New chapter! Sorry it took some time, I just couldn't make up my mind…
Song for this chapter: I wanna hold your hand – The Beatles
This chapter goes to tomato sauce man a.k.a. Belle's boyfriend, for his theories that made me crack up =D
Edit: Many changes made here.
Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns it all.
Chapter 19
RPOV
As we arrived in school Monday morning, I noticed something different.
Nick was actually waiting for us by his car, smiling slightly as he noticed my staring.
Everyone went their separate ways once we left the car, so I made my way to Nick.
"Hey." I greeted shyly.
I was still trying to understand what was happening to me and it was somehow hindering my ability to speak coherently around him.
"Hi, Nessie." He smiled back at me. "I was wondering if I could ask you something." He asked as we made our way into the building.
"Sure." I replied.
He took a deep breath before blurting out. "Would you like to go out tonight?"
"Like on a date?" I asked.
Was it possible he felt something for me as well?
"Yeah." He nodded along for emphasis.
"I would love to." I replied, looking at him from under my lashes.
I wasn't trying to be flirty, I was actually looking down because of my sudden shyness so that was the only way I could look at him at the moment.
"Can I pick you up at five?" He inquired.
When I replied with an affirmative, he grinned at me. He looked quite pleased with himself.
The bell rang then, and I had to run so I wouldn't be late for class.
Alice had that look on her face that told me she knew what had happened. And judging by Mom's face, I could tell she was in on it as well.
I shrugged at them, a small smile still graced my face. Nothing would bring me down right now.
They both left me alone through all our classes, but as soon as we stepped foot inside the cafeteria, the questions started.
"How did he ask?"
"Where are you going?"
They both asked at the same time.
Since Alice could never see very well when it came to me, she couldn't tell what was going to happen. She had to rely on being nosy now.
"How was what?" Emmett asked once we joined them at our table.
"Nessie's got a date today." Alice squealed quite loudly.
Emmett and Rose cooed at it and made kissy faces to me.
"Stop teasing her." Mom came to the rescue. "I'm the only one allowed to do so." Or maybe not.
"She has what?" Dad's brows furrowed as he listened to everyone's thoughts. "A date?" He paled – figuratively.
"Yes, Daddy." I whispered. "And I already said yes. Plus, I'm old enough to make my own decisions."
"I didn't even say anything." He defended himself. It was true, but I could tell what he was thinking.
"I can read minds." I chuckled. "I really want to go, Dad." I told him.
"Edward, don't kill her buzz. She's going, whether you like it or not." Mom was always able to get what she wanted when it came to Dad, and now that she was doing it for me, I would be forever grateful.
"Alright." He sighed in defeat. "Just please be careful." His eyes were pleading, so I readily agreed.
I could vaguely remember Alice talking to Rose about what outfit I should wear and how to do my hair, and I couldn't even find it in myself to argue with them; I was just too happy.
I tried to surreptitiously spy on Nick, but he caught me, sending a wink my way. He always sat with the same group of people, most of whom were 'jocks' and 'cheerleaders'. Nick himself was considered one since he played soccer.
He waited for me by the cafeteria doors when the bell rang, so we could walk to class together.
It took a lot of effort for me to not reach out and grab his hand, but I succeeded. I was definitely not in control at the moment, and my power could just slip through unnoticed by me. I'd rather not take chances.
He was bold enough to kiss my cheek before going to his seat, and I blushed furiously at that. I was cursing my mother over and over at the moment for passing on her ability to blush at everything.
I sat down next to a stunned Sara, whose mouth was hanging open in shock. I couldn't hold in the giggle that escaped my lips as I told her.
"I have a date tonight."
She smiled and let me know she was happy about it, but without the squealing and hugging I have seen best friends do on TV.
That was one of the things I loved about Sara. She didn't feel the need to ask about details all the time. She knew that I would tell her in my own time, so she never pried.
When the last bell rang, I all but ran to the car. Since I was the slowest – along with Sara – everyone was already there when I arrived.
