Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or New Moon and am not Stephenie Meyer.
A/N- This took a little while to update, I know, but I hope you like it! The never-ending loop of music for this chapter was "Death Said" by The Summer Obsession. Man, I love that band:) I got them off of the Maximum Ride website, and I bought the CD "This Is Where You Belong" on I-tunes.
My muse has decided to be good to me for the holiday season and gave me the plan for this chapter earlier than the last ones, although it has been a while since I updated. I rewarded it with many goldfish crackers. :)
I am absolutely thrilled that so many of you like this Edward's version of Twilight so much! Thanks for all of your reviews and encouragements, and I truly cannot believe how many of you are comparing this to the legendary 'The Lion and the Lamb'. I never would have thought you would think this was up to par with that! I love you all so much! Thank you for encouragement and comments and…everything!
This isn't really that long, and I would have gone on, but decided that maybe I should split this chapter up because I have a lot I want to include for the whole thing of Bella's aversion to blood after the Biology incident. I hope to get a few chapters up between now and the New Year!
Sunrise
Chapter Nine: Date
When I reached home that night, I was glad none of my family thought to stop me retreating to my bedroom. I wanted a bit of time to myself before five hours was up and we would head to school.
Mostly I lay back on my couch as I ran through two CD's on my music player. Occasionally, I would get up but only to change the CD once I was bored with the music I had playing.
The anxiety to reach Bella, hear her speak to me, directly, was excruciating. I wanted so badly to hear what she thought through her interactions with me and others, to know this mind that I could not hear otherwise.
I had to talk to her tomorrow, was the only thing decided that night. It was a draw, a need that I felt so strongly it was unavoidable. The lure that she had set up for me after I heard her say my name that night was dangling in front of me, taunting.
She was so interesting to think about, really. Her mind was blank and that alone piqued my curiosity, but then her scent hit.
The wonderful fragrance that drifted off of her like soft clouds, and teased me unmercifully as I held back from drinking it in any other way than through my nose.
When the dawn finally broke, I had to remind myself that I still had a few hours until school actually started. Nevertheless, I was prepared to go in a few short seconds and paced my floor restlessly, not wanting to wait any longer even thought I knew I should.
Edward, relax. We'll get there long before her and you'll talk to her with no problems. Leave it to Alice to know exactly what was making me anxious before Jasper.
"Yes, Alice, I know," I said through the wall – or rather, floor – where she was getting ready herself. "Did you already tell them?"
Of course, the moment I got the vision. She called it from her memories and went through it again so I could see it:
I was sitting on Bella's windowsill, my face sad and brooding. My eyes were focused on the ground… "Edward…" My head snapped up and my golden eyes stared at Bella's sleeping figure.
Her lips parted slightly again as she murmured, "Edward," and rolled over with a sigh. I looked like I had been hit with a truck, and then I was sliding out the window, closing it silently behind me.
Alice giggled below me, before saying loudly, "She dreams about you." Oh, it's so cute!
I growled at the floor. She could have thought what she said instead of actually saying it. "Thank you, Alice."
More giggling. You're welcome!
Emmett snorted from his room as I said 'thank you'. "Cute? I would have thought he was a creepy stalker!" Never pictured you the type to sneak into a girl's room and watch her sleep, Eddie.
"Don't-." was all I managed to snarl toward the floor in Emmett's direction in reference to 'Eddie' but I was interrupted again.
"It's insane," Rosalie snorted; likely from the same room as Emmett. I can't believe Carlisle lifted the ban on being near the human.
"Ros-." And then Esme cut me off.
"Oh, I think it's so sweet," she gushed from the ground floor, where she and Carlisle were sitting on the couches. Finally, Edward has found something in someone he wants. He wasn't too young when he was changed, thank goodness.
"Sweet, perhaps, but I have to agree with Emmett a little," Carlisle allowed. Although, as long as she isn't hurt, I only see him seeming slightly stalker-esque if he does that.
"It's-." I started.
"Oh, Carlisle, Emmett, it's not creepy! After all, she's the one dreaming about him." Alice laughed again. How romantic, she thinks of him even when asleep.
Emmett let out a snort. "Yeah, she does dream about him." I wonder what she dreams. Hey, Eddie, were there any moans accompanying your name?
