"Morning." Edward greeted as I got into the passenger upuan of the Camaro the following morning.

"Morning." I leaned over for my hello kiss, which he was only too happy to give me.

"You missed quite a ipakita at the house this morning." He told me, pulling out of the driveway.

"Oh yeah?"

"Rose suddenly decided that maroon wasn't her color, and tried to get the principal on the phone to force him to change the robes last minute." Edward chuckled at the memory, and I could almost see the scene in front of me. God help the person who tried to mess with Rosalie's fashion sense.

"Poor Mr. Greene." I felt sorry for the principal, having to face the wrath of Rosalie so early in the morning.

"Oh, she didn't actually get a hold of him. But it wasn't for lack of trying, that's for sure. Esme finally managed to calm her down just before I left."

"It's probably just graduation nerves." I said.

"Probably." He agreed. "She's been so completely over the moon about this for so long, it was bound to hit her eventually that high school is really over for her."

"It must be scary." I knew I was happy to have one madami taon of high school to prepare for the big, bad world that was waiting out there.

"At least she'll have Emmett and Jasper with her in Seattle." Edward noted.

I pondered this in silence for a while. Edward and I had – very loosely – discussed going to college together. He thought that he would probably apply to Seattle, like Emmett and Jasper, since he didn't know what he wanted to major in. I was, because of the lack of a big college fund, limited to a college in the state, so this suited me very well. But nothing was set in stone yet, of course. I tried to not let myself pictures us together at school the susunod year, but it was so easy to get carried away.

"You OK?" Edward's words pulled me out of my musings. "You look about a thousand miles away."

"Fine, just thinking." He didn't ask about what, but I thought he knew. Sometimes it felt like he could read my mind.

The weather hadn't improved since the nakaraan day, so the graduation ceremony would be taking place in the gym. We walked over to the building hand in hand, and found Esme and Carlisle waiting for us outside the open doors.

"Hello, Bella." Carlisle greeted, and Esme gave me a hug.

"I can't believe it's actually here." I could see that she had tears in her eyes. "They're really graduating. All grown up."

"Where's Alice?" Edward wondered, looking around for his twin.

"She went inside to get us seats." Carlisle replied, checking his watch. "Maybe we should head in there too, it's almost about to start."

We found Alice in one of the front rows, waving at us frantically. I sat down susunod to her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I found a great present for Edward on eBay last night."

"Really? What?" She mumbled back. Edward shot us an inquisitive look, but I ignored him.

"A first edition Great Expectations."

"That's perfect!" She exclaimed in a whisper.

"I know. I just hope it gets here in time." I had gotten an e-mail the nakaraan night, saying that the book would be sent this morning, so it should arrive sa pamamagitan ng Tuesday at the latest.

"What are you two whispering about?" Edward wondered, and I glanced at Alice.

"Nothing that concerns you." I lied smoothly, though he probably didn't believe me.

"Haven't you heard that it's rude to eavesdrop?" Alice winked at him.

Just then, the principal came up on the stage, and the room went quiet.

Carlisle probably took a hundred mga litrato during the ceremony; he took over camera duty because Esme started crying as soon as Emmett was called on stage to get his diploma.

After the ceremony, Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper joined us outside the gym – it had finally stopped raining.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you!" Esme exclaimed, enveloping all three of them in a hug. When she finally let them go, the rest of us took turns hugging and congratulating.

As soon as the congratulations were out of the way, Rosalie pulled the magsuot ng bata over her head and let out a sigh of relief.

"Feel free to burn all the pictures with me in that hideous thing." She announced.

"Oh, no, Rosalie Hale, these mga litrato will be burnt over my dead body." Esme countered. "This is the biggest araw of your lives so far, and I want as many pictures as possible." Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Fine."

I didn't know what she was so upset about; she looked as amazing in the maroon toga as she did in everything else. In all honesty, Rosalie would probably look perfect in a black garbage bag. But I did hope that they picked a madami flattering color for the following year.

We went to Chicago Ru's for lunch, and then Edward and I went back to Charlie's place for a couple of hours. When Edward left at five, I packed a bag with things to bring for the night and started getting ready for the hapunan with the Cullens.

