Two days later...
Renesmee’s P.O.V.
Now it’s Sunday, graduation day, and only eight hours until it starts. I went to the kitchen to whip up a snack when I heard a knock at the door. I stopped what I was doing, went to the door, and opened it, thinking it was Jacob, but it was my B.F.F., Chloe.
I gave her a disappointed look. “Oh, it’s you,” I said.
“It’s nice to see you, too,” Chloe said. So, are you ready for graduation?”
“Huh, yeah, but I am nervous, too.”
“Why are you nervous? You shouldn’t. You should be happy.”
“Well, that’s not why I’m nervous. It’s the little speech I have to make to everyone. I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Oh, you’ll do fine, I promise. You’re a brave woman, and don’t listen to what people think of you and be yourself.”
“Okay, thanks, Chloe. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“You could never live without me.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
We both laughed.
“So, have you picked out a dress for the party today?” Chloe asked.
“No, was I supposed to?” I asked.
“Huh, it’s a party, and you’re going with Jacob. You have to look hot for him.”
“Hum, I don’t know Chloe. I want to go casual, and Jacob might not be going.”
I made a sandwich after getting food from the fridge.
“What...what do you mean Jacob will not be with you?” Chloe asked.
“He last talked to me a couple of days ago. He has been busy packing stuff and hasn’t let me know yet,” I responded.
“Oh, so who are you going with? I don’t want you to be a third wheel.”
“I guess I’ll go with Courtney and Hannah.”
“You can’t. Hannah is going with Embry.”
“No. Like I said, if Jacob is busy with pack stuff, so is Embry, too.”
“What is Embry’s position, anyway?”
“I’m not sure, but he’s beta because I always see Jacob giving beta orders. I should ask him, though.”
Chloe nodded. “Well, either way, you’re going, and we’re going shopping, so finish eating, and we’ll go,” she said.
“Fine,” I said.
“Okay, good.”
After eating, I headed to my bedroom and saw Sophia on her phone.
“Sophia, do you want to go shopping for the party tonight with me and Chloe?” I asked.
“Huh, sure.”
Sophia finished texting, got up, and slipped her shoes on. I grabbed my purse, and we headed out of the room. We went down the hall and saw Chloe waiting.
“Ready?” Chloe asked.
“Yes,” Sophia and I said.
“Okay, great. Let’s go.”
We headed out the door and headed to Chloe’s car. We got in, buckled up, and I turned to look at Chloe. “So, where are we going?” she asked.
“We are going back to Black Diamond Bridal,” Chloe responded.
“What? We can’t go back there. It’s like an hour away.”
“Like I said, we can also get something to eat there.”
“Okay, fine.”
We arrived at Black Diamond Bridal an hour later and got out. I looked at the store and remembered buying a dress there.
“You know, Chloe, this place is for bridal dresses,” I said.
“Yeah, but also formal dresses,” Chloe said.
Before I could say anything else, Chloe pulled Sophia and me toward the store.
When we entered, we saw wedding gowns. Then, Chloe dragged us to the store’s back corner, where we saw different-colored dresses. They were all so unique that it was hard to know where to start.
“Okay, Sophia and I are going to pick out the dresses, and you will change into the dressing room,” Chloe said.
“Okay,” I said.
I went to a dressing stall, closed the door, and heard my phone vibrate. I pulled it out to see a text from Jacob.
Where are you? I want to see you. I came by your house and am still waiting to see you somewhere. You’re lucky that your parents aren’t home yet.
I texted him back, saying...
I’m an hour away looking at dresses for the graduation party. I’ll be home later. If my mom and dad get home, tell them I went to look at dresses.
A minute later, Jacob responded, saying...
Okay, don’t be gone long. I miss you.
I smiled at his message and responded before Chloe and Sophia returned and handed me dresses. I texted back, saying...
Aww, does Jacob miss me?
He replied after a couple of seconds, and I tried to read the message but got interrupted by Chloe, who spoke.
Chloe opened the curtain halfway. She asked, “Who are you texting? Is it a lover boy?”
“Yeah,” I responded.
“Well, tell him you’re busy and can’t talk right now.”
“Okay, but give me a second because we conversed before you interrupted.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. After she set the clothes down, closed the curtain, and walked away, I looked down at my phone and read the message. Jacob said...
Yes, a lot. I miss having you in my arms and kissing you when I want to.
I smiled bigger and texted him back, saying...
Aww, is my fiancé a lovesick puppy right now? It’s okay, I miss you too.
I sent it, and I am waiting for him to respond. He responded after a minute, saying...
