Just Like the Movies

Chapter 9

Center Stage

Once I was back in my hotel room, I began to mull over the conversation in my head. She can't be right… she doesn't know me. Who is she to tell me about my happiness? I felt my heart lurch.

I tried to tell her about her happiness.

God damn it.

No. It doesn't matter; she had no right to talk to me like that. I was just trying to help her, trying to do something nice for her and she spat in my face.

I flung myself onto my bed, lying on my back. I stared at the ceiling, willing myself to sleep. It was all in vain of course. I needed to talk about this, I needed to bitch at someone about this, and I needed someone to tell me that I was right, because I was.

So I picked up my phone and called the person she thought was making me unhappy…I'd show her…

"Baby!"

"Hi Tanya," I said flatly.

"How are you? How's the movie going?"

"Fine, I guess. I'm just having a tough time right now."

"Oh that's too bad," I could hear her muffle the phone as she talked to someone else in the room.

"Yeah, I had a fight with one of my friends."

"Uh huh."

"It was pretty bad," I was trying to get a reaction out of her. She wasn't paying attention to me at all.

"Don't worry about it baby. I'm sure he'll forgive you." It didn't escape my notice that she'd assumed my friend was male.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" I yelled.

"Don't yell at me Edward Cullen," she said.

"Sorry, I'm just really upset about this."

"Yeah, okay, well don't be too sad about it. I'm sure it wasn't that big of a deal."

"Tanya," I tried to explain that it was a big deal.

"Hey, I've gotta go. Thanks for calling baby! You know I love to hear from you!"

"But, Tanya," she ended the call before I could finish.

Shit. The one fucking time I needed her. This doesn't mean anything; she was just busy.

Alice! I'll call Alice. She'll be on my side. I dialed her number.

It rang a few times before a very sleepy sounding Alice answered, "Edward… it is 11pm. We have to be at the set in… 4 hours. Screw you, I'm going to sleep," she mumbled.

"Please, Alice this is important!"

"You hate talking on the phone," she sounded a little more alert, "this isn't just you calling to ask me some stupid question?"

"No, Bella and I had a fight."

"Okay, lots of people fight," she said like she was speaking to an idiot.

"I mean… it was bad. She went completely ballistic on me. All I did was offer to pay for physical therapy to help with her hand! Then she accused me of being unhappy!"

"….what?" Alice asked confused.

I sighed, exasperated, "Bella used to be a dancer, but she hurt her wrist. So she can't anymore. And there is a chance, with physical therapy, that she might be able to dance again. Even if it doesn't get her wrist back to full strength, she might at least feel well enough to coach. But, she can't afford it, so I offered to pay."

"Edward, did you really think that she would be all sunshine and daisies about that?"

"Uhh, yeah!"

"I thought you knew her better than that," Alice said quietly.

"Alice, it's what makes her happy, and she's not happy right now! I know that much. I just want to help her Alice…"

"Maybe that's true. But, Edward, I don't think you should be talking to me about this."

"Excuse me? I thought you were my friend!"

"I am Edward, but you don't want to talk to me," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What do you mean, Alice? I called you!"

"Come on Edward, you want to talk to Bella. You should talk to Bella," Alice said confidently.

"I do not want to talk to her. She's out of her mind. I have everything I could possibly ask for in life, and she says I'm unhappy," I scoffed.

"Call her, Edward," sleepy Alice was back. She had made up her mind; she wasn't going to let me vent to her.

"But, Alice," I started.

"No, I'm going back to sleep. You better call her, I mean it. Goodnight." She hung up before I could say anything else.

What the fuck was up with the women in my life! I decided that they were all crazy. I lay in my bed, mumbling to myself, and fuming. I got up and started pacing around my room. Bella had no right to say that. She doesn't know me. Yes, she does.

Shut up.

But, it was too late. She was right and I knew it. I leaned up against a wall and slid to the floor. I buried my head in my hands until I finally looked up and stared at my cell phone still lying on my bed, taunting me.

Fuck. Lord knows I wanted to call her. But, I couldn't. I'm so pissed at her.

Yeah, but you're sorry too.

