Summer, 1995
Moving was an integral part of young Edward Cullen's life. He was only eight years old, but had already been in more places than he could count on his fingers. His family (made up of a father, mother and menacing older sister unit) usually took to living in apartment buildings. The only time he had been inside real houses were when he visited his temporary friends.
So it was pretty obvious that he wasn't used to living in a permanent home in a permanent town where his stay was most likely permanent.
His father, Carlisle Cullen, had gotten a job at the local hospital that had an excellent salary. Edward's mother, Esme Cullen, practically drooled over the idea of owning her own home to decorate and to invite her silly, chattering friends to.
Edward was livid. He craved change in his life, even though he was only eight and his life hadn't even begun to start. In the family station wagon on the way to their new home Edward made a decision. He would stay in his room forever, only coming out for meals and a trip to the bathroom.
Carlisle pulled into the driveway with ease. The house was a tidy split level on a cul-de-sac where children played double-dutch and hopscotch. Some of the children became interested when they saw the family clamber out of the car. Edward remained strapped in, his arms folded firmly across his chest.
"Don't be like that, dear," Esme said, a warm smile on her face. She went to go unbuckle her son, but he wiggled out of her grip.
"You're such a baby," Alice, his older sister, teased him. "Aren't you excited about the house?"
"I don't want to live in a house," Edward snapped.
"Yes you do," Alice replied. "You have to because I'm older and what I say goes. Alright?"
Esme looked like she was about to cry. She was an overly emotional person. Somehow it didn't drive her husband crazy. Carlisle wrapped a reassuring arm around Esme and smiled.
"How about we go inside," he said. "Edward will come in when he wants to."
Esme nodded wordlessly as Carlisle ushered her up the stone steps toward the house. Alice rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her younger brother.
"Baby!"
She laughed and ran up the stairs after Carlisle and Esme. Edward stared up at the house like it was Death itself. Maybe he could skip the entire staying-in-room-forever plan and just live in the backseat.
A few meters away, an eight year old Jessica Stanley was cracking her cotton candy flavored gum while she watched her friends racing bikes around the cul-de-sac. Most of her friends had learned to ride without the use of training wheels except for Mike Newton. Naturally he was teased at every given moment.
"Only wimps ride with training wheels," Eric Yorkie said as he attempted to pop a wheelie. The front wheel slightly lifted off the asphalt which gave him some sort of rise.
"My dad hasn't had time to teach me yet," Mike said, flushing the same shade as Jessica's polka dotted sundress.
"I don't want to be seen with a baby on training wheels," Jessica said. She blew a large bubble and popped it with her fake press on nails.
Mike opened his mouth to protest when Lauren Mallory cut him off. "Jess, you don't even have a bike."
"So?" Jessica rolled her eyes.
She got annoyed at Lauren easily. Mostly because she was jealous of how many Barbie dolls she owned. Jessica's mom only let her have three. She didn't even own a Ken! Who would Barbie take on picnics or to the movies?
"Just you guys wait!" Mike said. "I'll learn how to ride without training wheels and be awesome! Then you won't be able to make fun of me anymore!"
Mike was scrawny and as short as his temper. His mother was a paranoid mess who constantly doted on him and washed dirt off his face with her Mom Spit. Jessica was sure that she would have plenty to tease Mike about in the future.
Lauren shielded her eyes from the sun. She was looking in the direction of the house across the street. The same house that had been on the market for ages. The FOR SALE sign was now covered with a sticker that read SOLD! A grubby station wagon was parked in the driveway, one of the passenger doors opened.
"Hey you guys," Lauren said, pointing. "Look over there."
"What?" Mike asked,
"Looks like Jess is getting a new neighbor," Lauren said.
Jessica stood up from her spot on Eric's front lawn to get a better view. Her eyes widened behind her posh movie star sunglasses.
"Do you think they have a kid?" she asked.
"I hope it's a boy," Eric said. He turned toward Mike and sneered, "I'm getting sick of all these girls around."
"Shuddup!" Mike exclaimed. He lunged at Eric who promptly pedaled away at top speed.
"We need to get over there and check it out," Lauren said, placing both hands on her skinny hips.
"I'm not going over there." Mike shook his head. "I hate new people."
"Baby, baby!" Lauren sang.
Mike punched Lauren in the shoulder. From where Jessica was standing it didn't look that fatal (Mike Newton's punches were notoriously harmless), but Lauren fell to the sidewalk, writhing in agony.
"Ow!" she wailed so loud the whole neighborhood could hear her. "Mike! You hit me! Why did you do that?"
Fat alligator tears spilled out of Lauren's eyes as she rolled around the ground. Mike stared at his fist like it was the bio-weapon that helped caused the apocalypse. He turned to Jessica, tears welling up in his eyes too.
"Don't tell, Jess!" he shouted over Lauren's wails.
"Lauren's faking it," Jessica said, kicking Lauren in the butt. "Shut up, Lauren! Gosh!"
