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━━━━━━━━☆★☆━━━━━━━━
Yanking Esdras's hand, Shelley walks to Bella and Edward who are sitting with Angela, Eric, Mike and Jessica and join them.
Jessica is busy addressing a pile of note card envelopes. Mike writes what he's saying on a legal pad. "My fellow student. We are the future. Anything possible if we just believe, blah, blah blah…" He rips the page off, hands it to Jessica.
"Yea, this will be my speech. if I want people to throw their diplomas at my head." She crumples the paper and tosses it at him.
"Ya gotta embrace the cliches, Jess." Mike says to her.
"They are the bread and butter of all valedictorians." Eric comments.
"This is why you're not valedictorian." Angela states.
"I chose to exit the political arena to spend more time with my family."
"Jess doesn't need clichés. She's gonna rock that speech." Bella says.
"Totally." Shelley agrees.
"Rock? It'll change lives." Jessica shrugs.
Alice and Jasper have abruptly appeared carrying rays of food they won't eat. As they sit, Alice announces. "I've decided to throw a party."
Jasper gives a sarcastic look to the Cullen Twins. "After all, how many times will we graduate high school?"
Edward stifles a smile as Esdras smiles knowingly.
"A party? At your house?" Angela questions.
"Whoa. I've never seen your house." Jessica comments.
"No one's ever seen their house." Eric says.
"Another party, Alice?" Edward asks.
"It'll be fun." Alice responds.
"That's what you said last time." Bella points.
Suddenly, Alice freezes, her eyes glazing over. She's having a vision.
Mike hasn't noticed yet. "Well, cool, that's really uh… Normal of you. What time?"
Nothing from Alice.
"Dress code?"
Still nothing.
"Bring anything? Cheetos?" Mike continues to question but Alice still books into the distance. Awkward.
Bella looks at Edward, concerned.
Edward shrugs it off, nothing to worry about. "Wake up, Alice."
"She hasn't been getting much sleep lately. Senior jitters." This sounds weird and weirdly fluent coming from Jasper, but it serves to break the moment.
Stepping backwards into the parking lot, Shelley asks Esdras. "So… you're telling me that Bella's gonna visit mom with Eddie?"
"Yep."
"She should seriously stop keeping secrets from me."
"They settled it within the Biology period. So… it won't count on that, I guess." Esdras says but his eyes catch something behind her.
The blonde turns to see Jacob climb off his motorcycle and stride toward them. He wears a tight black t-shirt, grease-stained jeans. No jacket in the cold. His hard expression causes other students to give him a wide berth. He looks almost dangerous.
"Jake!" Shelley smiles delightfully and runs into Jacob's arms. She misses him and desires his touch. "Hey."
Jacob grabs her and pulls her closer until their lips meet in the middle, crashing together with enthusiasm. He wraps his arms around her as they both close their eyes. In pure bliss, Jacob lifts her in the air, twirling her around just a bit as they kiss and once their lips separate, they are both breathless, but beyond happy.
"What are you doing here?" She asks him.
"You asked me to stay away from you for a week and it's over now." Jacob replies with an ear to ear smile. "I'm here for you."
"Right. I need to talk to you too." She says honestly.
"Don't tell me you want to extend the stay away period." Jacob remarks sarcastically.
"No." The blonde shakes her head with a chuckle. "I just-just want to figure out the stuff between us."
"We can." Jacob smirks behind her. Mostly at Esdras who she forgot for a moment. "Let's go. Shall we?"
Esdras subtly, protectively pulls the blonde back. Students watch from a distance, out of earshot. "I'm not letting you go with this disgusting dog."
"Will you stop being mean?" She glares at Esdras for his sudden rude remarks.
"I'm trying to protect you." He states.
"She's safe with me. You don't need to worry, Esdras." Jacob says innocently but the look on his face seems like he's having another conversation with Esdras through his mind which Esdras responds with a death glare in return. "Why the hell should I ask your permission anyway?"
"Dogs don't have control. You could die." Esdras tells, mostly to the blonde.
"If I hurt her, you can have my head." Jacob says to the vampire.
"I happily will do that." Esdras chuckles coldly. "Don't tempt me to do that now though."
Shelley notices Mike, Eric, Jessica and Angela who are watching the goings-on. Angela clearly fears a fight, the others seem more intrigued by one.
"Hold on. Hey. Shelley." Esdras stops the blonde.
She turns to Esdras with an assuring look. "Ezra, you have to trust me on this."
"I do trust you. It's him I don't trust." Esdras points at the werewolf.
"And I really don't care about your trust in me." Jacob rolls his eyes.
Alice and Jasper who gracefully and swiftly climb from their car, place themselves in proximity, just in case as Edward glares at Jacob and Bella watches with disappointment at their behaviour.
"Charlie gave me her responsibility." Esdras reminds.
"Charlie doesn't know the real face of the man behind the mask he keeps faith on." Jacob argues.
"And you think you're the good guy?" Esdras argues back.
"Better than you."
"You're the one who left her for Bella, remember?"
"Both of you stop!"
Shelley just looks at Esdras with a strong, independent, not about to acquiesce look and finally he releases her. She jogs to Jacob and climbs on the back of his bike. Jacob grins in victory. "Lose the grin, Jacob. We're just going for a ride. I can't believe I'm agreeing to ride on this death trap with you. Next time bring your freaking truck for god's sake."
"Hold on tight." He kicks the bike, then roars off with her on the back.
