CHAPTER 1 – Talk About Perfection in the Human Form
A.N. So, I made this story start-off with their senior year in high school. I wanna deal with school and all that. This takes off after the events of New Moon and a little plot bits from Eclipse. I just made those events happen during their summer and that she knew she loved Jacob. Hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I have no intention whatsoever to claim the ownership of this franchise. I am simply a fan trying to express my desire to be selfish through my own stories with my idols. Please don't banish me to hell for this.
--
Isabella Swan knew that everything changed the day she realized that she was in love with Edward Cullen. Apart from the usual curious stares from their schoolmates when they're together, she had to endure criticizing comments of some. She felt like no more than a stranger like she used to, as always, feeling like she didn't belong. Only when Edward or Alice or even Angela was around did she ever feel like she really was part of something. But most of all, the change came from the fact that she was hiding the biggest secret in the history of humanity. Her boyfriend and his family are vampires. Immortal beings. As if that wasn't mind boggling enough, she just had to find out that they're "vegetarian" vampires, who are simply defined as vampires who refuse to feast on human blood. Lucky was the best word for it when it came to Bella's life-changing happenings.
The sky welcomed the morning with a shower of rays, but since it was Forks, no ray could ever come shine in its perfect brightness in their sky, morning or not. The sky had little light, mostly filled with gloomy clouds hovering. Bella felt herself gaining consciousness from her deep slumber. She was awake, but refused to open her eyes, for fear of having to endure another day at school. Another was the fact that if ever she was dreaming that Edward Cullen loved her, she didn't want to wake up anymore. Feeling a cold hand touch her arm, Bella's eyes opened like saucers.
Slowly turning her head the opposite direction, she caught her breath. There beside her, in her own bed, was the most beautiful face, man or creature, she had ever seen. Bella had to blink a few times before realizing that her dream was not really a dream. Everything did happen, and the man she was in love with was just inches away from her now, staring at her lovely face, amused by her expression.
"Good morning," Edward greeted cheerfully. "You look lovely today, Bella. But it seems that you're in shock. Eight days in a row."
"I guess I'm still not used to it," Bella said, turning her body to face him. "Even after six months."
"Used to what?" Edward asked, as if he didn't know already.
"To knowing I have you," Bella whispered, making Edward smile.
"You think too much," Edmund said, kissing her forehead. "You should get up. Two humans need to eat breakfast in this house."
"You're right," Bella said, pulling her weight up.
"Wait," Edward said, tugging on her arm. "Let me say goodbye first - for now."
It took all of Bella's will-power not to give in too much on the simple kiss that Edward had planted on her lips. She knew fairly well how much the both of them tried to control each other, but on different reasons. She smiled as she stood up from her bed and waved at Edward before he took off from her window faster than a speeding bullet. Kinda like Superman, but without the cape and the red underwear.
Breakfast went smoothly. Charlie didn't pry everything out of her too much that day. After all, it was the first day of school. It had been a while since she thought of school. Since the happenings last spring, being almost devoured by a tracking vampire called James, and summer, losing Edward, and finding out that she also loved her best friend, who just so happens to be a werewolf, Bella just wanted to keep certain thoughts away from her mind during the remaining duration of the summer. But now that it was back to school once again, she really had no choice but to ready herself with more schoolwork and heated stares from her schoolmates.
Drying off her spoon and bowl, Bella glanced at the living room when she heard a knock. Quickly placing the utensils back in place, she hurried to open the door, finding her beloved Edward grinning at her. She smiled and allowed him to give her a peck before she grabbed her bag from the sofa and locked the door of the house, following him to his Volvo as he opened the door of the passenger seat for her.
"How's breakfast?" Edward asked as they drove to the school in his usual speed.
"Fine. Charlie was alright, I guess," Bella said nonchalantly.
"You look nervous."
"I think I am."
"Don't be. These are just the same kids you went to school with a year ago. They won't bite."
"I'm sure I know that by now. But you can't shake the thought off of me. My nerves are not cooperating with me here."
"You should be confident. You're very beautiful. A beauty like you could walk in a room and everyone would just stop and stare."
"I'm not Rosalie."
"Yes, because you're better."
"Stop that, Edward."
"You know it's true."
"It's not. Come on, I'm still wondering why you didn't see what Emmett is seeing. Rosalie is like the personification of the very essence of perfection. She's everything any guy could ever dream of wanting and any girl could ever dream of being."
"And that's why she's with Emmett. You can't force these things, Bella. Rosalie's beautiful, I can see that. I admit it, actually. But she's nothing like you. No one is like you. You are everything I could ever possibly want. Don't even wonder about that."
"Alright, alright, you win this round."