That was the final straw. I had been staring at the floor in various spots according to their positions in the house below me on instinct, as I liked to look at whoever was thinking things at me.
But now I leapt toward the corner where Emmett was with a mighty crash against the floor, my roar echoing out.
They fell silent. I hit the floor with my foot again and snarled, "Emmett!"
He merely chuckled. "Yes, Edward?" Aw, is little Eddie having a temper tantrum about big ol' Emmett's nasty thoughts?
Turning to the door, I prepared to run out of my room to defend Bella's honor; however, Jasper was standing outside my room and I was instantly anger-free. "Emmett?" he called, smiling at me innocently. Don't kill Emmett, Edward; Rosalie would kill you.
"Yeah?" Why is he up there? I was teasing Eddie about the likelihood that Bella's having naughty dreams about him!
I tried to leap back through the door as he insinuated that again. Jasper held me back as I tried to get to the stairs, snarling. "Emmett, whatever you're thinking at him, he really seems ready to tear you to shreds." Edward, you know that he's likely teasing you.
Rolling my eyes at him as I stopped snarling under his calming influence, I muttered sarcastically, "No, really?"
"Fine, fine, I'll quiet teasing Eddie," I snarled low "about his little pet human." Even though teasing you about your human was fun, Edward.
I was glad that Emmett knew when to draw the line with his incessant joking, and stopped trying to get down the stairs to rip him to shreds.
But then he proved that he really didn't have that much of a brain left after his change.
"I mean, really, would it be so absolutely god-awful if his little human was having naughty dreams about our dear Eddie?" Haha, gotcha, Eddie!
Multiple snorts sounded from around the house – Jasper included – and I had had enough. With an earth-shaking growl, I leapt out of Jasper's grasp and flew down the stairs, thudding my feet intentionally.
Oops. I guess I pushed him a bit too far… Emmett and Rosalie's door opened and he ran out as I neared. He attempted running out the downstairs door, but I caught him before he reached the handle.
With a quick move, I had him pinned and snarled, "Take it back." He was unable to move; I could feel Jasper trying to calm me down, but the family was laughing too much and he kept mixing up taking away my anger and shielding himself from the humor they felt.
"All right, all right," Emmett grumbled, even as he tried to stop laughing. Whoa, Edward, protective much?
"Hardly," I drawled as I let him go and got to my own feet. "You were simply being a nuisance."
He eyed me carefully as he crossed his arms, apparently sulking about having been unable to get away. But I heard his head: Wow, that's one of the first times I've seen Edward smiling without seeming to have any solid reason.
Much of my family was thinking the very same thing; I ran up the stairs to grab my backpack and came down in seconds later, whatever smile they saw now gone underneath my carefully blank face. "Well, I'll go now so if you want a ride in my car, hurry up."
Without waiting for an answer, I ran out to my Volvo, making one tiny mistake; I slid straight into the seat without taking a quick glance over it to check the car like I usually did.
Confusion rang out of their heads and I sighed grumpily, mad at myself for giving them another reason to think.
Thankfully, they kept quiet when they got to my car a few minutes later: I pulled it out of neutral, too late realizing that the tune playing was uncommonly sunny and cheerful in comparison to my usual slightly dreary music.
Alice was bouncing in her seat the whole way to school, Jasper trying to calm her down unsuccessfully while trying to get Rosalie to stop her anger; Emmett simply watched me carefully, a bit shaken by my happier mood today.
When I pulled into the parking spot at school, the campus still mostly uncluttered by students, I stayed seated instead of getting out with the family. As one, they each took a glance at me and then shrugged and walked away, telling me they'd see me at lunch.
Reclining in my seat with the music flowing swiftly around me, I watched carefully for the red truck to pull into the lot. When it did, I saw her eyes flash toward it, and then she purposefully parked as far away as she could.
Before, I would have been a bit saddened by her actions, but now my curiosity was hit again. Was she trying to avoid me in embarrassment, since she had dreamed of me the night before?
Even if she didn't know that I had heard her, I knew that if she had developed feelings for me then she would probably avoid me on principle of embarrassment.
