Entry for the one-shot competition at The Two Sides of Twilight II forum.
High school. What a place of torture. Well, for those being bullied anyway. As far as I was concerned, high school is a kingdom and I am the queen.
A smirk appeared on my face as I walked through the empty hallways, hearing my heels click as I remembered so many good times.
Here, Mike had fallen over a mop and broken his arm. Funny stuff.
Here, the Edward Cullen had stood, staring at me as I showed the new girl around school. Betsy or whatever her name was.
And here, I had been declared as the prettiest girl in school.
Never heard a truer thing in my life.
But now it's coming to an end and soon high school will sadly be done for good.
No more horrible cafeteria food, no heavy books to carry, no nerds to worry about asking you out, no random ugly girl from Arizona managing to snap up the hottest guy in school after him refusing to go out with anyone.
What am I talking about sadly? High school sucked and university will be amazing.
Hot guys, young teachers, more freedom, clubs, parties. Everything.
I can't wait.
"Jessica!" A high-pitched voice snapped me out of my reverie and I turned to see Lauren Mallory hurrying towards me, her hair tousled and unattractive, her skirt far too short and her top all messed up. I smirked, knowing she wanted to look like she'd just been felt up by some football player. Let me tell you, Eric Yorkie is no football player.
"Lauren you look gorgeous." I lied, beaming at her. She smiled falsely back.
"Thank you." She gushed. "So do you. Are you ready for graduation?" She asked, linking her arm through mine and walking with me.
"God, I have been ready for so long. I can't wait for university. What about you? Glad to leave it all behind?"
"God, yes." Lauren sighed dramatically as we reached the cafeteria, grabbed salads and sat down at our usual table. Everyone greeted us in some way or another.
"Everybody ready to leave school behind for good?" I addressed the table, nodding in satisfaction when they all shut up and listened to me. "I for one am." Most of the table nodded or murmured their agreement apart from Edward and his brown-haired girl who were off in their own little world as usual. God, people can be so self-absorbed you know?
"Hello? Edward? Talking to you." Lauren whined and the couple looked around as one.
"Right." He said in his perfect voice. "I suppose." A small smirk spread across his heavenly features and he leaned to murmur something in his girlfriend's ear. It sounded like he said "It's not the first time I'll be doing it." She giggled and I rolled my eyes.
"So does everyone have graduation dresses planned?" I squealed and all the guys groaned, the majority of the girls beamed and Edward and the girl disappeared off somewhere. The other Cullen girl had never entered the cafeteria.
"Mine is strapless and pink with flowers on it and cute little pockets." I beamed. "I'm going to curl my hair and wear pink stilettos."
"Mine is pink too." Lauren announced and there was that moment of silence where we both worried if we had the same dress. "It's a V neck with no flowers and weird ribbon like things crossing the back. I will wear it with black jewellery and heels."
"I'm wearing a purple one-shouldered dress with nude heels and no jewellery. Probably with my hair up." Angela added in and the dress talk went on for the rest of lunch before the bell rang and we had to go to class.
The next day I spent a couple of hours getting ready, making sure my hair was even more perfect than usual and that my make-up was spotless. Someone knocked at the door.
"Jess! Mike is here!" Mum called up and I sighed, grabbed my bag and strutted downstairs. "You look beautiful honey." She smiled at me and then looked at the clock and gasped. "I'm late for work. Good luck graduating." She beamed and ran out of the door.
"Ready?" Mike asked, holding out his arm.
"For leaving high school? Oh yes." I took his arm and he helped me into the car.
"Remember the first time we set foot in Forks High?" Mike asked as we drove towards school.
"I think I do. Didn't you insult one of the jocks, end up with a face full of pudding and then trip and land on me, resulting in both of us covered in pudding?" I replied with a grin. "I was so mad."
"Yes you were, you screamed at me, forced me to buy you a new outfit and then refused to talk to me for a month." Mike chuckled. "And Eric was chucked in a dumpster, Angela managed to outsmart the smartest kid in school and Lauren was rejected very loudly." We were both laughing by this time.
"And then when the Cullens came." Mike grinned at me. "And Lauren asked out Emmett…"
"And Rosalie came up and slapped the hell out of her." He finished as we arrived at school. Happy laughter reached us as we walked towards the gym arm in arm.
