Originally posted under Jayeliwood in 2008!
There are still mistakes. I'm trying. Sorry.
Chapter one-
Edward Cullen
The day felt so warm. The concrete bench underneath me was hot and slightly uncomfortable, but I still didn't feel comfortable with walking around yet. I had memorized my way around the campus, but still, it's always embarrassing to get lost. I knew how to get to my next class from the bench. I would sit on it until it was time. It was just easier that way.
I couldn't remember it ever being this hot in Chicago, and I wondered how the people in Louisiana dealt with it. It was September... Wasn't it supposed to be fall or, at least, close to it?
A cool breeze flitted through the air, ruffling my hair. As if it wasn't messy enough. I dragged my fingers through it uselessly. I adjusted my sunglasses, pushing them further up my nose.
There was so much noise around the campus. I could hear people laughing, and music playing from cars that passed. It seemed like a happy place. I enjoyed it.
"Is this spot taken?" I heard a soft voice beside me. I listened to her footsteps as she approached but, I expected the person to pass. I was usually ignored.
"No. Go ahead." I waved my hand in front of me as an invitation. She took it.
I heard the rustling of clothing as she sat. I continued to face forward so as not to make her nervous. She sounded young, perhaps in her early 20's, if not younger. A sweet smell of strawberries wafted around my nose.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" She asked in a conversational tone.
"It does feel nice," I replied. I wondered if she knew. Most people seem to figure it out quickly. Could she be that unobservant?
"The sky is such a lovely blue," she said with a sigh. Yes, she could be that unobservant.
"I wouldn't know," I said, my voice turning sour. I could usually control it but I couldn't that day. I wasn't in the mood.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm blind," I stated curtly. I decided it was time to go. I was sure it was a little early but, I could wait outside until the professor was ready. I stood, pulling my cane from my side, snapping it into place.
"Oh... Oh! I'm so sorry!" I heard her call after me, but I kept walking. I was sure she would get the point.
But no, apparently she was unobservant and stubborn. Great.
I heard her shoes click against the pavement as she ran behind me. I sighed, walking a little faster.
"I'm sorry! I'm just so... absent. I didn't mean to offend you."
"It's fine. I need to get to class," my tone became more sour. I didn't know what came over me. Anger brewed in my stomach, making my chest hurt. I carefully took the two steps up to the building, and I searched for the door.
"Would you like some help?" I heard the girl ask in a little voice beside me.
"Listen, I've gotten along without a ton of help for about eighteen years now. I'm fine. Thanks," I said in a very low, cruel voice. I finally found the handle and pushed it open. I clicked my way inside, feeling along the wall. I didn't hear her footsteps behind me.
"I'm sorry..." She said finally from probably ten feet away. She was still by the door. She also sounded on the verge of tears.
I felt awful. Why was I being such a jerk? A normal person didn't instantly know that I was blind. I was wearing sunglasses. She probably just thought I was resting on a bench, watching the people in the yard. I took a deep breath and ran my fingers over my forehead. I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.
Bella Swan
As for first days went this was a beautiful one. It was the perfect temperature. It would still be in the hundreds in Phoenix, or at least feel like it. I pushed my hair off my shoulders letting the breeze cool my skin.
I didn't have a class for another thirty minutes or so but, I didn't want to head back to my apartment simply to turn around and leave again. I walked through the busy quad, watching the people in groups talking or practicing various things.
I looked for somewhere to sit. Most places seemed to be jam-packed with young adults. Of course, most people at Centenary College were from Shreveport. They all went to school together. They were already friends. I guess it wouldn't have made a difference for me wherever I went. I never really had a ton of friends anywhere.
I finally spotted a bench with only one occupant. He was tall and lean, lightly muscled. I watched as his reddish brown hair flutter in the wind. He ran this long thin fingers through it, brushing it out of his face. He pushed his rounded silver framed sunglasses up this perfect nose. He seemed so pale, and I wondered if he was from Shreveport. Of course not, if he had been he would have been part of another group.
I don't know what came over me, I just decided I wanted to talk to this beautiful boy. What's the worse thing he could do? Run away from me?
"Is this spot taken?" I asked, fighting the urge to turn around and run.
"No, go ahead." He waved his hand in front of him as if asking me to sit on his lap. I smiled but hid it quickly. He wasn't even looking at me which I thought was strange.
I sat, using my arms to prop myself up. I lifted my face up to the sky, letting the sun beat down on my ivory skin. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"
"It does feel nice," he said a bit vaguely. He still didn't look at me, but just looking ahead. I wondered if he was shy. Perhaps he was nervous for the first day of classes, too.
I took in a deep nervous breath, letting it come out slowly. "It's such a lovely blue," I said, trying to grasp for something to talk about it. Why was talking to people so awkward?
"I wouldn't know," any warmth that was in his lovely voice beforehand was gone. He instantly became rigid, like a statue sitting beside me.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. I looked over his face, trying to search it for what annoyed him so much. Was I that ugly to him that I was just being a bother?
"I'm blind," he stated, getting up quickly. He put together a long thin red and white cane and began to walk away in a rush.
It took several seconds for what he said to settle in, and a few seconds after that to figure out what an idiot I was being. "Oh..." I stood up and walked after him. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I am just so absent. I didn't mean to offend you."
"It's fine, I just need to get to class," he nearly growled at me. I was glad he couldn't see me flinch back and instantly felt bad for thinking that way.
"Would you like some help?" I asked, trying to think of a way to make up for being such a fool.
He turned his face towards my voice, his expression rather frightening. "Listen, I've gotten along without a ton of help for about eighteen years now. I'm fine. Thanks." One of his beautifully perfect white hand found the doorknob and pushed it open.
I stopped following him at that point. I could feel the tears stinging in my eyes. I took a deep breath, trying to keep them at bay until he couldn't hear me anymore.
