CHAPTER 4: WATCHING MOVIES
"T.G.I. Friday!" Alice sang as I moped out of my truck. I was still a grouch, caused by Nurse Hasting's lack of judgment. Alice caught on to my little hate-fest and tried to cheer me up. "C'mon, tonight we're going to have a movie marathon. You should come," she persuaded, "Emmett's already picked Rocky, no surprise, and Rosalie called Princess Bride. Jasper is in the mood for an old western, which you know I can't stand."
"Well, you know what I want to watch," I said, leaning against my truck. It had been no secret of my love for sappy romances such as Romeo and Juliet. It was why, whenever it was my night to pick the film, the boys would make up some excuse. "I'm in the mood for some McAdams and Gosling." Alice clapped her hands excitedly.
"Yes! The Notebook sounds great! Remember when we forced Emmett and Jasper into the theatre to go see it with us, and Emmett was crying harder than all of us? Rosalie was so ashamed." I laughed at the memory of Emmett sobbing like a teenage girl. All of the people around us turned to stare at this massively huge man who was bawling at the ending.
"I know! She couldn't touch him for weeks," I added and we giggled together. Alice had succeeded in brightening up my day. She could always make me ecstatic when I wanted to cry. Especially if Jasper was around with her. He had this way of spreading good feelings.
Alice and I chatted off and on in the morning classes, discussing which movies we preferred. Whenever we didn't have a class together, she would text me movies and I would reply with a smile or a frown.
We strolled into the cafeteria together, and I noticed Rosalie was looking rather disdainfully at Jessica Stanley who was nervously chatting away. It was obvious that Jessica felt intimidated by Rosalie, and that made her continue to blabber despite Rosalie's irritated expression. Finally, Rose smiled a fake grin, pretending to be sincere and sauntered by Alice and me.
"That girl never shuts up. I asked her a simple question: Was Homecoming next Saturday? She ended up telling me this huge story about where she found her dress and who she was going with. Like I really care." Rosalie rolled her violet eyes while Alice's gray brightened.
"Oh! I almost forgot about that! We have to go shopping for dresses this weekend. And, Bella, you are required to come." I started to prepare my long speech about how I don't mix with dancing, but Alice held a hand out to stop me. "You will end up going, and I will pick you out a fabulous gown." I sulked, realizing she was using her tone of certain finality.
Rosalie climbed over Jasper to sit by Emmett, and Jasper grunted infuriatingly at her. She stuck her tongue at him maturely, and Alice greeted him with a peck on the cheek. He instantly forgot about his little tiff with his younger (by two minutes) sister. I saw a flash of messy, bronze hair, and I turned around to see Edward seated directly next to me with his brown bag already in place. Wow, he was fast, I hadn't even noticed him coming, and I was usually very observant. Rosalie looked at her reflection in Emmett's spoon, fixing a misplaced wave.
I moved the mush the cafeteria ladies had the nerve to call "food" around with my fork. The little appetite I did have was gone when I found a hair in whatever the mushy substance was. I heard an amused sigh and looked up to see Edward staring at me. Creeper.
"Do you need something to eat?" he asked, sounding sincerely concerned. Automatically, I became defensive.
"No, I'm not hungry."
"Ah, I have plenty of excess food. My mother always gives more than necessary," he persuaded. I was slightly surprised he had admitted his mother made his lunch. He constantly acted so independent. "Besides, I don't want my child to starve before they're even born." Does he not comprehend I did not want to talk about sharing a baby with him? Was his skull to thick to realize that unlike most of the girls in Forks, I did not want a thing to do with him? Did he not notice how my eyes flared at the thought of being remotely close to him for a whole week?
"No. Thank. You," I said, annunciating each word. He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out slices of a juicy red delicious apple. My mouth started watering, and I snapped it shut. He shook the bag, and I swatted his hand away.
"Dude, Liz cuts the slices for you? Mama's boy," Emmett teased, sounding slightly envious though. Edward just shrugged.
"Well, if you change your mind..." He placed them right next to my elbow, and I avoided looking at him. Why the sudden change of heart? For about three minutes I stared across the room at the tile. Finally, Edward spoke. "Damn it, stop being so stubborn! I can hear your stomach growling." He was right; halfway through my ignoring him, my stomach had started to rumble and expose my lie. I knew that my tenacity was the only thing holding me back from grabbing the thick fruit. It sounded better as I looked into the bag then to Edward's annoyed face. With a grunt, I snatched the bag, turned away from his most likely smug face, and nibbled on the delicious apple. Emmett and Alice were laughing at our episode, but I was too busy enjoying my meal to really care.