I got out of my car and quickly made my way toward her. Making it in a few seconds and knowing no one had seen me, I watched her climb out of her car from a few feet away.
Her scent didn't slam into me all at once, but it was immediately caught and venom filled my mouth; I swallowed for more than one reason, however.
She didn't make it all the way out of her cab before the keys fell into a puddle at her feet. Deciding that it would be a good idea to announce my presence, I moved forward before she could and picked them up.
Bella jerked upright in surprise as I leaned casually against her truck, knowing that if I had a heartbeat it would be pounding at the proximity my motions had brought me to her.
"How do you do that?" she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice; but her eyes were widened, pupils dilated the tiniest bit, making her seem amazed.
"Do what?" I asked quietly. A vampire's voice was muted slightly in comparison to humans; if they couldn't hear us that well, then they leaned in. All the better to bite them.
But making our voices extremely fast took almost no effort, either, and I knew that our laughter – at least that of my family's – could be very loud.
I dropped the key into her outstretched palm. "Appear out of thin air," she replied.
She had noticed I hadn't been here when she parked, of course; but had she seen me move a tiny bit too fast for humans to see?
I knew that no one had seen me, of course, by listening to minds – but I did not know if she had been looking up. "Bella, it's not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant."
On the contrary, I remedied silently. You are far too observant, Bella. The name flowed as easily off my tongue as it did in my mind, I mused. I liked her name far too much: Bella.
Her beautiful features became a cross scowl as she glared directly into my eyes. She looked away seeming a bit dazed – most likely because of said eyes having vampiric ability to do that to our prey if we desired it.
"Why the traffic jam last night?" she said, sounding a bit cross still. "I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating me to death."
I felt a pang as I saw she still must think I regretted saving her life; how could she think that? I let it slip by this time, knowing we would discuss it later.
I covered it up by shooting back, "That was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance." I laughed.
"You…" Seeming at loss for words, her cheeks gained small red spots of anger and I continued laughing.
"And I'm not pretending you don't exist," I added. Far from that; it was nearly impossible to pretend Bella wasn't there, since her scent constantly was present, distracting me as I struggled with control.
Then she said the hard-to-forgive comment again. "So you are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler's van didn't do the job?"
I clenched my jaw together, anger coming up swiftly as the humor I felt with her obvious anger at me and Tyler disintegrated. It was hard to fight for control when I was angry, but I managed it and said coldly, "Bella, you are utterly absurd."
It was absurd that she should think I wanted her dead because of the van: it was far harder to deal with the monster raging inside me to kill her than to keep her out of the path of a dangerous motor vehicle. And she didn't know what fighting that monster was like, at all.
Her response surprised me, as always with Bella. She turned around and walked away from me, heading toward the school. Her feet swished angrily through the water that lay in puddles on the ground.
Pausing for a moment to gain control of my anger, I knew that I had made her angry in turn. I would have to apologize to her. "Wait," I called out to her before moving forward through the dripping rain after her.
Catching up with her angry march was easy as I let the anger go. "I'm sorry, that was rude," I began, meaning my reaction to what she thought – after all, a part of me did, in fact, want her dead. "I'm not saying it isn't true, but it was rude to say it anyway."
"Why won't you leave me alone?" she grumbled, apparently silently accepting my apology.
"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me," I replied, laughing at her grumpiness while I felt anxious for what I was going to ask her. The idea had come to mind after my thinking that night, and I found myself as anxious as any other teenage boy would be.
"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?" Her tone was sharp, but I saw something in her eyes, a slight blush on her cheeks, that spoke of some kind of nervousness she had.
"You're doing it again," I told her quietly, trying to hold in the humor and anxiety that swum through me.
"Fine then," she sighed. "What do you want to ask?"
As I prepared to ask her what I had begun to think of, I recalled again that if I were a human my heart would be pounding from this. Asking a girl to go on a date was something I had never done before, even while I was still human.
Alice must be jumping in joy by now; a quick search for her mind revealed that she indeed was waiting anxiously for me to hurry up and ask her already; Jasper was snickering.
Emmett rubbed his hands in glee, thinking I was strange but preparing to tease mercilessly about my asking a girl to go out for the first time...ever.
