Chapter IX

I got in my car; I felt my hands shaking because I was so infuriated. I grabbed the steering wheel and turned the music up louder, as I turned violently onto the next street. I was losing my grip on things. I took a deep breath and let the beat of the music take over my brain. It felt like the chords were reattaching my grip on life. I would deal with this and I would manage just fine. 'Besides,' I thought in the back of my mind, 'I have an awesome boyfriend who doesn't need to be burdened with my thoughts.'

Speaking of boyfriend, I turned the corner to the school parking lot and I saw him getting out of his car. He smiled and waved at me, but continued on his way to class. That struck a nerve he didn't want to be seen with me?

Irritated and my bad mood returning I went straight to my locker. Jessica came right up to me and looked at me like I should be worshipping her for paying any attention to me, this just helped my eyebrow and upper lip to start twitching. "Hello Jessica," I said in an even tone.

"Hey I was wondering what you were doing this weekend?" she asked me.

"I haven't a clue yet," I said to her. I didn't know what Edward had in store for me, and that was only if I didn't have to help my dad.

"Well I was wondering if you wanted to go to a movie with me or something," she asked me expecting a yes without even raising an eyebrow.

"Um, well I might have to work at the store so I don't want to make any totally dedication into something that I don't think I can make," I told her letting her off easily.

"Oh, right you will be busy," she said and I could see her hoping that was the only reason. I let it go. I didn't want to deal with that right now.

I took a deep breath as she was out of my sight, and I turned back to my locker. Grabbing the binder, I closed the door and leaned against the cool of the locker door appreciating the cold metal on my back. The feeling reminded me of Edward. At that thought I felt like there was a presence next to me. I knew that it was Edwards locker, walking away with the thought of Adam Lambert's 'Whatdoya Want From Me'.

I sat down in my seat in chemistry, I liked this class, I wanted to take advance chem next year but I wouldn't be able to I needed a year of biology and that sucked in my mind.

I heard someone sitting next to me I was about to turn and glare at my offending boyfriend. However, I didn't need to glare I was sitting next to Erick. "Hey man, turning down Jessica like that really?" he said to me. I rolled my eyes at him.

I instead turned back to my homework and continued to make sure the problems were correct. I hesitated over the fifth problem which was talking about combining helium to iron which had made me laugh the night before. I looked up and saw Edward walking into class and faster than I was able to see there was a note sitting on my desk. I quickly covered the note with my hand and shoved it under my book.

Class was uneventful we took a quiz and I was grateful for the silence. Although whenever I found myself stuck on a question I would hear a discreet cough from a subtle Edward. I just ignored these and finished my quiz. As soon as I finished the last line on my quiz involving mixing two chemicals together to create an acid, I went and asked the teacher if I could leave and go to the nurse's office. I really needed to sit and have some time to myself.

I went straight to my locker and opened the note, it said, "Smile, it makes your face look prettier, Edward."

I threw the note in my locker and found another one, this time it said, "I'm sorry Mike if you want an escape from your father and that woman let me know, I want to make you happy." This made me feel better, I went to the nurse's office and asked for some Tylenol. I felt the pills fall down my throat easily. I felt the water rush to my head and I was already starting to feel better.

I went off to my next class and knew that it had already started. I quietly entered the room and just sat there and pretended to listen about Shakespeare, honestly I just wanted to go for a drive I wanted to have some time to myself and let loud music clear my head.

I looked around thinking about driving fast. It reminded me of Edwards driving and I suddenly missed him so much it hurt. Why had he been so cold to me this morning. I wanted answers, but I knew I wouldn't get them until the end of the day.

There was a tap on my shoulder and I looked behind me. Alice was sitting behind me and she smiled quietly and pointed to my desk. When I looked back to my desk me there was a very artistic drawing of mine and Edward's first kiss. I felt my cheeks flushing and then tucked it into my binder looking around to make sure nobody was looking. I then noticed a note with handwriting almost as beautiful as Edward's.

Dear Mike,

Please forgive Edward's sudden coldness to you this morning. You see I have the gift of foresight and I saw that if you and Edward had been close this morning our family would have reacted, coldly I think is the best word. I have from that moment been sworn to keep the secret of your relationship between you and my brother a secret. I don't want to cause you any harm and I would love it if you became a part of our family. I see us becoming great friends in time.

Love, Alice

Upon finishing the note I took a deep breath these were the answers I wanted but I didn't know what to make of it yet. I turned around and Alice was smiling quietly and just holding a single finger up to her lips. I could only smile back at her and turn back around. I felt calmer that someone seemed to be on my side, maybe I would be able to talk to her about stuff. I wrote down my email address crumpled it up and stretched back and placed it in front of Alice. She grabbed it from my hands with uncanny speed, and I couldn't help but yawn I felt tired and wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep.

The bell rang shortly after that and I went off to lunch, I sat next to Erik and Jessica and listened to them banter on and on about meaningless things and Erik attempted to throw me into the conversation several times but I just wanted to go over to Edward and straddle him but that wouldn't be able to be accomplished for another two or three hours. I flipped open my phone and looked to see if I had any text messages. Needless to say there weren't any.

