I am completely convinced that there are not any kinder people in the world than all of you who leave reviews. You all give me a reason to keep going with this story.
Special shoutout to user mgd0107: Thank you for appreciating the characters and story so much. I am beyond happy to hear that you find this Bella relatable. I wanted to write a Bella who was smart, sarcastic, messy, and real, and one that had a level head on her shoulders. Thank you for your fondness of her.
Twilight is not mine.
Tuesday came up quickly, and before I realized it, it was the last period of the school day. I still had to pick up the baby shower cake, which I'd planned to do during this study hall period. Edward was going to sit in as the teacher while I was gone. I was reaching for my keys and phone out of my desk when I turned to him.
"Alright, think you can handle them?" I asked with a smirk.
"What, a group of girls giggling in the corner, two kids in the front reading, and one heavy sleeper in the back? I think I got it," he laughed, popping a grape into his mouth. For the last two days, I'd set small bags of grapes on his desk in cellophane bags, tied neatly with twine. He'd smiled yesterday when he read the sticky note with my silly pun on it. I'd written that I knew he'd do "grape" with his first week of teaching.
This morning, I'd made him laugh out loud when I handed him today's bag, as he'd gotten to school before me.
"Hey, Edward, what did the grape say when it was crushed?" I asked.
"What's that, Bella?" he asked with a smile.
"Nothing, it just let out a little wine," I deadpanned, tossing him the bag of grapes.
The rest of the day had gone smoothly, as he'd helped me to administer the tests to our English IV students.
"Alright, you guys," I started, as Edward passed the tests down to each row of students. "Remember, your gut instinct is usually the best option. Try not to second guess yourself. And if you come across questions that really have you stumped and you aren't certain that your answer is correct, use the column to the side to explain to me what has you confused. That way I can see what's tripping each of you up and we can aim our focus on those areas. You have the entire class period to take this, so don't get in a hurry. Check your work carefully and pace yourself on the essay portion. If you have any questions at all, please raise your hand so that Mr. Cullen or myself can come speak with you privately. When you are done, please bring your test up to my desk. If you finish early, please work on our literature reading assignment for tomorrow," I finished as the last student received his test.
That had been my spiel all day. Now I was finally on the way to Publix to get the cake. It was still so damn hot outside, even though we were already two weeks into September. I longed for October, because even though it wouldn't get too cold, it also wouldn't be so hot and humid. I could actually feel the sweat dripping down my back. And this is why I had to spend my life wearing tank tops or camisoles under everything. I sweat like a dude.
I got back to the school with about 10 minutes left before the final bell rang, giving me just enough time to get to the teacher's lounge before the halls got crowded. Tanya and Angela were already there setting up food. Each of us had used our planning periods to decorate, and Vice Principle Mike had been on duty to keep Ms. Hallmen away from the teacher's lounge all day, insisting on meeting with her to finalize her long rage plans she was leaving for her sub. Between all the running around and that Edward and I had been on lunch room duty this week, I was already beat.
"Hey, T, where you want the cake?" I asked, and Tanya turned my way, shoving a giant piece of ranch dipped broccoli into her mouth that she'd swiped from the veggie tray.
"Uhh," she said around a mouth full, a little ranch gathering in the corner of her mouth that she quickly wiped away.
"Pretty," I said as she finally got some of the giant bite down. She responded by sticking her tongue out at me to show me a pile of broccoli mush on her tongue.
"You can set it right here, Bella," Angela called sweetly. I set the cake in the center of the table and pulled it from the box.
"Presents?" I questioned, holding up the gift bag I was also holding. Tanya pointed to a small table to the side, and I ran to set it down just as I heard the bell ring. I decided to just stay here and help with the final touches, because going into a hall crowded with high schoolers was the closest thing I'd ever done to running with the bulls, and I was in no mood for that kind of excitement today.
Before long, the other faculty began filing in, and finally Ms. Hallmen walked in in front of Mike.
"What's this about-" she began, before turning to see the room and all of us yelling "Surprise!"
"Oh, you guys," she said, and immediately she began crying and hugging each of us.
Edward walked over to drop a small bag on the gift table and then made his way over to stand beside me.
"You look like you belong," I laughed, because he was one of only five of the men in the room. Of course Ben had been made to come by Angela, and other than Mike, only James, the hottie science teacher, and Mr. Banner, the hall monitor, had made appearances.
The shower was nice, even though Ms. Hallmen insisted over and over that it hadn't been necessary.
She smiled with each gift she opened, seemingly genuinely appreciative for each one. She was having a girl, and from what she'd told us, her nursery was a nautical theme. She'd received several things that I thought I might actually want for my own apartment. A 20-something shopping for herself in Buy Buy Baby without actually having a baby wouldn't be weird, right?
