{I'm not your boyfriend baby/ I ain't your cute little six toy/ I'm not your lion or your tiger/ Won't be your nasty little boy/ ~I'm Not Your Boyfriend Baby, 3OH!3~ }
Chapter Two
I had thrown some jeans and tanks into a bag with a black, oversized Volcom hoodie I'd gotten for Christmas when I was thirteen from Mike Newton. I decided to grab some socks while I was at it, and a pair of white Converse I had doodled on. I knew we'd be gone for at least a week. This happened often.
I packed some make up, along with my toiletries. I dragged my black duffel downstairs and looked to find my mom. She was at the kitchen table, looking pleased.
"Well, Bella, the police will be outside all night, but they suggested going to a shelter or a friend's house. I asked if the Cullen's supported abuse, and they called the doctor. He invited us over. That's good, right? He said we could stay as long as we want. I suggest packing some more clothes." Renee's face brightened. I sighed.
"All right. Can I take my truck?"
"I was thinking Edward could-"
"I'll pass, mom. I'll follow you in the truck and hope Charlie doesn't see us."
I grabbed some more clothes, more for about a month, and it fit into my duffel bag still, thank goodness. I grabbed two more pairs of Converse and I grabbed some other items. My mom called me down, and I followed her out the door. She got in her Toyota while I climbed into my truck, and I followed her lead on the road. We didn't pass anyone at all, except some police who waved. We finally got to the Cullen's house, and it was huge. It was the prettiest white, with a whole wall as glass. I looked in to see a huge white piano that I really wanted to play. I knew how to play, and I loved playing. Oh, how the ivory would feel under my fingers!
I finally stopped ogling enough to get out and grab my duffel. The Cullens came out to welcome us, and I realized there was more than just Edward, the missus, and the doctor.
The other four were inhumanly beautiful, that was my first impression. There was a tall one with muscles, and his hair was dark brown. The girl next to him was supermodel pretty, with blonde hair. There was a short one, with spiky black hair, and she was pretty much jumping up and down. The guy next to her was blonde, like the one girl, and he looked embarrassed by the short girl.
The one thing they all had in common was the eyes. The eyes that surprised me today, the same ones as Edward. Golden. Butterscotch. Amazing.
And then there was Edward. He, himself, was the most beautiful (although this is coming from the infatuated emo girl). He stood there in all his glory.
"Hey, Bella," he said quietly, although I could hear it, his velvet tones making my knees weak. "This is my family."
The big, burly one stepped up first. "I'm Emmett. You must be Bella. Edward's first day, and all he could talk about was-"
I heard a smack come from behind him, and then Emmett was rubbing his head.
"I'm Rosalie. Excuse my idiot boyfriend," the blonde told me. She smiled.
"I'm Alice!" the short one said, coming up to me, and getting in my face. "We're going to be best friends, I can tell."
"I'm Jasper," the honey-blonde guy said. He was still stand-offish, and I nodded toward him.
"And you know me," Edward said. I smiled softly, blushing in the dark. I hoped no one could see.
"So you'll be living with us for awhile, right?" Alice asked. I nodded. She jumped up and down, clapping her hands. London Tipton much?
"Sorry about her," Edward said, swiftly coming towards me. He pulled me inside.
"It's fine, really," I told him. "She's funny."
Edward looked at me surprised. "Most people think differently."
"Do you include yourself in that category?"
Edward grimaced. "Shut up."
I smiled, then giggled. "Wow. You're nice."
Alice and Rose grabbed me away. Note to self: they all have very cold skin.
"So, want to see your room?" Rosalie asked me. I nodded.
They pulled me into a big room, bigger than my house. It was painted black, with stars on the ceiling, and the bed in the corner had a dark violet canopy. There was a stereo set on the right side wall, and the carpet was a soft, dark fabric. I looked to see a closet to my left, and I dropped my duffel. There was a ton of CD's, everything I liked.
"How'd you know?" I asked, amazed.
"Edward guessed," Alice told me. "He said you struck him as a hard rock fan and that you might just be emo or punk or Goth. Or something. So he helped."
"You painted this in 30 minutes?"
"It was already painted. And the stereo was already in. It was the party room before. We just added the bed, and the music was just some really good stuff."
"That's…hold on."
I walked out into the living room, down the two flights of stairs (!!) and I ran to Edward, jumping on his back from behind.
"What the…"
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I yelled. I kissed Edward on the cheek, then got off his back and ran back upstairs.
"Okay, I'm done," I told…nobody. Okay. Weird.
I shrugged, then headed into my room. I hung up all my clothes, and put on some black Soffee's and a white tank. I walked downstairs to grab a glass of water before bed, or maybe make some hot chocolate, but I ran into a wall or something.
