I personally enjoyed driving fast. It's not like the cops are going to get me. My dad's a lawyer.
My dad's a lawyer.
He was probably home by now. Probably kissed my mother a hello, maybe told her that he loved her. Then sauntering off to work in his office, leaving my mother to silence her sobs. Somehow, Bella appeared in my thoughts and my anger towards my father slowly diminished.
Today was a bit sunny. Since Bella sat closest to the window, the sun's rays hit her and I couldn't have been happier. Her hair glowed, her eyes twinkled, but her skin. It sparkled. She looked magnificent. Though, I kept my attention to why her skin sparkled. How? Why? Was she using some sort of lotion? Was she sweating? She couldn't have been sweating, I could feel trails of cold radiating off of her like a refrigerator. This girl was a mystery and I planned on being the detective.
I swerved around and started taking the rode that led away from Forks and deeper into the forest. The rode ended to a graveling parking lot. Only ten parking spots or so. I didn't have the right gear, but a towel that my mother insisted that I have at all times in the glove compartment. I took it out and started down the hiking trail. I wandered down the trail, thinking about my horrid father and how life would be like without him. Of course we needed him. I didn't need him. The only thing he did for the family was pay... for everything. As I was too caught up in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed that I had been walking completely straight and missed the curve that the path took. I looked around a bit before spotting the trail again.
I ripped off a small strip from the towel and tied it to a tree branch. Wanting a little adventure and so that my mind wouldn't be distracted by my parents, I headed away from the path. Heading straight, ripping the towel occasionally whenever the last marker was out of sight.
After what felt like hours of walking, dodging branches, and jumping over fallen trees and roots, I found the greatest thing I've ever seen. A meadow with the color of a rainbow dotted every space of every parting. Flowers of all kind swayed in the light breeze and glowed in the little heat of the sun. I couldn't help but smile when I spotted a clump of my mother's favorite flowers. Freesias. It didn't matter which color, to her, just as long as their smell was intact. I was quite fond of them, too, for the exact same reason. I lay there, in the middle of the round meadow, staring up at the sky. The clouds once again started to cover the sun as it descended down the sky too early. I thought about keeping this place a secret. Only bringing the closest friend, girlfriend maybe, here to enjoy this. I knew who I was talking about when I said 'girlfriend'.
When I got home, I sat down at the grand piano in the living room. I played a little... a lot. I even composed a few songs. The rhythms were dedicated to my father. My compositions were normally quite sad, and as I kept pressing the keys in good rhythm, I let my mind drift. I looked around the house, realizing I've been replaying the same keys over and over again. I got up to find some sheet music and sat back down. I wrote down the music notes in order of the new composition and tried to find more keys that would fit, but I was lost, my inspiration gone. Eventually, my mother called me in for dinner. A delicious scent hitting my nose, as every time I enter any kitchen my mother is present.
Mom entered back in the kitchen, biting her lip, her eyelashes soaked, and chin quivering. She hates me seeing her cry, causing her to cry even more. Mother only cried when she has to give dad his plate of food. Usually he works to hard. Something my mom likes to brag about, even if she absolutely hated it.
I instantly ran to her side. I really need to talk to my father. My mother tried to control her sobs. She thinks she's a terrible mother. She tells me everything. She says I'm the perfect child. I'm a good listener and always seems to know what's on her mind. She loves me, and I love her. My father is never around, so I normally go around not talking about him, or talking to him. I've only told him that I loved him once. My mom recorded it. That's the only recollection I have of ever saying those words to my father.
I gathered my mother into my arms and she wrapped her arms around herself, willing herself to calm down. I led her to her spot at the table. With shaky breaths she tried to listen to me as I spoke sadly.
"Mom, you have to talk to him. If you think he should take a break you need to tell him," I begged, "Please. I know you don't like me seeing you cry. I don't like it either. Please. You need to talk to him." I looked into her sad hazel eyes. She gave in and nodded. I gave her a small smile and hugged her with all of my love.
"I love you, Edward Jr.," she told me as I gave her her glass of water and sat down across from her.
"Love you, too, Mom," I responded with absolute truth, raising my glass for a toast. The glasses hit each other with a clink. The rest of the meal was quiet. Mom told me she would talk to him tonight. I expected change in the next day at least.
"Hey, Mom?" I said after putting my dishes away. She still sat at the dinner table, picking away at her food.
"Yes, dear?" She asked shakily.
"Do you know anything about the Cullen family?" I truly felt like a horrible son. My mother was crying, but I guess this topic could take her mind off of the terrible man I call father.
"Dr. Cullen's family? Oh, sure. Dr. Cullen is a great man and father." She said. This topic hadn't changed her attitude at all.
"Their kids... well, they're a bit different."
"Well, I assure you that I didn't have much trouble with them at all! I-" I knew it was rude to interrupt, but I was too curious.