I got up and grabbed my cell phone. I'm not calling her. I pressed the button on the side to turn on the light. 11:12 pm. I'm not calling her. It was then that I noticed the date… I did the math in my head. Sixteen days… I was leaving for Hollywood in sixteen days.

I mentally kicked myself. I had spent all this time trying to prolong my time with her, even if she does piss me off… I still want to be with her.

I sighed. Of course I'm fucking going to call her.

I dialed her number, and she answered on the first ring.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Me too."

We were silent for a few moments.

"I had no right to say what I did," Bella started.

"No, Bella, you're right. And that's why I got so mad. Because you were right, and I was wrong."

"But, Edward, you weren't wrong. I have been keeping Emmett and Rose away," she was starting to cry, "and I don't want to. It just… it just hurts too much." Her sobs cut right through me, negating all the anger that I had felt over the last hour.

"Bella… please don't cry," I begged.

"I'm sorry," she blubbered.

"Listen, that's enough, you don't have to be sorry. I'm sorry, okay?" Her crying softened to sniffles. "I shouldn't have thrown my money around like that. I hate people who do that. I just wanted to help you, Bella."

"I know, but I just couldn't accept something like that from you, Edward. Please don't argue with me, just try to understand."

I took a deep, calming breath, "All right, I won't mention it again, but if you ever change your mind, and I mean whenever…5, 10, 15 years, promise you'll call me, okay?"

"Deal," I could hear the smile creep back into her voice.

We continued talking for, I don't know how long. We talked about Bella's family and how wonderful they've been. We talked about Alice and how much Bella liked her. We didn't talk about Tanya. Bella didn't bring her up and for some reason, I just didn't want to talk about Tanya with Bella anymore. Not because I was afraid of what she might say, but… it just felt… awkward now. We agreed to meet for dinner again the following week, at Bella's again. Finally I wasn't able to keep my eyes open anymore, and I had to say goodbye.

I didn't even bother to change out my clothes. I rolled over on my bed and finally let sleep consume me.

********************

My week had been hell. Mr. Howard kept us late almost every day. We had to go back and reshoot five scenes because the camera guy didn't use the right kind of film. Alice was getting more and more irritated as it got hotter and hotter outside. And I missed Bella.

So, needless to say, I drove a tad recklessly to Bella's on Thursday. And I'm proud to say that I didn't get lost once. I parked my car on the street again. As I made my way up the driveway I noticed all the flowers that were planted around Bella's yard. The grass and the flowers had a silver glow about them from the moonlight. It seemed so peaceful here, a place that would be nice to call home.

I walked up the stairs and timidly knocked on the door. I heard scuffling behind the door, then the deadbolt being fiddled with. It sounded like it was stuck. I was smiling like a fool by the time Bella finally wrenched the door open. She looked lovely as always. Her hair was down and slightly curled at the ends. Her eyes sparkled as she moved aside to let me in.

"Hey," she said lamely.

"Hey, what's for dinner?"

"I swear, you and Emmett. I think you guys only like me because I can cook," she said with her hands on her hips.

"Naw, you're just stupid enough to keep feeding us, so why wouldn't we come back?" I smirked at her.

"Har-har," she said sarcastically as she moved to the kitchen.

"So you think I have a career in comedy if this acting bullshit doesn't work out?"

"Don't hold your breath…," she muttered as she checked a pot on the stove. "I hope you don't mind mashed potatoes again; they're my favorite," she turned to smile at me as she took the pot off the stove.

"Not at all," I told her honestly.

"Here, movie star, make yourself useful," Bella joked while tossing me something that looked like either an element of torture or maybe something kinky.

I looked at her blankly, trying to figure out just exactly what she expected me to do with this thing.

Bella started laughing hysterically at me. "You really are out of touch with us commoners, aren't you? It's a potato masher. I already have the milk and butter measured out and heated. The measuring cup is there, on the counter. Just add them a little at a time as you mash."

I felt a little stupid for just a moment, but then I couldn't help but laugh too. It was nice, being here with her like this.

