I HADN'T SLEPT in days. Actually, it was more like 36 hours, but once I hit the 24-hour mark, I couldn't distinguish hours from days. It was Sunday, meaning that I'd be taking final exams the following day, and I wanted to be prepared. So prepared, in fact, that I had gone to extremes to make sure the material was permanently ingrained in my mind. I sat at the kitchen table with a mess of books that would have been half my height if stacked on top of one another. The meals—if you could call them that—of the past day were scattered around me, half eaten. When the growling of my stomach became too loud to ignore, I'd stumble my way to the fridge, my nose in a textbook, and manage to waddle back with something to last me. Every time I'd consume half before my notes would consume me and I'd forget what I was eating. A cup of lukewarm coffee sat beside me, haunting me with its burnt scent. I reached over and pushed the mug further away from me. To me, coffee was nothing less than disgustingly flavored bitter water. When bodily needs of sleep grew too strong, I'd force myself to down a cup and keep working. This inconveniently resulted in shaky hands and a light head, but it kept me going. The system was flawed, but it worked well enough. I could live through a few groggy and anxious days if it meant good grades.
BBBBRRRRRRNNNGGGG!!!
The sound shot through the silence like a bullet. In my less-than-healthy state, I jumped a good two feet into the air and nearly tumbled off my chair. With a death-grip on the table, I fought to catch my breath while I made sense of what had just happened. I felt horribly embarrassed when I realized it was just the telephone.
BBBRRRRNNNGGG!!! it sounded again. The noise didn't seem quite so loud this time but my senses were too numbed from the first scare to fully react. For a moment, I contemplated getting up to answer it. The idea was quickly denied and I returned my focus to my studies. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was Alice, begging me to get out of the house and entertain her.
"You've been in all weekend!" she had whined when I answered the first time. "You need a break. C'mon, let's do something, my treat." Her voice was so beautifully alluring that I had the hardest time telling her "no." In actuality, I made circles around the hard answer, giving multiple excuses and apologizing at least four times. She was impossible to reject, and I hated doing it. This was why I refused to answer the next time she called. And the next time she called. And the time after that.
BBBRRRRNNNGGG!!! it continued to buzz. I gritted my teeth. It was just a quarter past noon and this was the seventh time she called. I supposed Alice figured that eventually I'd give in, too frustrated with the constant disturbances to let it continue. In my dreary state, my patience was wearing thin. I eyed the phone and half-wished that I could will it to stop.
BBBRRRRNNNGGG!!! With a loud, irritated groan, I loudly pushed my chair back, stood and dragged my feet to the phone. I yanked the annoying object off its place on the wall and pressed it to my ear.
"Hello," I frowned. They say that when you answer a phone, you should smile because they'll be able to hear the smile in your voice. I secretly hoped that it worked with expressions other than smiles.
"Bella!" a harmonious voice came through the mouthpiece. I had to constantly remind myself to be angry, irritated and unwilling. With Alice, it was far too easy to be persuaded. "Why didn't you pick up? I've been calling all morning."
"I heard," I mumbled in response. "Alice, you know I'm studying. I can't do anything to-"
"You deserve a break. Have you had lunch yet? I know a great place, we should go," she chimed. I snorted a chuckle at the ironic statement. It felt odd to take restaurant suggestions from one who hadn't had that kind of meal in years.
"Yeah, I ate already," I replied, glancing to the half-eaten apple on the kitchen table that was already starting to brown. "Sorry. Maybe next weekend." Even still, I couldn't get myself to say the world "no" to her.
"Bellaaa," she whined. "I know you've been depriving yourself of a real night's rest and decent meal. It's not healthy. All I want is one hour or so."
"Sorry," I repeated myself. "I'll see you Monday at school. Good bye." I shoved the phone back into the console before she could get out another word. Of course I felt guilty for hanging up on her, but I knew that if I kept arguing the point, she'd eventually convince me into going and I couldn't let that happen. I waddled back to my bottom-imprinted chair and picked up the books again. When a yawn escaped my mouth, I forced down another gulp of coffee. The scent of paper, cold food and stale coffee wafted past me and I crinkled up my nose in response but kept working.
