Disclaimer: I don't own anything (except the plot). I don't even own Stephanie. She owns herself.
A/N: Ok so this is my first fanficition that I've posted so I needed reviews. Tell what you like, don't like, absolutely hate, ideas, anything. And bring on the criticism because I'm still learning and criticism, though painfully true at times, can help… or it can just waste your time, but anyways… So, yeah. I've had a lot of criticism and can mostly take just about anything. So write it nicely or very cruelly, what ever floats your boat. Enjoy and review. (That's a command, by the way)!
A not so quiet arrivalStephanie grabbed her duffle bag and slammed the back door of her white camery shut. Hefting the bag on to her shoulder she breathed in the familiar scent that accompanied the quiet suburbia. The old houses were once colored with pastel colors that accompanied the short-lived fad. She knew from the old picture album her grandmother, Kim, owned. But like the 80's leg warmers and poofy hair passed on, so did the colors of the neighborhood. Deep reds and bright yellows and an occasional gray, now accommodating the new trend, boasted loudly from street to street beckoning passers to turn an eye and pay attention to how brightly painted they were.
That's what this whole town was about, everyone unconsciously trying to outdo one another. Or, at least, that's what Stephanie perceived of it. And although she didn't live there, she had visited enough over her seventeen years to know what a competitive and responsive place it was. And she loved it. Everyone knew each other and each other's third cousin, and even though gossip traveled quicker that way, she couldn't help being fond of every one's knowledge of the town inside and out. Of course if she were on the other side of the gossip she might not like it so much.
She 'd had a long, late drive and the cold crisp air was biting playfully at her nose so she hurried as fast as her stiff legs would carry her to her grandma's front door. Oh please, she thought as she knocked rapidly on the hard door, please, please, please be awake! She waited several minutes without an answer. And… she's not awake, she concluded. She bit her bottom lip as she tried to think. She knew her grandmother would not wake up, that's for sure. In the past few years her grandma had taken to sleeping deeply and snoring even deeper. So, that left breaking in and… breaking in. And, unfortunately, she didn't think the neighbors would take to kindly to that.
With a sudden thought, a less dangerous and a less reputation damaging thought, she stiffly tiptoed through the back gate and to the corner of the house where her grandmother's window was. Attempting to peer through the closed curtains her numb knuckles rapped quietly on the cold glass. "Grandma? Grandma!" she hissed through her teeth, still tapping on the encasement. Should she try to open it? She didn't think her grandma was the type to leave anything unlocked, but it was worth a try, anything to get out of this cold.
Setting the duffle bag down she grabbed one side of the window (hopeing it would be the right side) and tugged at it with her almost useless fingers. It was relentless. Grunting and groaning she finally let go when her hands slipped painfully from the freezing edge. "Ow," she squeaked holding her hands tightly together. Nope not the window. There must be another way…
As the pain dulled she crept quickly around the back corner of the house hoping that the back door was open. In her hurry to get inside and out of the darkness, she tripped over a lawn chair on the back patio and fell forward. As she bit her lit so she wouldn't scream the chair collapsed under her weight and she hit her head on the corner of the card table her grandmother, for some stupid reason, kept out back. "Ooooh," she whimpered placing a finger softly on the soon to be goose egg.
Still entangled in the lawn chair she stood up with difficulty, untangled herself, and hobbled towards the back door. Forget about reputation damage, she'd be lucky if she made it the house without dying! Thinking about how her head and her ankle felt ( she was sure it was broken) she happened to tread on something soft.
A piercing yowl and a startled scream broke the crisp night air. Stephanie landed painfully on her backside and the upset cat dashed out into the dim night, but not with out leaving its' claw marks on her leg. "Stupid cat!" she shrieked in frustration and pulled herself from off the ground. "Grandma!" she yelled pounding her fists on the sliding glass door, " Gosh dangit, Grandma! Wake up and open this door!"
The neighbors to the right side of the houses' lights tuned on and a cautious, frowning man appeared rapping a pin stripped robe around his robust middle aged body. He peered around his yard and then over the fence finally spotting Stephanie.
" Hey Mr. Davis," she said trying to give a casual laugh and wave, " I…uh, lovely night out." The man's frown intensified and Stephanie gulped involuntarily.
"Grandma!" she cried pounding on the door more fiercely and closing her eyes, "Grandma, Grandma, Grandma! Open this do-"
Her plea for entry stopped as the door suddenly fell away from her and she fell on her face into the house. " Oh, gosh could it get any worse?" she mumbled.
"Stephanie, honey? Is that you?" she heard her grandma ask some where above her.
"Yeah, grandma its me," she said not even trying to get off the floor. Two frail hands on her arm with a " Well, honey, get up off the floor" attempted to pull her up with their own strength. Sighing, Stephanie pushed her body into an upward position and, with trouble, stood up. Dizziness over came her and she had to blink several times before it left.
"What happened to you, child?" asked her grandma as she placed a feeble hand to her granddaughter's forehead. Stephanie sucked in air between her teeth and winced as the pain in her brow returned at the slight pressure. "Oh, oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart," grandma said withdrawing her hand.
" No, no its ok, Grandma," Stephanie said feeling the growing bump herself, "its just a little wound I retrieved while trying to concur your backyard."
Her grandma gave her a strange look, " Oh… alright dear. Come into the kitchen and I'll get you some ice for it," she smiled and patted Stephanie's hand as she started walking to the kitchen in the next room.
" And for my ankle please," Stephanie added closing the door and limping behind her. They entered the small and outdated kitchen, her grandma turned on the light and pulled out a chair for her to sit on, " Have a seat Steph," she said proceeding to the refrigerator.
Stephanie slumped down gratefully in the offered chair. Her grandma returned with two cold packs of frozen peas, set them on the table "I'm out of ice," she said, pulled out a chair for herself and sat down. Stephanie tiredly reached for the two packs and continued to put them on her swelling injuries all the while her grandma was giving her an expectant look. Stephanie looked up after placing the frozen peas on her ankle, " What?"
"Well, aren't you going to tell me what happened?"
"Oh, right," she said as if she had forgotten, "Well, Grandma, I tried to get in through the back door and tripped a couple of times and, yeah," she said simply, too tired to go into any detail.
"Why didn't you knock?"
" I was afraid you were asleep, Grandma, and I didn't want to disturb you," she lied.
"Oh, well honey, you should have anyways. I'm a very light sleeper you know."
" Yeah, Grandma, I know," Stephanie chuckled to herself.
Later that night, or rather morning ( she found out she had arrived around 2:00), after she had retrieved her duffle from outside and settled into her usual room, she undressed silently into her pajamas. She was exhausted and sore from the extensive drive and the events outside. Before climbing into bed she happened to look out the window and see pure white flakes of snow drifting down noiselessly (which snow often does) on to the ground. " Edward's awake," she noted quietly to herself and climbed in bed. Sleep overtook her before she hit the pillow.
So… what'd ya think? And don't worry, you'll get loads more Edward in the future. I didn't want to have her arrive at her grandma's, decide to go up to the mansion, and fall in love with Edward all in two paragraphs like some people do. It all seems so rushed to me, but that's just me. I'm not trying to put anyone down. And I also need some ideas about why she's going up there, to the mansion. I kinda want it to be realistic. Because, if you think about it she's had about ten years to go and explore that mansion, so why hasn't she gone yet? She's not just spontaneously going to decide to go up there because its looks interesting. Any ideas? Pleeeeease tell me them! Sorry, this is kinda long, but please review! Thanks!