I am not lovesick, and I’m not a puppy. I’m a giant wolf.
I laughed and texted him back, saying...
Haha, yeah, right? I think you’re a giant wolf puppy.
I waited for him to respond for a minute, but he never did. Then I heard this voice, so I put my phone away.
“I am not a puppy,” Jacob growled.
“Yes, you are. You are acting like one,” I said.
“Is not.”
“Is so.”
“Is not.”
“Is so.”
“Is not.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, got you!”
“Darn! I’m going to get you tonight.”
“Good luck with that. Well, I got to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, babe. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I closed the mind link and sighed, grabbing a red dress and putting it on. My red dress was sleeveless, low cut, and had beading at the top. It had a thigh-length chiffon skirt. I checked myself out in the mirror after I put it on. The dress was okay with me, but it wasn’t me.
I opened the curtain and walked to the two. They looked at me right away and smiled. Sophia looked at me like she didn’t like it. “It’s cute, mom, but not you,” she said.
“Same, go try on the other dresses,” Chloe said.
“Alright,” I said.
I returned to the dressing room and tried on another dress identical to the one I had tried earlier. The dress was pretty revealing. The neckline had colored crystals, all fancy and strapless. It showed off my cleavage. Plus, it was slim-fitted, hugging my body and showing off my curves. I walked up to them, and they had this surprised look on their faces. I did a quick spin. “How do you think I look?” I asked.
“It looks amazing on you, and you look sexy. We’re getting this one.” Chloe said.
“Same, but there are a couple more dresses I want you to try on before you decide,” Sophia said.
“Okay,” I said.
I returned to the dressing room and tried on more dresses until I got down to two more. I found a simple and sexy sleeveless dress. The fabric was tight and showed off my curves. It also had a plunging sweetheart bust that created a nude illusion. The neckline was all blinged out with sparkly crystals. The back was stunning, with beads and a sexy opening. It was cute, and I liked it. I walked up to them, and they smiled again.
“I like this dress on you. You look hot in it.” Chloe said.
“Same,” Sophia said.
“Great, this will be our second choice. Now go try on the last dress Sophia chose.”
“Alright.”
I went back to the dressing stall and tried on the last dress. I realized how hot I looked when I saw myself in the mirror. The dress was black lace and see-through so that you could see my skin. It’s got sleeves and a V-neck. The back is open, and there are rhinestones on the lace dress. It hugs my curves. This is the one I like the most.
I walked out to them, and Sophia’s eyes lit up. “I love it! It looks great on you. What do you think, Chloe?” she asked.
“It’s okay, but it’s not what you would wear for graduation. It’s too sexy and inappropriate for school,” Chloe responded.
“How?”
“It just is.”
“Okay, well, she could wear it to the party after.”
“True, then what do you think, Chloe?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, great, now you must choose between the red and the majestic purple dress. Which one do you like more to wear to graduation?”
“I say the majestic purple dress.”
“Okay then, that’s the one we’ll get. Also, like Sophia and I said, you will wear the dress you’re wearing now to the party.”
“Okay.”
I walked back into the dressing room, changed, and saw Chloe in her dress.
“You already got your dress?” I asked.
“Yep, let’s go,” Chloe responded.
We went to the checkout area, bought our things, and left. We didn’t eat because we didn’t have time, so we headed home.
We got home an hour later, and Chloe dropped us off. I headed to my bedroom, and Sophia followed me. While we did that, we heard a cough. We stopped and turned around. We saw mom and dad. They looked pissed off.
“Where have you been, young lady?” Dad asked me.
“We went shopping for the graduation and graduation party. Sophia helped me,” I responded.
“Where? Because you’ve been gone for a while, and who were you with because your car was there the whole time?”
“We went with Chloe to that shop you went to for prom,” Sophia responded.
“Oh? In Port Angeles!” Mom yelled.
“Sophia!” I yelled.
“Sorry.”
“You guys went to Port Angeles without telling us. You guys could have got hurt.” Mom said.
“I agree with Bella on this one,” Dad said.
“We are sorry. Chloe wanted to go, and they had gorgeous dresses, so we had to go.” I said.
“Fine, you’re off the hook this time, but if you don’t, tell us again. “We will ground you.”
“Okay.”
They walked away, and we headed to our bedroom.
“Oof, that was too close. I thought they were going to ground us,” I said.
“Us, you’re the one getting grounded. I went along with you.” Sophia said.
I rolled my eyes. I took out my two dresses and laid them out on the bed.
