It's been a while, I know, but with these difficult times, I thought I'd share this with you. I actually started writing it years ago and it just sat in one of my folders.
All mistakes are my own, or you can blame Grammarly.
When I was like this, I could never quite explain what my exhaustion level was like. My body ached, my eyes felt like piss holes in the snow, and my brain was like… Well, it didn't work properly. Everything about me felt like I was wading through mud. Slow, cumbersome, and tiring. I just needed a solid day's sleep, and then I should be back to normal. Whatever normal was these days.
I thrived and craved being on tour. Nothing, absolutely nothing compared to the rush of being on stage. The screaming fans, the lights, and smells. It all added up to one hell of an excellent time. Until the exhaustion hit.
"Oh my God, Edward, you're not going to believe what Rose just brought with her from the office," Alice laughed as she pulled a massive box behind her on one of the carts the hotel uses for baggage.
I raised a brow to her, thinking scary thoughts of strippers popping out of cakes or, worse, a puppy. I had enough troubles taming Alice, let alone house training a mutt on a tour bus. Luckily, the box had no air holes, so unless Emmett was stupid enough to send me an animal with no breathing vents, whatever was in the box didn't need oxygen. Fingers crossed.
"Edward, hello, I was talking to you," Alice huffed as she collapsed onto my bed. I needed to find out what sort of mattress it was because I didn't even move an inch.
It was the first time in three weeks that I had a king-size bed, and she just had to be on it. What would it take to have just a few hours to myself?
"I'm tired, Alice, give me a break, would you?" I gave her a half-hearted growl and a playful shove as I tried to get my strained body to sit up. The bottom of my back now ached, and I hated it.
"You're getting old." She laughed as she bounced up from the bed and skipped away from me.
"I'm not old, you little shit. I've just overdone it, and I refuse to take the meds that Dad suggested. You know this. Now, why are you bugging me again? I need some quality sleep,"
We were in the hotel for the next two nights, so I hoped to God that she could get laid just to give me a fucking break. I shouldn't be so quick to pimp my sister out, but she was making me go insane.
We'd been on the road for the last twelve weeks and had just a few more to go until we could take a well-earned break.
Actually, I'd thought about not coming back, making this tour my last. I was going to be thirty-three in a few weeks, and that just seemed too old in my eyes to go gallivanting around the world. Don't get me wrong, music was my life, but it was starting to take a back seat. It had almost turned into a chore. I was always tired, I ate terribly, and to be honest, I was bored. As I said before, I loved the thrill of the stage, but other than that, well, it was draining.
Boredom was a thing I soon got used to. Everyone who didn't have a clue about this industry would never get it. They saw the lights, the fame, the money, but never the downsides. Hours spent on the tour busses or planes and always seeing the same people day in day out. It's not like we had a lot to talk about because it had already been said before. Then you had the different time zones, the constant changes, meetings, conference calls. It was horrendous sometimes.
I also missed my friends and family. Alice traveled with me most of the time, but I only saw the rest of them now and again. Rose worked as my publicist, but now that she was expecting their first child, she stayed in the office back home instead of traveling with us. Emmett was my head of security, but if Rose stayed behind, he did too. He just managed everyone from his home office. Mom and Dad came out to see me when they got the chance, but Dad's working out his time until he retires in a few months, and he's training his replacement.
In all honesty, I was lonely, too. Was it wrong of me to want a companion? Intimacy would be a bonus, but it's not at the top of my list right now. I was craving someone to hold. To talk and laugh with, to cuddle up and watch films with. I sounded like a pussy, but it was what it was, and I had needs just as much as the next human. Fame didn't change that.
"Edward, where the hell are you?" Alice started tapping my head, and I swatted her away.
"Sorry Alice. Hey, did you say that Rose brought it with her, so they came out?" The plans were still rocky when I spoke to them last night. I was hoping that they would come out to see my last shows in the States before I went over the pond.
"Actually, Rose just got the all-clear to fly now that she's over twelve weeks, so they're coming with us," Alice bounced about the room again, and I felt the need to give her pom-poms.
"That's great news, where are they?" I jumped up from the bed and hugged her. I hadn't seen them in a few weeks, and I could do with seeing a friendly face or two and a drink with Emmett.
"They're just getting settled into their room, and then they'll be here. I have strict instructions not to let you open the box until they get here. All I can tell you is that it's from a fan, and it's fucking epic!" She said as she gazed at the huge box again.
