Chapter Seven; Dark Edges
This is for skycullen; Your reviews always make me laugh!
"No."
Alice started to chase me around the room, like a crazy person. Alice wasn't the reason I was jumping over the furniture, though. It was the thin piece of paper she was holding in her small hands.
"Take it!" she yelled running around the sofa instead of jumping over it.
By the time Alice was around the sofa I was already on the other side. It felt nice to be faster than her for once. Granted, she's pregnant – it still felt nice.
"No," I said again but, this time firmer. I was hoping I could get my point across.
"If you don't take this check," Alice yelled from the other side of my sofa bed. "I am writing you out of our will."
I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows. She wasn't going to crack me. Nothing she can say will make me borrow money from her.
"Fine," I said flatly.
She held the check above her head preparing to rip it in half. I shifted my body weight onto my left foot, giving her the go-ahead-I'm-waiting stance.
"And," She added frantically. "I'll let Rosalie be the God Mother of little Wolfgang."
I licked my lips, getting nervous. She wouldn't, would she? No she can't not make me the God mother, she promised me. I had everything planned out. I would be the one he came for help with girls or getting a fake ID. I was going to the cool adult.
I called her bluff. "You wouldn't."
Alice folded the check in half, placing it in her front pocket of her polo shirt. She reached around her small frame and pulled out her cell phone. My heart started to slightly speed up. Alice slowly flipped open her phone, scrolling though her contacts. She knew she was getting to me, she was teasing me.
"Fine!" I shouted unable to just stand there in silence for another minute. "I'll take your money," I mumbled softly under my breath.
It was hard for me to say it out loud. I loathed having to rely on other people; I've always been independent. I've been doing everything for myself since I could walk and talk.
Alice shut her phone but didn't slip it back into her jeans. She rocked on her heels, satisfied. She was really enjoying my pain.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."
"I'll take your money," I said louder and ten times faster.
Alice walked around my sofa bed and smoothly over to me. She wasn't saying anything but her face gave everything away. Her goofy grin lit up her entire face, causing me to wince. She was now standing inches from me - I could smell her Kelvin Cline perfume. She bought me the same bottle for Christmas. It smells heavenly; too bad I dropped mine before New Years.
"What?" She laughed. "I'm sorry it's just, you talk so fast."
I narrowed my eyes at her – if she wasn't pregnant I would kick her.
"Bite me," I said simply.
She laughed and grabbed the check out of her front pocket. She slipped it in my hand and embraced me with a hug before I could take a look at it. She broke away suddenly fixing her hair.
Alice started to make her way to the door. "I have to run," she said over her shoulder. "I'll be checking my bank accounts, if there isn't a decent withdrawal within a couple of days, I'm calling Rose."
I glanced down at the check and saw that it was blank. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. When I brought my eyes back up she was already gone. I guess I could have chased after her. I would have caught her before she got in her car. I could have told her I didn't care if Rose was the God mother. There was no way in hell I was filling in a number. I could have done all those things, but I didn't. I just brought my eyes back down to the check and thought of all the possibilities.
There are lots benefits to having a pull out bed in your room. All you had to do was push it in and instant extra space. Extra space that's perfect for attracting and promoting positive energy within me. I just recently had taken up yoga. I heard it works like a charm. I needed all the help I could get. I figured if I could balance my mind, body and soul maybe it would balance my karma as well. It is also thought to prevent specific diseases and maladies by keeping the energy meridians open and life energy flowing. Or at least that's what the back of the box says. Come to think of it, I have no idea what that means. Prevent diseases sounds good to me, everything else is just fillers, make them sound smarter.
I laid out the mat smoothly onto the carpet floor. I went over to the DVD player a placed the shiny disk in the whole the closed it shut. A warning label showed on the screen for what seemed like for hours. I ignored it looking down at my nails. They were in a desperate need for a manicure. When it finally faded I took a breath, preparing for my work out.
Another warning slide faded onto the TV. I slammed both hands on the floor, frustrated. I leaned on my side and grabbed the controller. I fast forwarded through all the warnings and the introduction given by a skinny woman wearing close to nothing. Really, how hard could Yoga be? It's not like it we are doing vigorous activity. I didn't want to watch the woman because she made me feel self conscious, she was so skinny.
Finally the video started, I got into the first pose. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. The woman at the health store counter had no right to look at me the way she did, I was a natural.
The woman on the screen switched into another pose. It looked a little harder than the first, but not bad. The woman lifted one arm off the ground as she turned to the side. I followed her movements, slightly losing my balance. I regained my stance and looked back up at the TV.
