Chapter Seven: Going out
I now had a new routine. Get up, cook breakfast, eat, wait for Edward to pick up Bella while waiting in the car, drive to school, wait for the final bell, go to La Push, hang with Jake and the guys, and sometimes I went to Leah's, cook for the Black's, go home, stuff the meal Bella made or take out down my throat, say good night to Uncle Charlie and wait in my room for the next day to come, then repeat. Successfully avoiding almost all contact with Bella and her creep boyfriend. Sadly, this meant I didn't see much of Uncle Charlie either.
Ever since my rant to Edward, he and Bella have pretty much stayed out of my way. When I see them in the morning Edward just gives me a nod in greeting and I put the car in gear.
I know avoiding her is childish but if I don't it might get ugly. Like the night she ran to Phoenix. Besides that I was still pissed, Edward was creepy and I wanted to stay away from that.
Jake and the guys seemed to have had another growth spurt. Jake is now six foot two, Quil and Bry are now both five foot eleven and they all are starting to bulk up. They look gigantic compared to my small frame at five foot four.
"Next week is Forks' prom, right?" Jake wondered.
"Ummmm… Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is. Why?" I asked, figuring it had something to do with Bella.
"Just wondering. Is Bella going?" Jake asked with a curious look over his shoulder at me.
"Oh. You're still hung up on Bbbeeellllllaaa…" I said elongating Bella to tease him.
"Yeah she's going, but she doesn't know she's going." I said sourly, hating the turn the conversation was taking. I thought it was stupid that Edward and his sister were surprising Bella with prom.
"What do you mean she doesn't know she's going to prom?" Quil asked looking extremely confused.
"Edward's taking Bella to his house and his sister is going to play Bella Barbie and get her all dressed up and then Edward's going to take her to prom and give her that flower thing that girls wear on their wrists, at the school." I explained the plan that Uncle Charlie had explained to me the other day.
"That's stupid. You should have a choice if you want to go to the prom. Not be forced into going when you don't want to." Embry said from his spot on the couch in the corner of the garage.
"She'll probably throw a fit when they first get there, then she'll give in because Edward wants her to go in with him and end up loving the whole experience." I said with a shrug, not really caring if that was how it went down.
"Besides as I told Edward, my give a damn's broken when it comes to Bella. She's burned her bridge with me and cheered while she did it." I said bitterly. "I'm going inside to cook. Any of you coming inside with me?"I asked looking at each of them, staying on Embry just a little bit longer than Jake and Quil.
"I just started this. I think I'll work on this a little bit longer." Jake said from under the new car he got from the junk yard for a hundred bucks. He has to straighten the chaise and replace, pretty much everything on the car. It was going to take a while to get it to a drivable condition.
"I'm gonna stay here and help Jake. He'll get more done if he doesn't have to constantly get up and down for tools." Quil replied.
"Well. You two enjoy the car, while I enjoy being the taste tester." Embry said as he jumped up off the couch to follow me back to the house. Embry and I walked across the lawn and into the house. We greeted Billy as we walked past him to the kitchen and got to work.
"Anna… I've…. I've been thinking." Embry fumbled as he cut up peppers for the chili and rice.
"Did it hurt." I teased to ease some of his tension.
"No." He chuckled. "I was wondering if you….if you and I could… go on a date….Friday?" Embry mumbled nervously with a blush.
I dropped the spoon I was using to stir the pot against the side and turned to Embry.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah." Embry said looking down while he blushed.
"Sure, what ya wanna do?" I asked.
"We could head up to Port Angeles and catch dinner and a movie." Embry suggested with a shrug. The blush still hadn't faded from his cheeks.
"Sounds great." I beamed and turned back to the chili with a my smile firmly in place.
While cooking the chili and rice we decide that we would go to the Chinese restaurant down the block from the movie theater and go see the new movie that just came out, 'Into the Woods'.
Jake and Quil came into the kitchen when the food was almost done. They looked in between Bry and I and grinned like Cheshire cats. They were obviously in on Embry asking me out.
"I take it she said 'yes'. Way to go Embry. You finally got up the nerve." Jake cheered, slapping Embry on the back. Embry grinned and the blush he had just gotten rid of was back in full force.
I drove home with a smile still on my face as I sang along with the old country station on the radio. When I arrived back at Uncle Charlie's, Bella and Edward were cuddled up on the couch, but even their disgustingly lovey dovey display couldn't lessen my good mood. I headed to the stairs to go to my room and call Leah, but Uncle Charlie's voice stopped me from his recliner in the living room.
"Anna, can you come here, please?" Uncle Charlie called.
"Yeah, what's up Uncle Charlie?"I said grinning as I leaned on the back of his chair.
Bella and Edward managed to draw their attention away from each other to see what Uncle Charlie was asking.