"What's in it?" I asked carefully. I saw that it had already been opened, but that didn't surprise me. Anytime I got fan fail of any type, Rose and her team opened it for me. Some were thrown out straight away because it was too damn scary. Toys like teddy bears and shit were donated to hospitals and care centers, and very few letters actually got through to me. I liked reading them, and a lot left an impact on me, but I couldn't ever read every single letter I'd got.
"I have a rough idea from Rose, but she wants to see your reaction when you open it," Alice laughed as the main door opened.
Emmett held the door open for his wife, and she looked stunning as she walked in with a smile. She really had the whole 'pregnancy glow' going on.
I rushed over to them and swept Rose up into a hug. There were times in the past that we could have killed each other, but I still loved her like a sister. We'd grown up together since the age of thirteen, and as much as we fought, we were fiercely protective of each other. It got worse when Emmett wanted to date her. He actually asked my permission, my own brother! Of course, I said yes, but would have been happy to cut off his dick if he ever hurt her.
He never did hurt her, of course, and they got married a few years ago. It took them a long time to get pregnant with my future niece or nephew, but they were happy.
"How you doin', bro?" Emmett laughed as he gave me a man hug when I put Rose back down. I returned it, then slapped the back of his head.
"Emmett, you went to business school, talk properly," I scoffed playfully.
"I only went there to follow Rosie; you know that," he laughed back.
"How are you Rose, how's the all-day sickness?" I asked as I hugged her again. Poor woman, from the time the stick showed positive, she'd been best friends with the toilet bowl. I felt so bad for her, but she brushed off my concerns. She'd been so desperate to be a mom that she didn't care about any of it and never complained. She basked from day one.
"Much better, thanks. Oh, I see Alice managed to get it up here," she said as she pointed at the box and laughed.
Once again, my eyes scanned the box.
"Where's it from?" I asked carefully as I pulled it over to the couch.
"London, can you believe it? It must have cost a fortune to send," Emmett laughed again as I lifted the lid. I was a little wary of what was inside it, but the others just smiled at me.
On top of a load of shredded paper was a letter. Again, it had been opened, but that didn't bother me.
Opening it up, I could see the slanted scrawl that was supposed to be words, but I could still read them, just.
I read it once, twice, and then I looked up my family.
"Are you joking?" I asked, quite shocked.
"What does it say, I haven't read it yet," Alice pouted as I passed her the letter and started looking through the box.
She read the letter aloud.
Dear Edward, is it ok if I call you Edward?
"Aw how sweet, she actually asked you if it was ok to call you Edward. Well, at least it wasn't 'Eddie,'" she let out a giggle but carried on reading.
Anyway, I just wanted to drop you a line along with the present(s) I sent you. What spurred me to do this, you ask? Well, I confiscated an iPhone from a student of mine the other day in class, and I saw that they were watching a video of you on YouTube. You looked so tired, and I wondered if you were well cared for. Looking at the bags under your eyes, I thought not, so I stepped in. I hope you don't mind. I'm not some stalker type person; in fact, I stay in most of the time with Pigmy. He's a fluffy cat that reminded me of a pygmy puff from Harry Potter. Mainly because when I found him, someone had tried to dye him pink, poor creature. Oh God, do you now think that I'm a child for watching HP? I'm not, I swear. I'm twenty-four, in fact. It's just that my nephew wanted to watch it one night, so I thought, 'what the hell.' He would have only hounded my arse until I gave in anyway. It was a good film, but I wouldn't want to see it twice, I got a bit seasick with the cameras moving about with the actors.
"This person is a hoot! I wonder if she's seen all the films yet." Alice murmured and then continued again.
So yeah, anyway, while I was at the shop on my lunch break, I thought more about you. I started to put things in my trolley for you, but I didn't know anything about you, so I had to put everything back until I could find out a little more.
You have a pretty voice, by the way (Is it too bad to say pretty? Sorry, but I didn't know what other words to use). Ok, so I worked out what you liked through many hours of watching videos and reading your interviews about what you like, so I hope to God that you're ok with what I've packed you. I couldn't see if you were allergic to anything, but just in case, I kept away from anything that had nuts in.
I also made sure that everything had a long sell-by date because I didn't know if you would get this anytime soon. Most probably not, seeing as that you're so popular and will have 'fan mail' coming out of your ears.
Anyway, here's the list of stuff that I got you and why.
PG Tips – I didn't know if you liked tea and if you did, what sort, but after a lengthy debate in Tesco, I decided on these. I could have gone for something like Twining's, but they have hundreds of flavours and that just confused me. I like PG Tips, the advert used to have cute little monkeys in them, but due to anti-animal complaints, they changed it to a stupid sock puppet thing. It's quite scary, really. So, in the end, I went for little tea bags in the shape of pyramids. Apparently, it helps the tea brew, but as I'm a coffee drinker, I wouldn't know. But tea is good for relaxing, and it looked like you needed it.