Edward smiled a triumphant smile as they entered the school's parking lot. As soon as they parked at his usual spot, Bella spotted Rosalie's BMW parked right beside them, the four passengers leaning comfortably against it. Without her knowing, Edward had suddenly pulled Bella out of the car, closing the door behind her. She smiled a thanks before Alice jumped in delight and squealed out her name as soon as she spotted the young human.
"Bella!" Alice exclaimed as Edward and Bella came closer.
"Hi, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie," Bella greeted, smiling at each one of them.
"Good morning, Bella," Jasper greeted politely.
"Bella!" Emmett acknowledged rather loudly.
"Hello," Rosalie said quite nicely.
"What's up with your hair, Bella? It's sticking out in places," Alice said, suddenly producing a hairbrush.
"Alice, my hair looks fine to me when I left the house this morning," Bella reasoned as Alice began to comb her hair.
"Not to me, Bella. With every guy staring at you right now, that look just doesn't pass," Alice said as Edward let out a soft growl, making her laugh. "Relax, Edward, no guy would even dare to come close to her with us hovering around her all the time, especially you."
"I think I like that, Alice. I hate having to be 'The New Girl' again, with all the special treatment from Mike and awkward conversations with Jessica," Bella related, hearing another growl from Edward at the mention of Mike's name.
"You won't have to be 'The New Girl' for too long, Bella," Jasper said, smiling at her.
"What do you mean?" Bella asked, turning her attention to Jasper as Alice pulled the comb from her hair.
"Alice had a vision," Edward said, telling the story. "There's a new girl this year."
"Really?" Bella asked in surprise.
"How come I didn't know that?" Emmett suddenly asked, getting everyone's attention.
"Why do you even care?" Rosalie shot at him. "It's not like it's a big deal. You don't go to this school anymore. In fact, why are we even here in the first place? We're supposed to be in Dartmouth."
"I know. Wouldn't they suspect something?" Emmett asked.
"They won't ask questions if you won't give them room to ask," Jasper simply said. "Besides, Alice just wanted you, Emmett, to see what's about to come."
"What are you talking about?" Emmett asked curiously.
"Just watch right over there," Alice said, pointing towards the free parking cross them, causing everyone to follow where she was pointing.
The group silently waited and stared at the empty spot across from then. They didn't need to wait long, though, when Edward spotted a gray car furiously approaching them. Alice smirked as the car came in full view, stopping at the exact same point where she had pointed. It wasn't long until all eyes were on the gray car, and it wasn't long until Emmett's voice boomed inside their eardrums.
"HELL NO!" Emmet shouted, making Rosalie roll her eyes.
"I knew you wanted to see that, dear brother," Alice said, smirking at him.
"What's going on?" Bella asked, obviously confused.
"Watch," Edward whispered near her ear.
"I CANNOT BELIEVE IT! IT'S THE BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT!!!" Emmett practically screamed at the top of his lungs. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SEEING IT WITH MY OWN TWO EYES!"
"Emmett's current dream car," Edward said, smiling at Bella.
"That explains it," Bella sighed. "Why doesn't he just buy one? You got all the money. I'm sure he can afford even a dozen of those."
"Carlisle won't allow it, since he just bought 2 new cars months ago. He's actually exercising what you humans call 'tightening the belt'," Edward explained, almost laughing at his own words.
"I can laugh at that, Edward, really. I can't imagine Carlisle, of all people, to do that," Bella said, smiling at him.
"He's just acting like the father that he's supposed to be," Jasper said.
"I don't see the whole point. It's not like it's too much," Emmett commented.
"How much is it exactly?" Bella asked, looking at Emmett and Jasper.
"About $139,500, at least," Jasper said nonchalantly.
"W-WHAT?!" Bella choked, her eyes widening in shock.
"See? It's not even worth a Ferrari," Emmett whined.
"I don't believe it," Bella whispered, making Edward chuckle.
"It's actually a nice car. I'd buy it myself if I wanted, but it's Emmett's. No need to take the fun from him," Edward related, squeezing Bella's shoulders.
"And there's a fairly good explanation why you like this car, right?" Bella asked, almost expecting it.
"Its engine is 6.0L W12 with AUTO 6SPD transmission," Edward said, smiling to himself.
"And?" Bella pressed.
"It's mileage is 6,080 miles," Edward finished.
"That's the story," Bella said, almost laughing.
"So, what's the big news, Alice?" Rosalie's voice asked, turning to her sister.
"Nothing, really. Just some new girl. Not much of a big deal, actually. I think she's from Italy or something," Alice related, looking bored.
"'Or something'?" Bella asked, looking at her questioningly.
"I haven't seen her, but I've seen Italy. My vision was still clouded. Since I saw a connection with Italy, I assume she came from Italy," Alice explained, earning nods from Bella.
"Are you telling me that a girl is driving the Bentley Continental GT?!" Emmett asked in frustration. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"What's wrong with a girl driving it?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow.
