Collide ➳Jacob Black [Book 3]

2.0

School was a special time of day for Kate where she could pretend that her life was normal as a sixteen (almost seventeen as she liked to remind people) year old. The only time when it was impossible to pretend, was lunch time. All of her friends were just two weeks away from graduation and it was hurting her that they were leaving her here all alone. She still had one more year of school left before she could leave Forks, and all it's vampires, behind.

"You're an idiot, Mike," Kate grumbled as she threw an apple slice at him.

Mike dodged it, "Listen up, baby swan, you're you to have to do this by yourself next year when we're gone so take some notes."

"This oughta be good."

Jessica leaned over to her, "I've been dealing with this for days."

"You have my sympathies."

"Do you mind, you two?" Mike interrupted, "You are about to be witness to the 21st century Shakespeare reciting a work of his own. You should feel honored."

Kate rolled her eyes but gestured for him to continue, "No please, Mike. Wow us with you're profound and poetic words of wisdom for your girlfriend to bestow on her classmates."

Mike made to say something but looked up to see Bella and Edward walking to join their table. "Hey, you're just in time. Check it out!"

Everyone smiled at them but Jessica and Kate shifted awkwardly in their seats, both pointedly ignoring them.

Mike began his speech, "My fellow students, we are the future. Anything is possible, if your just believe. Blah, blah, blah, and you've got yourself a speech."

Kate laughed and smacked his arm, "A real wordsmith, you are."

Jessica crumbled up the speech, "This will be my speech when I want everyone to throw diplomas at my head so thank you." She threw the paper at Mike's face and everyone laughed.

"You have to embrace the cliches, Jessica," Mike retorted.

Eric chimed in, "They are the bread and butter of all valedictorian speeches."

"This is why you are not valedictorian," Angela told him.

Kate patted his shoulder in mock sympathy.

"Thank you, baby swan. At least I have somebody on my side."

"Jess doesn't need cliches," Bella added causing the whole table to go silent, "This speech is going to be epic."

"Epic? It's going to change lives."

Kate shoved a chip in her mouth, "Yea well let's hope it changes Chance Matheson's life becuase right now it's not going anywhere."

The table laughed at this but Kate tensed up once again when Jasper and Alice joined their table.

"I've decided to throw a party," Alice said immediately.

Jasper backed her up smiling, "After all, how many times are we going to graduate high school?"

Kate rolled her eyes and took a drink of her soda to stop the bitter words of anger from coming out of her mouth.

"A party, at your place?" Angela asked.

Jessica looked stunned, "I've never seen your house."

Eric leaned over and whispered to her, "No one's ever seen their house."

"Another party, Alice," Edward asked with a pained look.

"It'll be fun," she snapped.

"Yea.... that's what you said last time," Kate drawled.

Alice and Kate glared at each other from across the table. The whole group could feel the tension as it was practically palpable in the air. Before anyone could say anything, Alice's face went slack. Despite hating the girl, she really didn't want to have to deal with her friend's questions.

"Jess, how about we work on your speech today after school? We can get some toons going and just spitball ideas until we come up with something I won't hate listening to."

Jessica turned to her excitedly, "Oh my god, thank you. I just need..........."

Later that night when she returned from Jessica's house she found her dad and her sister sitting in the kitchen talking. Like always, she tried to go straight to her room but this time, Charlie stopped her.

"Kate, there's something we need to discuss," he started.

Kate walked into the kitchen, still ignoring Bella, and went to the fridge to grab some juice. She slumped against the counter while Charlie spoke.

"Apparently, and I don't know how I didn't know this," he muttered, "But Bella has two tickets to Florida to visit your mom. I want you to go with her."

Kate spat out what juice she had in her mouth back into her cup and started choking on the amount that she inhaled. When she could finally catch her breath she spoke.

"I don't want to go with her!"

Charlie sighed, "Look, whatever is going on between you two has to be put aside for the weekend. It's either you go or Edward goes with her and hell will freeze over before I let that happen. So start your packing. It'll be good for you to get some sun, you're looking pale."

"Have you seen Bella," she objected.

"That's why you're both going. You know I hate pulling the dad card but 'end of discussion'" Charlie finished before wandering off to his room.

Bella and Kate were left standing in the kitchen glaring at each other from across the island. Kate had half a mind to blast her back into the cabinets out of pure spite but instead went up to her room and slammed the door.