Disclaimer: Not mine...Stephenie Meyer owns the characters. I'm just playing with them.
This is a one-shot I wrote for the Writer's Coffee Shop Sport of Love challenge. It won first place in the popular vote for the Decaf category. Enjoy. I'm thinking of expanding it into a story.
Setting It All Up
"Five dollars."
The lone bill was thrust forcefully into my hand as the big brute continued his conversation with his ice queen girlfriend. Emmett McCarty and Rosalie Hale…the school's king and queen. He was the star football player and she was the head cheerleader…and both were complete douchebags to me. Behind them I saw Jasper Whitlock and Alice Brandon whispering to each other and smiling. I cleared my throat to get the big bear and goldilocks to move along. I received a glare for my efforts.
"What's your problem Cullen?" Rosalie sneered. She snapped up the two water bottles and hot dog, immediately passing them off to Emmett.
"He's such a freak…" I heard her say, as she turned away with Emmett and walking towards the bleachers.
Jasper and Alice were at least nicer. Jasper was in my history class, and despite being a part of the "popular" group, he was nice to me in class. Then again, I didn't see him talk to many people besides Alice. Alice it seems, talks to anyone. She sits next to me in English and Science.
"Hey Edward," Alice smiled, "Jazz and I will take two bottles of water and two hot dogs."
"Su-sure…" I stuttered out. I didn't like speaking to people, but my father told me if I wanted to be a doctor I better damn well get used to it. I had no problem talking to my parents or other adults. It was people my own age that I couldn't talk to.
"Edward, did you do the reading for English yet?"
I nodded as I collected their order, and Alice went right on talking.
"I wasn't planning on doing it until Sunday since I thought Bella…"
I immediately tuned her out. Usually I listen to her as she yammers on in class while she's sitting next to me, but Alice had mentioned her. Isabella Swan…the girl I fell in love with on her first day here in Forks, and loved from afar for the last 3 years. Bella was absolutely beautiful. Her skin was pale and absolutely flawless. The color of her hair was something like mahogany, the reds and browns dancing together in the sunlight. Her lips were plump and full and often the star of my dreams both in class and at home in my bed. It was her eyes that did me in though. Deep, chocolate brown pools that I wish I could just drown in like that fat kid in "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory". That was everything about her that I noticed on her first day.
Before she grew curves and became one of the stars of the school's volleyball team.
She was the reason I got this job manning the refreshment stand at home games in the first place. From here I could see the game and didn't have to worry about anyone bothering me while I watched Bella from afar. While I sat here by myself, no one considered me a freak, no one made fun of me…no one told me I didn't have a chance in hell with Bella Swan. I've only ever had one class with her, and that was Chemistry in our sophomore year, and she was my lab partner. She probably thought I was a freak because I couldn't talk to her. She intimidated me so badly! She would just sit there and smile softly at me, and do whatever lab we were working on. We never talked about anything…well, she would ask me questions that I stupidly just answered with a nod or shake of my head. I never had a class with her again.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even notice Alice and Jasper leave, and saw that the teams had finished warming up and the game was going to start. I had a side view of the court and the team's bench was opposite of me. I immediately found Bella, the number 17 in yellow on the back of her blue jersey. I decided long ago that one of the best parts about volleyball was their uniform. Blue spandex shorts, and either a blue or white sleeveless top that hugged Bella's upper half like a second skin. It displayed every single one of her curves that I adored.
Careful Cullen…you might be alone back here but let's not get a hard on right now…
I shook my head and tried to focus on something other than curves. She was the setter for the team, and once I found out freshman year that she played, I learned everything I could about the sport. Apparently being a setter required not only being physically fast, but also fast thinking. Bella was short, maybe 5'4" I'd say, but she made up for it with an impressive vertical jump. In last week's game, she blocked one of the hitters on the other team by herself. The smile that lit up her face as she celebrated was absolutely beautiful.
They were playing a team from Port Angeles tonight. Bella was the starting setter and I could hear her shouting out plays and directing the team. It was completely different from the soft voice that had once asked me if she was adding the correct amount of chloride to our chemistry lab assignment.
It was now the third set of the game and our team was going to win. There was a time out and I saw Bella drinking from a water bottle and talking to Angela Webber. Angela was quite tall and one of the team's middle blockers. Just as I was beginning to imagine what Bella's lips would feel like, her eyes flicked over and locked with mine. I quickly looked away and fumbled around trying to look busy, but ended up knocking the box of candy in front of me onto the ground. Mike Newton and his football gang snickered as they walked by.
"What a loser…"
When I looked up after picking up the candy bars, the teams were heading back out onto the court, and I notice that Bella's gaze was focused on Newton and his friends as they climbed up the bleachers. She was frowning. I sighed…I bet she was dating one of them. I started to clean up the refreshment stand as the referee blew the whistle for the game to start. There wasn't much for me to do. I bent down to put the candy back into the larger box we kept everything stored in and as I stood back up I heard someone scream, "watch out", but it was too late.
The ball hit me smack in the face and sent my glasses flying and crashing to the ground. My hand immediately flew up to my face as I heard laughter coming from all around.
Seriously? You people think that was funny?
My vision was blurry as I bent down to pick up my glasses. I sighed. One of the lenses had cracked when they hit the floor. When I turned back to the court, someone was jogging over, and there was no mistaking who was running over to retrieve the ball. Even my blurry vision couldn't stop me from seeing that it was Bella.
I quickly fumbled around with my glasses, but that caused the lens to fall out completely from the frame. I shoved them on my face anyway and heard more laughter coming from the stands. I couldn't stop my cheeks from turning red as Bella stopped in front of the stand. From the one good side of my glasses, I could see that she was frowning.