Suddenly, the door of the driver's side of the car opened. The first thing Bella saw was a pair of what looked like new boots and the end of a pants come out from under the door. Sooner than later, a full body came out, looking around the school premises. If all eyes were on the car before, all eyes were ten times glued on the person that came out of it, most especially the guys, making Alice laugh a little.
The driver, who was obviously the new girl in town, gracefully closed the door of her shiny, gray Bentley after retrieving her bag and books from inside. As she stood there looking at a piece of paper from her hand, Bella got a good look at her. She was a tall girl, close enough to be as tall as Rosalie, with white complexion and pinkish-red lips. Her chestnut hair was nothing but stunning tresses that cascaded perfectly past her shoulders, the soft curls flowing like it was a wedding gown's train. Turning slightly, as she looked up at the building before her, every man who were looking suddenly gulped as her face was in full view. Bella couldn't help but be amazed. She would never say it out loud, but the girl could simply knock Rosalie off her throne.
"Wow," Emmett breathed out, getting the group's attention. "I mean...wow..."
"What?" Rosalie snapped, looking at her husband.
"Rose...just look at her," Emmett said, gesturing towards the girl. "Now, look at Jasper."
"Jazz?" Alice asked, looking at her man.
"She's pretty," Jasper said, a little subtler. "Ravishing. That's just it."
"See?" Emmett reasoned. "What a girl."
"Well, she is pretty much too beautiful," Alice slowly said, earning a scowl from Rose. "Come on, Rose, she's beautiful. You can't possibly expect no human to ever be slightly as beautiful as you, do you?"
"I see it. I see it," Rose huffed, looking away. "Can we just go?"
"Look, she's walking," Emmett stated, getting their attentions once more.
"Girl's got taste. I gotta hand it to her," Alice said, smiling slightly.
"You're right," Rose said, turning around to look at the girl. "Donna Karan off-the-shoulder bubble top, Donna Karan moleskin riding pants, Christian Louboutin goya boot plain booties. Classy and expensive. Wait a minute, is that a Fendi selleria textured hobo?! How did she get her hands on that?! There were only 10 sold in the entire world!"
"She's does look rich," Bella whispered. "Wait, how did you just do that?"
"It's fashion, love," Edward said. "My sisters are experts at that."
Bella watched as the girl slowly walked over to the building she was very familiar with, having been to the school for a year now. All eyes seemed to follow her every move. And as stepped in the building, Bella couldn't help but notice just how similar she looked like with the Cullens: ever graceful, almost perfect, and filthy rich. She was like the human version of them.
"We better go. Classes will start soon," Edward said, waking her up from her reverie.
"Oh, right," Bella said, nodding her head.
"I'll see you guys at home," Alice said, looking at the rest of the Cullens. "Bye, Jazz."
"Bye," Jasper said, giving her a short kiss on the lips before jumping inside Rosalie's car.
Alice, Edward, and Bella all walked to their respective classrooms. Alice had to say goodbye first since she had a different schedule compared to Bella and Edward, who made sure that most of his classes were with Bella. As the morning bell rang, the couple took their seats near the back of the room. Mike Newton and a few of his peers were conversing about the new girl, who had managed to make heads turn like no other new girl in town.
Edward just smiled as he read Mike Newton's thoughts, and possibly every guy in school, regarding the new girl. Bella eyed him as he smirked and almost laughed as Mike's ever active and malicious thoughts filled his brain. She rolled her eyes and turned back in front just as their Calculus teacher, Mr. Varner, walked in to start the class.
Just as Mr. Varner set down his textbooks on his desk, a knock on the door was heard. All eyes turned to the door. The guys' faces lightened as soon as they spotted the new girl standing just outside, waiting to be called in. The girls rolled their eyes in aggravation but couldn't hold their admiration for the new version of Rosalie that was in their classroom. Edward almost laughed out loud, earning a look from Bella as the girl walked inside.
"Ah, of course, Miss La Vecchia. Please do come in," Mr. Varner sadi, waving her in.
The girl walked in, a burst of confidence surrounding her as she stood in front, handing Mr. Varner a slip of paper for him to sign. As she waited, she slowly observed the classroom, careful enough not to look at the students. When Mr. Varner handed her back the slip, she smiled politely and waited for him to say something.
"Why don't you introduce yourself to the class first?" Mr. Varner asked, smiling at her. "I'm sure your classmates would love to get to know you."
The girl simply nodded, offering another smile. She breathed in before turning to face the class. As soon as Edward laid eyes on her, his eyes widened in surprise. Clouded images suddenly appeared in his mind, forcing him to control himself from almost wincing. Bella glanced at him, but he only gave her a smile, making Bella look back in front.
"Good morning," the girl said, smiling sweetly. "I'm Daniela La Vecchia. I'm from Italy, actually. That's why my English is not that crisp. This is my first time in Forks, but I have been to America before. I'm really glad to meet all of you. And...I do hope that I can adapt here as soon as possible."
