Disclaimer: All things regarding the Twilight Saga belongs to the awesome Stephenie Meyer. All additional characters and the storyline belong to me
Here we go again you guys, Thank you for still being here!, and of course to my partner in crime and future mother of my future goddaughter. Sorry for the delay, I had to turn in a midterm on Sunday for an online course and since it was my b-day I tried to finish it before!. Anyway, enjoy, and as one of my favorite ff writers would say… "On with it":
"Let's go… Let's go… Let's go… we're late peeps" shouted Emmett as he and Jasper grabbed our suitcases while Rose, Alice and I divided among each other the carry-on
"Oh my goooood SHUT UP!, we're not too late, Bell just texted Edward to ask him" Rose scolded him, we knew he wasn't really worried about the boarding as much as he was about the seats
Coach Eleazar told us the first ten to arrive would be able to choose their seats and the rest will just have to make do with where they told them to sit, and under no circumstance we were allowed to change sits, and under the boisterous, excited and sometimes even a bit obnoxious personality he possessed, he was actually terrified to be stuck with a window seat, yep… our bear of a friend was actually terrified of heights, but the funny thing was that it only came out whenever he had to fly
"I don't care babe, please let's just… hurry, there could be a line for the check-in"
"Don´t fret Em, it's way too early for you to be practically screaming" I said trying to calm him, it actually was too early to be even awake and expected to be functioning. "Wait, I'll call him"
"Hey B, where are you?" I heard him say, and I swear I felt my stomach do a flip, especially hearing a worried tone in it. I was in so much trouble
"'sup E?, we're on our way up, Em's just freaking out here, mumbling about check-in lines and stuff, you know, the usual" I grunted and heard his sweet laugh
"Poor you, I'm here with the coaches, we're the only ones. Besides, I told Coach Carmen about Emm's 'thing' and she said they would save an isle one for him, but I don't think it would be a problem since you're still one of the ten"
"Cool, I'll tell him" I said and turned to tell Emmett so he could chill
"Oh, and just so you know, you're stuck with me B, since I came first I asked for us to sit together, that way neither is in danger to sit near the gruesome twosome" he said, and I distinctively felt my heart skip a beat. He started referring the bitch brigade as 'gruesome twosome' since we saw that movie around three months ago and I can't even begin to tell you how happy it made me that he didn't even gave them the time of the day
"Don't even remind me of them" I grunted
"Still not fully awake I hear" he chuckled
"Fully?, try not even a bit, anyway where exactly are you?, we're getting near you I think"
"Uhm, let me see… oh, I can see you now!, turn left" he said, and the moment I saw him my heart beat faster
"There they are!" I told the guys pointing at Edward, who looked gorgeous in his khaki pants, terracotta polo shirt and brown Beijing Xinyuan cloth shoes
"Hell yeah!, let's go choose our seats babe" jumped Emmett and started towards the coaches grabbing Rose's hand
Once we reached them, we exchanged hellos with the coaches and they sent us to take care of the check-ins ourselves. Since we were only going to actually be there for about six days, and 95% of our baggage consisted in swimsuits, goggles and caps, our suitcases weren't exactly big, but thinking ahead, Coach Carmen and Coach Eleazar suggested us to have at least one full equipment on our carry-on just in case
"Hey B!, missed me?" said chuckling Edward, and just when I was about to return his 'hello' hug, he handed me the single thing that could make me smile at 4:00 a.m. "Here, I thought you would be grumpy and I got you this" said handing me a large salted caramel mocha
"Oh my gosh, I think I love you!" I blurted out, reaching towards my favorite beverage, thanks heaven I was looking at the coffee instead of him, so if anything I could just say I was talking about that and not Edward, though I'm not exactly sure that's true
"Ok, ok, you enjoy your new boyfriend while I help you with your stuff then" he joked. "Although I should get credit for bringing that, don't you think?"