"Are you okay Edward?" She asked softly.
"I…I…." Was all I was able to stutter out.
"Cullen you're such a loser!" Mike Newton shouted from the bleachers. The crowds of Forks high students around him erupted in laughter. Bella was probably laughing right along with the rest of them. I didn't even bother to look at her as I turned and scurried out of the gym as quick as I could. Their laughter rang out behind me as I ran out towards the parking lot, tripping as I made it to the door of my car. I peeled out of there so fast it was amazing I didn't get into an accident.
"You're such an idiot Cullen!" I shouted to myself as I sped towards home. I was frustrated beyond belief. Fed up with my life and fed up with my ability to just freaking man up and act like a normal human being around my peers! My fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter as I turned up the dirt road to my home. Eight more months of this crap and then I'd be away from Forks, and away from the people, that for whatever reason, decided that I was the most uncool kid in school.
But then you'd be away from Bella.
"I don't care!" I shouted into my car. It's not like she would ever miss me. Her best friends were Alice and Angela, both a part of the "popular" crew. Mike Newton was probably her boyfriend, seeing as he was always hanging around her and she was upset tonight when he arrived late to the game. Bella was one of the most popular girls in school…and there was no way she'd ever fall for the kid in the thick black glasses.
My parents weren't home when I pulled into the garage. I vaguely remembered something about a hospital fundraiser in Port Angeles tonight. Sighing, I trudged my way up the stairs to my room on the third floor of our home. I guess being the only child of an in-demand interior designer and a world-class surgeon had its perks. I was never left wanting, and the entire third floor was mine.
Standing in front of my mirror in the bathroom, I could almost see why the students of Forks decided I was such a loser. My pathetic excuse for glasses still hung on my face. The untamable mop of bronze hair looked like chaos on top of my head. My boring green eyes, my deathly pale skin…it didn't help matters that I was wearing a white polo shirt with a blue sweater vest over it and khaki pants. I was tall at 6'1", and my lanky body almost drowned in my attire. I looked like your stereotypical nerd. I sighed and peeled off the sweater vest, tossing it into my hamper. Grudgingly I put on my contacts because I couldn't see out of one side of my glasses. In hindsight, driving home like that was probably one of the dumbest things I could've done. The last thing I needed would have been getting pulled over by Chief Swan.
After a quick shower I threw on some flannel pajama pants and the Seattle Mariners shirt my Grandpa bought me. I hated sports, and unfortunately my Grandpa never caught on to that fact. He was still holding onto the hope that his only grandchild, a male at that, would someday be as great of an athlete as he had once been, thriving on the thrill of competition. My idea of competition consisted of a good game of slayer while playing "Halo". Or maybe bowling on the Wii. Video games were like sports right? It took a lot of practice to master the skill of playing the game…and there was some eye/hand coordination involved. P.E. class was like pure torture for me, and fortunately I got that out of the way in my first two years of high school.
My X-Box came to life and I sighed heavily, knowing my friend would not be on tonight. I didn't know who she was, but Vbp913 was like my online soul mate. We had been playing as a team for months now, and we even chatted on instant messenger on the computer now, using the same screen names. She and I had planned out dates every week to play together and chat online. Every Saturday at 8pm, we signed in on X-Box Live to play a few rounds of "Halo" before signing off and chatting on the computer for a bit. We had each other's backs when we played and supported each other throughout the game.
My screen name was EMC2. I left out the "A" from my initials, liking that my SN would look like Albert Einstein's famous formula without it. I called Vbp913 by "V" and she called me "E". We both had the headsets for the X-Box and used those to communicate while we played. Even though it wasn't the best sound quality, she had one of the most attractive voices I had ever heard. I had no problem communicating with her when we were playing.
Just as I finished a round of "Halo", I saw that Vbp913 signed on. As quickly as she signed on, she immediately signed off. I frowned and quickly woke up my computer, wanting to see if she was online. Sure enough, she signed on. I was about to type her a message, but she beat me to it.
Vbp913: Hey E
EMC2: Hey V. How come you signed off X-Box?
Vbp913: Wanted to see if you were on.
EMC2: Then why'd you sign off?
Vbp913: I was hoping you'd magically read my mind and sign on here instead :-P
EMC2: Well, here I am. What's up? Rough week?
We always chatted about our school weeks, but never revealed private information about ourselves. We did both reveal however, that we were high school seniors. After being paired together numerous times while playing "Halo" online, V sent me a private message asking if I had instant messenger on my computer. That was how it all started. At first we would chat about "Halo" and other games, but slowly we began to branch out into other favorite topics. She didn't like to watch sports, her favorite TV show is " the Big Bang Theory", her favorite superhero is Superman, and her favorite movies are "Lord of the Rings" and "Star Wars". She liked everything that I did. Whoever V was, she was like my perfect woman. But she was someone I met online…and there was no way, no matter how perfect I thought she was, that I was going to suggest we meet. Not only was there a possibility that V could turn out to be a middle-aged man, but she was pinning over someone else, just like I was pinning over Bella. We often talked about our unrequited loves as well. We didn't only have each other's backs when it came to "Halo".
Vbp913: Had a run in with Clark Kent. :- (
"Clark Kent" was her code name for the guy she was pinning over. I called Bella "Amidala" because I thought Natalie Portman was hot in "Star Wars".
EMC2: What happened?
Vbp913: I was just trying to make sure he was okay after an accident and he just looked at me like he hated me and ran away from me. I'm starting to think that I was right sophomore year and that he really does hate me.
EMC2: I'm sure that's not it
Vbp913: It must be! I've tried to be nice to him, I've tried to talk to him…he never says anything to me! I'm ready to give up. :- (
EMC2: Well…I'm pretty sure Amidala doesn't like me back either.