And I found the wall to be "or something". I ran into Edward's chest, it turned out, and I blushed when I realized that. "Hey there."
Edward looked down at me, and I blushed deeper. "Hi…aren't you going to go to sleep?"
"Uh, yeah. I was just going downstairs for a drink…"
"I'd suggest not," Edward told me. "Your mother is crying, horribly. And unless you feel like comforting her, I'd stay up here, if I were you."
I nodded.
"Wait," I said, looking into the golden eyes that made my heart flutter. "Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Soon enough," Edward replied hesitantly. He had a secret, just like I did, and I knew it.
I didn't know his secret, like what it was, but I knew he had one. Edward walked into my room and sat on the floor. I sat down next to him, and then lay down. I decided to use one of my all-time favorite conversation starters.
"So…" I started. "Got any drugs?"
I saw Edward stiffen, and then he lay down next to me, so he was looking straight into my eyes.
"Bella," he whispered. "Drugs are bad."
"I know," I said, a little breathless. "Just trying to start a conversation."
Edward sighed. "You are so weird."
"Same to you."
Edward grinned. "Touché."
Then, Edward and I just kind of laid there. I eventually fell asleep, on the floor, and once I was in that strange bout of between sleep and being awake, someone draped a blanket on top of my shivering figure, kissed my forehead, and whispered in a velvety voice, "Goodnight, Bella."
**
The next morning, I woke up calm and collected…well, not really. I woke up on a floor. A nice floor, though. And I knew where I was.
"Bella!" Alice screeched.
Oh God.
"Wake up!" she chirped, golden eyes inches from my brown ones. She pulled me off the floor, and ran to my closet. She threw me a black vest, a white tank, and some black jeans. Then she ran and got me black high tops.
"Strip," she demanded. I frowned.
"Um…"
"Strip to your underwear and bra, Bella," Alice retorted. I could have sworn I heard laughter downstairs, but maybe not.
I did what Alice told me. I pulled on the clothes, and then Alice told me to sit on a little foot rest. I did that, and she put my Converse on, but didn't tie the tops. So the tops were loose, which looked awesome. She did my make-up, which was black eyeliner and mascara, and then she pushed me into the hallway.
"Go eat," she told me. "It's a good idea."
I shrugged, and went downstairs to the kitchen. The smell of eggs, bacon, and toast filled my nose. I saw a lady with caramel coloured hair cooking the food, which I guessed was Esme.
"Uh…hi?" I said.
"Bella!" Esme replied cheerfully. "So nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too…Esme?" I asked.
"That's my name," she replied. "It's really great to meet you. I'm flattered that your mother wanted to come here."
"Yeah," I said. "Well, when you've got an abusive ex-husband, doctors are usually quite handy."
Esme's face fell. Had I hurt her feelings? "Well, they do."
"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"No, no!" Esme replied, shaking her head. "It just reminds me of my own ex-husband. He was abusive, and I couldn't have kids. You know, Edward, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper are adopted."
"Um…I didn't know that. Well, um, congratulations?"
"Thanks, Bella. Anyway, I'm supposing you want breakfast."
I nodded, and she handed me a plate with bacon, eggs, and a piece of toast.
I ate it happily, and then Edward came down the stairs.
His messy bronze hair was disheveled, as per usual. His golden eyes were attentive, and his pale skin almost glowing. He was wearing black skinny jeans, which looked gorgeous on him. His shirt was a black AC/DC shirt, and he was wearing black Converse. He was breathtakingly emo.
"Hey, Bella," Edward said, picking up a plate. It only had a piece of toast on it, though. He looked sick when he started to chew.
"Are you okay?" I asked, and he made faces.
"What?" he said, food in his mouth. He finished his mouthful, and swallowed painfully. "Uh, yeah. I'm not very hungry, though."
"Then don't eat," I said, frowning slash smiling. "You don't have to, do you?"
He shook his head.
"Then don't eat."
"But shouldn't you eat three square meals a day?" Edward's eyes were confused. What century did he live in?
"No…well, yes, but you don't have to, do you?"
"I guess not." Edward shook his head. "You really are a different girl than I thought, Isabella."
A shiver ran through me. Why did I feel so close to Edward, and like we were meant to be?
But still, Edward was weird. He didn't eat very often, apparently. He confused me.
His eyes were natural – but gold wasn't a very usual colour. He was pale like a dead man – yet he was alive. He was freezing cold – and he hadn't died from hypothermia. What was with him?
And then there was how he talked. It was almost like he was from the early 1900's. Like he hadn't grown up in the 21st century.
Edward Cullen is the most confusing guy I've ever met.
"So…Do you want a ride?" Edward asked. I shrugged.
"I want an answer," he almost growled, looking me in the eyes.
"No, I hate cars. I think I'll walk today," I replied sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.
"Bella," Edward warned. He grasped my wrist with his cold hand. "Let's go."
