Author's Note:
Hey everyone! I know it's been a while but I want to thank those of you who are sticking with this. It means a lot to know that you still care. I hope I don't disappoint any of you but if I do I'm sorry. I miss this and I'm doing it for me but I hope you enjoy it.
Fake a Smile, Blow a Kiss
Chapter 4: Happy
BPOV
I was woken up by the soft sounds of voices in the distance. As my brain struggled to comprehend what it was I stayed quiet and still. After a few moments of concentration I realized it was coming from the kitchen, along with the smell of fresh brewed coffee and pancakes.
Encouraged by the smells and the grumbling of my stomach, I slowly rolled over to see if anyone was in the room with me. Nope. From the sounds they were all in the kitchen. Contemplating whether I should join them or stay and enjoy the few moments of peace, my stomach growled again. Decision made, I guess.
Slowly I sat up while rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands. As I stood up, I balanced myself on the edge of the sofa and stretched my arms above my head, hearing my back pop several times in response.
As I walked into the kitchen I was greeted by Esme, Alice's mother. "Good morning, Bella. Did you sleep well?"
I smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, thank you. Did you and Carlisle have a good time last night?"
She smiled to herself and nodded slightly, obviously remembering the night. "It was wonderful to go out and relax. He's always so sweet to me."
"Good," I replied as Alice and Rose noticed me and nodded good morning. "Where are the boys?"
They both frowned slightly and sighed sadly, "Football."
Esme and I shared a look and stifled our giggles. These two could be so overdramatic. The guys had most likely spent the night and had breakfast with them, and yet they were still upset that they wouldn't see them for 4 hours. Practice was from 8AM to 12 noon on Saturdays to keep them in shape over the weekend and to decrease the chances of them going out partying on Friday night. Practicing football first thing in the morning with a hangover didn't sound very appealing. Not that Alice and Rose would let them drink anyways.
"You'll see them in a few hours. Until then I'm sure you'll come up with some way to entertain yourselves," Esme replied motherly.
They nodded as I sat down with a plate of pancakes and a cup of coffee while Rose passed me the strawberry syrup.
"What time did you guys get up?" I asked.
"7 o'clock so we could eat with them before they left," Alice said, slightly more like her normal self.
"Yeah," said Rose. "We didn't want them to go on empty stomachs, not that Emmett would ever leave without eating, but we didn't want them to eat junk food or something."
I nodded and continued my breakfast as they drank coffee and thought of things for us to do for the next few hours. There was no way I would be allowed to leave until the boys got back from practice, and even then they might want me to stay.
"I don't know about you two but after all the junk food we ate last night I'm thinking going for a run sounds good. It's not raining today and the sun is out for the moment. We should make the most of it. What do you think?" asked Rose, every concerned with her appearance despite her lack of vanity.
"I think I could use a nice run. What about you, Bella? Sound good?" asked Alice.
Instead of fighting it I shrugged and said, "You're going to have to lend me something to wear. All I brought was jeans." Besides, I haven't been for a jog in a while. It would be nice to get some fresh air even if I injure myself. It usually helps me clear my head at least.
"Ok, I will go find you something to wear and then we will go. When you're done eating, come upstairs," said Alice as she and Rose raced out of the kitchen to change.
Sighing, I stood up and put my plate, fork, and cup in the sink after rinsing them off and headed for the stairs. When I got to Alice's door it was cracked so I went in to grab my toiletries and head for the half bathroom to change. Sitting on top of my bag was a pair of navy blue Nike shorts, a lime green sports bra, and a long sleeved, purple shirt that would absorb sweat. Grabbing it all, I went to the other bathroom, brushed my teeth, put my hair up, and changed into Alice's clothes, happy that the sleeves of the shirt actually went to the top of my hands.
As I walked back into Alice's room, she and Rose were putting on socks and shoes while listening to music to get pumped. Rose threw a pair of socks at me when I wasn't looking and they hit me in the side before landing with a soft thump. She smiled sheepishly and mumbled, "Sorry. I thought you were looking."
"It's fine. I probably wouldn't have caught them anyways," I replied. I sat of the floor and put on the socks and my sneakers while bobbing my head to the music and humming to myself. When I looked up, Rose was standing in front of me, offering me her hand to help me stand up. I took it and pushed myself off the ground.
"Remember to grab your iPod, Bella," Alice called as she pulled on a hoodie. Rose handed me Alice's other hoodie, she only owned 2, and I put my iPod in the front pocket of it after I had pulled it on. Looking at the two of them you could still see their feminine curves despite the hoodies, and Rose was wearing one of Emmett's. How it didn't swallow her alive, I will never know.