Vbp913: Oh no. :- ( What happened?
EMC2: Just showed her what a total loser I am. While I'm sure Clark didn't actually run away from you, I really did run away from Amidala.
Vbp913: YOU'RE NOT A LOSER! And why did you run away?
EMC2: It was at school, people were making fun of me, she was there, she probably laughed at me too, and I ran away.
Vbp913: Well screw those people! I hate people who think they're awesome just because they're "popular" and that means they can treat people like crap.
EMC2: Well, only 8 more months to put up with this.
Vbp913: Yeah. Don't worry, I got your back E. :-D
My eyes were starting to droop as I looked at my screen and my contacts were starting to hurt my eyes. I never wore them unless absolutely necessary…and I found that to be never. Deciding it would probably be better to sign off, I bid goodnight to my online friend and went to bed. My sad thought before I drifted off was that V was the best friend that I had…the only friend that I had.
The next morning I grumbled the whole time as I put my contacts on and set out to Port Angeles to get a new pair of glasses. Without my glasses, it felt like I was naked as I walked up the street to the ophthalmologist's office. My day was beginning to look worse as they told me they had to order me a new set of frames and the frames would take a week to get here. Add that to the lenses that were going to take two weeks to come in from Seattle, and I was looking at having to wear my contacts for two weeks. I couldn't wait to hear what the kids would say when freaky Cullen showed up without his glasses. I was muttering and grumbling to myself as I marched back up the street. Deciding that I might as well make the drive to Port Angeles worth something, I ducked into the used book store that was near my car.
The smell of used books was somewhat comforting. I was in all AP classes this year and reading for leisure was something I hadn't gotten to do much of since school started.
Oh who are you kidding? You spend all your free time playing and chatting with V!
Well…that wasn't a lie. I was happy knowing that today was Saturday, and that meant V and I had a date tonight. I was rounding the corner of one of the tall shelves of books when someone ran straight into my chest. Instinctively, my hands shot out to steady the person and my hands felt like sparks where flying under them as I gripped the person shoulders. When I looked down, I immediately pulled them back as if I got burned.
"Edward! I'm so…sorry…"
I just stared wide eyed at Bella Swan. She was standing there in a grey hoodie and jeans, her hair piled up in a ponytail on top of her head. She stared back at me, unblinking, as her mouth hung open slightly. Quickly she shook her head and blinked, her cheeks turning pink as she looked down at her feet.
"I'm sorry Edward. I should've watched where I was going."
TALK TO HER YOU IDIOT!
"Um…it's okay…" I said softly. At least I could tell V that I managed to say two and a half words to Bella.
I was somewhat startled when Bella looked up at me with a smiling face.
"You know, those are the first words you've ever said to me."
I couldn't help but blush and look at the ground, a small smile on my lips. She was happy that I talked to her? She smiled…that was a good thing right?
"And you have contacts. How come you don't wear them more often?"
"I don't like to…" I mumbled.
"Oh…" Bella said softly, "Well…you should. I never noticed how green your eyes are. They're very pretty."
When my head snapped up, Bella was looking down and her cheeks were now red as she bit her bottom lip.
"I'm sorry," She said, waving her hand around, "I'm sure no guy likes to hear he's pretty."
Respond! Say something witty Cullen! Come on!
"Uh…pretty is better than nothing?" It came out as a question more than a response.
Bella giggled and it was a beautiful sound.
"Well…your eyes are nice. I just didn't think 'nice' was a good enough description."
I blushed even further and looked down, "Thank you Bella."
"You're welcome."
We stood there in silence for a few seconds…maybe even minutes, I'm not sure. Both of us fidgeting and looking around, seemingly waiting for the other to say something.
"What-" We both blurted out at the same time, but stopped, laughing as we realized what happened.
"Go ahead Edward."
"What, um, what books are you looking for?"
I was amazed at how easy of a time I was having talking to Bella. The only other person in the store was the old man sitting up by the register. Maybe it was when the prying eyes of the Forks High popular crowd weren't around, that I felt comfortable talking to Bella.
"Nothing specific," Bella shrugged, "I just like looking in used book stores. It's cheaper and if I end up not liking the book, it's not a big loss."
I nodded, finding her logic sound.
Finding her logic…Geez Cullen! Who do you think you are? Spock?
"What about you?" She asked, breaking me from my mental conversation about how Zachary Quinto actually made Spock kind of cool in the 2009 version of "Star Trek."
"Um…just wanted to browse."
"Do you mind if we browse together?" She asked, the look in her eyes hopeful.
"Sure," I shrugged. Bella turned and went down the row of books to our left. I followed and tried not to think too hard about what all her smiles and hopeful looks might mean.
"What was the last great book you read?" She asked, plucking a title off the shelves and reading over the back.
"Um…I haven't read a book since August."
Bella looked up, her forehead creased, "Why?"
I picked up a random book to distract myself from staring at her. "I'm in all AP classes this semester. It hasn't left much time for reading for fun."
"Oh, that's right. Alice said you're in her Honors English class and AP Biology class."
"Er…yeah," I mumbled, wondering why I was even brought up in a conversation between her and Alice.
"So what book did you read in August?" She asked, replacing the book she was looking at on the shelf and picking up another one.
"Water for Elephants."
Bella looked up and cocked her head to the side, looking absolutely adorable as she tried to place the title.
"I haven't heard of that one," She shrugged.
"What about you?" I asked.
High five Cullen! Way to have a normal conversation with a female your own age!
"You're going to think I'm a dork…" Bella laughed nervously.
Um…doubtful Bella. Very doubtful.
