Author's Note: Happy Birthday to me :D to celebrate here's a new chapter whoo hoo! Thank you for reading and reviewing. Shout out to the lovely, wonderful, and talented Reviewers: baby Cyclopes: I hope to bring you some more moments to love, Brazos: you are very good at motiving and making my blush thank you, Evangeline: I hope so too but I don't know yet, Gator Bait: yep yep!, Darlin: Thank you I thought those would be nice details, Welsh Angharad: I really enjoy Emmett, Fourjays: Yes yes seriously, Granny: Yes I feel they same

Friday The last day of School

Emmett

I eat lunch like it's any other day. Cause it's lunch, best part of school. No point in not enjoying it just because it's the last day of school.

It's actually a half day. We've got lunch then one more period and then we can get our report cards and go.

Whoo hoo summer vacation here we come.

Rosalie has been ready to be done since Monday, she's totally checked out now and picking at an apple she's been eating all lunch period.

Edward looks tired, I think he's been up late a lot this week. I don't know what his deal is. He's probably bummed that we won't have school for like the next three months. Dude loves school.

I'm excited it's over. Well maybe kinda sad that this school year is over, it's been a good year. Still

summer is better and I'm gonna be a senior next year, that'll be awesome.

I finish my chicken sandwich and work on my fries and ketchup. "I think we should have a fire outback tonight." I suggest. "to like kick off vacation."

"That would be fun." Rosalie agrees.

"What about you Eddie you down for roasting marshmallows tonight?" Edward looks up from the salad he's pushing around his plate. "Sure whatever."

"Ahhh man you've got to get into the spirit of it, we've got to celebrate." I try to get him excited.

"What, being one year closer to leaving school and being forced to into adulthood?"

Apparently he's just gonna be in a grumpy mood today.

I think he's talking about being eligible for the draft and all that serious stuff again. The kid really needs to relax he's gonna give himself an ulcer.

"We've got another school year, don't worry about that Eddie. Maybe we can get the stuff for s'mores tonight. That would be awesome and oh you could put your speakers in the windows or play guitar or something. It'll be fun."

"Yeah, sure."

"It sounds like a good time Emmett." Rosalie looks at the clock and starts to clean up her things.

"Hey Rose, what sounds like a good time?" asks a cheeky Mike Newton as he walks past our table on his way out of the cafeteria.

I shake my head at him with a chuckle. I can't believe the shy freshman actually got up the courage to talk to Rosalie. Must be because it's the last day.

She turns on him and I feel bad the little guy's got no idea what he's done.

"We're you just listening to our conversation?" Rose narrows her eyes and glares at him. It's a scary look. One that would make most freshman run. Mike stands there kinda dumbfounded, like a deer in headlights.

"No, no... I was walking by and I just thought..." Mike shakes his head and has at least enough sense to back away.

"You just thought what? That I needed your two cents..." Rosalie does not like people in her business.

I pick my tray up and cut in before things get ugly. "Dude, can you believe it's the last day. Got any good plans for the summer Mike?" I keep looking at him waiting for him to answer my question as I slowly head in the direction of the tray drop off.

He looks confused for a second but finally catches on and walks with me. He gives me a weak smile.

I can hear some of kids in front of us talking about Rosalie and I definitely hear one say 'the Cullens are such snobs.'

I know some of the other kids say that about us so it doesn't surprise me.

I guess I understand where they might get that impression. But it still hurts.

I think that Edward has always been quiet and not naturally good at making friends. Rosalie when she became part of the family was so traumatized that she preferred to keep to herself and when I came along it was just kinda the norm to keep things in the family.

I sometimes hang out with the guys from the team but rarely at our house.

I just always felt like that would just be too much. I know Carlisle and Esme would probably be totally cool with me having people over but they already do so much for me I hate to ask for more from them.

So we rarely have people over. We tend to just kind of keep to ourselves. It's not that we're trying to be snobby we've just found we can relate to each other.

Other people some times don't get the drama. It doesn't help that they also natural seem to keep their distance from us, I think because our family is different.

Mike hurries off to salvage what ever self esteem he has left.

I look back to see where Rosalie and Edward are, I hope they didn't hear the other's talking about us. I'd hate for either of them to be anymore upset when we're so close to being done with these kids and school and everything for the summer.

Edward

The last class period is a lot of 'talk quietly among yourselves' and 'here's all the paper's I haven't handed back for the past two months.' So I sit at my desk and try to read but I can't keep my thought's from wondering.

My parents were missionaries. They tried to make other people's lives better by spreading their faith and look where it got them.

Sometimes I can't help but be bitter. Sometimes I think it must be the family curse to try to help others and get no where for it.

It's been been like four days and Emmett is still going on about super soldier Jasper theories. I had to suffer all through lunch today with it again.

For all my trying all he seems to have taken from Jasper's panic attack Sunday was he must but specially trained soldier and the baseball thing didn't help that.