Following her instructions, I mashed the potatoes as Bella took the chicken out of the oven. Then we settled down to a comfortable meal. It was effortless as we talked and joked with each other, our fight long forgotten.

When it was getting close to midnight, I started having trouble keeping my eyes open. Twenty hour days will do that to you.

"Edward, you look exhausted."

"I am exhausted, what's it to you?" I said sarcastically.

"You know, could you stop being a jerk for five seconds please? I'm just worried about you driving home," she said.

"I'll be fine; I'll even call you when I get back to my hotel, all right?"

"All right," she agreed.

"There was something I wanted to ask you about…" she asked, hesitancy creeping into her voice.

That woke me up.

"Yeah?"

"Well, Blue Island High School does this thing called a 'preview' every year. It's a big deal actually; it usually brings about 1,000 people in. The marching band, the summer choir, and the dance team all perform at it. It's a chance for the choir and the marching band to show off what they have planned for the fall season. For the girls though… it's like our dress rehearsal for Nationals. Anyway, it's this Saturday and… it would really mean a lot to me if you'd come."

"Bella, I would love to go, and I'm sure I can weasel my way out of work. But that's a lot of people to dodge. I can manage 20 at practices, but a whole gym full?"

"Oh, that wouldn't be a problem; I would still sit in the press box. And I get there early, before anyone else. So we could sneak up there and watch," she said mischievously.

I smiled at her, "Careful there, tiger. Are you trying to trick me into your lair so you can have your wicked way with me?" I smiled devilishly at her.

"Gee, Edward, who would have guessed you were such a perv? Please say you'll come," she asked with so much hope in her eyes that I don't know if anyone would have been able to say 'no'. But she was going to have to wait for my answer just a little bit longer. This was too much fun.

"That's what she said," I knew I shouldn't, but I just couldn't resist.

Bella tried to look mad, but failed miserably. Her lips were twitching like crazy as she struggled to contain her laughter. "You're impossible," she finally managed to accuse me as some giggles escaped. "So are you going with me or not?" "Of course, I'll go. I'll even pick you up," I announced.

"You don't have to do that."

"Bella, you've said this means a lot to you; I've made up my mind. What time does it start?"

She laughed, "Seven, but I would imagine that we should get there around 5:30."

"Okay, I'll be here a quarter after five then."

Bella rubbed her hands over her face, and she looked just as tired as I felt.

"Well, I better get going. It's late."

"Yeah, I guess I'll see you on Saturday then."

She showed me to the door and we said our goodbyes. I tried not to think about how much this was going to feel like a date. I mean, this wasn't a date... I was not taking Bella on a date, was I?

*********************************

I spent the next two days working, sleeping, getting Alice off my back about various topics, and convincing myself that this was not date. I wasn't very successful.

Bella and I are just friends. It wouldn't be fair of me to think of her in any other way. Not fair to Tanya and not fair to Bella. She was obviously still hung up on Mike, as anyone would be. She didn't need any more complications in her life. So I put all of those other feelings on the back burner, for now.

I arrived at Bella's house right on time. I thought about bringing her flowers, but I thought that would have crossed the line. I climbed her now familiar stairs and knocked on the door. Again I heard her fumbling with the lock, and when she finally swung the door open, I had to choke back a laugh. She looked a mess. Her hair was half pinned on top of her head the rest was wildly sticking our everywhere and her face was red and blotchy. She was wearing a dirty white tank top with black pants that didn't seem to fit her at all.

"Is this a bad time?" I snickered at her.

"I know, sorry." She held to door open for me and then took off like a shot down the hallway; shouting something that sounded vaguely like, "Give me ten minutes!"

I doubted that. Tanya took at least two hours to get ready. Granted she needed to be "red carpet" ready, but it was still fucking annoying. I sighed and walked over to her couch. I had dressed up for this, even though I knew no one but Bella would see me. I had gone with a navy blue button down and black dress pants and shoes.