I rode with Rose and Alice since they insisted on helping me get ready. I tried to turn them down, but Rose knows my weakness and I played right into it.
Alice drove like a maniac and we arrived home in less than ten minutes. Both of them dragged me to my room, ordering that I shower and wash my hair.
I was done in less than ten minutes, and sat down at my desk so they could work their magic.
Mom and Sara soon joined us, having arrived home just as I had finished my shower.
While my aunts worked on me, Mom and Sara went into my closet to select an outfit for me. They knew me and what I would feel comfortable wearing, so I didn't fret. I would have flat out refused to let Alice do it.
Once hair and make-up were done, they all left me alone to get ready.
I changed into the outfit they had chose, of which I approved, before truly fretting.
I was going on a date.
My first date.
I spent fifteen minutes inside my room trying to calm myself down. When that didn't work, I walked down the stairs knowing my whole family would be somewhere around.
I heard a loud wolf-whistle that came from uncle Emmett, which promptly made me blush.
Lowering my head, I headed towards the music room; like my father, playing the piano calmed me down and I really needed it right now.
I started playing some songs I knew by heart, closing my eyes and forgetting about everything else, just letting the music flow through me.
Some movement startled me, and I opened my eyes to see both my parents sitting on each side of me. I kept playing, silently enjoying their company.
I sighed as the song came to an end. I loved the piano.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart." Dad said in a whisper, not wanting to break the serene atmosphere.
"Thanks." I whispered back.
"There are some things your mother and I would like to discuss with you before you go."
I just nodded, letting him know I was listening.
"We know you know this, but be careful about what you say. If you touch him, control your power."
"I know." I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
"It's your first date, baby." Mom continued. "I know you're nervous." I snorted; that was an understatement.
"Just be as true to yourself as possible and you'll be fine. If you think things are going badly, excuse yourself and call me. I'll make up some excuse to free you, okay?"
I nodded, glad I had an option.
Dad started playing a song, stopping our conversation. I joined in a moment after, focusing solely on the music.
I could tell what he was doing and I was so grateful. A distraction was all I needed at the moment.
We played an upbeat song next, laughing out loud as we made up notes here and there to make it more joyful.
I was so thoroughly distracted that I didn't even hear the door bell until Mom nudged me lightly to let me know Nick was here.
My fingers froze on top of the keys.
"You'll be fine, sweetie. And just so you know, you look stunning." Mom gave me an encouraging smile before getting up.
I followed her suit, quickly hugging them before we made our way to the living room.
Nick was standing next to the couch, looking extremely intimidated and uncomfortable. He looked different in a dark blue button up shirt and black dress pants.
When he saw me, I noticed his stance relax instantly.
"You look great, Ness."
I smiled in thanks, not knowing what to say in reply.
"Let's go?" He nodded towards the door.
"Yeah." I replied. "Bye, everyone." I waved.
"Ness!" Dad called out as we stepped outside.
I turned around to see what he wanted.
"Esme said to be home by ten." I knew I didn't have a curfew, but I think it made it more human to have one.
"That's fine." I shrugged.
He took me to a small restaurant downtown. It wasn't fancy, but thankfully no fast food trash either.
I ordered the spaghetti, but didn't finish it off; it didn't taste so good.
We talked quite a bit, trying to get to know each other better. I answered everything as truthfully as I could, but I noticed how hard it was. I was never actually involved in the façade, so I didn't know how to work around it all. I just hoped I didn't slip up.
I learned he had two older brothers who were already in college, and a cat named Sam. His mother was an accountant and his father worked from home, something with computers.
As we were eating dessert, his hand reached out for mine that was on the table. I held my breath as he touched me.
Part of me was scared to death that a thought would escape and make its way into his brain. But most of me just let it all go and enjoyed the moment.
I had good control of my gift now – I had to learn it the hard way, since I kept showing everyone things that I hadn't meant to – but everything I was feeling now was so new and different, it took great effort to keep it at bay.