He pulled me out of the house, and into his Volvo. His hand was still wrapped around my wrist, and then he finally let go. I knew I could never get involved with anyone, and I could especially never get involved with Edward Cullen.
"Bella, who do you usually hang out with?" Edward asked. "You seem very…solitary."
"That's me," I told him bitterly. "Solitary. I don't talk to people, usually, if I can avoid it."
"Why not?"
"Long story."
"I've got time."
"I don't want to tell it."
Edward sighed. "You're very stubborn."
"It's a learned talent," I said sarcastically.
If you can't tell, I'm very sarcastic.
"Isabella," Edward murmured in a very velvety voice, more so velvety than his usual velvety tone. (That was a lot of velvetys.)
"Edward," I replied, using as close a tone as I could.
"You really aren't going to tell me, are you? Don't answer that," Edward cautioned as I opened my mouth. "Bella, I want to know your life. I want to know you. Please help me with that."
I looked over to him, his sculptured face pained. He really did want to know, didn't he?
"Edward…listen. It's hard. I really don't want to go into it. I will, maybe someday. But right now…with what's happening…I just can't tell you." I noticed his face relax.
"Okay then," he replied. "We're here."
It was true. We were at Forks High School, home of the Spartans – aka, my own personal hell.
I got out of Edward's car, ready to face a new day, when I tripped, and fell on my butt.
"What the hell?!" I screamed.
"What?" Edward asked, jumping to help me.
"I just fell on my ass!" I screeched. "I never do that! Because I'm supposed to be all emo and stand offish and I'm supposed to not fall!"
Edward started laughing. Just standing there, over me, laughing, probably almost crying.
"You would not believe how unbelievably funny that was," Edward told me.
"Shut up," I muttered. I finally got off my butt and stood up to see a whole crowd around Edward's Volvo. "Enjoy the show?" I asked loudly. "Because that will never happen again! So leave! Goodbye!"
Edward was still laughing as he walked into school with me, and I turned away. He caught up with me quickly though.
"Okay, so…see you at lunch?" Edward said cautiously.
"I don't eat," I told him quickly, and walked into my classroom.
As I sat uninterested in class, I thought about Edward. I know, so cliquey sounding. But I really did. I thought about all I knew about him. This wasn't just some math problem that with training, I'd figure out. Edward was trickier.
He was adopted, but his siblings and parents had the same strange golden coloured eyes as he did. And the pale skin too.
He seemed to know everything – but mostly what people did a century ago.
Oh, and he didn't enjoy eating. Sort of like me. At lunch.
"Isabella!" my math teacher nearly yelled. I looked up.
"You rang?" I said like the sarcastic bitch I was.
"What is the answer to number 14?"
I looked down at my paper. Easy question. "Y=128 times pi."
My teacher rolled her eyes. "Correct, Ms. Swan. To Mr. Greene's office, please."
**
Naturally, day dreaming isn't included in the list of things you get in trouble for. Well, unless you're me.
"Now, Isabella, I realize you're smart, but you need to pay attention. Being an…"
"Attentive learner will only improve my smarts?" I finished. "Mr. Greene, I've heard this speech a ton of times. But sad to say, I never really care. Sorry, sir, but I've got more important things to ponder about."
"Isabella…" Mr. Greene warned. "I realize your situation makes it hard to listen while you're worrying what your father will do next, but regardless, your teachers need your attention. Your grade point average is still four point oh, but you have a short attention span. And your English is getting ridiculously horrid. So I'm letting you get a tutor."
At that moment, one person who haunted my every day life walked in the room.
AN: All right, this isn't as long as I wanted it to be, or as I thought it was. The chapters are visibly longer than most of my other chapters for other stories, but this isn't as long as I wanted. ): So I'll just have to deal…
Otherwise, I'd love to know what you think of this chapter. More drama is coming soon, promise. And yeah, this story is going to move awfully fast. I'm not going to update as often as I used to be able to – school just started Monday, and I've already got loads to do and think about. Also, FanFiction was just fixed – a day after I put the author's note up. Wow.
I'm truly excited for the next chapter. It's awesome. And it's got Shakespeare. That's the only hint I'm going to give you for now.
If you review, I'll send you an extra special preview if it's a signed review…(: So…what does THAT tell you?
Also – I'm beta-ing a few stories at the moment. So I've also got that going on. And my friend, Whizabeth, and I are writing a story together – it's called New to Forks, and it's on Whizabeth's profile. Just search her up, read what we've gotten so far! She's written the bulk of it – I just started co-writing it with her, but it's awesome.
Question time!
Your house is on fire. What do you grab first?
How many times a day do you think about Twilight?
Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Hot Rod?
Go ahead…answer them…you know you want to…
And…action. Review and make me happy.