I sat down on her couch and leaned my head on the back of it. I closed my eyes and tried to not imagine Bella curled up next to me. She would be warm and soft, I'm sure. I would put my arm around her, and she would nuzzle her face against my chest. She would look up at me and smile, and I would bend my head towards hers… enough, that's enough. I tried to stop these thoughts but they just kept coming. I buried my head in my hands and willed them away. Luckily, I was brought out of this torture by a soft clicking noise coming from the hallway.

If I didn't know better I'd say they sounded like… heels? Bella never wore heels. I got up from the couch and turned to see an awe inspiring site. There was Bella. Her hair was down now and smooth. Half of it pulled back and there were little pieces falling down around her face. She had put on some make-up that made her eyes pop. She was wearing a deep purple top that revealed just a hint of cleavage. Her black trousers now sported a thin belt that held them in place and they now hugged her curves perfectly. And, she was wearing heels. Peep-toe heels.

You are such a fucking goner.

No, I would stay my course; I would be fair, to her and to Tanya.

"Bella, you look fantastic," I told her breathlessly.

"Thank you. I normally don't dress like this, but preview is kind of a big deal so the coaches usually dress up."

"But, I thought no one was going to see you," I said panicking a little. I could not deal with 1,000 crazy people.

"They won't. I just… even though they won't see me, I still feel like I belong, you know? Like I should still act and dress the way I would if I were still head coach," she said looking down at her feet.

"Oh," was all I could manage.

"Come on, let's go before people start to show up," Bella said, heading for the door. I followed.

I drove to the high school in silence. Bella seemed nervous about something, but I wasn't going to ask. I was too busy trying to keep my focus on the fact that this wasn't a date.

We arrived at the high school, which mercifully was still dark. Bella lead the way as we walked down the deserted hallways. We came to the gym which was also dark. Bella opened a box on the wall and flipped some switches. The gym was illuminated by the florescent lights after a few moments, and then Bella and I made our way up the bleachers towards the press box. We still hadn't said anything to each other. I was getting more and more nervous with each step.

We climbed up into the box, and I saw a long table next to the window with microphones sitting on it. I moved to sit in one of the chairs.

"Oh no, umm, I sit up here," Bella pointed to a dusty old staircase in the back. It was cluttered with boxes of old newspapers and basketball playbooks.

She led the way, and we came to a door that was all rusted and dirty. She stuck a key in the lock and turned it. Before she opened the door she turned to me.

"Edward, I've never let anyone in this room before. Everyone thinks I sit down there where the announcers do, but I found this room and… well… It's like my haven. I'm still Bella Swan the ballerina in here."

"I understand," I told her.

She pushed the door open and let me go in first. I gasped quietly as I took in what was around me.

The wall I was facing was covered in framed pictures and medals pinned to the wall. I walked closer to look at them. The medals looked like they were from various dance competitions. Almost all of them were gold, a few sliver, and one lonely bronze down in one corner. Then I looked at the pictures. They were pictures of Bella…one of her dancing jazz, top hat and all; one of her and Jessica wearing matching dance costumes; one of her and Emmett ballroom dancing; one of her and Rosalie doing what looked to be the YMCA; one of her standing in the middle of her dancers, their arms around each other's shoulders and each with a silver medal around their neck; and many, many more. Each picture had a smiling Bella in it.

I heard the door close behind me, and I turned to tell Bella how amazing all of this was but suddenly I couldn't breathe. On the wall behind Bella there was a poster sized picture of her. It was a profile shot; she was dressed in a royal blue ballet costume. On her feet were matching blue Pointe toe shoes. Her hair was pinned back into an elegant bun. Her right leg was curled up behind her back as she supported all her weight on the toe of her left foot. Her arms were spread out like wings, and her face was turned upward toward the light which made her skin glow. And next to the poster, pinned to wall, were the same blue Pointe toe shoes.

After I took in the poster before me, I turned to look at her. Bella stood, leaning up against the door of this special room.

"I know it seems a little narcissistic. I told Emmett that I was going to throw everything away after…" she paused for a moment, "anyway, I just couldn't bring myself to do it, so I brought it all here."

"It's wonderful Bella, truly," she smiled at me and gestured for me to have a seat in one of the old folding chairs facing the window.

