Chances Are…
Edward
Edward Masen could feel his skin crawl as he walked through the hallways of Forks High. So many people in such small hallways. He side stepped around a group of blond girls, ignoring one of them as she tried to get him to stop and talk. He pushed his hair back as it fell into his eyes, wishing that he was anywhere else but here.
He couldn't help thinking that coming to live with Carlisle might have been a mistake but it had never been up to him to make that choice. He'd never been given a chance to have his say in where he wanted to go, now that his mom and step-father were dead. Oh God, he didn't want to think about losing his mom, not here, not now.
But he couldn't control his thoughts as they immediately went back to his mom and step-father. It was hard not to let that heavy feeling in his chest creep up on him, almost suffocating him with grief at times. The car crash had shocked him and sent his whole world into a tailspin. His mom hadn't deserved to die, she was so young, barely in her thirties. He knew he wasn't a planned pregnancy, he'd been a very unwelcome surprise to both of his teen-aged parents. His mother, Victoria, had been shipped out of Seattle and sent to live in New York with an ancient aunt. He had been told by James, that his birth father didn't want anything to do with him. His mom had been meant to come back and finish high school but she had chosen to keep the baby instead.
Edward's only fond memories of his mom had been when he was very young and they had lived on their own. He remembered going to Central Park and ice skating in the winter and long walks over stone bridges, along with hot chestnuts in paper cones. They didn't have any money but they were pretty happy, or at least he thought they had been. Everything changed though once she had gotten married to the biggest mother-fucker Edward had ever met. That was also the beginning of when his mom stopped caring for him.
Edward had been five when they went to live in the high rise luxury apartment in the sky. It hadn't taken very long for James to show his true colors. He was a complete and total control freak, right down to having to ask permission to take a piss.
After they had gotten married, his mom had totally changed. She became a shadow of the woman she once was. Early on, she'd been forbidden to coddle her son, earning herself a quick slap on the face for so much as touching him. It wasn't long before Edward had a serious aversion to being touched. Being touched equated to pain for someone he loved and most often for himself.
Edward's only saving grace had been the discovery of his genius on the piano. When he was only six it was discovered that he was a child prodigy. He could listen to a complicated song just once and was able to replicate it with very few mistakes. For some reason this seemed to please James, even bringing about a few occasions when he would brag about Edward's genius on the piano to company. Victoria immediately saw this as Edward's way out.
She had somehow arranged for him to be accepted to a very prestigious school of the arts at the age of ten. By then he'd already been "trained", as his step-father liked to call it. Every infraction earned you a whipping with the buckle end of a belt. He'd spent countless nights nursing his own injuries in silence. He knew the rules and doubted he'd ever forget them as they had been so ingrained into his head.
He'd been only too happy to escape his step father's wrath. He was the youngest boarder the School Of The Arts had ever had, most other students being several years older. It had pained him to leave his mom alone with that freak show but they'd both agreed it was for the best. He knew he'd been the cause of most of the slaps his mom had received by James.
The school was filled with serious students, all with much more training then him. It had been easy to keep to himself and avoid anyone touching him or even talking to him. Most of the kids were from China or Russia and spoke very little English. The school was small enough that everyone soon knew better then to get too close to him. He knew early on that he had to be better then all of them or risk the consequences from James.
He winced at the memory of the first time he had lost in a piano competition. His mom and James had made a special trip out to the school to be there for the competition only to witness him losing in the final round to a senior girl. He'd taken one look at James and knew it would be another long night. His mom had been ordered to wait in the car as James took him into Edward's private bedroom back at the dormitory.
Edward had immediately looked down at the ground with his hands down by his sides and stayed as still as he could. He knew he wasn't to move or make any sound whatsoever. He heard the sound of the buckle and broke out into a cold sweat. He had braced himself for the first strike. The beating lasted for almost thirty minutes before James finally tired out. After another round of threats he was ordered not to move a muscle until James returned.
