Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, the characters aren't mine … please don't sue.
I drove home thinking about my talk with Alice. She had said that I would really enjoy myself at the dance. I didn't know if there were circumstances under which I would enjoy myself at a school dance. Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I could actually picture myself at a dance having fun. It all depended on how much gumption I could must before the end of the week.
Maybe … just maybe … I thought. It could work.
Bella's Point of View
When I got home, I found Charlie in the living room. It was 2:30 in the afternoon. What was he doing home? He was wrapped tight in a quilt and dozing while the Cartoon Network hummed in the background.
Ed, Edd, and Eddie? Charlie had such strange preferences when it came to cartoons. Personally, I was a classicist. I loved The Animaniacs. I'd even bought the DVD set when the came out a few months ago.
Charlie must be sick if he's asleep on the couch in the middle of a work day. I grabbed a box of tissues from under the kitchen sink and put them next to the snoring Charlie. He had already grabbed the carton of OJ, a glass, and an empty, bag-less trash can, which I assumed he'd be using to get sick in.
I couldn't be around him if he was going to be throwing up all night, so I grabbed my bag, truck keys, and new cell phone before heading out the door. I didn't know where I was going, but I didn't want to be around when Charlie started, or continued, being sick.
I drove toward Route 101, not knowing where I was going, until I saw a sign for Port Angeles. Perfect! I'd drive to Port Angeles, grab some dinner and hold up in a library or a café for a while. Surely, if I got home late enough, Charlie would be sound asleep in his bed and I wouldn't have to hear him retching. For me, the sound of someone being sick was second to the smell of blood. I just couldn't take it.
I had never been to Port Angeles by myself. Alice drove the other day and Charlie drove when I was younger, obviously, because I didn't have a driver's license. I was lucky, though, and I found a parking spot right off the main row of shops.
I walked down the street of stores as leisurely as I could. I hated how people in the movies or in commercials could saunter around towns just enjoying themselves. My goal in life was get from point A to point B without tripping, falling into something, or making a fool of myself. Even taking this "leisurely" walk through Port Angeles was something that I had to think about. I concentrated on my footfalls and the way my hands swayed at my side. Is this how someone would stroll if they were enjoying themselves? Why did I even bother?
I spied the hanging sign for the Starbucks from across the street, but as I drew closer, I saw that the inside was packed. There were a few small spots free at the counter top and a chair, here and there at occupied tables, were vacant. But, there were no spaces that I could spread my books out on or even a place I could throw myself in and just read a novel. I couldn't imagine getting relaxed in there.
Looking up and down the block, I searched for someplace else to go. There was an Italian restaurant about a quarter of a mile north of the Starbucks and a movie theatre to the south. I knew I had thirty dollars in my pocket, so I headed for the movie. I could kill two and a half hours, I thought with pleasure. A quiet place I could lock myself in the dark and not have to worry about the people around me.
I walked with revived pep in my step. Darkness had pulled itself over the sky since I reached Port Angeles. I tapped the side of the silver phone and the LED display read 6:24. I had a couple minutes to get to the theatre, make a discussion about a movie, and grab some popcorn before the previews began.
Small boutiques lined the street to the theatre. I walked silently on to the Cineplex as cars drove down the busy road. I hardly noticed the retail stores except for one that just happened to turn off the main lights as I was passing. The only illumination in the building was directly behind the window display. Propped high on mannequins sat three gorgeous dresses.
The dress on the far right was peach in color with tiny rhinestones along the bodice in a star burst pattern and an empire waist. The dress in the center of the display was neon green. The bodice was tight and the skirt was exaggerated with shreds of ribboned material that trailed around the hemline.
The third dress sat demurely in back of the two more glamorous models. It was cornflower blue with a deep chocolate sash. The strapless dress was knee-length and sported an empire waist. I was in love. I still wasn't sure if I was going to the Sadie Hawkins dance but, on the off chance I did get up the courage to ask … well, if I could find a date, I knew where to get my dress. A pair of stunning brown ballet flats with ties that elongated the look of the mannequin's leg brought the whole ensemble together.
I couldn't tear my eyes from the display until I heard a group of middle-schoolers pass behind me, no doubt also headed for the theatre. Nothing was playing at the theatre except a marathon of B-movie horror flicks. For ten bucks, I could watch terrible zombie and swamp monster movies until three in the morning. All I needed was a bag of popcorn, some Swedish Fish, and a coke.
I found my way to theatre 8, where plush leather director chairs awaited me. Much to my pleasure only a few people sat in the very front, craning their necks skyward to see the screen, and one lone figure in the back.
The first movie, a campy version of Frankenstein, began and I dug into my bag of popcorn. An hour and a half, later I was hysterically laughing at the death of Frankenstein's monster. I mean really, I could see the actor's face under his monster mask and, twice, the boom floated into view. Who edits these things, I thought.
A five minute intermission was announced on the screen and I took the opportunity to stand and stretch my arms. Maybe, I'd catch one more before going home to check on Charlie.
The group in the front stood and one female's voice spoke clearer than the rest. "I can't believe I've been here since noon," she paused, pulling a sweater on over her head. "I've gotta get going. Frank's gonna have a conniption if I don't make my shift."
