Great," I muttered to myself. "Just great."
The thief who had ransacked my room not two weeks ago had taken half my wardrobe. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, as I didn't usually pay a whole lot of attention to what I was wearing. Unfortunately, it turned out I was graduating today, and even I had enough fashion sense to know jeans and the ratty T-shirt I had on now were not going to cut it.
"Looking for something?"
I glanced up from the meager collection of clothes on my bed to see Archie leaning casually beside my window, as if he'd been there the whole time.
"Yo," he said with a grin. "Knock, knock."
I sighed. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to wait five seconds for me to get the front door. That's how normal people do it."
"Normal," Archie repeated, in mock horror. "I think I'd rather leave normal for normal people, thanks." He added, "Besides, I'm just here for a second. Just dropping something off." He lightly tossed a white package, which landed neatly on my bed. "When I told Edy you might be wearing that pig shirt of yours to graduation, she gave me this to give to you."
"Oh," I said. "Wow, thanks." I opened the lid to find a pair of neatly pressed slacks and a collared shirt inside. I could tell immediately they were both designer, which normally I would have objected about, but I was desperate at the moment.
"Good to be useful for something," Archie muttered, frowning. "It gets under my skin, missing things left and right. I still can't believe I missed that thief, and now every time I try to get a look at the situation in Seattle...well, I feel sort of blind lately, to be honest." He rolled his eyes. "Being normal really sucks."
I blinked. I raised my eyes to stare at him.
For days now, there had been something needling me at the back of my mind. I kept feeling like there was something we were missing, a connection we ought to be drawing that was just out of reach. But as Archie put the two problems together in one thought it suddenly clicked into place.
"The same," I muttered, stunned. "They're the same. They've got to be."
Archie gave me a blank look. His eyes flickered once to the collared shirt and slacks beside me on the bed, then back to me, as though not sure if I had gone back to talking about the clothes.
"If you don't like them, you'll have to take it up with Edy," he said finally. "She picked them out."
I shook my head. "Not that. I mean, my visitor, what's happening in Seattle—it's got to be the same person behind it. Both times, they've seemed to know exactly how to get around the holes in your vision. We kept thinking it was a coincidence, or maybe your power was on the fritz—but I think the answer is simpler than that. This person or these people know how your power works, and they've found a way to get around it. They're either the same person, or they're working together."
Archie stared at me.
My thoughts raced ahead, trying to make sense of all the pieces. "Say—" I began. "Say whoever it was who took my stuff was partly doing it as a test. To see if he could get through. And then..."
It occurred to me suddenly, where this reasoning was leading. I felt a chill down my spine.
I continued in a low voice, "We thought they were taking my scent to prove they'd gotten through. But that never made sense. He took way too much stuff for that. So... what if there was another reason? What if he was actually taking my scent to the newborns in Seattle—so they'd be able to come back and find me?"
Archie had gone very still. He stared back at me, his eyes wide. One minute passed, then two, as he stood where he was, frozen.
At long last, he closed his eyes and slumped slightly, looking abruptly exhausted. "You know what?" he said. "I think you're right. I think that's exactly it." He shook his head. "Why, though? Why would they be after you?"
I let my gaze drop away from his. I didn't want to say his name—the vampire whose sole absorption for the past year had been to murder me in the most brutal way he could find. I knew that Archie had been specifically watching his decisions, and it was probably impossible—but I couldn't push away the instinct in the back of my mind that said otherwise.
However, I figured Archie would tell me I was being paranoid, and somehow, stupidly, I felt like saying it out loud might make it true. And the truth was, whatever the reason and whoever was responsible, there was one bit of relief to be had from this new revelation—I was the target. Not the Cullens. Not Edythe.
Instead I said, "Knowing what their target is has to help somehow."
"Maybe," Archie muttered, looking uncertain. He folded his arms and began pacing back and forth, frowning deeply in thought.
Thud, thud—
I blinked, turning sharply as someone hammered loudly against my door. Archie didn't even react, still frowning and pacing.
"Ready yet, kid?" Charlie called through the door. "We're going to be late!" He sounded edgy. He didn't care for occasions like this, any more than I did.
"I know, just give me a second," I called back.
Charlie must have heard the panic in my voice, because he asked, "Are you okay? You aren't having a breakdown, are you?"
"No," I said, and sounded more like myself with annoyance. "I'll be downstairs in a bit, it's just going to take a minute."
