AU: All Human
Twilight Fan Fic
Chapter Two:
Present Day:
"Hey Belllaaaa." A singsong voice whispered next to my ear. "Time to wake uuuup." I moaned deep into my pillow, trying to grasp my quickly fading dream. "Isabella! Get your lazy ass up, you're going to be late."
I groaned again. "Don't call me that." I hated that name. Almost as much as I hated the woman who gave it to me. "I thought it was Saturday."
"Uh, Ha. You wish. It's Thursday." she ripped my covers off onto the floor so they were out of my reach. "Now get up, get dressed and eat your breakfast."
"Okay, mom." I grumbled, rolling over and grabbing my shorts off the floor. It was so fucking hot in Alice's apartment. Even with every window thrown open, I was sweating more than a hooker in church.
"If you keep skipping class, I'll send you back to live with her. Get up, now!" Her voice rebounded off the walls, getting louder with each word. My head throbbed.
"I'm up, bitch." I muttered under my breath. I guess that really wasn't fair to say, but I definitely wasn't in the mood for her shit, let alone class.
That was one of the conditions when I moved in with Alice, I couldn't miss more than five days of school. I had already missed eight. I had begged my sister Alice not to tell mom. I even threatened to hang myself from the stairwell if she sent me back to that witches house. She agreed, only if I would stop being so melodramatic.
After I stumbled into the bathroom to relieve my bladder, I pulled on a dirty pair of jeans and a lime green tank top. My alarm clock finally came to life, fifteen minutes late, sprouting what sounded like Snoop Dog.
"And when they bang this in the club baby you got to get up. Thug niggas drug dealers yeah they givin' it up. Lowlife, yo' life, boy we livin' it up!"
After combing the rats nest you would my call hair, I stumbled down the hallway and into the bright yellow kitchen. Alice was sitting at the table in her fluffy purple robe reading something on her laptop and drinking a cup of black coffee.
It was quite in the kitchen for a few minutes, just the sound of me munching my toast and the occasional cough from Alice. It was her who broke the silence first.
"You have a message." It took me a few seconds to understand what she meant.
"You mean a letter or on the answering machine?" She turned around in her chair and gave me an exasperated look.
"Do you know anyone who sends a legitimate letter anymore?" I rolled my eyes and set my plate in the sink.
"Who was it then?" She turned back to her laptop and continued reading. Clearly she wasn't going to tell me. "Okay, whatever. Are you going to let me use your car again or do I have to catch the bus?"
"Well I sure as hell ain't going to school today." she gave a hacking cough to prove her case.
"It's totally not fair," I say as I grab her keys off the counter, "If you get to stay home then so should I."
"I'm sick! And besides I haven't missed a day before today."
It was true. Alice was one of those girls who actually took college seriously and still managed to go to parties every night. The only time she ever seems to sleep is when she's out of coke and uppers or her body just shuts off. I've had to catch her on those occasions.
"Wait!" Alice appeared around the corner as I was pulling on my shoes, "Aren't you going to listen to your message?"
"I'll listen to it later, It's probably about that job I applied for." I was about to walk out the door, but the look on her face stopped me. "That's what it is, isn't it?" Alice shrugged, suddenly aloof to the situation.
I debated with myself for a few minutes, one foot halfway out the door.
The temptation was too great. That and the fact that Alice clearly knew something that I didn't pushed me over the edge. I slammed the door behind me and dropped my bag on the floor. Alice smirked from over her laptop when she saw me press the flashing message button on the answering machine.
An electronic voice filled the kitchen, "Message received Wednesday at seven-forty P.M." I look over at Alice wondering why she hadn't told me sooner.
"Hey Bella, It's me Edward. Yeah, I called your house and your mom said you were here. Listen, my friends throwing me a party for my twenty-first. You should come. Call me."
I don't know how long I stood there staring at the number that I now noticed was scribbled on a post-it note next to the phone. I would bet anything that it was his number. My head swam with snap shots of him and I.
Before he left, that is. Left and didn't even try to call me once.
I snorted, breaking out of my thoughts with a snap. I couldn't even processes what I was feeling. For a second I thought I might laugh, but then I remembered his face the day he told me he was leaving,"For good." he had said.
"I definitely don't feel like going to class now." I sighed, pulling out a cigarette. Alice didn't even try to stop me, even though she hated the things.
"Well are you going to call him back?" I look at the clock.
