Hello! My name is Terri Ferguson. I had a dream recently that reminded me about my past, and I thought I'd share it with you. It's about an ordinary girl, who was touched by an angel...
My name is Terrance Carter, but you can call me Terri.
You could say that my life is pretty normal. Except for one small thing... Ok, so it isn't very small at all! I have this crush on a guy, who happens to be... Well, I don't exactly know what he is, but he is... unique. I think—and call me crazy if you want to—but I think he's a vampire.
He has these bright, liquid gold eyes that hypnotize me every time I look into them, and very pale skin. He also sits by me in almost every class. Everyone has to take 7 classes throughout a school day and guess what? He takes 5 out of 7 classes with me, not including lunch.
See, I transferred here to Stratum High School right after Christmas and, because it was late in the year, everyone had assigned seats except for, well me obviously. The seat beside him was always open. And, if I was being honest with myself, I would have to say that that made me happy. It's just, whenever I look at him... It's like I lose myself in his presence you know? Like, I can't think properly! I've been sitting beside him for a week now and still can't get over how beautiful he is.
My new friend Kelsey told me that his name was Edward Cullen and that he and his other siblings were all adopted by Dr. Carlisle & Esme Cullen. Wow. They aren't related, and yet they look so much alike. They all have pale skin, gold eyes, bruise like spots under their eyes, and they were all abnormally beautiful. Especially Rosalie! Not one soul in the world could compare with her beauty. She put every single model in the world to shame. I used to think Megan Fox was the prettiest woman ever, but she definitely has to come in second here. I mean, I still think she is pretty and no offense to her at all...
"Terrance?" a gentle, velvet voice whispered as I felt a gentle but very cold hand touch my forehead.
Am I dreaming? Was I dreaming earlier? Ouch, my head hurts. It feels like I've been hit really hard... But why? The last thing I remember I was walking to get something out of my car, but then this one guy playing basketball got hurt and... Oh. He started bleeding and I must've fainted.
"What happened to her Mr. Cullen?" someone else, a woman nearby, asked. Her voice sounded harsh compared to the angel's velvet voice. His voice sounded worried, but soothing.
"She fainted. Someone outside was playing around and cut their arm. She saw the blood, her face turned green, she threw up and fainted," Edward said his cold hand still on my forehead. "And I think she has a fever. She's burning up and flushed." he added, moving his hand to my cheek.
I tried to talk, but no words came out of my mouth. My lips barely moved. I heard a low sigh and something cold & hard, but very tender and loving touched my forehead. Oh my gosh. He just kissed my forehead. Is he actually worried about me!?
"I'll be right back. Stay with her Mr. Cullen while I call her parents. She needs medicine and I'm not allowed to give it to her without her parents' permission." the harsher sounding woman said walking out of the room. Edward kissed my forehead again, and then said my name.
"Terrance? Honey, can you hear me? I need you to talk to me. Open your eyes Terri," he spoke softly in my ear.
I could smell him now, my nose brushing his nose as he whispered to me over and over to talk to him. He smells amazing. Oh Man! I really don't want to wake up from this wonderful dream. I felt him smile and whisper,
"This isn't a nightmare Terri. I mean, I know I'm scary and all, but this is real, love. Wake up," Then, he kissed my cheek.
I laughed in my head.
'OK Terri, now you really have to wake up. You have to tell him that this couldn't be a nightmare when he was here...'
I could feel his ear lying over my heart now, and, when I had regained enough consciousness to function, I put my hand on his head and whispered hoarsely,
"If this is a nightmare, then I want to dream about it every night."
He turned his head around to look up at me, one ear still listening to my heartbeat.
"You shouldn't wish that. I'm no good for you. In life or in your dreams," he said.
"Oh please Edward. I guarantee I've dated worse. Besides, I know what you are. And you are no nightmare compared to my past," I told him. He sat up to look at me now, horror filled his eyes.
"You... You know about my family and me?" he choked out.
