Chapter Eleven "The Course of True Love"
Sorry about all the classic literature. I haven't actually read all of the books mentioned, but some of them I want to. I thought it might be good for Emmett and Rosalie to ramble on about something they both like for awhile.
I also skipped the van scene from the book because it would slow things down too much so were going straight to the Port Angeles scene. Tyler will still be annoying though. I also took some inspiration from Midnight Sun. If you haven't read it yet, you should. More of that will come into chapter 12. Enjoy!
EMPOV
"Charles Dickens?" Rosalie didn't believe me.
"Yeah, he's more… I don't know. It seems like Jane Austen's characters always get a happy ending and that doesn't happen with Dickens."
"What else have you read?"
"Lots of stuff… you mean classics? Well, I really liked Don Quixote and Shakespeare is all right."
"Shakespeare is all right? What standard do you base that on?"
"Personal preference. People start talking about art and symbolism and metaphors and they lose me. I just like the stories I guess and the way everyone in them is so much smarter than people are now. They all use big words and stuff." Rosalie stared at me with a funny look and I wondered if I had said something really dumb.
"You're not like anyone I've ever known," she finally said. "What jock likes classic literature?"
"I don't live within the confines of high school stigma. I thought that was what you wanted."
"It is. I just didn't realize that anyone was like that."
"Yep, I'm deep."
"What else don't I know about you?"
"Pretty much everything. That's the problem with high school, and the rest of society for that matter. They think it's possible to understand another person completely."
"I'm not that hard to understand."
"Sure you are. You go along with the drama even though you don't like it. That doesn't make sense to me. You're… afraid. I can't understand that."
"I… I guess you're right. I'm afraid to rock the boat. Everyone expects me to be a certain way, so I am. You don't care what people think of you though. That is foreign to me."
"Yeah, most people feel that way. Alice says I'm embarrassing. I just… don't care what people I don't even know think. The people who matter know the truth about me, and that's all I care about."
I think it was starting to sink in. She was quiet for a long time after that, as we watched the Mariners' game.
BPOV
I knew there was more going on than I could see. There was something wrong with Edward and it wasn't a rare pathogen. These thoughts filled my head as I rode with Jessica and Angela to Port Angeles. Alice was with Jasper and she was getting her prom dress in Seattle anyway. Thankfully, Lauren was busy today, because I don't think I could endure an entire day of her snide remarks.
At the dress shop, I was still distracted. The stories Jacob used to tell me when we were kids filled my head. He never told me what the Quileute's enemies were exactly, but I thought that maybe I could find out.
After ignoring Jessica one too many times she demanded,
"What planet are you on Bella?" I looked up at her.
"Oh I like that one," I said. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
"You've said that about every dress."
"You're not having fun are you?" Angela asked.
"Ha, not really," I replied. "Hey I'm going to the bookstore. I'll meet you for dinner ok." I hurried out of the store and down the street. However, I found that the bookstore wasn't the sort that I wanted. I figured I'd have to go to Seattle with Alice soon.
On my way back, I discovered that I had taken a wrong turn. Where was I? It was getting dark and the others were probably wondering where I was. I tried to retrace my steps, but I couldn't seem to find my way.
That's when I heard them behind me.
EPOV
Leave it to Bella -- the one person I loved, and the one person who got in the worst sort of trouble -- to go into the worst part of town and meet the worst sort of people. I heard them all at once and I suddenly felt my lifeless heart in my throat. How had I missed this? Why did she leave the others? Why wasn't Jessica worried?
I sped to her location as fast as I could, which was still not fast enough. I couldn't stand to hear them thinking of her like that. Then I was there. She gazed wide-eyed as I came within inches of running over one of the lowlifes. I couldn't stop, much as I wanted to. I threw open the passenger door,
"Get in!" I shouted. She did so quickly and we were gone. "Distract me," I pleaded.
"What?" She was shocked.
"Say something to get my mind off it so I don't go back there and make them wish they'd never been born."
"Uh, why have you been ignoring me?"
"No, not that, something trivial."
"Uh, I'm going to ask Emmett to beat up Tyler Crowley for me tomorrow."
"Why?"
"He's telling everyone he's going to the prom with me." I laughed humorlessly. Then said,
"You should go with him."
"What? Why?"
"He's nice enough. Not an idiot like Newton."
"I don't want to go with Tyler." She was very serious. Hmm, this could complicate things.
"You know Emmett isn't really dating Rosalie?" I changed the subject.
"You think I should go with him?" She was incredulous.
"No, I just thought you might be interested to know."
"Oh, why did they say they were dating then?"
"Long story, you'll have to ask him." She was quiet for a moment, then said,
"Why don't you take me? You know, to make up for that movie you promised me." I clenched my jaw. This was not going to end well.
APOV
Jasper drove out into the forest and I became more curious. When we were about an hour out of town, he turned off the road onto a gravel path that I hadn't seen before. He drove in silence, smirking all the way. I was dying, literally dying to know where we were going. After about 15 minutes of the gravel road, he pulled off to the side and stopped the car.