I gestured for her to continue.
"Well…I just re-read the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit for the seventh time."
Be still my beating heart! The girl likes Tolkien!
"You're a fan of Tolkien?" I asked, my eyes wide.
Bella blushed but nodded her head, "I thought the movies were amazing as well."
"Don't tell me it's because of Orlando Bloom."
Bella's eyes snapped to mine and they seemed to blaze as she stared at me, "No! I actually appreciated the movies for the quality and the acting. The special effects were amazing and Peter Jackson did an awesome job! Everyone did an amazing job for that matter, and if you must know, Orlando Bloom is completely NOT my type!"
Bella blushed and bit her lip after her mini-rant. I was still staring at her wide eyed.
"Sorry," Bella muttered.
"Um…it's okay. So…which one was your favorite?"
And that's how my afternoon started with Bella Swan. We situated ourselves in the arm chairs in the back of the store and ended up talking for hours. We spoke about Tolkien and how there were universities that taught classes in how to speak the Elvish language he created. We talked about the classes we were taking and how she was having a hard time with math this semester. I would've offered to help her…but I couldn't take the possibility of rejection ruining what we had going here. She told me about Phoenix and how she grew up there, starting to play volleyball when she was 9-years-old. Her mom had re-married after eighth grade and decided it was best if Bella lived with her dad here in Forks. Apparently Bella's step-father was a minor league baseball player who traveled a lot.
She surprised me when she told me she was going to go to Stanford University next year. They had offered her a scholarship to play volleyball and she accepted. She just had to keep her grades up through senior year. I was surprised because Stanford was where I was planning on escaping to. They had an excellent pre-med program and my father's friend was an advisor there.
Our afternoon passed quickly, and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to talk to Bella with ease as we sat alone in the back of the store. She was smart, funny, and just so damn nice to be around. It made me wonder how she could stand hanging around the likes of Mike Newton and Rosalie Hale. When I glanced at my watch, I gasped.
7:15! You have a date with V at 8! And you still need to drive back to Forks!
"What's wrong?" Bella asked, hearing my gasp.
I stood up quickly, "I uh…I didn't realize how late it was. I need to be home by eight."
Bella quickly stood up, "What time is it?"
"Seven fifteen."
"Oh my gosh!" She said frantically, "I have to go too! Uh…steak night with my Dad."
I nodded as we both headed for the front door.
"I'm down the street," Bella said as we stood out on the sidewalk.
"Oh, I'm right here," I said, gesturing at my Volvo.
"Wow…" Bella said slowly before turning back to look at me, "I had a great time talking to you today Edward."
"Uh, yeah…me too," I said back awkwardly.
Bella smiled, "Don't be afraid to say 'hi' at school."
I just nodded, knowing I probably never would be brave enough. Bella smiled and waved and made her way down the street. When she was far enough, I quickly jumped into my car and took off back to Forks like a mad man. I stumbled into my room at 7:59 and quickly turned my X-Box on. I frowned when V wasn't online yet. I decided to quickly change into some sweats before settling in to play. Amazingly, I was dressed rather normal for my adventure in Port Angeles, jeans and a plain black t-shirt. Maybe that's why Bella talked to me…I didn't look like a complete dork…
My musings were interrupted at 8:05 when V signed on. I quickly placed my head set on and greeted her.
"Hey V."
"Hey E. Sorry I'm late. Traffic problems."
"It's cool," I shrugged, as if she could see me, "Ready to play some slayer?"
"Very much. I got a lot to tell you later when we chat."
"Me too."
After several very successful campaigns together in "Halo", we both took quick bathroom breaks (and a food break for me) and switched over to chatting on the computers.
Vbp913: You go first.
EMC2: Well…I managed to have a normal conversation with Amidala today.
Vbp913: REALLY? That's great E!
EMC2: Yeah…probably won't ever happen again, but it's nice to know that I did get the chance to talk to her like a normal guy.
Vbp913: Oh E…I'm sure she'll talk to you again! You could be her Anakin!
EMC2: Doubtful…but okay. What's your news?
Vbp913: I talked to Clark Kent today. He doesn't hate me.
EMC2: I told you he wouldn't
Vbp913: Well, I told you things with Amidala would be fine too. I can imagine you being smug about this.
EMC2: Okay okay…we'll call it even. What else happened?
Vbp913: I think he might really like me. I plan to find out more next week at school.
EMC2: I'm glad for you V
Vbp913: I just hope he likes me back. :-\
EMC2: I support my girl on this one. I got your back V.
As much as it pained me to think, I was happy things seemed like they were working out for V and her Clark Kent. I would never know my online soul mate, but one of us deserved to have requited love in their lives. It surely wasn't going to be me, even with all of the progress today with Bella.
Vbp913: Thanks E. And don't worry, Amidala will see you're the one for her. The force is strong with you! LOL
EMC2: That was lame
The rest of my weekend was uneventful and I spent Sunday studying and also being a little jealous that things seemed to be working out for V. If only things could work out for me.
Monday was boring just like any other day. I avoided the student population, taking the least crowded hallways to class and hiding out in the library during lunch. I didn't want to see Bella completely ignore me like Saturday didn't happen. I was sitting in Science at my lab table when Alice came skipping in and slapped a folded piece of paper in front of me, bouncing in her seat next to me. I arched a brow at her as I glanced back and forth between her and the paper in front of me.
"Bella asked me to give it to you," Alice smiled.
My eyes widened and I stared at the paper intently.
"Oh relax Edward, it's not going to kill you."
I slowly reached out and took the paper as our teacher began his lecture. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know what was inside. Was Bella going to tell me to pretend like Saturday didn't happen? Did she want to withdraw her request for me to say "hi" to her? I opened the page to see her looping, feminine script.
