I don't own Twilight, only my OC's. Enjoy!
Chapter Four - Job Interviews and an Awkward Promise
The month following the car accident and my newly acquired staples, I had been a pariah. Well, for the rest of the week I was. The attention made me queasy and anxious- I felt like every time I rounded a corner, some random person would ask me a question about the accident. I just shrugged at their questions and left, not even bothering to answer them.
We had gotten midterm reports back and I had let my chemistry grade slip to a C. Most rejoiced at a C, me included since science was my worst subject, but this particular C was a borderline D. I thought about getting chemistry help from someone in my class, but all of them were too caught up in the latest fashion trends or sports ball games to care about their grade. I felt like I had the highest grade in that class, and I probably did in all honesty.
Nobody cared that Edward had been there with me and rode with me to the hospital. I mean, if I hadn't been there I wouldn't have cared either, but that was because if I didn't know them personally I didn't care. Claire and Langley seemed to be the only ones who cared about Edward's well being, but while Langley genuinely cared if he was alright, Claire just wanted to know if his face was intact and still beautiful. She was ecstatic to know that his face wasn't harmed.
Surprisingly I had gained a friend from this. Tyler Crowley, the day I returned, came up to me and apologized again, which I commended. I told him it was no problem and if he wanted I could hit him with a car so we'd be even. That made him laugh, and from that point we talked whenever we saw each other. He even offered to take me to school in his new Nissan Sentra, and I told him I would think about it.
English class had again become awkward, since Edward sat as far away from me as humanly (or inhumanly) as possible. The only interaction I had with him was when I greeted him when I sat down in my seat, and the goodbye when he basically sprinted out of the classroom. I had wanted to ask him about tutoring me in chemistry because I thought we had some sort of common ground, but I guess he was still hung up about our conversation at the hospital. I was too, but because he was being an ass and wouldn't tell me the truth. If I really wanted to, I could blackmail his ass with the fact he watches The Real World.
Tyler had joined us for lunch today, opting to sit between Sammy and I. He had been sitting with us the past couple of days and The Gang had been down for it, as long as he didn't steal Simone's food.
"There's a dance coming up," Tyler said to me as the The Gang discussed a theory about how one of the teacher's was a lizard in disguise.
"Oh, really? That's nice, it'll boost people's spirits since the month has been all, 'oh no someone got into a car accident here' mood."
"It's girls choice, too."
"That's nifty, girl power, am I right?" I picked apart the roll Sammy had given me.
"I kinda wanted to ask someone, though, and I don't know if she'll say yes or not." Tyler said.
My eyes lit up and I felt my face form into a grin that probably scared him. "Who is this mystery woman? And why are you asking her if it's girls choice? Is there something you've been hiding from me the past month we've been chummy?"
The tall boy shook his head and smiled. "No, and no. You'll just have to find out."
"Did I hear something about secret identities and dances?" Claire's devious voice asked us and Langley's light eyebrows shot into her bangs.
"Yeah, the girl's choice dance is coming up. You're in the planning committee, Persons! You were the one to tell me!" Tyler exclaimed.
"I thought that dance wasn't for another couple months." Sammy said.
"It's not, but someone had to go spewing information out." Langley play-glared at Claire.
Before Claire could point accusingly at him for sharing the secret, the bell rang. Simone offered to take everyone's trays because she had a study hall next period and we couldn't afford to be late. I thanked her and gave her my tray, along with the rest of the table.
"Want me to walk you to your next class?" Tyler asked, hiking his book bag up his broad shoulder.
"If you really want to, who am I to say no to such a charming young individual?" I joked, adjusting my messenger bag.
Tyler extended his elbow to me and grinned. "M'lady, shall be on our way?" he said in a terrible southern accent.
I played along, grabbing his elbow with both of my hands and gushing in an equally as bad southern accent, "Me, oh my! Such a southern gentleman, taking care of little ol' me!"
"I wouldn't call you little, miss Swan." Tyler stated, the accent even thicker.
I dropped his elbow and laughed loudly, and for once I wasn't stared at because the cafeteria was empty.
"Was that a fat joke?" I asked as I walked out of the cafeteria and into the hallway, Tyler in tow.