“So Sophia, what will you wear tonight at the party?” I asked.
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out,” Sophia responded.
“Wait, I might have something in my closet.”
I walked to my closet, and she followed right behind me. I checked my closet for a light turquoise spaghetti-strap dress. The neckline is sweetheart, and the bust has some delicate ruching. Sparkly stuff wrapped around and gathered the short skirt and adorned the waist. I grabbed the dress and showed it to Sophia.
“Wow, I can’t wear that. It’s pretty, but it looks like a lot of money,” Sophia said.
“Yes, you can, and you will. I haven’t worn it yet. You will so take it.” I said.
“Fine.”
“Okay, great. I’m going to shower, and you can get in after.”
“Alright.”
I left the closet, got naked, went to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. I got in, hopped in the shower, and got wet. Then I grabbed the shampoo, lathered it in my hand, and rubbed it into my hair. Then I rinsed it, did the same with the conditioner, soaped up my body, and rinsed. When done, I got out, grabbed a towel on the counter, and dried off.
Sophia’s P.O.V.
I chilled on my bed, finishing Paper Towns while waiting for mom to shower. The book got me addicted. While I was doing that, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in!” I yelled.
A door opened, and Jacob walked in. I put my book down and looked at him. “Hey,” I said.
“Hey, do you know where Nessie is?” Jacob asked.
“Yeah, she’s in the shower.”
Jacob glanced at the shower and smirked, so I rolled my eyes and hopped off the bed. Oh, I don’t need to know what he’s thinking about.
“Well, I’m going to go,” I said.
“Okay,” Jacob said.
“Alright.”
I walked out the door and closed the door behind me.
Renesmee’s P.O.V.
After drying, I wrapped the towel around myself and left my bathroom. I checked Sophia’s bed, and she wasn’t there. And then I heard a growl. I looked and saw Jacob leaning against the wall, arms crossed and smirking. His eyes got all dark and lustful.
“Oh, I could get used to this sight when you come out of the bathroom,” Jacob said.
Not again. This is the second time now. “Jacob...when did you get here?” I asked.
I held on to the towel tightly. Jacob said nothing; he kicked off the wall and approached me. He grabbed my waist and pulled me in, and I placed my hand on his chest.
“I miss you and have been waiting for you to come home. I called your mom because you haven’t called yet, and she told me you had got home, which relieved my worries.” Jacob responded.
“Oh,” I said.
Jacob smiled, leaned in, and kissed me. His kiss was so intense it made me weak in the knees. I would’ve fallen if Jacob hadn’t been holding me. I couldn’t resist kissing him back. I hugged him, not caring about the towel. At least I had it wrapped around me.
We kept making out, and things got intense. Jacob pulled me closer, and I ran my fingers through his hair. Our bodies were touching, and my towel came loose, which freaked me out. I broke the kiss and pulled away, grabbing hold of my towel. He looked down at me with a worried look. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I responded, clasping my towel.
Jacob nodded.
“Well, I had better get dressed. I have graduation in an hour and a half.” I said.
“Alright,” Jacob said.
As I was about to get dressed, Jacob pulled me close with a smirk and kissed me again. But it ended too soon because his phone rang and interrupted him. He groaned, pulled back, and grabbed his phone from his pocket. Jacob then reads what it says. He huffed, putting his phone away.
I looked at him with concern. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him close. I asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jacob smiled at me and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. His smile faded. He said. “There’s always an interruption.”
I moved my hand to his chest. Jacob’s heart was pounding like crazy. I knew right away he would lose control, so I moved my hand to his face and the other stroked his biceps.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. Who is it, and what’s going on?” I asked.
Jacob seemed to calm down by my touch, and he spoke. “It’s Embry, my new beta who, you know, who switched with Leah? He said there are more vampires in town. We have been tracking them down. We caught some earlier today, and we thought we killed them all. Instead, now I see that there are more.”
I could sense him getting tense again. I slid my hand down his arm and rubbed it. Then I held his hand, which calmed him down. This made him calm down again, so Jacob smiled at me. He knew I had a strong effect on him.
“Wait, you mean there are more vampires around? We have had little in so long. How could there be more?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but I will figure out what they want,” Jacob said. “So I had better go.”
Jacob moved away from me. But I grabbed his arm before he could move further. He looked at me with a curious expression, and I looked at him sad. “Wait, are you going to come to my graduation?” I asked.
Jacob saw the look on my face and grabbed it, stroking it with his thumb. “I don’t know yet, baby. I want to be there and support you. Trust me. It depends on how long I take to figure out what they want?” Jacob responded.