"It's seven in the morning."
She laughed, handing me her keys. "Then you can call him when you get back from your classes."
The day went by slower than normal. Probably because I was so anxious for my phone call after it was all done. I had forgotten my anger, but it had been quickly replaced with nerves. I haven't talked to Edward for two years! What if we are two completely different people now?
I realized I would take that risk because I just couldn't not call him back. He was my best friend, and he always would be. I missed him and it sounded like he missed me too.
I didn't see Alice when I got home from school, so I figured she was rearranging her closet again or cleaning something.
The perfect time to make a private phone call.
I dialed the number and pressed 'CALL' before I could change my mind. It rang four times before he picked up. There was a little bit of a scuffle on the other end then a "Bella? Is that you?"
A cheek splitting grin washes over my face. He sounds the same as he always had and suddenly it was like no time had passed at all.
"Yeah. It's me. I've missed you Edward." I suddenly feel like I might cry of happiness. It hits me that I haven't really felt myself since he left. Just for talking to him I feel better than I have in years.
"Oh god, I've missed you too. Please tell me you're coming Friday!" I pull at the frayed hem of my shirt, trying to talk through my enormous grin.
"Yeah, Where is it?"
"It's in Forks, at my house." That was about three hours from here, give or take. But I didn't have any transportation. I groaned into the phone. "What? What's wrong?"
"I don't have a car. My truck wont make it. And I doubt Alice would let me use hers." I covered my face with my other hand, already sinking in my misery. I couldn't go, I wouldn't get to see him.
"Let me talk to her." Edward asked from the other line. I didn't question him, but walked quietly down the hallway and to her bedroom door.
It wasn't closed all the way so I pushed it open a crack and peered inside. Alice was laying on her side with her back facing the door, reading from the light off the lamp next to her. I pushed the door open wider.
"Alice? Someone wants to talk to you." she knew something was up by the tone of my voice. She cocked an eyebrow and took the phone from my hand.
"Hello?" I could hear Edward's muffled voice on the other line, but couldn't make out exactly what he was saying. He was clearly working his magic because Alice was talking with a small smile on her lips. "Well I am sick, so I don't know if I'll be going but..."
Alice looked at me for a moment, looking like she was on the fence about something. "Okay." She said, and I heard a roar of approval on the other line so I knew he must have done something right. "Okay I'll tell her. Bye Eddy."
"What. What's happening? Tell me!" I was almost about to burst with excitement. Alice laughed, withholding the information longer. "Tell me!"
"You're going to a party tomorrow, I guess." Alice got off the bed and left the room, heading for the kitchen. I followed her with my mouth open.
"What else?" I hold my breath, hoping for the best.
"Well Edward said something about calling you at seven tomorrow morning. He said you could drive down after class and hang out at Thomas's house. You're staying the night too, I guess."
"What?" It took me a second to absorb the information. "OH MY GOD!" I did a dance, hitting my hand hard on the counter. I was too happy to care.
Once my excitement started to deplete, I sat down next to Alice at the table. "Why are you doing this?" I asked her.
"Because," She said, not looking me in the eyes, "You haven't been the same since he moved." Alice smiled and wrapped an arm around me. It was one of our first moments of sisterly harmony in a while. It was kind of nice. "Go. Have fun."
The rest of the day I went through my entire closet, pulling out all my 'hotter' options, and smoked a whole pack of cigarettes. Amber bitched about the smell, but I pretended not to hear her over the music I was blasting.
I had an uneasy night of sleep. I couldn't get Edward out of my mind, and the fact that I was going to see him tomorrow made it almost impossible to sleep. In the end I passed out around two A.M and woke up at seven to the phone ringing off the hook. I tried to ignore it for awhile, but it seemed to never end.
That's when I remembered who was supposed to be calling me.
"Hello?" I said breathlessly, after running through the obstacle course that was my room.
"Hey, rise and shine, it's a big day!" I forgot Edward was such a morning person. "I'm getting ready for school now but I'll text you the address, we're going to leave the door unlocked for you. And don't worry my parents aren't home, we've got it all taken care of. I can't wait until you meet my step brothers Emmett and Jasper. You're going to love them."
We exchanged a few more words about how sick the party was going to be before I went back to my room to finish packing. I left the apartment around seven-thirty after saying goodbye to Alice.
