A/N: *waves* So here we are...graduation, which means one more chapter left (an an epi). Oh, in case you missed it - I posted a StonerwardPOV of prom night over in The Director's Cut. You can find it in my profile.
Big massive thanks to my fabulous beta Char - she's the reason this is all coherent. Bewbgropes and spanks to Caren & Gin for prereading this silliness and adding their own to it.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just enjoy getting them high.
"...It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life."
"Who the hell is blasting that sappy shit?" gripes Jasper, and we all laugh.
Yeah, that song is definitely overplayed when it comes to end of the year shit for sure. But it's oddly comforting in a weird way. There's something familiar about it, and if I think of the lyrics too much I might just start to get all choked up. And I do not want to cry right now. I shake my head clear and latch on to Edward's arm as we make our way over to Jasper's car.
There's a crazy buzz all throughout the parking lot where everyone is congregated as we wait to head over to the football field. All the parents parked over at the library and are getting shuttled over, but they had the students park in the usual lot so we can just walk over. Most of us actually got here early, however, and it's turned into some sort of graduation tailgating party. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that in a couple of hours I will be a high school graduate. It makes me sound kind of old, I think, but then I know that's stupid since I'm only eighteen. But still...
"Now this is more like it!"
I'm broken out of my musing by Jasper, who starts to blast his own music from his car's jacked up speaker system. Interestingly, Michael Stipe's lyrics are not nearly as nostalgic as Green Day's. But I can't help shouting along with my friends.
"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine..."
Everyone knows the chorus, but when it breaks down to the actual lyrics, everyone's just kind of mumbling away, pretending they know the fast-paced words. Except, of course, for Edward.
Edward is enunciating each one, crystal clear and perfect.
"Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign towers. Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn."
Then, my voice grows louder and I join in with Edward. My words are just as clear as his, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. He shakes his head and grins as he matches me word for word.
"Locking in, uniforming, book burning, blood letting. Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate. Light a candle, light a votive. Step down, step down. Watch your heel crush, crushed. Uh-oh, this means no fear cavalier. Renegade steer clear! A tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies. Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline."
As everyone once again raises their voices for the chorus, Edward takes my hand and pulls me into a hug. Snuggling, we shout out the last verse, much to everyone's amusement. Once the song is finally over, I collapse into Edward's arms in a fit of giggles, surprised at myself for having done that.
"Who knew you were such an R.E.M. fan, Bella?" Edward purrs in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Who knew...?" I echo, not really giving him a firm answer.
Thankfully, Jasper's iPod switches to another song, which grabs his attention, and I don't need to talk R.E.M. with him. It's not that I don't dig the band, I do - they're pretty fabulous. But, it's not like I'm their hugest fan. So it might seem strange that I know every single word of that song by heart.
Edward doesn't need to know that when we first started dating I found out he loved that song so fucking hardcore. He would blast it from his iPod, shouting the lyrics as we drove down the street. Edward really doesn't need to know that I may have copied down the lyrics into my French notebook. And Edward certainly doesn't need to know that while the rest of my French class was conjugating verbs, I was studiously memorizing the words to his favorite R.E.M. song while doodling our names in the margin of the paper.
Edward's fingers digging into my side break me from my thoughts. I gasp for breath as I flail about. When I spin around to look at him, he has a cheeky grin on his face as he starts to sing the words to the song blasting from the speakers.
"I really love your peaches, want to shake your tree," he croons as his eyebrows waggle, and his hands skim the outer curves of my boobs.
I snort and shake my head, joining in on the chorus as we all cry out, "I'm a joker, I'm a smoker, I'm a midnight to-o-o-o-oker!"
Everyone else continues singing as I close my eyes and let the unusually warm sun shine down on me. It sounds like a party all around me, and I bask in the excitement. It actually feels like today is just one big celebration. After graduation, we're invited to some shindig Marcus' parents are throwing in their fancypants backyard. And then...then it's a summer full of hanging at the Hood.
"Bella?"
I look up to see Edward's smiling face.
