━━ love and death. (2024)
edward cullen x fem!oc
chapter forty four
"My fellow students. Cool, hm." Mike was swiftly writing across the parchment paper in his class note book while speaking to himself. Everyone at the table was quiet but also chuckling as he tried to write the "perfect graduation speech known to mankind". Or so he says.
I glanced over at Edward as he sat beside me. His arm was stretched behind my chair and I had my legs stretched out over his lap.
He flashed me a small smile with a flirty wink and I quickly turned my head away before he got spot me blushing.
"Okay, okay. I think I got something good here." He sticks his tongue out as he finishes writing the last sentence. "We are the future — anything is possible if you just believe! Boom."
"Nice." Angela tossed him a thumbs up.
Mike rips the page from his book and hands it to Jessica. She narrows her eyes at him, "No. This will be my speech when I want everyone to throw diplomas at my head." She balled the paper up roughly then chucked it at his head.
Mike grinned. "You gotta embrace the cliches, Jess."
"Just don't make it too long," I shrugged. "Everybody will start to lose interest."
"Yeah but there's only 60 graduates in our class," Amanda pointed out while waving her pen around. "We hold less of a student population than any other town in the US. It has to actually mean something to everyone.
Jess bit down on her lip. "No pressure then."
"Jess doesn't need cliches!" Angela piped up. "Her speech is gonna be epic."
I watched Jessica nod in agreement while shaking a fist in Mike and Eric's general direction. "Epic? It'll change lives."
Alice and Jasper suddenly appeared at the table and made themselves comfortable next to Edward and I.
I couldn't help but eye their tray of food with an arched eyebrow. Alice sent me a warning look — in her own sweet way, like she was scolding one of her siblings.
"So!" She clasped her hands on top of her lap and smiled. "I decided to throw a party."
"After all, how many times we gonna graduate high school?" Jasper agreed.
Edward chuckled beside me and I visibly rolled my eyes between the two of them. Everyone at the table paused mid-conversation and turned to the couple.
"A party? At your place?" Angela softly asked.
"I've never seen your house," Jessica chimed in.
Eric coughed behind his hand to try and make his comment less noticeable. "No one's ever seen their house." I quickly lowered my foot from Edward's lap and kicked Eric in the shin. He shot me a pained what? look but I rolled my eyes in return.
Edward finally spoke up next to me. "Another party, Alice?"
Obviously he was still triggered by the memory of my own birthday party but he seems to forget I nearly died becoming a meal and he left the next day. He's the most dramatic boy i've ever met.
"It'll be fun," Alice frowned.
"You said that last time." I shot the girl a questioning look but my emotions were immediately flipped around like someone had flicked the switch in my brain.
My cold glare was now on Jasper as he sat in silence with a wavering smirk.
Alice went silent and deadly still in her chair, her eyes glazing over like she was having a vision. Nobody else at the table noticed when Mike began rambling off questions towards Alice. "Well cool, that's really uhm, normal of you. What time?" Edward shifted beside me, his arm going around my shoulder. "Dress code? Bring anything? Cheetos?"
Alice still didn't respond so I sat up in my chair, picked a single chip from my bag and tossed it at Mike's head. "Stop stressing and dress nicely." Mike laughed awkwardly then scowled at me.
I looked back at Alice who was still drifting off into nothing until Jasper placed a hand on her shoulder. "She hasn't been getting much sleep lately, graduation and all."
Edward and I stood outside the police station, our backs leaning against the railing as I watched my father standing behind a counter and talking with a middle aged couple. Their faces were etched with grief and worry while passing a stack of fliers towards Charlie.
"So," I pursed my lips and looked up at Edward. "Are we going to address the giant elephant in the room?"
He purposely looked around, intentionally trying to turn the topic into something comical until I nudged his rib-cage with my elbow. "I'm serious!" I stifled a laugh. "I know she had a vision, what did she see?"
He gripped the railing behind us and shrugged. "Nothing. Something about Jasper. It was innocuous."
I narrowed my eyes up at him. "You're lying. I know you know what she saw, tell me."
"It was nothing."
I twisted my body to stand in front of him, a daring grin stretching across my face. "I'll give you a kiss if you tell me."
He grinned back and brushed his thumb under my eye. "Nice try. I'm only worried that everyone would notice how strange Alice is."
"I think that ship sailed a long time ago." I rolled my eyes in defeat, turning away from him and focusing my attention back on the couple. "There's someone missing from Seattle, over a year ago I think." I explained. "Charlie is doing what he can, but — would you happen to know something about this?"
"We've been tracking the situation in Seattle for a while. Unexplained disappearances, killings... If the situation gets any more conspicuous, the Volturi will step in." He expresses with slight despair.
I shifted to a straighter stance and crossed my arms over my chest. "If they go to Seattle, they can come here. They can see I'm still human."
Edward, obviously noticing the worry in my tone, turned to me with a shake of his head. "We won't get that far. But we'll go to Seattle if we have to."
The couple exited the station and walked right past us without a word, but visibly holding on to one another tightly until they reached their vehicle.
Charlie stepped out of the station next and I perked up immediately. "Hey dad."
"Hey kiddo. Are you ready for dinner? Your brother called and said he has a table waiting for us."
"Yup," I clicked my tongue and shifted awkwardly towards Edward. I wanted to give him a proper goodbye without my father standing here watching us like a hawk.
"It is still uh, just you, me and your brother, right?"
Edward chuckled beside me. "I'm just dropping her off." He then took my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll see you later." I smiled at him as he started to walk away before turning to a sudden stop. "Oh, Aspen. My parents wanted to remind you about the... airline ticket you got for your birthday."
I looked at Edward quickly, eyes widening slowly with realization he meant the visitation with my mother. I had yet to bring that up to Charlie.
"What airline ticket?" My father asked, exchanging a look between Edward and I.
"A round trip ticket to see mom in Florida." I rubbed the back on my bicep and looked up at Charlie. "I was going to bring it up — I was afraid — "
A smile stretched across his lips as he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Pen, that's fantastic. Why were you scared to tell me? I'm always advocating for you to see your mother."
"And it expires soon," Edward added with a nod. "They said you might wanna use it this weekend."
I quickly began to shake my head at my boyfriend. "I can't just drop everything and go — we have school, I have stuff to do around the house — "
"It might be your last chance to see her before you graduate." Edward included. Our eyes glazed over one another for a brief period and the realization settled over me what he had meant.
"Well. It might not be a bad idea." Charlie shrugs. "Get out of the town for a couple of days, get some distance." He nudged me with his shoulder and I smiled awkwardly. "Is your brother going with you?"
I let out a long exaggerated hum. "Beau actually already has a date when he wants to visit mom. This was just for me to spend time with her myself." I noticed Charlie's body relaxed beside me but I decided to make things more interesting between him and Edward. "As long as you use the companion ticket."
Charlie cleared his throat, something more dramatic like he was caught off guard while placing his hand over his chest. "Oh, I see. Super. That makes me really happy."