"Billy called. When's he coming?" Uncle Charlie asked with his cop face firmly in place.
"You two gossip worse than two old women, you know that? He's coming Friday at four. He's taking me to dinner and a movie in Port Angeles." I smiled.
"Alright. I'll be here when he gets here." Uncle Charlie said turning back to the TV and his beer, officially dismissing me.
"Who's coming on Friday?" Bella asked from her place on the couch in Edward's arms.
"Embry asked me out." I said.
"Who's Embry?" Bella asked. Isn't someone nosey tonight.
"One of Jake's friends." I said and walked out of the room and to mine.
Friday couldn't come fast enough. The week seemed to drag on and on with my excitement growing with each passing day. But finally Friday arrived. After school I came straight home and ran past the door way to the living room to the stairs.
"Where's the fire?" Bella asked annoyed that I had interrupted her alone time with Edward. I maturely stuck my tongue out instead of replying to her.
I couldn't decide what to wear. There were clothes littering my floor, anywhere you looked there were clothes. Do I dress in dressy casual? Do I dress fancy? How am I suppose to dress for a dinner and movie? Could google help me? I decided to call Leah, she would know what to do.
"Hello?" Seth answered the phone.
"Seth, put Leah on the phone, now! This is a girl emergency!" I stressed into the phone. I heard the phone hit the counter and Seth running across the floor.
"Leah!" I heard Seth yell.
"What Seth? You don't have yell. The house isn't that big." I heard Leah grumble.
"It's Anna. She said it's a girl emergency." Immediately the phone was picked up.
"What's wrong? He didn't cancel on you did he? I'll go kick his ass!" Leah asked quickly into the phone.
"I can't decide what to wear!" I exclaimed to her.
"Oh! Where is he taking you again?" She asked.
"Dinner and a movie." I replied.
"Ok. Wear the dark washed boot cut jeans, you bought the last time we went shopping, the fitted red blouse I got you for your birthday and wear those grey flats that you finally broke in two months ago. Wear your diamond stud earrings and red heart necklace with light silver eye shadow and tinted lip gloss." Leah stated calmly.
"I love you. You should be a professional stylist!" I exclaimed.
"I try."
"I'll call you later with the details." I said.
"You better." She threatened and hung up.
I rushed and put on what she told me and it ended up looking really good. I wasn't kidding when I said that she should be a stylist. She's good at this shit.
I left my hair down but braided my bangs and pinned them to wrap around to the back of my head with a red jeweled bobby pin.
Uncle Charlie arrived home at three thirty and changed out of his uniform and into his casual clothes. Embry arrived at exactly four. I rushed to the door but Uncle Charlie beat me.
"Come in and take a seat." Charlie said pointing to the living room as Bella and Edward came out of the kitchen and went up stairs to her room.
"You two keep the door open!" Uncle Charlie called after them.
Uncle Charlie sat in his chair and leaned forward. Police Chief Charles Swan has entered the building people!
"What are your plans with my niece?" Charlie asked like it was an interrogation.
"Dinner and a movie, sir?" Embry said but it came out as a question.
"Be home by nine thirty and no funny business. To Port Angeles and back. No detours. Any problems Anna has her phone. Call me. It will take thirty seconds." Uncle Charlie said sternly.
Embry gave a nervous nod. "Yes, sir."
Uncle Charlie got up and patted Embry on the shoulder as he walked toward the kitchen for a beer.
"Have fun." Uncle Charlie mumbled gruffly.
Embry and I walked out of the house and to his old gray Chevy pickup truck.
"You look beautiful." Embry said as he held the door open and helped me in.
"Thank you. You look handsome too." I said blushing, as I scanned his dark wash jeans and white button up shirt.
The ride to Port Angeles was filled with light conversation that continued into dinner, as we got to know each other a little bit more. He asked a whole bunch question about me. My favorite flower, gemstone, places I wanted go. I learned his favorite books, baseball player, and that he wanted to go the University of Washington for a degree in engineering to help Jake at the garage he wants to open. Embry paid for dinner and the movie, even though I offered to pay for my meal and ticket. He brushed me off saying it was wrong for a girl to have to pay to be taken out on a date. We shared a large bag of popcorn. I don't think the night could have gotten any better than it was. It was great.
We pulled back up to Uncle Charlie's at nine and Embry walked me to the door.
"I had a really great time." I said shyly, looking at him through my lashes.
"I did to." Embry said back, smiling.
As we got to the door Embry turned me to face him and leaned in slow and kissed me on my cheek. There seemed to be a spark of electricity where he kissed me.
"Good night." He said as he leaned back and jumped off the porch and back to his truck. I waved to him before going inside and running to my room and jumping on the bed and squealing into a pillow.
I haven't smiled this much in a while. I have to call Leah!