Summer With the Cullens
By Holly-Batali
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight or Twilight-related. Bella and the Cullens belong to the lovely Stephenie Meyer. Happy?
Chapter Two: Get a Job
"You know, of the many things I planned to do during my summer break, watching you two play Screeching Tires of Fury XII for four hours wasn't one of them." I waited for a reaction from either Emmett or Edward, but with no luck. They went right on playing, just like they had for the past four hours. I would've left by now, but Edward kept dragging me back saying he'd just go one more round and then we'd go do something together. Well, I was still there, and nothing was happening.
"You Know," I said, trying a different tactic. "You guys may have all eternity to wait around and play video games, but I don't. And right now, the human is going to go hang out with Alice and Rosalie, capiche? Anyone? Hello?" I blinked. No one was paying any attention.
This was good. This was very good. Now that I had my cast off of my leg, I could be a little bit more stealthy; well, as stealthy as the world's biggest klutz could get, anyway. I slipped off the couch and creeped from the room on the tips of my toes...
...Until Esme walked into the room.
"You two!" she yelled at the boys, who continued playing. Esme waited expectantly. "Hello? Earth to Edward and Emmett?"
"What now?" asked Emmett, leaning to the left as his car swerved on the television.
"Excuse me? Don't you use that tone with me young man!"
"Jeez, sorry," griped Emmett, not taking his eyes off of the screen. Esme narrowed her eyes and walked over to the TV, leaning around the back. With a yank, she pulled the cords and the television went dark. Ignoring the immediate protests, she strode over to Emmett and Edward and, grabbing them both by the ears, she dragged them into the kitchen. Surprised by the sudden outburst, I followed them.
Esme deposited the two boys at the kitchen table, slamming them into chairs, narrowly avoiding breaking them. She stomped over to the counter and snatched up a pile of papers, bringing them over to the table. She threw them down dramatically on the table and glared at her sons, who were sitting, shell-shocked, in their chairs.
"Now, you listen to me." she hissed venomously. "You are both old enough to have something better to do than playing video games all day. Actually, according to Alice, you've been playing seventy-six hours straight! That is unacceptable, no matter how many 'super-powers' you have. In fact, that's even more of a waste because of them.
"Now, here are job applications. I want you all to go through them and find three each; then I want you to apply for all of them and turn them in tomorrow. You're perfectly capable of working, and you will. Even Bella has a job, don't you Sweetie?" she softened slightly as the three of them turned to look at me.
"Yes ma'am," I said obediently.
"Is working very hard?" she asked pointedly.
"No ma'am."
She beamed. Think good-little-doggie thoughts, Bella. Good doggie.
"Good. Now, I've told Rosalie and Alice to do the same thing, and they're filling out their applications upstairs. If you'd come in earlier, you'd have had first pick," she said, glaring at them. With that, she stomped dramatically out of the room.
Pale and wide-eyed, the two boys watched her exit, then they slumped down in their chairs.
Sighing deeply, Emmett asked quietly, "What was that?"
Edward shook his head. "I dunno."
After sharing a glance, they went to work shuffling through the stack of applications.
"I can't decide between salon and garage," said Rosalie, her voice muffled from under Emmett's jeep. "I know they're total opposites, but they're both really tempting. I mean, I'm so good at both, right?"
Alice and I nodded mutely. "What do you think Alice?" Rose asked.
"Hmm..." said Alice thoughtfully. "Well, if you take the salon job, people'll probably spend more time looking at you than the mirror, which could be good or bad for business. The garage one would be more fun, though."
"Yeah," I agreed, "Probably." Well, for someone who knows the difference between CDR Valves and an anti-freeze compartment...not me.
"Yeah," sighed Alice. "I don't think Edward'll be very happy with his new job. Emmett either, actually." Rosalie stopped tinkering; she pushed herself out from under the jeep, wiping her hands on an oily rag. Jeez, even with oil smudged all over her face she was drop-dead gorgeous (no vampire-pun intended.)
"Really?" Oh yes, definitely blackmail material...I could see the mental cogs a'turning.
"Yup," said Alice.
"And what jobs would those be?" Even I was curious by now; well, okay, it doesn't really take that much to make me curious, not in this house.
Alice looked offended. "Hello? Does 'Patient Confidentiality' mean anything to you?" Rose snorted.
"What patients?"
Alice flopped down on the yellow, somewhat oily, couch in the corner of the garage. "Everyone," she said disinterestedly. "To me, you're all lab rats, just waiting to be corrupted and experimented on." she picked up a magazine and threw us a quick glance. "No offense."
"None taken," I said blankly. Rose and I exchanged one of those o-kaaay looks--you know, the one that you see from everyone, several times a day here in the Cullen residence--and went back to work; Rose tinkering and me handing her tools, which had been labeled so I would know what she was asking for.
"What about you, Alice?" I asked. "What are you applying for?
Alice's eyes gleamed from over the top of her magazine, Psychic Weekly. "You'll see."
I raised my eyebrows as she went back to her article. I don't even want to know.
"What about you, Bella?" asked Rose from under the jeep. "Charlie making you get a summer job?"
I smirked. "No; actually, I got a job on my own, thank you."
"Really?" she asked, interested. "And what would that be?"
"I'm working at Mike's parents' sporting goods store; just helping out with sales and such."
"Ooh," she said, "Edward's not gonna like that."
"Well, he'll just have to suck it up," I grumbled, blushing slightly; we all knew how much Edward and Mike despised each other.
Authors Note: Hmmm...what are the Cullen's mystery jobs?