"Absolutely, here you got" I said before giving him a hug/kiss-on-the-cheek combo
"I'm so touched" he said, blushing a little… huh… I don't think I've seen him blush before
"Come on B, let's do this" he said getting in line behind Emmett and Rose
"Hey Edward!, how on earth are you so awake man?" asked Emmett
"Stopped by starbucks before"
"So, we're sitting on the same side right?, that's still ok with you two?" asked Rose, who already handed her ticket to the guy at the counter. Before going to book our flight a few months ago, we started talking about how we were going to sit, obviously the couples were going to be sitting together, but we went by different choices, one of us sitting with each couple on the same row or one in front of the other, or even the couples in different rows and each of us on different rows, but that option was quickly dismissed since it meant we could be sitting with two completely strangers, or worse, with Lauren and Jessica
"Yeah, I'm sitting with B on the row between you two and Alice and Jasper. I already checked with Coach Carm" he said like it was the most obvious thing that we were sitting together. Of course Rose catched it and gave me an inquisitive look, I just shrugged since I honestly didn't know what to say. Obviously, being the three of us like sisters, Rose and Alice suspected something even before me, but I never confirmed it… I didn't deny it either
After a few minutes the rest of the team started arriving and we were ready to board. You could feel the excitement in the air, we weren't eager to spend the next 24 hours traveling, but the 6 days in Brazil were completely worth it
"Flight 1940 to Ohare, please board through gate 4… flight 1940 to Ohare" said the intercom lady and everybody started gathering their things to finally start the trip
"Ok, guys, gather here" called coach Eleazar. "Don't forget anything and please stay close. Remember this is a long trip and we want you to enjoy it as well as focus on the event"
"Try to stay with at least one other mate, better if it is the person you're sitting next to on the plane, all sitting arrangements will remain the same throughout the entire way, even for the return, and any question you may have you can approach me, Eleazar, Harry or Sue" added coach Carmen
Harry and Sue were one of our swim mates, Seth's, parents and were going on this invitational as delegates, they were a sweet and loving couple who have been married for over 20 years
Once we were settled on our seats, and the plane took off, I started to drift. I felt Edward near my ear, telling me that he would let me know when we were reaching Ohare. My dreams were filled with swimming pools, sun and green-eyed swimmers
The wait to board the plane that would take us to Miami passed by a bit more pleasantly since we were more awake and could joke around better. Alice, Rose and I went to the bathroom to freshen up before going back to the plane. Luckily the two-hour waiting passed by quickly, since most of us weren't fully awake yet, we just listened music, or read something, I didn't wanted to fall asleep yet, since we still had an almost 12-hour flight from Miami to Sao Paulo
The girls and I started chatting while the guys went to retrieve some beverages and snacks and of course Alice didn't waste the time to interrogate me
"So, do you have something to tell us?"
"Yeah, what was all that sitting arrangement change of plans thing about?" added Rose
"It's just that he didn't want to get stuck sitting by Lauren and Jessica, and you know it would've happen if we just sat by ourselves" I replied
"Hmmmm… I don't know Bella, Jasper says he heard him yesterday after practice with coach Carm and asking if it was possible for him to sit with you even if we weren't among the first ten" said Alice. "I think he just wanted to sit beside you, no other reason"
"Yeah hon, even Emmett said to me the other day that Edward looks different, the way he's always conscious of where you are, if you're ok, if you may need something"
"And the way he's always looking at you when you're not watching, I tell you, he LIKES you at the very least, maybe he hasn't realized yet, but trust me… he does, anybody can see it, why do you think the blondies are fuming?" said Alice
"I think it's time to at least show him how you feel" said Rose, she's been always the tougher one of all three but in times like this you could see she's just a romantic like Alice and even me sometimes
"Come on you guys, you know he's always attentive and not just with me, maybe he just sees me as a 'BFF' and that's why he's nicer. Let's just concentrate on planning how to get our tan while on Brazil, besides I'm not fully awake yet to have this kind of talk" I pleaded
A few minutes later the guys came back with refreshments and the whole discussion centered around sleeping arrangements and our races, like it always was every time we were on our way to an invitational
The flight from Ohare to Miami and the wait there before heading to Sao Paulo was spent pretty much the same way as the first one, we all were hoping they'll put us in the same room, or at least be next to each other. They told us we'll be two or three on each room but didn't gave away who'll be in each one so we were pretty much still crossing fingers
It was a plus that we were making a stop in Miami, so we could change clothes before Brazil, it would've been awkward to arrive there dressed for Seattle weather since it was summer there. The six of us found the perfect outfits for this part of the trip on one of our shopping excursions to the mall and immediately fell in love with them, we even bought something for the guys, since we didn't want to risk for it to be sold out by the time we could finally drag them with us
Alice's choice was a fuchsia H&M top, white Mango jeans; coral sandals and she complemented it with Stella & Dot Bardot spiral bracelet and a pair of Peace, Love and Sparkle earrings. Rose chose a turquoise cape blouse; white James Jeans Humphrey; white Steven Madden Manngo high wedge espadrilles and complemented with Ishardya set of six brass-plated bangles and double drama hoop earrings and mine was a green Mango t-shirt, H&M &Loyal jeans, brown sandals; woody bracelets and olivine brass teardrop window filigree earrings
Jasper's was a brown Levis slim fit jeans; grey compass tee with navy swede yellow danite shoes, completed with wrap-around leather watch and a pair of Ray-Ban for when we exited the airport. Rose's choice for Emmett was a burlap Super-dry cotton sweded short; sky classic custom fit mesh polo and white All Star Converse, with wood aviators sunglasses and a fossil heritage fossil leather strap watch. But my absolutely favorite was Edward's (of course I may have been a little biased but sue me), I chose for him a white People's Market skinny jeans; blue with a white strip Sash Polo Shirt and matching River Island slinky pimsolls and a Jil Sander Wayfarer sunglasses, and boy did he pulled it off, he looked absolutely gorgeous
When we were making our way back to them after changing I thought I saw him with his eyes wide open, but it happened so fast I couldn't be so sure, but as we got to them he put his hands on my shoulders and gave me his signature lopsided grin
"Looking good B!"
