The Monday morning back to school is hell.
The good kind of hell though.
As expected, my and Edward's "fanclub" swarmed us on Monday following spring break. They knew about our vacation to Hawaii due to the numerous photos that our friends posted on their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Edward and I did our best to give them a clean version of the trip that would appeal to their gossipy brains, though when asked if we hooked up, our faces flushed.
"Uh… maybe?" I squeaked in response.
Edward had chuckled, squeezing my waist. "Maybe we did. Maybe we didn't."
Whether or not our answers appeased the girls, I'm 90% sure most of them think we had our own little paradise while we were there, if you know what I mean.
Being back in school is a relief and a pain in the ass. I'm relieved to have a distraction from the social scene, but it's a pain in the ass when my attention to school divides my time between schoolwork, working as a volunteer on weekends at the local hospital, and Edward. Despite football season being over, Edward still has his duties to fulfill as math team president. The annual national decathlon is coming up soon, so he has been spending much of his time after school studying and helping the members study. There's also Forks High's spring fair next month, and part of that spring fair is a friendly football match between the school's football team and the school's faculty staff. Whenever Edward isn't studying, the two of us set aside time to keep his athletic skills up to par.
"Keep your eye on the ball," Edward advised the first time we had our football session. It was a Saturday night on the first week of the second half of the semester. We were in his backyard, taking a break from doing our homework. I was hesitant about agreeing to casually toss a football back and forth with him. I'm supposed to be a klutz. I have what danisnotonfire calls "butterfingers." I can't run without tripping onto thin air, much less catch something thrown at me several feet away.
It took several attempts for me to get used to it, but after a few football sessions, I got the hang of it. Turns out, I didn't need to have the most dexterous fingers. As long as I had decent hand-eye coordination and didn't cringe when the ball was thrown at me, I did fine. By the end of the month, I was at the point of watching football games aired on TV, just so I could understand the fundamentals of a sport that's America's favorite pastime.
"Let's take a break," Edward breathes, bracing his body against a tree. I'm gripping the football in his hand, adrenaline flowing through my bloodstream. It's Friday night on the second week of April, the day before the spring fair. I'm spending the night at the Cullens since my dad's doing something in La Push with the Clearwaters. I'm amazed that he trusts me that much to sleep over at my boyfriend's house. Then again, he's aware that Esme and Carlisle is around, so he's probably confident that his parents have their eagle eyes ready for us.
We're being responsible teens. We still have our morals to live up to, and part of it is keeping our virtues intact.
"Gotcha." I drop the football on the grass, making my way over to Edward. I get why the boys have an affinity for sports. Similar to my passion for books and music, sports makes them feel alive.
"You're a natural at this, Bella," he praises, leaving a brief kiss on my lips. "At this rate, I could teach you to tackle."
"You mean like this?" I push his shoulders so he steps away from the tree, then push him once more so he lands on his back on the grass.
"Yes, like that," he grunts, his expression instantly shifting from exhaustion to playful. Sweat drips from his temple, so by instinct, my ring and middle finger reaches forward to flick it off.
"How would you rate that tackle?" I ask.
"11/10." He leans closer to my ear. "But if you did that and I landed on a bed, I'll consider changing the score."
"Higher or lower, baby?"
"Higher." He brushes his nose along my collarbone. "Way, way higher."
I giggle. "If we go inside right now, I'll make it happen."
He smirks, his warm green orbs darkening with mischief. "Race you inside, beautiful."
I move off of his body and stand. "See you there, Mr. Cullen." Without waiting for a response, I dash away from him and head for the door.
I can't wait for tomorrow.
~:~
The spring fair is in full swing. Alice, Rose, and I are purchasing snacks at various food and drinks station before we head to the field to watch the much-anticipated football match. The boys are already at the field, doing warmups with the other football players as their preparation for the match. Even the cheerleaders are down there, doing whatever the hell cheerleaders do before a game.
"There's no way the teachers are gonna win against our boys," Alice comments, her arms cradling a large bucket of popcorn.
"They don't stand a chance," Rose agrees. "They've lost every year in a row. This year's not gonna be any different."
"You don't know." I open a small package of Haribo gummy bears and pop one of the sweet, edible, chewy bears in my mouth. "Anything can happen. I heard Coach Clapp's been getting lessons from an alumni."