I heard Charlie grumble something at my challenging tone, and heard the clump of his feet as he retreated back downstairs.
When I turned back, I saw Archie at the window.
"Gotta go," he said abruptly. "Right now."
I blinked. "Uh, okay. But why?"
"Edy's going to be here in a minute," he said shortly. "You might not have noticed this, but Edy has just a bit of a tendency to overreact to things like this."
"Right," I said. "Get going then." Edythe did have a bit of a tendency to overreact. In fact, she might just go completely ballistic—and the graduation ceremony didn't exactly seem like the best time or place for that.
In a heartbeat, Archie was gone through the open window, and I turned my attention to getting dressed. I barely saw the buttons as I did them up, and when I slung the loud polyester-yellow graduation robe over my arm and headed downstairs, my mind was still in a fog.
I met Charlie downstairs, and Edythe showed up just a few minutes later. It really wasn't enough time to calm down after my revelation, and Edythe eyed me with concern, but as we were riding to graduation in the cruiser with Charlie, she didn't have a chance to ask what was wrong—my dad had insisted I had to ride with him, given the occasion, and I'd agreed, granted he let me invite Edythe too. He'd acted a bit sulky about that, but hadn't tried to argue.
When we arrived at the school parking lot, we all got out, and Edythe was immediately at my side.
"Are you all right?" she murmured, taking my hand. "You look a little pale." She reached up to touch my forehead.
Before I could answer, Charlie casually sidled in between us, throwing an arm around my shoulders and turning his back to Edythe, effectively ending the conversation. Normally I would have been a bit peeved at my dad's usual deliberate rudeness, but at the moment I was relieved.
"So, graduating," Charlie said gruffly. "Excited?"
I shrugged under his arm. "Not really. Maybe it just hasn't hit me yet."
Charlie chuckled. "Delayed reaction. Don't worry, it will—when you're off to college and living on your own...paying your own bills, doing your own laundry..." He got a bit teary there at the end.
"I already do my own laundry," I pointed out. "And I kept track of the bills for years with Mom."
"That's true," Charlie admitted. "Well—maybe the party then. I'm glad Archie's throwing that thing, a celebration with all your old friends is just the thing to really make it feel real."
"Yeah," I muttered. "Forced socializing. Just what I need."
Charlie chuckled again at my expression.
Charlie had to leave us at the back door of the gym and go around to the main entrance with the rest of the parents. Once again I felt Edythe reach over and take my hand.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, too softly for any of the other students mulling around us to hear. She took my hand once again, and gazed up into my face with concern.
I thought I was a little calmer now, at least enough to trust myself to answer normally. I shrugged. "Just kind of nervous, I guess. Or maybe a lot nervous." It probably helped that it wasn't technically a lie.
Edythe seemed to accept this, and she squeezed my hand again as we went on inside.
It was nothing short of pure chaos as Mr. Cope from the front office and Ms. Varner the math teacher tried to coordinate and get everyone lined up alphabetically. Edythe was sent up toward the front—I noticed Archie wasn't there, and wondered if he was going to skip out on the entire thing—while I headed toward the back. I was behind Jeremy, and I was surprised when he punched me on the shoulder and began talking animatedly as though we were suddenly friends again. I did my best to listen, smiling and nodding occasionally as I shrugged on my canary yellow robes. It was probably just graduation nostalgia, but I was glad to end things on a good note with at least one person I'd fallen out with.
The ceremony seemed to race by, so fast I almost couldn't believe it. First we filed into the gym, and then the next thing I knew Erica, the valedictorian, was making her speech, all the expected platitudes about the future being ahead of us and this being a beginning rather than an end. Then she stepped down, and Principal Greene started calling names for students to receive their diplomas. Mr. Cope struggled to keep up, trying to make sure he got the right diploma to Ms. Greene as she handed them to each student.
At the last possible minute, Archie seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and he casually loped up onto the stage, his face a mask of concentration as he took his diploma and shook hands with Ms. Greene. Edythe was watching him with a slight frown as she followed him up onto the stage, though seemingly more in confusion than agitation.
When I heard Ms. Greene call my name, I stood up from my chair, and waited for the line ahead of me to move. I heard a burst of cheers at the back of the gym and I glanced back. I was startled to see Jules standing next to Charlie, a hand cupped around her mouth as she hollered encouragement. Beside her, I thought I could just make out the top of Bonnie's head. I managed to throw them an approximation of a smile.