Edward-
Can you meet me at the gym after my practice? Around 5:30? I have a huge favor to ask you. I'm failing math, and Stanford doesn't look to highly upon that. Do you think you can help me? Angela said you have the only A in AP Calculus right now. Please think about it.
-Bella
I swallowed heavily and tucked the note into my binder. I heard Alice giggle quietly as she looked down, writing her notes. Did she know what the note said? Was there something amusing about my helping Bella? Oh who the hell was I kidding? Of course I was going to help Bella.
I arrived early and saw that Bella was still practicing. Managing to stay unnoticed I slipped into the bleachers and watched the last 15 minutes of practice. Bella was wearing black spandex shorts and a grey Forks High t-shirt. Even though her face was shinning with sweat and her shirt was soaked, she looked beautiful as she shouted out plays and directed the team. She was like a fierce warrior, barking out orders or berating Jessica Stanley for her poor passing. It was completely different from the shy, quiet girl I talked to on Saturday.
I could hear Coach Clapp barking out something at the team about poor serving. As punishment he was making them run sprints. As they lined up several girls were complaining about how humid it was in the gym. Even I jumped when Coach Clapp yelled, "line up" at them. Several girls peeled off their shirts and my eyes bugged out of my head when I saw that Bella was one of them. I knew she was in great shape, but she always hid under jeans and long sleeved shirts or jackets. I couldn't help but stare as she started sprinting up the court. The muscles in her legs and stomach seemed to ripple as she raced up the court. I couldn't help but think she looked graceful as she went. Even sweaty and not wearing a lick of make-up, Bella was more beautiful than Rosalie Hale could ever be.
I shifted uncomfortably in my jeans. Obviously, watching Bella run in just a sports bra and tiny spandex shorts was arousing. Knowing I had to get myself under control before anyone noticed, I looked away and focused my gaze on bleachers in front of me. After a while, I heard the team give a united cheer of "Spartans", before breaking up and heading towards the locker rooms. Bella saw me, and she smiled as she walked towards where I was with Angela. Angela was in my math class and even though she was one of the popular people, she was quiet and sort of shy. At least she was nice though…at least I think so. She seemed like she would be anyway. I climbed down the bleachers and fidgeted awkwardly.
"I'll see you tomorrow Bella," Angela said softly, before heading towards the locker room.
"Hey Edward," She waved before she disappeared.
I stood awkwardly as she Bella came to stand before me. She smiled, but blushed as she covered her front with her sweaty t-shirt.
"Hi Edward," She said softly, smiling up at me.
"Um…hi," I whispered, unable to look at her and focusing on the ground instead.
"Thanks for coming. So…will you help me?"
"Sure…" I mumbled.
"Really?" Bella nearly squealed. I looked up and saw that her smile lit up her entire face. I could only nod.
"Oh thank you Edward! Are you busy tonight? I have a test on Wednesday."
Am I busy tonight? Psh…
"I can help you tonight."
"Great! I have to go shower, but will you wait for me? My dad dropped me off this morning. We can go study at the coffee shop or something?"
"Uh…yeah," I nodded dumbly. Bella was going to be alone with me in the car? And at the coffee shop in Forks? Oh God…I need to get things under control here.
"Okay, I'll meet you out in the parking lot. You have the silver Volvo right?"
I nodded as Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory came walking by.
"Doing charity work Bella?" Lauren sneered.
"Starting a save the geeks campaign?" Jessica laughed.
Bella turned and glared as they walked by.
"I'll…I'll be outside…" I muttered and turned quickly, scurrying away.
"Edward!" Bella called, but I already was disappearing out the doors.
I sighed as I sat in my car waiting. I didn't even have my glasses anymore, and yet I was still considered the school freak. What had I ever done to any of them? Was it simply because I was smart? Because I didn't like sports? Because I didn't like to party on the weekends? My thick glasses? My clothes? I didn't understand why any of that should've mattered. If only it didn't…then maybe I'd have a chance with Bella. I jumped when someone knocked on my passenger side window. Bella smiled and I tried to smile back as I unlocked the doors.
The silence between us was completely uncomfortable as I headed towards the coffee shop. After what seemed like an eternity, Bella finally said something, but not at all what I was expecting.
"I'm sorry about what Lauren and Jessica said," she whispered.
"It doesn't matter…" I mumbled.
"How can you say that?" Bella shouted, almost making me swerve the car from her sudden outburst.
She noticed my distress from her shouting and lowered her voice.
"Sorry…but how can you say that Edward? It certainly DOES matter! They shouldn't treat you like that! No one in the school should."
"It's nothing new," I said, irritation now clouding my voice. It's not like this hasn't been going on since freshman year. She can't have been unaware of it all this time. My tone seemed to shut her up as I pulled into the parking lot of the coffee shop.
I shut off the ignition and was about to get out of the car when Bella's hand on my arm stopped me. Her skin against my own felt like it was burning me, and I looked back at her completely shocked, only to find the same look on her face. She cleared her throat and smiled slightly.
"Look Edward, I'm sorry I've never said anything all these years. It's not okay, and I'd like to try being your friend…if that's okay with you."
"You want to be my friend?" I asked. I must have been looking at her like she had grown an extra head, but Bella simply nodded as she bit her bottom lip.
"I suppose we can try," I said, before pulling my arm from her grasp and slipping out the door. My body missed the contact of her skin against mine almost immediately.
The coffee shop served the usual in terms of diner food and we both ended up ordering a burger and fries. As we waited for the food to come, Bella pulled out a notebook and her math book.
"So, don't laugh, but I'm actually just in the pre-calculus class. Math has never been my strong point," Bella laughed nervously.
