Tantamount

Chapter2

This morning I'm moving slow. My head is pounding like a mother. I think Mom knows I partied too hard because she wakes me up bright and early, saying she needs my help. Usually, I sleep until noon, but Mom has me pulling vases from the attic. My hangover and I are pissed.

I'm ready to go back to my room when the doorbell rings. To my surprise, the girl from next door is standing there.

"Hi," she says when I open the door.

"Hi."

"I'm Bella. I live next door." She motions toward her house. She's wearing a Hello Kitty t-shirt and baggy jeans. Her body type is okay. She has nice boobs and a flat stomach. Her hair is combed today and in a ponytail, but she's not wearing any makeup. Completing my dare won't be too hard if I can look past her homeliness.

"I'm Edward. I live here."

Bella grins and a puff of air leaves her nose. I wasn't trying to be funny. She links her fingers together and twists them, fidgeting.

"Can I help you, Bella?"

"Actually, yes...please. I saw you looking my way yesterday, so I thought I'd come over, finally, and introduce myself among other things."

I lean against the door frame, waiting for the climax of this conversation if there even is one.

"I need some help reaching a box on a shelf in my closet."

"Sounds urgent." I'm totally being sarcastic.

"Kind of. All my favorite books are in that box, and my dad won't be home for about a week to get it down for me. So—" she dips her chin and hesitates a moment before she looks up "—you're tall."

"Yeah." And you're a rocket scientist.

"Can you help me?"

Ugh, I'm hungover bad. The last thing I want to do is help this girl; however, I could get the ball rolling on the dare.

"Sounds like a predicament."

"Yeah, I'll mostly just read this summer. I don't have any big plans as of yet," she adds, rocking back and forth on her feet, adding to her fidgety repertoire.

She's a nervous Nellie, a little boring bookworm. I wonder if she reads porn? I scan her face, and there's not a drop of deviance showing behind those brown eyes, so I doubt it.

"Of course, I'd be glad to help." I clench my jaw. I'm in no mood to help.

"Great. Thanks."

I follow her next door and notice Emmett across the street retrieving the newspaper from his sidewalk. He gives me a big thumbs up and a few hip thrusts. I shake my head. He laughs and jogs back into his house.

I follow her up the stairs and to her bedroom. It's pink—really pink. There's a lot of pink on the walls and different colors of pink on her bed with ruffles and shit. It looks comfy, though, and it's probably where she hangs out and reads. Her room faces my house and overlooks the driveway and my badass black truck.

"It's up here." She points to the shelf in her walk-in closet.

I follow her inside. The box is within my reach, and I have it down and on her bed in less than thirty seconds.

"There you go."

"Thanks."

Bella offers me some Blue Cherry Kool-Aid as we make our way back downstairs. I take her up on the offer and stay a few minutes longer even though I don't want to.

She doesn't take her eyes off me—I can tell in my peripheral. I have a hard time looking her in the face, probably because I'm getting ready to play her, so I pet her cat while we drink our Kool-Aid.

"Thanks again for your help."

"No problem." I take a few steps on the porch, and then think about the dare and turn around. "Hey, would you like to go to the movies tonight?"

"Oh, um—" her fingers twist together in front of her, and she inhales a long breath "—sure I guess."

"Okay, give me your number, and I'll text you movie times."

We exchange numbers, and I go back home. My headache is gone, maybe from the blue food coloring, and now, I'm starving.

With a few PB&J's in my hand and a game on TV, I'm finally able to kick back on the couch and relax. It's not long before there's another knock at my door. I think about not answering it, but it could be Bella needing my help again, and I should look interested.

"Hey, dude."

It's Emmett, and he's flashing those hundreds in my face.

"Thought I'd give you a little incentive."

"I know what two hundred dollars look like but thanks."

"Are we still on?"

"Hell, yeah. I'm taking her to the movies tonight." I toss my baseball from one hand to the other. I suppose it's a habit, kinda like Bella fiddling with her hands all the time.

Emmett laughs. "The guys will immortalize you, you know."

I huff out a laugh, and we fist bump.

*T*

Thankfully, Carlisle gives me a fifty. I'm broke since I can't find a job in this town. He must've been happy I was finally doing something besides staying around the house.

Bella meets me at my truck. She's wearing a purple knee-length dress. It's not fancy, but it's different from what she usually wears. Her hair is down and combed, which is nice, but there is no sign of makeup. I don't really care to be honest; it's not like we're dating, but I am going to be in public with her, and I have an image to uphold.

"Let's go," I say, motioning toward my truck. I don't open the door for her because for one, this is not a date, and two, I don't do that; it's old school.

I turn the music up on my stereo, so I don't have to make small talk with Bella, but she looks okay with it. I park towards the back of the parking lot and scan the area, making sure I don't see anyone I know. I suggest to Bella that she should grab our seats in the theater while I buy our tickets and popcorn. She agrees, and I take my time, waiting until I know the lights are dimmed in the theater and the previews are playing.

I stand just inside the door letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, and I finally spot her all the way in the back.

"Hi." I duck into my seat.

"Are these seats okay?"

"Perfect." I hand her the popcorn and a drink.

"Thanks, popcorn's my favorite." She puts some in her mouth. A few pieces fall to her lap and she flicks them off, hitting the seat in front of us.

I laugh. It's totally something me and my buddies would do, except we'd aim for the back of heads.

During the movie, Bella taps the toe of her shoe on the floor and then grips onto my arm when it's suspenseful. She buries her face there as well when it's too much for her to handle. I don't really mind; I'm the one who wanted to see this movie, so I'll take the repercussions. Plus, it's dark and no one can see us.

"Are you okay?" I whisper.

"Yes, I'm fine."

I don't entirely believe her, but she's a trooper and sticks it out.

"Want to grab an ice cream before we go home?" Bella asks.

I contemplate saying no but decide I need to get this whole thing over with. Spending more time with her will most likely get me that home run way quicker. "Sure, if you want to."

Her face lights up. "My treat."

"Even better." I jab her playfully with my elbow.

Bella chooses a double scoop of triple chocolate peanut butter, and I order a double scoop of rainbow sherbet. We cheers with our cones before eating them and have a contest on who can finish first.

With massive brain freezes, we tie.

"Not a great idea, Edward."

My palms are pushed into my eyes in hopes of relieving some of the pain. "You didn't say no."

"Ugh, I should have," Bella moans.

"Next time, we're not doing this."

"Next time?" she asks.

"Uh huh."

"Okay, it's a date." She gives me a coy smile and wipes the chocolate from her mouth. I hear her toe tapping the floor in rapid succession.

I didn't think of tonight as a date, just a means to an end, but thankfully, the ball is in motion, so it looks like we're hanging out again.

I give Bella a hug in the driveway and watch her walk home. Her dress is wedged in her buttcrack, and now I'm wondering if that's why people were staring at us when we walked back to my truck from the ice cream parlor. I chuckle to myself.

"Goodnight, Bella," I say, and then mumble to myself. "This might be harder than I thought."

A/N:

Thanks again for reading and reviewing.

Hugs to T for betaing 3

I'll post the chapters that were in the contest A.S.A.P., and the new chapters on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Enjoy!

XO,

OhGee