Ms. Greene finished reading the last few names, then turned to hand out the last few diplomas. Her normally cool, stern features looked warmer than usual, and I thought I saw a glimmer of a proud tear in her eye.
"Congratulations, Mr. Stanley," she murmured as Jeremy took his diploma.
"Congratulations, Mr. Swan," she said, as she held out my diploma for me to take.
"Thanks," I mumbled back, as my hand closed around it.
And that was it.
I went to stand next to Jeremy with the assembled graduates. I heard some sniffling in the crowd around me, from a few people choked up with emotion.
Ms. Greene said a few last heartfelt words, and then a huge cheer went up from the people around me. Yellow hats rained down around me. I took mine off, too, though a beat too late, so I just let it fall.
Jeremy slapped me on the shoulder and we exchanged congratulations before he took off to talk to Logan. I picked out Becca and Allen from the quickly converging crowd, but they were surrounded by their families, and I decided I would try to catch them later. There would probably be time at the graduation party.
Instead I scanned the crowd, looking for Archie.
"Congratulations," murmured a voice in my ear, and I felt her wintry breath against my cheek. Edythe slipped an arm around my waist. Somehow, she made the neon-yellow robe look ready for the red carpet of a fashion runway.
"Um, thanks," I said, distracted. "You, too."
"Looking for someone?" she asked shrewdly. Apparently my searching wasn't quite as subtle as I meant it to be.
"Archie," I said. "Wasn't he here?"
"He... ran out as soon as he got his diploma." Edythe was frowning again, looking perplexed as her gaze flickered to stare at the back door of the gym.
"Huh," I said.
I'd never been a particularly good liar or good at covering things up, and apparently I couldn't even be trusted to utter single-syllable words, because Edythe's eyes immediately snapped to my face, suspicious.
"Yes," she said in a slow, deliberate voice. "He was acting strange...actually, he was translating the Battle Hymn of the Republic into Arabic. Then it was Korean sign language."
"Huh," I said again, trying my best to sound perplexed. "That's weird."
"Which," Edythe continued, "is the sort of thing he only does if, for some reason, he's trying to hide something from me."
"Wonder what that could be."
Edythe's eyes narrowed. "You know!" she accused.
I considered lying, but there really wasn't much point. "Yeah," I admitted.
Edythe sighed deeply, then raised her eyebrows at me. "Well? What is it, then?"
I hesitated. "I think Archie kind of thought maybe it was better to wait until after the thing at your place."
Edythe folded her arms. "Do you want me to go track down Archie and torture him until he tells me?"
I paused, considering. "That depends. Do you think that would get this whole graduation-party thing canceled?"
Edythe rolled her eyes. "You might as well just tell me," she said. "I'm going to find out sooner or later. What exactly does Archie not want me to know?"
I hesitated a moment longer, then sighed. Edythe did have a right to know, and we wouldn't gain anything if we were keeping secrets all the time from each other. Besides, Archie was really the one throwing the party and the one most psyched up about it, and I figured it would be hard for him to concentrate if he was translating the Battle Hymn of the Republic into every obscure language he knew all night.
"I think he was just worried how you'd take it," I said. "It's something I just thought of, before we came." I added, "Just, you have to promise not to flip out or anything. Okay?"
Edythe eyed me warily. She nodded once.
I quickly outlined my reasoning in a hurried whisper. "See, I don't think it's a coincidence, all these things happening at once. It's one person—one mastermind behind it all, who knows how Archie's vision works and knows how to get around it. Sneaking into my room could have been some kind of test. But more than that, I think they wanted my scent to give to the newborns, so they'll be able to find me. I think I've been their real target all—all along..."
I faltered slightly. Edythe's face had gone white, and she stood where she was, frozen.
I gathered myself, and forced myself to go on. "But, this has to help somehow. Knowing what they're really after. And if I'm right, the good news is—they're not after all of you after all. You're in the clear."
Edythe stared up at me. Like Archie, she saw immediately my theory made all too much sense. She didn't move, her eyes wide with panic, her face a mask of horror.
I was starting to think now hadn't been the best time to tell her.
Just then, Charlie appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He somehow managed to slip in between me and Edythe, once again throwing an arm around my shoulders and turning to shut her out.
"Congratulations, kid!" he shouted over the noise of the crowd.
"Thanks," I answered, managing a tense smile. I was a bit preoccupied. Edythe's eyes were wild, and she had both hands half raised, as though ready to seize me by the collar and take off with me right then.
