The Twilight Twenty-Five
thetwilight25 dot com
Prompt: # 14
Pen Name: Purelyamuse
Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella
Rating: T
Word Count: 500
Photo prompts can be found here:
thetwilight25 dot com/round-eight/prompts
A/N: Human. Beta: Lyricalkris
After the shitstorm I call school, I head to Turnabout. The stale smell of vinyl feeds my soul. Jake, unlit cig hanging from his lips, nods hello.
"Hey," I say awkwardly. We hooked up once. He was drunk; I'm not sure he remembers. He was a good kisser, amazing body, but he's not my type.
"Got some new classics in yesterday, some dude's grandpa died. Had no clue what he had. People are idiots."
"Sweet." I avert my eyes, casting them on the tables of boxed records before me. I head to the back where they keep their clearance items. It sucks being poor.
The door pings, and my eyes rove upward.
"You keep it hidden for me or what, loser?" a familiar voice says. It's Edward. He gives Jake a sideways hand slap.
"You're my best costumer, punk. Of course."
Jake hands over a record. I'm dying to know what it is, but I keep my head down like I always do around Edward. He's Rose's brother and off limits to any of her friends, or so she says.
He tucks the album under his arm and surveys the tables, sifting through with a rhythmic plink, plink, plink as the records hit each other when they're over looked. I wonder if my body inwardly plinks when he walks by me every time I'm on his couch.
He's in college. A sophomore, but he still lives at home. In his mom's sunken basement. But it's a cool basement, tricked out for his garage band. I want to live in there.
I'm ready to leave, finding nothing. I pass by Edward. I walk behind him, inhaling as I go, getting enough Eau de Grunge Musician to last me until Friday when I'll see him again.
He doesn't see me. He doesn't say anything. He never does.
.
.
.
Rose is in the back, smoking a joint with her man. Our friends are here, some watching a movie, others raiding the fridge. I'm sitting on the driveway, star gazing. How can you feel so lonely when you're surrounded by people?
A window beside me opens. Edward's head peeks out. "I thought I was going crazy. I kept hearing things. What are you doing, Bella?"
I wrap my arms around my legs, squeeze, and drop my head to my knees. "Nothing."
"Wanna come do nothing inside? It's cold out there." He gives me a small smile. One he reserves for people he knows, not his groupies. I'm someone he knows, apparently.
I crawl through his window and head to his vinyl. I run my fingertips over the records.
"Do you collect?" he asks.
"I try."
"Me, too."
I smile.
"Want to listen to one? Got it today."
He puts the pin in place, and the record turns.
Janis Joplin begins to sing To Love Somebody.
"Do you like it?" he asks.
"I do." I pick up the anthology record.
"Thought you would." He's so close I can smell him again.
I inhale.