Edward returned in the Volvo forty-five minutos later, with Carlisle and Esme.

The restaurant was very nice, and when I saw the prices, my eyes widened in shock. I could never afford a place like this, but Carlisle had insisted on paying for dinner.

We joked and laughed all through dinner, and the mood was high on the drive back as well. It was almost eleven when we got to the house, and Edward and I headed straight to bed. I fell asleep in his arms and dreamt of black robes and a diploma that I could never quite catch.

xxxxx

My first araw at Newton's Olympic Outfitters went sa pamamagitan ng as smoothly as I could ever have hoped. I didn't have to actually help any customers yet, just tag along with Mike and watch him work. He showed me where everything was located in the store – which I knew I would have forgotten sa pamamagitan ng the end of the araw – how to work the cash register and, most importantly, the coffee machine in the break room.

"So, do you and Edward have any plans for the summer?" Mike asked when we were having lunch in the break room. I was glad that he had stopped with the Cullen all the time, and took it as a good sign. I liked having Mike as a friend.

"Nothing that's completely decided, since we're both working almost all summer." Edward had gotten a job at the hospital, doing some filing and other things, thanks to Carlisle. Alice was working there as well, in the cafeteria. "But we do have a week off together, and might go visit my mom if we can find cheep plane tickets. How about you and Jess?"

"She went to San Francisco yesterday, to visit her aunt for a week, but we talked about maybe going away for a weekend or so in July. My parents have a place sa pamamagitan ng the Quinault River that's really nice in the summer, so we might go there."

I was glad that Mike and Jessica had found each other, and not only because it meant that he no longer showed an interest in me. Jessica was happy, and Mike went around with a goofy grin on his face most of the time.

"So, big party Friday?"

I winced as Mike reminded me. I was pretty sure that Alice had invited the entire junior class, as well as a lot of seniors and quite a few sophomores.

I had asked her how she thought that everyone would even fit in the house – it was big, but not big enough to fit over a hundred people – but she had just replied that the party would be outside. When I had wondered how she could be so sure that it wouldn't be raining, like it had for the past couple of weeks, she had just laughed and sinabi that she knew. Alice was a little funny that way – but usually right.

"Jess was totally bummed about missing it, she went on about it being "the social event of the year" or something."

I joined in when Mike laughed.

"Which only proves what a complete hole of a town we live in." I reflected.

"Very true."

The rest of the araw went sa pamamagitan ng quickly, and I realized that working with Mike this summer was actually going to be fun. I didn't exactly have an interest in anything that the store carried, but it wouldn't be too difficult to get the hang of it. It wasn't like I needed to go rock climbing or hiking to understand at least a little of what I was talking about.

Edward had somehow managed to get his working hours to coincide with mine, so he dropped me off at Newton's before heading to the hospital everyday, and picked me up when my shift was over. I tried to tell him that it wasn't necessary, and also out of his way, but he persisted. We spent the afternoons either at Charlie's place or the Cullens', since it was still raining and outdoor activities were out of the question.

On Friday morning, I sat waiting for him to get to the house, nervously fiddling with the present in my hands. The book had, as promised, arrived that Tuesday, and I had decided to give it to him in the morning, rather than at the party, with dozens of people around. And now, I had suddenly gotten nervous. What if he didn't like it?

When I heard his car outside, I hurried through the front door.

"Good morning." He greeted as I got into the car.

"Good morning." I replied. "Happy birthday." I leaned over and gave him a kiss.

"Mmm, nice present." He mumbled when I pulled back.

"That's not your present, silly." I held out the wrapped parcel, and he frowned as he took it.

"I told you I didn't want anything."

"And I told you that I would get you something anyway." I countered.

I waited anxiously as he carefully removed the wrapping paper. His eyes went wide as he saw what it was, and I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"Wow, Bella, it's amazing." He turned the book over in his hands, his fingers almost caressing the worn leather. "Where did you find it?"

"EBay." I shrugged.