We descended the stairs and sat in the foyer stretching our muscles. When we were done Alice yelled up the stairs to let Esme know where we were going and told her we'd be back soon. As we walked out the front door a cool breeze hit my legs making me shiver slightly. I was very glad Alice gave me the hoodie and my legs would be burning with the exertion of running soon anyways.
"Ok, how far do you guys want to run? Down to the park and back or make the whole loop around the park?" Rose asked. To the park and back would be just under 3 miles which wasn't too bad but it was a little more than I was used to. If we circled around the park it would be about 5 miles. I was secretly hoping we would just go to the park and back but Alice had other ideas.
"We've got plenty of time to run and come back and shower before they guys get back so let's go through the park while the weather's good, ok?" Alice suggested.
They looked to me and I shrugged. "That's fine I guess but I might get behind. I'm only used to doing about 3 miles, so don't feel like you have to slow down to wait for me. I'm going to have to pace myself better if I want to keep a steady speed." They accepted my answer and we walked briskly to the end of the drive way, turning left and starting at a slight jog. We slowly progressed into a nice jog, all going at slightly different speeds based on the current song playing through our head phones and leg length in Rose's case.
I was slowly drifting behind but I didn't mind. I could feel my lungs working to keep my body filled with oxygen and it was relaxing just letting my feet take me forward and not having to think about it. The fresh air was clearing my head and my previous slightly bad mood. I missed this. In between songs I was able to hear my feet hit the slightly damp pavement at a soothing pace. Currently my music was on shuffle but I was changing it to make sure it was an upbeat song so I wouldn't slow down.
At the half way point I was only just over an eighth of a mile behind them and I was feeling good. By now I was starting to feel the burn and I loved it. I would have to start running again more often. I forgot how good this felt. With the wind whipping by me and making my hair blow crazily, I smiled. This felt right and it gave me a good outlet. I was gaining on Alice as she was about 20 feet behind Rose. When we were about a mile from the house we were pretty evenly spaced at 30 feet apart. Still gaining on Alice, I sped up. With half a mile to go I had caught up with Alice and was about 15 feet behind Rose. Pushing myself harder, I all but sprinted towards the drive way that would lead me to the house. We had a rule, first back to the house got to shower first. If I showered first I could probably sneak off before they were done.
When I caught up to Rose, she cocked an eye brow at me and smiled slightly in silent request for competition. When I nodded once she smiled and sped up with me right beside her. Knowing how she would cheat if I did happen to take the lead, I cut through the yard and jumped half way up the 4 front porch steps before going up the other 2 in a single step. As I crossed the porch, I reached out to touch the siding before Rose could. As soon as I touched the siding I spun around and leaned against the wall and pulled out my head phones while smiling and laughing as Rose glared at me coming up the stairs in a single jump.
"That was cheating! You know we're supposed to go on the drive way," she accused.
"Smiling even wider I replied, "I know. But you know that, too and yet you still do it when you want to win."
As Alice came up the stairs she was laughing. "Bella totally won that, Rose and you know it! That's the first time she's ever 'cheated' as you put it and like she said, you do it all the time."
Frowning Rose said, "Fine. You win this time, Swan, but watch your back."
I grinned and nodded, "That's fine by me." I slid down the wall to begin my cool down stretches as Alice and Rose joined me, the latter still grumbling about her loss.
Fifteen minutes later I felt amazing. Standing up to help Alice and Rose up I said, "I'm going to go take a shower now."
They nodded. "We'll be up in a few minutes," Alice replied.
As I walked into Alice's room, I grabbed my bag and went into the bathroom. Wanting to get home as soon as possible I showered quickly and got dressed in minutes. With my hair still wet but having towel dried it, I left to bathroom to head down stairs, taking my stuff with me. When I got there Alice and Rose where sitting in the living room with goofy grins on their faces.
"Why are y'all smiling like that?" I asked cautiously. They both looked up and smiled.
"The guys get to leave practice early and will be home any minute!" Alice squealed as Rose nodded along excitedly.
I tried not to smile as I replied, "If they'll be here any minute then why aren't you two showering?"
Their eyes got huge and they spun to look at each other. Alice dictated her plan of action. "Rose, you shower in my bathroom, I'll shower in my parents' bathroom." Nodding firmly, they both took the stairs 2 at a time and after a minute I heard doors slamming.
