Chapter Nine
Bella
I enjoyed the dance much more than I expected and some of that was down to Jessica who turned up a little late and alone. She stood watching our table and I could feel Mikes conflict. Did he ignore her and act as if I were his girl for the evening when all he really wanted to do was rush over there take her in his arms and kiss her, or did he do what he wanted to so much. I thought he felt guilty at the idea of leaving me so I helped him out. Eric and Angela were on the dance floor again so we were alone.
"Isn't Jessica over there? It looks like she's alone."
He pretended he hadn't noticed her before as he looked over in mock surprise,
"Oh yeah. I guess she didn't have a date for tonight."
"Mike I know how much you want to go over so do it. You wont upset me and I'll be gone in a day or two."
He coloured slightly,
"I can't leave you on your own. I asked you along, it wouldn't be right."
"Mike I'm fine just go. I'll find someone to talk to and I'd really like to see you two together again. You looked so right."
He struggled with his conscience for a few minutes then got up and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek,
"Thanks Bella."
I watched as he walked slowly over to Jessica who with a single glance at me almost fell into his arms.
Garrett who I assumed had returned to his friends after introducing himself and before Mike returned, glanced over a few times when the crowd of dancers and mist made it possible, and I smiled back shyly. He was gorgeous I couldn't deny it, even with his long hair, I'd never been into long hair on guys but somehow it suited him. However, so were his companions, the Cullens Angela had told me about the other day.
"They are the new family in town, the foster dad is a doctor and his wife helps out on lots of committees"
"What about the kids? They're fostered?"
"Yeah all four of them although you'd never believe it."
"Why?"
"Well, they're all different, absolutely jaw droppingly gorgeous, but they have the same strange coloured eyes and really pale skin. Almost like they're related in some way. There's Emmett Cullen the one built like a Greek God, he's going out with Rosalie, the ice maiden and then there's Edward Cullen, the youngest. He's pretty arrogant, cold, and aloof, although he does have a girlfriend."
"I'm intrigued, who is good enough for such a guy?"
"Well that's the crazy thing, he's going steady with Alice Cullen, another of the foster kids. She always reminds me of the energiser bunny, she's always bouncy and full of life, really different from all the others except of course Emmett, he's always grinning too."
"Sounds cosy but they aren't related so I guess its fine."
"You'll see them at the dance, or some of them anyway."
I had been curious to see these paragons of beauty and that had given me something to look forward to. She was right of course they were all beautiful in different ways. Emmett was much like a short-haired version of Garrett, just a little more Hercules like and had the grin on his face although why I found hard to understand seeing his girlfriend by his side. That one could freeze boiling water at twenty paces just by looking at it. I recognised Alice by Angela's description and she did look full of energy but to me she would be an energiser pixie with her slight figure and short hair. She had dragged Edward, her boyfriend, on the floor a couple of times but it was apparent he wasn't really into dancing although he did his best for her. Both couples looked very much in love which was nice.
"They're all sickeningly intelligent and none of them ever puts a foot out of line. They're almost old-fashioned like that."
They sounded like a great family to be a part of but then mine was so dysfunctional, especially my mother, that any half way normal family gave me a warm glow.
When Angela and Eric reappeared she looked over to where Mike was talking to Jessica,
"I'm sorry about Mike, I thought he was over Jessica or I'd never have made you come."
"That's OK, they look good together."
"Yes they do, still you have an admirer of your own I see"
I glanced over at the Cullen table, only Garrett and Rosalie were there now and I knew instinctively he'd been looking over at me a second before. Looking around I saw Alice dancing with Emmett which was slightly funny considering the difference in their sizes but he was surprisingly good on his feet. Edward was missing and I wondered if he'd left early.
"That's Garrett, a friend of the Cullens"
"Oh, first name terms already?"
"He brought me a drink over while Mike was off getting some and you dragged Eric onto the dance floor."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Do you like him?"
"Angela I'm here for a few days that's all."
I couldn't tell her I might be moving to Forks permanently, not yet. She grinned mischievously,
"So, who knows maybe he lives in Florida"
I sighed ready to tell her I wasn't interested when there he was standing at my side, his hand outstretched,
"Care to dance Bella?"
Angela grinned wider as I got up wishing I was anywhere but here,
"I'm not good at dancing, too clumsy"
"Never mind, if you knock the others over there will just be more room for us"
I laughed,
"I'd never considered that. OK but I warned you."
I took his hand which felt cold but nice and he led me out just in time for a slow song to come on and he smiled,
"Fate, you don't have to move around a lot, just hold on and I promise I wont let you fall flat on your face"
It was actually very nice dancing with him, even when I could feel his cold skin against mine, and when that song finished and another slow one started he didn't suggest we leave the dance floor. After three dances he escorted me feeling euphoric, I hadn't stumbled once, back to our table where Mike and Jessica, Angela and Eric sat watching our approach. Garrett pulled out a chair for me next to Angela and bowed over my hand,
"It's been a pleasure Bella."
I was red faced with embarrassment as he walked back across to the Cullen table and I wondered what they would say, if anything but with the music loud once more chatting was almost impossible without shouting.
When the party finished Mike drove me home, Jessica's father had arranged to pick her up and she couldn't contact him so I was saved the awkwardness of sitting in the back with Eric and Angela while she made cow eyes at her not so ex boyfriend.
He dropped me off with apologies for abandoning me for Jessica but I told him not to worry,
"I understand, I'm going soon but thanks for inviting me I had a surprisingly good time"
"Yeah so I noticed. Who was that guy? I haven't seen him before."
"A friend of the Cullens, he said he was just visiting."
"Oh right only he looked like he was interested in you"
I laughed getting out of the car and running up the porch steps waving goodbye. I just hoped Mike had driven away before he could see me trip over the top one and land hard on my foot which twisted and for a second I thought I'd really hurt myself. This damn costume, I knew it would get me eventually, I was just glad it had waited until now.
The pain when I tried to get up made me gasp but luckily I was close enough to the door to knock and my dad answered peering down at me with a grimace.
"How did you get down there?"
"I tripped and I think I hurt my foot."
He helped me up shaking his head in exasperation,
"Bella do you think you could go home to your mother just once without a bandage or plaster? She always blames me."
"Sorry dad, I do tell her its my own fault but she never listens"
"Its OK honey, she doesn't want to. Anyway did you have a good time?"
"I did actually"
"Mike behave?"
"He and Jessica Stanley got back together"
"So he just left you?"
"I didn't mind, I danced a few times with a friend of the Cullens"
"Really? They're a good family, Dr and Mrs Cullen are nice people. We're lucky she decided she didn't like living in a city because he is way over qualified for our small clinic."
"I didn't get to talk to the others but Garrett was nice."
I hobbled up the stairs and got ready for bed then dad wrapped a cold compress around my throbbing foot and gave me a couple of Tylenol. As I fell asleep I thought about the dance and Garrett, he was good looking but more than that, he was gallant and sweet, not like most boys I'd met but then he was older. I didn't know by how much but I got the sense he was much older than his face implied.