"Huh?"
"I was calling your name. Where were you?" he asks, a glint of mischief in his eye. I can't help but blush.
"Just thinking about all the partying lined up for after graduation." I shrug. "What's up?"
"We're doing a celebratory shot. Want some?" he asks, and I nod. I plan on graduating sober, but one little shot isn't going to kill me.
Jasper pours out some light red liquid into small paper cups and passes them out. I give it a sniff, and its smells sweet.
"To no longer being another brick in the wall!" shouts Jasper, and we all cheer.
"We don't need no thought control!" Edward calls out with a laugh.
We all hold our paper cups together as we look over at Marcus, who's clearly got a final toast to add.
"How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat?"
We all burst out into giggles and then down our drinks. I lick my lips, glad that it was just vodka and cranberry juice. The boys all have another shot, but I decline, not wanting anything more than my natural lack of coordination making me stumble as I go up on stage to receive my diploma.
It starts to get hot just standing around in our black robes, so I suggest we make our way down to the field since it's getting close to the time we need to be all lined up. It takes a few minutes because the boys keep pretending to flash each other with their robes.
"What the hell are you wearing underneath there, anyway?" I ask, seeing nothing but hairy legs and sandals.
"Nothing," growls Edward as he leers at me.
I smack his arm and demand he shows me. He rolls his eyes and then lifts his robe, showing me a pair of not quite clean cargo shorts and some ratty old t-shirt.
"Your mother must be so proud," I quip.
"Whatever. I'll change into a shirt and tie for the party later. But I'm not going to be sitting out in the sun in stuffy clothes when nobody can see what I'm wearing anyway."
"I guess," I acquiesce, suddenly grumpy that I'm wearing a cute dress that nobody's going to see right now. At least I won't have to stop and change afterward, though.
I look at everyone as we walk down, trying to remember this moment as best as I can, when something hits me.
"Where's Aro?" I ask Edward.
"He had to be down at the field early since he's valedictorian. He gets to sit up front and junk because he's giving a speech."
"Oh, right."
When we reach the field, Edward and I have to separate since our last names put us in different lines. He gives me a quick kiss and then bounds over to where he needs to be, and I hang out in my line, bouncing on the balls of my feet and peering off into the bleachers to see if I can find Charlie.
Soon, the band starts up the cheesy school song, and we're marching out onto the field to sit in super uncomfy metal folding chairs. Finally, the music dies down, and everyone settles into their seats. Our principal makes a speech congratulating us on all of our hard work and achievement, wishing us the best for our future and yadda yadda. I end up zoning out when he compares our future to an orange, urging us to peel off one section at a time. He just made me hungry, not inspired.
Then, they have some big shot lawyer from Seattle speak. He graduated from our high school, and I guess because his face is plastered across city buses, it makes him an ideal candidate to tell us how awesome our futures can be. Not if we're going to end up being sued by him. I've seen his ads. He goes for blood. While the suit drones on and on, I try to catch Edward's eye. It's hard because he's a few rows away and in front of me, and he doesn't turn around often.
Thankfully, Aro is up now, and my boredom is alleviated as he begins to speak. He begins by thanking our teachers and his parents and then starts to talk about...Pokeman? The crowd, which has been buzzing with chatter the entire time so far, falls silent as Aro explains how Pokemon works as a metaphor for high school. He holds up an old deck of his, and we all crack up.
Before Aro is able to go on, somebody cries out, "Pikachu!" and I'm almost certain it's Jasper. After everyone calms down a second time, Aro continues his speech, explaining how the quest to become a Pokeman master is just like high school. I'm not super surprised that he's letting his inner dork shine through, and while I don't quite understand all the references, his message is pretty universal.
We all have been struggling to do our best in hopes for the future, even though we have no clue what the hell that might be. Aro's speech sets off a mixture of nerves and excitement that has been brewing all day, and by the time he nears the end, I'm practically buzzing in my seat, ready for the next big thing to come. Aro's pauses, and I can tell he's wrapping things up. He holds back up his deck of Pokeman cards, shaking them.
