Life Right Now
Chapter Nine: sneaking out was so much easier on TV.
I got up and took the things out of my backpack, I had only shoved everything in their earlier as something to do. It was in no way near ready to take back to school. I pulled my binder out and sat on my bed, uncrumpling the papers I had completed. I realized that I needed my schedule if I was going to find my classes again. I was still growing at some slow rate and my vampire memory had yet to kick in completely. Apparently cute guy + plus angry Jake and Dad canceled out the room numbers in my head.
My phone began buzzing, a blocked number was on the ID. I frowned, but answered. His voice answered back. I flopped back onto the bed and stared at my canopy.
"Hey, Zac," I said quietly.
"Hey," he whispered back, "What's with the whispering? Are we hiding?"
Yes. "Uhm, I'm not supposed to be on the phone after 7. Wait—how did you get my number?"
He laughed a cute, guilty laugh, "I kind of stole your schedule after school. When you were getting things from your locker… I hope you don't mind."
You can steal whatever you want from me. "How am I supposed to get to my classes tomorrow?"
"Well," his voice drew the word out making it perfect, "I could pick you up tomorrow and give it to you then."
Abort Nessie! Abort! "I don't know, Zac… my parents."
"Oh, the parents," he understood the dread. "Did your brother tell your parents about me?"
"Brot—yeah, he did. He's a little overprotective. He doesn't have a job."
"Well, maybe I can talk to him tomorrow when I pick you up," when did I agree to that? "I can show him I'm not all bad."
"No…" I don't want you to be Alpo. "He… sleeps in," I explained. I had stupidly given the information that he didn't have a job.
"He wouldn't wake up early for you? Can't be that overprotective then!"
"He's… he's a monster when he's woken up early. He's stays up late… on the computer… doing… guy stuff." Oh, ew, Nessie! Where'd that come from?
Word vomit, complete word vomit. This was turning into a disgusting conversation and Jake was turning into my lazy, older brother.
But, Zac just laughed, "Oh!" There was a pause. Yeah, where do you go from there? "So, are you going to let me pick you up tomorrow? Please? I'll bring you breakfast. I'll make you breakfast."
How could I resist a man who cooked?
In theory. I mean, in all the movies the good guys were the ones who cooked.
"How can I say no, now, Zac?"
"Well that was my intention, Nessie." I gave him the address… well, I gave him the house's address from four blocks over. I'd just tell Mama I was walking to school. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Nessie."
"Good night, Zac."
"Good night, Nessie. Sweet dreams."
I resisted the urge to squeal when I hung the phone up. What would those girls say during lunch tomorrow? What did it mean when a guy said 'sweet dreams' was there some translation somewhere? On a bathroom stall maybe?
I slid my phone back into my bag and hand caught on a slip of paper. "Shit!"
I had detention today. Maybe Papa would write me a note; temporary insanity induced by boy. TIIBB. That was a medical condition, right? I'm sure there were plenty of girls who would back me up on this one.
I crawled back under the covers, balled the detention slip up in my hand and tossed it into the wastebasket. Sleep soon found me, but it did not keep me there long. It never did these days, soon there would come a night where I did not sleep at all.
I got dressed silently, developing my plan. I was walking to school, that was it. Lots of people walked to school… just not too many people who lived ten miles away from the school and had access to a multitude of cars. Oh yeah, this would be so easy. Like Uncle Jasper not consuming the entire town.
I took my backpack downstairs early, Mama was sitting on the couch sorting through furniture magazines. "Hey, I think I'm gonna walk to school today… if that's alright…"
She looked up at me, startled. I'd be startled too if someone told me they were going to walk the ten miles to school; vampire or not, it was a little crazy.
"Are you sure, Nessie? I can drive you." She gave me that look that said she was doing her best to figure out why I wanted to hike to school today.
"I just—I just want some time to think. I'll walk fast, I won't be late."
She gave me one last weird look before letting me walk out the door without saying goodbye to anyone. Free, free at last. I wasn't going to wonder where everyone else was, because I probably didn't want to know. You'd think I lived with rabbits rather than vampires.
I walked slowly to the corner, the logistics of this sneaking around was hard. I had to leave early enough for it to be clear that I was walking to school, but I didn't want to wait forever for Zac to come and pick me up. I sat down on the dirt road and leaned against the fence that had once probably kept horses in. Keeping horses was a bit impractical for a family of vampires. I drew designs in the dirt while I waited for his car to pull up.
It rolled up and over the dirt road minutes before the tardy bell would ring. I reminded myself that I had wanted him to pick me up and that I had never designated a time, that was my own fault. I got into the dark car carefully, papers and cups were strewed on the floor of the passenger seat and I wasn't sure if they were important or not.
"You're fine," he smiled, sensing my unease at possibly ruining something on the floor. I grinned back and laughed a little. I slid my backpack down and he handed me a warm paper napkin.
"What is this?" I tapped the warm paper and I sniffed. Gag. It was my breakfast.
"I promised you breakfast."
And you, Nessie, were stupid enough to agree to that. Eat it and smile.
"Oh! Thanks!" I opened the makeshift container to find two Pop-tarts smeared in hard brown frosting. I should have gone hunting last night, it would have been a much better way to spend my time.
I picked at the pastry as Zac drove us to school.
"So, why were you sitting on the dirt? I could have sent you a text to tell you I was there."
"Oh, uhm. I just needed to get out the house," I tried my best to sound convincing.
"You told your parents you were walking to school, didn't you?"
Was I that transparent?
"Yeah. My dad pretty much laid down the law and said I couldn't see you outside of class." Oh, way to be the cool kid, Nessie!
He laughed and I snuck a look at him, he ran his fingers through his hair and continued grinning. What was he thinking? Was he embarrassed for me? Because I was certainly embarrassed for myself.
"Well, we'll just have to find a way around that. I'd really like to hang out with you more than just car rides and auto tech."
I smiled and the feeling reached all the way down to my kneecaps. "I'd like to hang out with you more too."
"Really?" I nodded. "Let's go on a date then."
"My dad won't let me," I spewed out before realizing what had just happened. I, Renesmee Carlie Cullen, was just asked on a date. A real, live date. I pinched my arm and remained awake. Yes!
"Just tell them you're studying at someone's house," his hand reached out an stroked my arm. It was so cool compared to my skin.
"I can't lie to my family. They're really—intuitive." If it wasn't Daddy reading my mind it was Alice seeing the future, and if it wasn't that it was Jasper sensing my dishonest feelings… and if all else failed Mom would you her Mom powers and I would be locked away in my room for the rest of eternity.
"Renesmee," he drew out my name, but instead of it coming off as whiny and complaining it was sweet and enduring and made my insides melt. "Figure it out. Convince them I'm good. A sweet face like yours, I'm sure you can get your daddy to see your way."
I rolled my eyes. That had worked, when my wants were purely innocent.
"I'll talk to him."
AN: I didn't want to update yet but this chapter either needs to go up now or it's going to impossibly long. You can blame mistresselektra for the long wait though. c: She forces me to make icons for her stories and she terrifies me. :p
(In all seriousness if you are over 17 you should go read Wedding Cake Traditions Gone Wrong.)
AGAIN:I'm not reading through this because I'm fairly busy. If you see an error that actually effects the reading of this, please tell me.
ALSO: I'm babysitting a four year old today for about six hours. If you know an four year old boys you know how rambunctious and crazy they can be. I'm a college student (read: I'm part sloth.) If you love me and want to shore sympathy review me. FFN even moved the link to make it easier for you.
See!