Hello all! I
have now officially adopted Vanity Is Precious' awesome story,
Carnival Buttons! These first two chapters are by her, and then
chapter three will be continued on by me! Disclmaier: Don't
own Twilight!
Gleaming lights swirled around me. The calm night air was interrupted by screams of thrill and excitement that erupted every few seconds. Scents of cakes and candies filled my breaths. I felt a buzz run through my veins.
Grinning, I followed along with my friends into the school carnival. The night seemed spoiled with the giggles and laughs and voices.
"Edward! What are you doing? You're missin' all the fun!" One of my closest friends, Alex, called from ahead. I had barely noticed that I was trailing behind the group.
Kelley, another friend of mine, jogged over towards me and grabbed my arm. "Silly," she smiled up at me, "come on."
I smiled back, her blonde enthusiasm rubbed off on me. "Yeah, ok."
After minutes of walking around, we settled for the Ferris wheel. The only light admitted to the black sky came from the rides, stars, and a few spotlights. So, when I looked across the field, I wasn't able to tell if the person opposite me was staring at me or behind. I was able to tell that they were a girl, and a very pretty one like that. Though little light was being cast upon her face, I could tell that her features were fine.
I smiled to myself, and was about to walk over when I felt a tug on my sleeve. It was Kelley.
I was barely able to move my eyes towards her, though. "Yes?"
"The line is-"she stopped, then, "What are you looking at?"
I quickly turned my head away from the girl and to Kelley. "What? Nothing. What were you saying?"
She looked at me strangely then. "The line's moving."
"Oh." She pulled me forward then.
I lifted my head to find the girl again, but was disappointed when all I saw was the line she had been in and...what was that shining thing on the ground?
"Um...Kell', I'll be right back."
"Huh? Ed-"But I was already gone. I heard her shouting my name from behind me, but I ignored her in my search for that special object.
I could tell it was a ring, even that was clear in the dim lighting. I was still confused, though. Who had left it? Was it her? I picked it up.
It was white gold, that much much I knew. A simple band with a simple stone in the center. An apple? Hmm...on the inside, there was tiny engraving. I moved closer to a light to read it. B. That was it. A simple letter.
I placed the ring into my pocket. I felt like a thief. Who knew whom this ring really belonged to? I sure didn't. I tried to reason with myself. I was just doing the right thing, after all. Searching for the owner of a forgotten ring.
I half-ran back over to my friends, who were almost at the beginning of the line. Alex stared at me, confused. I just shook my head. "I, uh, had to use the bathroom." He shrugged.
Kelley however, was not convinced. "Bathroom? Sure. Really, though-where were you?" She sounded oddly worried.
"Really, I had to much to drink earlier."
Not convinced. "You hardly had a sip of water."
"Kelley-"I was cut short though.
"Hey! Get to the end of the line; you can't cut!" His words were slurred and he reeked of alcohol.
I turned away from him. "Sorry. Well, I'll see you later." The rest of my friends just nodded and continued their conversations, but Kelley said, "No! I mean . . .I'll go with you."
She sure was acting strange tonight. "No, no. Stay." Maybe I could go search for whoever this girl was. "Really-stay."
"Fine!" With Kelley's odd send-off, I pretended to go to the end of the line, but I really went back to the spot that I had first seen her.
An hour later, I had gathered no more information than originally. I went inside of the building to grab something to drink.
The hallways were coated with posters and banners, all decorated in loud colors. I continued on. So far, no one I passed looked remotely familiar to the girl from earlier. Why was I so eager to see her again?
To do the right thing and return the ring to its rightful owner, I told myself. A lie, though. Had I been truthful, I knew it was because something about that girl-even in those few seconds-had me intrigued. No, intrigued is the wrong word. Mystified. That's more like it.
