Challenge Number / Title: #2 / The Empty Glass

Date Posted:2-1-13

Rating: M

Fandom: Twilight

Genre: AU

Content Descriptors: Angst, Romance

Character Pairing: Edward/Bella

#2 – The Empty Glass - Imagine an empty glass. Write your entry around this empty glass. This empty glass needs to be specifically mentioned.


Bright Light, Dark Room


My body feels the way I would imagine a bubble feels light, airy, carefree and floaty. Right now, I'm a rum bubble. The empty glass in front of me is mocking me, daring me to fill it up again, like I've done four times already. I haven't moved from my couch in hours, the TV went from being a distraction to just straight up annoying. My hand flicks through my mom's journal, tracing her loopy handwriting. I'm daring myself to remember while forcing myself to forget.

I shut that side of my brain off. It's not worth it to get into that now. The journal is shoved under the couch out of sight, out of mind.

The part of my brain I wish I could shut off tells me to grab my camera, tells me to take a few shots of the glass. The light glittering off the side, the drops of moisture on the bottom, my lipstick marks on the rim. I blink a few times, pretending it's the shutter button, trying to shut myself up.

It works for a few minutes, until my mind wanders.

I remember when I graduated my friends were all so jealous of my job. They told me I was so lucky to find a job in photography right out of school. They told me they were jealous of my salary, double what any entry level wanted to pay.

It all feels insignificant now. It was a fluke, a shooting star.

I've applied at every single photography job in Seattle that fit my criteria or that I could manage to adjust myself into. Five called back. Two interviews. No job offers.

I felt like a failure until I called my sister, Angela, and she pep-talked me into getting an interim job just until I could find another photography one. She tried to talk sense into my head; I knew she was right, but I couldn't get past the failure I felt from losing my dream. I agreed with her, instead of trying to pull her into my depression too. I told her I'd get a job and keep applying around. She seemed satisfied with that and let me off the phone. That was three nights ago.

The bottle of Bacardi in front of me isn't as full as I remember it being. The empty glass in front of me is so tempting that I don't remember pouring the clear liquid inside. The Coke didn't make it in before it slid down my throat, burning every inch. Chugging the bubbles after to soothe the fire doesn't help. The empty glass is back on the table, my fingers tracing the rim. It looks how I feel, empty and exposed.

My entire body feels the weight of my life right now.

I wake up the next morning with a headache so painful my eyes won't open. Three glasses of water and an aspirin later I'm better, but not by much. I go to make coffee and notice I'm out, completely. There's not even enough to pretend to make a cup.

The choice to go down the street to the coffee shop is quick and not debatable. My caffeine addiction far surpasses any hesitation that I have to leave my apartment. Monday and Tuesday are my last two days of work so I plan on using today, Saturday, as a planning day. I need to get my things together, figure out the bills. I have enough savings that I don't need to work right away but I don't want to lean on it and end up out of a job for months. I over-analyze everything. I realize that. It's another trait about myself that annoys me, one I wish I could stop.

The walk to the coffee shop on my block is fast, but it's so packed inside I don't go in right away. I know there's another one around the block, not too far away. I head toward that one, hoping there's less people and more breathing room.

I'm in luck. It's busy, but not in the same packed way. One coffee with two creams and one sugar in my hand and I'm sitting in the comfy chair by the window, not wanting to move. The rain starts to mist around the windows, people pull hoods over their heads, umbrellas pop out.

My coffee is finished within a few minutes and I get another, adding a bagel to my order. My mind wanders to the night before, I wonder where I put the journal, it wasn't in its usual place today. I can't remember. It's always on my nightstand or on the coffee table. If not, it's in my closet, in the wooden box I have tucked under winter coats. None of those places sound familiar right now.

The entire night is a blur, all I remember is staring at the empty glass and thinking it was me. Thinking that every time I filled it up I was helping myself. Lies. It feels as if I've always told myself lies.

A man in a green shirt screen-printed on the chest with the coffee shop name Liquid Happy, walks up to me, excusing himself as he leans over to tape a sheet of paper to the window. HELP WANTED in black letters catches my eye.

"You're hiring?"

"You're looking?" He answers my question with a question. I honestly don't know how to answer. Do I want to work in a coffee shop?

"I might be." I can't tell if I'm avoiding answering him or myself.

"If you are, I can grab you an application." His smile is soft and his skin is russet brown.

"Um, yes, please," I decide instantly, standing up. He walks towards the counter, looking back once to see if I'm following, keeping track of me.

"If you want to fill it out now, I can give it to the manager." His name tag says his name is Paul. I smile at him and pull a pen out of my bag, filling it out right at the counter.

An hour later, I have a job.

A/N: I have 2 more ch's written & ready to post today – after that I will update weekly!

Stephenie owns Twilight.

Thank you to my lovely beta mauigirl60.

Forever thanking TypoKween. She is also doing this challenge, check out her epic story on her ffnet page! She also made the beautiful banner for this fic ( look top left of page)

Thank you to my girls for your love & support- melmo2632, mystique2626, njsilla, corinnakt, nabstew, blueberryhobos, heinekenstew & brittb128.

Thank you to those who reviewed / favorited / alerted this story – it means so much to me!