Lunch ended, and Edward walked with me to Biology. It had become a routine for us to walk together to our classes. We had an unspoken truce of some sort. We would remain cordial, unless the other did something to offend.
"Did you finish your essay?" I asked. He knew immediately I was still talking about Health. Sure, it was a touchy subject for me, and I was likely to throw a tantrum if he said the wrong thing, so he took his time to answer. He didn't want to have me throw a Bella-fit like earlier.
"Yes," he spoke slowly, watching my every move, ready for some kind of freak out. "It was difficult to think of myself as a woman, but Alice assisted me with a few parts. I'm sure you found it easier than I did."
"You could have asked your mom," I pointed out. He made a repulsed face.
"I would rather not ask my mom about hemorrhoids or stretch marks or my own birth for that matter," he muttered, and I realized a second too late that he would be embarrassed to ask his mother about those types of things. I figured it would be the same as me asking Charlie about… I shuddered.
"Oh, I see," I mumbled back, shuffling my feet. We entered Science class a few minutes late, but fortunately Mr. Banner hadn't arrived yet. I took my regular seat and began doodling on my notebook. Finally, five minutes later, Mr. Banner flew into the classroom hastily, managing to not drop the cardboard box he was holding. Ugh, I wanted to have a boring lecture day rather than a boring experiment day.
Once Edward and I finished (we always finished ahead of the others), I decided to try and take a nap. The pounding rain last night had kept me up. Not to mention, the thought of sharing a kid with Edward.
"Exhausted?" Edward questioned. I opened an eye to see him copying my position—arms crossed on the table, head resting on them, face turned towards me. I shut my eyes again.
"Extremely… I had a lot on my mind," I replied. "What about you?"
"Slightly. You seemed comfortable, so I thought I would join you." I opened my eyes just to make sure he saw me roll them.
"Are you two already done?" Mr. Banner said, interrupting my witty comeback. I raised my head and nodded at him, too tired to really answer. He looked at us disapprovingly then continued to help the other students. Edward was silent the rest of Biology. In Health, we just turned in our essays, and she repeated the earlier lesson about pregnancy. That class was uneventful, and school was out quickly. I practically skipped to my truck.
"Don't forget about tonight! Five-thirty, don't be late!" Alice called from a few yards away. I waved to let her see that I acknowledged her. I arrived home and lazily fixed Charlie some deli sandwiches stacked like a skyscraper. Mine was miniature in comparison, and he ate his in half the time it took to eat mine. He seemed quiet and he began fidgeting after the meal. Normally, he would scramble into the living room and turn on ESPN.
"Are you okay?" I asked, watching as he cringed at my words. Now he was worrying me. What was the matter? Was he sick? Was something wrong with Renée? Did he get fired?
"Yes. I'm just going to be blunt with this," he started with a strong voice, then hesitated. I was on edge.
"Well?" I urged, curiously awaiting what he had to say. He didn't sound alarmed, which calmed me, but he seemed very anxious.
"How would you feel if… I started dating?" he questioned, avoiding eye contact. Oh. Now I understood his reluctance. Charlie and I were never the best to talk about our feelings and have long conversations about family life. In fact, we usually swerved away from those types of things. So, him bringing this up, surprised me.
"Uh, well, I don't mind at all. It doesn't bother me. I mean, Renée is married, so if I had any kind of problem it would be a little too late. Whatever makes you happy," I mumbled, not knowing what exactly to say. It was the response Charlie had been hoping for since he sounded eager in his next response.
"That's great, Bells." I waited a moment.
"So… who's the lucky girl?" I wondered, slightly teasing and slyly, but sincerely curious. Who had Charlie found interesting enough to be dating? It felt weird to use Charlie and dating in the same sentence. His cheeks flushed the lovely rose I had been gifted with.
"Sue Clearwater. Actually, we've been together for a few months now," he mumbled into his empty plate. I laughed at his shyness.
"You could have told me! You didn't have to sneak around like a bunch of teenagers." Charlie shrugged, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips, realizing how ridiculous he behaved. "So all those fishing trips were really dates?"
"Kinda." I stood and patted his back affectionately.