On my way to the refreshments table, I passed a group of students-some of them my friends-taking a photo together. Photo buttons. Kelley had been planning on making all of us take one together. It's are last year, guys, she had said, we need memorabilia. A table had collected all of the buttons that still needed to be collected or were just finished.
Students I had known for practically four years faced up at me. All captured forever and pressed onto a metal disk.
I almost continued to walk on, but I was startled to see a face I would have know, though I had barely seen it all.
Staring at me was the girl from earlier. The beautiful one. And she was beautiful. With deep, chocolaty eyes, and full cherry-kissed lips. She was smiling, which tugged up my lips. Her hair flowed onto her shoulders, like a cape hiding her secrets. I needed to know this girl.
Behind the table, a girl I vaguely remembered sat separating and straightening the buttons. Before she was able to smudge the one I was after though, I stopped her hand with my own. She started and looked up.
"Uh-uh, can I help you?" She stuttered and I chuckled.
"Actually, yes. How much do these buttons cost?" I tried my hardest to make my eyes smolder.
It worked. "Free."
I smiled." Are you sure? I mean, I don't have any cash on my now, but-"
"Yes, yes! I'm sure." She smiled back at me. "Which one would you like?"
My hand instinctively grabbed her picture. "This one,"
She sounded disappointed. "Oh. That one." I looked at her, confused. "Never mind. You can take it."
"Really?" She nodded. "Thanks, I owe you one." She was about to turn away. "Wait-Can you tell me who this is?"
She just stared at me. Then, as if coming back from a dream, she replied, "Hmm? Oh, um, that's Bella Swan...you know who that is, right?" She looked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
No. "Of course. She goes here, yeah?"
"Yes. She just shook her head, then turned away and mumbled something that sounded a lot like, so conceited! Never notice anyone but yourself.
I shrugged that off, though. I needed to find this Bella. Even her name was "beautiful". I smiled at my own joke.
I looked at the pin. Her face struck me again. Then, I started walking, anywhere. Ten minutes later, I was still lost and now, hopeless.
I sat on a stone bench, and leaned my head back. Why was this so important? I had no idea why I was wandering around the carnival in search for a girl who may or may not have been looking at me earlier. But I did know, that I didn't want to stop looking. I didn't want to waste this chance, whatever this chance may be.
Something fell over my eyes, closing off any light. I felt breath brush across my ear, and then heard the words that followed. "Boo." It was Kelley.
I sighed, "Hey, Kelley, Alex." Kelley giggled and Alex waved.
"I'm hungry," It was another friend of mine, Ryan, who spoke, "Let's go grab a bite." A few friends followed.
"So...where'd you go?" Alex sat down next to me and slapped a hand on my shoulder.
"Uh, just to get a drink." I lied again.
"I thought you had to use the restroom?" Kelley was next to me now, resting her head against my shoulder.
"Yeah, I did. Then I was thirsty again." Why was I such a terrible liar?
"Ok." Was her only reply, but she sounded like she didn't believe me.
A silence fell over us. That's when I asked. "Do either of you know a Bella?" I felt excited just saying her name.
Alex was the first to answer. "I think so. Wasn't she in our gym class, Kells'?" He scratched his head.
"Nope. I don't know a Bella." That was all she said. I was glad; I didn't want them to ask why. "Why?" No!
My brain scrambled for an excuse. "No reason. I just wanted to know." I forced a smile.
"Edward, you sure are acting strange tonight, you know?" Though he said it mockingly, I knew Alex was actually worried.
"I guess I'm just a little stressed. You know, finals and all..." I shrugged. Hopefully they wouldn't notice anything else that was unlike me.
"But you're brilliant, Eddie!" Kelley smiled at me, jokingly.
I glared. "I told you-never call me Eddie!"
"Oh, she's just playing around." Alex was laughing, too. "They sure are taking long. I'll be back." With that, Alex jumped off the bench and ran off.
It was Kelley and me now. "So, what do you want to do?" I noticed that she was also acting strange today. She kept sitting close and brushing her fingers on me at every opportunity. If didn't know any better, I would have thought she liked me.