"What the hell?" I questioned out loud.
The woman was in a completely in a different position by the time I looked back up. A bit dazed I got down on my stomach. The women then lifted her feet half way up bending them slightly. She pointed her toes toward her head; she was making an upside down C.
"I can do that," I said encouraging myself.
I got into the same pose as the woman on TV. I smiled at my athletic ability. It was harder to look up at the TV in the position I was in, but I managed. My eyes widened as I watched the woman continue to move her feet closer and closer to her head. I tried to mimic her actions but my feet wouldn't move any further. In one frustrated act I grabbed my ankles with my hands pulling them to my head. I was going to get my feet to touch my head, I was determined. It was hopeless; I just kept rocking back and forth. After a few minutes of failed attempts, I was started to get motion sick with all the rocking.
I heard laughing coming from my door way. I was stupid enough to leave it open. I tried to turn my head to see who was enjoying the show but I couldn't seem to stop the damn rocking.
"Are you stuck?" the voice asked. Not just any voice, it was Edward. Yoga was suppose to correct my karma not make it worse.
"No," I said thinking on my feet. "My very good friend says the rocking reminds the body of the womb. It helps force out negative energy."
I finally unlatched my hands from my ankles letting my legs fall to the floor. My body sighed with relief. I was already in pain. Maybe I should have read those warning labels after all. If Edward wasn't standing in my door way with all his glory I would have called it a day. But, I'm stopping now.
Edward takes a small step closer. "Is this friend some kind of expert?"
"If you aren't going to participate," I said smugly. "Then I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
I was mentally praying that he would leave. The next stance didn't look pretty. It gave some calm to see the ridiculous pose on the television. No self respecting man would try some thing like that.
"Move over," he said absently as he watched the woman on the screen.
I glanced at the mat then back up at him. He was actually going to try the death position. The light danced in his eyes. He was smiling, not a smirk which I see often, but a genuine smile.
"Excuse me?" I asked a little dazed.
He lightly pushed at my shoulder. I weighed my options: I could ignore his pushing and maybe save him from a whole lot of hurt coming his way if he tries that pose. He'll thank me in the long run and we'll leave happily ever after. Or, I can keep my mouth shut and get my entertainment for the day.
I pick door number two, Bob.
"Fine," I said trying to sound unfazed. "Kill yourself, I'll watch."
I quickly made my way over to my couch, not wanting to miss anything. I sat down and crossed my legs Indian style. I glanced at the screen and smiled at what I saw. There was no way he was going to pull off that pose.
Edward quickly removed his shoes and socks. I couldn't help but notice that he had nice feet. One of my quirks is men in sandals. But, I wouldn't mind if Edward were to wear a pair. His feet didn't look disgusting to me. He took a breath and began to get into position.
I could feel my head tilting slightly in astonishment. Then my eyes started to widen when he was in the final stage of the pose. I was surprised that his body could bend like that. I couldn't stop my mind from wondering. I did have a perfect view of his back side. I guess it shouldn't have come to so much of a surprise, I mean I did sleep with him, but it was nothing like that.
A small giggle escaped my lips. I clasped my hand over my mouth, hoping he didn't hear me. He probably didn't, all he could hear was the blood rushing to his head. Gracefully, Edward untangled his body and sat back on the mat. He titled his head back to look at me and he winked.
"You do yoga," I said, stating the obvious.
He laughed a full hearted laugh as he got off the floor. He brushed down his shirt and fixed his hair. In two short strides he was at the couch.
"In my free time," He laughed again, sitting down. "I'm not great at it."
I buried my face in my hands too embarrassed to even look at him. It reminds your body of the womb? God I'm stupid.
"My friend is stupid," I admitted into my hands. "I shouldn't listen to her."
"I don't know," Edward said softly. "She's seems pretty great to me."
I looked up from my hands to see Edward's face centimeters from my own. Was it my imagination or was his gaze on my lips? I lick them, getting off whatever might me hanging from them. I see Edward breathe in sharply. I wondered if I just licked a bug or something.
"You've met her?" I asked. I let my eyes travel over his face. He was so close I could see every flaw that he did not posses.
"I met her awhile ago," he said softly. If he wasn't so damn close I wouldn't have heard him.
He was definitely leaning in closer, I wasn't dreaming it. I could count his eye lashes if I wasn't already preoccupied with the fact his knee was touching mine. He was going to kiss me, what other reason would there be for him getting so close.
You can't let him kiss you! A voice inside me yelled. Since when did I grow a conscience? I pushed the voice far, far back into my head. The hell I won't, I answered.