"Thanks… so… what's the verdict?" I asked pointing his outfit
"Very comfortable… and in my favorite color too, you spoil me, you know"
"Oh, well… I guess you owe me one then" I said with a wink
"I owe you more than one sweetheart, and one of these days you'll have to take one of my presents without putting a fight" he said with a pointed look, and let me tell you, that sweetheart comment nearly melted me, even if it was just teasing me
"Hmm… I'll think about it 'sweetheart'"
"Let's go, we're about to be called B" he said chuckling before grabbing my carry-on
The first hours on the plane everybody talked, laughed and just hanged, but then the exhaustion took us over and some of us started to feel the consequences of an early start
"Hey, B?, do you want me to get the pillow for you?"
"Um, yes please… I don't think I can hold it any longer" I said at the same time he was already reaching for it
"Here, you can lie down here, I think you'll be more comfortable" he said patting his lap. I thought about it for a moment before giving in as he assured me he'll let me know when the flight attendant was going to start handing out dinner. As soon as my head was settled I felt him running his fingers through my hair and I started to doze off
It was the best sleep I had in weeks, even if I wasn't in the best setting, but something about that caress made me relax better than ever, and in my dreams it meant something more than a friend looking after another, it was the sweetest dream I've had, and by the time I opened my eyes I looked right into his eyes and just melted a little more at the look on his face
EPOVFrom the first time I saw her, I just knew there was something special about her, that I just HAD to meet her. That day, and every other after it, I saw her always with a smile on her face, even if her eyes told a different story
I always saw her with the same group, Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper, and at first I wondered if the fact that her closest friends where couples was what put that sadness on her eyes, but actually she was happier when she was with them, and that fact only made me want to get to know her even more but I was a chicken, and sometimes a complete spazz, maybe that's why I have so much trouble making new acquaintances and of course it didn't help the fact that, since my first day at PASC I had to find a way to dismiss this two girls who wouldn't take no for an answer, they looked nice but that's just about it, if I could take a guess I would bet they're cheerleaders wannabes (no offense to cheerleaders but they where poster child for Hollywood's stereotype and that just doesn't go with me), so I just stayed on the sidelines watching everybody interact and only speaking from time to time, but I yearned for the closeness I saw among this six characters, who never in a million years would've thought could get along since they were so opposites, however they complemented each other rather well
From what I could see, Emmett was the funny one of the group, always making jokes and lifting everyone's spirit; Jasper was the calm one, the 'voice of reason'; Alice was the perky one, always kind of bouncing, obviously a fashionista; Rose was obviously very beautiful, tall, blonde, but you could see there was much than just a pretty face, completely fierce when it came to defend her friends... and then there was her, long brown hair with some red locks, maybe from the chlorine in the pool, she was the glue of the group, you could see all of them gravitate towards her, hell... even I gravitated towards her without even knowing, yet almost 5 months later I still couldn't go talk to them, it felt like I would be intruding, so imagine my surprise when one night after practice I found myself driving to Alice's house for a movie night, apparently a tradition for them
Emmett and Jasper saved me that day from Lauren and Jessica when they tried to corner me, again, and kind of forcing me to go out with them (cue to the shudder), and I couldn't bring myself to regret saying yes, so I picked up some pizza since mom taught me to never go to someone's house empty handed. That was the first of many nights I spent with them, they welcomed me in their group and it wasn't long before I felt like we've always been together. Of course since we spent so much time with one another, Bella and I grew closer and soon we started to carpool to and from pretty much everywhere
Those months following that first movie night where hectic, we focused on getting better, visualizing the times we wanted to reach and once the list came out with our names on it, it was absolute chaos between practice, paper work and of course we had to do some shopping since we'll be going to a completely different weather, actually we'll be going from a 45 degree weather to a 75 degree one, and each day I felt closer and closer to Bella
Sometimes I felt like I was starting to really fall for her, especially whenever I saw her hanging out with some other friend, it was kind of stupid actually since I t wasn't my place, even if we joked about being together from time to time to repel unpleasant people (aka Jessica and Lauren and even occasionally Mike). At first I thought it was just my imagination, or the fact that we shared so much, or maybe it was just a crush, since she was always so sweet, it wouldn't be hard, and somehow the thought of her with someone else made my blood boil
With the trip getting closer, I started hearing more and more plans being made by everyone else at PASC and usually I didn't pay much attention, but one day I heard something that made me want to growl. I was about to leave the locker room when I heard Mike and Tyler speaking from the lockers behind mine and I stayed where I was, sensing I needed to hear what they were saying
"So, you ready for Rio?" said Tyler, douche... at least get the city right!
