Renewal [Emmett Cullen] (1)

[19- Ceremony]

My parents had to leave me at the back door of the gym and go around to the main entrance with the rest of the parents. It was pandemonium as Ms. Cope from the front office and Mr. Varner, a math teacher, tried to line everyone up alphabetically.

"Hey, Eleanor!" I looked up to see Sophia O'Conner waving at me from the back of the line with a smile on her face, her boisterous brown curls bouncing up and down.

"Down here!" Sophia called again. I took my place behind Sophia, babbling before I was in earshot.

"...so amazing. I mean, it seems like we just met, and now we're graduating together," she gushed.

"Can you believe it's over? I feel like screaming!"

"So do I," I muttered.

"This is all just so incredible. Do you remember your first day here? We were friends, like, right away. From the first time we saw each other. Amazing. And now I'm off to California and you'll be in New Hampshire and I'm going to miss you so much! You have to promise that we'll get together sometimes! I'll be in Oregon on..." She droned on and on, I paid attention as well as I could while I shrugged into my robe.

Principal Greene started calling names, one after the other without a long enough pause between; the front row in the gymnasium was rushing to catch up. Poor Ms. Cope was all thumbs as she tried to give the principal the right diploma to hand to the right student.

I watched as Emmett walked across the stage, only he could wear the hideous green and still look incredible. He stood out from the rest of the crowd, his beauty and grace otherworldly. I wondered how I'd ever fallen for their human farce.  An angel, standing there with wings intact, would be less conspicuous.

I heard Mr. Greene call my name and wheeled up the ramp to the stage. I was conscious of the cheering in the back of the gym, and I looked around to see Dad pulling Mom to her feet, both of them hooting in encouragement. I managed to throw them an approximation of a smile.

Mr. Greene finished with the list of names, and then continued to hand out diplomas with a sheepish grin as we filed past.

"Congratulations, Miss O'Conner," he mumbled as Sophia took hers.

"Congratulations, Miss Parks," he mumbled to me, pressing the diploma into my hand.

"Thanks," I murmured. And that was it.

I assembled next to the other graduates. Sophia was all red around the eyes, and she kept blotting her face with the sleeve of her robe. It took me a second to understand that she was crying. Mr. Greene said something I didn't hear, and everyone around me shouted and screamed. Green hats rained down. I pulled mine off, too late, and just let it fall to the ground.

"Oh Eleanor!" Sophia blubbered over the sudden roar of conversation. "I can't believe we're done."

"I can't believe it's all over," I mumbled.

She threw her arms around my neck. "You have to promise we won't lose touch."

I hugged her back, feeling a little awkward as I dodged her request, not liking the thought of going back to California. "I'm so glad I know you."

Families were beginning to converge, pressing us tighter together. I caught sight of Jasmine, but she was surrounded by her family. I would congratulate her later.

"Congratulations," Emmett whispered in my ear, his arms resting on the back of my chair. I smiled, he had been to more graduation ceremonies that any other person in the room, besides maybe Edward.

"Eleanor!" Dad crowed, pushing his way past the close-packed families around us, Mom trailing behind. Emmett drifted back into the crowd.

"Lets go home," I said.

Crane Restaurant, the closest thing to a formal restaurant in town was always popular for events so it would be crowded. The place was, in my opinion, overpriced and tacky, and there were no wheelchair friendly tables.

Instead, my mom decided to cook some of my favorite meals at home. I requested her famous chicken noodle soup, macaroni and cheese, and my all time favorite grilled cheese, with different 4 cheeses. The weeks leading up to graduation, I was more excited for the food than the ceremony.

After eating more food than I thought was humanly possible, I retired to the couch. Nothing was better than being wrapped in a fluffy blanket with a hot cup of tea and fat book to spend my afternoon. As I readjusted my body on the couch, a hoarse cough escaped my mouth, followed by a tingling sensation in my chest. Oh well, it was probably nothing.