I nodded, and Jacob smiled before pecking me on the lips. “Well, I’ll see you later, baby,” he said.
I gave a nod, and Jacob left. I watched as he opened the door and walked out. I let out a sigh, hoping he’d show up. I need my fiancé by my side. Sophia saw Jacob leave and then enter the bedroom with a curious look. She asked, “What was that? Jacob seems serious.”
“Yeah. Jacob said there were some new vampires in town, and he was pretty occupied with it, right? He aspires to be at my graduation but doesn’t know if he will make it.” I responded.
“Oh yeah. I heard it was a girl vampire.”
My eyes widened, and she looked at me with curiosity. “What?” she asked.
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“Seth. He told me yesterday.”
“And you didn’t plan on telling me about anything?”
“Well, you were busy...”
I rolled my eyes, walked to my drawer, and found a majestic purple lace bra and underwear to match my dress.
“What else is going on? Did he tell you anything else?” Sophia asked.
“No, not really. Jacob is trying to figure out why they are here.” I responded.
“Is this why he might not make it?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, that stinks, especially since you’re making that speech about you and him.”
“Yeah, I know. Well, get in the shower now.”
“Alright.”
Sophia walked into the bathroom, and I put on my bra and underwear. I then walked to bed and put on my purple dress. I zipped it up. By the time I got my shoes on, with my purple flats to go with the dress, Sophia walked out. We switched. I headed into the bathroom and blow-dried my hair. Then, I did something adorable: I pinned a braid across the back of my hair. I got this idea from the pop singer Selena Gomez, and Chloe also taught me how to do it. I curled the ends of my hair and brushed my teeth. I applied eyeliner, mascara, foundation, and light lip gloss. I then left the bedroom to see Sophia in the teal dress. She looked beautiful in it. She almost made me cry.
“Wow, you look good in that dress,” I said.
“Thanks, and the same goes for you. That dress makes you look sexy. I’m glad I picked it out.” Sophia said.
“Thanks,. Well, hurry and finish getting dressed. We have thirty minutes left till graduation starts, and we got to go.”
“Okay.”
Sophia went to the bathroom while I grabbed my purse and phone and dashed out of the bedroom and down the hall.
When I got down the hall, I saw mom and dad waiting. Their eyes widened when they saw me.
“Wow, you look so beautiful, and where did you get that dress? It looks great on you.” Mom said.
“Sophia picked it out for me,” I responded.
“Wow, you look great. Don’t you think so, Edward?” Mom asked Dad.
“Huh, yeah. It’s a lot, but it looks good,” Dad responded.
I rolled my eyes at his protectiveness of me. It must be a father thing.
“So, is Sophia ready yet?” Mom asked.
“Almost,” I responded.
“Okay, well, we will be in the car waiting.”
They walked out the door as I waited for Sophia.
Five minutes later, Sophia came down the hall.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“Yep, let’s go,” Sophia responded.
We went and drove to school.
Renesmee’s P.O.V.
Mom, dad, Sophia, and I got out of the car. Mom approached me and said, “Sweetie, go inside and get ready with everyone else.”
“Okay,” I said.
I was walking to school when someone yelled my name. Chloe and Henry came up to me, holding hands.
Chloe pulled her hand from Henry. She hugged me and said, “Hey.”
“Hi,” I said.
“You ready?”
“Yeah, I’m nervous about the speech I have to give.”
“Renesmee, you’ll be fine.”
“I hope so.”
We went into the gym and joined everyone else. We took seats in the seats they assigned us and waited for the graduation to start.
After twenty minutes, everyone sat down, and the principal started talking. He gave a speech praising us for our achievements these years. After that, another staff member spoke. Ten minutes passed, and then they started giving out awards. They called our last names in sequence. So, I waited until they reached letter c. When they called names, I looked at the parents. I wanted to see Jacob, but he didn’t show up. I frowned, wishing he were here, but I knew he had essential pack stuff. Embry walked in and sat by my parents to support Hannah, which made me curious. Is Jacob here? Because wouldn’t Embry be with him? When it was almost my turn, I followed everyone to the stairs and stayed behind them. I was looking out for Jacob, but he hadn’t shown up. I gave Embry a curious look, and he gave a wan smile. Something was wrong. As they were about to call me, I noticed the door crack open, and Jacob walked in. I sighed in relief and smiled.
“Renesmee Cullen,” the lady said.
