Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Twilight. All rights to the Twilight franchise belong to Stephanie Meyer. The only part of this story I claim rights to is the story line.
AN: Hey all! This is my first posted Fic (I say "posted" because I've written fanfictions before, just never uploaded them to any site). I hope everyone likes it (and if you don't I don't really care - no offense). Anyways, let me know what ya'll think!
School sucked ass. There came a point, I didn't even care where I went after college or what I did, but I couldn't tell my dad that. Charlie had picked up a second job as a security guard at a local concert venue to pay for my second year at the local community college. It wasn't that I was slacking. I got decent grades and I was already half way through my associates degree. I guess it just wasn't going how I expected my higher education to.
"Did you get that last text book you needed?" Charlie's voice was the first thing I heard when I walked through the front door.
The entry way was lit with a dull light bulb and was missing its fixture. Our basket of shoes was overflowing so I kicked my converse off next to it and dropped my keys on the entry table. The rectangular mirror above it needed a cleaning. The entry faced the living room where Charlie was lounging on our brown couch with a beer in his hand. I ducked to the left into the kitchen and started making a grilled cheese.
"Kid," Charlie spoke softly from where he was leaning against the fridge behind me.
I took a deep breath and turned around. He had trimmed his dark mustache that morning, it was looking more well kept than last I saw him. His jeans were worn in the knees and his plaid flannel long sleeve shirt was unbuttoned to reveal a sports t-shirt just as old as his pants. I hopped onto the counter next to the stove and watched the butter under my sandwich sizzle and fry. I knew what I was about to say would only make him feel bad.
"My card declined."
There was silence and Charlie raised his beer bottle to his lips. I glanced up at him then back to the frying pan. His brows were furrowed and he scratched at the center of his mustache. I flip my sandwich. He nodded, grabbed a new beer from the fridge and left his empty bottle on top before heading back into the living room.
He was embarrassed.
Once my grilled cheese was done I took it into the other room and curled up on the end of the couch. We didn't say anything for a while. He was watching one of the unhistorical programs on the history channel.
"By how much?"
"Huh?" I asked, setting my plate between us. The crust slid to one side and he shifted his gaze from the large TV screen to stare down at it.
"Your card declined by how much?"
"Oh. I think like a hundred dollars. But the library probably has a copy of the text book so I'll just get it from there." I lied.
Charlie turned back to the TV.
"I was thinking about getting a job. Just to give me something to do. Spring semester is almost out and summer will be really boring without school."
He remained quiet.
I sighed and began to clean my dinner up. He reached for my hand, his fingers warm and callused on my knuckles. A memory of him pushing me on the swing-set in our backyard as a child flickered through my mind and he pulled away.
"If you think that's what you want," he said.
I flashed him a half smile and returned to the kitchen.
Money wasn't really a sore subject between us, but school was. My dad did a year at the same local community college I was going to and then he joined the police academy — been there ever since. My mom spent a few years at an art college, then she had me and together they agreed higher education wasn't for them. Renee didn't care if I went to college or not, but then she didn't care much what I did. Charlie on the other hand — he was determined I do better than either of them had.
After throwing my trash away and pouring myself a glass of sweet tea, I settled in at my computer upstairs, ready to start looking for local jobs in the area. My room was on the right at the top of the stairs, across from the bathroom. My walls were a pale yellow and my curtains were worn, blue muslin. I had a rocking chair from infancy that Charlie's dad made for me and a cheap desk that I'd nearly out-grown. My twin sized bed was shoved into the far left corner and over looked the front yard.
A notification window popped up in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, letting me know I had a Facebook message from Angela. I checked my phone and sure enough she'd texted me four times since we got out of our math class at three-forty.
All of the texts had a similar theme. She may have gotten me a job at her work, an electronics repair store two miles from campus. Her Facebook message was asking if I was still alive.
I answered her on Facebook since it was already pulled up and I needed to plug my phone in across the room.
Yeah, still alive. When can I fill out an app?
The message dinged to let me know it was delivered and I waited for her reply as I scrolled through my feed. Several people from my high school were partying it up this weekend. They proclaimed all were invited, but they were BYOB events. I wrinkled my nose at a guy in swim trunks and a white wife beater. It was still under 60 degrees outside I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to go swimming yet.
The messenger popped up again.
Now! My shift started a hour ago and Alice leaves in like 30 min!
I grabbed my jacket and glanced at my appearance in the mirror attached to the back of my door. My eyeliner was smudging off so I reapplied quickly. I put my thick brown curls up in a ponytail, but decided it looked better before and yanked it back down. I tromped down the stairs and stumbled to the doorway, rushing to jam my feet back into my high-tops.
"Where you—"
"Angela got me an interview and her boss leaves soon."
I snatched my keys and wallet from the entry table, realizing I forgot my phone upstairs. I didn't have time to go back up and get it so I just bid Charlie bye and slammed the front door on my way out. My little Nissan started up with a slight shake and a groan as I backed out of the driveway.
Thankfully I avoided most of the red lights and traffic, arriving ten minutes earlier than it usually took me to get to Watts Up!? I took a deep breath and straightened my t-shirt before heading inside. I wished I would have had time to change and re-brush my teeth. I was sure my breath smelled like greasy cheese. Angela was at the first of six registers and saw me before I saw her.