"I was thinking we would just wait," I told her.
"Oh," she paused, then, "They're probably going to take long, though. Why don't we just go on ahead?"
I didn't want to. I wanted to continue my search for Bella, but instead I said, "I guess. Let's go."
We scooted off the bench, then started walking towards the main ride area. "What do you want to ride?"
I had other things on my mind, like discovering this amazing girl, so I told her to decided-I was up for anything.
"Hmm? How about the Ferris wheel?" I was confused; didn't they just ride that? I asked her that.
"Well, yeah, but I'm really not up for anything to scary." She sounded like she had struggled to some up with this excuse.
"Kells', you're not scared of anything." I laughed. It sounded fake, forced. She pouted, so I ruffled her hair and pulled her in the direction of the Ferris wheel.
The line had conveniently shortened, so there were only two groups of people in front of us. Kelley babbled on, but I kept alert for the girl or any sign of her presence. No sign. My heart squeezed, then dropped.
Wait. Staring across from me was not Bella, but another person. Thin, short. Her hair seemed to point every which way, but I knew she was attractive. But not Bella. I sighed, and turned away, but I could still feel the other girl's eyes following me.
I turned around again, to stare, and when I did, I was shocked. She was smiling. Not an all-teeth smile, but one that held secrets. An all-knowing smile. I felt uncomfortable under her gaze, but I held her gaze. When Kelley pulled on my arm and whined my name, I saw the smile on the other girl's face turn into a glare. But she just waved. Her hands were white and she wore a ring on her middle finger. Ring.
Even from multiple feet across, I knew it was the same ring. I was about to run over, but the line moved again and I was pushed forward. When I turned back again, the girl was gone. I knew nothing more except this: the smaller girl had dark short hair and wore an exact match to Bella's. Before I could continue to ponder my new information, Kelley me forward and we headed in the direction of our cart.
Inside of the metal sphere, it was cramped and smelt of sweat and...well, I'd rather not know what that smell was.
I sat on the bench opposite of Kelley, but she soon joined. She rested her head on my shoulder. "Kelley?"
"Yes, Edward?" She seemed eager for some reason.
"You're too close." I tried to shrug away from her.
"Oh. Sorry." She didn't sound sorry at all.
Soon, the ride started and I felt that familiar stream of tingles float around my stomach as the height grew. Kelley remained silent.
At the very top of the wheel, Kelley finally spoke. "Edward?"
The stars were so amazing from this view. The sky felt so impossible, secrets inlayed and sewn into it. "Yes?" My voice sounded soft and hesitant.
"We need to talk."
My head snapped around. She was sitting hunched over, her hands folded guiltily on her lap. "About what?"
"About us."
"Us? Kelley, are you alright?" I was astonished. There had never been and 'us', and I never knew there might be an 'us'.
"Yes. Edward, we've known each other for years! I mean...I know I'm attractive and I have proof of it!" I looked at her. Her blonde hair was wild around her head. Her blue eyes round, yet squinty, seemed to pound into me. Yes, she was pretty. But she was Kelley. Not Bella.
"I'm sorry, Kelley. But"
"But what? You're Edward, I'm Kelley! We should be together!"
By now, she was half-crouched over me, her eyes wide and fierce. I stood up, though I had to slouch in order for the top to miss my head. "Kelley-no. I'm sorry, but no."
"What do you mean no? Is it another girl? It is! Who is it?" She started screaming.
Her name is Bella. She's beautiful, and no, I have never met her. Of course I didn't actually say that. I didn't say anything.
She too got up. "No!" She screamed once, and that's when it happened.
I never actually knew how strong Kelley was until now. The force of her push was enough to somehow send me over the little grate that was suppose to keep passengers in.
Through the fall, I didn't see my life flash before my eyes like many have said. I saw her. Bella. And she was beautiful.