"Alumni or not, they're gonna lose," Alice says. "But it's the effort that counts, so I'll give 'em that."
We arrive at the field a few minutes later. Maneuvering through the bleachers, we find a place to sit toward the front. It's a good view for us to see the action, yet far enough to avoid being hit by a ball (Jessica Stanley was hit with one during our freshman year and it was one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen).
From the field, Emmett spots us in the midst of his squats. I snort when he waves at us mid-squat.
"Doing good, hon!" Rose yells to Emmett.
"Thanks babe!" Emmett resumes his squatting. A dozen or so squats later, he switches his position so he begins doing push-ups.
"You don't have to show off, Em!" Alice shouts.
Jasper pauses his own squatting, shaking his head. "If I do push-ups, will you be proud of me, baby?"
"Just keep doing your squats, babe! Save your muscles till the game actually happens."
Edward notices our exchange and jogs over to where we are.
"What about me?" he questions when he reaches us.
"You ran all the way over here to ask me that?" I retort.
He shakes his head. "No. I came here for this." He climbs over the fence, up the seats, and pecks my nose. "Nice jersey by the way." He had given me a blue football jersey labeled with the number 13 on the front and back last night. He wanted me to wear it for the fair, thinking that seeing me wear some sort of athletic get-up would bring him luck.
I wink. "Why thank you. A nice gentleman gave it to me yesterday."
He waggles his eyebrows. "Is that so? I should thank him properly later."
Alice gags. "Ugh, this is too much cuteness. I should've brought a blindfold."
Rose chuckles. "I think that would've only given Jas thoughts he shouldn't be having before playing."
I laugh. "We'll turn the dial down." I pat Edward's cheek affectionately. "I'm gonna use the restroom. I'll be back before the game starts."
He kisses my forehead. "Don't take too long."
"I won't." I glance toward my friends. "Don't eat all the food." On a good day, the girls could eat an entire buffet if they were starving.
"We're not Em, dear," Rose says. "We'll save you some popcorn and licorice."
I nod, standing as I do so. Edward runs back to the field, and I walk down back up the bleachers, heading toward the open restrooms at a nearby building. I'm in high spirits, though that mood quickly shatters when I see who's in front of the girls' restroom.
"Well, well." She's dressed in her cheerleading uniform, her pom-pom's on the ground. "It's none other than the Ugly Duckling."
I internally groan. I noticed that she wasn't at the field with Kate, Irina, and the rest of the cheerleading squad. I assumed she was getting a bite to eat before the game, but I should've known that someone like her wouldn't dare to eat prior to a match. According to Rose, it's not in her "demon handbook."
"What do you want, Tanya?" I grumble.
"Gee, you're pretty snappy, Swan."
"I don't have time to deal with your bullshit. Now if you'll excuse me." I move past her and I have one foot on the restroom's tiles when she says something that ruins my good mood even further.
"You don't seriously think Edward's yours forever, right?"
I freeze. "What are you talking about?"
She scoffs. "You're 16. You're too young to know what love is."
I turn my head to glare at her. "Says the one who's trying to bang nearly every guy in Forks. I feel sorry for… Stefan?"
"Stefan has nothing to do with this."
"Say that to me when I don't see your tongues in each other's mouths every single day." Ease it, Swan. Don't stoop down to her level.
"I feel sorry for you." She twirls with her blonde ponytail. "Look at you, acting as if you'll be the future Mrs. Cullen. But you're still in high school, Swan. You don't know what you want yet."
"That may be true, but at least I have plans for my future, unlike you."
"You're an ugly duckling for a reason," she sneers. "Edward thinks you're beautiful now, but he's gonna change his mind later. He's gonna realize he's too good for you and look for someone else."
"You're wrong. You're saying that because you're jealous he picked me over you."
She shrugs. "Say what you want, Swan. Real life isn't a movie. The geek doesn't always have her happy ending with Prince Charming." She crouches and retrieves her pom-poms. "Edward will realize his mistake, and when he does, you'll wish you weren't interested in him in the first place."
"That won't happen."
"Relationships don't last, kiddo. Open your eyes now while you still can."
