By the Grace of Southern Charm
Chapter One: Anything But Pure"And it's another game day at Jackson High School!"
"Damn it!" Lauren shouted out as her hand jerked in surprised. She whipped her blonde hair over her shoulder as she glared at the announcement speaker.
"Maybe you should try doing that in the mirror next time." Bella chuckled from her spot on the radiator. Her laughter grew louder as her friend turned to her giving a great view of the streak of black mascara that was now stretched across her nose.
"Don't forget to show your pride for the Lions at their final regular session game, tonight at 7 p.m."
"You're in an oddly good mood today, and it's only 6th period." Lauren commented, she had successfully cleaned the excess black off her face and had backed up in the mirror to examine the entire package.
"Well, its Friday, game day, and I got an A on my AP Bio test. Life is looking good as of right now. Plus these new uniforms are really comfy!" Bella hopped off her makeshift chair and stepped closer to the full length mirror that donned the back of the bathroom door. The hunter green and white of the cheerleading outfit she was wearing was brand new and a design that she herself had helped to create, along with her fashion-obsessed best friend, Alice.
"GO LIONS!"
"Who the fuck writes those things?" Bella rolled her eyes at the overdramatic-bitchiness in her friend's voice as the loud speaker clicked off. They began to make their way out of the bathroom when Bella collided with what seemed like a wall. She was about to fall backwards when two callused hands grabbed her arms, holding her upright. A soft chuckle let her know that she was wrong on the assumption that she hit a wall and it was, in fact, just Edward Cullen.
"One would think that after 17 years in existence you would have become somewhat less clumsy, Bella." He let his hands drop but didn't back away from her. "You heading to Calculus?"
As she was about to answer with an affirmative she was cut off by Lauren saddling up next to the pair and standing with her chest pressed up against Edwards arm.
"Hey Edward, Bella and I were just talking about the game tonight! I heard the after party is going to be at your house." She looked at him through her lashes. Her voice dropped, to what she was sure to assume to be a seductive volume, "maybe you could show me your bedroom and I could work out all those kinks from the game." Her hand trailed up his arm and squeezed his bicep.
"Umm…." BBRRRING! Bella laughed as the relief flooded his face. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hallway, yelling back to Lauren in a not-so-apologetic tone, "Sorry, class, you understand!"
"I can't believe she's still trying to get into your pants after what happened over Columbus Day Weekend. She knows you were the one behind that whole thing." Bella was of course referring to the incident where Edward told the entire football team Lauren had syphilis which ended with her parents finding out and a whole big fiasco.
"I can't help it that I'm hot Bells, the ladies all want me." He had dropped her hand and instead wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'll stay away from the syph-queen though. Her mother really should have washed her mouth out with soap more when she was younger."
"It wouldn't have changed much; she likes to swallow white stuff."
"Oh yea, because you're Ms. Innocent, aren't your Isabella?" The way he looked at her right then made her feel anything but pure.
"I've never know the love of a man, but it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand!" A horribly out of tune voice screeched up next to them. They laughed at the hyper pixies version of the song; only Alice could get away with such a terrible voice and still seem cute while doing it. "Don't worry cuz, Bella got whole virgin thing out of the way even before you did!"
"That's not even true Alice, don't make me seem like a slut!" they had finally arrived in math class and their conversation appeared to have gotten the attention of the classroom. Mike Newton turned in his seat to make a comment but before he could get a word out Edward hit him upside the head.
"Not a word Newton, turn around." The boy did as Edward had demanded just as the teacher walked into the room. As he began to organize for the class and pass back papers, Edward turned to Bella and whispered "I could never think that about you."
He learned in, kissing her softly on the cheek, and gave her a small smile before reaching forward to grab some papers from Mike. As Bella faced forward as well she realized that Jessica, another cheerleader, was glaring between her and Edward. Mustering up the best bitch voice she could in her state of…she wasn't quite sure what she was feeling, she snapped at the girl as she grabbed the papers out of Jessica's hand, "Can I help you with something?"
Jessica returned to her position facing the teacher as he began his lecture. Bella turned to Alice as she heard giggling and realized that Alice was laughing at her. Bella shook her head and admitted to herself that she may have been a bit harsh to Jessica but there was no way she was going to apologize.
The lecture was mundane, as usual, and Bella found it even more difficult to pay attention seeing that it was a Friday. In two more classes she was be out of this place for an entire weekend! She could drive around in her truck with the music blasting and windows rolled down, head to the local book store and pick up some classics, and of course there was tonight's party.