James had forced his face up with a hooked finger under the chin. His skin burned where James was holding him in place, "I've spent far too much money on you for you to slack off. You lose once more and I'm yanking you out of this school. Now, grow up boy and stop sniveling like a girl." The look of satisfaction in James' eyes had filled Edward with a hatred so powerful that it had made him tremble. That had been the last time Edward had let himself cry.
Even though it had felt like his back was on fire and he had felt the blood dripping into his waistband, he hadn't made a move to clean himself up or let another tear escape his swollen eyes. His whole body had shook with pain and he had felt so dizzy as he stayed in position. He remembered feeling the hatred for James just rolling off his skin. He had refused to cry, he refused to let James win by showing any weakness.
When the key had finally scraped against the lock the next morning, it was with a feeling of triumph that Edward hadn't shed another tear all night long. He knew he'd never overpower James but he also knew he could win in other ways.
The next day had been the first time he'd snuck out of his dormitory window. It was also the day that his life changed forever. He'd met a native American kid by the name of Jake. Jake had introduced him to a whole new world. A world filled with street ball, and swearing and fist fighting, along with a few illegal acts that would always bring a smile to his face.
He needed to stop thinking about the past and concentrate on where he was going. He rounded another corridor only to find it didn't lead to the school office. Swearing under his breath, he went down another path. He finally found the school office after walking around like a lost dog for fifteen fucking minutes. Maybe he should have let his step-mother, Esme, escort him to his first day of school, like she had all but insisted on this morning. He'd had to practically run out the front door and drive away before she tried to stop him.
The heavily made up secretary did a double take when she looked up from the papers she had been filing.
"Oh, may I help you," she all but purred as she smiled up at Edward.
"Yeah, I'm new here," Edward said, "I just need to pick up my schedule."
"Oh yes," the secretary said, looking through a stack of papers in a basket on the counter, "You're doctor Cullen's son, aren't you?"
Edward gave a curt nod. She held out the papers to him but didn't let go when he tried to take them.
"I heard you were coming here to live your dad. Let me know if I can do anything for you…"
Her fingers brushed against his, causing him to snatch his hands away. She gave him an alarmed look before placing the papers down on the counter.
In a flustered sort of voice, she added, "Here's a map to the school." She placed that down on the counter as well.
Edward could feel his face flush, "Yeah, thanks," he mumbled before snatching the papers and getting the hell out of there. Damn, he'd have to get a grip on himself if he was going to make it through the day. Luckily the halls were empty now.
He looked down at his schedule, noticing that it was math. Good, at least he'd be in his element. He loved math, nothing to think about but the facts. The moment he walked into the classroom, he felt all eyes on him and the teacher stopped talking.
"Uh, I'm new here," he mumbled.
The teacher pointed to a seat in the front before going back to his lesson. The rest of the class went by quickly since Edward had felt a sense of calm whenever he solved a math problem.
The next class was English but it didn't go quite as smoothly as the last. The only open chair happened to be next to one of the blond girls he had seen in the hallway earlier. She seemed bent on getting him to talk with her even though the teacher was in the middle of a lecture. When the teacher finally told the girl to be quiet, the girl started sending notes.
Edward ignored the first note, carelessly flicking it to the floor. The second note was harder to ignore when it was slapped down on his desk. She didn't remove her hand.
"What?" he snapped out in a hiss. She was too close, why did she have to be so fucking close. He sat up straighter and leaned away.
"Read it," she mouthed back.
He waited until she moved her hand, then he looked down at the lined paper.
"Meet me at lunch by the gym." The note read.
He pulled a pen from his backpack and wrote, "Not interested." He slid the paper onto her desk.
She scowled back at him but he only responded by looking away.
From then on he could hear his name in whispers and giggles from the group of girls sitting behind him. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. It was all too much. As soon as the bell rang he bolted for the door.
The last class of the day turned out to be much more bearable due to his lab partner. She had come into the classroom in a rush right before the bell rang. She didn't seem to even notice him sitting in the chair next to her until she sat down. With a start she jumped when she turned her full attention to him. They looked at each other for a moment before she finally spoke.