I watched closely as she opened the small wrapped package I'd seen Edward bring in, curious as to what he'd gotten.
When she pulled out a tiny onesie and unfolded it, she teared up again before turning it so that we could all see it.
"You're an English teacher, so I took a gamble and assumed you'd appreciate Shakespeare," he said sheepishly. He was over by the food table now, nibbling on a small plate of snacks.
The onesie had, in a elegant pink script, "Though she be but little, she is fierce," from A Midsummer Night's Dream. I swear every woman in that room actually visibly swooned.
I looked over at Edward, watching him shyly dodge the fawning and compliments from each of the ladies, and I had to chuckle. On top of being adorably handsome, he was thoughtful and kind. Pretty sure every woman in the room just put finding a man like Edward Cullen on their list of life goals.
I pulled out my cell phone and opened my text messages, moving to the ongoing conversation with Edward.
Seriously? Did you get that shit on Etsy? Show off.
I snuck a peak over to see him reach for his own phone in is pocket, opening the text and smiling. I looked back to watch the presents being opened when I felt my phone buzz a few minutes later.
It's actually from Amazon, smart ass.
I laughed quietly to myself before typing back to him.
Seriously, I'm pretty sure every woman in this room just fell in love with you. Even Coach Susan.
His response came quickly, and if texts could kill, I'd be a goner.
Every woman, huh? ;)
I walked into the apartment after school on Friday to find Rose already walking around in a bathing suit, her long blond hair piled neatly onto her head in sleek pony tail.
"What up, Malibu Barbie?" I called.
"What up, Birthday Bitch?" she asked, and we just laughed with each other.
My 26th birthday was tomorrow, but since there was a home game that we'd be attending, we were celebrating tonight. It was still so warm out, so we were having a barbecue at the apartment pool. There was a nice grilling area and gazebo to set up food and drinks. Rose and Em would be there, along with a few of our college friends. It was going to be low key and perfect.
"Go get ready. We need to get some of this stuff down there. Em's going to light the grill at 6:30 and throw on the burgers and hot dogs," she said, piling packs of buns, bags of chips, condiments, and plates into a big basket.
I went to my room and dug out my favorite suit, deciding that I could benefit from a quick shower. I pulled my own hair up and quickly cleaned up, running the razor all over the necessary places to be sure I didn't miss a line of leg fuzz.
I slipped into my navy blue swimsuit, a one piece halter that bunched at the sides with fabric that went down just past the bottom, to give it a vintage feel. I was a bit more modest than Rose, who was gorgeously rocking a two piece. Whatever, if I had her giant titties, I probably would, too. As it was, I felt confident in this one and pulled on my coverup dress to go over it. I retouched my makeup and spritzed on some perfume, then slid on my flip flops and walked back out.
Rose had our towels out already and was pulling a tray out of the fridge with tomatoes, onions and lettuce for the burgers. She even had a crockpot of chili on the counter to carry down.
Just before six, I heard a knock at the door before it opened and Emmett popped in.
He was followed by our friend Sam. They grabbed most of the stuff we needed to take down, and I picked up our towels while Rose carried a plate of cupcakes.
We got down to the pool area and it was already set up with balloons and some twinkle lights wrapped around the gazebo.
"Rose, did you do all of this?" I asked with a smile.
"Actually, Emmett did most of it earlier today," she shrugged.
Emmett just winked at me before going to the cooler to pull out the hot dogs and burger meat.
We turned on the radio we'd brought down and soon a few other friends walked through the gate. Before long, the smell of the food cooking and the happy chatter of friends were filling the air.
There was a sand volleyball court down here, too, so a bunch of the guys were playing.
"Sorry we're late," I heard behind me just as I'd bent to pull a drink from the cooler. I turned quickly to see Edward and MoMo behind me. He was wearing a t-shirt and swim trunks, holding MoMo's leash in one hand and a small birthday gift bag in the other.
"Professor, you're right on time!" Rose called.
"What's up, man?" Emmett asked as he pulled the first batch of burgers off the grill and put them each in buns. "You're just in time to eat a fresh from the grill burger from the grill master himself," Emmett called.
I hadn't realized Rose was inviting Edward. It's not that I hadn't thought of inviting him, but I didn't want to put any pressure on him to come if he didn't want to. Apparently Rose had talked to him earlier in the week and let him know. I was even more surprised, but happy nonetheless, when I saw the gate to the pool open and Alice and Jasper walk in.
"Happy birthday, Bella!" Alice said sweetly, handing me a card and leaning in to give me a hug.
"Thank you!" I replied happily. "I'm so glad you guys could come by," I smiled.
"We were excited when Rose came by the restaurant earlier this week and invited us," she said, and Jasper nodded his head.
"Yeah, thanks for having us," he added.
"Alright, party people. Let's eat!" Emmett called, and you didn't have to tell this group twice.