"If you want it to be." called Tyler, who finally caught up to me. "For a short girl, you sure do walk fast."
"Since I'm short, I have to keep up with taller people like you, so power walking became my normal pace." I explained as we reached the English hallway.
"Who's the girl you plan on asking?" I asked, still curious. "Just give me a few hints."
"Fine, but only one hint, though. She's a friend of yours."
Wow, thanks Tyler, that really narrows it down. Maybe it was Simone. That'd be so cute, but I was at least 90 percent sure she was a lesbian. She could be bisexual but I only know of her encounter with that girl in Hawaii, so I didn't know how she felt about guys. What it if was Claire? That seemed a bit more logical, but I don't think they have anything in common. We had made it to Mrs. Ramirez's door with a couple minutes to spare. With a sly smile I bid him goodbye and walked in the classroom. I shivered and rubbed my hands together. Why did this school not have central heating? I spotted a space heater beside Mrs. Ramirez's desk and I wondered if I asked to camp out beside her desk if she would let me.
I greeted Mrs. Ramirez and asked how her weekend was, which made her smile. When I maneuvered my way to my seat, I frowned from the loss of heat. I was cold as balls and this school's heating situation didn't helping me at all. Edward was looking straight ahead when I sat down. I didn't even think he knew I had sat down.
"Hey, Edward." I said like I did every time we had this class.
He looked at me and nodded in acknowledgment. I was taken back, but I inwardly smiled. I was glad he was starting to notice my existence again. That didn't last, though. The months passed with us not speaking. Well, him not talking and me greeting him like the annoying person I was.
Within the months Edward has been ignoring me, I took it upon myself to observe his and his family's behavior. Some may call it stalking, but I liked to refer it as close inspecting. I had a small notebook under my bed with all my observations:
They all looked the same but they all were adopted.
They all had the same eye color but they all were adopted.
They don't seem to eat, only taking sips of water from time to time. (Possible dehydration.)
All of them were inhumanly beautiful without even trying. (Maybe they were models?)
Really nice teeth. (Braces? Note: Ask Edward about what toothpaste he uses.)
Really smart. (Valedictorians in the future?)
Possible: Aliens, fairies (Like from a Midsummer's Night Dream), or wizards (Maybe Hogwarts was real).
Cross off the list: Werewolves, vampires, mermaids, and cyclops.
Along with my grades, the weather had been getting better, and by better I meant no more snow and no more C's. It had rained like money at a strip club, but it was getting slightly warmer since Spring was nearing. Mike had stopped me in the hallway on my way to algebra and asked if I was still in to go to the beach. I was glad that hadn't been just the heat of the moment idea, I was truly excited for the trip.
The Girl's Choice Dance was officially announced the first day of March and the whole school was in a frenzy, excluding Bella, the Cullens, and myself. Bella had been in a funk since we moved and it only seemed to be getting worse. We hadn't been talking as much as we used to lately either. I had been busy with school work and trying to find a part time job that wasn't in fast food, and she'd been depressed and coped up in her room. She'd get out of this, even if I had to drag her skinny ass out myself.
I had finally taken the offer Tyler had given me to drive me to school. Oddly enough he lived near us, so it wasn't out of his way. Dad almost had a heart attack when I told him Tyler would be picking me up.
"Olly, you're only fifteen, are you sure a boy taking you to school is a priority right now?" Dad asked while drinking his morning coffee.
I smiled at him. He was being a protective father and I was weirdly happy about it. "It's just Tyler," I said, shrugging.
"He's seventeen. I know what's on the mind of seventeen year old boys, sweetheart, I was one at one time."
"I feel like the only thing on his mind is sports." I told him.
Before he could respond, a honk of a horn could be heard. I kissed dad on the cheek and walked out the door. My black rain boots sloshed in the mud as I made my way towards Tyler's car. I hopped in and spotted a hot chocolate in one of the cup holders.
"I was joking when I said you had to bring me hot chocolate, you know." I grasped the styrofoam cup and breathed in the steam, enjoying the heavenly aroma.
"Only the best treatment for my passengers." Tyler pulled out of the driveway and we were on our way to Forks High.