"I pag-ibig it, thank you so much." He gave me a tight hug. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"I have no idea."

xxxxx

Oddly, though not surprisingly, enough, the sun broke through the clouds at noon that Friday. I realized that the light outside had changed when I was helping a lady find hiking boots. When she was satisfied, I quickly left the store and looked up at the sky. Sure enough, there were already a couple of blue spots in between the clouds. I muttered something about Alice joining the local weather channel as I went back inside.

"Nice weather for a party." Mike noted as we locked up the store together later that afternoon. The sky was now almost completely blue, only a few fluffy clouds lining the horizon.

"Good thing, since it's supposed to be outside."

"I guess I'll see you in a couple of hours then." Mike waved goodbye as he walked over to his car, and I slid into the passenger upuan of the Camaro.

"How does Alice do it?" I complained.

"Hello to you too." Edward chuckled.

"Hi." I smiled sheepishly at him. "I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. Does she have a crystal ball or something?"

"I don't know, she's always been a bit weird that way." Edward followed Mike out of the parking lot. "Even when we were kids. Esme would suggest having a picnic, and Alice would say something like, "it's going to rain tomorrow" and, sure enough, it always did."

"You do realize that that's a bit freaky."

"I agree." He chuckled. "But also very handy."

He dropped me off at my place, having been ordered sa pamamagitan ng Alice to go straight tahanan after work so he could help her set everything up and get ready for the party.

I quickly packed everything I needed for the night and the following araw in my overnight bag. We had decided to revisit the meadow in the woods, assuming, of course, that the weather cooperated. I went downstairs and tossed the bag into the truck before starting to get ready. I picked out a denim palda that Rosalie had convinced me to buy the last time we had been in Seattle, and a baby-blue top. Alice had told me that she would never speak to me again if I showed up in jeans and a t-shirt. I didn't think she would actually follow through on her threat, but I thought it was best not to risk it. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I headed out the door and down the stairs.

Charlie would be tahanan soon, so I took a plate of leftover lasagna from the nakaraan araw from the fridge and put it in the microwave. I didn't need any food, since Alice was going all out with a buffet and barbecue at the party.

"Bells?" Charlie called as he opened the front door just when the microwave beeped.

"Kitchen, dinner!" I called back, and he emerged in the doorway a moment later.

"You're not eating?" He wondered when he saw the single plate on the table.

"Birthday party, remember?" I grabbed my car keys from the counter. "Got to go."

"Wish them a happy birthday from me." Charlie called after me.

I jumped into the truck and started the engine, Verve Pipe's The Freshmen greeting me from the speakers. With some force, I was able to roll the windows almost all the way down, and turned the volume up as I pulled out from the curb.

Alice appeared at my side the minuto I pulled up outside the big house, opening the door and pulling me out of the truck.

"You're here!" She exclaimed. "And you look really nice!"

"You don't have to sound so surprised." I muttered as I hugged her tightly. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you!" She took my hand and led me towards the house. "Come on."

"Bella!" I was enveloped in Rosalie's arms as soon as I had walked through the door.

"Hi Rose." I hadn't talked to her since she and Emmett had left for Seattle the nakaraan Saturday.

"I've missed you!" She said, releasing me.

"I've missed you too. How's Seattle?"

"It's great, actually, but I think I've gotten a case of homesickness." She frowned. "I've always hated Forks, but now I actually miss it."

"Really?" It sounded impossible to me. Sure, mga kaibigan and family, but not the town itself.

"She's just getting sentimental." Emmett came up and gave me a bone crushing hug, lifting me at least a foot off the floor. "Hey kiddo."

"Can't breathe, Emm." He chuckled as he put me down.

"Ready to party? Ali's really gone all out on this one." That was when I first noticed the patio and the back garden outside the open glass doors. There were three large party tents behind the patio; the buffet set up under one of them, tables and chairs under another, and the third one covering a wooden dance floor. susunod to the Jacuzzi, Carlisle was lighting the grill while Esme supervised.

"Wow." I was amazed. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought that I had left Forks, and Washington altogether, and ended up in California or Florida. I was reminded of a garden party in Phoenix that Renée had dragged me to a couple of years earlier. "We're definitely not in Kansas anymore." The others laughed.

"I tried to tell her that it's too much, but you know Alice." Edward's arms came around me and encircled my waist. I twisted a little so I could give him a kiss.