She continued crying until Mrs. Yorkie came out of her house to see what all the ruckus was about. She saw Lauren in "pain" and rushed over to aid her.
"What happened here?" she asked, her dark eyes glinting. It was no secret that Mrs. Yorkie was the strictest mom on the cul-de-sac. The woman had eyes in the back of her head. She would ground everyone if she had the chance.
"M – Mike p – punched me!" Lauren choked out.
Mrs. Yorkie glared at Mike. He flinched under her almighty gaze.
"Young man!" This was how her usual speals began. "I'm going to call your mother this instant. We do not play rough around her, young man, not at all. Now apologize to Lauren."
Mike would have rather ate his own foot. He muttered out something that sounded like an apology, but the Yorkie wasn't having it. She just kept yapping until Mike burst into real tears of his own. Tears didn't faze the Yorkie.
Jessica decided to get out of that mess while she could. If the Yorkie spotted her she would no doubt be tagged an assailant in the crime. Her mother was stressed out enough at it was without the Yorkie barking in her ear.
Jess stole across the street to her house. She was about to slip inside when she noticed that there was someone sitting in the car parked in the neighbor's driveway. It was a kid around her age. A boy with messy auburn hair, a pained expression and both feet planted firmly on the seat in front of him. He looked like a statue.
Jessica adjusted her movie star glasses and blew a bubble for good luck.
She approached the car cautiously so the statue boy wouldn't see her coming. She was planning to surprise him. He looked like he could use a good scare.
Jessica pressed herself up against the car waiting for the exact moment. She counted in her head 1…2…3…
"BOO!"
Jessica jumped at the statue boy, her hands up above her head and her mouth wide open so her gum was visible.
The boy didn't even bat an eyelash. He stared at her blankly.
Jessica's arms returned to her sides. Her shoulders slumped and she chomped her gum, irritated.
"What gives?" she asked. "You weren't even scared."
"Who are you?"
Jessica's smile brightened. She placed one hand on her hip and jerked her thumb at herself. "I'm Jessica Ruth Stanley. I'm eight years old and my favorite color is Tickle Me Pink. I live next door."
The boy wasn't amused by her adorable introduction. He continued to stare at her.
"Now you're supposed to say what your name is."
The boy turned his head away from her.
He must have been from a different planet. One of those aliens her brother read about in comic books. The aliens usually had pale green skin and multiple eyes. Sometimes they disguised themselves as humans so they could study their race.
Jessica climbed over the boy so she could sit next to him. She then began to poke him in the shoulder.
"What are you doing?" he asked becoming nervous now.
"Probing you," she replied simply. "To see if you're an alien."
The boy grabbed her finger. "I'm not an alien. I'm a person."
"People have names," Jessica said, returning her hands to her lap.
"Edward," the boy sighed.
"What's your favorite color?"
"I don't have one."
"Everyone has a favorite color."
"Well I don't."
Jessica reached out and pinched Edward's arm.
"Grey."
"That's boring!" Jessica exclaimed. "No one uses smoky grey when they color in their coloring books!"
Edward was becoming exasperated with this girl. He didn't like her attitude or the way she looked.
Her frizzy brunette locks were tied into pigtails with pink ribbons. She was wearing an obnoxious polka dot dress and multi-colored bangles on her wrists. Her fingers were adorned with long, plastic nails with flowers painted on them. He never saw a girl dressed as annoyingly as her.
"Green." Edward said the first color that popped into his head.
Jessica tapped her chin thoughtfully. "But what sort of green? They're a lot of different kinds of green."
He never wanted to hit a girl more than he wanted to at that moment. He was even nice around his own sister (granted she could take him in a fight).
"I like Sea Green," Jessica said, dreamily.
"Well, look at this!"
Esme was looking at the two kids sitting next to each other in the station wagon. Edward's eyes were pleading, telling his mother to save him from this crazy girl. Jessica took off her sunglasses and flashed Esme a dazzling smile.
"I'm Jessica Stanley." She stuck out her hand for Esme to shake. Esme laughed politely and shook the little girl's hand. "I live next door. I was just getting to know Eddie."
Eddie?
"How nice," Esme said. She turned toward her son. "Looks like you've already found yourself a cute little friend, Edward." She ruffled his hair.
"Jessica!" a woman's voice called out. "Jessica Stanley where are you?"
Jessica quickly scrambled out of the car, elbowing Edward in the eye in the process. She shook Esme's hand again before skipping over to her mother.
"Why did Mrs. Yorkie call me just now screaming?" the older woman asked in a tired voice,
"No idea," Jessica said innocently before disappearing indoors.
Edward stared off into the distance regretting his last minute choice of the backseat.
A/N: So one day I get the idea to right a multi-fic Ed/Jess. My brain goes "Hey dude this is a good idea!" So here is the first chapter! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading my strange brain alien.