The radio filled in the silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence. Tyler and I had grown accustomed to the silence when neither of us had nothing to say. I drank my hot chocolate with a smile.
"I have a job interview today." I told Tyler.
His dark eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really?"
I nodded, "There's this boutique in town that I applied for. It's small but it gets a lot of business from tourists and such. The owner is really nice, her name is Marlene."
We were quiet after that which didn't bother me whatsoever. We pulled into the parking lot and I finished my drink. I stretched my legs as soon as I got out of Tyler's car. Today might just be a good day. Tyler and I walked into school together, ignoring the stares of the nosy students. One of those students being Edward Cullen. I turned my head to look back at him. Why was he staring? He was the one not talking to me, so forgive me for not telling him that Tyler had offered to drive me to school.
I turned back around and thanked Tyler for the ride and drink. He then walked me to my first class. I looked upwards and looked at his face, "You're just my knight in a shining football jersey, aren't you?"
"And gleaming soccer cleats, don't forget those."
I fist bumped Tyler and bid him goodbye before walking into algebra with a skip in my step. Today as going great, in all honesty. Algebra passed with me getting a B on a test and getting a worksheet for homework, and in Latin we got to work on our projects. Lunch had even gone by with a faster than normal pace.
Tyler dropped me off at my next class and I stepped in, and when I saw Edward the smile I didn't even know I had disappeared. I sat down beside him, greeted him, and pulled out a book. Three page flips later, he actually responded to me. "Hello."
My eyes widened in surprise. Had he just said hello to me? For the first time in months I now was rewarded with his voice. I wasn't going to lie, I did miss talking to his weird ass. Even if he refused to tell me what he was hiding, he was still decent enough company.
A small smile graced my lips and I looked over at him, "Welcome back, Edward. I missed talking to you, ya know?"
"I'm sorry." That was out of nowhere, but it wasn't unwelcomed. Hell yeah I deserved an apology. "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."
"You ignoring me and pretending what happened with Tyler's van never happened? Yeah, I'm so sure that's the only option you have, Edward." I frowned.
It was his turn to frown, his statue-like face morphing into one of the only emotions he seemed to show me- angst.
"It's not my choice, it's to protect you." he gritted, his skin paling over his tightening knuckle.
"Protecting me from what, exactly?" I asked sarcastically, bobbing my head to the side dramatically.
"From me."
I paused. From him? This could be what I was looking for. Maybe I could pry some answers out of his thick skull. I thought for a moment before asking, "What about you are you protecting me from?"
"I'm not getting into this conversation with you, Olly."
"When are we going to have it, then? When I'm on my death bed, begging for answers before my hidden brain tumor kills me? Sooner or later you'll have to tell me, or I'll just figure it out by myself." I'm already halfway there you little shit.
Before Edward could retort, the bell rang, signalling class to begin. I drowned out what Mrs. Ramirez was saying, she was only going over our essays we had written. I got a perfect score on it, thank God. I snuck a glance at Edward from time to time only to see him glaring at his essay and gripping a pencil to hard it broke. When the bell rang, I shot up, expecting to beat Edward out of the classroom only to bang my knee hard on the desk.
"God dammit, son of a bitch." I hissed, dropping my binder to clutch my aching knee.
"Nice one," Edward smirked as he picked up my binder. He put it on the desk and left the room as he normally did.
"That kid has more issues than Vogue." I said to myself before putting my binder into my messenger bag and walking to gym.
It was the basketball unit and I was on the opposite team as Bella. My team won, obviously, because Bella was no help at all with sports. She fell down multiple times but was helped up by an eager Mike. I heard from Sammy that Mike had already asked Bella to the girls choice dance. He was an odd one, but I had to give him credit.
With a final swish of a basketball in the hoop, my team won by fourteen points and it was time to change and go home. I stretched my arms above my head as I stepped out of the locker room and stood by Bella's side, waiting for the tone so we could leave.
"Am I taking you home today, or is your boyfriend?" Bella asked, giving me a sly smile.
"Tyler is not my boyfriend! He is some random guy who's van gave me brain damage and we bonded over the fact that I could run him over with your truck. That's it!" I argued, flabbergasted by the fact she even considered Tyler as boyfriend material. "To answer your original question- yes- but not necessarily home. I need you to drop me off in town. Maple street to be exact."