She's a bitch. Don't let the bitch get to you! "How about you take your own advice first? At least I'm not fooling anyone." With one last glare, I scurry into the restroom.
Well fuck.
~:~
Don't listen to her, Swan. You're a great girlfriend. Edward really likes you. He won't dump you for anyone else.
Anxious breaths escape my lips as I struggle to control my nerves. My knees buckle, and my body sinks onto the rough concrete. I used the restroom as fast as I could, but that couldn't stop the conversation I had with Tanya from haunting my mind.
I'm straining to keep the tears at bay. He won't leave me. He isn't capable of doing that.
Would he?
I bite the inside of my mouth. I'm confused. Everything that Tanya said is burning my insides. It's affecting me far more than it should. After all, there was truth in her words.
"You don't seriously think Edward's yours forever, right?"
Forever. We briefly talked about that seven-letter word while we were on vacation. Edward called me his "forever," and at the time, I believed in it.
Now, I'm not so sure. What if Tanya's prediction is true? What if we aren't forever? What if we're only destined to be high school sweethearts? I can't imagine anyone else being my perfect match other than Edward. In such a cliché way, I didn't know what true love was until I met Edward. Edward, the boy who's more than Forks' star quarterback. Edward, the boy with a heart of gold who saw past my introverted ways. Edward, the boy who loves me more than anyone else ever did.
He loves me. I know he does. We haven't said "I love you" to each other yet, but I know.
I know.
"Bella?"
I break.
Tears start to spill from my eyes, dropping onto the ground. I bury my head on top of my kneecaps, refusing to look up. I need this. I need to cry. I need to release my pent-up emotions, no matter how ugly I'll look to the person who found me.
"Baby." I feel him lay his hands on my shoulders. "What happened? The game's about to start."
"I-It's nothing. Go back down. Don't miss the match."
"Silly girl… I'm not going back there without you."
"Edward, you're gonna let your team down. Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
"You're not fine. Tell me… what's wrong?"
I sniff. It won't be so terrible to tell him, right? It's Edward. He listens to every word that comes out of this awkward mouth and not once was he fazed by them. Besides, this is a subject that would've had to come up someday. That 'someday' just happens to be today.
I tilt my head up and gaze at Edward with glassy eyes. "I… talked to Tanya."
His jaw tenses. "What did she say this time? I can go tell her off-"
"No need," I interrupt. "I did that all on my own."
A corner of his lips lifts. "That's my girl."
I can't help the tiny giggle that escapes my mouth. "I can protect myself, rich bitch. It's us I should do that for."
"Protect us? Why?"
I gulp. "Tanya told me that forever might be nonexistent for us. She thinks you'll see the light of day, break up with me, and leave me for a girl who's ten times hotter than me."
"Wh… no! Do you believe that?"
I shake my head. "No. I… I don't know. I'm so fucking confused. She's not wrong, Edward. What if this, us, what if it's not meant to last? What if we're meant to split in the future? What if you do get tired of me and leave me someone who's more deserving of you? What if we realize all our relationship was is puppy love? What if-"
My rambling is cut off by his lips. His lips mold into mine slowly, full of softness and desire, reassurance and want. Our foreheads touch and he doesn't stop kissing me, even when I'm in desperate need of oxygen and I'm feebly pushing on his chest. He draws the kiss for as long as possible, until I feel as if my lungs are turning blue and I'm seconds away from fainting.
"Never think of yourself as anything less," he whispers. He stands up, holding his hand out to me. I grab onto it and he helps me up too. "I've been the happiest man on Earth for the last several weeks. You've showed me what it's like to fall for a real girl, someone who isn't with me for the popularity. To be honest, it's you I'm scared of leaving. I care so much about you. You're the only one who can make me lose my cool and turn me into a girl." He sighs. "Is it crazy if I tell you that I already love you?"
My heart skips a beat.
Told you Swan. Cullen does love you.
He grabs my hands, stroking my knuckles with his thumbs. "I'm not gonna change. If you haven't noticed, there are a bunch of gorgeous girls out there, but you're still the most beautiful, magnificent, most splendid spectacle in my world. I wake up every morning nowadays with a smile, knowing I'd get to see you, knowing that I have a girlfriend who loves me unconditionally." He raises our joined hands so it touches his chest. "You were never just a crush for me, Bella. I've always thought you were unobtainable, and when you gave me a chance to date you on Valentine's Day, I thought I finally found my soulmate."