As if they had a mind of their own, her eyes drifted to the boy on her right. She wasn't surprised to find him looking back at her as well. They had been in this odd limbo for what seemed like months. The classic story of old friends suddenly seeing each other in a different light after all the years of knowing one another seemed so trivial until that one night so many months ago. And now it was like they couldn't turn it off.
He gave her a small smile which she returned as they continued to gaze at each other.
It wasn't as if they were having some torrid love affair behind everyone's backs. All the sudden the friendship that was once simple and lighthearted turned awkward with the slightest comment or heated with a stolen glance.
Bella gave herself another moment to take him in before turning to face the teacher once more. She heard another giggle to her left but let her friend be. She knew how pathetic they looked. She also knew that both of them were too confused to do anything about the strangeness they were feeling.
With another glance back at Edward and he at her, Bella let Alice drag her down the hall to the gymnasium where they had P.E. for their last period of the day. Luckily, their gym class was also just cheer practice for the girls. As they changed into sweats, so not to get their uniforms dirty before the game, Jessica came up to Bella.
"You know Tanya's going to be at the game tonight, don't you?" All eyes seemed to snap towards Jessica and Bella. "I'm not trying to ask it in an accusing way or anything, Bella." The girl quickly backtracked as Bella began to slowly turn towards her. "But, I saw you guys in calculus today….well all month really, and I just wanted to make sure you knew. Just in case! You know…because of the way you were looking at each other."
Bella opened her mouth to defend herself but instead just took a deep breath and smiled a nice, fake, cheerleader smile. "I don't know what you're talking about Jessica. But, if I did know what you were talking about I would have to tell you to maybe pay more attention to the teacher during class and less to me, and maybe then you wouldn't be failing."
"But you were-"
"Goodbye Jessica." Bella dismissed her by turning to Alice who had her eyebrows raised in surprised at her friend's harsh words. "Don't give me that look. I know I'm going to feel bad about it later but if I didn't pull Bitchy Bella then Jessica would have started running her mouth to the whole school. You know how she is."
"Oh, you know my stance on all things Jessica and Lauren. The harsher the better in order to put those mean girls in their place. But, usually you are better with them. Staring at my cousin really must make you lose your game." Alice let out the same giggle as in math. Bella reached out and pinched Alice's sides chasing her friend as Alice made a break for it in the gym.
"Girls, girls! Calm yourselves, save your energy for the game." Coach Annabelle shouted at them from the center circle. As the girls emptied out of the locker room they crowded around the big-haired southern bell. Annabelle had been a state champion in her day, winning the title twice during her time here at Jackson High school. She was tanned and blonde and acted as if she was still twenty-five; though the aging beauty queen was nearing forty. Not that forty was old, just a little above the age range to be saying things like: "or for after the game." Annabelle finished with a wink.
A grown of disgust echoed around the auditorium as they girls began their laps for the day.
Bella hopped up the bleachers to greet her parents as the other students gathered in the field to congratulate the boys after yet another win and their final game before playoffs. Her father, Charlie, was an Alabama state Senator but never missed a game that she was cheering at. It could also have to do with the face that this was the same exact high school that he one states at twenty years ago and never missed a game. But, she was happy to have them there all the same. They were seated in their usual spot next to the Cullens.
Charlie and Carlisle Cullen played on the same college football team and have stayed good friends since their days of throwing touchdown passes. It was safe to say that Bella and Edward say a lot of each other growing up. That was a part of what made these new feelings so strange to her.
"We're going out after the game; you'll be alright at Alice's wont you?" Renee Swan asked her daughter.
"If you see Edward can you remind him that we have brunch tomorrow afternoon?" Mr. Cullen asked, Bella nodded to both questions as she hugged all four parents goodbye and walked down onto the field.
Sometimes she felt as if she were the parent with how much hers went out and partied on Friday nights. She couldn't help but feel slightly guilty as she hugged the Cullens, knowing that she was about to go to a party at their house, which Bella was sure, they knew nothing about. It was a pretty usually Friday night, though. Her parents and the Cullens went out to the bars in town and then took the short cab ride back to the Swan residence, which was very close to the downtown area. The Cullens would stay the night there and the kids would through a party in their empty home.
"Bella!" She turned to see Edward jogging towards her. He picked her up and spun her around before she had any chance to respond. Once she was on her feet again all she could do was stare up at his bright green eyes and be mesmerized by how good they looked next to his hunter green jersey. "How was it?"
"You looked awesome, superstar…except for that pass to Newton in the third quarter. What was up with that?" She playful scolded him. She could let him think he was good at everything, even if he was.
"You distracted me with your flips," he chuckled and she completely believed him. "You're coming later right?"
"As always." They departed with matching smiles.
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