"Bella! Come here!"
She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the office where a pale woman not much older than us was hunched over a figures book. The ends of her black pixie-cut glistened gently in the bright light because of the gel she used to spike it up in the back. Her eyes were a gorgeous green and her features were so delicate she reminded me instantly of some kind of doll. Her movements were fluid and I wondered if she had ever been a dancer.
"Alice, this is Bella." Angela pushed me forward a few steps and I hesitantly put a hand up for her to shake.
Alice took it and smiled. I made sure to grip firmly to give a good impression — that's what Charlie used to remind me to do before he took me anywhere as a kid.
"Hello Bella, Angela tells me you're looking for a part-time job?"
"Uh, full time if you have it." I mentally cursed myself for sounding uncertain. It wasn't my first interview, but I was nervous nonetheless.
"We'll probably have something open up come summer if you can deal with part time for now."
I nodded unable to look away from Alice's radiant smile.
"Excellent! Let's get you started on paperwork if you've got a minute."
"Oh, uh, yeah." I was shocked the process was going so fast, but if I knew Angela she'd been talking me up for the last hour — maybe longer since I'd been talking about getting a job for almost a month before.
"Angela, there are people at the register." Alice pointed out of the one way glass to the floor where an old man with a first generation smart phone in his hand was walking around looking for assistance.
"Oh right!"
Angela returned to work and I spent the next hour working through insurance and bank info. Alice told me not to bother with references, she knew Angela was a hard working, type A person and wouldn't recommend someone who would make her look bad. I wasn't sure if I should feel pressured by that statement or flattered.
By the time I was done Alice had moved out front and was smoking a cigarette with a male who was wearing a pale green button up and black slacks, his tie hanging so loosely around his neck it looked like it might fall off if he moved too quickly. My stomach flooded with butterflies as I excused myself and offered Alice the completed packet of paperwork. I couldn't seem to find words, or look away from the Adonis before me.
"Oh great, sweetheart!" Alice took the papers and dragged on her cigarette before offering it to me. I shook my head and stood awkwardly before the couple. "Oh sorry! Emmett, this is my new employee, Bella Swan. She's a friend of Ang's."
Emmett flashed me a thousand watt smile, his canines sharper than your average hot guy's, giving him a predatory grin. Somehow this only made him more attractive. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to expose his muscular forearms with veins that become more prominent when he dropped his hands to his side. He inclined his head toward me and dropped his smoke to the ground, stamping it out with his fancy shoes.
He offered his hand and while I couldn't remember how to word I remembered to shake firmly.
"Welcome to the Watt family."
My stomach did a little flip as my internal voice reminded me that he was way out of my league despite fangirling all the same.
"Thanks."
"Emmett is my twin brother. He's up here annoying everyone all the time, so feel free to just ignore him when he comes in." Alice laughed and put out her own cigarette.
Doubt that'll be possible.
I felt a little better realizing I wasn't already crushing on my boss's significant other, but not by much.
"I'm going to take this inside and file it real quick. When do you wanna start? Tomorrow we have an open shift and Saturday too."
"Uh… Tomorrow is cool." I nod and so did Alice.
"Awesome! I'm going to go lock the office up." She went back inside, the front door dinging lightly as it opened.
There was a moment of silence and I tried not to stare, but I couldn't seem to tear my gaze from the hollow of his throat, exposed by his open collar. He lit another cigarette and then noticed me staring.
"You not smoke?" He asked, the Marlboro bobbing in the corner of his mouth as he spoke.
I shook my head. "Only socially."
His head tilted back a little as he laughed loudly. He ran his free hand through his dark shaggy hair and then offered me the cigarette.
"Well we are out here in society, and I'm trying to be social, so take it."
I hesitated, but to avoid risking a loser status, plucked the smoke from his fingertips. I inhaled, aware he was watching me like a hawk. I could barely breathe, let alone try to look casual doing something I'd only partaken in a handful of times.
"Oh come on now, that's not how you smoke. Take a deeper breath than that!" Emmett laughed lifting my hand back up to my mouth by putting a few fingers under my bent elbow and doing the work for me.
I inhaled again and he encouraged me take a bigger breath a second time.
If you'd go away maybe I could manage, but my lungs are freaking out a little.
I coughed heavily and he guffawed again.
"I knew you weren't a smoker." He took the cigarette from me and pat me on the back. "And don't you start. Nasty habit these things."
The mischievous glint in his bright green eyes told me exactly what his plan had been all along.
Alice came back out and patted me on the back in much the same manner her twin brother had.
"I'll see you tomorrow, sweetie!"
She jumped into the passenger side of the orange jeep behind Emmett, waving through the windshield.
Emmett finished his cigarette and wiped it out on the curb. When he straightened, he winked at me.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow, sweetie."
My stomach disappeared leaving a hole in my gut that required thoughts of algebra and comp 2 to ground me. Would I really see him tomorrow? Not that it mattered, but damn that would be nice.
Once they pulled out of the parking lot Angela came running up to me and jumped on me from behind.
"We're gonna be working together! How cool!"
I nodded and ducked my head to hide my smile and blush behind my hair. I realized I was having my very first non-celebrity crush. I wasn't sure I liked this feeling.
P.S. Don't forget to leave a review! Let me know what you did or did not like. And let me know what you might like to see later on!
-Lee-