Thank you for the reviews and alerts! :) I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this chapter, is just there was another idea buzzing in my head and I couldn't get it out and it was keeping me from writing this chapter. But, here it is! A special thanks to orangesoda7 for reviewing this. Thank you! Enjoy! :D
Chapter III - There's no reason to run, although I may. I'm not as sure as I seem, this much I know.
As we entered the house, I noticed that it was just as open as my own. Perhaps the most outstanding difference was the size; while my house was only two stories, theirs had three, and the proportions were much bigger, but considering that there were seven people living in that house, it was clear that they needed their own space.
The living room was big and wide open, and there sat the Cullen family.
Rosalie and Emmett were sitting on the love seat, eyes set on the TV, while the blonde guy who I assumed to be Jasper, sat on the floor, next to them. Edward was sitting in front of a beautiful piano, and Esme and Carlisle, were standing next to the door.
Alice was in front of them, beaming with excitement.
"Bella, this is Carlisle, Esme, and everyone else." she said, pushing me forward. I had been frozen at the door. "Everyone, this is Bella Swan, my new friend."
I smiled inwardly. I was her new friend, not the new vampire in town. That made my insides dance, though I didn't know why.
"Hello Bella," Carlisle said, stepping forward and shaking my hand. "It's nice to meet you."
I smiled, but didn't say anything. I was still processing everything. I knew that I should be acting normally, but I just couldn't. I always got shy around new people, especially those of my kind, because I knew they would be curious about a lot of things, and I was just a little too private about my life.
"Welcome to our home." Esme said, stepping into my personal space and hugging me.
To my utter surprise, I didn't mind. It felt comfortable, she didn't even know me and I was welcomed already. Her embrace reminded me of my mother's; whilst I was not a touchy-feely person – I didn't share many hugs, among other things, in my life – I liked that. Truth was, I missed home, and the sense of family that it held to me, and being here with them brought that sense back. Made me feel warm and comfortable, even if it wasn't my home.
"You have a lovely house, ma'am." I said, as Alice ushered me forward, making me sit on the empty couch.
"Ma'am?" Alice asked, rolling her eyes.
"Do I look that old?" Esme inquired, a smile lighting her beautiful features.
I smiled sheepishly and hung my head down in embarrassment.
"I apologize. Old habits die hard, I suppose."
"I'm just gonna have to teach ya how to speak like teenagers do, nowadays." Emmett said, grinning.
I could tell that Emmett and I would get along just fine. But then again, I wondered who wouldn't; it was clear that despite his big muscles, he wasn't scary at all. Not after you met him, anyway. He looked more like a big brother. And I certainly wouldn't mind getting one.
"I've been trying out with Jasper and Edward, but this old age vocabulary just seems to be stuck inside their heads!" he rolled his eyes, and Jasper hit his knee lightly. While he wasn't as bulky as Emmett, he did have some muscles showing and I could tell that he was pretty strong. "Hopefully you'll be a better student. I mean, I think girls are better with that anyways; look at Rose and Alice. I did a fine job with them."
"Psh, Emmett, if I was going to talk like you taught me I would totally make a fool of myself." Rosalie said, earning a sad look from Emmett.
"That's not true!" he protested and the whole family laughed at his face. "Fine! Go on with the nerd vocabulary and the difficult words!"
"Well, you have a different notion of what can be considered difficult, Emmett." Jasper mocked him, a smile showing up in his aristocratic face.
"What's that supposed to mean?" the big guy asked, tilting his head to the side and frowning.
"Precisely my point." Jasper answered, smirking and leaving Emmett confused.
During the whole conversation, I knew that I was being watched. The burning sensation coming from my side wouldn't go away, and I knew exactly why. Since I had stepped into the house, Edward continued to stare at me, just as he had been doing it when we first met, after school. I wondered if he'd ever stop, if he'd ever get over the fact that he couldn't read my mind.
I turned my head to the side, and his gaze met mine for a second, before he looked somewhere else.
"Do you play?" I asked, and he looked at me again. I smiled, trying to be friendly.
Alice snorted.
"That's all Edward does." she said, smirking at him. "He's like, completely in love with this piano."
"Thank you, Alice." he said, grimacing. He looked at me again. "But yes, I do. What about you?"
"I have a piano, back home. I kind of miss it." I shrugged. He smiled a bit.