Smiling, I yelled up the stairs, "I'll see you guys later!" and ran out of the house with my stuff before either of them could reply. As I got outside, however, I remembered that they had driven me to school yesterday. Thinking quickly and hoping to help the girls in some way, I called Jasper.
"Hello?"
"Hey Jasper. I know you guys are headed to see Alice and Rose but could you do me a favor first?"
"Sure Bells. What do you need?"
"Can you give me a ride home from Alice's house? They picked me up yesterday and aren't ready right now but I really need to go home. Could you and Emmett take me while they finish getting ready?" I asked my voice full of hope.
He laughed lightly. "Sure Bella. We'll be there in a minute."
"Great! Thank you so much!"
We said good bye quickly as I walked to the end of the drive way. True to his word, they pulled up a minute later. Climbing in the back seat of Emmett's huge jeep they smiled and questioned why their girlfriends couldn't take me home. Since we were almost to my house I decided to play with them.
"Oh, they were just getting in the shower and I didn't want them to have to rush or anything. You know how they like to take their time and look their best for you two, always putting on lotion and their best clothes." Jasper turned from the passenger seat to look at me while Emmett glanced at me in the rear view mirror. They both looked shocked and Emmett stepped on the gas. As soon as my house was in sight I was unbuckling and laughing at the two of them arguing over Emmett's speed so he would get back to Alice's house faster. Once the jeep came to a complete stop I jumped out, stumbled a little, slammed the door and yelled my thanks as they sped off.
As I walked to the front door I noticed my mom's car was gone. Unlocking the front door I found a note saying she had gone to see Phil, her boyfriend, and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. I smiled. I had the house to myself tonight. I could finally get some work done and not have to worry about everyone else for a moment. For once, it had turned out to be a good day.
EPOV(I am in no way a law major, so bear with me on the technicalities of the situation. And I have never even visited California or the west of America, so I'm sorry if something is incorrect.)
I woke up to the sun shining in my eyes, feeling more rested than I can remember feeling. I sat up quickly and looked around. My alarm clock was supposed to go off at 6:30 so I would have time to get ready to be on set. It was now 9:38. After a moment of looking at the clock and searching for my phone I remembered why I wasn't woken up to the beeping of an alarm. I told them I quit. I held my own for a change and I had slept the best I had in years. It was nice.
Smiling, I got up and headed for the bathroom to shower. On the way I saw my phone sitting on the little table next to the couch. I contemplated turning it back on but decided against it for the time being. My lawyer's office didn't open until 10 anyways and I didn't really have anyone else I wanted to talk to at the moment. I showed quickly and got changed into some sweat pants, preparing to chill for the day. Deciding I should eat something, I picked up the room phone and ordered breakfast. It was just before 10 so I decided to go ahead and turn my phone on to see if anyone important had called.
After the phone had been on for a moment it started vibrating in my hand, informing me of missed alerts. As I scrolled through them I saw several missed calls from Joe and Tanya, along with a few messages from each of them. Skipping those I saw a call from my parents' house and a voice mail from them as well. I sighed. I should have known Joe would call them. Before I could call my voice mail there was a knock on my door. Food had arrived. I began eating as I got back to my phone.
I entered my password and listened as my dad's voice greeted me.
"Hello, son. Your mother and I just received a call from Joe saying that you're refusing to continue shooting your current film. He said he wants us to 'talk some sense into you', his words, not ours. Your mother and I trust you to make your own decisions but we would like to know what happened to make you come to this conclusion so suddenly. Please give us a call when you get the chance. We love you. Talk to you soon."
I smiled. I love my parents. I decided to call them and fill them in on what happened yesterday before calling Jenks, my lawyer.
Like I knew they would, they supported me completely and asked if I wanted them to call Joe back and let them give him a piece if their mind. I told them that I would just rather it be over with officially and was going to call Jenks. They agreed that I was a good idea and a very mature thing for me to do. After agreeing to come home soon to see them soon, I said my good byes and hung up, ready to call Jenks. Before I could dial the number though, I got an incoming call from Joe. I decided against answering it and hit the Ignore button as I finished eating.
This time I was able to dial Jenks' number successfully. He sounded surprised to hear from me.
"Hello Edward. I haven't heard from you in a while. I hope all is well. Is this a social call or business?"
"Hello Jenks. I'm sorry to say that this is a business call. Things have been better when it comes to my current career choice. I was hoping you had some time to meet with me soon."
"Of course. What do you need to see me for?"
"I plan on quitting my acting career prematurely because of Denali Films."
"Ok. What have they done?"