You can't let him kiss you, the voice said again. Even if he wants to, it's wrong.
What do you mean it's wrong? I shouted back. This is what I've been waiting for, what I've been working for – what we've been working for.
"For some crazy reason," Edward said sweetly. "Fate has brought her back into my life."
I can smell his breath as he talked. It made the voices in my own head stop. He was going to kiss me; I wanted him to kiss me. My lips started to tingle with anticipation.
"She must like that," I said and then closed my eyes.
He was going to kiss me! Yes, yes, yes –
"Bella, Edward!" Kerry yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "I need you!"
NO!
I couldn't feel Edward's breath on my face any longer. I opened my eyes with a start. Edward was already at the door.
"Coming!" Edward yelled back down. His voice sounded as cracked as I felt. We were so close, why does she have to ruin everything?
She has every right, he is her fiancé.
"Shut up," I said aloud. I haven't had a conscience my whole life, I wasn't going to start. Luckily Edward was already downstairs so he didn't hear me talking to myself.
I walked stubbornly downstairs to see what Kerry wanted. I slipped on a jacket before I headed down; I didn't want her to question why I was wearing a skin tight tank-top. When I got to the last step it took all the positive energy I had left in my body to hold the fake smile I plastered onto my face.
"It's time for your bridesmaid dress fitting," Kerry said brightly.
"Wow," I said stunned. "That's a lot of pink."
She blushed. "I know how much you love the color."
I shifted my eyes over to Edward. He was looking directly at me, seeing how I would respond. I remember that I told him that I hated the color pink. I took a step closer, not that I wanted to. It was like the dress was pulling me by some magical power. I touched the neck line letting my fingers run down the side.
I swallowed. "That's a lot of, um. Lace."
Kerry clapped her hands together. "I know, I couldn't help myself." She walked up to me placing both her hands on my shoulders. "You are going to look so beautiful."
It suddenly got really hot: it was hard for me to breathe. The room even started to spin a little. Could it be possible instead of yoga curing my diseases, it actually made me sick? That would sound about right.
"Excuse me," I said as I ran to the kitchen.
I placed my hand on the kitchen counter holding myself up. My breathing was coming out in a short and fast rhythm. If that's what dying feels like, I'm living forever, period. I finally get my breath under control when Edward walks through the door way. I wiped away all the sweat that gathered on my forehead. He can't know about my little panic attack.
"Bella," He said unsure of himself. "I first would like to apologize for what almost happened in your room."
So he was trying to kiss me.
"Can you forgive me?" he added sadly.
My breathing was starting to pick up again. He was taking back his almost kiss. He can't just take it back! God, I had to get him out of there before I passed out.
"Yeah," I said shortly. It came out a lot meaner then I originally intended it to be. But, I didn't have time to be nice.
"I actually came by your room for a reason," he said looking at his feet. He obviously didn't notice my heavy breathing. I couldn't even talk, hopefully he would catch on that some something was wrong.
One could only hope.
"I heard you, um, praying a couple of nights ago."
"Oh God," I manged to whisper. This wasn't happening. My head was feeling really light; Edward's words seemed to fade into the background.
"I wasn't listening in, I was just passing by. And I want to let you know that I can help you with your money problems. With home equity rates the way they are and insurance it can be very daunting. I could lend you some money, if you need. "
My vision was starting to blur from lack of oxygen to the brain. I could barely make out his face, with all the black dots in the way. Lend me some money? He wanted to lend me money! Why on God's green earth is everyone throwing money in my face today?
"No!" I shouted breathlessly. I was saying no to Edward and I was saying it to floor as it was about to hit my face.
"Bella!" Edward screamed frantically. It was last thing I heard before I passed out.
AN: I really enjoy writing this story. I hope you enjoy reading it. I know its not as popular as my other story. I got a few question and I would like to answer them.
Are you like this with your mother? Answer is no. I am not. I "have" a mom, but I dont have one anymore. I suppose our relationship would be okay. My dad and I get along great so I assume it would be the same with her.
How old are you? Ha, I'm really and truly seventeen years old. I hope that doesn't bother anyone. I dont know why it would.
Do you have a sister? No, I dont have a sister. I have a bother, who is nineteen. If I were to write a story about that there would be a lot of violence in it. His friends used to think it was funny to push me down stairs when we all went to school together. Its so cliche, he was really popular and I'm not a loser but not as known as him. I was Michael's little sister. It wouldn't be pretty story :)
Is this a Bella and Edward story? Of course!