This wasn't my usual study habit. I liked to consider myself a good student, always keeping up with my work. Those good habits had steadily decreased as I found myself spending more and more time with Edward and less and less time with my schoolwork. There were plenty of dates to worry about, and in the mess, the exam day sort of faded into the background. I had a frightening revelation when it was brought back to my attention two days before, on Friday. In one weekend, I'd have to learn weeks worth of lessons that I had slept-walk through the first time it was presented to me. Not only that, but I couldn't study it just enough to slide by. I needed to have it down pact, so that I could pass those wicked tests with flying colors. The last thing I needed was the accusation of failing because of this wedding. I had to prove to everyone—mostly Mom and Charlie—that this wedding wasn't going to change my life in any negative ways. I inhaled deeply and began scribbling away review guide answers in a penmanship that was near chicken scratch.
Occasionally, my mind would wander. It was tempting to think about more interesting subjects and just about any subject was more interesting. My thoughts frequently drifted to the coming Friday—graduation. However, it wasn't the idea of running around in uncomfortable robes with sobbing friends and family that appealed to me. No, it was something more. Graduation meant that I was that much closer to joining Edward in his being. That idea alone was enough to daydream a whole day away. Even still, there was more to think about. Strange circumstance let Edward's birthday and graduation fall on the same day, the 20th of June. I humored myself in thinking that I could do something special for him in a meager attempt to compensate for all he'd done to celebrate my birthday. It was a tricky situation. I would have liked to have help from the rest of Cullen family (particularly Alice) but I also wanted it to be a surprise. How could I possibly keep a surprise from someone who read thoughts? I had to keep this particular thought to myself and to myself only.
By the time I written halfway down the page, my hand started to protest by cramping up. I grumbled, dropped the pen and stretched my hand in slow, strained motions. I tried to shake it off but my wrist ached in response. It was as though every fiber of my being was protesting this. I heaved a sigh. I was down seven questions out of thirty-two and I had already picked up on the pattern of increasingly harder questions as they went down the page. I sighed again.
From the front of the house came a faint sound of the door hinges as they were forced open. It was so soft that I hardly heard it at all. Almost instantly I looked over my shoulder in search of the culprit of the sound. Unfortunately, I couldn't see past the corner of kitchen wall that obstructed my view. I paused and listened intently. There was complete silence. I shrugged the sound off as an overactive and exhausted imagination and turned back to my work. Moments later, I heard the complementary sound of the door closing in the frame. Again, it was faint but just slightly noticeable.
"Charlie?" I called. The station had called hours earlier and asked him to come in to cover for an officer who was home sick. I think he was anxious to leave, as though my unhealthy obsession with studying was making him uneasy. I titled back my chair to its hind legs in an attempt to see around the wall. Quickly, I returned the chair to all four legs before I could fall and hurt myself. "Charlie, are you home?" There was no answer and no sound to confirm my assumption. That fact led me to another idea.
"Edward?" I asked, still trying to look to the front door without having to get up. Still no answer. My brow furrowed in confusion and I sat up straight on instinct. I couldn't decide what idea I was more comfortable with; someone wandering in my house or my hallucinating the entire event. I reached for the coffee and took another sip in hopes that the bitter taste would wake up my senses enough to confirm that I wasn't asleep and dreaming. When I placed the porcelain mug back on the table, I could have sworn that the dull "thud" nearly covered up the sound of a footstep. No I told myself. This is silly. I'm just tired, that's all. I shook my head in a physical representation of shaking away the bad ideas and turned back to the table. I almost made it through another question before an icy hand clamped around my mouth.
It took a second for me to process the information and react. Impulse heaved a scream past my mouth but it didn't amount to more than a muffled whimper. My humorous, delayed reaction made my captor snicker softly. The laugh caused another extreme reaction in me and I desperately tried to pull myself away from the hand that had half my face in its palm. Unfortunately, pulling away meant pushing myself into the back of my chair. I was pinned. The cool hand held me against the chair, kept my mouth shut and prevented me from looking back at him. A couple seconds of uselessly struggling against my captor taught me that I was fighting a lost battle. I shuddered a deep breath and tried to keep still. A soft cloth slid across my face and pressed itself to my eyes. I reluctantly gave up my eyesight. I could feel the faint rush of breath at my neck as he used his mouth to help tie the cloth around my head while his other hand remained firm at my mouth. The sound of my rapid heartbeat echoed in my ears so loudly that I could have sworn he could hear it, too. Thoughts buzzed through my head like a storm as I desperately tried to figure out what was happening. The chilled skin and breath lead me to believe it was a vampire, but as for the who and why of the equation, I was lost.