"You may be new here but your English is exquisite, Miss La Vecchia," Mr. Varner said. "Welcome to Forks and welcome to Calculus."
"Thank you," Daniela said, nodding towards the teacher.
"Now, why don't you take a seat over..." Mr. Varner began, looking around the class. "There - right behind Mr. Cullen."
Daniela followed Mr. Varner's gaze, and in an instant, she locked eyes with the most beautiful stranger she had ever seen. His topaz orbs stared at her like he wanted to devour every part of her, causing Daniela to feel a little shiver up her spine. She immediately shrugged it off and walked over to her desk, careful enough not to create eye contact with the certain Mr. Cullen again. The last thing she needed was some conflict in her life in America.
As Daniela sat behind him, Edward could swear she looked oddly familiar. Before he could think of anything else, another wave of clouded images flooded his mind, making him close his eyes and rub his nose bridge. He sighed and heard the voices of the thoughts of his classmates, causing him to roll his eyes in amusement. It seems that Mike Newton has found a new victim in his cheap and pathetic schemes to get a new girlfriend. And apparently, he intends to make sure he doesn't lose.
--
"Are you okay?" Bella questioned, looking at her boyfriend. "You look weird."
"I'm fine," Edward said, smiling at her as they walked to the cafeteria. "The teenage hormones in this school just keep getting worse and worse by the minute. Add to that the thoughts of all these men are so pathetic. It's like a house of laughs."
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Bella said, shaking her head. "What are they thinking this time?"
"Do you even have to ask, love?" Edward asked, almost laughing as he heard another teenage hormone in action.
"I guess I don't," Bella laughed just before Alice showed up.
"Hey, Bella!" Alice chimed in. "Guess what?"
"What?" Bella had to ask.
"No, Alice," Edward firmly said, reading her mind.
"Rosalie said I should!" Alice argued. "I can't disobey Rose."
"Don't do it," Edward said, still bothered by his thoughts. "She can get it off the Internet."
"She won't. She wants the details from the best source possible," Alice stated.
"Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Bella interrupted, getting curious by the minute.
"I'm going to befriend the new girl," Alice said excitedly.
"Really?" Bella asked, smiling at her. "What's wrong with that, Edward?"
"She's just gonna ask her about the bag she had. Rosalie's orders," Edward explained. "It's ridiculous."
"It's not! It's a fashion emergency!" Alice said as the three of them walked in the cafeteria. "Now, where is she?"
"There she is," Bella announced, gesturing towards the line of people. "Looks like Mike Newton has a new crush."
"More like a prey," Edward mumbled, making Alice laugh. "Come on, let's get you something to eat, Bella."
"And I will be off meeting Daniela," Alice said before walking away from them.
"She's really gonna do it," Bella said as the two of them followed Alice to the lunch line.
"Rosalie did warn her," Edward said, picking out things for Bella.
"Hey, I won't eat all of those," Bella said, looking at the things Edward got for her.
"The rest are for me and Alice," Edward explained, chuckling. "Let's go."
Edward and Bella made their way to their usual spot in the cafeteria. It seemed that the eyes that followed them before had lessened since the arrival of the new girl. As Bella began to dig in her food, Edward carefully followed Alice's conversation with Daniela by the line. He drew in his breath as his adopted sister practically forced her to their table, her vampire hands taking the tray of food from her. Alice smiled as she softly pushed Daniela to the empty seat next across from Bella, setting her tray in front of her, much to Mike Newton's grievance.
Bella looked up, almost dropping the pizza she was eating. She stared into the most beautiful set of purple eyes she had ever seen in her life. The face that held it was incomparable as well. For the first time in her life, Bella found the facial features of beauty that a vampire did not hold. Exaggerated as it sounded, it was all true, and Bella couldn't help but feel so minute as she sat there across from the Italian beauty that could knock even Rosalie from her title.
"Bella, Edward, this is Daniela," Alice introduced, gesturing towards the new girl. "Though I'm sure you already know her. She is, after all, your classmate in Calculus and Government."
"Yeah," Bella managed to say, smiling at her. "Nice to meet you."
"This is Bella Swan, she's like a sister to me. She used to be 'The New Girl' last year," Alice related. "And this is Edward Cullen, my brother and Bella's boyfriend."
"He's also my classmate in Music," Daniela said, gesturing towards Edward.
"Really?" Bella and Alice asked at the same time.
"Yes," Edward said. "I was surprised to find her there, actually."
"I have, however, not yet been introduced to you properly," Daniela said, not looking at them. "I do hope I'm not imposing here."
"No, of course not," Bella said after shaking her hand.
"The pleasure is ours," Edward said, kissing her hand instead of shaking it.
"Thank you very much," Daniela said, almost making a face when Edward's cold lips contacted with her hand.
