Bella Notte (50 page)

Oh. Okay. Don't
worry, everything will be fine.

He walked into my
room and looked like his usual stunning self.

“
I don't know
how you make that cap and gown look good, but you do.” I kissed
his cheek.

He smiled.

“
Stop fretting
and leave me to finish getting ready. I have to be there an extra two
hours earlier. That actually means I need to be there at six o'clock
in the morning,” I grumbled.

“
Hey,
I offered to come,
mia
bella
.”
He
shot back.

“
I know, but
they said the people that were needed were to be there that early,”
I pouted.

“
It will go
quickly.” He smiled and left.

I went back to
getting everything ready. I had decided on classic makeup- nothing
too Gothic- so I had my fine black eyeliner pencil out, my slightly
tan eyeshadow, and my reddish lip gloss.

By the end of the
day I was a ball of nerves and I went to bed early. My alarm was set
for four in the morning and the thought of getting up that early made
me exhausted. I fell asleep quickly.

Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

“
What the
devil is that?” I asked to my room as I tried to pry open my
eye.

I finally succeed in
the task and looked around my room.
Beep
.
It mocked me as I turned my head.
Beep
.
The digital number glowed a bright four in the morning.
Beep
.
I growled at it and then slammed my hand into the top. It stopped
beeping; unfortunately, it would probably never beep again, or tell
time for that matter.

“
Stupid clock.
Stupider alarm. Stupidest graduation.” I was secretly damning
it.

I went in the
bathroom and turned on the water. I grumbled back out into my room
and grabbed my clothes and shoes. I stomped back into the bathroom
and hopped into the shower. I was secretly wishing death on the
person that decided that graduations should be so dang early in the
stupid day.
A
pox on them all!

I turned the water
off and felt no more awake, but my reflection showed that I didn't
look as tired as I felt-
thank
God
.

I blew dry my hair
and then put some curls in it. I got dressed and did my makeup.

I sleepily walked
down to the kitchen and made myself a mocha. The caffeine barely
jolted my system- another perk to being a vampire.
Why
is the world against me?
I grumbled and got in my Jeep.

The drive to school
was a little sad; it was the last time I would be making this drive
as a student of my bland little high school. I decided I should've
joined a team, and vowed to join one at vampire school, if they had
one. I wondered for a minute what kind of sports they could possibly
have at such a school and only came up with ridiculous ones.

When my school came
into sight, I felt a pang in my chest for what I was about to do. I
was really nervous too about my stupid speech.

I parked in the lot
and found the principal. He told me to sit tight and we would
practice my speech shortly, so I did, on the stage where a post-it
had been placed with my name on it.
Wow,
this is really unorganized.

I watched the
principal running about like a chicken with his head cut off and I
had to fight the urge to cluck at him.

By the time he had
finished whatever he was doing, or fixing, it was about thirty
minutes until everyone else was about to arrive.

“
Emma. I am
sorry to leave you waiting here. I don't think we have time for you
to do your actual speech, but let me explain to you how things will
happen. You will stand up here with the senior class president,
myself, and an office aid. We will walk up to this platform in order
to where we will be seated. The order is the aid, then me, then you,
then the class president. The graduating students will file in, all
will remain standing until I say, 'Please be seated,' and then I will
launch into the welcoming speech. After that speech, you will give
your speech. The class president will say something and then we will
begin handing out diplomas. At the end, we will all stand once more
and then everyone throws their caps into the air … and that's
it.” He sped through his description and then he rushed off to
take care of some other problem.

I hopped off the
platform and went to stand in the line I was supposed to be in. The
class president came and stood near me. He looked a little green.

“
What's
wrong?” I asked in fear of him hurling everywhere.

“
Oh. Nuffin.
I'm just really nervous,” he said. His brown eyes were hugely
dilated with nerves, and his shaggy brown hair was sticking to the
nape of his neck.

“
Hey, it will
be fine. I have to give the valedictorian speech.” I smiled
with sympathy.

He simply smiled
back and then went back to being silent and green.

How you holding
up,
mia
bella
?
Dom's voice was music to my ears.

I'm bored and
annoyed because I so shouldn't have gotten up at four this morning
,
I grumbled at him.

Why not?
He yawned.

They didn't go
over anything really until about twenty minutes ago. Then it was like
in fast forward … anyways. Gah.
I felt jipped.

You can sleep
after
.
So logical.

By then I won't
be tired. Aren't we having dinner? All of us, as a big family, or
something to celebrate this event?
I wasn't sure since I hadn't heard anything yet.

No one is sure
yet. Both sets of parents are trying to cancel their evening plans.
If they do, then we're going to New York for dinner. If they don't,
we're eating with your grandparents.
He
shrugged.