"I'm happy for you. Well, I am spending the night at Emmett's, so I'm going to go pack," I announced, dropping the subject. Great. Charlie could get a date, but I couldn't. Not that I was surprised—there had always been something between Charlie and Sue after Harry had died. He helped her through the whole moving on process. She had two kids: Leah, who I didn't know well, but she was very pretty and Seth, who was a few years younger than me, and the most sincerest kid I knew.
Emmett's house was already filled with snacks as I walked through the door. Rosalie, Jasper, and Edward were already munching on them as I entered. I could hear the contrasting soprano of Alice's voice mixing with the deep bass of Emmett's. "Hey! I brought Pride & Prejudice." Emmett appeared, exiting from the kitchen.
"Howdy!" he greeted loudly. I heard Esme call from upstairs, telling Emmett to use his indoor voice. I laughed at his ashamed face when his mother reproached him like when we were little. He narrowed his eyes devilishly at me, before asking, "You think that's funny, do ya?" Then, he charged at me. I crouched ready to be lifted from the ground, and I dropped my things quickly so they wouldn't be damaged. He picked me up and slung me across his shoulder, like I was a sack of potatoes. He began to spin me around, and I laughed, despite becoming dizzy from the blurring images I saw as he turned. Emmett spinning me was like my own personal roller coaster. I squealed begging him to put me down, but he refused, so I smacked his back, failing to injure him.
"Is it funny now?" he demanded to know, before tickling my side, thus causing me to giggle. He took that as a yes.
"Put me down!" I protested, still smiling. I realized that there were several other laughs with his.
"I think she's had enough," I heard Alice comment. Emmett mistook her words as a challenge, like always.
"You want some of this too, Tinkerbelle?" he questioned, flexing the one muscle that hadn't secured me in place. I squirmed and shook, but he didn't budge. In a quick instant, he snatched Alice and twirled us around. We both were yelling now—me, about becoming dizzy; Alice, about him ruining her one of a kind European designer whose name I could not pronounce. Finally he dropped Alice right on to Jasper's lap, and she glared at him, throwing a piece of popcorn at his face. He opened his mouth and caught it.
"Thanks, I was hungry." She rolled her eyes at his taunt. Emmett had gotten distracted, and I managed to get one arm free, so I did a very Rosalie-esque smack to the forehead. "Ouch, Bellaboo," he said, obviously feigning hurt. So, as revenge, he let me go like Alice. Correction, he let me fall like Alice. Right on top of Edward. "Here's your delivery!" he told him, as I was dropped.
"Umph!" I said when I landed on him, scrambling up as quickly as possible, glowering at Emmett's smug face. I wanted to slap it right off! "I'm not a pizza—you can't just deliver me!" I retorted, moving so I sat next to (not on top of) Edward. Edward, shockingly, didn't cringe or try to boil his pants, which was what I had expected. He had joined on Emmett's laughter. What was up with him?
"Alright!" Rosalie said, demanding attention. "What do we watch first?" Immediately she was met by loud rounds of loud movie titles being shouted in her direction. I yelled Pride & Prejudice repeatedly, while Edward suggested School of Rock constantly.
"It's my house!" Emmett started, managing to overpower our own voices. "So, I get to choose." Esme had been strolling by, and she took this time to scold Emmett.
"That is not how you behave when you are around guests!"
"Sorry, Ma," he mumbled. "I guess we can all take turns sharing which movies we want to watch." Esme smiled in approval and continued her walk. He stuck his tongue out at my triumphant face.
"How mature," I said. He, in turn, threw a pillow at my face. I ducked quickly, and the pillow skimmed across my back, hitting Edward square in the face. I busted into rounds of laughter, joined by Alice and Jasper. Rosalie was pouting, miffed her movie hadn't been picked. Once, Alice and I calmed down, we went over movies we preferred.
Jasper went first. "Clint Eastwood is a genius; I vote for The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." Jasper had developed his love for all things southern when he was about ten, and he discovered his Texas roots. He had been obsessed with westerns for quite some time now.
"I propose Princess Bride," Rosalie announced.
"Tinkerbelle!" Alice shouted.
"School of Rock," Edward said, shrugging. He adored anything and everything about music.
"You know I want Pride & Prejudice," I mumbled.I loved the whole idea of such a hateful relationship turning into one of the most recognizable in literature.
"And I want Rocky."
"It appears we are at a standstill," Rosalie observed. Alice rubbed her chin, hatching an idea most likely.
