I've known Edward Cullen all my life.
Ironically, it's not a two-way system. Not that I'm loosing any sleep over it.
Even as a kindergardener, you could tell by the way he petulantly slammed his spade into his sandcastle and folded his arms stubbornly, that he was going to be a difficult child. Even then teachers and students alike couldn't help turning to face him when he lisped his "S's", like sunflowers seeking out the sun.
He had the whole population hooked and he knew it. As infancy gave itself way into childhood, his schemes of drawing attention grew more elaborate and vile. Instead of throwing temper tantrums, he resorted to making other people throw temper tantrums instead. And who should he happen to pick out as his first victim? Yeah, that's right. ME.
To be fair, I don't think he chose me specially. I just can't picture him as a six-year-old sticking pins into voodoo dolls that eerily looked like me. I shouldn't be so flattered. Back then, it just seemed the luck of the draw, that it was me who had to stay behind at lunchtime and hone my ABC with my energetic teacher of bright smiles and happiness.
"Now come on Bella," my teacher cooed. "That's it....say Aah...."
"A?" I blinked back owlishly, wondering why the hell she wanted me to spell it phonetically.
"Oooh good, Bella! Very well done!" she gasped, clapping her hands in glee. "Now say Beh..."
"B?" I inquired. Apparently the teacher still hadn't got the grasp that I knew the alphabet inside out, without resorting to phonetics. The resulting screech of happiness had me cowering into my seat as my hands subconsciously held out to clutch my teddy bear, still lying on my bed at home.
A cough from the doorway, had both of us craning our necks to peer behind us, waiting to see our interrupter. It came in the form of Edward Cullen, looking rather poorly as he coughed yet another pitiful attempt. "Miss..." he whispered.
"Yes Edward?" Miss Fremantle prompted, her eyes nearly bugging out in concern.
"I feel ill, miss....I wanna go home...."
Miss Fremantle was worried now. She chose to abandon me by the desk and went over to Edward, kneeling down so she could feel his temperature with the back of her hand. "Oh dear..." she fretted, "Your burning up...We need to pay a visit to the medical office, come on now Edward..." She got to her feet, reaching out to take him by his hand but at the last minute seemed to remember leaving a school child be herself in a classroom was not a good idea.
"Come on then, Bella. Let's take Edward to the medical office!"
She made it sound like we were going to the zoo. Her voice dipping just at the right levels to make the adventure sound exciting and dangerous. And what six-year-old wouldn't want to be a part of that? I jumped up, my pigtails bobbing and rushed over to Miss Fremantle's side, taking up her spare hand. Immediately, I chose to suck my thumb of my other hand in content as Mrs Fremantle squeezed my hand reassuringly.
Obviously Edward didn't like that. He didn't like that at all. So what did he choose to go and do? Why stick his pinkish tongue out at me and make his eyes go all cross-eyed, of course. And then he held Mrs Fremantle's hand even tighter and looked up at her with a dopey little grin.
I realised what he was trying to do, the moment Mrs Fremantle let go of my hand to hold both of his. By the end of it Edward was walking backwards from Mrs Fremantle ,holding both her hands and Miss Fremantle wasn't doing anything to resist.
It was then I came to the ephihany that Edward was the Devil. I didn't know about the Devil much, besides what I heard in Sunday mass, but what I'd gleaned out was that he was a bad, bad man who tempted good people with his wicked ways. Clearly that was what was going on here. Edward was tempting Miss Fremantle to caring about him.
I hated it. So much so that I ran to the side of my teacher and waited till his eyes flashed over to mine.
And then stuck out my tongue.
It was a cheap retaliation, but the only thing my simple mind could come up with. This surprised him and Edward stumbled slightly, his tiny steps suddenly all out of sync with Miss Fremantle. To compensate, he back-pedaled even harder to avoid Miss Fremantle stepping on his toes but the action went too far and he fell straight down, his small hands slipping straight out of my teacher's.
I was beyond elated. Ecstatic even. I began grinning foolishly as Edward blinked from the ground, looking ready to cry. I was so out of it, I didn't even notice Edward snitching on me until Miss Fremantle rounded sharply on me and demanded, "Is it true, Bella? Did you cause Edward to fall?"
I shook my head mutely, but wasn't clever enough to hide my feelings of jubilation just as fast. Instead Miss Fremantle caught my lopsided grin and she frowned whilst Edward watched with a wicked glint in his eye.
"You're in trouble," he mouthed and that did it. My slight body began shaking with rage and all I could see was red. I flew at him, ready to claw his eyes and ears out, and even if I was lucky his stupid smile. Not knowing that the consequent event that I will inadvertently cause will be the trigger for the Edward Cullen to develop his freakish nostalgia on pissing people off.
How I wish I could turn back the time and re-write everything again.