"It's just enough." Alice objected. "This is going to be the greatest party this town has ever seen.

"I have no doubt about that." I had to give her credit; if anyone could pull off something like this, it was Alice. "Hey, Ali, do you want your present now or later?"

"I told you I just wanted you to come to the party!" She tried to sound annoyed, but I could hear the excitement shine through.

I handed her the wrapped box and waited as she opened it.

"Oh, it's so pretty!" She exclaimed as she held up the necklace. The green gem sparkled in the sunlight. "And it goes perfectly with my outfit." She was wearing a short, black palda and a white Babydoll top.

"Anything goes with your outfit, Ali." Rosalie pointed out, but Alice ignored her.

"Will you put it on?" She handed me the necklace, and I fastened it around her neck. She checked her reflection in the mirror, and then gave me a hug, which was quite a feat, considering Edward's arms were still wrapped around my waist. "I pag-ibig it, thank you."

"She has quite the gift for finding perfect presents, doesn't she?" Edward said, placing a halik on the tuktok of my head.

"Did you give him the book already?" Alice asked, and I nodded. "I told you he would pag-ibig it, didn't I?"

Pretty soon, people started arriving, and we all tried to mingle as best we could. After a while, I ended up on the patio with Angela and Ben.

"This place is huge." Ben noted. I shrugged.

"You get used to it. I barely ever get Nawawala anymore, you just have to remember to take a right at the moat, or you'll end up in the east wing. And stay out of the dungeons unless you have a bunch of breadcrumbs at hand."

"You do practically live here, Bella." Angela laughingly pointed out.

"I do not." I felt a little bad; I knew I had been neglecting Angela the past week. We didn't see each other in school anymore, and I hadn't gotten around to calling her yet. But she had a boyfriend too, and a summer job, so I knew she understood.

"Shopping trip to Port Angeles susunod weekend?" She now suggested with a smile.

"Sounds great." Angela was a really good friend, and I promised myself to see her madami often from then on.

"You want to bring Alice along too, so I can get Jasper out on a hike in the park?" Edward asked, joining us on the patio.

"Sure, it'll be fun." I said, and Angela nodded.

Soon after everyone had finished eating, people started dancing to the music coming through the open glass doors, and a few jumped into the pool or the Jacuzzi. I spotted Mike talking to a couple of other guys from our year, and went over to say hi.

"Are you having fun?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Sure. The pagkain was great, and me and the guys were just talking about taking a swim." He looked skeptically at the pool. "It is a little cold, though."

"The water is heated." I assured him, and that seemed to settle the deal, because the two other guys pulled him along into the house to change into swim trunks.

People started leaving a little before eleven, and sa pamamagitan ng half past, all the guests were gone.

"How about a dip in the Jacuzzi before bed?" Rosalie suggested, and we all agreed. Emmet, Jasper and Rosalie already had their swimwear on, so they jumped straight in while the rest of us went in to change.

The warm water was a nice contrast to the sa pamamagitan ng now slightly chilly air. After a while, Esme and Carlisle came out and sinabi goodnight before heading to bed.

We stayed in the tub talking and laughing until after midnight. Alice and Jasper were first to leave, and shortly after them, Emmett and Rose went to kama too.

"Alone at last." Edward mumbled, pulling me close for a kiss.

"Finally." I agreed, wrapping my arms around his neck.

His arms came around my waist, and he lifted me into his lap. I moved around a little until I was straddling his legs and pressed myself closer to him. I was rewarded with a low groan. His hands Gusot in my hair and he pulled me even closer.

"Maybe we should take this someplace a little madami private?" He suggested. I smiled and pulled him with me out of the Jacuzzi.


Falling Stars

The clouds were once again in their usual place over Forks when I woke up at half past nine the morning after the big party, and I realized that the hike to the meadow would have to wait for another day. I pulled the cover up to my chin and snuggled closer to Edward.

"Morning." He wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Morning." I replied. "It's cloudy." He opened one eye and looked out the window.

"It is." He concluded. "Perfect stay-in-bed-all-day weather."