"Where are we," I asked. He didn't answer, but got out of the car and opened the trunk. Inside there was a picnic basket along with a blanket and a few other items. He took these and motioned for me to follow him.
We traipsed down a narrow path in the woods and shortly came out into a small clearing with a stunning view of the mountains. The first thing that struck me, though, was the sunset. In Forks, the sun usually set without any notice, but here, we could see for miles and the color was astonishing. As I took in the vibrant purples, pinks and golds, Jasper set up our dinner. Then I heard music. I turned back to see that Jasper had brought along an MP3 player with speakers. A soft ballad played, but I wasn't really paying attention to what it was. I think I must have been smiling, because Jasper stood and came over to me.
"You like it?" He asked, indicating the general set up.
"It was worth the wait," I replied. He smiled and took my hands in his.
"Usually, they say that dancing by moonlight is more romantic, but I think we should prove the common misconception wrong."
Then I had to pay attention to the music, because he began waltzing me around the clearing. We danced to three or four songs, each one getting slower, each time getting a little closer. Presently Jasper said,
"Our dinner is getting cold."
"What?" I replied. "Dinner, who ever heard of such a thing?" He laughed and led me over to the blanket. We sat and enjoyed whatever it was he brought; I can't remember. It was delicious, whatever it was. The dessert, however, I do recall. It was the most beautiful concoction of chocolate mousse that has ever been eaten by mankind.
The sun was gone by now, and we could see a few stars through the clouds. I leaned back, so full, I thought I might burst, and stared up at the sky, wishing I could see more of its mysterious secrets.
"What are you thinking?" Jasper asked. I turned to face him.
"Nothing so intriguing," I replied, "just that it's always so cloudy here. But what we can see of the sky is beautiful."
"That it is." Jasper was not looking at the sky. He was looking directly into my eyes. And thus, I was lost in his gaze.
Then, Jasper and I shared our first kiss. It may surprise you, but it was my first kiss altogether and well worth the wait. Just like everything about Jasper. He was so worth everything.
By all rights, the stars should have sung and the mountains should have moved, so powerful were my raptures at that moment. And after that, it never ended. Every thought of Jasper, even the idea of him, sent me back to that feeling of our first kiss and I knew that I loved him then and would love him always.
RPOV
Emmett was certainly like no other guy I have ever met. I doubt very much that I will ever meet anyone even close to his odd yet simple way of living.
I envied him, really. I didn't hate him anymore, though. I couldn't. He had everything I wanted, and he was the only way to get it. I would go on living vicariously. I could never really have what I wanted or even pretended to have, but I did have the illusion.
I wondered if Emmett knew that I was using him. It felt terrible, but he seemed all right with it.
I would enjoy the charade, however wrong that was. I could tell people he was mine. Not that I could ever really have him. It was an interesting turn of events. I have tried to recall exactly how this happened, but I'm coming up empty. Strangely, I have simply accepted this odd arrangement and continued my semblance of existence.
I had the feeling, though, that this would not end well.
He spent most of the evening with me, creating the illusion of our mutual fascination. Except that, that part wasn't put on. At least, I was fascinated by him, anyway. Around the time the Mariners were up by so many points it wasn't funny, Emmett started up the conversation again.
"So, is Austen your favorite?" He asked. At first, I forgot what he was talking about but then I said,
"No, not exactly. I love to read her books because they're so much more intelligent than anything we have now, but my favorite writer has to be… Robert Frost."
"Ooh, poetry. The Road Not Taken and all that."
"Indeed. As far as poetry goes, I also like Dickenson, Tennyson, Lord Byron, and Longfellow. And I'm sorry to say that I do like Shakespeare and happen to think he's more than 'all right'."
"I didn't say there was anything wrong with Shakespeare, just that he wasn't my favorite."
"So, what are your favorite plays?"
"Oh, Much Ado about Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Henry V, Julius Caesar… need I go on?"
"You don't like Romeo and Juliet?" I feigned surprise.
"It's ok, I guess. Not as good as the others."
"Have you read all of them?"
"No, I haven't read all the histories and a few others."
"So what haven't you read?"
"Lots of stuff."
"Is that your answer for everything?"
"No, but you ask general questions."
"Ok, what really popular books haven't you read?"
"Well, let me tell you… I have never touched War and Peace or any of Tolstoy's longer works. I also never read Harry Potter, but perhaps that's a bit too modern."
"A bit, but speaking of more contemporary works, what are your favorites of those?"
"Hmm, I tend to enjoy the books that are about 50 years old or more. But in the last few years… I quite enjoyed the Series of Unfortunate Events… that is until the end. I also liked Holes, but I think one of Alice's pets ate my copy."
"Alice has pets?"
"Not really. She used to bring home strays and Dad would find a place for them. He never let her keep any of them for long. She would have been depressed when they died."
The conversation continued like this for hours, until Mom came home and Emmett left with Dr. Cullen. I had trouble falling asleep that night. All I could think of was Emmett in a library surrounded by stacks of huge books. In my dreams, I was chased by such tomes with arms and legs, until finally I was swallowed by Crime and Punishment.
Chapter 12 coming soon! Like next week... or something
