CH 4
The next day was better…and boring…and worst. It was better because I knew what to expect of my day and thats what made it boring. Mike came to sit by me in English, and walked us to our next class, with Chess Club Eric glaring at him all the while; that was nattering. People didn't look at us quite as much as they had yesterday. It was worse because Mr. Varner called on me in Trig when my hand wasn't raised, although I did get the answer right. It was miserable because Bella had to play volleyball, and the one time she didn't cringe out of the way of the ball, she hit me in the head with it.
When I walked into the cafeteria with Bella and Jessica, my eyes swept the cafeteria trying to locate Edward — Although I already knew he would be in Alaska by now - I saw that his four siblings were sitting together at the same table, and he was not with them.
Mike intercepted us and steered us to his table. Jessica seemed elated by the attention, and her friends quickly joined us. After lunch we walked to Biology. Mike, who was taking on the qualities of a golden retriever, walked faithfully by our side to class. I went to my seat. Mike followed Bella's to her's, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach. Hm I can take Gabe to the beach, Im sure he would appreciated.
He lingered by my sister's desk till the bell rang, he went to sit by a girl with braces and a bad perm. It looked like I was going to have to do something about Mike, and it wouldn't be easy. In a town like this, where everyone lived on top of everyone else, action was essential. I had never had to protect Bella from overly friendly boys before. This should be fun.
As I waited for class to begin, I started to feel a bit sad that Edward was absent. It was ridiculous, how can I feel longing, no matter how small, for someone who I haven't even spoken to. It was ridiculous. And yet I couldn't help but want to see him.
When the school day was finally done, and my ankle was feeling better from the volleyball incident, AKA Bella, I changed quickly back into my jeans and dark blue sweater. We hurried from the girls' locker room, pleased to find that we had successfully evaded Bella's retriever friend for the moment. We walked swiftly out to the parking lot. It was crowded now with fleeing students. We got in the truck and Bella dug through her bag to make sure she had what we needed.
Last night we'd discovered that Charlie couldn't cook much besides fried eggs and bacon. And even then it was burnt.
So we requested that Bella be assigned kitchen detail for the duration of our stay. He was willing enough to hand over the keys to the banquet hall. We also found out that he had no food in the house. So Bella had the shopping list and the cash from the jar in the cupboard labeled FOOD MONEY, and we were on our way to the Thrift-way.
Bella gunned the deafening engine to life, ignoring the heads that turned in our direction, and backed carefully into a place in the line of cars that were waiting to exit the parking lot. As we waited, I saw the two Cullen's and the Hale twins getting into Edwards Volvo. I hadn't noticed their clothes before. Now that I looked, it was obvious that they were all dressed exceptionally well; simply, but in clothes that subtly hinted at designer origins. With their remarkable good looks, the style with which they carried themselves, they could have worn dishrags and pulled it off.
They looked at the noisy truck as Bella passed them, just like everyone else. Unlike Bella who tried to ignore them, I stared back at them. Then the weirdest thing happened, Alice Cullen met my gaze and winked. Hmm since she's a psychic then wouldn't she know about me. I thought as we left the school parking lot. Meh, Gabriel's the one who put me here. Im sure he thought of this, And if he didn't then thats his problem to fix.
The Thrift way was not far from the school, just a few streets south, off the highway. It was nice to be inside the supermarket; it felt normal. Bell's and I did the shopping at home, and we fell into the pattern of the familiar task gladly. The store was big enough inside that we couldn't hear the tapping of the rain on the roof. When we got home I let Gabriel into the backyard and unloaded all the groceries, stuffing them in wherever I could find an open space, while Bella started diner. She wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake, covered a steak in marinade and balanced it on top of a carton of eggs in the fridge.
When she was finished with that, I let the dog in and headed upstairs. Before starting my homework, I changed into dry cloths, and checked my e-mail for the first time since we got here. I had three messages.
"Ara," Renee wrote…
"Write me as soon as you get in. Tell me how your flight was. Is it raining? I miss you already. I'm almost finished packing for Florida, but I can't find my pink blouse. Do you know where I put it? Phil says hi.
Mom."
I sighed and went to the next. It was sent eight hours after the first.
"Ara," she wrote…
"Why haven't you e-mailed me yet? What are you waiting for?
Mom."
The last was from this morning.