"And whether you play red, blue, green, yellow, gold, silver, ruby, sapphire, diamond or pearl...remember, inside we're all trying to catch them all."
Everyone goes wild, cheering and shouting for him. A few people toss up streamers, and even a few cans of silly string get used as foamy wisps of pink and green shoot up into the air and flutter down all around us. I dodge them because they are a bitch to get out of your hair. They let us go crazy for a bit, and even if the administration had tried to calm us down, I don't think it would have worked.
Finally, the shouting subsides, and it's time for diplomas to be passed out. I have to wait for pretty much everyone to go first, but watching them walk up and get their diplomas is pretty awesome. When it's Edward's turn, I stand up on a my chair and cheer loudly, and I swear he turns and spots me, smiling wide. It seems to take forever, but we finally make it to the end of the alphabet and I'm close to the stage.
"Isabella Marie Swan."
I rush up to the stage, my robe gathered in my hand, and I somehow manage to make it up there without even tripping. I look out at the crowd, and everyone is cheering and waving and a bunch of camera flashes are going off. I can hear my name being shouted by friends, so I give a quick wave before shaking hands with the principal and receiving my diploma. I rush off stage so the next person can get theirs, and I eagerly open my diploma, excited to check it out...to see the confirmation that I am indeed, a high school graduate.
I open the black leather bound folder and see a piece of paper that says that I will be receiving my actual diploma in two to three weeks.
What the hell?
Somebody shoves me from behind, and I realize I still need to go back to my seat. I go, fake diploma in hand, a bit miffed at this falsehood. I know I've still graduated, but the paper seems to make it official, and I now have to wait for that. Maybe that means I can push off real life responsibilities until then...
I shove the fake diploma under my seat and wait as the rest of the class receives theirs. Finally, everyone is accounted for, and our principal gives one more quick speech before congratulating us. Everyone goes crazy, and I have to swerve to avoid getting pummeled by a sea of graduation caps raining from above. I rush out, looking for Edward, but I can't see him in the crowd of people.
Finally I spot him, surrounded by his boys. All of them are smiling and hugging and looking so happy. A pang of hurt hits me as I realize that after this summer, their little crew will be split up. Even though they're all going to be relatively close by to each other, I know it's not going to be the same. I can't help thinking about Edward and me and how the distance is going to affect us.
My sadness only lasts a few seconds, however, because somebody blasts an air horn right by me, freaking me the fuck out. It snaps me out of my funk, and the huge balloon that almost hits me in the face distracts me until I'm back to cheering and shouting with all my classmates. I finally look back over at Edward and see him staring right at me, his lips turned into an impossibly large grin. He winks right at me, and I rush over to him, hugging him and planting kisses all over his face.
"We did it!" I shout, as if there was ever any worry that we might not.
"We did," he agrees, hugging me closer.
Soon, everyone's parents descend on the field, and I see Esme, Carlisle and Charlie head towards us. Esme already has her camera out and is snapping photos. She gets a bunch of Edward and I together and then the whole gang. I ask her to take a few of Charlie and me since I totally spaced and forgot my camera. Eventually, the crowd thins out as everyone goes off to their own celebrations. After one last hug from Edward, I latch on to Charlie's arm and ask if he's ready to go. He nods and tell me he's more than ready and asks if there will be decent food at this party. I assure him that there will be, and we leave, telling everyone we'll see them there.
When Charlie and I finally get to Marcus' house, I'm so glad I didn't have to stop to get changed like Edward. I am famished. My stomach is gurgling in the worst way possible, and I really hope that my promise to Charlie holds up. As soon as we step foot into the backyard, a waiter carrying a tray approaches us. He's got some puff pastry thingies on top, and I wonder how many I can safely take without looking like the world's largest pig. I settle on three and grab them quickly. I do my best to discreetly stuff them in my mouth, and once they're gone I start looking around for more food.
Marcus' parents actually have a sweet little set up back here with a big white tent and a bunch of hot guys walking around with delicious food. Really, it's a nice approximation to what I imagine heaven might be like.