Bella gave me a weird look. "Why do I need to take you there?"
"Because Marlene called me back and wants to set up an interview!" I grinned at her, my excitement levels rising. "That's right, Bella! I got a job interview before you did!"
"Oh, shut up! I could get a job faster than you, and you know it." she shot back, giving me a sisterly punch in the arm that felt more like a tap.
"Whatever, Bella. You're just jealous. But anyway, can you take me or not? Also, can you pick me up from there at around six?"
"Six? The interview would only last about fifteen minutes at the most, why do you want to stay that late?" Bella asked.
"Sammy's birthday is coming up soon, so I wanted to look around for art supplies for him." I lied smoothly. Sammy's birthday was in July, but she didn't need to know that.
"Makes sense."
We walked to the truck when the bell rang. I hopped in the truck and searched my bag for my makeup I had brought. I peeked out of the drivers window and saw Eric Yorkie talking to Bella. I didn't know they were friends. I took out the small mirror and applied a bit of foundation and mascara. Just as I was smearing my lips with nude lipstick, Bella gave me a weird look. I smacked my lips together and answered the question she had yet to ask. "I don't want to look gross when I walk in there."
Just as Bella turned on the truck, she revved the engine and backed up aggressively. I flinched as she slammed on her brakes. I gripped the dash with my life. "What the hell are you doing, Bella?"
I looked forward and saw Edward's shiny Volvo in front of us and I knew he had done some petty shit. He stopped in front of us, and I looked towards the cafeteria and noticed he was waiting for his slow ass family to get to the car. It took all my might to not slam my head against the dash.
I looked behind us and Tyler had gotten out of his car and jogged to Simone, who was talking to one of her friends from her soccer team. I watched in interest, eager to see what would happen. Simone frowned and put a hand on his arm, no doubt a gentle way of turning him down. I felt bad for him, but you live and you learn. Tyler saw the truck and made his way over to us. I rolled down my window and was the first to speak, "Nice one, Casanova."
He leaned against the door and sighed dramatically. "I should have known she was gay."
"Why, because she plays sports? That's stereotyping, Tyler."
"I never said it was because she played sports. Now look who's the one stereotyping!" he shot back, leaning on the truck door.
"You bamboozled me. Go back to your car and wallow in your pity there, please, I have to go be a functioning member of society." I leaned out of the window and ruffled his hair.
He shot me a peace sign before jogging back to his car. I looked back to the front, ignoring Bella's giggles, and saw Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie stepping into the Volvo in front of us. In Edward's rear view mirror, he was looking at me with mirth clear in his oddly colored eyes and his shoulders shaking slightly with laughter. I would be sure to add super hearing to my list when I got home.
Bella and I talked about how many boys asked her to the girl's choice and how my interview was going to go. She dropped me off on Maple street and I cracked my knuckles. I slowly strolled to Marlene's store, thinking about what I was going to say. What were some of my good qualities? I'm pretty responsible, I have a good work ethic, and… um… I'm good with people? Was that a quality people wanted? I could write a twelve page essay on my bad traits. Yeesh.
I spotted the bright pink door and turned the knob. When I stepped in I was immediately welcomed by the scent of pumpkin spice and apple pie. The knick-knacks lined the two shelves on the left wall and the small racks of bright clothing reflected on Marlene's personality. The large chandelier dangled from the ceiling, lighting the room. I walked to the front desk which was placed in the middle of the store. I tapped the bell that was desk and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
I looked at all of the knick-knacks on the shelves before Marlene came out of the back room. Her pale blonde hair was in a tight bun on her head and her outfit was very casual; a light pink sheer shirt that was tucked into a knee length pleated black skirt.
"I'm sorry, I was in the back room and didn't hear you. Did you need something?" She had a soft voice
I smiled politely, "I'm Olive Swan, I'm here for the interview we had set up over the phone."
"Oh, yes, Olive. Come, follow me."
She ushered me to the door that led to her office. I sat down in the comfortable plush chair and crossed my right leg over my left. I straightened my back and let out a soft sigh. I was ready for this. Marlene sat across from me with a clipboard and a pen.