I went up the stairs, grabbed my diploma, and high-fived the principal and the staff. As I was leaving the stage, I heard my family cheering. I saw Jacob leaning against the wall, clapping with a smile. I grinned and headed down the stairs. His arrival eager me. Jacob gave me a wink, making me blush and turn my gaze.
Thirty minutes later, everyone finished. The staff let me make my speech, and I returned to the stage. I went to the mic and stood in front of it. I glanced at the crowd, met with countless stares, and saw Jacob giving me a little smile.
“Hello,” I said through the mic.
It was silent, and I spoke. The staff and the principal walked off the stage, and I talked.
“I have something to tell you all. You may know I’ve been dating an older man this past year, and some may still label me bad. Many of you may be in similar situations. So, it shouldn’t matter who you date. You shouldn’t base judgments on the person you’re with.”
I heard whispers, and I smiled.
“If you guys don’t know what he looks like, he’s standing by the entrance,” I said as I pointed to him, and everyone turned.
They whispered again, and Jacob smiled at me again.
“Anyway, people spread rumors I was engaged to him, and well, it’s true.” I lied. “This ring that is now back on my engagement finger is an engagement ring.” I said, showing it to everyone.
As everyone talked louder, I caught Jacob’s admiring gaze. In the crowd, I noticed a guy standing up.
“Yes,” I say.
“So it is true. You are getting married?” The guy asked.
“Yes, we got engaged a year ago, and we plan to marry soon.”
“I see, so what about kids? Has this guy got you pregnant yet?”
I heard whispers and responded, “No, I’m not pregnant, and I’m not planning on it until I’m married.”
The boy sat down, and I continued to speak. “So now that I told you this, you can go off and tell the entire world because I don’t care what people think of me anymore. I don’t care if I am marrying an older man. I love him, and that’s all that matters.”
Everyone clapped.
“Thank you everyone,” I said.
I walked off the stage and went back to my seat. Then, the principal came back on stage and gave props to the 2015 seniors. And then we tossed our caps up and shouted that High School was over. Chloe and I then left the classroom full of students.
“Great job on the speech, Renesmee. I knew you could do it.” Chloe said.
“Thanks,” I said.
Chloe saw her parents and looked at me. “Well, I had better go. I’ll see you at the party tonight,” she said.
“Okay,” I said.
Chloe walked over to her family and gave them a big hug. I looked for Jacob and didn’t see him anywhere, but I saw my mom, dad, and Sophia. I went up to them and hugged them.
“Congrats, sweetie, and brilliant speech. I knew you could do it.” Mom said.
“Same.” Dad and Sophia said.
“Thanks. It was nerve-racking, though, but I got through it.”
“I bet you looked nervous,” Mom said.
I searched everywhere for Jacob, but I needed help. So I frowned.
My mom looked at me with a curious expression. “Sweetie, who are you looking for?” she asked.
“Jacob,” I responded.
“Oh, I saw him leave real quick. He received a phone call.”
I nodded, looking worried. Isaac walked out, spotted me, and came over.
Mom smiled. “Well, I’ll see you outside,” she said.
They walked out, and then I turned back to Isaac.
“Impressive speech, Renesmee. I knew you could do it.” Isaac said.
“Thanks,” I said.
I kept looking for Jacob, but no sign of him remained.
“Who are you looking for? Let me guess, you’re now a fiancé?” Isaac asked.
“Haha, hilarious, and yes, I’m looking for him. He was among the crowd. I don’t know where he went.” I responded.
“It’s possible that something arose, and he had to leave.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I hope you find him, and I’ll see you at the party.”
“Okay.”
Isaac hugged me and then left. Embry walked out with Hannah, and they laughed. Hannah released Embry’s hand and approached me upon noticing my presence.
Hannah hugged me. She said, “Hey, you gave an amazing speech and did well.”
Embry walked to Hannah’s side and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Same,” he said,
“Thanks,” I said.
I looked for Jacob again. Embry looked at me with curiosity. He said, “Renesmee.”
“Yeah,”
“Are you looking for Jacob?”
“Huh ah.”
“He’s outside. He had an important Alpha duty to take care of on the phone.”
“Who was he talking to?”
“Leah. She’s taking care of pack stuff at the pack house because he wants to be here for you.”
Hearing this warmed my heart that Jacob gave up on his duties to be here for me.
“Oh...” I said.
I stood there, and Embry chuckled. “Go,” he said.
I looked at Embry with a curious expression. “What?” I asked.
“Go find him. I bet he wants to see you soon,” Embry responded.
“Oh, okay.”
Before I left, they hugged me, and I headed out of the school’s front door.