As Daniela went ahead to eat her lunch, Bella eyed Edward. It shocked her that he had been friendly - too friendly, to say the least - when he kissed Daniela's hand. She knew that Edward had never been that friendly to anyone, not even her. His sudden change in mood surprised her so much that she didn't know what to think. As she looked at him, he seemed to be thinking about something, his face not showing anything more than contemplation. Bella wondered what was bothering him, but decided to just leave it at that. As long as there were no murderous vampires or werewolves, she was alright with it.
"So, Daniela, I was wondering..." Alice trailed, earning a look from Edward.
"Yes?" Daniela asked, suddenly looking at her.
"Wherever did you get that amazing bag?" Alice asked, hopeful.
"Oh, the bag..." Daniela barely whispered.
"Yeah, I mean, it's a limited edition bag, right? I'm just curious how you got your hands on one," Alice explained, her voice perky.
"It was a gift...from a family friend," Daniela replied, smiling sweetly at Alice.
"What? Who would give you such a gift? And how did that person ever get one?!" Alice asked in full surprise.
"I live in Italy. Anyone could easily get their hands in a Fendi bag," Daniela said matter-of-factly, making Edward chuckle.
"But a limited edition one?" Alice asked, still curious. "How?"
"I guess it's in the people you know," Daniela said, looking rather uneasy.
"Who gave you that anyway?" Alice pressed.
"The person who gave this to me is..." Daniela paused, almost as if she was thinking twice if she would spill it out. "Karl Lagerfeld."
"Hold it. Karl Lagerfeld?! The Karl Lagerfeld?! The creative director of Fendi?!" Alice asked in a very shocked voice, causing quite a stir in the cafeteria. "You're friends with the guru of Fendi?!"
"Oh, caro Signore," Daniela mumbled, making Edward laugh. (Oh, dear Lord.)
"Signorina," Edward called, getting Daniela's attention. "Mi dispiace per il mio comportamento della sorella. Lei è come quello. Non preoccuparti, però, non è un grande affare. Mi scuso per l'improvvisa esplosione." (I'm sorry for my sister's behavior. She is always like that. Don't worry, though, it's not a big deal. I apologize for the sudden outburst.)
Bella glanced at Edward with wide eyes after hearing him talk in a language, she assumed to be Italian, she didn't understand at all. Edward only smiled at her, squeezing her hand lovingly. Daniela looked at him, not knowing how to address what he had just said. As Edward looked at her with a warm smile on his face, Daniela nodded, giving him a small smile before turning back to Alice.
"Actually, my mother is friends with him," Daniela related, managing to break into a smile.
"Your mother is friends with The Genius himself?" Alice asked in shock. "How?"
"It seems that my mother has worked with him before," Daniela said, thoughtful of her words.
"When?" Alice pressed.
"My mother did a magazine interview/shoot once and it was Karl Lagerfeld who had dressed her for the shoot," Daniela stated.
"Your mom did a magazine spread? Why?" Bella asked, almost as curious as Alice.
"Family business," Daniela replied almost too immediately.
"One of the many?" Edward asked, getting into the conversation.
"I don't really want to talk about it," Daniela said, dismissing the conversation.
Edward nodded and gave Alice a warning glance before setting his eyes back on Bella. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before coaxing her to continue eating her lunch. Bella smiled at him before getting back to her food. As soon as the bell rang, Daniela immediately excused herself to head off to her next class. Alice let her go, feeling like a total idiot for having to force out the personal details of her life.
"Was Daniela offended?" Bella asked Edward as they walked to their Physics class.
"Not really. She had a lot in mind, but nothing close to the prying we did to her," Edward replied, kissing Bella's head.
"Are you reading her mind now?" Bella had to ask.
"Yes, and there's nothing in there but surviving this day without having to run into any trouble," Edward said, smiling at her.
"She seems pretty nice," Bella said. "And beautiful."
"Nothing compared to you," Edward whispered near her ear.
"Edward," Bella warned.
"I'm just telling the truth in front of my eyes and in my heart, love," Edward said before they entered Bella's English classroom.
"I still disagree," Bella said as Edward held the seat for her to take. "Thank you."
"You always disagree, Bella," Edward almost laughed as he stood beside her.
"Because it's the truth. Did you not look at Rosalie? Did you not look at Daniela?" Bella asked, stressing the names of each girl.
"I don't know why we keep on having this conversation when you know that I will win in the end, love," Edward said with a smirk on his face.
"Thank heavens you're adorable," Bella said as her teacher walked in.
"I should go," Edward said, kissing the top of her head. "I'll see you later."
Edward walked in vampire speed to his next class. As soon as he neared the classroom, he began walking in normal human speed and sat down on an empty seat on the back. The usual scent of his classmates surrounding him made no change in Edward. He closed his eyes and let the thoughts of the people wander in his head. When he got to Bella's class, his teacher walked in and called the class to order. Edward's eyes fluttered open when he heard the voice of Daniela. Of course.