School was hell, the rest of the day seemed to drag on endlessly and wouldn't let up. Then when it was all over I got a note from Edward in my locker and read what it said. "Need to hunt, I'll be over tonight I promise, I will make it up to you as well."

I stuffed it back in my locker and went straight to the shop. My dad hadn't even opened the shop today and there was a guy standing in the front of it wanting to buy some stuff. After helping the man out and apologizing for not being open when we were supposed to be I continued to run the shop for a few hours. I helped out a few people and then called my dad.

"Hello?" was my dad's voice he must not have looked at his caller id.

"Dad, why wasn't the shop open?" I asked him.

"Well I wanted a day off I wanted to show Tiffany a good time today," he said to me. So that was her name, Tiffany. That only made me feel worse about her.

"Well I'm tired and I'm going to close the shop for the night, would you be so happy as to actually open it tomorrow?" I asked him.

"Yeah well actually I'm going to hire Tiffany to work there with us, so she will be opening tomorrow and you will take over for her after school tomorrow," he said to me. I was so close to yelling at him but I kept my cool and took a deep breath.

"Oh, well good night then dad," I told him then shut my phone and looked around the store. I saw a silver Volvo pull into the parking lot. I started switching off lights and putting things away when Edward came in. I switched the sign immediately from 'OPEN' to 'CLOSED' and turned around.

"You aren't thinking anything right now," Edward said to me. Perfect I was getting better at blocking his mind. "That is quite frustrating you know," he said to me as he walked closer to me and put his hand on my cheek. I felt air leaving my mouth as desire and want came over me.

He seemed to lose his mind at the thought of what was going through my mind at that time and attacked my lips. I felt his entire body pressing into mine with such force and need that it was painfully delicious.

I clawed at his back and his felt myself tugging at his shirt. "I want it off," I said to him. He pulled away from me and ripped his shirt from his chest. I quickly pushed him over to the cash register and pushed him back. I climbed on top of him and started kissing him deeply and hungrily. Then suddenly Edward pushed me away and disappeared behind the counter. I was left standing behind the counter as the front door swung open and my father and his little tramp walked through the door.

"Son, you are still here?" he asked me.

"Yeah I was . . . um, just about to uh yeah leave," I said to him still concentrating on keeping my breathing even and my body under control.

"Well, I was just going to show Tiffany around and explain to her how to do her job tomorrow," he said to me and I turned to look at her more closely.

She was blond as well, she was fairly young looking to be in her late twenties early thirties which felt gross considering my father was getting closer to forty three every day. I saw her green eyes and pretty face and suddenly wanted to slap her senseless.

"Oh, so you weren't just a one night stand," I said to her. Her smile disappeared and she looked at me like I was a satanic child. I smiled to this and turned to my father.

"Just so we are clear, if I find out she has been doing anything wrong with the store I will fire her on the spot," I told him and walked out I felt the breeze of outside. I walked straight for my room and just hoped Edward would make it out of there. I collapsed on my bed and suddenly I was looking up into a beautifully chiseled face and deep bronze eyes. I felt his lips collapse on mine and we continued our little fight over our feelings. Suddenly I pulled away.

"Why did you not talk to me besides through notes all day?" I asked him out of nowhere. He seemed to be struggling to control himself. Then he took a deep breath though he had told me that was mostly for his mind that he didn't actually need to breathe.

"So, my family are vegetarians right, well they also don't like to be around humans and well Alice saw what would have happened had you actually came over to be formally introduced to my family. Well Rose didn't react very well considering she doesn't like gays, at all. Then Emmet would have just given us crap. Well then there is Jasper, Alice's lover. See he is newer to the vegetarian diet and sometimes has trouble controlling himself. Well Alice saw this surprise visit ending with him attacking you and sucking you dry." He said to me.

"Well, that's a very pleasant thought," I said to him and relaxing on his chest. I thought about different things.

"You could turn me," I said to him. He snarled and actually growled at that.

"Out of the question I will not have you turned if I can help it," he said to me.

"What am I not important enough to keep around?" I asked him.

"It's not that, just please don't ask this of me," he told me looking very sad at me. I didn't nod or say anything I didn't want to give up on this just yet. I wanted to find out more about him and actually fall in love with him in order to use this to make my argument stronger.

"That is a very cruel plan, Michael Newton," he said to me and then kissed me and we separated for an hour while I showered and ate dinner. I went back to my room and found him laying on my bed reading my journal. I closed the door and without looking at me he said, "you my boy are a very interesting child," he said to me.

I laughed at him and got under my covers and felt his arms wrap around me. For the first time since I can remember I fell asleep without having to listen to music, just hearing his deep voice and feeling his arms wrapped around me was enough to put my mind at complete ease.

I dreamed that night. I dreamed of a girl with brunette hair and brown eyes; a plain enough looking girl with a needless knack of biting her lip and playing with the end of her hair. I remember waking up feeling like I had lost everything momentarily and snapped out of it. Edward was gone but he had left another note for me on my balcony door.

"I love the sounds you make when you sleep in my arms," it said. This made me blush and I placed the note in my journal. I was ready to start my day over again, only today I was more optimistic.