Chapter 1

The next few weeks passed in a blur. Bella wasn't sure what other, normal students felt as they approached the end of their high school career. Perhaps if they didn't have things like becoming a vampire and getting eternity with their soul mate to look forward to, they paid more attention than she did. As it stood, Bella walked out of her final exam not really remembering much of the month of June. And she in no way felt sad about the fact.

'Done!' Alice danced around her, rather too happy considering that she hadn't studied at all and was now on her ninth time through secondary school.

'Finally,' Bella agreed. 'I hope it's never that mighty of a chore ever again.'

'Oh, no,' Alice assured her. 'Now you can just have fun. It's not like you'll have to worry about studying and homework, and with you around, Edward will be much less of a bore the next time we head off to school.'

'Bore, am I? We'll see about that. I plan to never be a bore about anything ever again,' Edward announced.

'I'll hold you to that,' Bella said by way of greeting.

'How did it go?'

'How do you think?' she retorted.

'I think Alice saw straight A's and therefore it went well,' he told her with a smirk.

'Course it did! Like she'd get anything else,' Alice assured them both, in a voice that spoke more about her confidence in Bella and less about her ability to know for certain. 'We should celebrate tonight.'

That was all fine and good, except that it was pouring beyond the cover of the Forks High entrance and the rain was supposed to continue well through the night. It also felt cold and damp and Bella was bundled up in three layers of warm clothing just to keep from shivering. June should not be like this.

'Why don't we save the celebrating for graduation?' Bella asked, because it was only a week away. 'That's better than celebrating the end of exams. It's the big one anyways, right?'

Alice looked momentarily like her plans had been completely upended, but she rallied well. 'Oh, I already have graduation planned; don't you worry! It's going to be epic. And it's also going to be sunny.'

Bella skipped right over the meaning of the word 'epic' and went to 'sunny'. 'I hope so. I've had enough of the rain. I can't wait until we're somewhere nice and warm.'

'Soon, it won't matter what the temperature is, love,' Edward whispered to her. Bella smiled. He was right; soon even the coldest temperatures would have no effect on her. What a wonderful thought.

xxx

Bella decided not to ask Alice what she had meant by 'epic'. Whatever it was, the pixie vampire wasn't about to change her mind, no matter what Bella said. And besides, it was really going to be the last hurrah they had before Bella was whisked away to be changed. The last chance to see any of her (sort of) friends. She knew she'd miss Angela at least, and probably Jessica too. But she was giving that up for something so much better.

The day of graduation, Bella dressed herself in the blue dress that Alice had left on her bed, put on the strappy but at least not stupidly high sandals, and submitted herself to an hour of having her hair and makeup done. The overall affect at the end was beautiful, or at least pretty, so Bella supposed it was worth it. She might as well look good in her graduation photos, as they'd be with her a very long time indeed. Probably until the photo paper on which they were printed finally faded away and she misplaced the electronic versions because of some futuristic computer crash. Or something. The idea of soon being able to think that far ahead was still very much a novelty that was chasing around her brain.

The gym was decked out in Forks High colours, in that gaudy way that only small town schools quite manage, complete with a wide variety of balloons tied to every possible surface. They actually had gowns to wear, which sort of surprised Bella a bit when she learned about it the week before. She expected it from her high school back in Phoenix, but not from the graduation class of thirty-five at Forks. It seemed a bit…much. Also, they were bright, bright blue, which was not in any way preferable over black. Still, Charlie smiled at her and said she looked pretty in it, so Bella just shrugged and went along with it. Especially when Edward took one look at her and gave her that look that she really hoped meant he was undressing her with his mind. She had yet to figure out if that was true or not. But it did keep Bella smiling through the ceremony.

A ceremony which was blessedly short, since it was such a small school. Charlie beamed like a thousand watt light bulb when Bella got up on stage to accept her diploma – without tripping. Afterward that he wanted to snap about a million pictures of her to keep for posterity when she's away at college. Bella suffered it all with a smile on her face, because a few pictures is the least she can do for Charlie, knowing what is coming. It is only in that moment that the full reality of the situation descended on her and Alice is at her side instantly, turning her away with a few light words and a desire for her to join the Cullen photo shoot. Charlie didn't see the miserable look on Bella's face. And Alice made certain Edward didn't either.

After that, the next couple of hours were a blur. Bella was whisked away by Charlie to dinner at the diner, a concession she had agreed to only because it got her away from any potential that Alice might ambush her into another dress. The black flowing thing that she had handed to Bella a few days before for the actual graduation event had been not bad – by Alice's standards – but Bella had a feeling that post-grad party dresses tended to have more glitter and things on them.