I can't believe he doesn't see it. The guy is a basket case. Apparently being a soldier messed Jasper up so bad that the sight of a black eye unravels him.

It's not like I was bleeding. I can't believe a bruise could freak anyone out so bad.

I can't think what else it could have been. The stupid event from Sunday has gone through my head all week. I can't seem to shake it and I haven't come up with any other cause.

I've seen him looking at me this week. He keeps getting a dark look in his eyes when he looks in my direction. I'm seriously not sure what to make of it.

What if he's got a problem with me? What if I do something that flips him out again? What if he is some kind of miss programed super soldier like Emmett seems to think.

I don't know what I'm gonna do this summer but whatever it is I hope it's free of all this drama.

I start to turn the page in my book and then realize I don't remember anything that happen on the page I just read.

Rosalie

I throw my bag and school things on my bed and I head back downstairs to get a snack.

Alice and Jasper are in the sitting room. He's standing leaning on back of the tall chair. I've seen him do that before. But before Alice was sitting in the chair, this time she's not. She's on the couch. I guess standing there must comfortable for him.

I head to the kitchen but Alice pops up from the couch and gets my attention. "Emmett's in the kitchen on the phone." She says whispering dramatically.

Aaaahhhh I slow to a stop. I appreciate the warning. Emmett must have gone straight to the phone when we got in the door. I lean to get a better look into the kitchen. He's sitting on the stool by the wall phone.

"Do you know who he's talking to? He seemed really serious, well serious for Emmett when we said hi." She looks to Jasper to back her up, he sort of nods in an 'yeah I guess' kinda of way.

I sigh, I know who he must be talking to, "he's calling his mom."

"Really?" Alice asked as both she and Jasper look surprised. The circumstances with Emmett and his adoption are a little different.

"He likes to call her on holidays and stuff." I kinda dread him calling, it doesn't always go well.

"That's nice that he can do that." Alice says sweetly and naively.

Jasper looks at me with one eyebrow raised like he seems to pick up on my feelings on the matter.

I think sometimes it would have been kinder for his mother to just break all ties with him. That probably seems harsh but I hate to see Em upset and calling her always seems to make him upset.

I don't think Emmett's stepfather ever cared for him. He was another mouth to feed and a living breathing reminder that his mother wasn't the 'good God fearing' woman she tried to be.

Emmett was born out of wedlock and given the name of the man that had fathered him and then run off.

I remember seeing the way his mother looked at Emmett when he was in the hospital after the dog attack. To my ten year old eyes she reminded me of someone who wanted to runaway. Thinking back now, being nearly the age she was when she had Emmett I think she looked at him like he reminded her of her shame.

That was probably one of the reasons she gave away her parental rights to Esme and Carlisle so readily.

The thought kills me. I just can't stand anyone thinking about Emmett that way. To give him away like he wasn't wanted. That's the shame she should be concerned with it you ask me.

Her loss has definitely been my gain. Emmett is my best friend.

He comes to join us in the sitting room. His conversation wasn't long. It never is.

He looks like it was a rough one. Which is just so typical. I don't know why they can't just be supportive and happy for the ten mins he calls every few months.

He puts on a smile as he flops down on the couch in between Alice and I.

"Did you tell them Rosalie?" He asks.

"No I thought I'd leave that to you."

"OH, oh what? What do you have to tell us?" Alice asks eagerly looking between the two of us. Her enthusiasm puts a genuine smile on Emmett's face.

Jasper looks pained in the corner waiting to hear what Emmett has to say.

"We're gonna have a bonfire tonight and you're invited."

"Me and Jazz?"

"Yeah both of you, if you want to join us. I'm thinking marshmallows and s'mores and ghost stories." Emmett holds out in front of him like he's picturing the whole thing.

"Wow, really, that's so neat." Alice looks at him with big eyes like he's just told her she going to be Paul Newman's date to the Oscars or something.

"Em have you asked yet?" I bring both of them back to reality.

"Not yet but they'll be totally cool with it." He says confidently.

I roll my eyes and then happen to glance in Jasper's direction. He looks like he's stressed and worried about something.

I decide to stand up and go get the snack I was sidetracked from getting. I go around the couch on the side where Jasper is standing. "Hey, don't worry." I say to him quietly. "We've done this before, Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle will probably be cool with it."

He looks from me to Alice and back. "You'll get permission?"

"Yes, we'll ask first I promise." Jaspers cooled out a tiny bit since we talked but he's still majorly on edge especially when Carlisle and Esme were concerned.

"It'll be fun." I try to reassure him. "Come on, you want a snack? I notice you haven't opened those Nutter Butters."

"I didn't know..." He starts.

"Did someone say snacks!" Emmett jumps up. Alice bounces up on the cushions and looks over the top of the couch. They both look like eager puppies.

"Yeah yeah." I wave my hand at them. "Sit tight we'll bring some out. Come on Jasper you can help me."

Tbc...

Thank you for reading, and I love your reviews they really do help keep me going. ~mj