"Okay…what are you being tested on?"
I was still marveling at the fact that I was actually being able to carry on a conversation with Bella like a normal human being.
"Does it matter?" Bella sighed heavily, "Numbers and letters of the alphabet should never be throw together masquerading as a math problem."
I couldn't help but chuckle a little and Bella pouted.
"Don't laugh! I wish I was a genius like you!"
"No you don't," I said quickly.
"Why not?" Bella asked, her brows raised and her look telling me she was not at all amused.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, "Because…then everyone would make fun of you too."
"Oh who gives a flying fuck what other people think!" Bella nearly shouted, causing several people to look over at our table. Bella glared and waved her hand as if telling them to buzz off.
"Edward," She whispered seriously at me, "If I could be even half as smart as you are, I would gladly accept people making fun of me for it. You're going to go on to like, discover a cure for cancer, and what will Mike Newton be doing? He'll probably still be stuck in Forks, drinking beer with a huge gut, and trying to remember the days when he thought he had it all."
Wow…I couldn't say anything as I just stared at her open mouthed.
"Like I said Edward, who cares what other people think. You're smart, you're funny, you're incredibly kind…that's what should make a person popular. I would actually hang out with those losers on the weekends if they were like you."
I didn't know what to say. Bella Swan was blowing me away with her flattering words and making me think all sorts of crazy things. Did she like spending time with me then? Would she willingly spend more time with me? Luckily I didn't have to say anything back as our food arrived and we both dug in. I had to admit, it was insanely attractive to see her devour all of her burger and fries. I bet girls like Rosalie Hale didn't even come within a mile of that kind of food. I guess I must have been staring at her eating for too long because Bella looked up and caught me, turning extremely red.
"Sorry…" She said softly, "I like to eat."
"I'm glad," I replied without thinking. She made a funny face at my response.
"I mean…I just, girls in society always think they have to be these stick thin model types and only eat a salad or carrot sticks. It's refreshing to see a girl eat a burger."
I was surprised by my words, but didn't dwell on them as Bella's lips spread into a wide grin.
"I think that's the most you've ever said to me in one sentence Edward.'
We spent the rest of the night reviewing for her test on Wednesday. I was becoming more and more comfortable talking with Bella when it was just the two of us. On Tuesday, I was shuffling through the halls at lunchtime heading towards the library, when I heard Bella call my name. I swear the entire student population, including myself, froze and stared at her as she crossed the quad and picnic benches where she usually sat with the popular folk. Bella didn't seem to notice as she walked towards me with a smile on her face. It took every ounce of strength in me not to run away from her.
"Hey," She smiled brightly at me, "Where are you going?"
"Um…library," I muttered, looking away from her face to the ground.
"Do you mind if I join you? I had some reading I wanted to finish and a question to ask you about math."
"Sure…" I nodded, not daring to look up at what the student population was making of this.
"Okay, let's go."
Bella was exactly the same as she had been the last times we hung out, or whatever you wanted to call it. She was nice and generally didn't care that everyone was probably going to treat her like some sort of social outcast come next period. I said nothing as we headed into the library and settled at the table in the back that I usually frequented. We ate in silence and I proceeded to help her with her math question before we both settled into our reading. When the bell rang, she walked with me to my science class before disappearing down the hall towards her history class.
Wednesday at lunch, I was surprised to see her already sitting at my table in the library. I prayed I hadn't turned her into an outcast as I approached, but she smiled, said "hello", and then proceeded to tell me about her history test she had next period. I had to admit, it was nice having someone to sit with. We didn't talk much, but her presence was comforting in a way. I would have a lot to tell V when we talked on Saturday.
I wasn't prepared at all for what happened at lunch on Thursday. As I was walking down the hall towards the library and passing the quad, I heard Bella's excited voice shouting my name. Again, the entire student population, including myself, froze as Bella came running towards me with a paper clutched in her hand. She nearly launched herself at me and threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. My frozen form did nothing to deter her enthusiasm.
"Edward! I got a eighty-nice percent on my test!"
I couldn't help but smile, "That's great Bella."
"Come on, let's go eat lunch," She said, unwrapping her arms from around my neck, "I don't want to talk about anything related to school today."
I followed her like an obedient puppy as she led the way to the library, happily going on about how she thought she had done terribly on the test despite all our studying for it, but now if she did well on the next one, she'd raise her grade back up to a B. In the library we talked about books again and what we were looking forward to reading. She admitted to really wanting a Kindle, and when I told her I had one, she asked (or maybe demanded) that I bring it for her to see. We parted ways after lunch as usual, and I was sitting in science waiting for Hurricane Alice to come sweeping into her seat, when Mike Newton, Tyler Crowley, and Eric Yorkie approached me.
"So Cullen…you and Bella huh?"
I swallowed heavily, and just shrugged.
"You guys seem pretty close. Did you know Alice is throwing her a birthday party Friday night?"
I shook my head.
"Well," Mike chuckled, "Bella would love it if you came. She wanted us to invite you. Her favorite TV show is 'the Big Bang Theory', so the party is sort of themed. Everyone's dressing up as geeks. All us guys coordinated already, and we'd love for you to join us and wear the same costume."
I eyed him skeptically, but saw Tyler and Eric nod behind him in encouragement.
"Come on man, Bella would really dig it if you came."
I sighed and thought about it for minute. I would have to spend the night surrounded by these idiots? Alice must've overheard the conversation because she was suddenly standing next to me and smiling.
"Edward you should totally come. I know Bella would want you there."
"Okay…" I mumbled after a moment.
"All right, cool man. We'll talk to you after school today."
I just nodded as they walked away and Alice slid into her seat.