Arabella,
If I haven't heard from you by 5:30 p.m. today I'm calling Charlie.
I checked the clock. I still had an hour, but mom was well known for jumping the gun.
Mom,
Calm down. I'm writing right now. Don't do anything rash.
Ara.
I sent that, and began again.
Mom,
Everything is great. Of course it's raining. I was waiting for something to write about. School isn't bad, just a little dull. I met some kids who sit by Bella and I at lunch. Your blouse is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Friday.
Charlie bought Bella a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy, which is good, you know, for Bella. I miss you, too. I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to check my e-mail every five minutes. Relax, breathe. I love you.
Ara.
Bella came into my room a moment later and flopped onto my bed with an exasperated sigh.
"Did mom give you the third degree too." I asked, amusement coloring my words.
"Yeah" came her muffled replay.
I was turning back to my laptop, when Suddenly she sat up. "Wanna read Weathering Heights with me." At my look she tried to persuade me. "Come on, It'll be good for us to review"
And that's what we were doing when Charlie came home. We'd lost track of the time, and hurried downstairs to take the potatoes out and put the steak in to broil. Well at least we would have had Gabriel not tripped Bella down the stairs.
And Bella, being Bella, took me down with her.
"Bella? Ara?" Our father called out when he heard us tumbling down the stairs.
"Hey, Dad, welcome home." We called back as we untangled ourselves. We've been through this so many times that we knew how to brace ourselves so we don't break anything. Of course that doesn't mean we don't end up bruised.
Dad was used to it as well so he just glanced at us. "Thanks." He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots as we bustled about the kitchen. As far as I was aware, he'd never shot the gun on the job. But he kept it ready. When we came here as a children, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. I guess he considered us old enough now not to shoot ourselves or each other by accident, and not depressed enough to shoot ourselves on purpose.
"What's for dinner?" he asked warily, Mom was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible. I was surprised, and sad, that he seemed to remember that far back.
"Steak and potatoes," I answered, and he looked relieved.
He seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; he lumbered into the living room to watch TV while we worked. We were all more comfortable that way. I made a salad and waited for the steaks to cook, while Bella set the table.
I called him in when dinner was ready, and he sniffed appreciatively as he walked into the room.
"Smells good, girls."
"Thanks."
We ate in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable. None of us was bothered by the quiet. In some ways, we were all well suited for living together.
"So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?" he asked as he was taking seconds.
"Well, we have a few classes with a girl named Jessica. We sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." Bella answered since I was mostly concentrating on the food. School food will never beat a home cooked meal.
"That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid - nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here."
I slowed down when Bella asked hesitantly "Do you know the Cullen's"
"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."
"They... the kids... are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school."
Charlie surprised us by looking angry.
"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here," he continued, getting louder. "We're lucky to have him - lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature - I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should - camping trips every other weekend... Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."
It was the longest speech I'd ever heard Charlie make. He must feel strongly about whatever people were saying.
"They seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves." I tried to calm Dad down. "They're all very attractive," I added, trying to be more complimentary.
"You should see the doctor," Charlie said, laughing. "It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around."
We lapsed back into silence as we finished eating. I cleared the table while Bella started on the dishes. Charlie went back to the TV, and after Bella finished washing the dishes by hand - no dishwasher - she followed me upstairs unwillingly to work on her math homework. I, hating homework, did it at school. I could feel a tradition in the making. That night was quiet. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted.
The rest of the week was uneventful. I got used to the routine of my classes. By Friday I was able to recognize, if not name, almost all the students at school. In Gym, the kids on my team learned not to pass Bella the ball and to step quickly in front of her if the other team tried to take advantage of her weakness. I happily spiked the Ball whenever anyone tried.
Edward Cullen didn't come back to school.
Every day, I watched until the rest of the Cullen's entered the cafeteria without him. I would then listen to the lunch chatter. Mostly it centered on a trip to the La Push Ocean Park in two weeks that Mike was putting together. We were invited, and I had agreed to go, Gabriel would appreciate a good rung. Bella agreed out of politeness, according to her Beaches should be hot and dry.
My first weekend in Forks passed without incident. Charlie, unused to spending time in the usually empty house, worked most of the weekend. Bella and I cleaned the house, got ahead on our homework, and wrote our mom more bogusly cheerful e-mail. We did drive to the library Saturday, but since there were no manga books, I didn't bother to get a card; We would have to make a date to visit Olympia or Seattle soon and find a good bookstore. I wondered idly what kind of gas mileage the truck got... and shuddered at the thought.