"Your new here," she stated.
Edward immediately liked her voice, "Yeah, my first day."
"Where did you move from?"
The girl flipped her hair back and he could smell the scent of fresh vanilla.
"Uh," he faltered, feeling like an idiot when he had to think of what she had asked, "From New York, ... Manhattan."
"As in, high rises, taxi cabs, snooty sales clerks?"
"That would be the place," he replied with a half smile at her description.
Her eyebrows went up with surprise, "New York, huh? What made you move out here?" She said the last word as if anyone would have to be crazy to move here after living in New York.
He shrugged, not wanting to get into all the bullshit that had brought him here.
She was cool enough to accept that as his answer.
The lecture started and they had to stop talking but Edward was definitely aware of her presence for the rest of the class.
Once the ending bell rang he turned to her and asked, "What's your name?"
"Bella," she answered, as she stood up. "And I already know your name, Edward. Everyone's been talking about Doctor Cullen's son coming to live here. No one even knew doctor Cullen had a son until about a week ago."
He shrugged again. How was he supposed to respond to that? Yeah, my dad never wanted me but had to take me when no one else would.
She stuffed her book into her backpack then slung it over her shoulder. Her pencil had rolled next to his hand. When she picked it up her fingers grazed against his hand. He snatched his hand away, his face burning with embarrassment.
She gave him an odd look but didn't say anything else. With a last look at Edward she walked out of the classroom.
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Carlisle
The first time Carlisle had seen his son he nearly wanted to cry. The boy looked just like his mother. She had been so beautiful, so full of life. It had taken him years to get over losing her. He remembered feeling so bad for her having to go through the pregnancy by herself and giving their child away while all alone. He had been angry at his parents for keeping the secret of Victoria changing her mind and keeping the baby. They were both dead by the time he had been contacted by James and found out the truth. James had practically ordered him to sign over his parental rights. By then Carlisle was just starting medical school and had a shitload of bills so he knew the kid would be better off with a wealthy father. Even so, it had pained him greatly to sign away his rights.
Since then, he'd thought about the boy quite often, especially since he and Esme couldn't have children of their own. He had been shocked to hear that Victoria and her husband had both died in a car accident and that he was Edward's only living relative. He didn't hesitate to sign papers and have the boy come to live with him and Esme in Forks.
Esme had been so excited and happy to welcome a son into their little family. She'd spent the next few days getting the boy's bedroom ready for him. She had all sorts of questions as to what a sixteen year old young man might like in a space of his own. In the end, she had settled on dark blue bedding and mahogany furniture. Her excitement was contagious and Carlisle only hoped a kid coming from such wealth would appreciate the hard work that his wife had put into it.
He wondered if he could ever measure up to the only father that Edward had ever known? James Masen had been quite wealthy and very powerful from what Carlisle knew about him. The question nagged at him constantly.
When the day came for them to pick Edward up from the airport, Carlisle couldn't even eat his breakfast with his nerves so on edge. The moment he spotted Edward he knew it was his son without ever having laid eyes on him before. The boy was no longer a boy but a young man, a very handsome young man, according to Esme.
Carlisle was surprised at how quiet and reserved Edward seemed to be. Edward's hands had been stuffed in his pockets and he barely said two words to them. He could tell that Esme was just itching to wrap Edward up in a hug but the teen was quite reticent.
Carlisle had thought once the teen had a chance to get used to them he might open up a bit, but the truth was, Edward hardly said a word. He never spoke unless asked something directly and even then his answers were short and concise. There was no doubt that the kid was smart, just hearing his vocabulary made that abundantly clear but there was something off in the way he answered. He rarely made eye contact and kept to his bedroom most of the day. The few times Carlisle had entered his bedroom, the teen seemed anxious for him to leave.
