Light On

I don't own Twilight, or the David Cook song--Light On--that inspired this. Really it's just the video turned into the Twilight universe, but I hope you like it. And know that I wrote this at 2 am, so please be kind...

-:-:-:-

Try to leave a light on when I'm gone

Something I rely on to get home

one I fell at night

A naked light, a fire to keep me warm

Try to leave a light on when I'm gone

Even in the daylight, shine on

And when it's late at night you can look inside

You won't feel so alone

-:-:-:-

What is a day, really? Twenty-four hours? All that time, and nothing really productive to do with them, so the lull hours are torturous. It's a hard-knock life, I'm telling you.

But that's not really my point, I just felt the need to rant like that. It's a repeated occurrence while working at my aunt's diner. My parents felt that I should earn my money, make a better person out of myself, so my Aunt Esme courteously offered me a job here. Oh joys of joy.

In all reality, it wasn't that bad of a gig, just a little boring, then a little hectic, then boring again. And to top off the ice cream with a big ol' cherry, most of the kids from my school come here to hang out. They really don't mock me here, but I tend to get annoyed when I get asked to bring some random jerk a burger and fries when I ride up on my bicycle at school. Don't you just love high schoolers?

At any rate, here I am, trying to maneuver around maybe thirty people packed into the relatively small space with a plastic box to put dirty plates, cups, or utensils in. Not a dream job, but it does have some perks.

Like that, I thought, staring at who just walked in the door.

In truth, I've harbored this deep--possibly unhealthy--infatuation with a girl in my junior class, Bella Swan.

It's not like it's completely my fault. Nearly the entire class is at least smitten with the girl! It's not my fault she has long, dark, brown, wavy hair, or matching eyes that you could just drown yourself in...

Stop thinking like that, Edward, before you start drooling, I mentally slapped myself.

Besides, this dream girl--as I have dubbed her--has herself her own version of a dream guy. A mister Micheal Newton.

I particularly have hated the boy since he shoved paste in my hair so that my mother had to shave it off in kindergarten. So this isn't a Bella-related hatred. Oh, no, the fact he's dating her just adds to the paste-and-bald-headed dislike.

Bella goes to sit down at one of the booths while Newton heads over to one of the girls sitting at the counter.

The girl is Jessica Stanley, if I'm not mistaken. The fact that I see Newton talking to her more than I see him talk to Bella doesn't lessen my hatred.

"Hey, Edward!" I hear my name being called by Aunt Esme, and look in her direction. "Break time, take a load off!"

With nothing better to do, I just stand behind the counter in my usual break place, watching the night unfold in front of me, wishing that I could have a two minute conversation without anyone knowing.

In a small town like Forks, nothing goes unnoticed. And everything is spread around.

So the last time I talked to Bella--I was asking her if she wanted to go to dinner in order to work on our Biology project (well, I hoped that we wouldn't really be working on Bio...)--I ended up needed to go to see my Uncle Carlisle (a doctor at the local hospital) with a split lip that needed stitches and one wicked black eye handed to me by the one and hopefully only Newton.

While He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (and I'm not talking Voldemort) was talking up Miss Stanley, three of Bella's friends came and sat at her booth. I'm pretty sure that the blond one was Rosalie Hale, the brunette one was Angela Weber, and I knew the last one as my midget and spiky black haired cousin, Alice Cullen.

They were really good people in my book, and not just because I was related to one and overheard a conversation between them and Bella, them trying to tell her that they didn't particularly like Newton as a human being let alone as a boyfriend... No, that had nothing to do with it.

I saw Newton head back over to the booth at the sound of Bella's laughter and told the three girls to beat it.

He sat down and started speaking—it could have been scolding for all I know from the look on Newton's face.

All I knew was that not three minutes later, the two of them were walking out of the diner without so much as ordering drinks.

I stared out the door for God-only-knows-how long as the people dispersed from the dinner rush until, finally, I was allowed to leave.

I walked out the front door, hearing the bell jingle on the way out and headed straight for my bicycle. Sure, it wasn't the coolest thing around, but it's not like I put a baseball card in the wheel to make sound effects... Anymore.

I got on and started the twenty minute peddle back home.

This was always the time that I got my mind clear of all the daily stress. It's always a good feeling to have the wind blowing in your hair as you fly down a dark street. Of course, Forks is always dark, but that's not my point.

From the light the reflector on the front of my bike I thought I saw someone walking along the side of the road... It was Bella!

Bella

"Mike, I'm not seeing anyone else!" How many times did I have to tell him this?!

"What about that boy down in La Push, you two are together an awful lot for someone you're not interested in."

After Mike pulled me out of Esme's Diner, and practically forced me into his car, he drove for about half a mile before pulling over and accusing me of cheating on him.

"Jacob?! You think I'm cheating on you with Jacob? Our fathers go fishing together. He's like my younger brother." The thought of dating Jacob just made me have a baby barf. The idea was inconceivable.

"Why not? You're certainly with him enough!"He's crazy!

"That's it Mike. You've said I've cheated on you with half of Forks, not all of them being male! I can't do this anymore. Just take me home and then leave me alone."