"Oh, yes," Mr. Banner said as Daniela approached him with a slip. "Welcome to Physics, Miss La Vecchia."
"Thank you," Daniela said before walking back to her table with an annoying suitor hovering just beside her.
"Now, before I begin, I'd like to announce a project for all of you," Mr. Banner said, walking in front. "I know, I know. It's just the first day, but it's for Science Week, and it will be submitted three weeks from now, alright?"
The class groaned in frustration.
"Don't worry, you'll be in pairs with this project," Mr. Banner announced, making the class hopeful. "But I will assign the pairs."
The class reacted once more.
"No complaining now. Alright, let's start with..." Mr. Banner went on and on with his class list. "And for Mr. Cullen, your partner will be...Miss La Vecchia."
"Oh," Daniela said, looking at the teacher.
"Is that alright with you, Miss La Vecchia?" Mr. Banner asked.
"Of course, Mr. Banner," Daniela replied.
"I'm sure you will understand," Mr. Banner said before continuing on with the pairs. "Now, please move on to your partners because we will begin an exercise for today."
Before Daniela could even stand up from her seat, Edward had already materialized in front of her. Daniela looked up at his perfectly beautiful face in full surprise. He offered her a breath-taking smile before gesturing towards the unoccupied seat next to her. She nodded in response, giving him the signal to make himself comfortable. Edward willingly took the seat next to her and gave her a small smile before returning part of his attention to Mr. Banner.
The class listened intently, or so Mr. Banner assumed, to what Mr. Banner was discussing about their first lesson and the instructions for their exercise that day. It was a simple high school physics exercise, nothing to be worried about. Especially not for someone who has repeated high school for God knows how many times; but not for the students around him, who just couldn't pay attention for even just a minute or two. As Mr. Banner went around to pass a piece of paper that they need to fill-out, Edward let his gaze fall on Daniela, who was quietly seated beside him. In that moment, another wave of vague visions flashed before him, causing him to flinch.
"Are you alright?" Daniela's voice boomed in Edward's ears.
"What?" Edward asked, as if he was surprised.
"Well, you flinched. I thought something was wrong," Daniela kindly explained.
"Nothing's wrong," Edward stated, looking away.
"Alright," Daniela simply said as she took a paper from Mr. Banner.
"I'm glad you two are partners. This will give the other students a chance to let their brains work in this subject," Mr. Banner said, pausing in front of their table. "Good thing I have two of the brightest minds in this school as partners in this class."
Mr. Banner stalked off to a different table after that, leaving Edward and Daniela to themselves. Edward sat stiffly in his seat as Daniela casually read through the paper that was given to them. He looked at her closely, for once, and finally saw her dark purple eyes. As he looked at her, he realized that no undefinable images had flashed before him just yet, confusing him even more. Not knowing that he had been blankly staring at her for quite some time now, Edward was miraculously surprised when he heard Daniela's voice addressing him a question.
"What?" Daniela asked, looking questioningly at Edward.
"What?" Edward repeated dumbly. "I'm sorry. I had a momentary lapse."
"Right..." Daniela breathed out. "So, this exercise looks simple enough. We should get started."
"Sure," Edward said, taking the paper from her.
The two of them began answering the simple enough physics questions that were written on the sheet of paper Mr. Banner had given them. Simple for them, but terribly mind-boggling for the rest of their classmates. Edward watched her as she continued to solve the remaining last problem in their paper. It was very easy for him to just write down the answer in a matter of seconds but knew better than to show-off what could be considered as a scientific mystery of sorts. She was smart enough as it is; she didn't need his help anymore. Let the human do what she's really good at.
"Done," Daniela said, handing the paper to Edward.
"Good," Edward said, not needing to glance at her answer to know that it was correct.
"We should submit it," Daniela said, looking at him. "Here, let me do it."
"No, no, I'll do it myself," Edward said, walking ahead of her. "Mr. Banner."
"Why am I not surprised, Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Banner asked, smiling at him. "You and Miss La Vecchia can go ahead. I'll see you two tomorrow."
"Thank you, sir," Edward politely said before turning around and walking back to Daniela. "We're good."
"Okay," Daniela said, fixing her things. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."
"Right," Edward said as Daniela walked off. What?
Edward followed suit after Daniela, taking his time to make sure that the students didn't think he was following her. As soon as he exited the room, he found her walking along the hallway to her locker, which he found out to be a few numbers away from Bella. She stopped in front of it and opened the door, throwing in her physics book before closing it and walking away. Edward followed her quietly, wanting to know what she had to do with the images that had flashed in his head, watching as she headed out of the door and out to the parking lot. He sighed before walking away and stalking off to the gym, where his last class was.
