ?" I asked, acting oblivious.
"Alice has been translating the Battle Hymn of the Republic in Korean, French, Spanish and so on to keep me out of her thoughts for the whole day and I suspect that whatever she's trying to hide is related to you."
When I looked up at him, his eyes were narrowed in suspicions. Under the power of his gaze, I felt as if even if I did try to lie to him, I wouldn't look convincing. I just smiled weakly and nervously.
"What's wrong, Aiyanna ?" he sighed, stepping closer to me.
"We tried to keep it from you so you wouldn't stress out all day." I started by an excuse, which only stirred up his curiosity. After taking a deep breath, I explained my reasoning to him. "Victoria's revenge is the newborn army."
A/N : just FYI, Jessica's speech is the one she said in the movie, I didn't come up with it.
I'm trying to finish Eclipse as soon as possible, no matter how much I love writing it, I'm kind of getting tired of it already 😅 I just want to move on to Breaking Dawn quickly.
I hope you liked the chapter anyway, and please look forward to what's coming !