"You're still in school, correct?" she asked. I nodded and she wrote something down.
"Just to start us off, tell me a little about yourself. I don't want your life story, either."
Oh God, what are my achievements? Should I lie? Yes and no. I'll just slide one in, she'll never notice. "I've won multiple essay contests and I've tutored younger children in subjects like English and history." I've never tutored young kids, hell, I can't stand kids younger than thirteen.
She nodded and continued to write with her pen. "If I were to hire you, how would your first week of employment look like?"
What kind of questions are these? "They would look like hard work and dedication."
"How would you describe your social skills?"
"I have excellent social skills and I'm very confident in them." That was only half of a lie.
"Can I trust you with money?" Her soft voice went a bit hard, indicating that someone had probably stolen from her in the past.
I nodded firmly, "Of course."
Her pale lips morphed into a small smile and she continued to write. After a couple of seconds she stood up and placed the clipboard down. I stood up as well, looking at her with my best poker face.
"This Saturday will be your trial day. If I see that you're unfit, that'll be your only day here. Does that sound fair to you?"
"It does, thank you for taking time out of your schedule to interview me." I had asked dad a couple days ago what are some good things to say after an interview. He had given me many pointers I used today. I'm so grateful for him, I'll be sure to hug him when I get home.
"Have a good day," I called to Marlene as I walked out of her office and out of the store.
I shuddered as the cold air hit me. Marlene's place was really warm, and stepping into what felt like the Arctic was terrible. I quickly shuffled down the sidewalk and to the crosswalk, where there were no cars in sight. I ran across the street and hopped onto the curb. I passed little shops and elderly people on my journey down the street. An elderly lady who used to babysit Bella and I stopped me and told me I grew up to be a beautiful lady. I thanked her and tried not to laugh. Just as I turned the corner, I bumped into someone.
"I'm sorry," I started, looking to see who I bumped into.
Alice Cullen was grinning from ear to ear and her hands were clutched around a shopping bag from the local grocery store. "It's not problem at all, Olly." she said before she sidestepped me and continued on her way. Such an odd one, she was. Wait, how did she know I went by Olly? Most people at school call me Olive, since that was my actual name. Had Edward been talking about me?
I grinned as I made it to my destination. I rushed to the door and went in, breathing in the air. The fresh smell of books and burning candles wafted through my nostrils. I breathed deeply and grinned. If I couldn't find what information I needed on the internet, I would find it somewhere else. Forks had a small bookstore that wasn't what you would call a traditional bookstore. There were books about Wicca and how to speak to the dead, but also supernatural books. I browsed the dusty shelves, picking up books about fairies, wizards, and for the fun of, vampires.
There was a couch in the corner of the bookstore that I claimed as my own. I plopped down and put my feet on the coffee table that was placed in front of the couch. Opening the first book, the book about fairies, I found out nothing. I mentally crossed fairies off of the list and continued my journey for wisdom.
The Wizard book was long and full of big words. It took me nearly an hour to finish that one, even with me speed reading it. The only thing in that book that made sense was that they were smart. I was getting nowhere, and all my hypothesis were coming up negative. The last book I had picked up was a very old one about vampires. The book was coming apart at the seems and the pages were yellow and weak from age. It was written in ink, too. I liked books in that kind of format. Hopefully this was better fiction than the book on fairies.
"Mary, if you are reading this, that means you have outlived me and found this under my cot. I love you and I will see you in the Holy land, that is if God lets people like you in when they die. Violet, if you see this, I am sorry I could not protect you."
That was odd. Really odd. Like Bella becoming obsessed with motorcycles and dating old men odd. I read the first ten pages and got bored easily. I yawned as I flipped to the last couple pages.
"May 14th, 1895
As I write this, I fear for my life. It is mid afternoon and they cannot get me here, but when it draws night, I could maybe not come out of this alive. I had seen it feed on my sweet Anne last night and It took my beautiful daughter Mary. It had left my infant daughter Violet alone and I praise the Lord above for that. We had locked the door to our house, but it managed to break open the steel lock. It sucked her dry. I can still hear her screams of terror and Violet's cries. Mary had become unconscious, for she had tried to defend Anne but It threw her against the wall. I took out my gun but it had bent it with one hand. I was defenseless. Those cold hands grasped onto Mary and it bi-"
The ink was smeared for the next paragraph. I couldn't read it no matter how hard I tried. This was very dramatic and cheesy, in my opinion. He might as well say he was a vampire. Thanks, author, I'm really entertained; and saying It doesn't make it ambiguous! I know what It is! I skipped to the next entry which was a bit hard to read because the writing looked like someone had written it during a seizure.
