It was nice for Julia to close the shop on Friday ,because of the choice dance. She was clueless as to why I wasn't attending with Jasper. And when I told her my plan to go out with Edward instead... Well she was more than shocked.
I was both nervous and scared as I pulled up the Cullen residence in my red truck. My heart pounding in my ears, as I waited for the door to open and to be trapped with speaking to Jasper.
I sigh, knowing I don't have Edward's number. So plan b is out of the question.
Why am I even doing this?
Unwillingly, getting out of the car and praying Jasper has left to go be with... her. I step over the gravel lightly, sneaking up to the door and raising my fist to knock.
Of course Edward being Edward, I'm standing there for a while. It gets to the point when I realise that he could simply not answer, or that maybe he found a date and went to the choice dance without telling me. I wouldn't be surprised if he pretended to be my friend for a week just to get my hopes up in the end.
My jaw clenches as I turn a start making my way down the driveway.
Stupid, Volvo driving Edward. I know it was to good to be true, I hate-
"Bella! Where are you going?" I hear Edward shout behind me, the sound of crunching gravel fast approaching.
You know when you get that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Well I had that feeling as all the pent up hate I was feeling slowly drifted away leaving me feeling like a fool.
It's Edward, Bella! Of course you have to wait a decade for him to open the door.
"Well you could have opened the door a bit faster." I say sarcastically turning on the spot to face him.
"I was in the shower." He shrugs like it's a easy enough excuse for making me wait for so long.
"Is what I'm wearing suitable for wherever you're dragging me too?" He asks me doing a small twirl.
I manage to crack a smile, looking him up and down with pursed lips. He's practically wearing the same thing he always wears. Jeans, a white top and his letterman jacket.
"Lose the jacket-" no way am I being seen with him wearing that thing when he's not even at school. "And do you have anything else other than jeans?" I say sarcastically.
He narrows his eyes at me, as I start to smile knowing that I was aggravating him already. What did he expect me to say? You look great? Does he not know who he is talking to right now.
"I guess I could find something. Enjoy waiting." He smirks, turning his back to me, and jogging back up the driveway to the house, and slamming the door shut behind him.
Rolling my eyes, I drag my feet, getting back into the warm confinements of my car. Turning on the radio to drown out my boredom, and cracking the volume up a bit higher than usual. I fiddled with my old radio, trying to pick up a good station without static in the background.
A hard challenge in a rural town.
Hot 99.5 was one of the top stations in Washington, so the signal here was pretty great. As Sia was playing Chandelier I decided to just keep that station playing.
"Alright-" I hear Edward proclaim as the car door clicks open. "Now don't cream your panties, because this was your idea." He warns me.
Why must he be such an idiot?
Putting my hands down on the wheel I turn to face him. To my mortification, my body froze at first from seeing him. Dark denim wash jeans, a metal clasp belt around his waist, the same white top, but with a black leather jacket now. It was just so...not Edward, yet it suited him perfectly.
"So what do you think?" He smirks, gesturing with his hands up and down his body.
"You look, decent enough." I mumble, looking away from him and turning the key in the ignition.
Of course barely five minutes into the dive the first words he had to say were to comment on my lack of driving as kills. Well what he interpreted to be driving skills. He drives like some maniac
off grand theft auto. I drive like a rational person, following the speed limit.
As we drove further out of towns limits, the silence between us was calm. Neither of us felt like filling the emptiness with small talk, so we just enjoyed sitting there in silence.
At least I was.
I didn't notice until a loud screeching sound of static filled the air, that Edward had decided to filled with the controls of my radio. I nearly swerved from hearing the sound. I winced, slapping his hand away from the radio and switching it off.
"Are you trying to kill us?!" I screech, focusing my anger towards the road ahead of us.
"I was bored, and who in their right mind like opera. Where's the port to plug in my phone, we can listen to some real music." He complains , searching in the dark for a port on my ancient radio.
"It doesn't have anything like that, all it receives is aerial signals." I inform him.
"Oh god, if I don't die from your slow driving it will be through boredom." He jokes, cracking a smile as I glare at the narrow streets ahead.
"I have no problem veering off the road and 'accidently' hitting a tree." I warn him.
"Please do, with how fast your going all the injuries I will have is a scraped elbow." He chuckles.
"Why did I think this would be a good idea?" I ponder allowed.
"I'm just joking." He smiles, nudging my elbow in a playful way, while I continue to pout. "I'm sorry. You drive like a responsible grandma."
"Lose the grandma and I will accept the apology." I say.