He sat comfortably on the bleachers, staring out into the court as if he was watching a basketball game. His mind raced back to the images that had flashed in his head before. Three times it happened that day – all of which when he saw Daniela. It was weird, if that was the correct word to use at that moment. They weren't visions like Alice's, he was sure of it. They looked so clouded, they looked more like memories to him. As he pondered about it, he suddenly heard distant footsteps coming closer to the gym, and then Daniela's scent filled his nostrils. He turned around to face the double doors of the gym and found her walking off to the girls' locker room, not even knowing that there was someone else in the gym with her. About few minutes later, she emerged back out, now fully clothed with Gym class attire and a cellular phone in hand. She stopped just beside the bleachers near the locker rooms and finally spotted Edward sitting by his lonesome on the bleachers across.
"How long have you been there?" Daniel asked in surprise.
"Longer than you," Edward replied dryly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you," Daniela apologized.
"No harm done," Edward said, nodding before leaving her alone to change in his Gym clothes.
Edward walked in vampire speed to the boys' locker room. He sighed heavily as he heard the bell ring, signaling the end of the previous class period. He immediately changed and walked out of the locker room just as the students began to file in. He smiled when he spotted Bella with Alice. He almost forgot that Alice would be the one to pick-up Bella after English, explaining that she needed to talk to her about the importance of having a birthday party. And making sure that he wasn't there to side with Bella, he was politely asked by Alice to go ahead to Gym.
"Hey," Edward said, hugging his beloved. "How was English?"
"Dull. Oh, but my seat mates kept talking about who will ask Daniela out first," Bella said as they walked over to the showers.
"I'm guessing Mike won," Edward said, smiling at her.
"No doubt," Bella laughed before leaving him to change.
"So, did you manage to convince her?" Edward asked, turning to his sister, who had already finished changing.
"As if you don't know," Alice snorted. "I'm halfway there. You do know that she will end up agreeing on it. I saw it myself."
"Yes, but she could have an impulsive decision to decline," Edward reasoned. "Just give her your puppy dog eyes and you will win."
"I know. I'm close to that," Alice said before she stopped and stared into space. "Ooh..."
"I'm sure Rosalie would hate that," Edward told her.
"It's not about her anyway. It's Bella's birthday," Alice argued just before Bella walked over to them.
"Please don't tell me you're talking about that ridiculous birthday party again," Bella groaned as Edward snaked an arm around her waist. "I don't want or need one, Alice."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Bella," Alice said. "You're turning 18! You need this!"
"You can find someone else who's celebrating her 18th birthday this month," Bella stated. "This is my declination, Alice. Period."
Gym had never been Bella's friend since the beginning. And that day was no exception. The first sport that they needed to engage in was volleyball. The teams had already been made, and she was with Alice, Edward, Angela, Ben, and Daniela, who was kindly invited by Alice. As she stood right beside Edward at the back, waiting for him to serve, Bella let her eyes fall on Daniela, who was situated in front of her, just beside Alice. The eyes of the boys were glued on her, even their opponents, as her curves remained evident even with the awfully loose Gym clothes she had on. Bella had to fight herself from rolling her eyes when she saw Mike Newton ogle her like she was the cover of a magazine.
"Bella, move," Edward said as he came close to her.
"What?" Bella asked, shaking up from her reverie. "Oh, yeah, sorry."
"You should concentrate on not getting yourself hit by the ball," Edward reminded her. "Not that I would let any ball harm you."
"Thanks, Edward," Bella said, smiling sweetly at him. "Why are you letting them get the chance to hit the ball?"
"If I hit it harder, the ball might die, Bella," Edward said.
"Of course," Bella said, rolling her eyes.
"Move," Edward instructed after Alice served the ball, giving them another point.
"Edward, Bella," Alice called. "Watch."
Bella and Edward followed Alice's gaze that landed on Daniela. She was busy dribbling the ball before setting her eyes on their opponent. In a flawless move, she threw the ball in the air and hit it as hard as she could, sending the ball flying on the other side of the court, not even seen by the opponent. Bella's jaw dropped in surprise, her eyes popping out. Amazing. And she's not even a vampire.
Daniela breathed out as the ball was tossed back to her. She glanced towards Alice, who was cheering for her, and smiled gratefully. Bella watched as Daniela took another breath before serving the ball as powerful as before. After about three hits, she was finally done and let Ben make the next shot. Edward's eyes narrowed as Daniela rubbed her sore right hand, carefully twisting it before setting her eyes back on the game.
As the ball flew to the other side of the net, Bella's team braced themselves for the hit back. Edward stood in a comfortable position, his eyes moving from the ball to Bella. When the ball was hit back to their side of the court, Alice's eyes fluttered open as soon as Daniela made an unexpected jump and spiked the ball to the other side of the court, scaring off their opponent as it hit the ground with a loud thud and bounced uncontrollably.