After we all swarmed the food table and piled our plates full, everyone took seats around the gazebo or in the chairs around the pool. I had somehow been one of the last to get my plate, and the only place left to sit was a lounge chair. I walked over and set my drink on the ground by my feet, balancing my plate on my lap. As was my usual dilemma, I had just taken a huge bite of my hamburger when I heard a light, "Is this seat taken?"
I looked up to see Alice standing by me, nodding to the end of the lounge chair. I chewed quickly, gesturing with my hand and a nod that she was welcome to sit. She laughed, a gentle, happy laugh that reminded me of Edward's, and sat down beside me.
"Sorry about that," I gulped, and lifted my drink to take a big sip.
"Oh, no worries! I didn't mean to catch you off guard," she smiled, before lifting her own burger to take a bite. She hummed in appreciation.
"It's not an AJ's burger," I laughed with a shrug.
"Meh, don't tell my husband, but sometimes I prefer a good burger off the grill. His are great, don't get me wrong. But there is something different about meat grilled over charcoal that just makes it taste so good," she said as she took another bite.
"I know what you mean. My dad grills the best steaks. I never order steaks at restaurants because I'd rather hold out for his when I go home to visit," I smiled.
"Where is he from?" Alice asked, dipping her potato chip into a small pile of chili and slaw that she'd assembled on her plate. A girl after my own heart.
"He lives in Georgia. Right on the border of Georgia and South Carolina, actually, in Augusta," I said.
"Oh! We go to Augusta all of the time! Well, we did more often when we still lived at my parent's house. The town we grew up in is about 30 minutes away from there. We'd cross the border to eat out or go shopping. We even used the hospitals and doctors in Augusta. If my dad didn't own the small town practice in Graniteville, he'd probably work in Augusta," she explained in a rush.
"No kidding? Small world. I only lived there with him for a two years. I grew up in Florida with my mom. I moved to my dad's for my last two years of high school, so that mom and her new husband could have their honeymoon phase," I smiled. "I go visit them on breaks and go to see my dad probably every couple of months, since he is closer. He lives with his girlfriend, Sue. They've been together for years, so I wasn't intruding on anything new for them," I laughed.
"It's nice that you have so much family. I don't know what I'd do without my own family. Edward and I weren't super close growing up, but now he's my best friend," she smiled. "And, that reminds me, I wanted to thank you," she said, looking at me with the sincerest eyes.
"Thank me? What for?" I asked, setting my burger back on my plate, wondering what Alice was talking about.
"Well, for what you are doing for Edward," she started. Before I could cut in to tell her it was my job, she stopped me.
"I mean, for more than just being his coordinating teacher, which I'm grateful for, too. But also for being his friend. In just a few weeks, you've become a close friend to him. And you've brought other friends into his life," she said, nodding towards the gazebo where Edward sat with Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and several of the other party guests. He was laughing and eating happily, more comfortable than I'd probably ever seen him. MoMo was lounging in the last of the evening sun, munching on a plate of cut up burger.
"Oh, I mean, well, he is easy to be friends with. He's so genuine and has a great sense of humor," I defended.
"He does," she agreed. "But people haven't always been able to see that. He didn't have many friends growing up. He was, if you can imagine, even more painfully shy than he is now. He spent a lot of time alone reading, taking music lessons, or playing games on his computer. He excelled in school, and I think the older he got, the more intimidated people became of his intelligence. He never tried to flaunt it or anything, but kids new he was the smart kid in class. He had a few friends that he'd see at school, but I honestly don't remember him ever having friends come over. Even his birthday parties were low key, at his request. It would mostly be family and a few family friends, but he never wanted to invite classmates or anything," she finished sadly.
I was pretty floored by her revelation. I knew Edward was shy, and obviously very intelligent because he'd scored so well on his SATs that he advanced a grade. I didn't really think about how that may have affected his social life.
"What about in college?" I asked, because Edward seemed more at ease with himself now. He was still shy, but he didn't seem much like the person she described.
"He did better when he got to college. He even had a girlfriend for a little while, someone just as shy and intelligent as him. But ultimately it wasn't really meant to be for them. He has a few friends in his classes, but again, no one he's ever connected with on a level past that," she said.
"What do you think it is about our group that makes it easier?" I asked.
"Well, I think it's mostly that he can be the other side of himself around you all. None of you are expecting the bookish Edward, the only side of him that most people have ever known. He finally has the freedom to enjoy his learning experience without people being intimidated that he is outshining them. In your classroom, there aren't any other students to see him as competition. And with your friends, they all have their lives in order. Emmett has a great career with the football team, Rosalie is doing so well at the law firm, and you are already an experienced and wonderful teacher. Edward's always been wise beyond his years. I think he just needed friends that he connected with easier, you know?" she said.