He paid our bill, and we left the restaurant hand-in-hand.
We went to the nearest movie theater, but this time we each bought our own ticket and popcorn.
The movie wasn't very good, but I got distracted by his arm around my shoulders, so I had an excuse to not pay attention.
After the movie ended and we walked back to the car, I sighed. This had been a nice night.
He got in and I followed right after him, but he didn't turn the engine on.
"Can I ask you a stupid question?" I asked after a couple of minutes in an uncomfortable silence.
He chuckled.
"Sure."
"Why were you named Nicholas?"
He laughed. I had warned him it was a stupid question.
"It's my grandpa's name." He explained.
I smiled.
"Really? I was named after my grandmother. Sort of." I stopped before saying something I shouldn't. He looked confused so I tried to explain.
"My mother was Esme's best friend since they were little. That's actually why we live with her now. Anyways, my grandma's name was Renée. My mother put both names together and came up with Renesmee. It's different, but I sort of like it." I shrugged.
"It is an unusual name." He agreed.
"Now, can I ask something stupid?" I laughed and nodded. "Was it you playing the piano when I got to your place?"
"Yeah, I was playing with Edward. He taught me how to play."
I blushed and looked down. I didn't know he had heard me play. That was something I didn't like to divulge to anyone.
He put his hand on my chin, and lifted my face so it leveled with his.
"You play very well, Nessie. What was that song?"
"It was a piece Edward wrote for Bella. I love it, and I like to play it sometimes." He nodded. Dad had written many songs for my mother and I over the years, though my favorite was still the lullaby.
He started the car and we made our way back home, talking about anything that came to mind. The silence was always uncomfortable, so I tried to fill it with as much mindless chat as I could.
He killed the engine, but turned to me instead of leaving the car.
"I had a great time today." He said.
"Me, too." I agreed.
We were silent for a while, until he leaned forward and kissed my lips unexpectedly.
I had no time to react and it was over before I could even kiss him back.
"I'll see you tomorrow." I said abruptly as I opened the door. I had no idea what had just transpired, and I needed some time to think things through.
As soon as I closed the door I was bombarded by my family. Well, half of them, as only the women wanted to know how my date had gone.
I sighed, not knowing how to respond to their enthusiasm. I didn't know how I felt about the date yet, and so couldn't possibly explain how it all went.
I made my way to my room knowing they would follow.
Once there, I stalled. First I went into my closet and picked out clean pajamas, then went into the bathroom to get rid of all the make-up I had on and get changed.
Only then did I come back into the room, sitting down in my bed and leaning against the headboard, bending my legs so I could rest my chin on my knees.
Mom sat down next to me, mirroring my position. My aunts sat by the foot of the bed and Grandma opted for the chair. Sara had gone home earlier.
"Tell us." Rosalie urged.
I sighed once more and moved my arm so I could grab onto Mom's hand. I wanted to show her everything first. Hopefully she would understand how I felt, even though I didn't know myself, and prevent the others from going too far.
"It was good." I told them after a while. "He took me to a small restaurant, but the food wasn't that great. He paid for our dinner, but I paid for my own movie ticket afterward. It wasn't all that good, but he kept his arm around me the whole time.
"It felt good, I suppose. We talked a bit more after the movie; there were a few uncomfortable silence moments, though. He kissed me before I came in." I finished it off.
"That's great, sweetie." Alice squealed, oblivious of my internal turmoil.
I smiled as sincerely as I could, and made comments every now and then, not really into the conversation. Mom noticed, and swiftly got everyone to leave. A few minutes later, I heard the whole family leave the house; they had decided on going hunting, but I knew they were giving us some privacy.
Dad didn't go, though, and soon joined us in my room.
"Tell me the truth, my angel." Mom gently pleaded.
"I don't know, Mom. It wasn't the perfect first date I had envisioned, but maybe I put too much thought into it? I don't know. He was fine, but there was no spark; he didn't even left the car to walk me to the door." I huffed.