"Oh, wow! That was amazing, Daniela!" Alice exclaimed in full joy.
"That was great!" Angela complimented.
"Truly astonishing!" Ben supplemented.
"Thanks," Daniela said before turning around and rubbing her hand. "Ow..."
The game progressed on until the end of the period, declaring Bella's team the winner with 15-3 points. As soon as Coach Clapp ended the class, Bella immediately hit the locker room, changing as fast as she could. Checking herself once in the mirror, she smiled before walking out to meet Alice and Edward, who were both sitting on the bleachers, waiting for her to arrive. As Bella neared them, she noticed Edward holding an ice pack, playfully tossing it back and forth to Alice.
"What's with the ice pack?" Bella asked, walking over to Edward.
"A swollen hand," Alice replied as she caught the pack.
"Who has a swollen hand?" Bella asked, looking at Edward.
"Daniela!" Alice exclaimed, calling over the Italian beauty as soon as she stepped out of the locker room.
"Yes?" Daniela asked when she reached the three of them.
"Here," Alice said, handing her the ice pack.
"How..?" Daniela breathed out.
"You kept rubbing your hand after your set. It was that obvious," Alice stated, smiling at her. "Go on. It'll help."
"Thanks," Daniela managed to say before placing the pack on her hand. "I better go. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Great game."
"Wait, are you gonna be able to drive home?" Alice asked just as Daniela turned around to leave.
"I'll be fine. Thanks," Daniela said before completely walking away.
"Do you think she'll be alright?" Bella asked Alice.
"She'll be home safe," Alice said, smiling at them. "That's what I saw. Now, why don't we get me home?"
Edward led the way to his Volvo, opening the door for Bella and Alice, letting them hop in before walking over to his side of the car. As he opened the door, he heard the roar of Daniela's car drive off. He rolled his eyes as another set of male hormones in thinking crashed in his brain before getting inside his car and driving away in his usual speed to the Cullens' mansion. As soon as he dropped off Alice, he hurried to Bella's house.
The two of them walked in quietly and went straight to Bella's room. They talked and spent the day like they usually did, with Edward watching her as she finished her homeworks. As the night caved in with Charlie's arrival, Edward bid Bella a temporary goodbye before driving his car back to his home. No later than that, he quickly ran back to Bella's house, climbing in through her window just as Bella and Charlie sat down to eat. About thirty minutes later, Bella opened the door of her room, spotting her beloved lying on her bed.
"A human minute, love?" Edward asked on routine.
"Yes," Bella said before stalking off to the bathroom.
Edward patiently waited for Bella's return. In no time, she walked back in her room, setting her toiletries inside her closet before sitting down on her bed with him. For a moment, silence filled the both of them. Each content with the mere act of holding on to each other as a form of intimacy. Every now and then, Edward would kiss Bella's hand, cheek, or head, and once, her lips, but ever careful not to go any further in order not to test the boundaries of his control.
"Edward, can I ask you something?" Bella questioned.
"Ask away, love," Edward said, smiling to himself.
"Why did you kiss Daniela's hand during lunch?" Bella reluctantly asked.
Edward laughed as soon as he heard her question. Bella grumbled, moving from his embrace, but failed miserably.
"You know that I'm far stronger than a mere embrace, Bella," Edward reminded.
"If you don't want to answer the question, then don't," Bella said, trying her best to look annoyed.
"It was nothing," Edward said, smiling down at her.
"What?" Bella asked in confusion.
"I'm a gentleman, Bella. My parents taught me how to respect women. That was a small act of respect and acknowledgment," Edward explained. "I promise, it was nothing."
"I understand," Bella said, rather embarrassed.
"Were you jealous?"
"No, no, no! No...yes."
"Why? You know you're the only one that I love."
"It's just that...you never did that to me. It was...surprising."
"I know. I'm sorry if you were jealous. It meant nothing. I was just being kind. I was shocked about it myself, but it was nothing. I never expected my 1900s etiquette to kick in at that time."
"Well, at least Daniela didn't react much."
"She's Italian. She's probably used to it."
"Really?"
"Really. Now go to sleep, love. You're already tired," Edward said, allowing their bodies to lie comfortably on the bed. "Sleep, my Bella. I love you."
"I love you, too," Bella said before closing her eyes and letting sleep take over her.
Edward remained staring at Bella's face for about two hours, until his mind trailed off to the images of that day. He stood up and walked over to the window, allowing himself to think harder than usual. He rubbed his temples in frustration as the images remained but a clouded mystery in his mind. He sighed before turning back to his angel. Memories.
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A.N. It's a bit complicated for now. But I needed to get out the first day thing. Later chapters will probably be shorter. I promise I will try to get all the complications of the plot out in no time. So, what do you think? I know, it's kinda lame. But I would really love to hear from you. Thanks!
