Chapter 13-Pall

"Nothing is going to happen," Alice said in an annoying singsong voice as she rifled through my closet. She had already picked out a graduation outfit for Bella-which I wasn't allowed to see-and now she was trying to find something for me.

I'd been away from Bella for three hours, fifteen minutes and forty four seconds, and while I knew that Esme was keeping an eye on her, I had a strangely ominous feeling that I couldn't seem to get rid of.

"Are you sure?" I asked her pointedly as she sifted through my dress shirts. Thanks to her they were arranged by fabric type and color.

Alice shot me an exasperated look that matched the irritated and defensive tone of her thoughts as she tossed a pale blue linen dress shirt, a pair of navy linen slacks and a matching navy jacket onto my bed. It was simple but far more expensive than anything my classmates would wear to Forks High's graduation.

"I know I've been missing things lately, but I'm pretty sure I'd see it if someone had some kind of an elaborate plan to harm Bella," she snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take the graduation outfit I bought for her to Charlie's. I've already seen that she has nothing suitable to wear."

"I'm sorry," I said apologetically. "I'm being ridiculous. I just can't help but feel like something bad is about to happen."

Alice rolled her eyes. "That's because you're a perpetual pessimist, not a psychic."

I laughed.

"Tell Bella I'll see her soon," I said as she sashayed out the door.

"Not too soon," Alice called from the bottom of the stairs. "Give me time to make her beautiful."

I started to tell her that any effort on her part would be a waste but she was already gone.

I dressed quickly and headed downstairs where I found Emmett and Jasper engaged in a rather intense chess game with several boards as was their habit. Emmett was losing spectacularly because Jasper was sending waves of confusion toward him each time it was his turn. I tried to give him a disapproving look but the effect was marred by the smile I couldn't suppress.

I'm just paying him back for the cheat sheets I found him using when we were playing Call of Duty yesterday. Jasper thought unapologetically.

"Hey Edward," Emmett said, turning his attention away from the chess board. "All ready for graduation, I see. How many times have you graduated now?" He asked, as if he didn't remember.

"I'd rather not think about it," I retorted. None of my high school graduations meant anything to me besides this one, and that was because of Bella. I could tell by the smug tone of his thoughts that Emmett was up to no good, but he was deliberately trying to hide the details from me. Emmett never tried to conceal his thoughts unless he was planning some kind of prank. Typically I was able to take my brother's jokes in stride but I was in no mood for them today.

"Which one would you say was your favorite?" Emmett continued as he moved a pawn.

I could hear what he was thinking and I gritted my teeth.

"I know which one I like the best," Emmett went on without waiting for my answer as he pulled a well worn photo out of his pocket. I don't think Jasper has ever seen this. He thought.

I glanced down at the picture in his hand and saw my unchanging face among a sea of teenagers congregated around a large red brick building. Two pimply bespectacled girls in the very front were holding a gold satin banner with the words Fairfield High School-Class of 1974 emblazoned on the front in large navy blue letters.

"What is that?" Jasper asked curiously. He burst out laughing a second later. I can't believe you actually posed for a class picture. He thought.

"It's not that funny," I grumbled as I stared at the green shirt I was wearing. It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the butterfly collar.

"Yeah, it is," Emmett guffawed.

"Nice bellbottoms," Jasper snorted.

"You know perfectly well that Alice was our self appointed fashion consultant then too," I snapped.

"Even Alice can have lapses in judgment," Jasper snickered. "That shirt is bad even for the 70's." If I were you I would have burned this picture a long time ago. He thought.

"Bella's going to love it," Emmett said cheerfully. "It's my graduation present to her."

"No," I growled.

"Aw, come on Edward," Emmett said with a jerk of his head. "You know she'd get a kick out of it."

"No," I repeated irritably, suddenly feeling very much like a 17 year old boy who didn't want to be humiliated in front of his girlfriend.

Our argument was interrupted a moment later when Carlisle walked into the living room.

"What are you boys going on about?" Carlisle asked with a smile as he took in the mischievous expression on Emmett's face.

"Old family photos," Jasper said. I can feel your embarrassment Edward, but don't worry too much. Alice won't let Emmett get away with this unscathed. She looks bad for making you look bad, you know. He added silently.

"Ahh," Carlisle replied knowingly as he looked over Emmett's shoulder. I guess this is Emmett's graduation gift to you, son. He thought.

"It's for Bella, not me," I replied tersely to his unspoken comments.

"She'll love it," Emmett said again. Don't be such a killjoy, Edward. Bella needs a laugh.

"Edward, if you're planning to meet Bella at her house you'd better go," Carlisle said, putting an end to our argument as he glanced at his watch. You know Charlie would look for any excuse to try to get away with leaving you behind. He said silently/

I nodded in reply. Charlie's less than friendly attitude hadn't really improved much since Bella broke her hand, and I knew he didn't really want me along for the ride to the ceremony, but I refused to miss being with Bella today. This could quite possibly be the last major human milestone in her life and I wanted to be a part of that.

As I drove to Charlie's, my mind was preoccupied with the strange feeling of foreboding that wouldn't go away. The headlines in Seattle were getting worse each day, and I couldn't help but feel as though the Volturi's failure to intervene had something to do with us.

I didn't have a great deal of time to worry about the issue because I was in front of Charlie's house less than five minutes later. I'd been driving even faster than usual without even realizing it.

Based on the potency of her scent, I could tell that Alice had left nearly ten minutes before I arrived. I wondered why she had decided not to ride with us, but I supposed she was probably going to get dressed herself.

I got out of the car just as Bella stepped over the threshold of the front door with the ugly yellow graduation robe in tow. I gasped at the sight of her. She was wearing a beautiful blue sweater and matching silk shirt that accentuated every curve of her perfect frame. Her long mahogany hair cascaded down her back in waves. She had never looked more beautiful.

"Hi," she said shakily. I stared intently at her face for a brief moment before leaning in to kiss her gently on the cheek. Her face was paler than usual and her eyes were wide and anxious. I knew that she would be nervous about graduation and the after-party but somehow I had the sinking suspicion that something else was bothering her. Before I could ask her if she was okay, Charlie trudged outside in an ill-tempered fashion.

"I see you made it, Edward," Charlie grumbled as he unlocked the cruiser. Why couldn't he ride with his own parents…can't I have one day with my little girl alone? He thought irritably.

"Yes, and thank you for allowing me to come along today," I answered as I focused on Bella's face.

I could see the distress there but nothing else that would indicate the reason for it. She said little during the trip, only speaking when spoken to. She was very nervous and kept glancing back at me through Charlie's rear view mirror. She managed a couple of small smiles and I relaxed a bit. Perhaps I was just being paranoid and her concerns really were just about graduation.

I couldn't stop myself from being amused at the timbre of Charlie's thoughts as we drove down the familiar streets of town. He was fantasizing about what it would have been like if he were driving me to the Forks Detention Center instead of the high school gymnasium. We arrived at the school just in time to interrupt his visions of putting handcuffs on my wrists. I nearly laughed out loud as I imagined the look on his face if I twisted his cuffs into a pile of scrap metal.