The way the parents
could easily dismiss the event angered me to no end. But I had little
time to be upset because the guests were showing up, and the lines
were being formed.

In a few minutes
everyone was moving. I watched as everything slowed down and the
moment of truth got closer. Our group of four people walked up onto
the stage and stood there. I watched all the people I've known since
I was a little girl, file into the awaiting rows of seats.

Kelly looked like
she was going to cry, I knew everything was changing for her- her
entire life was going to be something different. I saw Dominic
saunter in and I knew that he had changed my life more than anyone
could have. He looked satisfied to be there, but not stressed out. I
saw all of Kelly's clique sit together, and they all had hope in
their eyes for their break. I smiled at the ever growing group of
students and guests.

“
Please be
seated,” our overly stressed principal said. He waited for
everyone to be sitting down and then he began his speech about how
wonderful the class was, and how he was sure we'd all go and do great
things and contribute to this world. It was really long winded and I
could see the audience had the same thought because the bodies began
to slump in their chairs- I started to see yawns circulating. It made
me want to giggle, I didn't though.

He finished on a
note about dreams and the audience woke up to give him a round of
applause. “Next, please welcome our valedictorian, Emma
Hutchinson.” There was a swell of applause from both the
students and guests.

I stood up and
walked to the podium. I felt my nerves coming and pushed them back-
my voice would not shake while I gave this speech.

“
Welcome
ladies and gentlemen to our graduation. It has been a year of great
accomplishments. We have grown from the children that our parents
raised, into the young adults that are about to leave this fine
establishment and take on the world. Our long awaited future is
calling to us. Our futures seem a little brighter, and definitely
scarier. The unknown for us now, is if we will make it. I believe
that we will. I've grown up with every one of these students, and I
have seen all the awkward phases, and interesting choices, we have
all made throughout the years. Now we are going to put our current
knowledge to the test and go out there into the real world. We are
all going places in our lives, whether it is to college, or modeling,
or work, we are going on to the next step on this road. Our futures
are bright with the hopes of our dreams and nothing is impossible for
us. I believe that we will follow these dreams and turn them into
reality, but this is the starting point for that. I realize that
where I stand right now, someone else stood not that long ago, and
they went off and began on the road to their dreams, and there was
someone before them also. It is a long line of people that we follow
out of these high school grounds into the waiting world. We welcome
the future with open arms and open minds. I would also like to issue
a challenge to the classes that will come after us; reach for the
stars, if you fail, you'll land on the moon. Never give up on your
dreams, even if they seem impossible. Once again, welcome to our
graduation.”

It was short and
sweet and was greeted with tons of applause. I bowed slightly and sat
back down.

The class president
was still a green hue and now had a sweat sheen across his forehead.
He walked shakily up to the microphone, then began his speech about
what a great year the senior class had had and all the wonderful
things he knew we'd all be doing after graduation.

His voice shook
through the entire thing and I began to wonder how he had been
elected president- to be quite honest, I didn't even know we had one.

At the end of the
speech he thanked both my family and Dominic's for their generous
contributions and then he sat down as quickly as possible.

“
You did
fine,” I beamed at him.

“
Thank you,”
he said and then went back to calming down.

Next our names were
called and we shook hands with our principal and the cheery office
aid handed us our diplomas. It took about fifteen minutes for the
entire process to happen. I thought it would have taken longer, or
felt more important … or something.

Our principal
welcomed us as a graduated class and we threw our caps in the air.
Somehow it didn't have the same
umph
I thought it should have. Once again I felt cheated.

I wandered off the
stage and found Dom. He found our families sitting together. After a
little debating it was said that, unfortunately, the parents both had
to leave right away for business arrangements. I could've spit. It
was okay though because I would get to spend the evening with my
grandpa- someone that I didn't get to see as often as I used to, and
I missed him.

Our parents
disappeared shortly after we arrived home. Once again, Dom and I both
were annoyed at this factor. Grandma had to go into the city because
of an emergency with a human friend, so Grandpa ate with us.

It was silent for a
while and I was afraid that maybe I had offended him by not having as
much time for him, like I used to.

“
Don't even
think it, my dear,” his warm and wise voice said to me.

“
But I know
I've not been there a lot.” I looked down at my plate.

“
Yes, but
you've had things to plan and you are coming to know yourself again.
It is understandable.” His smile crinkled around his eyes.

“
What will you
do when I move to Italy?” I was afraid to leave him all alone
with just my parents and my grandmother, without my sanity to calm it
all down.

“
I was
thinking that your grandma and I would travel over there for a bit
and make sure that you've gotten settled.” He looked away.

“
That would be
awesome! Then Dom can have some time to do professor stuff without
worrying about me.” I beamed at the most important men in my
life, well minus one that wouldn't be mentioned.