"Oh Edward, I'm so excited you're coming! It will totally make Bella's night!"
I told Bella Friday at lunch I was going to be there, and like Alice had said, she was excited. Apparently, she wasn't excited about having a party, but she stated at least I would be there and would be interesting to talk to and hang around with. So, Friday night at 9pm, I found myself dressed in the ridiculous get up that Mike Newton had given me after school yesterday, and knocking on Alice Brandon's front door. I was wearing sneakers, white tube socks with red bands at the top, khaki shorts that Mike explained I had to wear as I high as they would go, a white polo shirt, and fake thick rimmed black glasses with no lenses and tape holding them together. I sort of wished they were my own…though Bella had mentioned again on Wednesday how much she liked seeing my eyes. That had to mean something right?
I was broken from my thoughts when the door opened and Mike Newton was standing there. I frowned when I saw her wasn't wearing the same costume as me.
"Oh Cullen! Hey, looks good on you! I just got here and have to change still. Everyone is out back in the backyard. Eric and Tyler are back there."
I followed Mike towards the back, keeping my gaze on the floor. I felt ridiculous, but reminded myself that Bella asked them to ask me to come. When we walked out the back door I almost doubled over when something nailed me right in the crotch. I squeezed my eyes shut from the pain, and cringed when I felt my pants suddenly wet.
Holy crap! Did I just piss myself?
I saw flashes going off from behind my eyelids and my ears were suddenly ringing with roaring laughter. I managed to steady myself on my feet and peel open my eyes. When I did, I saw that no one was dressed up like I was, and there was a broken water balloon at my feet. There was obviously no theme going on, and Mike and his gang were laughing hysterically next to Rosalie and Emmett. I could feel my heart begin to race and my lungs trying desperately to suck in air. The moment that did me in was when I saw Bella push through the crowd, laughing with Alice behind her.
"What's everyone laughing at?" Bella chuckled looking around. Her face instantly froze when she saw me.
"Cullen pissed himself!" Emmett roared, causing everyone to break into laughter once more.
I couldn't take it. Bella had been with them in the crowd laughing, as had Alice. This was all planned, everyone, including Bella had been in on it. Just some elaborate scheme to make me feel even more like the lowliest piece of crap in school. I turned for the door and ran, causing the laughter to grow in volume once more.
"Edward!" I heard Bella call, but I was determined to make it to my car. I didn't want to hear anything from her. Miraculously I made it to the car and peeled out of there as I saw Bella come racing out the front door. I could tell she was calling my name as she ran down the front lawn but I quickly sped away, not glancing back once.
I didn't go home and ended up driving around for hours. How could I ever have thought Bella was honestly interested in me? That maybe, she might've actually liked me. I growled in frustration. Why couldn't V be Bella? Why couldn't my perfect online woman physically manifest herself into the body of the girl I adored in real life? Sleep didn't come easy to me that night.
At 8pm on Saturday, I was patiently waiting for V to sign on to X-Box. She would know what I should do know. Even though things wouldn't work out with Bella now, I knew V would give me sound advice on how I should get on with my life. She was always good at listening, and she promised me that she would always be there if I needed to talk before Saturday. All I had to do was send her a PM, which I did last night. I got no response, so I waited patiently for my friend. Hell, who was I kidding? She was my best friend and I needed advice badly.
By 8:10, she still hadn't signed on. I frowned, wondering where she was. We had missed dates before, but always sent each other PMs on the X-Box to let the other know. By 8:20, I was angry. Where is she? By 8:45, I angrily threw my controller at the wall, busting it into pieces. I didn't know what to do. All I knew was that I was fed up with this stupid small town and I couldn't wait to be away from it, and from Bella Swan. Knocking myself out with cold medicine, I fell into a fitful sleep.
The following school week was horrendous. I spent every minute avoiding Bella and ignoring the snickers and comments hurled at me as I scurried through the halls. Apparently someone had taped up the pictures of me from Friday night. I avoided the library during lunch at all costs. Monday I ate in my car. Tuesday I ate under the bleachers at the track. Wednesday I ate in the music room. Thursday I ate in the auditorium, and today, I returned back to my car. Alice never said anything to me all week, but I knew she was dying to. I gave her a death glare every time she attempted to do so and it amazingly shut her up. Today however, she wasn't taking any of my crap. She slammed a note on the table in front of me.
"Read it, it's from Bella. You've been avoiding her all week, and she is really torn up about everything that happened."
I crumpled up the paper and pushed it off the desk. There was nothing she could say to me that I wanted to hear.
"Damn it Edward!" Alice shouted, but she was cut off by our teacher starting the lesson. That didn't stop Alice though. She was scribbling furiously on a paper and shoved it towards me. I was tempted to crumple this one too, but she landed a sharp kick to my shin, warning me to not even think about it. I glanced down, not too thrilled about her stiletto likely having caused my shin to bleed.
Look Edward, I am REALLY sorry too! Mike Newton is a jealous dick and when he saw you and Bella getting along so well, he cooked up that stupid plan of his to embarrass you at Bella's birthday party in front of everyone. If I had known what was going to happen, I would've stopped it Edward. I can't believe that it happened at my house, and for that, I'm deeply sorry. But no one is more sorry about all of this than Bella.
Edward, she never asked Mike to invite you. She thought I invited you, but she was planning to invite you on Friday during lunch anyway. She really likes you Edward. After you ran away, I chased after her, and found her in a heap lying in the grass on my front lawn crying. She was devastated Edward! She made me drive her home because she couldn't stand being around all those people who were so cruel to you. She never wanted to put you through anything like that, and she really does count you as one of her good friends. Like I said, she really likes you. She's been eating lunch in the library every day, hoping to talk to you. Please Edward, talk to her.