A chorus of "goodbyes" echoed around the spacious room as the group departed. I made my way to the end of the aisle, where I left a scarf as a marker for my row, and out to the lobby for a bathroom break.
Making my way back to theatre 8, I noticed that they had dimmed the house lights already. With the group down front gone, I felt a little lonely. It would be just me and the person in the back. Looking for his or her silhouette as I entered the back doors, I noticed that they, too, were absent. Great, I thought. Scary movies and me all by myself.
I wondered if I could find my scarf or if I'd have to wait until the next intermission to find my aisle. Wandering down the center path, I saw the scarf Renee had insisted I would need living outside of the desert heat of Phoenix.
The seat where I had been enjoying Frankenstein was occupied by a figure. "Excuse me, you're in my seat," I seat, putting my hands on my hips. Defiance flared in my eyes and the figure stood, righting himself. Taking in the man's height and stance, I gasped when the light from the screen hit the person's face.
"I beg your forgiveness," his voice asked.
"Edward?" I returned, staring at the flash of bronze hair illuminated in the light of the movie screen.
"Hello, again, Bella. I see your ankle has healed," he finished with a smirk. He took my hand and the current of electricity which called like a familiar beacon buzzed on my palm. "Please, take my seat."
"My seat," I reminded him.
He smiled and allowed me to take the seat back. "May I sit with you? I was getting bored in the back until I noticed you were here." He stood awkwardly, shifting his weight on the balls of his feet.
"Sit," I said, pointing to the seat next to mine. "Fan of monsters?" I asked, nodding my head to draw his attention back to the new movie beginning on the big screen in front of us.
"Not really," his tone changed. What was that? Anger? Disgust? Pity? For me?
"Hmm, why come to a monster movie marathon, then?" I asked. His eyes were trained on the screen in front of us like it held the clues to a mystery.
"I would rather be here, than at home," he confessed, folding his hands in his lap.
"Being alone at the movies is better than being at home?"
"I find it better to be alone here than being alone in a house full of people," he bristled. His forehead creased and pain crossed his eyes. "But, every once in a while, something good comes of it," he finished, a smile crossing his lips.
We sat in silence, watching Nosferatu, a grainy black and white Dracula film from the silent movie era. Occasionally, I heard Edward, beside me, choking back a laugh. What was he laughing at? The vampire, Nosferatu, was running away from a window pane where bright sun light poured in.
The light in the theatre came up once more and I stood to gather my stuff. "Leaving so soon?" he asked handing me my school bag from the sticky movie theatre floor.
"Yeah, Charlie's sick and I should go back and check on him." I hoped snotty tissues and a used garbage can didn't wait for me. "Are you going to stick around for the next movie? I think it was a werewolf flick."
His soft topaz eyes grimaced. "No, I have never really appreciated the subtly of werewolves. May I walk you to your vehicle?"
I love the chivalry of Edward's actions. Thinking about it as we exited the theatre lobby back into the cold streets of Port Angeles, Edward reminded me of a true gentleman right out of a Jane Austen book. He carried my bag, offered me his hand in assistance, and gave me a companion to lunch with. Even his speech pattern was like he come from another country and English might not have been his first language. Subtly, it was different, more refined, and lyrical.
We passed the shops that I had loitered in front of before and my eye tracked to the same cornflower blue dress. I touched the glass of the store front, allowing my fingers to graze along the window pane until we passed by. With a few admonishments from Edward, I started my truck and threw my back pack inside.
"Are you sure that you would not like a ride home? This truck is …" he paused. "It just seems like it may have seen better days."
"Stop making fun of my truck," I scolded. I thanked Edward again for walking me back and he closed my door.
"Please call me when you are safely at home," he asked of me.
"I will, Edward. Bye!" I happily waved to him, trying to permanently mark his brilliant smile in my brain.
I drove home from Port Angeles, stopping at a McDonalds to pick up a couple of burgers for dinner and a 20 piece chicken McNuggets for Charlie to eat when, or if, he was ready. Renee would have screamed at me if she could have seen me driving and eating. It was her steadfast resolution that meals were to be eaten sitting in front of a table, not in the car on the go. After the first burger, my stomach made a funny gurgle and I decided to hold off on finishing the rest of my dinner.
By the time I made it back to Forks, my stomach was rolling. I wasn't sure I would make it home before something happened. My stomach cramped violently and my chest burned. I ran into the house dropped my bag and sprinted up the stairs. I had to step over Charlie sleeping on the bathroom floor to get to the toilet. I heard him grumble that he was going to bed and that he hoped I felt better.
I was so sick that I didn't remember dragging myself back to my bed room. Nothing was right and I didn't think I'd ever feel good again.
I lay in a stupor hanging off my bed when I felt cold hands pull back the hair on my forehead and pull me back to a more comfortable position. I whined and protested, but couldn't understand what was going on, no matter how hard I tried. "Just sleep, Bella. You'll feel better in a while," a voice soothed. I tried to place it but the thick fog pulled back in around my brain and I feel deep into a fitful slumber.
AN: If you want to see a picture of the dress, I'll put it in my profile.