"You should play us something." Esme said, looking back from me to Edward. There was something mischievous in her eyes, and I wasn't sure if I liked it. "That is, if you don't mind, of course."
"I'd love to." I said, making my way to sit beside Edward.
It felt weird, to say the least. There was something about him that made me feel uncomfortable. I wasn't at ease like I felt with Alice, or any other member of his family for that matter. I guess a little part of me hoped that he would just let it go, and stop staring at me like I was some kind of puzzle he couldn't understand, even though I knew that was exactly what I was to him.
Sure he wasn't the first vampire I met that was confused as to why their powers didn't work on me. I met quite a lot of those during my existence; the problem was the way he kept looking at me. It was disturbing, and scary, even - like I was the prettiest toy on the highest shelf. The one he couldn't get, couldn't touch, or play with it, but the one he wanted so much.
I was nobody's toy.
Shaking those thoughts out of my mind, I closed my eyes and began to play, letting the music flow around the room and run through my body. I've always loved to play the piano. Even though my human memories were fuzzy, I never forgot that one particular thing about myself.
Young women in the 19th century were often taught how to play the piano at a very young age. I was no exception, of course. But contrary to most of the girls I knew, I actually liked those classes. I looked forward them. I didn't endure it; I enjoyed it. It always helped me escape everything. All the thoughts in my head vanished as the soft notes came to my ears; the notes I knew by heart.
Truth was, when you have eternity, you have a lot of time. And I do mean a lot. Sure, people would snort and roll their eyes at me for that statement, but no one could ever totally grasp the meaning of eternity without having actually experienced it. Boredom was very prominent within our kind, and it was one of the reasons why - those of us who weren't nomads – had a vast experience in almost everything.
Playing the piano was something I did a lot through the years; it was something I was good at; genuinely good. I didn't need super strength, speed or enhanced vision to help me with that. Sure the great memory helped, I couldn't deny that, but it wasn't something extremely necessary. I could play with perfection every symphony ever composed, and I had composed some of my own as well. The music I composed varied; the chords weren't always soft, but still pleasant nonetheless.
I was playing one of my pieces to the Cullens. This one was a bit melodic; I wrote it about twenty years after I was changed. All my sorrow, pain, and everything else I felt during my younger years was reflected in those notes. I could feel they were watching me intently, though I wasn't looking at them. Edward's eyes never left my face, not even as I played the last notes and finished the melody.
As I opened my eyes, the whole room erupted in applauses and I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. Waving my hand dismissively, I smiled and bowed my head in a 'thank you' gesture.
Alice got up of the couch and pulled me into a hug.
"You're way better than Edward!" she whispered into my ear, but I really doubted that anyone else hadn't heard it.
"Uh... thanks, I guess." I said, shrugging. Truth was, I was feeling a bit smug about it, but I knew it wasn't wise to let it show.
"That was very good, Bella." Esme said. "Did you write that?"
"Yes, I did." I answered sheepishly. "A long time ago."
"Esme is right, it is really good." Edward said, smiling a crooked smile that I assumed should be dazzling.
It made me nauseated.
"Did you say you wrote that a long time ago?" Carlisle asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I nodded, already seeing where this was going. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"
I knew that they were all dying to ask that question, though none of them had the courage to bring it up. I couldn't say I was surprised. I knew I was up for an interrogation the moment I had agreed to come to their house, or better yet, the moment I saw them at the cafeteria and realized that this was their territory and I was the intruder. It didn't bother me, honestly. Though there were some things I wanted to remain quiet about, I really had nothing to hide.
"A hundred and twenty five years old." I answered, bouncing back and forward on the balls of my feet.
"I didn't think that there were many of us that I hadn't crossed paths with at least once in my life," Carlisle said, appearing to be in deep thought. "Huh... I guess I was wrong."
"If it's any consolation, I never left my home that much." I shrugged. Sure I had traveled around the world, but that took ten years of my life, at most. As I said, I didn't like being around people that much.
"I see... Another question, if you don't mind?" he asked, and I nodded again, granting him permission to ask. "Where did you live, before Forks, that is?"