I pushed the note back towards Alice, but said nothing. How could I even know what she wrote was the truth? The bell rang and I inwardly groaned. I forgot, today was a pep rally and we had to sit with the class we were currently in. That meant Alice was probably going to bother me during the pep rally too. As we sat in the gym, I saw that it was the girls' volleyball team that was sitting in the folding chairs at center court. After sitting next to Alice, and ignoring the snickers and comments around me, I let my eyes find Bella. I had to stifle my gasp when I saw her. She had deep bruise like shadows under her eyes and looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her eyes seemed dull, and even her hair didn't seem as shiny.
Coach Clapp made some speech about a big game tonight and them need our support and blah blah. All I wanted to do was go home. I still hadn't heard back from V.
"Now our team captain Bella Swan, has some encouraging words."
Well, that made me pay attention. I watched, masochistically, as Bella stood and approached the microphone. Her shoulders heaved with a deep breath and she started speaking.
"Is Edward Cullen here?"
My eyes went wide and Alice smacked my leg. It wasn't enough to make me show myself.
"Yeah! Loser is right here!"
I cringed as Newton pointed me out, causing everyone to laugh. I was sitting one seat inside of the aisle, Alice on one side, and Mr. Banner on the other. We were all shocked by Bella's next words.
"Shut up Mike! You're the one who's a loser! You all are! Every single one of you that ridicules him! Why Edward huh? What makes him a loser? He's smart, he's kind, he's patient, he's funny…so why does that make him a loser?" She shouted.
The gym was stunned silent and I could do nothing but stare as I watched Coach Clapp try and pull Bella away.
"NO!" She shouted, "You all listen to me, if you're going to treat Edward poorly, then you all can treat me the same because I love him! I've been in love with him ever since I had a class with him in tenth grade! It's you all who make him think he's below the rest of us when really, he's miles above any of us!"
I knew everyone had turned to stare at me, but I couldn't take my eyes away from Bella. I watched as she quickly swiped at her cheeks.
"Where are you Edward?" She asked into the microphone.
"Right here!" Alice shouted, standing up and waving.
"Alice!" I hissed.
Bella didn't hesitate to run over and quickly bounded up the bleachers. Alice pulled me up with impressive strength I didn't know she possessed and pushed me out into the aisle. Bella came to stand on the stair above me, making her the same height.
"Edward," she whispered, her eyes glassy, "I'm so sorry about everything that happened."
I just nodded dumbly.
"I do love you Edward, really. I just always thought you hated me because you never talked to me, but then the bookstore and all of last week happened, and I just fell in love with you even more E."
My eyes widened, and I stared at her. "Wh-what did you call me?"
"E…" Bella whispered, "Don't tell me it's not you. It has to be."
"V?" I barely breathed out.
"E likes Superman. His favorite TV show is "the Big Bang Theory". He likes 'Star Wars' and 'Lord of the Rings'. The last book he told me he read in August was Water for Elephants. You told me all the same things about yourself Edward."
I gasped, "You're…you're really V?"
Bella nodded.
"How…when?"
Bella smiled softly, "I always thought it was insane when we talked, and I realized how similar you two were…but then I thought I was being crazy and I just desperately wanted E to be you, because I had liked you for such a long time."
Bella blushed as she said this, and I couldn't help but blush too. I'm sure we both would've been even redder if we remembered at the time, that the entire student body was watching us. Luckily, they were stunned silent and sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for whatever happened next.
"But last week Saturday, you made a typo E, and that's when I knew for sure," Bella said softly.
I frowned…typo? What typo?
"When you wrote to me, Vbp913, or 'volleyball player' and September thirteenth being the day I was born, you wrote 'Bella' instead of Amidala."
I gasped.
"You wrote that Bella hated you and that you never wanted to see her again. You…you wanted to ask me advice on how to get over…well…me…"
Bella sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I swear Edward, I had nothing to do with the party last week! You have no idea how happy I've been these last weeks, talking to you and hanging out with you. Then Saturday I find out that you're the man from online that I was falling for…I didn't know what to do Edward! I knew I had to talk to you, but you avoided me all week. I wanted to make you see-"
I don't know who or what possessed me in that moment, but I didn't even think about it as I grabbed Bella's cheeks and pressed my lips to hers. I heard her whimper softly, but her lips reacted against my own, pressing back. They were softer and sweeter than I ever could've imagined. Somewhere, I could hear Alice squealing and others cheering, but all the mattered to me was the girl in my arms. My V was Bella…Bella was my V. My perfect woman was in my arms kissing me.
She broke the kiss first, and pressed her forehead against my own, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"I guess you don't want advice about getting over me?" Bella murmured.
I shook my head quickly.
"I'm really sorry about everything that happened E…" she whispered.
I sighed, "I'm not…not when it's brought me to you V."
Bella giggled and placed a chaste kiss on my lips.
"You can call me 'B' now…and E? On Saturday nights, can we please be in the same room for our dates?"
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Of course B."
Coach Clapp clearing his throat loudly in the microphone broke us apart.
"Will you be at the game tonight?" Bella asked softly.
I smiled, "Of course…Clark Kent's gotta support his girl and watch her back."
Bella smiled in return and pecked me on the cheek before heading back down the bleachers. Who would've thought the star volleyball player was addicted to "Halo", favored "the Lord of the Rings", and loved geeky little me? Then again, who would've thought a geek like me would've found the woman of his dreams to be the woman of his reality?
Well? Yes? No? I hope you enjoyed reading this. I'll think about expanding it. Let me know what you guys thought, good or bad, pretty please? :-)
~NoelleSeven