"What do you mean? You didn't have any trouble with them?"
"Well, I know I haven't told you this, but I went to the hospital recently. I'm just a bit sick is all. I get migraines every once in a while, but what lady doesn't? The Cullen girls really like to help out and I was just so grateful. They are quite attractive. Do you like one of them?" My mother said, smiling cockily. I blushed furiously. I wasn't one to really talk about this stuff.
"I hear that the Bella girl is free. She's quite lovely, don't you think?" Mom inquired. I blushed even more.
"Uh... yeah... um... I have homework! See ya, Mom!" I buzzed, and dashed away to my room. I could hear her chuckle as I sprinted up the stairs. I didn't really have homework. I just sat around my room for a while. When I finally heard the water downstairs stop running I figured my mom was heading to bed. I didn't hear her door shut, though. Lately it seemed that Mom couldn't sleep. I heard the TV turn on. I laid on my bed and listened to the soap opera for thirty minutes, falling in and out of sleep. I decided it was time for bed when my stomach growled. Really? Right now stomach? I headed downstairs, but I completely forgot my hunger when I spotted my mother sleeping on the couch.
I quietly walked to the couch and felt her forehead. She was sick! I hurriedly went to grab a quilt and the pillows from her room. Hoping she wouldn't be too warm tonight. As I passed Dad's office to head back to my room, granola bar in hand, I spotted my father through the clear glass squares in the white-painted doors. He was also out cold asleep. I entered without knocking and looked around his office. The faint light coming from the lamp hurt my eyes and his computer was still on.
I looked at him in disgust. I was a spitting image of him. His hair, skin color, eye color, nose, height, the only thing I got from my mother was her cooking skills. Not something I'm exactly proud of.
He had half eaten his dinner and it was cold. Though I didn't like him that much, I cleaned the plate, put away the dishes, and re-entered his office. I leaned on the doorway and crossed my arms, the granola bar sticking up from my right hand.
"Hey," I called loudly. He didn't move.
"Hey!" I tried louder. Nothing. I slammed the doors aggravated. "HEY!?" He still didn't move. I panicked. He wasn't breathing either. I checked his pulse. He was still alive. I called 911 immediately.
"What's your emergency?"
Everything felt so surreal after that. It was as if reality had gone into slow motion. The doctors hauled my father away on a stretcher. My mother had awoken from the ambulance sirens. The doctors told me that my mother was very sick as well. I stayed at the hospital for days. My mother was released, much to my relief, but my father was getting worse. My mother cried in my arms every day he stayed. Bella hadn't returned to school, either, something that added to my troubled list of life problems. Finally, the wait was over, and my father had died.
My family was all over the news, newspapers, school, gossip around the neighborhood. My mother slept on the couch each night after that. There was just me, tucking her in every night and taking care of her. She didn't cook meals anymore. I had to feed her myself. It was absolute hell seeing my mother cry and cry and cry every day. It was too much for me to handle. She had to set up his funeral. I didn't think he deserved a funeral, he deserved to just rot in the ground, watching her cry for him. He was terrible and I was undeniably livid at him for leaving her, on the same night that she was going to speak to him!
During school, Jessica tried to comfort me for my 'loss' and told me that I was a 'hero' for calling the ambulance. My only loss was my mother's obvious sadness. I knew at the right time, after the funeral maybe, that I would need to act as if my father never existed. But for now, I needed to sympathize with my mother. Worse yet, Bella had still not returned after a week and I was searching and waiting to see the angel that had brought my happiness everyday at lunch and Biology class. If she wasn't here, I would have to find a source of happiness else where. Maybe I would go to baseball try outs on Tuesday.
Finally on Friday, I was perfectly comfortable entering my classes. Almost fully accepting that Bella probably hates me and isn't returning. The funeral was today and it seemed that God had planned for it to snow to match my icy cold mood.
I wasn't surprised to see the Cullens' signature gigantic red truck in the parking lot today. During lunch I was winning in the major snow ball fight we were having outside. I was really just hitting everyone in the face but I tried to act coolly about it. People were laughing about my politeness during the game, too. Every time I hit someone I would yell 'Sorry!' and they'd know immediately who hit them.
When Biology came around I almost fell on my face as I entered the classroom. Bella was back and she looked like she wanted to apologize as she gave me a small smile. It was absolutely magnificent, just as she is. When I sat down, she didn't really do anything though I knew she was planning on saying she was sorry for last week. She was just trying to form words in her head. While Mr. Banner passed out small slides, I determinedly turned to Bella, seeing to it that she wasn't able to start this conversation on her own.
"Hello," I said musically. She seemed stunned that I was talking to her and looked at my tall form. I didn't mean to tower, but it seemed that she was a very petite girl. My hair was soaking wet from playing in the snow outside and it was very spiky. Her snow ball fight was right along side ours. I hadn't seen her there, but her brother Jasper threw snow at me and challenged me to throw some at him if I dare. His exact words.