"I like the way you think." I giggled. "And I hate to poop on the party here, but I suspect that Alice is expecting some help with cleaning up the disaster area that is currently your back yard."

"Damn Alice and her over-the-top party." He grumbled. "It was her idea; she can clean up after it herself."

"Oh, come on. You had a good time, admit it. Besides, if we don't volunteer, you know she'll just come up here and drag us out of bed."

"Fine." He pulled the cover off us, and I shivered a little as the cool air hit my skin, still warm from the bed. "If we're getting up, might as well get it over with."

"OK." I pulled on a t-shirt that was hanging over the armrest of the couch. "But I get the paliguan first."

"We could always share." He suggested, his fingers sliding over my still exposed thigh. I playfully slapped his hand away, but he just let the other one wander up my stomach under the t-shirt instead.

"We both know that that would be very counterproductive." I hurried to get up from the kama before his exploring hands made me forget what I was supposed to be doing. I was sure that the others were already up, and I didn't want to give Emmett any fuel for his sexual innuendo fire. He definitely didn't need any help in that department.

"You're no fun." Edward complained, slumping back down on the bed. I leaned down and gave him a slow, lingering kiss.

"You'll just have to keep that thought for tonight." I told him before heading out the door.

Like I had suspected, the whole family was gathered in the living room when we got downstairs.

"Sleep well, kids?" Carlisle wondered, and we both nodded.

"There are pancakes in the fridge." Esme sinabi with a smile. "We didn't know when you would be getting up, so we had breakfast without you."

I took a couple of plates from one of the kusina cupboards while Edward put the plate with the pancakes into the microwave.

"Any plans for today?" Jasper asked.

"The weather's not cooperating, so no." I replied, putting a pancake on my plate and pouring syrup on it. I brought the plate and a glass of kahel juice to the bar counter, and Edward joined me a moment later.

"We're going to Sunset Lanes after lunch, if you want to come?" Alice said.

"Sure, I'm up for some bowling." Edward nodded. "Is that OK with you?"

"If you want to set me lose on people with a bowling ball, be my guest." I shrugged and everyone laughed. "I wouldn't expect everyone to return with all their limbs still attached and intact, though."

"There is a doctor in the house." Emmett teased. "Dad'll be able to patch us back together if you do too much damage."

"Maybe not the greatest idea." Edward acknowledged. "I wonder if they have plastic balls, not as heavy if you…" I cut him off sa pamamagitan ng elbowing him in the ribs, and he chuckled.

"We can play some pool, Bella." Alice said. "You can't do much damage with that… I think…" She drifted off, and I imagined her picturing me with a cue in my hand.

"Sure. As long as everyone keep their distance when it's my turn." I winced at the thought of what could happen if someone stood too close to me. "You know what they say; it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. I do not want to be the one who made that saying literal."

When Edward and I had finished breakfast, we all helped to clean up on the patio and lawn behind the house. The guys took down the tents while we girls gathered all the paper cups and plates that littered the area into garbage bags. A couple of orphaned items of clothing were collected in a plastic bag, waiting to be returned to their rightful owners.

At one, Esme and Rosalie went inside to start lunch, and sa pamamagitan ng the time they called us in to eat, we had finished the clean-up. Emmett and Edward dragged the full trash bags around front for the garbage truck to pick up later in the week.

We went to the bowling place after lunch, and actually ended up having a lot of fun. We got two lanes, one for us girls and one for the guys, and we got the inflatable things on our lane. I managed to not drop the bowling ball on anyone's foot, including my own, and also avoided poking someone's eye out when we played pool. All in all, a very successful outing, injury-wise.