Dinner was quiet, though they weren't the only people there from the high school. Charlie seemed to keep wanting to say something and then think better of it and Bella didn't have anything to say. The silence continued until her dropped her off at the Cullen house outside town. The place was flooded with light and music and people. Amazingly it wasn't raining, though it wasn't particularly warm for the end of June, even by Forks' standards. People were spread across the front clearing. The entire graduating class and then some, by the looks of it.

Charlie sighed as he put the cruiser into park. 'Right. You're staying the night?'

Bella nodded. 'Yep. Alice and I are having an extended slumber party after this one's over.' Which was the biggest lie she had ever told her father. Because Alice was planning a weekend off with Jasper as soon as the party finished, and she would most certainly be spending the night in Edward's bed with Edward and little 'slumber' would be had. Even if what she really wanted wasn't going to be had either.

'Okay then. You let me know if you need a lift in the morning?'

'Will do. Night Dad.'

'Yeah. Night,' he managed as she climbed out of the car with her sleepover bag in tow. One had to maintain appearances, after all.

Inside the music was even louder, something hip and modern and not a song Bella knew. Alice was standing just inside the foyer, waiting to take her bag. 'Clothes are upstairs! And you'll look gorgeous, so don't argue.'

Bella sighed heavily but headed upstairs to Edward's room nonetheless. He was waiting inside the doorway for her and greeted her with a kiss.

'See, today wasn't so bad.'

'Not over yet,' Bella countered as she glanced at the dress Alice had laid out on the bed. It looked pretty short. And it was a shimmering green colour. And the shoes below were most definitely not flats.

Edward followed her look. 'It's for an hour or two, nothing more. We smile, we dance a lot, and then they all go home.'

Actually, when he put it like that, it sounded entirely doable. Bella headed over to the bed, stripping off the shirt she had changed into between graduation and dinner. She heard Edward cough lightly behind her and knew he'd turned around. A split second later the door shut behind him. Honestly, sometimes he was so ridiculously old fashioned in his views. It was only after this thought crossed her mind, as she was reaching for the dress on the bed, that she realised she could hear breathing. Turning around in shock she discovered Edward leaning against the closed door, smirking.

'Well, then,' Bella said with a shrug and turned to undressing the rest of the way. She took a certain amount of satisfaction in seeing Edward's light amber eyes darken just a bit. Still, he seemed even more pleased once she'd shimmied into the dress.

Bella presented her back to him, silently asking for a hand with the zipper. He pulled it up slowly and then rested cold hands on her shoulders, followed a second later by a kiss on the back of her neck where her hair was pulled over to one side. Bella closed her eyes as a trickle of pleasure coursed through her.

Edward sensed it. 'Soon, love, very soon.'

Which only served to increase the feeling. There was still a week to go before they left Forks and longer still until she was actually turned. Until they could be together.

With a sigh of regret for having to wait, especially until the night was through, Bella stepped away to lean down for the shoes.

'Let me,' he said, taking them from her hands. Bella sat down on the edge of the lounge and held her right foot up. He gave each leg a caress as he slipped the strappy death traps onto her feet and then helped her stand on wobbly legs.

'Right, this is going to be fun,' she quipped.

'I won't let you fall.'

'I know,' she smiled. 'Let's do this.'

He led her out the door and down the steps, moving cautiously to ensure she didn't stumble. By the time they reached the ground floor Bella had a bit more of a handle on the fact that she was three inches taller than she was used to.

Downstairs the music had cranked up again, to something hip and loud and not at all what Bella wanted to dance to. Edward led her carefully through the rooms to where they'd set up a bar area – without liquor of course, since they were all under age and Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were responsible parents. He poured her a coke.

'Finally. How long does it take to get dressed?' Alice announced her presence in her usual fashion – loudly.

She and Edward shared a look. Alice knew very well why it had taken so long. Although had it been Alice and Jasper it would have taken even longer.

'The music, Alice?' Bella interrupted.

The pixie looked confused. 'What about it?'

'Perhaps something more conducive to a slow dance?' Edward prompted.

Alice paused for a moment and then her eyes lit up. 'Oh! Oh, sure!'

Bella shook her head gently. 'Sometimes, I wonder about your sister.'

Edward smirked. 'She'll be your sister too soon. And I never stop wondering about Alice.'

The music changed, pouring out a track by Lifehouse.

'Better,' Edward decided. 'May I have this dance?'

Bella set her untouched drink down on the table and allowed him to lead her into the next room, where most of the people were dancing. He tried nothing fancy, considering her tottering heels, but just wrapped his arms around her waist and swayed with her to the beat.

Bella sighed happily. She wondered if things would still feel like this after her change. If they would ever be able to attend another high school dance with this same feeling of perfect young love and contentment. She hoped it would be even better.