"I'm sorry," I repeated before pushing myself down the hall to the tiny ladies restroom. I threw him one last glance as I passed. He was leaning up against the wall, his hand on his face. His lips were a tight straight line.
I felt guilty and rejected all at the same time. I made it into the room and locked the door. I went to the mirror, leaning against the sink.
"How could you be so stupid?" I asked the reflection. Tears were streaming down my face. I grabbed one of those terrible rough brown paper towels and swiped at my tears.
I looked at my watch. Ten more minutes. It gave me just enough time to run off to my class. I dried my eyes as best I could.
It was a relief to be sitting in the small Literature class. I felt safe there. Surround by books and my idols, I pulled out my laptop to prepare. It wasn't long until my professor came in, gibbering about outlines. I let myself get lost in his words, even if they were a little boring. Most of the books we were going over this term I had already read, several times some of them. At least it would be easy.
One day down, four more years to go.
All I wanted to do afterward was crawl into bed. I pushed open my apartment door wearily, only to be pounced upon by my new roommate. She was nice enough, if not a little crazy.
"Hey there! There you are! I just wanted to let you know that we're going to have a get-together tonight. Just a small group of friends, not more than twenty people, I think. Don't you think that's a good idea?" She said it so quickly I had a hard time catching everything.
"Well, you have a good time. I'll be in my room," I yawned, dragging my feet through the living room.
"Aw! Come on! You don't have to do anything! It'll be fun, Bella! You don't know anyone. Don't you think it would be nice?" Alice bounced beside me, taking my arm.
I had only known this little ball of pixie dust and hyper energy about a week then but, I was pretty sure she thought we were friends already. I did like her even if she was too girly for me.
"Fine. I'm going to take a nap, though. I had kind of a bad day." I waved her off, slinking into my room. I laid gratefully on the twin mattress, cuddling my pillow tightly to my chest.
"What happened?" She asked from my doorway. I could tell she was actually concerned and that made me feel a lot better. At least she seemed nice.
"Oh, just made an ass of myself to a really hot guy earlier," I muttered into the downy pillow.
"We all have those days! It'll get better," she said cheerfully before shutting the door behind her. I heard her skipping down the hallway. "Hey Jazzy! Could you go get the drinks?"
Edward Cullen
I found my way back to my dorm room easily. Thankfully it was on the bottom floor. It was fairly small, and I was glad it was clean. At least my new roommate respected me enough not to be a slob yet. I would have had to move otherwise.
I sat down on my bed and pulled the tape recorder from my backpack. I started to rewind it so I could listen to my lecture over again. It had been a fairly easy day, but I was sure it was going to get tougher.
The happenings of early replayed in my mind. That poor girl was just trying to be nice to me, and I was a jerk. That was a great way to start out my college career. And there was no way for me to fix it.
The door opened, letting the warm air from the hallway rush in. I made a face at the stickiness but didn't say anything. My roommate's now familiar footsteps clicked on the floor.
"Hey Edward, I've got to go to the store to get some stuff for my girlfriend's party, would you like to join me?" He must have been getting his keys and wallet, the metal clattering loudly against each other.
"No, that's okay." I turned my recorder off and placed it back in the book bag.
He let out a heavy sigh, "look, my girlfriend is a little crazy, and if I don't bring you, she's going to give me hell. Now, can you please join me, so I don't have to listen to Alice whine about me being rude all evening?"
I laughed a little at the poor Texan. From what I heard of his girlfriend of two years she was loud and in charge. But, whenever she called he melted like butter. He was happy with her, and I was happy for him, if not a little jealous. That was something I could never have, I felt.
"Alright, but just because I don't want you to get in trouble."
I placed everything I needed carefully in my pocket. Wallet, phone, keys. I pulled my cane out again, ready to walk wherever we needed.
"Alright, first stop, Kroger's. Then on to Alice's," he sounded so relieved. I chuckled a little, humoring him by letting him lead me to the parking lot.
It didn't take long to get what we needed. I always liked the cool of the freezers in these kinds of stores. Jasper always kept up an easy, comfortable conversation. He was one of the few people that didn't seem nervous around me.
"So, what exactly is your major?" I asked as he helped me climb into the oversized truck.
"History and Education. I want to be a professor."
"Planning on being in school for the rest of your life, I see," I said a bit sarcastically. He laughed as he brought the truck to life.
"There are worse things," he said, his accent coming out heavily. I enjoyed listening to him. Especially when he said anything with an I in it.
I was greeted by his high pitched girlfriend with a tight hug. She smelled like pineapples and brown sugar. It was a pleasant smell at least. She seemed rather short. "Hi, I'm Alice. You must be Edward. It's nice to meet you."
"Thanks," I muttered, pulling away from her hug. She took my hand and led me over to a couch. These people seemed very comfortable with me, surprisingly. Normally, I didn't like being led around but, I didn't mind them so much. They meant well.
My parents always complained that I was too independent. They hated it that I moved down south. When I told them it had the best music program and a full scholarship, they finally relented. I knew money truly wasn't an issue but, I earned it, and I wanted to do it on my own.
More and more people came, the noise level increasing exponentially as they did. Music started playing, and laughter unfolded around my sensitive ears. Jasper brought me a soda, asking me if I was fine. I simply nodded, and that must have been enough for him because he disappeared again, leaving me in peace.
People would sit for a moment beside me and then leave. A few people said hi but, other than that they ignored me. I was used to it. I guess I deserved it after the jerk I acted like earlier in the day. I leaned my head back, listening to the poppy music that I didn't really like.
I heard footsteps in front of me. They were soft, most likely female. Men and women walked differently. A delicious scent of strawberries wrapped around me.
"Would it be okay if I apologized again?"
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