"I'll see you at the party?" Mike asked and I nodded, smiling as he kissed my cheek and disappeared. We had been on and off since freshman year but now we were on again and I was loving it. Sure he was annoying sometimes but he bought me pretty stuff.
"Jessica! Jessica!" Lauren clicked over, looking completely trashy and over-dressed with her hair somehow in strange curls, a very low v-neck dress and bright pink lip gloss. "Ohmigod I can't believe we're graduating!" She squealed, hugging me awkwardly due to the hideous yellow robe draped over her arm.
"I know right!" I squealed back, totally taken over by the hype of graduation. "I mean, just like last year we were standing here watching graduation and wishing it was us. And now, like, it is!"
"You ready for the party at the Cullens place?" She asked as we walked into the gym.
"Oh yeah, we're gonna have a rave." I replied with a beam, waving at everyone. "I need to go get my robe, I'll see you later." We air-kissed loudly and I started to fight my way through the throng of people. God, how many people can you get coming to a high school graduation? The entire town is probably here.
"Miss Stanley it's about time. Here is your robe and hat." Ms Cope droned. "Please go round to the back of the gymnasium, you will be lined up in order there." She gestured to the back door and I bit back a groan as the smell of her BO hit me. Urgh, take a shower Ms Cope! And get some new clothes.
I nodded, not wanting to open my mouth, and fought my way back through the crowd and finally fell out the door, landing on Tyler.
"Jess if you wanted to get with this, you could have just asked." Tyler smirked, his hands low on my hips.
"Get over yourself Tyler." Mike yelled, walking over to rescue me. "We all know who Jess wants." He winked at me, wrapping his arm around my waist. "Come on, we're about to start. Just waiting on Cullen and Bella."
Oh, so her name was Bella. Eh, I was close with Betsy. I mean, who can blame me for forgetting her name when she's always with the dazzling Edward Cullen?
"There she is." I said, still completely excited. Mr Varner came along and tried to organise us so we were in alphabetical order but I was only interested in getting the gossip on Edward. "Hey Bella!" I cried, waving and beaming. Edward kissed her, urgh jealous, and then hurried off to the front of the line. Bella watched him go and it didn't seem like she was going to move anytime soon.
"Down here Bella!" I called and finally she started walking towards me. "This is just so amazing. I mean, it seems like we just met, and now we're graduating together," I felt like jumping up and down and clapping, "Can you believe it's over? I feel like screaming."
She had enough time to mutter something before I interrupted at full speed.
"This is all just so incredible. Do you remember your first day here?" I do, she showed up and Edward left for like a week. "We were friends, like, right away. From the first time we saw each other. Amazing." I'm amazing. "And now I'm off to California," Sunny California, "and you'll be in Alaska," Honestly who even applies to go to college in Alaska? "and I'm going to miss you so much!" Because you'll be taking Edward with you no doubt. "You have to promise that we'll get together sometimes! I'm so glad you're having a party. That's perfect. Because we really haven't spent much time together in a while and now we're all leaving and I'll like never see you again. I mean, California is like totally far away from Alaska and, you know, they might not have internet or signal up there and you might like freeze to death." Mr Varner's voice suddenly boomed out, cutting across me and telling us to head into the gym.
Why are there always speeches at these kind of things? I mean honestly, I could have gone my whole life without hearing Eric's boring speech about "new beginnings" and "it's only just started" and I would have been perfectly happy. I also could have gone without the leers he kept giving me. That is just creepy. Sure, if he was a jock it would have been hot. But as I said yesterday Eric Yorkie is no football player.
I watched the little Cullen girl, looking beautiful as always, appear of out like nowhere and dance across the stage looking like Jasper last year, who had always looked like he was constipated or in pain. Sure he was hot, all the Cullens were, but that is not a good look for anyone.
"Jessica Stanley." Mr Greene called out my name and before I knew what was happening I was on my feet and walking up the steps. He shook my hand, which was totally gross by the way because he was sweating like a pig, and handed me my diploma.
And just like that I was done, free of high school for the rest of my life.
Oh. My God.
I'm not queen anymore! I'm going to be a nobody!