He huffs. "Fine, like a responsible, woman." He proclaims, and even though I know he is being sarcastic I nod.
"Alright. Well, you will be happy to know that we're actually here." I announce cutting off the engine.
Seeing as he wasn't focused on the road ahead, he didn't notice us entering Port Angeles. The one town that is filled with happy and cheerful memories from our childhood. Especially this place for me and Edward...
"Nancy's strip club?" He says confused, turning to me. "You took me to a strip club? Well as much as I appreciate the thoughtful offer-"
"Not the strip club you idiot," I laugh, turning to face the other side of the street where the old building still stands. "Bob's bowling alley and diner." I exclaim like a little child.
Such happy memories were made in that bowling alley.
"How is this place still even standing?" Edward muses, unbuckling his seatbelt, but I can see that glint in his eyes.
"Well, from what my mum told me they opened up the strip club across the road and families just flooded to the bowling alley. They had somewhere to keep their wives and kids occupied while the men went and had some... fun across the road." I explain, following Edward as I unbuckle my seatbelt and get out of the car.
"I can't believe it. This place bring back so many memories." He smiles, looking up at the many neon signs littering the windows.
"I know." I sigh, standing next to him on the sidewalk looking up at the rusted sign.
The building was always very large to me as a kid, but now as I look at it, it looks pretty small. But it was one of those places that looked small on the outside and when you step inside it's huge. There was always something to do a Ben's. You didn't necessary have to bowl, there was an arcade, and a stand filled to the brim with sweets free of charge.
It was a child's heaven, and was always the highlight of coming shopping on the weekends.
"I booked us a lane and a table for afterwards. I didn't know if you would want to eat or not." I shrug.
"Oh, well thanks." He scratches the back of his head.
Well this is awkward...
I cough. "Let's get this party started then." I joke trying to break the awkward tension, that suddenly appeared.
"You such a nerd." Edwards chuckles, walking past me, and leaving me stranded on the sidewalk.
"No I'm not." I refuse, trying to catch up to him when he walks into Ben's closing the door behind him.
I grit my teeth, pushing the door open myself, and all the anger fades away, as nostalgia takes over. With my lips slowly popping open, I look around gasping at the interior. This place hasn't changed one bit. The bright yellow and green, neon coloured lanes, with the classic white and red pins at the end. The old front desk with the bowling ball logo printed across it, slowly peeling and fading from, age.
I smile looking over at my pride and joy. The small white pony ride. You know one of those rides you insert a couple cents into and it just rocks back and forth while playing music. Well that ride was the highlight of my childhood.
Edward slowly starts to wander off towards the arcade.
Oh god, he found the boxing bag machine.
"Welcome to Ben's bowling alley and dinner, may I help you?" I hear a guy call over to me from the desk.
The happy screams of children make me smile, as I recall that, that used to be me.
"Uh, yes." I mumble like an idiot, knowing he probably can't even hear me.
Walking towards the desk -which seems so much smaller then I remember. I approach the desk, and watch as the guy behind it stares at my approach. I lean over the desk and smile at the guy in a friendly way, while he stands to his feet from the old wooden stall his was sitting on.
"Hello Miss, do you have a reservation?" He asks me, grinning.
"Uh, yes it should be under Isabella Swan." I inform him, leaning a bit away from the desk.
I don't like the way this guy is eyeing me up like a piece of candy.
"Ah, yes." He smiles, looking down at a piece of paper and checking my name off the list. "I have your reservation right here."
"Don't tell me a beautiful woman like yourself will be bowling alone tonight?" He questions, all the while his dark brown eyes, focus on my own.
"Oh-" I breathe, catching on to what he is suggesting. "I-I, uh."
"She's bowling with me." I heard Edward call out, his arm slinking its way around my shoulders and dragging me forcefully into his side.
"Ow, careful you dick." I whisper shout at him.
I push away the cringe feeling that arose from being so close to Edwards warm body.
"Shut up, I'm saving your skin right now." He whispers back to me.
Lifting his head up from my ear, Edward smiles cockily towards the guy behind the counter, and raises an eyebrow.
"So, have you got shoes in a size twelve?" He asks, all the while smirking.
A/N
AGHHH! I know, but this is only part 1, part 2 will be coming out on 03/04, so next Sunday!
I hope you guys liked this chapter, and enjoyed the usual teasing, and was that Jealousy from Edward or him just being a good friend and helping Bella out of a sticky situation?
See you guys in the next chapter, I hear Edward has to help Bella to throw her bowling ball properly :)
Don't hate me too much :P
Sorry for any mistakes :)