"Stuffed fig?" somebody asks, and I turn around to see a cute guy smiling at me.
He winks as he hands me a napkin and then eyes me up and down.
"Love the dress. Navy does wonders for your skin tone," he remarks.
"Um, thanks?" I respond, probably sounding like a dork, but I've never had a guy say something like that to me before.
"And you know," he continues, dropping his voice to a whisper and leaning in towards me, "If you put your hair up in a messy bun, it would complete the look perfectly."
I stare at him blankly, unsure what to say to that. Instead, I grab another fig off his tray and shove it into my mouth to prevent myself from saying something stupid and try to smile around the food.
He looks at me with a twinkle in his eye and shakes his head, putting his tray down on a nearby garden statue.
"Here, like this!" he chirps as his hands go into my hair and start pulling and tugging, yet it remarkably doesn't hurt. "Hair elastic?"
I rummage around in my purse and finally find one, handing it to him. He stands back and gives me another once over with a critical eye before proclaiming proudly, "I knew it. Perfect!"
I look through my purse again to find a compact, and use the tiny mirror to see what he's done. It really does look good.
"It's adorable! Thanks..." I trail off, realizing I don't know his name.
"Riley," he fills in, and instead of shaking my hand he gives me a quick squeeze. "Glad you like it. I'm actually going to school for hair. I just do this catering thing on the side to make money."
Riley flashes me a quick smile before apologizing that he has to keep moving with the food or else his boss will rip into him. I thank him again and as he walks off with the tray of delicious figs I call out, "Oh, and my name is Bella!"
Riley waves goodbye as he skillfully weaves through the crowd. He seems really sweet, and I hope I get a chance to talk to him later. Before I'm able to find anymore tasty treats, I feel a set of warm arms wrap around me. I breathe a sigh as the scent of mint and tobacco settles around me.
"Hey, Edward..."
"Don't 'Hey Edward' me," he grumbles as he nips at my neck.
"What's wrong?" I ask, placing my hands on his.
"Who were you just talking to? Being all cute and 'Oh hi, I'm Bella! Call me!'" he says in a fake high-pitched voice.
I roll my eyes at his possessiveness and laugh.
"First of all, I do not sound like that. And second of all, that was Riley. He might just be my new best friend," I say with a giggle, causing Edward to tighten his grip on me.
I spin around in his arms and peck his lips.
"Oh, stop it. He just complimented my dress and helped me with my hair. Plus, I'm pretty sure he's gay," I add, letting him off the hook.
I step back from Edward as he glares at Riley, sizing him up. Of course, Riley decides to make his way back here, this time carrying a new tray of appetizers.
"Panko breaded cod cake with roasted red pepper aioli?" he asks, thrusting the tray at me but staring directly at Edward.
In fact, after a second, Riley actually hands me the tray, turning fully to face Edward, and sticks out his hand.
"I don't think we've been introduced," he purrs. "I'm Riley, and you are...?"
Edward just stands there, gaping at Riley, so I toss a cod cake into his mouth and answer for him.
"This is Edward. My boyfriend."
I make sure Riley hears that last part, and when he huffs and picks back the tray up, I'm certain that he has.
"Of course he is, Bella. Of course," he says with a snort.
Riley walks away, mumbling loudly under his breath, "All the cute ones are either taken or straight. Damn it."
I bite back a laugh as I look over at Edward. He looks shell shocked, but after a few moments he shakes his head and smirks.
"Looks like you've got some competition, Bella!"
I reach up and pinch his arm and almost get away, but Edward's too fast. He pulls me towards him and starts tickling me, and I writhe against him, gasping for air.
"Stop, stop!" I shout. "Fine! I give up! You win!"
Edward finally stops his tickle torture and I give him a swat on his butt for good measure before stalking off to find more food. Just as I'm helping myself some veggies and dip, Charlie comes by and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
"You okay here, Bells?" he asks, and I nod.
"Yeah, why? Are you taking off?"
"That okay?"
