Ebb and Flow (Twilight x Reader)

Chapter 35

School was winding down, and, for the senior class especially, there was a perceptible thrill in the air. Freedom was so close it was touchable, taste-able.

Signs of it were everywhere. Posters crowded together on the cafeteria walls, and the trashcans wore a colorful skirt of spilled-over fliers: reminders to buy yearbooks, class rings, and announcements; deadlines to order graduation gowns, hats, and tassels; neon-bright sales pitches — the juniors campaigning for class office; ominous, rose-wreathed advertisements for this year's prom.

But the ending of the school year did not give me the pleasure it seemed to give the other students. Actually, I felt nervous to the point of nausea whenever I thought of it. I tried to not to, but it was pretty difficult when your entire life was about to be extended by infinity. Whenever I began to spiral, I calmed down by telling myself that I still had some time.

Though, if what Edward said was true about the Volturi coming to check on that rogue vampire in Seattle, that might not be the case.

"Have you sent your announcements, yet?" Angela asked when I sat down at our cafeteria table. I took the seat the furthest from Edward I could while still sitting near Bella.

Angela had her light brown hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail instead of her usual smooth hairdo, and there was a slightly frantic look about her eyes. Alice and Ben were already there, too, on either side of Angela. Ben was intent over a comic book, his glasses sliding down his narrow nose.

"No," I answered Angela. "There's no point, really. My mom knows when I'm graduating. Who else is there?"

"How about you, Alice?"

Alice smiled. "All done."

"Lucky you." Angela sighed. "My mother has a thousand cousins and she expects me to hand-address one to everybody. I'm going to get carpal tunnel. I can't put it off any longer and I'm just dreading it."

"I'll help you," Bella volunteered. "If you don't mind my awful handwriting."

Dad would like that. From the corner of my eye, I saw Edward smile. He must like that, too — Bella fulfilling Dad's conditions without involving werewolves.

Angela looked relieved. "That's so nice of you. I'll come over any time you want."

"Actually, I'd rather go to your house if that's okay — I'm sick of mine. Charlie un-grounded me last night." Bella grinned as she announced her good news.

"Really?" Angela asked, mild excitement lighting her always-gentle brown eyes. "I thought you said you were in for life."

"I'm more surprised than you are. I was sure I would at least have finished high school before he set me free."

"Well, this is great, Bella! We'll have to go out to celebrate."

"You have no idea how good that sounds."

I laughed.

"What should we do?" Alice mused, her face lighting up at the possibilities. Alice's ideas were usually a little grandiose for me, and I could see it in her eyes now — the tendency to take things too far kicking into action.

"Whatever you're thinking, Alice, I doubt she's that free," I said with a pointed look.

"Free is free, right?" she insisted.

"I'm sure she still has boundaries — like the continental U.S., for example."

Angela and Ben laughed, but Alice grimaced in real disappointment. "So what are we doing tonight?" she persisted.