CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The Start Of Something New

***

Meg: My graduation ceremony was a disaster – it should have been called dangerous candles.

Emma: At least yours wasn't in a church.

Meg: Mine was in a church!

Emma: Oh.

***

When I heard about what had happened with Zikya the next morning, I nearly had a heart attack – partially because I hated her parents just from hearing about them, and partially because she and Wheeljack were now, like, an official item!

I didn't know whether to console her or congratulate her.

When we got to the church, however, and I saw her with her arms around 'Jack, I realised that, as usual, she was looking on the bright side of things, despite having two black eyes.

And so, when she and her spark mate had broken apart, I ran to her and hugged her.

"Congratulations!" I whispered, and then added: "Oh, and, your parents are real slagger…but now you two can get married! And we're at a church and all…"

Bee came up to u just then. "You finished your speech then, didn't you Em-Em?"

"You bet." I said, smiling.

*

"And now, Emma Pendanto will read us a speech on what high school has meant to her."

This was it. I stood up and, wearing my school uniform, plus a yellow sash with the school's insignia and motto on it, I walked up to the podium. My hands weren't shaking at all, I was totally at ease.

"High school for me…" I began, and then I kept on talking. Two minutes later, after probably the best thing I've ever written, I wrapped it up. "So, I'd like to wrap things up by thanking a few loved ones. First, my almost-parents," They smiled, and Nenona looked at me with happy tear-filled eyes. "Nenona and Jerome. Next, my best friends, Zikya, Sunny and Sai," The twins grinned at me, and Zikya gave me the thumbs-up sign. "And my guardian angels, Bia and Bee-Bee," I smiled at those two, who looked back at me with shining eyes. "Thank guys, and good luck to everyone for the rest of the future!"

*

Everyone was invited to Marcia Bays' graduation party, at her parents' estate.

There was dancing, great food, a pool and karaoke.

Bee somehow managed to drag me up to sing with him.

I caved in, and here's what we sung:

"[Bee:]
Living in my own world
Didn't understand
That anything can happen
When you take a chance

[Emma:]
I never believed in
What I couldn't see
I never opened my heart

[Bee:]
Ohh

[Emma:]
To all the possibilities. oooooooh

[Both:]
I know

[Emma:]
That something has changed

[Both:]
Never felt this way

[Emma:]
And right here tonight

[Both:]
This could be the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you, ohh
And now looking in your eyes

[Emma:]
I feel in my heart

[Bee:]
Feel in my heart

[Both:]
The start of something new

[Bee:]
Ohh yeahh
Now who'd of ever thought that, mmm

[Both:]
We'd both be here tonight

[Bee:]
Ohh

[Emma:]
Yeah
And the world looks so much brighter

[Bee:]
Brighter brighter

[Emma:]
With you by my side

[Bee:]
By my side

[Both:]
I know that something has changed
Never felt this way

[Emma:]
I know it for

[Both:]
Real
This could be the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you, ohh
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart

[Emma:]
The start of something new

[Bee:]
I never knew that it could happen
Till it happened to me, ohhh yeah

[Both:]
I didn't know it before
But now it's easy to see, ohhhh

It the start of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you, ohh

And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
That it's the start
Of something new
It feels so right

[Bee:]
So right

[Emma:]
To be here with you

[Both:]
Ohhhh
And now looking in your eyes

[Bee:]
(Looking in your eyes)

[Both:]
I feel in my heart

[Bee:]
(Feel in my heart)

[Emma:]
The start of something new

[Bee:]
The start of something new

[Both:]
The start of something newwww…"

*

We got back to my house fairly late, and whilst Bia was out on the driveway (she said didn't mind) Bee and I collapsed on to my bed, tired but happy.

"You have a beautiful voice, Em." Bee whispered in my ear.

"What about you, half the girls in the crowd had nosebleeds." I said.

Bee, who knew what I was talking about, chuckled lightly. "I won't tell you what the guys had…"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure…" I yawned. "Still, I had fun tonight…and…I do think it's the start of something new…but what…I don't know…"

"You'll figure it out," Bee whispered to me, putting his arms around me as I fell asleep. I could hear him humming softly in my ear, like a bee.

*

I dreamed that night. In the dream, I was standing in a grey, desolated street with tall, black buildings rising up into the grey sky. At first I thought that snow was falling all around me, but then I realised that they were actually little bits of paper.

I caught one in my hand as it blew down towards me, and looked at it.

PAIN. It said.

I dropped it like it was on fire, and looked at another one.

DEATH. It said.

The third one was the most scary one.

ALONE. It said.

"No!" I cried, my voice echoing through the deserted streets. "I don't want to be alone!" Something was moving away from me, further out of my reach. "Please, don't leave me, I don't want to be alone!"

"Em! Emma!?"

"Don't leave me!" I cried, and then I woke up in the early hours of the morning. I sat up, looked around, and realised that I was crying.

Bee, who was looking at me anxiously, cupped my face in his hands, and used his thumb to dry away the tears. "Did you have a nightmare?" He asked me.

I nodded, feeling more tears flowing down my face.

"What was it about?" Bee pressed, obviously worried about me.

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

Bee pulled me in to his arms, and I waited until my breathing had returned to normal, before saying: "I dreamed…that someone…or a lot of someone's…left me…all alone…"

"You'll never be alone, Emma," Bee said gently. "You've got me, and I'll never leave you."

"I've had dreams that came true before…recently, I've been dreaming about all sorts of things that have come true…" I whispered. "Everything…it happens for a reason…"

"I won't leave you." Bee promised, and pulled me back down in to a laying position. "I'll follow you to the very ends of the universe if I have to."

"I'm afraid to go back to sleep," I admitted. "I'm afraid that the nightmares will come back…"

I felt Leveret jump up on to the bed, and curl up against my neck.

"Do you want me to sing?" Bee asked quietly. "I'll sing all night if it will keep the nightmares away…"

"You'd do that…for me?" I whispered, as Bee began to sing softly, although I didn't really know what it was he was singing.

But, whatever I was, it worked.

The rest of my sleep was uninterrupted by nightmares.

***

Meg: Very Twilight-ish there, folks.

Sideswipe: *With vampire fangs* I have come to suck your blood!

Bianca: Hey, isn't it about time for Ratchet to be waking up to his new face?

Sideswipe: I shall now demonstrate my unique vampire strength and speed! *Jumps out of window*

Zikya: There he goes! *Waves* By Sides'!

Meg: I love Bella's Lullaby…