Rosalie was, predictably, furious; I shoved them out of my mind for the moment.
With forced casualness, I asked, "I was wondering if, a week from Saturday – you know, the day of the spring dance-." I couldn't help but tease her as I tried to overcome the tightening nerves in me, to get a rise out of her and see that lovely red on her cheeks again.
She followed expectations this time; whirling to face me with two darkening spots on her cheeks, she snapped, "Are you trying to be funny?"
Something unexpected did happen, however; as the rain splashed lightly onto her upturned face, her scent, so captivating and appealing, became intense. More than before, her aroma combined with water made it all the more appealing.
With the control I was already exerting, I was pleased to find that I was able to keep control of myself; amused to no end at her flustered anger, I replied, "Will you please allow me to finish?"
Her eyes scanned mine while she took one of her delicate lips between her teeth; fingers intertwining together, she clasped her hands and appeared to be patiently waiting for me to go on.
Pleased, I continued at a relatively normal pace to try and mask the hopeful nervousness I felt. "I heard you say you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride."
She obviously had not expected this question; her eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly in shock. "What?" she said, seeming slightly dazed – but now in the same way as meeting my eyes directly did to her.
Asking her out again was a bit excruciating, although I managed. "Do you want a ride to Seattle?"
"With who?" Almost staring at her in astonishment, I wondered mentally if she was really clueless or was trying not to appear as if she knew what was going one.
"Myself, obviously," I replied slowly; maybe she was less intelligent than I thought. But no, that was a cruel thing to think – she must be surprised, that was it. After all, her 'friend' Jessica had told her I did not date, really – so why was I asking her, then?
I didn't really know that answer, either. Something about her intrigued me, and after hearing her say my name the night before, I knew that I was interesting to her as well. This was still a large step for me to take, however, according to my family.
They thought I was the lone one because I wanted to be; the truth was that I did think that was what I wanted, but after I had met Bella Swan that first day in Biology, I saw that it was not really what I wanted.
I wanted something but I didn't know how to get it, and with Bella I was finding a chance for it.
She seemed to not understand that, of course – how could she? She did not know what my 'life' was like. "Why?" was the only thing she could say at the moment, blinking slowly up at me in stunned disbelief.
"Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks," which was true – I needed more music to listen to, "and, to be honest, I'm not sure if your truck can make it." Also true. The metal monstrosity was not only a death trap in a few instances, but noisy, slow, and hideous.
"My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern," she sniffed – attached to that truck already? I thought. The creation would eventually stop working, she had to know that, and most likely sooner than later.
Bella turned and began walking away from me for the second time, but I pursued her again. "But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?" I asked, smug in the knowledge that it wouldn't.
"I don't see how that is any of your business." The crease in her forehead appeared again, and I randomly wondered what she was thinking.
"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business," I teased her again, knowing this time that she couldn't readily say anything in her defense of the truck – if it could be called a truck.
We neared the roof overhang of the cafeteria and I watched her pretty face carefully. She sighed, "Honestly, Edward," and I felt thrilled at her saying my name again.
Third time, I thought, that's the third time she has said my name. "I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend." I heard sadness in her tone.
I did not want her to be sad; such a beautiful creature should not be sad. But I knew that I had reasons for my caution, although she did not know them. "I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be," I clarified gently.
"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up," she said, heavily laden with sarcasm. We had paused under the cafeteria roof now, the rain falling with gentle pats on the ground. I looked down at her, so small, weak…luscious.
Her brown eyes brought me back from the start of a dangerous path of thought for me to travel on. Hesitating with my words, being careful not to give anything away, I told her, "It would be more…prudent for you not to be my friend."
That wasn't much of an explanation, but it would have to do for now. Knowing that my eyes would be lighted with the intensity I felt – that was another common vampiric trait – I uttered, "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella."
Her eyes widened and the sound of her breathing became shallow. I tried to lift her thoughts from her eyes, her facial expression, as I asked quietly, "Will you go with me to Seattle?"
Waiting anxiously for a response had never been so excruciating. But I held my breath, even though I had no need of it, and ignored – or attempted to ignore – the scent that wafted around me.