Today though, Carlisle hoped to change all that. He waited in the family room for Edward to come home from school so he could take him car shopping. Edward had already told them that he'd never had a car of his own so it was the one thing Carlisle could give him that James hadn't.
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Carlisle heard the crunching of gravel in the driveway a moment before the front door opened. As soon as Edward spotted him the teen froze and looked down at the floor.
"How was school today?" Carlisle asked as he walked towards the foyer.
"Fine, sir," Edward answered in barely a whisper.
"Remember… call me, Carlisle," Carlisle said, "or dad, if you want," he added with a nervous chuckle. His stomach did a flip as he waited to see how Edward would respond to that.
The teen looked up, his eyes wide with disbelief. Edward took in a deep breath, then said, "I have homework, sir."
Carlisle berated himself for his own stupidity. It was clearly too soon to make a request such as that, he should have known better.
"Could your homework wait a bit? I was going to take you into town," he waited until the teen was looking at him, then added, "and get you a car of your own."
Edward let his backpack slip to the ground, his mouth hanging open until he caught himself, "Um, I could walk to school, if someone else needs the car."
"The school is at least five miles away. You need your own car," Carlisle clarified, confused as to why a teenager wouldn't be excited at the prospect of getting his own wheels.
"I've walked further then that," Edward declared, "i don't mind."
Carlisle shook is head, "It rains about eighty percent of the time. I don't want you walking to school."
"It's just that, um, …I don't really have any money," Edward confessed as his face heated with embarrassment. He didn't want Carlisle to think he was a slacker so he quickly added, "James didn't really allow me to keep the money I earned."
Carlisle could see how mortified the kid was, "I wasn't going to make you buy your car, Edward. It will be a gift from Esme and I." He could see how uncomfortable that statement made the teen.
Edward shook his head as he tried to comprehend what he was just told. Finally he couldn't help but ask, "But, why?"
"Why, what?" Carlisle asked in return. The kid was so baffling to him.
"Why would you do something like that? What- what would I have to do?" In his experience people didn't just give something away for nothing. The few times he'd ever received any extras, they had come with a heavy price tag.
The anxious look that Edward was giving him made Carlisle want to just hug the poor kid. "You don't have to do anything! Let's just say it's a gift … to make up for all those birthday gifts that I've missed giving you for the past sixteen years."
The teen took a step back, "It's okay, you don't have to do that. I've never gotten anything for my birthday. " He bent down to pick up his backpack but stopped and looked up when he heard Carlisle take in a sharp breath.
"What do mean, you haven't ever gotten any birthday gifts? What about your mom or -or dad," Carlisle asked, perhaps with a bit too much fervor, since Edward seemed to be alarmed by his reaction.
"I wasn't allowed presents … or-or a birthday," Edward admitted with shame. "I didn't really deserve it."
"Deserve it?" Carlisle repeated with a hint of anger. What sort of person denies a kid from having a birthday. "Who said you couldn't have a proper birthday?"
Edward looked to the staircase, desperately wishing he could just leave, "James didn't feel like I'd done my best at school." The angry look his father was now giving him, made him take several steps back, until he fought against his fear. Screw this guy, he didn't have to confess all of his failures to someone he'd just met! He glared back, adding, "It was no big deal. I don't really care about all that birthday shit!"
Carlisle could see how defensive Edward was getting as he defended his step-father, but nonetheless red flags were going off in his mind. What kind of person was this James?
"Well, I've never heard of such a thing. Where I come from, everyone gets to celebrate their birthday. I'm buying you the car and you don't have to do a damn thing in return," Carlisle announced, "and we'll discuss this birthday shit later, …once I've had a chance to think on it."
It took Edward a moment to comprehend that Carlisle hadn't been mad at him but possibly at James. He stepped away from the door as Carlisle approached, then followed his father outside.
"Come on, kid, let's go get you a car!" Carlisle said with enthusiasm.
The forcefulness in Carlisle's voice left no room for argument. Edward followed his father, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the generosity of this stranger he had just barely met.
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Sooo… what do you think of this story?
