The First Drop Of Rain

Chapter Fifty Four

The Parade

The parade float was parked in front of the school, and Gaia stood in the doorway excitedly bouncing as I walked forward with my makeup bag in hand. "Hurry up! I have the dress right inside here and the light is going to be perfect for the photoshoot!" I laughed as she called to me, fumbling to lock my car with the key fob. The quick chirp sounded as I closed the door to the school, taking in the sound of chatter as parade float volunteers ran around excitedly. The buzz of an extracurricular activity in the school always made me smile, because even when it was someone who had no intention of helping, they still found something to enjoy.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" I laughed as Gi ripped the makeup bag from my hand and pulled me along.

"Come on! Alice is on FaceTime! She wants to see you in the dress." Gaia skipped forward merrily, dragging me down the hall until she made it to the yearbook room.

"You still have a key?" I was shocked, maybe she wasn't going to give up her editor position just yet. She had discussed it towards the end of the school year with me, but I still didn't believe it three months later.

"I'm still officially editor until next year." Gaia corrected with a smirk as she released my hand and picked her way through the room.

Fear filled me, the finality of her decision felt too real, too... final. "Are you really gonna step down?"

"I want to enjoy the photography side again, and expand my portfolio, of course. Rose is gonna try for editor anyway, it's her senior year." She lowered her voice suddenly as she glanced around. "Again."

"And you're not worried about what it will do to your college applications?"

"Well I'm taking a gap year to work with my dad overseas, Paul is going to apply for technical school, he said he wants to stay near the tribe." The way she said "the tribe" suggested she was talking more specifically about the pack. "He's talking about opening a mechanic shop, he and Jake kept kicking around the idea of opening the shop together. Work around the schedule. I fully support his idea, and he wants to travel with me from time to time once I get deeper into photography."

"It sounds like you guys have it all figured out." I smiled, my hands becoming slick with nerves. We were only going to be juniors officially as of next month, but she had the first two years after graduation figured out. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to take the ACTs or the SATs... both?

As I began to spiral I felt Gi take my shoulders and force me to sit at her desk. Rose's desk... another change. There was a mirror sat where the school issued laptop usually was, Gaia's iPod Touch propped against it with Alice's grinning face filling the screen. "Do her makeup first! Then the hair, then the dress." Her voice practically squeaked as she spoke, the excitement crawling through the screen to throttle me.

"Aye aye captain!" Gaia laughed, dumping my makeup bag on the table and taking in the foundation base I had made at home.

Somewhere along the journey of my makeup application Kate and Tanya joined Alice on the phone, their three stunning faces filling the tiny digital screen. "Damn this sun, I wish I could be there now." Kate groaned while Tanya excused herself and disappeared from frame.

"Oh! Put more of the blush on her cheeks!" Alice chimed in suddenly, her voice far away as she flirted across the room, watching both as it happened and slightly before. "To the left, up a little, bingo!"

Another fifteen to twenty minutes went by as we migrated from makeup to hair, Rose now eagerly joining the peanut gallery of spectators. I could only imagine what it would have been like had the sky decided on a gloomier lighting for the festivities. The mental image of hands flying around my head and face in a flurry of beautification. I had hives just thinking about the organized chaos. Glamor was always welcomed, but somehow the Cullen and Denali families just take it to another level every time. "No no, let it frame her face like this." Rose interjected moving front and center on the screen as she adjusted her own hair accordingly. Tanya had returned and watched with a glimmer in her eyes, Irina now by her side as they lurked in the background beside Kate.