My breathing became more sporadic as the situation settled in. I could feel panic take my body. Goosebumps covered my skin and I suddenly felt uncomfortably cold. My hands began to shake even more than they had because of the coffee and sleep deprivation. I gasped short, struggled breaths and fought off the chaos within me. Stay calm I told myself over and over again. I tried to review my options in my head. If the person was, in fact, a vampire, then fighting them off was out of the question. Then again, I couldn't think of any circumstance where fighting my opponent off would be a plausible solution for me. The option of complying and going quietly still remained open, but only as a last resort. My head felt lighter and lighter. I didn't have vision to confirm it, but I could bet it was a sign of passing out. Fear consumed me as I came to realization that I was being kidnapped and would go unconscious before I could figure out anything. By that point, I was gasping for breath. The stranger then placed his free hand on my shoulder where he calmingly rubbed his thumb across my back. My curiosity was peaked enough to pull me back into consciousness. He's trying to comfort me?
"Relax, Bella," came a familiar, angelic voice. With it came a blanket of relief and security. I allowed myself to lean back into the chair all the way as I was suddenly eager to be close to him. Edward leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my ear. My stiff body melted into a pool of comfort. Once my system returned to normal and I had logical thought back, I'd be angry with him for tricking me into thinking I was being kidnapped. For the time being, however, I was just relieved. He must have been able to hear my easement because he chuckled softly. I frowned. It's not funny.
"Can I trust you not to scream?" he whispered at my ear. Slowly, I nodded. Immediately, he gently lifted his hand from my lips and let it slide down to my other shoulder. The cool grip that had sent shivers down my spine only seconds ago now brought a wave of security. I didn't dare speak just yet, knowing that any speech would come out uneven and panicky—I hadn't quite settled down all the way. I remained motionless in his grasp, waiting for a full recovery.
"Alice was right," he said. "You really are studying yourself to death. Now will you come quietly or do we have to do this the hard way?" When I realized what he meant, I gave a frustrated sigh. I should have known that what Alice couldn't get with persuasion, she'd get with force. What made matters worse was that I had an even harder time saying "no" to Edward.
"I need to study," was my grumbled response. I was right about needing to wait for my body to come back from the shock. My voice cracked and barely made it past a whisper. Edward gave a dramatic sigh.
"So that's how it's going to be?" he asked, sounding playfully disappointed. Before I could react, he picked me up, off the chair and into his arms. The lack of vision while this happened disoriented me and I clung to him in fear of falling.
"H-Hey!" I gasped out. "I really need to study." I could hear him chuckle at my persistence.
"She said I'd have to kidnap you to get you out of this house," he observed with an amused tone. I pouted, knowing that he'd detect my expression even with my eyes covered. I could subtly feel movement as he carried me away from the kitchen. I would have objected, but it would have been useless and I knew it. In a matter of seconds, I could feel myself being released. The scent of the inside of Edward's Volvo told me where I was and I situated myself in the leather seat. I could hear Edward take his seat beside me at the wheel, followed by the growl of the engine as it ignited. I sat there, I tuggin the blindfold to get my sight back but a firm voice stopped me.
"No," he said. "Don't touch it. Alice wanted this to be a surprise kidnapping. If you take that off, it won't be either."
"She can deal with it," I grumbled, tugging at the impossibly tight knot.
"Don't make me tie your hands down, too," he threatened. I just scoffed and continued working at the cloth, thinking it was an empty threat. Before I could realize it, my hands were pulled behind my back and tied.
"Edward!" I complained. He answered with a simple "I warned you." With another heavy sigh, I leaned back in the passenger seat and gave up. I couldn't help noticing that the cloth he'd used was soft, like satin. Even my position, I was remarkably comfortable. As far as kidnapping went, I had it easy.
"Are you going to gag me next?" I mumbled sarcastically. A pair of cool lips met mine in a tender kiss. I melted on the inside.
"Not unless I have to," he whispered to me, the smile apparent in his voice. Releasing my entire objection, I relaxed and gave in. Of all the alternatives to studying, being with Edward was the best.
I suppose this is more of a pilot chapter--I have only a faint idea of where this is going, or if it's worth continuing. Let me know what you think.
Oh yeah, and I'm disclaiming all of Ms. Meyer's brilliant characters.