Her head movement was seen in slow motion through me eyes – a steady nod, only twice but enough to inspire a thrill of joy to zap through me.
I allowed myself to smile and breath again – and her scent returned full-force. That reminded me what a danger I was to her, how much of a monster I could be to her, an innocent young girl.
With a final warning – "You really should stay away from me," – I realized as well that we had to get to our first classes. "I'll see you in class," I finished up, and backed away from that hideously appealing draw of smell.
I turned and walked back the way we had taken, remembering that I had left my bag in my Volvo. Plenty of time lay between the start of class and I, because I could move a lot faster than these humans. They would never know if I ran.
A small grin tugged at the corner of my lips as I walked back to my Volvo, and I felt light – lighter than I had all night.
I wondered how Bella's accepting my date request could have made me so happy, but I chose not to dwell on that for the moment. I had time to think later.
I nearly turned around and went to class without my bag when I saw three members of my family waiting by my car for my in the rain, but I knew that if not now, then later they would be asking me questions.
Focusing on Alice, I heard, Edward, I knew she would say yes! I knew it! Oh, my brother finally has his first date! You have to have something new to wear.
Emmett looked directly at me. Rose isn't too happy, you know. I'm not sure what you're thinking, really, but I have to say I think this might be the first time I've seen you smiling for so long.
Something came up with school, Edward. Jasper was warning me.
I walked up with a slight frown. "What did you hear, Jasper?"
He glanced around us quickly – no one was outside in the rain right now. "I heard something from your Biology teacher when we were walking by. That's part of the reason we came back." Not just so Alice could gush over your date.
"What did you hear?" My frown grew deeper: not Biology! The one class I had with Bella. Maybe it wouldn't be too much of a problem. I might be able to handle whatever it was that had them here to warn me.
"They're doing blood testing." Emmett said quietly. Blood testing, as in prick your finger with the needle and smear it on a piece of paper. Open wounds. Bleeding.
"And Bella is going to be in there," Alice said softly. I saw her in the classroom. I'm sorry, this is the only time you would see her today, Edward, after this morning.
A scowl on my face, I only half-listened to her. I knew now that this wasn't something I could ignore. Her blood, open and flowing from a wound in a classroom of others doing the same? There was no way I would be able to control myself. None.
So I could not go to Biology today. That was unfortunate and my heart sank, for I would not see Bella any other time today. I lifted my bag out of the car, still thinking sadly on how I wouldn't see her the rest of the day. Not at all….
"Lunch," I murmured quietly.
Emmett misinterpreted what I said. "Whoa, hey Edward, I thought you weren't trying to think of her as a meal?" And lunch? You do know that sounds slightly twisted, especially coming from the one who sat in her bedroom last night watching her?
I scowled harder and socked his arm. "No, I'm not thinking of her as lunch. I'm thinking of her at lunch. In the cafeteria."
Alice beamed. "Oh, a lunch date!" How adorable!
Rolling my eyes I muttered, "Yes, Alice, adorable. Exactly what I was going for, really." She frowned and whacked my arm as we headed up to the school.
"Well, are you going to ask her between classes or something?" Jasper said calmly. Or are you going to wait for lunchtime to come?
"Wait until lunch," I answered absently. That would work well; all I had to do was sit apart from my family and she would notice, either through one of her friends gossip in the lunch line or through her own observance.
My siblings headed off to their classes and I did as well, going to another building then they. I had a few minutes before class would start, and I had time to plan out a bit of what I would say to her, in response to Alice's parting thought.
A/N – I know this isn't too long of a chapter, and I will be working more on the next one soon. The only problem happens to be that this is finals week at my high school. GAH! I'm swamped, but I have also found that by writing a little each night on whatever happens to strike my fancy helps me release stress.
This whole chapter was written on the stress of studying for my Biology (test), Geometry (test), and German 1 (test) (that means not including my Health, English, and P.E. things, which are a project, a writing assignment, and an 8 minute run, respectively) finals. That's what I get for being in the I.B. program….
But anyways, the next chapter of this shall be written during the week and possibly into the weekend. My goal is to have it released by next Sunday! You have permission to hunt me down if I do not fulfill my oath to attempt to release chapter ten by 12/17. Thanks so much! Review now for me, please!