"Hi, I'm Bella Cullen, you must be Edward Masen," she responded. I was expecting her to offer her hand to be followed by her polite greeting but I suppose she didn't want to. I wasn't surprised, I rarely am, that she was talking to me. I was confused though. She seemed to hard to read. Usually I could look at some one and know their whole life story, but her... she was different. I realized I haven't spoken, just stared. I didn't have a scared look on my face. I was observing.
"How do you know my name?" I asked quietly. She gave me a soft look.
"Your family has been all over the News. I'm so sorry for your dad," she said softly. Her voice was like none other.
"Thank you." I didn't mean it all. Though I was sad for my mother, and that some one had lost a life, personally my father was just any other some one. Not my father. Some one who had lived in the same house as I did for my whole life. Some one who made my mother happy. Some one who paid for the house. Just another some one.
I looked up at Bella. She nodded her head in an understanding gesture. Our table was the last one that Mr. Banner gave the slides to.
"Get started," he commanded.
"Ladies first?" I asked. Her eyes lit up as if our conversation was depressing. I think it was.
"Thanks," she said and reached for the microscope just as I pushed it to her. Our hands touched and a jolt passed up my arm. Her hand was so cold.
"Prophase," she stated, not even looking through the glass for more than three seconds.
"Mind if I check?" I said.
"Are you saying I'm wrong?" Bella challenged playfully after chuckling a little. It was enchanting.
"I'm just saying that you might not be right," I responded before checking.
"Yeah, okay it's prophase," I said. She laughed again before quieting down because other students were watching. I chuckled.
"Nice." She made a cute face that made me laugh again. The rest of the lab went by this way and we were finished in only two minutes. We could talk for the rest of class.
After our joking I looked into her golden eyes.
"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out. She caught on quick and gave me a quick, "No." before looking away. I knew that there was something different about her eyes. They were black before. Now they were surely golden. She could be lying about the contacts. I hear girls lie about stuff like that all the time. Something told me that Bella wasn't one for lying. Or hiding things.
"Beautiful weather," Bella said, bored. Oh, yes, the grand weather. Sure I loved snow, but really? Talking about the weather.
"Um, yea..." I said awkwardly. She turned to me puzzled.
"Something wrong with the weather?" She asked.
"Oh, nothing's wrong. I just- It's just that- well you're, you're talking about the weather with me? I mean, it's not a surprise that it snowed in Forks, is it?" I stuttered like an idiot. She stared at me before cracking up, again.
"Yes, I'm talking about the weather with you, and no it isn't quite a big surprise," she said, still smiling. She suddenly turned serious again before saying, "Did you really like your father?"
I was stunned. How could she know? I didn't know why I agreed on telling her but I decided she was trustworthy.
"It's that obvious, huh?"
"Oh, no. It's just that your reaction to me talking about his death didn't exactly seem, well- wistful. It was more disappointed. What's wrong?" She explained.
"My father, always works. He was a lawyer and he never really had time for family. My mother really loved him. She always cried because he didn't come to the dinner table, or that she had to give him his food at night. Sometimes he would fall asleep working in his office. One time he didn't eat for three days straight and he had to go to the hospital. That really got to her. Then he passes away from sickness just as my mother was going to talk to him about how much she loves him, and misses spending time with him. She was going to do it for me because I asked her.
"My mother is also being diagnosed with some sort of flu, she hasn't told me yet, but I'm just worried about her, I guess. I'm angry at my father for leaving her." I suddenly remember that my mother said that Bella was there at the hospital helping Dr. Cullen diagnose my mother.
"Do you know what's wrong with her? She told me that you helped your dad diagnos."
"It's the Spanish Influenza. It's not deadly or anything, but if it's not taken care of right away it could kill someone. Sadly, that's how your father was killed. Once again, Edward, I'm sorry for your loss." She sounded so sincere. I simply smiled at her. The bell rang but I really didn't want to leave Bella. She was the only person who wanted to sit down and let me talk.
Instead of zooming out of the classroom like last time, Bella waited for me to gather my things.
"Can I walk you to your next class?" I asked uncertainly. She nodded enthusiastically. Eric came behind me and whispered into my ear, "You tamed the lioness!"
Just to let you know, which I don't know why I want to, but writing about this sickness is super easy- I know from experience that having the Spanish Influenza is NOT fun! No I haven't had it myself, but my sister did. She was so terrible, she used to just pass out from headaches, she'd cry because it hurt, and she was just like this big ol' hunka mushy log thing. It's really quite scary. What made it worse is that my sister is SIX YEARS older than I am! And if it could attack that chick and make her pass out, I'm pretty sure it could things A LOT worse.