"I'm willing to watch Pride and Prejudice. And, I'm sure Rosalie will vote with me. So, that would be three. You all would be outnumbered," Alice said victoriously.
"I guess Clint Eastwood can't be that bad," Emmett admitted, twisting his will for Jasper's movie. They looked at Edward expectantly.
"I know you'll hate me for this, guys, but I'm gonna have to go with Pride & Prejudice," he said, shrugging innocently. I threw a thankful glance his way. Maybe he wouldn't be such a bad partner after all. If he kept acting like this, maybe I could tolerate him for a whole week.
He returned it with a smile. The boys groaned and Emmett slumped into the couch, defeated.
"Let's get this over with," Emmett grumbled. Rosalie reached over, and they began cuddling, conveniently shutting him up. Sometimes, it was a good thing she had such power over him. Alice and Jasper followed in suit, by snuggling. I grabbed a blanket off the ground and decided to wrap myself in its warmth. See? I don't need a man. Inanimate objects work just as well, I thought to myself defiantly. Then sighed at my inward comment. No blanket could take the place of a significant other. I had seen that from Rosalie and Emmett and Alice and Jasper.
Emmett fell asleep halfway through the film, snoring loudly, thus causing an irritated Rosalie to move from her comfy position to the floor. I waved for her to sit under the blanket with me. She moved on my left, so I scooted over closer to Edward to make room. Rosalie and I leaned on each other for support until the end.
"Next movie?" Jasper whispered, not wanting to wake Emmett. Emmett, as if being summoned, tossed for a moment then jumped up quickly.
"What happened? Is it over yet?" he demanded groggily. We all laughed at his response.
"We have enough time for another movie," Jasper informed him.
"School of Rock," Edward optioned immediately. Emmett and Jasper automatically agreed.
"Rosalie and I are definitely picking Princess Bride. Bella?" Alice asked, looking at me, pleading with her eyes for me to choose their movie. But, something held me back. As much as I loved the adventures of Buttercup and Wes, I still couldn't pick it. Was it some kind of loyalty to Edward? I felt like I owed him. It was some kind of allegiance.
"I actually want to see some Jack Black," I commented, blushing as they stared at me in blatant shock. Edward's face, though, was the most surprised. I slunk further under the blanket, wanting to hide.
"Uh, I guess it's School of Rock then," Jasper said, reluctantly grabbing the DVD. Alice and Rosalie finally turned around, and Emmett eventually shut his gaping mouth. Edward was watching me carefully, and I felt self conscious under his gaze. I finally swerved my head to fully face him head on. He was smiling at me, genuinely smiling. Without a thought running through my mind, my lips formed my own little grin. And then, after realizing what I did, I turned away rapidly. Why did I just smile at him of all people? And, why did it feel so natural? So normal? I didn't think about it for too long, not wanting to confuse myself.
I tolerated the movie, and it was over soon enough. I completely avoided looking at Edward, but at certain moments I could feel his eyes on me. I yawned and Alice reminded me to get my rest since we had a large shopping trip planned for tomorrow. I moaned and fell into a deep slumber.
I dreamed I was trapped in a changing room, and I was drowning in them. They would stick to my skin, and I felt attacked. They chased me as I managed to open the changing room door. I awoke with a start. I looked at the digital clock—it was three o'clock in the morning. I turned my head and saw pale skin, so I leaned up. Edward was slumped over on the couch, and I noticed I had been sleeping on him. My head would have been rested on his neck the whole time. I saw how uncomfortable he looked, and I decided to help him against my better judgment.
I knew from experience he was an extremely heavy sleeper, so I stood up and gently positioned his body, so he was lying across the couch. Rosalie and Emmett were missing, so I assumed they went upstairs together. I placed the blanket over him, and I observed how adorable he looked when he was sleeping. So peaceful, and not arrogant… I didn't dwell on this long, and I set up a sleeping bag on the ground for me to sit. Not as comfy as the couch, but it would do. This time, I dreamed about Edward.
HOLY CRAP!!! I could not believe my eyes when I checked my inbox and realized how many reviews I had! Seriously, all of you who reviewed are the best! I really owe you more than a thanks reply, but I don't know what else to say! I was just overwhelmed! Sorry if my reply seemed rushed or lacked sincerity. Unless you've ever written on here, you don't know how much they mean, and I know that now. So, here's a large thanks to all of you who have reviewed: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!(: Please, keep it up!!
Oh, by the way, did you like the little Edward loving towards the end? I'm building up the attraction...