"Saying there was a breach of contract on their part seems like an understatement but I guess that's what you would call it."
He didn't respond for a moment. "I'm guessing you've talked to them already."
"Yes."
"And they aren't willing to work with you?"
"Apparently not."
He sighed. "Ok. Are you free tomorrow?"
"I should have some time. Can you meet me at my parents' house?"
"That works. Are you sure they won't mind us meeting there?"
"No. They'll be happy to see you despite the circumstances. Besides, I want their input."
"Ok. Tomorrow at 3PM?"
I sighed in relief. "Thank you Jenks. I'll see you then."
"See you then Edward."
Hanging up the phone I felt relaxed and confident. I had my parents on my side and Jenks had always treated me well, like I was his family. Things were looking up at the moment and I was happy. Looking around the hotel room I tried to think of something to do to that would be relaxing. I could watch TV but I wasn't in the mood to sit around like a couch potato. I could pack up my stuff and head to my parents' house but I wasn't in the mood to leave right this second.
Sighing I stood up and walked to the windows to look down at the city. The sun was barely completely above the opposite roof top and if felt nice on my skin. As I glanced up I remembered the roof top. I smiled as I thought about how much space was up there. If no one was there I could jog around the perimeter of the building for some exercise and then pack to go home.
Changing into some shorts and a shirt I left my room and took the stairs 2 at a time to the roof. Opening the door quietly, I glanced around to see if I was alone. It appeared I was. Walking out into the sun I sat down on the middle of the roof and stretched, enjoying the warmth and fresh air. I stood and started off at a steady pace, relishing in the feel of exerting my muscles like this again. After 8 laps around the top of the building I was sweating like crazy. I peeled my shirt off and left it hanging on the roof door handles in hopes of it drying some.
As I continued to run, I let my mind wander to what I was going to do after my meeting with Jenks. Hopefully things would be settled quickly and I would be able to move on with my life. I was legally allowed to live on my own but I like my parents and I wouldn't mind staying with them for a while longer but I didn't want to stay where they live in Sacramento, California. I wouldn't dream of asking them to move for my sake so I would probably be living on my own. I still had to decide where I was going to go. I wanted to go somewhere new that would give me a chance to be myself. I can't change who I am so I'll have to deal with some of the attention but if it was a small place there wouldn't be as many people to deal with and hopefully the news of me living there would pass quickly. One thing I did know is that I would go back to school. I could start as a senior in high school and go from there. Being home schooled for the last four years wasn't bad but I did miss all the friends I could have made. Going to a public school would be a nice change. I've played the part in enough movies to figure out the jist of it. I know it won't be like in the movies but the concept is the same. I think of myself as intelligent so I should be able to pick things up quickly. Besides, technically I should be in college already since I finished all my 'school work' a year early. Bu considering I haven't really done anything scholastic related in a year, one year of high school sounded like my best option.
I finally realized that my muscles were aching and I was sweating even more. I slowed down to walk the last half lap of the roof. When I got back to the door and my shirt I stretched again and slowly walked down the stairs. When I got back in my room I saw my phone light up with missed alerts. Sighing I went to see who they were form. There were more from Joe and Tanya which I deleted immediately and a text from my mom saying she would be home by 5 so I could get there whenever I liked. Smiling, I went to take another shower and pack.
Once I was packed I remembered that I had to let Joe know what I was doing. Instead of calling him I sent a text.
I'm meeting with my lawyer tomorrow and I will let you know what will happen next.- E
I turned my phone off again so I wouldn't have to deal with him yet. I called the front desk to let them know I was checking out and asked if they could send up a cart for my luggage. After a few minutes there was a knock on the door and an elderly man was standing in front of a luggage cart with a smile on his face.
"Good afternoon, sir. I believe you called for a cart?"
I smiled at him and said, "Yes sir, thank you."
He said, "Not a problem son, it's my job after all." He laughed softly and helped me load my bags on the cart and proceeded to push it out the door, into the hall way to wait for me to make sure I had everything. After a final scan of the room, I put my phone, keys, and wallet in my pocket and shut the door behind me.
As we got in the elevator, recognition flashed in his eyes. "You're Edward Cullen," he said with a smile.
I resisted the urge to sigh and nodded twice, "Yes sir, I am."
He looked like he was about to say something but hesitated. After a moment he continued. "Would you mind signing something for my granddaughter? She's 8 and thinks you're wonderful. If you don't want to then please don't feel obligated." He had a kind smile and sounded sincere.