"May 14th, 1895
It is night now and I cannot fall asleep no matter how hard I try. My body is full of tremors and I cannot stop. I am scared of the speed it has. I have never seen anything like it. I do not know what I can compare it to. Maybe a train. I see a shadow outside my door and I cannot breathe. It is standing outside my door, I know it. It is talking to me. Come out, It says, I will not hurt you if you listen to what I say. I tell It no and that the Lord will protect me. It is laughing at me and the door is now opening. God can't help you now It says. I will let you write your final words It tells me. I love you Anne, I will see you in Heaven. I am sorry Violet, father loves you. Mary, I love you.
There was another page yet, so how can this be the end? I flipped to it the very last page.
"I am way faster than a train. And I am not an It. My name is George."
Puh-lease, that looks like the same handwriting that the whole damn book was written in. I put the three books back and looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall near a window. It was six fifteen. Oh shit, Bella was going to be so pissed at me!
I was right about Bella being pissed at me. I had sprinted to Marlene's and she had been leaning against the truck, glaring at me as I panted. She assaulted me with heavy verbal abuse before we drove home. She made dinner and asked Dad if she could go to Seattle next Saturday. She could have fun with hipsters and their Starbucks while I sat at home and studied like I normally did on weekends.
The next morning I rode with Bella and she slammed her door shut and walked off before I could even unbuckle my seat belt. She must still be mad at me. I shut the truck door and sneezed. I had been sneezing all morning because I forgot to take my allergy medication that the doctor gave me last month.
"Bless you,"
I looked to my right and saw Edward leaning against the truck with his arms crossed. "I am way faster than a train." I shook away that thought before answering Edward.
"You should invest in a bell." I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I've been thinking about it, but the bell industry has really taken a toll and now bells are very expensive." he chatted, giving me a smile.
"Your parental figure is a doctor, I'm sure the Man is hammering down on you guys." I smirked. "All joking aside, what do you want? Have you stopped pretending I don't exist?"
"Alice told me she saw you yesterday," he commented.
"We ran into each other, literally. I could sue you guys, you know."
"And I'm not pretending you don't exist." Edward frowned, shifting his weight on his other foot.
"I'm going to ignore that and ask you again, what do you want?" I bit my bottom lip in annoyance.
"Like I said before, Alice said she saw you yesterday in town. What were you doing there?" he asked.
"If you must know, I had a job interview. This Saturday is my trial day." I remembered something and held in my grin, "Alice called me Olly, but everyone knew me as Olive before I corrected them. Have you been talking about me to your sister, Edward?"
I started walking towards the school, expecting Edward to follow. He caught the message and walked by my side. "You were a topic only once, and that was our first official conversation."
"The one about Lord of the Flies?" I asked, thinking back to months ago.
He nodded and I smiled slightly. I wasn't going to lie to myself, him talking about me to his sister was kind of cute. He thought about me and told someone. It was kind of weird, but what wasn't weird in this damn town.
"What if I was your first customer on Saturday?" Edward hinted and we stepped into school, everyone's eyes on us.
"I'll be as welcoming as I can because I need this job to pay for things I need." I informed him. "What if I punch you for being annoying?"
"Then I'll cry," Edward said in a serious tone.
I barked out a short laugh and turned to him. His face looked nicer when he wasn't so moody all the time. "Um, I'll see you in English." I didn't know what to do, so I awkwardly patted him on the shoulder and walked to my first class, my mind filled with even more questions. Oh no, what if I started liking him in a like-like sort of way? Who was I kidding? Me and Edward? Ha! I turned back to give a peace sign to Edward, but I looked for him and he disappeared. Man, that kid was weird. I sneezed before walking to math with my head full of thoughts that all pertained to one thing; what was for lunch today?