Chapter One: Family Ties
BellaPOV
"Cedward! We're leaving in two minutes! And if you're not down here, Rosalie is leaving without you! And then you'll be late! AGAIN!" I shouted at my adoptive brother. I mean, I was adopted too, but him too. Our family story is kinda crazy with a dash of messed up. We all legally live in the Cullen house but none of our last names are Cullen so we technically don't have to call our adoptive parents 'mom and dad', but Alice, one of my sisters, does sometimes.
My adopted brother Cedward (the one I was just yelling at) is actually pretty cute. But we live in the same house so it's kind of forbidden. For us to ever be together, I mean.
I just hope he doesn't find a girlfriend. Because if she ever came to our house I'd probably kill her in some intricate way, probably involving poison, dinner, and perhaps a dog or two.
Rosalie and Emmett are married. The Cullens adopted Rosalie, and then Emmett moved in with them and married Rosalie; Esme told me. The Cullens are filthy rich, everyone knows that, and they paid for this big expensive wedding. Emmett and Rosalie are both eighteen, so it's all legal.
Truthfully, I'm pretty lucky to have been adopted by the Cullens. I don't have an allowance, but if I were to walk up to Esme and ask for five thousand dollars for a shopping spree, she'd ask why I didn't need more than that, then give me another couple thousand after the first five.
Cedward came rushing down the stairs and straight into me. He almost knocked me down in his hurry to get to the door. He grabbed my arm and steadied me.
"Whoa, sorry, Bella… I thought you'd be outside, you know, because you called me and so I thought you'd be outside with Rosalie, so you wouldn't be late and wouldn't be here standing in front of me so I could-" he rambled. I pressed my index finger to his pale salmon colored lips, raising my eyebrows. "Shut up and get in the car!" I said to him impatiently, tapping my foot.
He gasped and involuntarily opened his mouth as if to bite my finger. I jerked it away. His mouth was still agape revealing two rows of perfectly straight, bleach white teeth. I gasped, quickly collected myself, and went outside, Cedward following.
We climbed into Rosalie's car. She was at the wheel, revving her red convertible haughtily. "Sorry, Rose," Cedward murmured, not bothering to buckle his seatbelt. I buckled mine, having ridden in a car that was controlled by an angry Rosalie before. Jasper and Alice were gone in Alice's Porsche, not wanting to have to wait for slowpoke Cedward.
"We're so late, we might as well skip," said Emmett from the front passenger seat. "Emmett. School starts in thirty minutes." Cedward told him as if talking to a stupid person. He was.
We were at school in fifteen minutes, which was, considering the circumstances, pretty early. But then again, it was Rosalie driving, and we would get to school in two minutes if she really wanted to show off her BMW.
I got out of the car with Cedward, and I felt pretty smug that about fifty girls looked at me evilly when they saw me with such a gorge – erm, my brother.
I had only been at the school for three weeks, and it was pretty weird. Everybody wanted to know about my brothers, Emmett and Jasper, but especially Cedward.
Like they did right now.
Jessica Stanley wriggled up to me, batting her eyelashes at Cedward. I stuck my foot out, hoping that she'd move near it and trip, but I took it away when it was Cedward that was in danger of tripping.
He was actually very graceful, I noticed reluctantly. I noticed it before, but now I just had to accept the fact that he had an acute sense of balance, and I didn't. Sometimes it was almost as if he would mess up on purpose a few times to make himself seem more clumsy.
Cedward walked me to class. "Bye, Bella," he said outside English Lit. "Bye," I said.
"Hey," he said. "Yeah?" I answered. Why did I always answer with a question? "Watch out for Mike Newton," he said before sauntering away in graceful strides. I stared after him before shaking my head to get the Wrackspurts out. I went into my classroom.
The lesson was very boring. I sat there for a whole hour biting my fingernails. Alice would be disappointed. She had worked for hours on the perfect manicure for me, better than any nail salon could do. Sheesh. I bit my fingernails anyway.
After class, Mike Newton, of all people, came up and sat on my desk. I shivered involuntarily. He was creepy... and too weird. I mean, he sat on my desk! Creeper…
"So," he said, a pimple right in my face, "Will you go to the dance with me?" "No," I said, getting up, my voice shaky and terrified. I was not used to being talked to by anyone but the Cullens, really.
His face looked hurt and he started to try to say, "Are you going with someone el - " but Cedward walked into the classroom and cut Mike's word in half. My face brightened.
"Any trouble here, Bells?" he asked. "Um... let's go, Cedward," I said. He could tell I was freaked out and grabbed my hand. "Come on, Bella," he said, tugging me away from the perpetrator. I was thisclose to a heart attack.
The day was soooo boring. I had no homework, so I'd have plenty of time to play chess with Cedward. I looked forward to it.
Rosalie had cooled down at school, but only a fraction. Emmett sat beside her, flying through his homework. "Why are you doing your homework in the car?" I asked innocently.
"Because he has important things to do at home, that's why," Rosalie snarled, slamming her foot down on the pedal. Cedward patted my shoulder. "It's okay, Bella," he said lowly. Rosalie snarled again. "I didn't know Emmett was smart enough to be capable of homework," I whispered in Cedward's ear, so no one else could hear. He chuckled.