I couldn't refuse someone so polite and elderly. I smiled genuinely and nodded. He pulled out a pad of green post-it notes and a pen. I took them from him and asked, "What's her name?"
He had a huge grin on his face as he replied and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and flipped to a picture. "Her name's Alexis. This is a picture of her from a few weeks ago at her birthday party. I got her your last movie. It was her favorite gift. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I give her this. She'll be so excited!"
I had to laugh. You couldn't doubt his love for his granddaughter when you saw the twinkle in his eyes as he spoke of her. I looked at the picture and saw an adorable little girl grinning at the camera like she just won the lottery while holding the case of the movie he had given her.
I looked at the post-it and wrote:
To Alexis, may you have many more happy birthdays. Thank you so much for being a fan. I hope you enjoy the movie. Edward Cullen
As I handed him back the post-it, the elevator doors opened and he pulled the cart out and to the front desk. He offered to take my keys to the valet so my car would be waiting for me when I was done and I thanked him again for helping and he thanked me for the autograph.
I checked out quickly and thanked the woman, telling her that my stay had been excellent and that the roof top had an amazing view of the city. She nodded and wished me a safe trip and that I may return soon.
When I pulled the cart out to the front of the hotel my Volvo was sitting there waiting. The man that had brought it up helped me load my stuff into the trunk and wished me a safe trip. I tipped him as I got in the passenger seat and gripped the steering wheel. I had missed driving my baby. It was good to have the freedom to drive myself again. As I pulled out of the hotel parking lot I put on my sun glasses, rolled the windows down, and turned the radio up. It was now 1 o'clock and I would be home in 5 hours.
Pulling off the interstate towards my familiar home town felt nice. I hadn't been home in almost a year and this visit was long overdue. I had called my mom when I had stopped about 2 hours ago to take a quick break. She was excited I was so close to home and ready to see me. She told me my dad would be home early and we would have a nice family dinner. Just the thought of a home cooked meal had my stomach growling. The chips I had been eating suddenly didn't have any appeal.
As I pulled into my old neighborhood I was pulled down memory lane. I saw Kyle's house where we used to climb the massive tree in the front yard. Then there was Thomas' house where our old tree house was still in the massive oak out back. It was old and didn't look too stable now but it had been our place growing up. Then there was John's house where we would play all kinds of sports in the back yard, from basket ball to foot ball to baseball. I passed the curb where I was trying to show off for Kyle's sister and I messed up on my skate board and broke my arm. On the plus side she had kissed me on the cheek for mot crying and she had been the first to sign my cast. As I watched the houses pass that used to be the homes of my friends, I sighed. When I 'made it big' at 14 I lost all my friends because I was never here to see them. It was lonely at that time but I didn't know what to do. Now I was excited to make new friends and be as normal as I could. I had a bright future ahead of me and I wasn't going to waste any of it.
I pulled into the drive way and immediately walked towards the house. Temporarily forgetting my stuff in the car. As soon as I opened the front door the smell of homemade lasagna and fresh garlic bread hit my nose. It was heavenly. Another reason I loved my mother, she always made my favorites when I came home. I went straight to the kitchen to see if I could surprise her. She had her back to me and was rinsing off a head of lettuce in the sink. I snuck up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She must have thought I was my dad because she asked how me how work was.
I smiled and replied, "Well I'm suing them so not so great I guess. But I can't really complain. I'm finally getting out."
As soon as I spoke she had dropped the lettuce and spun around in my arms to hug me tightly to her. After a moment I realized me shirt was wet and I was a little worried.
Bending down to her level I asked, "Mom, are you alright?"
She nodded and finally looked up. She had a huge grin on her face and said, "I'm just so happy to see you!" She sniffed once and hugged me to her again. I laughed softly and hugged her back, knowing if I had come home more this wouldn't be happening.
A few moments later we heard my father calling my name from the foyer.
"Edward?"
"In the kitchen, Dad."
He walked in with a big smile on his face but it slowly fell from his face as he saw Mom.
He looked at me and asked quietly, "Is she alright?"
Before I could respond she pulled away and looked at him indignantly. "I'm fine. I'm just happy to see my son. Is that a crime?"
We both laughed as she got back to washing the lettuce so my dad could hug me.
"It's good to have you home, son."
I smiled for real and replied, "I know. It's good to be home."
Ok. So I hope you enjoyed it! It was really nice to write again. I'm sorry for any typos but I don't have a beta so it's just me. If you would like to beta for me than let me know! Thanks for reading! Drop me a line of you have something to say.
Cabtwilighter