"You believe in soulmates?"
"Who wouldn't?"
I smile. "So we're good?"
"Always." He kisses my cheek. "Belward will never die. It's written in these pages."
"Are you trying to be poetic?"
"Is it working?"
"Eh, I'll give it a C."
"C's do get degrees," he jokes.
"Oh god," I giggle, shaking my head to hold back my laughter. "I'm so telling Jas and Em you said that."
"Tell them after the game, beautiful." He lets go of my hands, choosing to drape his arm across my shoulders. "We'll talk more about this, okay?"
I nod. This is a discussion that's a bit too heavy before a somewhat important football match. "Tonight."
"Tonight," he affirms.
~:~
The FHS football team wins the game. Tanya is glaring daggers at Edward and I when she spots us sharing a celebratory kiss following the game. Rose "accidentally" drops a corndog on Tanya's shoes on our way out the field.
Things are good. Great, actually. Aside from the despairing conversation between Edward and I outside the restroom, the rest of the day progresses with no more real drama. Thinking about Edward's unexpected "I love you" boosts my positivity back up. It's a confession that I would've probably taken months to muster the courage to utter myself, so it was a relief to hear it from Edward's own lips.
We do get to continue our discussion about forever when we head back to his house after the fair's festivities. We snuggle under the blankets on his bed with the lights turned off, discussing a future that's still light years away. It's one of the rare times we talk in-depth of what we want to see our lives turn out after high school, a subject that an average high school couple would wait months into a relationship to discuss instead of a few weeks. But we're Edward and Bella. Our relationship is far from normal.
We talk about life. We talk about what forever means to us. We talk about our dream wedding and places to travel someday. We talk about what our dream house would be like and the names of our future children. We talk about the dreams we want to share to said children and how we'll grow old together. We talk about being surrounded by our families and friends in our deathbeds and being buried right next to each other at a graveyard somewhere. We joke about having our coffins stacked on top of each other to save money.
Most of all, we talk about love. We talk about where our feelings stand. He tells me "I love you" properly. I tell him "I love you" back.
"You do?" he asks. "You're not saying that because you have to?"
"Nope." I curl closer to his side, laying my head on his chest. "Because these last couple months with you… we already loved each other. It only took us now to see that."
We make a promise to stick together.
We make a promise to make our relationship everlasting.
We make a promise to always be one hundred percent genuine with each other.
We make a promise for love to triumph anything.
Yeah… this chapter just got real. And mushy. After all the fluff from the previous chapters, I think it was time to do what I do best and drop in a dose of drama. I love the romance and humor, but reality doesn't take a break. OPR wouldn't be a story unless there was conflict.
Three chapters left! I was supposed to post this on my last day of finals week, but I couldn't finish it in time. And… well, I was going through some relationship troubles during that time and I didn't have the inspiration to finish it till last night. I wasn't in the mood to write a chapter that somewhat paralleled with reality. When I work on fics, I want to be writing at my absolute best, and if I'm not at my absolute best, then I need to take a step back and come back to the story when my mind's in the right place.
Long story short… I was going through a breakup. My boyfriend was one of those punk nerdy emo people with such a soft heart that you wouldn't believe has a cheesy side. Anyway, he broke up with me because of feelings for another girl (no cheating whatsoever) and he wanted to pursue those feelings to see where it would go. For a little while, I kind of hated myself. I wondered what I could've done better with our relationship. He was my first real boyfriend, and even though we didn't last long, he was one of the best things that happened to me in 2016. We're good friends now… I say now because honestly, if you knew the story of what happened between him and the other girl, you might be convinced that we shouldn't have broken up. At least that's what my Tumblr followers think anyway.
It was a bad time for me guys. I cried for days. I watched Silver Linings Playbook and cried even more when I realized how much the movie had similarities to our relationship (he called me his "silver lining"). I had to listen to a lot of upbeat rock songs to cheer me up. I'm a bit better now though. Not happy, but better. But hey, better is the minimum bar of emotions I need to be feelings.
Sorry for sounding so depressing! But I'm back on my fanfic A-game and should have more chapters ready for you soon.