I was a little surprised at how much Alice was revealing to me, especially since she hardly knew me. As if reading my mind, she spoke up again.
"You are probably wondering where this is all coming from. I just felt like I had to tell you how appreciative I am of what you are doing for him. You deserve to know what a difference you and your friends are making in his life, even if he hasn't realized it himself," she said, setting her now empty plate beside her.
"Well, thank you, Alice. I really do appreciate you telling me this. And if I'm being honest, Edward's friendship has been good for me, too. He makes me laugh all of the time. I was really apprehensive about taking on a student teacher, but he's so well organized and put together, and his passion for this field is so evident. It's actually been pretty awesome to watch him flourish in the classroom," I said, and her smile was big and bright. Her mouth turned the same way Edward's did when he smiled, and I had to smile back at her for that.
"Thank you, Bella," she said, grabbing my hand and squeezing it gently. "I hope this friendship goes beyond just this semester. I can see you becoming an important part of our lives," she said, before letting go to grab her plate and cup and standing to walk back over to the others.
I hoped beyond hope that Alice was right, and that this friendship did go beyond the semester. Now that Edward was in my life, I didn't know that I'd be very willing to let that go.
The next morning, I slept until 9:30 before I could not physically keep myself in bed any longer. The party had lasted another hour, with a few of us swimming. Edward and I hadn't really talked much, as he was occupied with his new friends. I just smiled when I'd see him chatting and laughing with the others, remembering what Alice had told me. A few times, he caught my eye and smiled back, sometimes even throwing me a wink. I'd wink back, and it was all the communication we needed.
I stretched as I got out of bed, heading straight to the bathroom before I piddled my pants.
After I washed and dried my hands, I pulled my hair into a ponytail. The pool water had made it curly and wild, so it was getting piled on top of my head. I was wiping the little bits of smeared mascara away just as I heard the front door open and close. I was sure Rose was already up, so I walked back out and went back into my room to grab my phone before going to the kitchen. I lit up my phone and saw that I had several Facebook notifications, as well as several texts and a missed call from my mom.
I loved birthdays. They made me feel like a Facebook God.
I was reading my texts while I walked down the hall, laughing at my dad's.
Hapy bday, Bella. Call when u awake up. Luv u.
-Dad
He'd gotten a smartphone not long ago and was getting better, but that predict a text tended to mess him up a lot. Also, it was inherent in the olds that they had to use that awful short hand when they text.
As soon as I entered the kitchen, I heard a loud "Happy Birthday!" I looked up to see Rose, Emmett, and Edward standing in the kitchen, an opened box of Krispy Kreme donuts with a candle in one of them.
"Jesus, guys, you trying to make me die young?" I asked dramatically.
"Hey, cool it, headlights. Normal people say thank you," Rose snarked.
"I don't think she needs to cool anything, babe. Looks like she's cold enough," Emmett snickered, and at that moment I realized that I was standing there, in front of my best friend, her boyfriend, and my student teacher, in a white tank top.
Shit.
After a quick blow of the candles, with my arms crossed tightly over my chest, I ran back to my room and pulled on a sweatshirt.
Edward was on the couch when I came back, talking to Rose from the kitchen.
"Hey, birthday girl," he smiled.
"Hey. Sorry about that," I said sheepishly.
"Really, Bella, don't worry about it," he laughed. Easy for him to do. He wasn't just mortified in front of anyone.
I sat down on the couch across from him, and he reached into his pocket.
"I wanted to give you this," he said, handing a small box to me.
"Edward, you gave me a gift last night!" I said, not expecting or feeling good about accepting another one. He'd given me a nice USC print scarf, and in the card he'd written that it was for "those cold football games." I just loved that he'd remembered what I said and put so much thought into the gift.
"It isn't much, I promise," he said. I groaned and took the box from him, as he just smiled on at my exasperation.
I pulled the paper back carefully and opened the box. Inside was an Alex and Ani bangle bracelet with a little apple charm.
"Edward, I love it. Thank you!" I exclaimed, leaning forward to hug him, not caring that I smelled like chlorine and donut and unshowered grossness.
He put his arms around me tightly. I did the same with my own, unwilling to let go too quickly. I'd heard somewhere that when people patted your back during a hug, it meant that they regarded you distantly and didn't want it to linger. When they rubbed your back during a hug, it meant that they wanted the hug to last and that they had genuine affection for you. I focused on that he gently rubbed his hands up and down my back.
"Thank you, Edward," I whispered, and as he'd done the last time, he leaned his head down and placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head.
"You're welcome, Bella," he whispered back. I thought back to what Alice said the night before, thanking me for the influence I'd had on Edward's life. I wanted to thank Alice, too, for having such an amazing brother. I think I was just now realizing how much he'd already affected my life, too.