"Yes. Thanks to a couple of nomads from Brazil who couldn't keep their mouth shut. My family and I had to move out of Alaska and change our names. The nomads told us about the Volturi & what they do to humans who know that you exist, so we changed our names and our appearances, not telling the nomads in case the Volturi did find out & read their minds," I explained.
I looked at him and his face was still horrified, except now there was a hint of anger & his jaw was clenched tight. His liquid gold eyes seemed hardened now, and he looked like an angry marble statue. I took one of his clenched fists and rubbed the top of his hand trying to ease some of the tension. He looked at me, a bit less angry, but not as happy as before.
"You aren't mad at me are you? I just wanted you to know that I accept what you and your family are. You guys are much nicer than the nomads..." I whispered still rubbing his hand, but looking down. He tilted my chin up slowly and whispered,
"Terri... I am so happy to hear you say that you accept my family and me, but I have to ask you a question." As he said this, he slowly brushed his nose against my neck, inhaling my scent. I shivered.
"Yes?" I whispered quietly.
"Aren't you afraid that I will kill you? What if one day I get too thirsty and can't resist you, or I mean to touch your face but accidentally break your skull? Do you realize how fragile you are compared to me?" he asked, stopping at my ear. I thought for a moment.
"I don't care," I said.
"Really? You don't care that I've killed people before?" He began kissing my neck now, slowly making his way to the edge of my lips and stopping to pull away. He sighed and walked over to sit across the room.
"No I don't," I whispered standing up but falling over and almost hitting the floor. Edward caught me and quickly sat me back down on the little couch the nurse had for the patients.
"We'll continue this later," he whispered as my mom and dad came running through the door towards me. Normally she & dad would've been angry when they walked in & saw him holding me, but they paid no attention to it. Edward let me go as mom came over to hug me. He said he'll see me later! That means he actually wants to talk to me! I saw him smile before my mom's face blocked my view.
"Honey, are you ok?" she asked brushing my hair behind my ear and touching my forehead. "Oh my god, you're burning up! Nurse! Have you checked my daughter's temperature!?" she yelled at Nurse Hampton, upset.
"Yes, I did. It's 102.2 degrees," Nurse Hampton said, looking at mom like she wanted to slap her. That told me mom was giving her the look that made people feel stupid.
"Then why haven't you given her any medication?" she shouted and tried to stand up but dad put his hands on her shoulders to keep her down.
"Ma'am, I tried to tell you over the phone that I couldn't give her medicine without your approval, but you hung up on me," Nurse Hampton spit back.
"Oh..." Mom looked down embarrassed. I laughed, and she gave me a look, so I shut up. I looked over by the door and Edward was looking at me, smiling, arms crossed and propped against the wall near the door.
Dad asked the nurse to give me some medicine so we could leave. She did, we left and Edward walked out to the parking lot with us (since school would be out in an hour he decided to go home).
"Terri, who is that?" mom whispered to me. Dad had gone ahead to their car, carrying my books and starting the car waiting for my mom.
"That is Edward Cullen. He's my friend. He carried me to the nurse when I fainted," I whispered back, but of course I knew he could hear.
"Oh. He's really cute huh? Are you two dating?" she smiled, nudging my arm.
I looked down and blushed. "No..." I muttered, kicking a rock out of my way.
Just then I felt him tap my shoulder and my mom and I turned around.
"Mrs. Carter? Hello, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. I'm Edward Cullen," Edward said, looking at my mom with his hypnotic eyes. That did it. I know that look, and she's melted in his gaze.
"Hello. I'm Sandy. Thank you for helping my daughter," she said shaking his hand.
"No problem. I'm glad I happened to be there. Actually, I was wondering if I could drive Terri home, due to the fact they gave her medication. If neither of you mind, of course. I can't drive home because my family needs a way to get home," he smiled at her.
"Ok, um... I don't mind. Are you going home right now?" Mom asked.
"Yes ma'am. There is only an hour of school left and I have an excuse to leave early."