"It's fine," I tell him before giving him a big hug. I'm surprised he lasted this long. "Edward can give me a ride home."
Charlie gives me one last hug and kisses the top of my head.
"I'm proud of you, kid."
"Thanks, Dad."
He leaves before I start getting all weepy, and I take my plate of food over to a table where Alice and Jasper are sitting. Alice gives me a huge hug and congratulates me. She's been done for over a week. In fact, we all showed up to her graduation last weekend. After fawning over my hair, she hops back onto Jasper's lap, and I tell her all about Riley. Edward and Jasper are deep in conversation and aren't paying attention to us as we giggle and wonder how we can snag Riley to do our hair on a weekly basis.
I'm looking through the crowd of people to try and point him out to Alice, but I can't seem to find him. I crane my neck and finally spot him around the side of the house, talking to...Marcus? They seem awfully close, and my jaw drops when I see Riley's hand shoot out to move a stray hair from Marcus' face. His hand lingers on Marcus' cheek, causing me to gasp.
"What's up, Bella?" Edward asks, as everyone turns to me, and I shake my head quickly.
Clearly, Marcus has a secret for a reason, and it's not mine to tell.
"N-nothing...I just realized they have ice cream!"
"Ice cream?" Jasper asks, perking up, and I know I've successfully distracted them.
Edward and Jasper head off in search of ice cream, and a couple minutes later I see Riley swoop through to pick up some dirty plates. While pointing him out to Alice, it doesn't escape me that he's now grinning ear to ear. I wonder what caused him to be so happy. When I see Marcus walk out from his house only seconds later wearing a matching grin, I have a pretty good idea and do my best to suppress my own smile.
"Mint chocolate chip, right?" asks Edward, popping in front of me.
"Huh?"
He holds out a cone of mint chocolate chip ice cream, and I accept it gladly.
"Oh, yeah," I laugh. "Thanks."
We all decide to take our ice cream cones on a walk and end up in Marcus' old tree house in the woods.
"My parents were going to tear this down, and I made them promise not to," he explains. "I still like to come out here when I need some space."
We all nod in agreement, understanding how parents can be, but for the first time, I have another layer of understanding to what Marcus is really saying.
"Hey dude," Edward says, getting Marcus' attention. "Is it cool if we smoke?"
"Be my guest," answers Marcus, and Edward doesn't waste any time in breaking out a joint.
He sparks it first and then hands it over to Marcus since it is his party after all. Everyone except Alice takes a hit, and as the joint gets passed around, I take a look at everyone all stuffed together in this small tree house, sharing a joint. I'm going to miss times like these, just being together. Whether its the pot or graduation or my own tendency to get wrapped up in my head, I'm soon realizing how sad I'll be when it's all gone.
I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, hoping to keep any tears at bay, because today is a day of celebration, and I will not cry in front of my friends. Edward must sense that something is up because he taps me on the shoulder. When I turn to look at him, his face is right in front of mine, and he leans forward, pressing his lips to my own. Then, he exhales, a puff of smoke invading my mouth.
"Breathe in," he whispers , and I do, sucking the smoke into my lungs. I hold it in until I feel lightheaded and then exhale, breathing out all my melancholy as well. I remember that I still have my ice cream cone in my hand and do a little internal dance that it's not quite melted yet. With my eyelids drooping slightly, I lean back against Edward, enjoy my treat and halfway listen to the conversation around me. I'm trying to soak up as much of this while I still can.
A/N: Just to let you know - Instead of a new Hood chap next week, I'll be posting an extra special outtake on Sunday (I know, it's like a double dose of Stonerward. nom.) The next new Hood chap should post the following Friday (the 29th). The outtake is titled "His First Time" and if you don't have The Director's Cut on alert, you might want to go do that.
Oh, here's some video of a kid actually giving a Pokemon graduation speech (where I might have swiped some lines...) http:/www(DOT)youtube(DOT)com/watch?v=jxHXhuUF1Ik
And 10 points for anyone who knows who this week's director is (hints in the chap).