"Yeah, did you hear Coach El saying if we made it to the airport early we could choose our seats?"
"Are you kidding?, you should totally ask to sit by Bella, did you see her lately?"
"Uh, yeah, that's exactly what I thought, I just have to make sure Cullen sits away so I can make a move, you think they're still together?"
"Don't know man, are you sure they're even together?, maybe he's just a friend"
"Yeah, besides Cullen's a freak, did you see him rejecting Lauren?, I heard Pali said she knows some moves" Pali was another fellow swimmer who also was a douche if you ask me
That same day I told her I had to do something after practice so I would see them at Rose's and stayed behind to ask the coaches if they could make an exception and allow me and Bella to sit next to each other no matter what, I told them I promised her father I would take care of her and he wouldn't feel comfortable with her sitting next to anybody, which technically wasn't a lie since I told him I would take care of her, and they agreed since Charlie was well known at the PASC. I told Bella a different story though, blaming on my fear of being stuck with Jessica and Lauren (also not an entire lie), since if I told her it was because of her dad, she would've confronted him for trying to 'baby her'
I've been on the very edge of a nervous breakdown till I saw her, remembering her not being an early riser, I waited for her with a cup of her favorite beverage and the smile she gave me when I handed it was breathtaking, I seriously needed to get my shit together. The plane rides to Ohare and then to Miami went without a fuss, we were still to sleepy to even be excited, besides the thought of 24 hours on planes and airports didn't exactly put us in a good mood
While we waited in Miami we all went to change into the clothes the girls gave us, so we could start leaving our cold winter behind and start to get in the summer mood. We could see the touch of each of the girls on our outfits and I could definitely say without a doubt that Bella was the one to put mine together, it had my name written all over it and I could even see certain details that I liked that I remember telling her in one of our many conversations, she completely understood me and it was an amazing feeling, knowing someone out there knows me so well, besides my parents that is. We were waiting for the girls a few feet away from the bathroom and when they came out I was in awe, Bella looked beautiful, I loved the green on her, well, actually she looked great in pretty much any color
Once on the plane, we were chatting among each other about anything and everything, when I noticed B starting to look sleepy, I reached her pillow for her and told her to lie her head on my lap, I'm not sure exactly why, but it just came out of my mouth, what's more shocking is the fact that she agreed, though she did it after I promised to wake her on time for dinner. The moment she laid her head, my fingers started to braid her hair, they seemed to have a mind of their own, but it felt right, not long before she fell asleep and I couldn't do anything but stare
A few minutes after Bella fell asleep, Rose turned to say something to her, assuming she was quiet because she was reading or something of the sort. When she saw her, us, she just looked at me and winked... she fucking winked, before lending me something to keep her warm since the AA was making the plane a bit chilly, and then she just turned again. I just kept watching her sleep peacefully and every now and then I could see her mouth twitching into a little smile, she looked so sweet that I couldn't help but smile back, even if she couldn't see me. After an hour or so of, I too started to fall asleep
My dreams where of a beautiful smart brunette who kept swimming away from me just as I was about to reach her, I kept trying to catch up with her, but just as I was about to get to her, she swam away. I was starting to get frustrated, I needed to see her, every time I got near, my heartbeat became faster, and I needed to know who was her, I had this strange feeling that if I didn't hurry up, someone was going to take her away from me. After what seemed hours of chasing her, she got distracted and turned to see a man figure outside of her water, on her right, and I took advantage of her distraction to catch her by the arm, but she didn't jump, she just laughed and turned and I finally could see her face, and on that moment my breath got stuck on my throat, and my heart started pumping harder... and I woke up
When I opened my eyes, they were fixated on Bella, the beautiful girl in my dream. She looked so peaceful, a tiny smile on her sleep and I couldn't help but watch her closely, it all became a bit clearer, I started to think about what my dream meant and I thought I got it, I really did, that was until she opened her eyes and looked right into mine, then I knew for sure, I was falling for my best friend. The only question now was, can she feel see me as more than a friend?, or does she already do?, I hope she does... she's absolutely perfect, like nobody else I've met. And I have a feeling I always knew I could fall for her, even after I even talked to her, I still remember how my hands were sweating that first night when I gather my courage to talk to her and even then she was so sweet and welcoming. Now I just had to know where were we, if we could be something else, just then, as she gave me a little smile, I felt my heart flutter, and I prayed for her to like me too
I know… I suck, lol, I'll try to post next chapter this week as well, just keep your fingers crossed. Hope you liked it, it's my first time getting into Edward's head, but I thought you deserved a little extra for my delay. xoxo ladies!, last press junket starts tomorrow!, kind of bittersweet if you ask me