There wasn't much rain over the weekend. People greeted Bella and I in the parking lot Monday morning. I didn't know all their names, but I nodded back and smiled at the few that I knew. It was colder this morning, but happily not raining. In English, Mike took his accustomed seat by my sister's side. We had a pop quiz on Weathering Heights. It was straightforward, very easy.
All in all, I was feeling normal…
DAMMIT THATS BORING! Can't something happen already!
When we walked out of class, the air was full of swirling bits of white. I could hear people shouting excitedly to each other. The wind bit at my cheeks, my nose.
"Wow," Mike said. "It's snowing."
I looked at the little cotton fluffs that were building up along the sidewalk and swirling erratically past my face.
Snow. I smiled at the sky. I always loved snow, in my past life and in this one.
"Ew." Bella glared at the sky.
Mike looked surprised. "Don't you like snow?"
"No. That means it's too cold for rain." Obviously.
"Besides, I thought it was supposed to come down in flakes - you know, each one unique and all that. These just look like the ends of Q-tips."
"Haven't you ever seen snow fall before?" he asked incredulously.
"Sure I have." She said still glaring at the sky.
"On TV." I couldn't help but point out.
Mike laughed. And then a big, squishy ball of dripping snow smacked into the back of his head. The three turned to see where it came from. It was obviously Eric, who was walking away, his back toward us - in the wrong direction for his next class. Mike apparently had the same notion. He bent over and began scraping together a pile of the white mush.
"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" Bella called over her shoulder as she dragged me with her. "Once people start throwing wet stuff, I go inside."
He just nodded, his eyes on Eric's retreating figure.
Throughout the morning, everyone chattered excitedly about the snow; apparently it was the first snowfall of the new year. I couldn't keep the smile of my face.
I walked alertly to the cafeteria with Bella and Jessica after Spanish. Mush balls were flying everywhere, and as much as I love snow I don't like it melting in my socks. Next to me, Bella kept a binder in her hands, ready to use it as a shield if necessary. Jessica and I thought it was hilarious, but something in Bella's expression kept us from lobbing a snowball at her ourselves.
Mike caught up to us as we walked in the doors, laughing, with ice melting the spikes in his hair. He and Jessica were talking animatedly about the snow fight as we got in line to buy food. I glanced toward that table in the corner out of habit. I froze for a moment, and then continued down the line. There were five people at the table.
"Hello? Bella? What do you want?" Jessica asked.
I looked over at my sister, who was frowning at the Cullen's table.
"What's with Bella?" Good question Mike.
"Nothing," Bella answered. "I'll just get a soda today." She caught up to the end of the line.
"Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked.
"No, I had a large Breakfast." Bella answered as she waited for us to get our food, and then followed us to a table.
"You did not have a large breakfast, so why are you upset." I asked Bella while we waited for Mike and Jessica to make up their mind as to where they wanted to sit.
Bella sighted "I just don't like how Cullen treated last week."
My eyes widened for a moment Before I engulfed her in a tight hug, making sure to balance my tray so it would not spill. "Aaawww Bella! You are just so adorable when you get your protective big sister look." I rubbed my cheek against her's while she struggled to get out of my hold. Her face red as a tomato.
"What are you doing?" Jessica asked as she and Mike stared at us along with several other people. As Bella's face turned an even darker shade of red I turned to those staring at us. "What? Haven't you ever seen some sisterly love"
With that I dragged the blushing Bella to a table. Mike and Jessica quickly joined us.
I eta my lunch as Bella slowly sipped her soda, twice Mike asked with unnecessary concern, until I told him to just drop it. I glance at the Cullen family's table.
None of them were looking this way. They were laughing. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Alice and Rosalie were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else - only they looked more like a scene from a movie than the rest of us.
But, aside from the laughter and playfulness, there was something different, and I couldn't quite pinpoint what that difference was. I examined Edward the most carefully. His skin was less pale, I decided - flushed from the snow fight maybe - the circles under his eyes much less noticeable. But there was something more. I pondered, staring, trying to isolate the change.
"Ara, what are you staring at?" Jessica intruded, her eyes following my stare.
