The Coveter

8

Emmett

Edward has a date! Edward has adate! Edward has a daaaaaate!

Edward growled and swung his arm at me but missed just as I ducked down.

Edward and Bella, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Edward looooves-.

A startling blow knocked the unnecessary breath out of my lungs and left a throbbing spot on my backside.

Ow!

My brother chuckled as Alice stepped out from behind me. "Way to be mature, Em," She scolded. "Come on, Edward. Let's go find Bella before Lauren Mallory convinces her to sit with them today."

Bella

Lauren's arm was still linked with mine as it had been since she found me walking to the cafeteria, trying to act in a buddy-buddy way with me. Unsuccessfully I may add, because I knew Lauren would never attempt to pull something off like this if there wasn't something to her advantage. Without a doubt that leverage was Edward.

I first spotted Edward loping after his sister just around the corner of the building and towards Lor and I; one would say he looked more like an angel in flight than human. Alice was the same in appearance but of a smaller height. Yet there was a definite difference. A difference I cannot put my finger on quite yet but had it pointed and ready just the same for when I could.

Lauren's manicured nails pinched my skin in anticipation. Her free hand picked at the excess lint that suddenly appeared on her shirt, admired the cleanliness of her cork-healed pumps, and smacked her lips together to adjust her lip gloss.

"Am I presentable?" She asked, raising her voice higher into what she supposed was a seductive tone. I winced at the nasally sound to it yet refrained from telling so to my friend for fear of insulting her.

"Fine… but you have one hair sticking out on your forehead."

She rolled her eyes and exhaled sharply. "Duh, that's so the guy can push it back. Don't you know anything about romance, Belly?"

"Yeah, sure." Patronizing was due in this situation. Impatiently, I rubbed a hand through my hair to let my bangs fold back and out of the way. Looking like a shaggy dog to impress my crush was not a priority at the moment. Nerves about this afternoon started to kick in, finally, now that my agitation with Edward, whom I realized was just being courteous and humorous this morning, had ebbed.

I wish all three of us, the trio, were eight years old again. The simple times when boys had cooties and the only man you admired was your dad. Those were the days little girls splashed in puddles while not caring about dirtying their clothes.

"Duck… duck… duck… goose!" Mike jumped away from me as I stood ungracefully to chase him around the circle.

"Ew! Mike picked a girl" one of the other boys sneered.

"Get him, Belly!" Angela cheered me on. "Yeah!" This brought forth the competitive spirits in all my fellow classmates.

"Almost got you… Mikey…" I shrieked happily, followed by a giggle from my friends. My fingers were just barely grazing the hem of his tee-shirt.

I missed the afternoons when I walked home in a group with the other little kids and our chaperone to find Charlie home early in the kitchen making one of my favorite peanut butter sandwiches for a snack. He would cut it so we each had a triangle and sit down to enjoy Friday night cartoons or whatever sports game we found first.

"Oh my gosh!" Lauren exclaimed in that squeaky childhood voice of hers that we all had at one point. "This guy I so gorgeous!"

Jessica and I leaned forward on the bed to see the man in Lor's magazine. Jessica's slipper slid off one foot and thudded to the floor before she stated bluntly, "Gah! He's ugly!"

I slurped from my juice box loudly and nodded my head in agreement.

Lauren sighed, looking longingly on the person's face one last time before flipping the page. The next picture significantly brightened her face. "Ooh! How about this one, girls?"

We all took one look, basking in the mutual feeling. Suddenly, we burst out in a cacophony of laughter.

"Girls!" Charlie groaned from downstairs. The bedsprings protested under his weight as the whole house echoed in the sound of his large form rolling over. "Turn out the lights and go to sleep!"

"Bella!" Alice was suddenly in front of me. Her smile almost split her face in halves.

"Hi Alice… Edward," I returned the greeting with one of my own warm smiles.

"Come on," They said at the same time. Using one of their hands on each of my arms they pried me away from the clearly dejected Lauren. I wanted to halt the procession just for moment and run back to my friend. Her expression was so crushed and pained. I would've said to her then 'You know… that guy really was good looking.' Or whisper conspiratorially, 'I'll pick you to be goose next.'

If only it weren't for the glare she shot my when we she saw me starring out behind me.

…Clearly a sign that the old days were gone.

Midnight Hikari: Thanks for your review! Someone takes my words to heart 3