"Good luck." She said with a knowing smirk.
class was slower than ever. I slept through most of them and decided to bail at lunch, hauling ass to Forks. I ended up making good time, too.
To say Edward's house was big was an understatement. Set deep in the thick woods of Washington, a big white Victorian mansion bloomed out of the foliage. It looked like something out of a fairy tail, I expected to see Rapunzel letting down her hair from the attic window.
The driveway was empty so I parked the car next to the garage in the car port. Grabbing my bag out of the back I walked over to the glass sliding doors. For a second I thought it would be locked but, true to Edward's word, it slid open effortlessly.
I walked through the house for awhile looking for a place to put my bag. I decided on the only room in the house that had a view of the back yard, which again, was huge. The pool was set into a cluster of rocks and a bar lined a lattice fence covered in vines and flowers. I could see another building in the distance, probably the pool house. It was badass to say the least. This was going to be one hell of a party.
I had at least two hours until Edward and his step brothers would be back. He had told me literally nothing about them except for the fact that they were cool and throwing him this party.
The next two hours went by in a blur of video games and bad TV shows. I was just thinking about taking a dip in the pool out back when I heard the door bell ring.
I walked stealthily down the stairs and to the front door, careful not to walk in front of any windows. I relaxed when I saw two guys dressed in all black with bright yellow jackets on. It was Edward's security detail.
"Are you Bella?" one of them asked when I opened the door. I nodded, cocking my eyebrows.
"Are you the security Edward told me about?" They didn't look like they'd be much help in a house full of drunken collage students but I gave them the benefit of the doubt.
"Yes Ma'am, we are. I'm Seth and this is Collin." The taller one said as he entered the house. I had to laugh a little.
"So are you professionals?" I asked, trying to make conversation.
"No, this is our first job. But we have walkie talkies." Seth said like it made everything okay.
"Yeah, Those will come in handy. Do you know when Edward and them are supposed to be back?"
"I just talked to him, he said they were on their way back from a guy named James's house. It sounded like shit went down." Colllin said while looking through the fridge.
Almost on cue I heard the sound of car doors slamming. Butterflies instantly filled my stomach and I felt like I might throw up.
"Bella?" A voice called out from the front of the house. Leaving my nerves behind I ran to the front door again and jumped into Edward's arms. He's a little taller than he was, but his style, hair and smell were still the same. I fully relax for the first time in two years.
"Holy shit! You look amazing!" He shouted, spinning me around. When we broke apart I saw that we had a small audience.
"Oh where are my manners? These are the party throwers Emmett and Jasper."
The one named Emmett, a big beefy guy with curly black hair, gave a sarcastic laugh and held out a hand for me to shake. "We've heard a lot about you." He said, shooting a shit-eating grin a Edward.
"I hope he didn't tell you to much." I grimace because I know he probably did.
"Why don't we all shut the fuck up. We've got a lot of work to do."
We did. I didn't even get a chance to catch up with Edward. The rest of the afternoon was spent moving big bags of ice into the garage and helping the DJ and bouncy-house crew set up their shit. Edward and I had just finished setting out all the red cups when Emmett declared he was going to talk to the neighbors about our little party. "Trust me." He said.
It was quiet for a moment, just the sound of the wind in the trees and the low hum of music. I studied Edward from out of the corner of my eye. He seemed so grown up, so manly. I was a little embarrassed by how turned on I was.
"So.." I started, wanting to fill the silence. "How are things here in Forks? You got a girlfriend?"
Edward laughed, his signature grin falling over his face. "You always knew how to cut right to the chase."
"You know me so well." I smiled, sipping my lemonade cocktail while bobbing my head to the music playing in the background.
"I'm gonna spend it all, why wait for another day, I'ma take all this money I own and blow it all away, Cause I can't take it when I'm gone, gone, gone, gone."
"Ahhh, things are alright here. There are decent parties and a pretty good drug hook up, but there are no Bella Swan's."
I blushed just whenEmmett came back looking rather pleased with himself. "All right hoes, everyone in the kitchen."
We all followed him into the kitchen and I saw that Emmett had set four shot glasses out in a row. He filled them all with some type of alcohol and started handing them out. "In an hour this place is going to be a fucking mad house."
"Not a mad house, just a decent sized gathering..." Edward said, grabbing the shot closest to him.
"To a sick fucking night."
There was something so symbolic about the way we all held our shots aloft to each other. I don't know what it was, but it felt big.