At that precise moment, his eyes flashed over to meet mine. He didn't look harsh or in pain as he had the last time I'd seen him. He looked merely curious again, unsatisfied in some way.
"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled.
"He doesn't look angry today." Bella frowned at Edward.
"Yeah I guess he doesn't." I turned back to finish my lunch.
"No," Jessica said, sounding confused by her comment. "Should he be?"
"I don't think he likes Ara," Bella was still frowning at the Cullen's.
"The Cullen's don't like anybody... well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you."
Mike interrupted us then - he was planning an epic battle of the blizzard in the parking lot after school and wanted us to join. Jessica agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Mike left little doubt that she would be up for anything he suggested. I kept silent. I would have to hide in the gym with Bella until the parking lot cleared.
For the rest of the lunch hour I very carefully kept my eyes my tray. My stomach did frightened little flips at the thought of sitting next to Edward again. Although I know he wasn't thirsty today, I couldn't forget about the hostility he showed last week.
I didn't really want to walk to class with Mike as usual - he was a popular target for the snowball snipers - but when we went to the door, everyone besides Bella and I groaned in unison. It was raining, washing all traces of the snow away in clear, icy ribbons down the side of the walkway. I pulled my hood up, secretly pleased. No wet sucks for me today.
Mike kept up a string of complaints on the way to building four. Until I told him there would be plenty of opportunities later on.
Once inside the classroom, I saw with relief that my table was still empty. Mr. Banner was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and box of slides to each table. Class didn't start for a few minutes, and the room buzzed with conversation. I kept my eyes on my notebook trying to draw Adult Reborn from Katekyo Hitman. I glanced over when the chair next to me moved.
He was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward me. His hair was dripping wet, disheveled - even so, he looked like he'd just finished shooting a commercial for hair gel. His dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his flawless lips. But his eyes were careful.
I turned back to my drawing, Allowing him to make the first move.
After a moment of silence. "Hello," said a quiet, musical voice.
I looked up, stunned at the sound of his voice. "My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Ara Swan."
This was a huge difference from last week when he wanted to kill me. He was perfectly polite now. I had to speak; he was waiting. But I couldn't think of anything conventional to say.
"Yeah, and thats Mike, and thats Angela, and thats Mr Banner" I settled for sarcasm.
He laughed a soft, enchanting laugh.
Mr. Banner started class at that moment. I tried to concentrate as he explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. We weren't supposed to use our books. In twenty minutes, he would be coming around to see who had it right.
"Get started," he commanded.
"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked. I looked up to see him smiling a crooked smile.
"Alright"
I was showing off, just a little. I'd already done this lab, and I knew what I was looking for. It should be easy. I snapped the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusted it quickly to the 40X objective. I studied the slide briefly.
My assessment was confident. "Prophase"
"Do you mind if I look?" he asked as I began to remove the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me, as he asked. His fingers were ice-cold, like he'd been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn't why I jerked my hand away so quickly. When he touched me, it stung my hand as if an electric current had passed through us.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. However, he continued to reach for the microscope. I watched him, still staggered, as he examined the slide for an even shorter time than I had.
"Prophase," he agreed, writing it neatly in the first space on our worksheet. He swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily. "Anaphase," he murmured, writing it down as he spoke.
I kept my voice sarcastic. "May I?"
He smirked and pushed the microscope to me.
I looked through the eyepiece eagerly, only to be disappointed. Dang it, he was right.
"Slide three?" I held out my hand without looking at him.
He handed it to me, being careful not to touch my skin again.
I took the most fleeting look I could manage.
"Interphase." I passed him the microscope before he could ask for it. He took a swift peek, and then wrote it down. I wrote the answer on my paper while he looked, not caring how my clumsy scrawl spoiled the page.
We were finished before anyone else was close. I could see Mike and his partner comparing two slides again and again, and another group had their book open under the table. While Bella could have finished just as fast, she was taking turns with her partner.
Which left me with nothing to do but try and finish my drawing. I could feel his stare on me the whole time.
I was half way done when I suddenly remembered the subtle difference in his face.
"I like how your eyes change" I blurted out unthinkingly.
He seemed puzzled by my unexpected question. "What?"
"Your eyes" There is nothing wrong with pointing that out…is there? "They were Black last week and now their ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. I like both colors" Sure the guy had wanted to drain me of my blood, but that doesn't change the fact that his eyes had been pretty.
He frowned, and looked away.