I had dreamed of a kiss goodbye on the porch, and all I got was a peck I didn't even have time to respond to.
"Daddy? Was he truthful?" I didn't like to ask my dad about people's thoughts, but this was an emergency.
"I didn't see anything bad in his mind, sweetheart. I can tell he isn't such a gentleman, so don't get your hopes up on that matter."
"Your father is one of a kind, baby." Mom joked.
I only had my family to base on when it came to relationships. And since they were all from different times, I didn't know much. My dad was from a time where women were treated with the utmost respect, something that truly lacked nowadays.
"I know. I just wish there were more men like him. Respectful and a gentleman." I smiled at my dad.
He chuckled, but appreciated the compliment.
"Not everyone finds the love of their lives on the first try." Mom winked. "Give him a chance. Maybe he was nervous." She shrugged.
I wouldn't break things off because the date hadn't gone as I had envisioned. I just needed someone else's perspective on things.
Nick was a nice guy; also I had already said yes to Homecoming with him, so there was that.
I got under the covers, my eyes closing involuntarily. I was more tired than I had thought.
"Go to sleep, baby girl." Dad whispered. "Sleep on it and make a decision tomorrow. There's no hurry." He kissed my forehead lightly, and got up.
"Listen to your father." Mom said. "And if you need anything, you know where to find us." She also kissed my forehead, whispering that she loved me.
All I saw was Mom reach out for Dad's hand before I was out.
Nick was waiting for me by his car once again. I smiled timidly at him, not knowing how to act.
He grabbed my hand once I was near him and I relaxed slightly.
"Hi." He greeted me.
"Hey." I replied.
It was a bit awkward for a while, but soon we were back to talking and being ourselves. He had apologized for leaving the way he did the night before, and we were good.
He even ditched his annoying friends during lunch. Sara, Cole, Nick and I got a table to ourselves and it felt like we had all known one another for years instead of mere weeks.
Since we didn't have assigned seats during Calc, I traded places with Cole so I could sit next to Nick instead of in front of him.
The whole week passed by in the same fashion, and before we knew it, it was Friday. The dance would be the next day and we were all excited for it.
"So we'll pick you up at your place at around six?" Nick asked once again to confirm.
"Yes. We'll all be ready by then. Oh, and just a heads up, everyone in the family is attending, so it will be a mad house in there tomorrow." I chuckled. "There are five women getting ready for a formal party, so it's going to be hectic. Try to ignore them."
Sara would sleep over today and we would all help each other get ready. Since Sara was in on the secret, we could use vampire speed, which would speed things up quite wonderfully.
Nick laughed at my warning but nodded.
As Saturday came, I could tell it would be even more chaotic than I expected. Our house seemed so small at the moment, with five girls running around trying to get ready.
Alice was in charge of make-up, so while she did mine, Mom worked on my hair. She knew how to handle it best since it was the same as hers.
Once I was done, Alice moved on to Sara while I worked on Mom's hair. Rosalie did Sara's hair and like that we all got ready.
Soon we were all dressed, hair and make-up perfectly done. It took only about an hour and a half. It was still twice (maybe three times) the time it took the men to get ready.
It was about 6:05 when the doorbell rang. I could tell Sara was nervous, but I didn't know what to say to calm her down, since I had just frozen as well.
"You look great, Ness." Nick said as he walked towards me.
I smiled back at him, kissing his cheek lightly. We hadn't kissed again after that one peck, and I didn't know if or when we would.
"Pictures!" Grandma waltzed into the room holding a camera and grinning as big as the Cheshire cat.
I held in a groan but complied. I knew I would hate myself later on if I didn't have any tangible memories of this day.
We spent about half an hour taking pictures with everyone.
The last one was a group shot, and soon after we all got into our respective cars and drove off.
I took a deep breath as Nick started the engine.
This would be my first school dance, and it would be unforgettable.
It's coming! I started this story because of the scene of the next chapter =D Took a while to get there, but I'm so happy that it's finally here.