"Oh okay. Like I said, I don't mind. Terri did just take Aspirin, which usually makes here tired, so she'll probably fall asleep. I would rather that not happen," Mom smiled at both of us.
I can tell she thinks we're dating and I just haven't mentioned it to her. As she walked away she winked at me. I looked towards where they had parked, and Dad didn't look happy that Mom left us alone.
"Keys, please?" Edward smiled at me. I handed him the keys and he held the passenger side door open for me.
"Thanks," I said getting in. He got in, started the car, and we followed my parents, from a distance, to my house.
"So, you really aren't scared of me?" he asked casually.
"No. I'm, really not." I said, laying my head back against the seat. The medicine really was starting to make me tired.
He sighed and grabbed my hand. I jumped from the sudden coldness, but didn't yank away from him.
"See? Every time I touch you, you jump," he said.
"That has nothing to do with me being afraid of you. I'll get used to how cold your skin is," I pouted, arguing.
"You are the farthest thing from scary I've ever met," I whispered playing with his fingers.
"Terri..." he whispered. We stopped at a gas station because I was running low on gas and while we waited for the car to fill up he took my face in his hands.
"I am very dangerous Terri. This should be against the rules," he said very serious.
He stroked my cheek with his thumb, tenderly kissed my forehead and got out to pay for the gas. Should be against the rules? Does he not like me the way I'm portraying that I like him? I feel so stupid. Of course he doesn't like me. He is this beautiful person who is too perfect for me. He's out of my league. Maybe he really is just driving me home so his family has a way to get home. He's taking me home out of pity for me. Or maybe he just didn't want me to fall asleep behind the wheel and wreck. I don't know but I need to stop. Stop the flirting and stuff before I get my heart broken, big time. Edward came back in the car with an angry, upset look on his face.
"Terri... I'm disappointed in you. You know better than to think that way," he frowned, backing out of the station.
"Well excuse me! I couldn't help it. Wait a minute... You can read my mind?" I said, surprised.
"You didn't know? I could've sworn you knew," he said.
"Well... I had had my suspicions but never actually knew."
I had at one point thought he could read my mind. Once we were sitting in 3rd period math & I was having difficulty with a problem and he blurted out my mistake. I hadn't worked the problem out on paper, I was doing it mentally and then he must have been listening to me and helped me.
"So that time in math... When I was doing a mental problem..." I asked when he interrupted me.
"Yes. Everyone was having some difficulty with that problem. But I heard you arguing with yourself and thought it was funny because you actually had it right at first. But I could tell it was bothering you and I wanted to relieve you of the burden. I didn't think it through before I answered. I knew you hadn't written anything down, I just didn't think about it when I answered you. Then you started thinking about how you thought I read minds and you were distracted about that the rest of the day," he smiled guiltily.
"Yeah. Ha, I was just waiting for you to answer another of my questions. Although I should've known you wouldn't tell me," I smiled.
"Yes, well you now know. So are you gonna start talking to me in your head?" he asked.
"Well, if you will answer me this time sure," I smiled.
"Ok. Deal. Just not at school. It would be kind of weird for the other students if they saw me talking to you without you asking me anything," he said.
"Other students can get over it," I pouted. Edward laughed.
"What?" I asked.
"You. You're so funny Terri," he said kissing my hand.
"You know you have to help me in Math now. Because now I know I can ask you a question and not get in trouble for it. And you're so sneaky you could help me before the teacher realized you were talking," I said being totally serious.
Math has never been my best subject. I mean, I'm not horrible, but I'm no Edward. He gets done before everyone else and makes straight A's in all his classes I'd bet.
"I do, but that's irrelevant." he smiled.
"Ugh! You mind peeper! I'm gonna have to get used to that," I smiled back at him.
It was hard not to smile when he did....
Edward and I dated for a year and a half. We kissed and went on dates and just hung out. We had a sweet, loving relationship. And it was good too because Maine was pretty cloudy usually.