I sighted and looked down. His hands were clenched into hard fists again.
Mr. Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers.
"So, Edward, didn't you think Arabella should get a chance with the microscope?" Mr. Banner asked.
"Actually sir, she identified three of the five."
Mr. Banner looked at me now; his expression was skeptical.
"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.
I smiled sheepishly. "Not with onion root."
"Whitefish blastula?"
"Yeah."
Mr. Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"
"Yes."
"Well," he said after a moment, "I guess its good you two are lab partners." He mumbled something else as he walked away. After he left, I started on my drawing again.
"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked. I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me.
"Not really," I answered honestly.
"You don't like the cold." He stated not asked.
"I like cold, just not wet."
"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.
"I love living in forks, its water getting in my socks that I hate" I muttered darkly.
He looked fascinated by what I said, for some reason I couldn't imagine.
"Why did you leave in the first place?"
No one had ever asked me that.
"It's... complicated."
"I think I can keep up," he pressed.
I paused for a long moment before answering."My sister, Bella, doesn't like forks very much."
"That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed, But seemed to sympathize with me. "You weren't allowed here without your sister."
"Thats right." I was impressed he guessed that quickly. "Mom, did not want me on the airplane alone. If Bella did not go with me then I wasn't allowed come by myself."
"Oh but now Bella," He glanced back at my sister. "came with you."
"Thats right, I wanted to live with dad and finish high school here. Mom and Bella finally agreed because…I might have thrown a bit of a tantrum."
I blushed when I saw Edward biting his lower lip to keep from laughing. "It wasn't really a tantrum, thats just what mom called it."
"Then what did you actually do?" His eyes were still shining with laughter.
"I refused to eat. Mom thought I would give up by breakfast the next morning but I proved her wrong. She finally caved in after the third day. That night I eat a feast to make up for all the missed meals."
Edward chuckled "How effective." We stared at each other for a long moment, before he broke the silence. "Did your mom fall in love with anyone after your dad."
"Thats the complicated part." I answered smiling. "My mother got remarried, Last September."
"And you don't like him," Edward surmised.
"No, Phil is fine. Too young, maybe, but nice enough. Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living." I half-smiled.
"Have I heard of him?" he asked, smiling in response.
"Probably not. He doesn't play well. Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot."
I sighed. Why was I explaining this to him? He continued to stare at me with obvious curiosity.
"She, mom, stayed with us at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy... so I decided it was time to return to forks. So that's all," I insisted, wondering why he was still staring at me that way.
"Why does it matter to you?" I asked. Even after being forced to read the books and watch the movies I never understood why he needed to know.
"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself. However, after a few seconds of silence, I decided that was the only answer I was going to get.
I sighted and went back to my drawing which was almost done.
"Am I annoying you?" he asked. He sounded amused.
I glanced at him and told the truth again. "Yes, you kind of are." I frowned when he looked away apologizing. "Don't be sorry. If you have a question then never hesitate to ask."
He just smiled and nodded at me.
Mr. Banner called the class to order then, I listened with half an ear. Edward seemed engrossed in our conversation, but now I could see, from the corner of my eye, that he was leaning away from me again, his hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension.
When the bell finally rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as he had last Monday.
Mike skipped quickly to my side and picked up my books for me, already carrying Bella's books. I imagined him with a wagging tail.
"That was awful," he groaned. "They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."
"I didn't have any trouble with it," I said, stung by his assumption. "I've done the lab before, though," I added before he could get his feelings hurt. The kid's annoying, but good natured.
"Cullen seemed friendly enough today," he commented as we shrugged into our raincoats. He didn't seem pleased about it.
"I guess he wasn't feeling bad today." I sounded indifferent.
I couldn't concentrate on Mike's chatter as we walked to Gym, but RE. On the other hand, was fun. Mike was on Bella and my team today. The coach had finally decided that it would be safer for every one to always put me on Bella's team. He chivalrously covered her position as well as his own, so her woolgathering was only interrupted when it was her turn to serve; our team ducked warily out of the way every time she was up. While Mike did most of the defense I took over the offense. Needles to say we won thirty to zero.
The rain was just a mist as we walked to the parking lot. Bella got the heater running, for once not caring about the mind-numbing roar of the engine. I unzipped my jacket, put the hood down, and fluffed my damp hair out so the heater could dry it on the way home.