Edythe and Archie had played the threat of the newborns off as something they were confident they could take care of, in spite of Jessamine's gloomy, dire predictions. But now it was clear that had all been for my benefit—Archie had been right to try to keep this from Edythe as long as he could.
Charlie shook my shoulder with unusual affection, bringing my attention back to the present. "Julie and Bonnie had to take off—you see they were here? Really nice of them to come out."
"Yeah," I said, making an effort to look at him. "I saw them. Yeah...nice." I tried not to look at Edythe, who was still frozen in horrified shock. Fortunately Charlie had his back to her, and didn't see her expression.
Charlie must have noticed the distraction in my reply, because his tone was bracing as he said, "Don't worry, I know it's a lot to take in. But you've passed a milestone today, and it gets better from here, trust me."
"Um, yeah," I said, glad my dad was finding his own interpretation of my strange behavior, and that he was still ignoring Edythe—Especially as her expression had just gone from one of terrified paralysis to murder.
"So where do you want to go out for dinner?" Charlie asked. "The sky's the limit."
I shrugged vaguely. "I can cook."
Charlie shook his head. "Not today—today you get a break." His face suddenly lit up. "What do you think of going to the Lodge?"
Charlie's favorite restaurant wasn't really my thing, but I figured it was okay, if it would make him happy. I wasn't really hungry anyway.
"Sure," I said. "Let's go."
Charlie sighed and, and with obvious reluctance, half turned toward Edythe. Without really looking at her he asked, "You coming, too, Edythe?"
There was a pause, and Edythe barely managed to assume a more human expression as Charlie turned to look, to see why he hadn't gotten a response yet.
"No thank you," she said in a low voice, and though it was quiet, there was no mistaking the sudden edge of hostility.
Edythe was always flawlessly polite no matter how Charlie acted toward her, and he seemed taken aback by her demeanor. "Do you...have plans with your parents?" he asked, looking uncertain.
"Yes," she answered stiffly. "Please excuse me." She turned abruptly and stalked away through the dwindling crowd, moving just a bit too fast.
"Was it something I said?" Charlie asked, looking guilty.
I shook my head. "Probably just emotional...you know, it is graduation."
"You two aren't fighting, are you?" He sounded almost hopeful.
"No," I said, annoyed. "Come on, let's go."
The Lodge was crowded and noisy, filled with other graduates and their families. Charlie got prime rib and talked over the back of his seat to Taylor Crowley's parents, while I picked at a burger and stared morosely at a depressed-looking stuffed elk head.
I didn't turn around to look out the window, but I knew Edythe would be out there, watching me. I doubt she'd let me alone for a second after this.
When Charlie got his change back and put a tip on the table, I stood up, hoping he would catch the drift that it was time to go.
"The party doesn't start yet, does it?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I thought maybe I should help Archie get things set up. It is kind of my graduation party, too."
Charlie looked happy at that. "Good to see you taking ownership. I thought you were dreading it like the plague."
"I am," I said. "Doesn't mean I can't be responsible."
While Charlie turned around to bid a final goodnight and congratulate the other graduates, I headed out to wait by the cruiser.
It was almost dark in the parking lot, the gray blanket of clouds overhead making it impossible to tell if the sun had set or not. The air felt heavy, like it was about to rain. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady myself.
Something moved in the shadows and I jerked, then relaxed when I saw who it was.
Wordlessly Edythe took my hand and gripped it tightly, then briefly pressed her face to my chest, breathing in my scent. She pulled back a moment later, though she kept a firm hold on my hand.
"Feeling better now?" I asked, keeping my voice low so no one inside would hear.
Edythe shook her head. "Not particularly. But I think I have a handle on myself again."
"Sorry for springing it on you like that," I said. "Archie was right, I should have waited."
Edythe shook her head vigorously. "It's something I needed to know. It's so hard to believe we didn't make the connection before now—I suppose sometimes the most obvious answer can turn out to be the most difficult to see."
Her eyes had grown distant but they suddenly sharpened. "Charlie's on his way," she said in a low voice. "He's dropping you off at my house next—don't worry, I'll be right behind you the entire way."
I opened my mouth to reply, but she was suddenly gone, and I heard Charlie's voice call from the doorway of the restaurant, "Beau?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
Charlie shook his head and muttered something about impatience, then came on out. We both got into the car, and he started out.