She and I sat and chatted about some of the pictures as we watched the people start to file into the gym. As the preview began, all the coaches and instructors got up and talked about their groups and what they had planned for the upcoming school year. The choir sang first; they were quite good. The band did a show stopping performance next. They were even better than the choir.

Finally the dance team came out and did their routine. They were, of course, amazing. Even Irina, who was donned in an all white ensemble, was flawless. Once she was finished, she asked all of the girls to come onto the dance floor again, and she asked for the microphone.

"Um, we have one more dance to do before we go. This one we came up with all on our own. And… well we'd like to dedicate it to someone very special too all of us. She couldn't be here tonight, but we still wanted to do this for her. So this one is for the woman who taught us the meaning of dance, who taught us to be ourselves and have a great time doing it. This one's for you, Bella Swan."

I couldn't be sure, but it looked liked Irina was looking up at Bella and I. I glanced over to Bella, and she was sitting back in her chair with her hand over her mouth. She looked over to me and put her hand down. She was smiling.

"They really love you, Bella," I told her.

"I know they do," she said quietly, as she propped her head up on her hands and stared down at the girls who were now dancing below. Bella was glowing through the whole thing. After they finished and bowed for the final time and made their way out of the gym, Bella looked over at me and bit her lip.

"What?" I asked her.

"I need to go talk to them. I can't just sit up here after what they did," she said shakily.

"Go," I told her firmly.

"Thank you," she said. "Just wait here until everyone is gone, and I'll meet you out back, okay?"

"Sure," I said.

I watched Bella run out the door and down the stairs. I could even make her out as she dashed through the crowd and out the gym doors.

As I sat waiting for the crowd to disperse, I thought about the upcoming week. I was going to be buried at work, trying to get everything finished. Then I realized that the National High School Dance Competition, which was going to be held in Indianapolis, was on the same day I was scheduled to fly home. A week from today. Shit. I would invite Bella out for a nice dinner on Thursday, and that would be it. That would most likely be the last time I would see her.

This fantasy I've begun entertaining in my head would go up in smoke. As it should.

I glanced up and saw that the gym was mostly empty. I got up and made my way down to the floor. I sneaked past the remaining people, and I went into the back hallway once again. There was no sign of Bella, so I started to peer around corners. I came to a hallway with several doors, some of which were open, and there was loud chatter coming from inside one of them. Just then, Bella walked out of one of the doors, facing me. She was glowing and I don't think I'd ever seen her look so beautiful. Emmett, Rosalie, and Irina followed her out, each with similar smiles of pride and love on their faces.

Bella and I started to walk towards each other as Emmett, Rosalie and Irina continued chatting in the doorway. Sarah and Henry were busy running around the adult's legs. Just as Bella and I were about to reach each other, a voice rang out from behind Bella.

"Bells?"

Bella stopped dead in her tracks, and then whirled around before I could analyze her expression. Emmett looked like he was going to punch the wall and started to walk toward the voice. Rosalie put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. At the end of the hallway, slowly making his way toward Bella was a shorter, well-built blonde man; then, Bella said it…

"Mike, what are you doing here?"

*****************************

Uhoh! Is Bella still in love with Mike? Will she take him back? What on Earth is he doing here! Okay Okay... I sound like a lame TV annoucner... but they are interesting questions huh?

I know what some of you are thinking… Delta! You spend the whole first half of the story convincing us that Edward is an unhappy actor… now he's trying to convince Bella that he's happy?! Wtf is that about?!

In my defense, Edward is kind of pigheaded. He doesn't want to admit to Bella that he's unhappy, because the truth is, when he's with her, he is happy. So it's un-nerving to him to have her notice that while he may be happy when he's with her, he's not with other aspects of his life, which is still very true.

So I hope that heads off some questions about that!

Thanks to my beta, Val, the potato masher scene… all her. So thanks Val, for being hilarious and perverted, lol

Please stop by the forums! There's a thread for this story, I post teasers and other fun stuff over there! Plus, there are a lot of really great stories to check out!

And please, if you have a moment, leave a review. They make me happy and I try to answer any questions, should you have any!

See you again soon and thanks for reading!

~Delta