My unnecessary breath got caught up in my throat as the words left his mouth. I expected that question, of course, but not so soon. I wondered if I should lie. Just drop a name of any other city I had lived in before, even if just for a brief time. I wondered what would happen if I told the truth. Would my worst fears come true? Would I lose my newfound friends? A million possibilities ran through my head as I decided what answer to give them. Thankfully they didn't notice my hesitation, considering that it took me less than a second to find an answer I didn't think they would.
Or rather than find an answer, accept it. There had only been one answer all along, and I knew it.
"Italy." I answered slowly. It was a vague answer; I knew that, but an answer nonetheless.
They didn't seem to read too much into my answer; not that I noticed anyway. Then Alice rolled her eyes and took my hand, pulling me towards the stairs.
"Enough with the inquisition!" she shouted, and I released the breath I didn't know I'd been holding all along. "I'm gonna give Bella a tour of the house."
"I could do that, if you want." Edward said, instantaneously getting to his feet.
Alice grip on my hands got stronger, and I heard her sigh softly, before turning around and facing Edward, a not-so-genuine smile on her face.
"I've got that covered, Edward, but thanks." she answered politely and pulled me up the stairs before he could say anything.
I smiled inwardly, thankful for Alice not leaving me alone with him. Truth be told, given the choice, I would much rather be alone with her.
She didn't let go of my hand not even for one second as she showed me around the house, and I couldn't say that it bothered me. Her touch was warm, even though I knew that she was just as cold as I was, and it sent shock waves through my body. Whether she was feeling that or not, I couldn't tell. But she didn't seem to mind the contact, and I knew that I would miss that touch the second she let go of my hand. So I was enjoying it for the time being.
After showing me around the first two stories of the house, we finally reached the third one, where Alice's and Edward's rooms were located. I caught a glimpse of the boy's room, and to say it was a mess would be the understatement of the century. Books and cds were laid across the room, along with clothes and other things. It was the typical teenage room, except for the lack of a bed.
Whilst we didn't really need a bed, considering that we didn't sleep, most of us who had a residence usually had one, more out of convenience, than everything else.
Across the hallway was Alice's room. The contrast between the rooms was blatant. Her room was clear, and tidy, complete opposite from Edward's room. The right wall, the one that faced the river, had been replaced with glass, and so you could see the whole forest from her room. Peach colored curtains were pulled open, so the room was merged in the weak sunlight coming from the outside. I figured those curtains gave her some privacy in a room so open. A desk was placed on the opposite side of the glass wall, its color just a shade darker than the curtains. A notebook was on top of it, and iPod speakers were sitting next to it, the little device connected to them. There were some pens, papers and an iPhone laying around there too. On the south wall, next to the door, there was a 42" plasma TV and a surround system, with Dvd's and CD's neatly organized in order of genre. There was a door next to her desk, which I assumed led to her closet and bathroom. And last, in the middle of the room there was a king sized bed, with a bedside table next to it. I couldn't help but to chuckle at that sight. Alice followed my gaze and raised an eyebrow.
"What?" she asked, pouting. I laughed at how cute she looked doing that.
"I'm sorry, I just can't imagine why someone so tiny would need such a huge bed." I answered honestly.
Alice smirked at me.
"Well, maybe I'll show it to you someday."
I couldn't exactly tell the meaning behind those words. Was she flirting with me? That couldn't be it, could it? Surely not, I had just met her. And yet, I knew that it didn't mean anything considering how she had been making me feel throughout the day. If I was going to be honest with myself, I kind of hoped she was flirting with me. But what if she wasn't? Better yet, what if it didn't mean anything? Should I be reading so much into it? Should I be freaking out like that?
"Do you want to watch a movie?" Alice asked, breaking me out of my haze. "Or do you have to go home soon?"
"That's the beauty of living by yourself, no curfew." I said, smiling and she made her way to the movie shelf.
"What do you wanna watch? Romance, adventure, drama, gore, thriller...?" she asked, going through the movies. I pondered; I liked romances, they were my favorites, but looking around, I saw that there was no couch in her room, which meant we'd have to watch the movies in her bed, which meant that we'd be lying together. And then, there was my dilemma; if we watched a romance, or adventure or something, we'd be lying next to each other, but rather far apart, considering how big her bed was. So before I could get a hold of myself, the words were out of my mouth, loud and clear.
"Thriller."
Surely that didn't mean anything, right? I certainly wasn't planning on snuggling with Alice Cullen.
Nope. Not at all.