(A/N: IDK IF MAINE IS CLOUDY A LOT OR NOT, BUT FOR THIS STORY IT IS ALRIGHT?)
The worst days were when the sun actually came out because that was when he and his family went hunting out of town for the weekend. But the worst day of my life was 3 weeks after graduation. Edward told me that he was breaking up with me. He said he didn't love me anymore and that he didn't believe in long distance relationships. We were too different and going to two different colleges. He was going to University of Alaska and I was going to the University of Ohio. He wished me luck in life and I wished him the same, though I was crying my heart out. I begged him not to leave me. I told him he was like my Romeo. But he told me I wasn't his Juliet. He said I deserved someone who I could age with and who I could have kids and enjoy life with. Being the pathetic human that I am, I got down on my knees and told him I could live without children if I was with him. He said no, very harshly, picked me up off the ground and kissed my forehead before disappearing out of my life forever.
That was 36 yrs ago, in 1973 when I was 18 yrs old. I'm 54 yrs old now with 4 grown kids, Sara- 37, Michael- 34, Kyndal and Jackson-30, my precious twins. I'm happily married now too. His name is Tyler Ferguson and we've been married 34 years. I'm sitting on the porch now, waiting for him to come home from the airport. Kyndal and her baby, Stanley, are going to be staying with us for awhile. I heard a car pull in the driveway and stood up as my puppy jumped out of my lap. It wasn't Tyler, but the person I was least expecting to ever see. I walked down off the porch as he got out of his car and walked towards me.
"Oh my god..." I whispered.
"Hello Terri," Edward smiled.
"What are you doing here!?" I asked in amazement.
"Well, I was in town hunting and I caught your sent from the highway. That hasn't changed. You look really good Terri," he smiled touching my cheek. I jumped at his sudden ice cold touch. I haven't felt this in years!
"Thank you. You look exactly the same as you did 36 years ago," I said looking at him.
He did look exactly the same, just somehow different. He seemed... happier. My memory hadn't done him justice. He was more perfect in person. I wonder if I should hug him... I've missed him so much. But I'm married now, and I'm over fifty. But hugging him wouldn't be considered cheating on Tyler. It's a hug to an old friend. Well, technically my young friend. Edward laughed at me and hugged me tight. Like hugging a very comfortable, cold, hard marble statue that held me back.
"I see you still have those big inner conflicts I used to love," he laughed.
"Oh yeah. I forgot you could read minds," I laughed as he ended our hug.
"Yes I can. So you're married to Tyler Ferguson huh? Man I never would've thought he would settle down. Wasn't he sort of... free-lance?" Edward asked.
"Yeah he was. But when he was 20 he got a little bit too wreck less and had a big motorcycle accident and almost killed himself. He was in a coma for 2 months. After he woke up we started hanging out then we started dating and got married two years later. And after that we had four kids. But enough about me. What about you? And Alice and Esme and everyone," I turned the subject off of me. I really have been thinking a lot about him these last few days.
"Well, everyone is good. Thanks for asking. Um... I got married and have a daughter now so I guess we both sort of got what we wanted," he said, hesitant about the wife and daughter thing.
"Edward don't be nervous. I'm very happy for you. We both have very happy lives now. I'm not dwelling on that day anymore. Yeah, I'm hurt by some things that were said, but hey! The past is the past. So! Who are the lucky girls?" I asked smiling.
Edward sighed and kissed my forehead.
"You are still as amazing, caring, and understanding as you used to be," he said pulling out his wallet. "This is my wife, Bella, and this is my daughter, Renesmee," he smiled pointing out two unbelievably gorgeous girls.
"Oh wow! Edward she is a doll! Bella too! Absolutely gorgeous! You hit the jackpot honey," I said.
I couldn't take my eyes off of them. They were so gorgeous. Edward and Bella made the cutest couple I'd ever seen. Better than I was dating him…
"Don't think that Terri. You are gorgeous, and I love you no matter what," he said and I grinned.
