A/N: I don't own Twilight or Maid in Manhattan nor am I affiliated in any way to the Vanderbilt family. Any similarities or references belong to their own persons.
Reviews are always much appreciated -Allie
Bella POV
I wake up and recognize wet.
As in, my face is wet, my stomach is wet, and my pillow as well as a good part of my bed is wet. I slowly start to realize that this is due to a mixture of tears and sweat. I jump out of bed and walk towards the connecting bathroom. I have a painful headache and my nose feels stuffed. I look in the bathroom mirror and frown.
I look like shit. My eyes are red and glossy, my face blotchy and my skin impossible pale. To make matters worse, I feel even shittier. Without glancing at the time I make my way downstairs, and see the Chief sitting at the table. He looks up at me in equal surprise.
"Isabella-"
I cut him off by sneezing, twice.
"Get back to bed. I'll call the school and tell them you're much too sick to come in today."
I answer by coughing loudly a few times. I pull out my BlackBerry to check for any missed texts from Christian. I don't. I do however have one from Edward.
Edward Cullen
Are you free to come over tomorrow night to work on the English project? Let me know
This was received last night at eight. Oops. I quickly reply to his text before snuggling into bed.
Edward Cullen
Are you free to come over tomorrow night to work on the English project? Let me know
Me
I'm actually really sick and won't even be going to school today sorry tiger :/
I grin to myself at my term of endearment for Edward. He did remind me of a tiger. He's fascinating, commanding yet short tempered. He was exactly like a tiger.
I continued to think about his tiger like characteristics as I drifted off to sleep.
:.
Thwack.
Thwack.
Thwack.
Why is someone throwing rocks at my window? I attempt to get out of bed and walk towards my window and let out a surprised laugh. Edward Cullen, that crazy boy. I open the window and scream out.
"What are you doing here?" I squeal in surprise as he starts to climb the big oak tree in front of my window. I watch with squeamish anticipation as he climbs the branches and in through the window. I can't help but giggle as I close the window after him. This seems like it should belong in a cheesy 90's movie, not my laugh.
"You know," I smile wryly up at him. "I have a door to facilitate entry to the house."
Edward's eyes gleam with mischief and he bows, taking my hand and kissing it as he does so. "That's hardly romantic."
Whether or not I had an equally witty and flirtatious response is irrelevant as I explode in a fit of coughs, which causes my chest to ache. I sniff and frown. Reaching for my tissue, I blow out some disgusting snot and frown some more. I hated being sick. I look up to find Edward looking at me before he bursts out laughing, causing me to frown some more.
"You're so cute," snickers Edward as he pulls me into a hug. I relish in his warmth before pulling away, not wanting to make him sick.
"Why aren't you in school?"
"What? And let you fend for yourself when you're ill? Yeah right, Bella. Today, I'm going to take care you."
"But … you're skipping class. You don't seem like the type of kid that skips class."
"Sometimes, skipping is healthy." Edward shrugs as he slips off his backpack. He opens it up and pulls out cough syrup, lozenges, a hot water bottle, orange juice, honey, Gatorade, Vicks and a bunch of movies.
"Oh, Edward! You didn't have to!"
He pulls me close and kisses my forehead. "Silly girl, I wanted to."
Edward rubbed Vicks along my throat and upper chest and wrapped me up tightly in a scarf. He placed the hot water bottle on my stomach and wrapped a blanket around me. After forcing me to take the cough syrup and disgusting lozenges, he put honey in hot orange juice and popped a movie in. I snuggled into him and sighed as he played with my hair.
"What movie are we watching?"
"I hope you don't mind, but I put in Lilo & Stitch," I gasp and sit up in a wild frenzy, looking at him with wide eyes.
"That's one of my favourite movies."
Edward smiles at me and makes me lay back down, I faintly hear a 'me too', but ignore it since the movie started. I'm glad Edward came to take care of me. It's as though when he's here nothing else matters. He takes the pain of Christian's recklessness away and soothes me.
Wait. What am I thinking?
I have to leave in four months! Isabella, get a grip. This isn't the moment to fall for someone. I shake my head and let myself slip back into the easiness of the movie. I remember Lilo screaming about Pudge before I slip into a welcomed world of darkness.
I was wearing a pretty red velvet dress with black booties. My blonde hair was curled really nicely and tied in a big red ribbon! Mister Bear was wearing a suit and I was holding him very tightly. Hayden was in his room, dressed in a suit too and was waiting for momma and daddy to finish getting ready so we could go to the Babies & Children's Hospital.
We did this every year! Momma and daddy said we had to because some kids were super duper sick so their parents couldn't get them Christmas gifts, which didn't make sense to me cause that was Santa's job! But anyway, momma said not to fuss about it, so I didn't.
This year, I helped momma pick out the gifts for the kids! I couldn't wait to go and give them their presents. I wish momma and daddy would hurry up! I don't want the kids to think we'd miss them and cry!
What if we did forget to go one year? No way, I'd never let that happen! I promised Nurse Sally I'd come every year!
Why is the apartment shaking? Who's shaking me? What's happening?
"Bella! Wake up!"
"Wha-What happened?"
"You had a nightmare, I think. You were quiet at first, but then you started yelling about a nurse sally and kids and never forgetting … are you okay?"
"What? Yeah I'm fine. Sorry I knocked out on you there."
"No problem, lizard."
Crap. If I was in Forks this year for Christmas, I wouldn't be able to go to the children's hospital! No one was home except for Ana, and I couldn't ask for her to do this. It was my promise to Nurse Sally, not hers. No, this was insane. I'd have to find a way to get to New York and back without any of the Cullen's noticing me.
Then I realized.
"Did you just call me lizard?" I snickered.
"You seem like the type of person that can blend into any situation and make yourself seem invisible if that's what you wanted."
I smile sadly at him. He has no idea how true his words are.
"So, I guess that means that I can't come over tonight to work on the Vanderbilt project."
"Lucky you, you're saved from rotting your brain trying to learn about a family of assholes."
I glance up at him, shocked.
"You really don't like them, huh?"
"Not one bit. I hate every single one of them, they have no respect for anybody, not even themselves."
I'm angry and I want to yell. Why doesn't he understand that he doesn't know anything about us? That he can't judge based on what he hears on the TV?
"You don't agree with me," he states surprised.
Shit. How was I supposed to answer him in a non-biased way?
"I just believe that since I don't personally know the family, I can't judge the family."
"But you see them Bella! You see everything they do on TV and online."
"But you don't really see them, Edward! You only see what the medias want you to see."
Edward looked thoughtful and nodded as though he was thinking really hard. I could tell he didn't really believe me. I sighed at his tenacity.
"Come on lizard, let's make you some chicken noodle soup." And just like that any previous qualms I had about him and his ridiculous views on my family disappear, leaving one question in my head.
How would Edward react when he figured out who I really was?
A/N: How do you all think Edward's going to react? Personally, I think he'll be scared.