"No."

"What?" Oh, please tell me that I'm not going to become of those terrible news stories that they make terrible quality horror movies out of!!

"I'll leave you alone, but I'm not wasting my time taking you home."

"But, Mike, it's ten o'clock at night. I won't get home 'till dawn!" Not to mention that I'll freeze to death in the rainy or icy weather that Forks is infamous for.

"Not my problem, Swan, get out of my car."

I opened the door, and stepped out of the car, slightly glad that I got out of his presence.

It wasn't until I walked ten feet and Mike was long out of sight before I realized my fatal mistake.

I, in my foolish attempt to make Mike happy, let Alice dress me up for this date. The outfit included heals. High heals. Approximately four inch heals.

I would not make this trek alive.

It's a hard-knock life, I'm telling you, I thought, but then I saw a burst of light from behind me.

This light came off of a reflector off of a bike.

Who would be riding a bike at this hour? Was my initial question, but then I realized it didn't matter, but the fact that a bike is a better alternative than walking home.

The rider stopped the bike next to me, and I recognized him as a kid from school, my Biology partner from last year, Edward Masen.

"What are you doing, walking home by yourself?" He asked once he got off his bike and started walking next to me. Good question.

"My ex refused to give me a lift home."

"Ex?" He cocked his head to this side.

"Yeah, once he accused me of having a lesbian love affair with Mrs. Cope because I helped her pick up a stack of papers, I thought it was time to split." Mrs. Cope was our older than dirt school secretary, and the thought of her having an affair with anyone is more than disturbing.

"Did he really think that?!" Edward laughed. He has a really nice laugh, not as obnoxious as Mikes, and kind of infectious. I couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"Yeah. That was one of the more ridiculous ones. The boy isn't right in the head, if you ask me."

"Then why'd you go out with him?" I'm sure that if anyone else asked me that, I would have told them to mind their own business, or to shove that question where the sun don't shine, but for some reason, I was okay with Edward asking.

"To tell, the truth, I think it's because everyone kept telling me that we looked good together. Peer pressure is something that will come to bite you in the butt, I'll tell ya."

His green eyes lit up for a second before he opened his mouth. "That reminds me of a joke I heard recently. Why'd the monkey fall out of the tree?"

"I don't know." I shrugged to emphasize my ignorance.

"It was dead."

"Oh, well, isn't that wonderful."

"Hey, I'm not done yet! Why'd the second monkey fall out of the tree?"

"It O.D.'ed on the first monkey's cocaine stash?"

He chuckled before continuing. "No, it was stapled to the first monkey."

"Jeez, what happened? Did some monkey through feces at you when you went to the zoo or something as a kid?"

He smiled some kind of crooked smile that--for some reason--made my heart beat a little faster. "Shhh, there's still more."

"Oh, happy day! More monkey slaughter!"

"Only one more part. Why'd the third monkey fall out of the tree?" I just shrugged, not knowing what else to do. "Peer pressure."

I just started laughing, hard and loud. Not only 'cause the joke was hysterically funny and completely relevant, but because it was some kind of release. Just laughing like I haven't in years made the worries of the day just dissipate.

"Hey, Bella?" He asked once my laughter died down.

"Hmmm?"

"Would you like a lift home? I mean, I know my bike isn't a horse-drawn carriage, but the handle bars aren't all that bad and those heals look like murder--"

I cut him off from his rambling with a resounding yes.

I didn't want to make his ride home harder, but I didn't want to walk home in heals even more.

And that was how the rest of the night went. Me riding, and almost falling off, on his handle bars while shooting questions back and forth. Sometimes jokes, sometimes comments, but mainly just questions. Some simple like what's your favorite color to why doesn't Mr. Banner just shave off the caterpillar on his lip already?!

He told me that he didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps and become a lawyer, but wanted to be like his uncle and be a doctor, 'cause his uncle was more of a father than his own.

I told him about me being a closet cheesy-pick-up-line aficionado. After all, I love you like an emo loves girl pants.

To be truthful, this was the most fun I've had in ages, and I really didn't want it to end. I was beyond happy being with this boy that showed up with a beat up old bike with a reflector that shined like a lighthouse. And I was even more disappointed when we showed up my father's house.

Edward, being ever the gentleman, led me up to my front door.

"Thanks for the lift. I plan on burning these shoes as soon as possible." I smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it, Bella, it was my pleasure." There he went with that crooked smile again. Why haven't I noticed him before?

"Well, I better get inside. Wouldn't want my savior to get shot my gun-holding-police-chief father."

The visibly gulped and started looking around nervously. "That wouldn't happen, would it?"

"No, it really wouldn't." I laughed for the umpteenth time that night.

I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks again, Edward." And with that, I went into my house.

I looked out of my window, watching Edward break out of his daze and go back to his bike. Half way there, he started running, then hopped up and clicked his heals and proceeded to keep running. I couldn't help myself, I smiled big and went up to my room.

Who knew that a boy I didn't even know would be the light that led me home?

Please Review!! I like reviews!!