After we left Sunset Lanes, Edward and I put in an appearance at my house while the others went back to the Cullens'. I knew Charlie was home, since Billy, his fishing buddy, had gone out of town for the weekend, and I felt a little guilty that I was leaving him all alone. I fixed some hapunan for the three of us, and after we had eaten we left Charlie to his baseball game and headed back to Edward's place for a movie night.

xxxxx

At the end of June, Edward and I both had a week off from work, and actually managed to find a couple of cheap plane tickets to Jacksonville. Renée was ecstatic that I was finally coming to visit, and of course about getting to meet my boyfriend. I spent the entire flight there worrying about what she would do to embarrass me. But she actually behaved, which I was very grateful for. A couple of childhood mga litrato were displayed, and some slightly embarrassing stories told, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

We spent most of the days sa pamamagitan ng the pool in the backyard, enjoying the sun and heat that was very different from Forks. In the evenings we went to different restaurants, Phil insisting on treating everyone now that he had finally gotten good a job; he was coaching a local Minor League baseball team. He worked the whole time we were there, but Renée was on vacation from the school she worked at and happily lounged in the sun with us. sa pamamagitan ng the end of the week, I was the only one who was still as pale as I always was.

The last araw before we were leaving, Renée insisted on getting in some quality mother-daughter time, so we went to a mall a few blocks from the house to do some shopping. Or, madami correctly, she shopped and I tagged along for moral support and taste advice.

"I don't want you to go back to Forks tomorrow." She complained while we were having lunch in the pagkain court.

"I'm going to miss you too." I replied. She looked a little disappointed, and I realized that she had been hoping that I would say that I didn't have to go back. A couple of months earlier she had asked if I wanted to come and live with her and Phil again now that they had a permanent home. She hadn't sinabi anything, but I had been able to tell that she had been disappointed when I had replied that Forks was my tahanan now.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised." She sighed. "I just miss having you around; the house isn't the same without you."

"I know." But Renée was a creature of habit, she would get used to life without me. And she had Phil. Besides, I would be going to college the taon after anyway, which was what I told her.

"I know that." She shrugged. "I'm just being silly-mom, I know. But can you at least promise to come and visit madami often? I haven't seen you in almost six months."

"I'll try, but plane tickets are expensive you know." Edward and I had already talked about maybe visiting again at Christmas, but I didn't want to tell her that in case it fell through. I had planned to save up as much money as I could since I was working the rest of the summer. I knew Edward would pay for the tickets if I asked him, but I wasn't comfortable with him spending a lot of money on me.

"Phil and I will chip in, and I'm sure Charlie would help you out if you asked." Renée got a hopeful look on her face.

"Charlie has his own stuff to worry about." I told her.

She started playing with the straw in her drink, and I realized that something uncomfortable was coming. She always distracted herself sa pamamagitan ng fiddling with something or other when she had to talk about things she wasn't completely at ease with.

"Bella, I've been watching you and Edward this past week, and I just wanted to talk to you about a few things." She glanced up at me briefly before turning her attention back to the drink in front of her.

Great. Another sex talk. At least it shouldn't be as uncomfortable as it had been with Charlie. Renée and I had already had The Talk a couple of years earlier. Of course, then it had only been about her wanting to make sure I knew what would inevitably happen a few years later. It was different now that I actually had a boyfriend.

"Mom, you really don't have to. They have sex education in school these days, you know." I could feel the color rising on my face as I spoke, and I followed her example, looking down on the tray on the mesa in front of me.

"Not that. Well, not just that." I waited patiently as she tried to find the right words. "I know that first pag-ibig can feel like it's everything in the entire world. I got married at eighteen, remember?" She paused and toyed with her straw some more. "I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. I'm not saying that I regret marrying your father, and certainly not having you, but if I could have a do-over, I would do things differently. Wait a little longer before jumping head-first into adult life, for example."

I contemplated her words. I understood where she came from, and tried to ease her concernes. She really had nothing to worry about.

"I have no intention whatsoever of getting married right after high school." I told her. "I'm going to college, getting a career and all that before I even think about marriage." The word sounded weird when I sinabi it. "But I mean, sure, I hope that Edward will be the guy that I end up with. When I eventually get married." I stressed eventually a little madami than necessary.

"I just think that your relationship is a little… intense."

I couldn't argue with her on that point. Edward and I did have an intense relationship. We spent almost all of our free time together, either alone or with friends. If we didn't spend the evening together, we'd talk on the phone for hours. But that was just the way we worked, both of us. And maybe that wasn't normal, but what was?

"I'm happy, mom." I finally said. "Can't you settle for that?"

"Of course, honey. I didn't mean it like that at all." She quickly assured me. "All I ever want is for you to be happy."