We drove for a few minutes in silence before Charlie started off the conversation. "How do you feel?" he asked. "It's a lot to take in, I know."
I shrugged. "Okay, I guess."
Charlie chuckled and saw through my careful show of nonchalance. "Still dreading the thing at the Cullens?"
I nodded. "Maybe a bit." Though honestly, of the things I was dreading, that was probably the least threatening.
We went on a minute more in silence before Charlie suddenly sighed deeply. "You know, sometimes I think I haven't always done everything I should. As your father, I mean."
I blinked, surprised at this sudden turn in the conversation. I glanced at him, then turned my eyes carefully back the road. Not knowing quite what to say, I asked, "Like what?"
Charlie shrugged, hand still on the steering wheel. "For one thing, I didn't get you a graduation present."
"You dressed up and came to my graduation, didn't you? That was a pretty big sacrifice."
I was aiming for drawing out a laugh, but if anything, he seemed more gloomy than before.
"Some kids get their own cars when they graduate," he muttered.
"You already got me my truck back when I first came to Forks," I pointed out. "So in a way, you're already ahead of the game."
"Maybe a newer car, then," he muttered. "I got that one off a friend...It didn't cost that much..."
I wasn't used to having this kind of conversation with Charlie of all people, and the only thing I could think of to say was the truth. "Look, Dad, I appreciate the thought, but—seriously, I like my truck. I already have too many people in my life who'd force a new car on me if I let them without you starting up, too."
Charlie regarded me for a second, curiosity finally shaking him from his somber mood. "Has Edythe offered to buy you a new car?"
"I'm just saying if I'd wanted something particular for graduation, I would have told you," I said, evading the question.
Charlie seemed to take that as a yes and was silent a minute, digesting that.
When he finally turned to me, he was smiling, in an unusually fatherly way. "You know, I'm proud of you, kid."
I felt my ears going red. "What brought that on all of a sudden?"
Maybe the air was still just thick with post-graduation emotionalism, but Charlie didn't seem embarrassed. "I know the Cullens are pretty well off and a lot of kids your age in your position might be tempted to take advantage of it. But maybe that's part of why she likes you so much. I'll give Edythe one thing—she has good taste."
I rolled my eyes. "I thought you were on Jules's sides."
Charlie grinned back. "No matter whose side I'm on, I can always appreciate anyone who appreciates my son."
It was a bit corny, and I was a little embarrassed now, especially since I knew Edythe was probably close enough that she could hear the conversation.
However, I let myself smile just a bit and muttered, "Thanks, Dad."
I could tell the meaningful, father-son post-graduation talk was over because we drove a minute in silence before Charlie said, "Where's the turnoff again? They really ought to clear out their drive, it's impossible to find in the dark."
"Just around the next bend, I think." I was just beginning to entertain the happy thought that maybe no one would be able to find the Cullens' house—hence, meaning no party—when we came around the bend and I saw the place where the turnoff was. My tentative hopes were instantly, cruelly dashed.
A giant light sign had been erected, the kind you usually only see at baseball games. The sign flashed the words Welcome then switched to an arrow, pointing in the direction of the drive.
"Wow," Charlie said, mouth agape, impressed.
As we turned onto the drive, I saw lights had been hung from the trees at twenty-foot intervals—upon closer inspection, I saw the lights were Japanese-style lanterns. The incongruousness of the light sign and the Oriental lanterns seemed to be a calculated style of rebellion against typical norms of taste, and I could only stare incredulously as we continued on down the drive, and I saw lanterns strung all the way—all three miles.
"That kid never does things partway," Charlie muttered.
Charlie pulled up around front, and as I climbed out, he called after me, "Have fun."
"I'll try," I muttered. "You know, you could come if you want. Just to make sure things don't get too wild."
Charlie glanced once at the house, where soon most likely multi-colored lights would be flashing and loud music would be pumping from amplifiers. He shuddered once, then turned back to me. "No, I think I'll leave it to you this time. I trust you."
"Thanks a lot," I muttered.
He shot me a bit of a grin, then rolled up the window.
I watched him pull away, the cruiser moving a little faster than normal as he turned around and headed back up the drive, as though eager to be away. In a moment, the car had disappeared into the trees.
Sighing deeply, I turned and headed reluctantly up the porch steps, all the while wondering why, when I now knew there was an army of murderous vampires after me, I couldn't seem to find a little more perspective.