"Thank you, Terri. Can I see a picture of your family?" Edward asked.
"Yeah! I'm so sorry! Come inside. I just made a big pitcher of tea... Oh yeah, you don't drink anything," I said. He laughed and I took his hand led him inside.
"Ah. You're still a neat freak too," he laughed examining my organized, dust-free living room.
"Ha! It's gotten worse with the old age. Especially when people come over. Don't you smell the chemicals on me?" I asked him, remembering that even after I'd showered and didn't smell like chemicals to the human senses, he could always faintly smell it on me and in the house.
"Yes I could, but I had no idea it was this clean." he chuckled.
When I finally found the photo album I wanted, I walked over to Edward. We sat on the couch and he put his cold arm around my shoulder. I've really missed this. The feel of his cold skin, his seductive, alluring smell. I took a deep breath, smiled to myself and began showing him pictures of my family. When we got to the wedding pictures he took deep breaths and began sighing. I felt him kiss my head and I looked up at him.
'What?' I asked in my head.
"You were a beautiful bride. I wish I could've been there," he frowned.
"I would've invited you if I had known where you were living. And the fact that the wound was still fresh didn't help the situation either. You may have handled it well, but I didn't," I frowned and looked down at the picture of Tyler and me kissing. I closed the book and lay it beside me. He made me look up at him and he was frowning.
"I didn't handle it well Terri. You know why I had to leave. But I don't see how you thought I didn't love you so easily. You knew I loved you. And yet... *sigh* Why did you believe me so quickly?" he asked me. I started crying thinking about it.
'I believed so easily because you've always been too perfect for me and I knew we couldn't possibly belong together. And it turns out I was right, huh?' I thought.
"Terri," Edward frowned and hugged me. "I've missed you terribly Terri..." he said.
"I know we are both happily married, but I still think about you," he said kissing my head.
"You do?" I said, muffled by his chest and tears.
"Of course I do. You are too wonderful to not think about," he laughed and kissed my head again.
When I finally stopped crying, I sighed and sat up.
"I'll be right back. Stay here." I said, getting up and running upstairs. When I found what I needed I went back downstairs and Edward was smiling.
"And of course you know what it is. You and Alice are so hard to surprise. But here," I said handing Edward the gift I was gonna give him on our two year anniversary. It was a picture of him and me holding each other like we truly loved each other. And at that time we did. I also have him a locket with our picture in it and a picture of me and my babies. He looked at me and kissed my head again.
"Thank you Terri. This is wonderful. But now I have something for you," he smiled.
He ran out to his car and was back in exactly 2 seconds. He handed me a box with a bracelet in it that had his initials and mine carved inside the band. It also had a heart charm on it and on it said "To my first love. U r always in my heart." I looked up at him and cried.
"Thank you so much Edward! It is beautiful," I cried again.
He kissed my head 3 times before letting me go and looking at me with sad, apologetic eyes.
"Tyler?" I asked, quickly wiping the tears away.
"Yes. It was good seeing you again Terri," he whispered.
He kissed my head one more time, smiled sadly and left quickly. I never saw him again after that and ALWAYS wore the bracelet he gave me. The only times I took the bracelet off was to shower and clean with chemicals and washing my hands. I dreamt about him every night too. Dreaming about our days when we were young and dating.
AUTHOR POV:
About 30 or so years later, Terri had a stroke and died. Edward came to her funeral. He was also wearing the locket she had given him. Bella, Alice, Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle sobbed tearlessly with Edward and never left his side. At the very end of the funeral, he walked up to the open casket and put the picture of the two of them in her hand and saw she still had the bracelet he'd given her. He closed his eyes and kissed her cold forehead for the last time ever.
"You're my first love. Never Forget that. Rest in Peace Sweetheart. You deserve it." he frowned, wishing he had tears to shed for her. Bella put her hand on his shoulder and they left slowly, looking back several times before they actually were gone.