Pro-Plus – I know that you looked tired, so I thought these caffeine tablets would help. I don't think you should use them as a way to stay awake for too long, but they'll do in a pinch if you have a long day. Just stick to the right dose, because you don't need twitchy fingers when playing with your instrument.
Nescafe – Again, coffee came in too many types to work out, so I stuck with what was the best seller. Did you know that companies pay to have a certain space on a shelf? I didn't until Gertrude, the shop assistant, told me. That's why the best-sellers are at eye level. You learn something new every day, I suppose. I also learned a huge thing about coffee. You have to be very bloody careful about reading the packaging. I got so confused between Guava, which is a fruit, Guarana, which they put in coffee and Guano, which is bat poop. I honestly thought that they had put bat poop in the coffee! I put that jar straight back on the shelf and legged it. It wasn't until later in the day that I Googled it, and I stood corrected, thank God. On a side note, I also found out that the most expensive coffee in the world is actually made from poop. The animal looks kind of like a cat. $600 a pound! How nuts is that!
Tunes and Lockets – These are good for helping with sore throats. I don't know if you get too many of them, but the kids in my class always seem to have sore throats when it's time to sing. Personally, I think they just hate singing and back out, but I can't prove it yet.
Dairy milk – I've tasted your chocolate, and to be honest, it tastes like candle wax with a hint of sugar. You can't go wrong with Cadbury's dairy milk, even if Cadburys has been bought out by Kraft Foods. God, do you think they will change the ingredients? I hope not. If they do, I suppose I'll have to switch to Galaxy bars, but I'm holding out so far.
Socks – Men always need clean socks. I'm not saying that you don't have any, or that yours are dirty, but you can never be too sure. At least I didn't send them to you for a birthday or Christmas present. That would have sucked. I hate getting clothes as presents. I made sure that they were latex-free, just in case of skin irritation.
Shoelaces – Is it me, or do you never wear shoelaces in your shoes? I didn't know if it was a habit or if you actually lost them, so I threw in a few pairs. I made sure they were in varying colors because I'm sure you don't have the facilities for dyeing them on the road. The laces are nylon, so they won't dye anyway.
Anti-septic wipes, spray, and gel – I was surprised at how many times you had other people's pens in your hand. I'm not going to go all 'mum' on your arse, but that's just disgusting. I actually saw a girl pick her nose on one of your videos, and then you shook her hand. Yeah, gross. I'm sure you're clean in all respects, but you just never know about the people you touch.
Earplugs – Those videos I watched were loud, so God knows how you put up with it. So, I thought that you shouldn't have to, hence the ear defenders. I even got a pair for when I took a music class the other day. I was teaching year sevens the importance of rhythm with a glockenspiel. The ear defenders defended. I had a good class that day. They're also good for ignoring people. I get a little sick and tired of being called 'Miss' 101 times a day.
Benson and Hedges- Did you know fags are bad for you. I try not to have them too many times a day, and although they can relieve stress and keep your fingers busy, they're still dangerous for your health. Not that I condone them, but I've added a few in here along with some patches that should help stave off the need to bum a fag off someone else. You never know what's in those.
Squashed fly biscuits – These are my favourite biscuits. Personally, I love to dunk them into my hot chocolate. I don't mind Hobnobs now and again, but I don't like all the mushy stuff at the bottom of my cup.
Radox muscle soak – This stuff smells horrible, but it's good in a long hot bath when you feel all achy. My Mum swears by it, so it's got to be good, right? Oh, do you have a bath on the road, like in hotels and stuff, or is it strictly showers? Whatever you do, don't use it on a sponge and clean your private bits, I don't know what will happen and knowing my luck, it will burn and you'll have to go and see a doctor about it.
Cooling eye mask – Good for relaxing tired eyes, but whatever you do, don't put it into the freezer before use. I can tell you from personal experience that you will have no eyebrows left and freezer burn on your eyelids. Just put it in the fridge for an hour. That incident was the first time I ever used make-up on my eyebrows. I had to paint them on, Edward. I was hideous for weeks!
Denis the Menace comics – My dad actually said to put this in here. It's a good old-fashioned comic that a lot of men read while otherwise engaged in the bathroom. It's not smutty; I think dad meant it was for when you were sat down. He didn't go into specifics, but I got the general idea when he made me wait to use the bathroom for over an hour. Oh, I don't live with my parents, but they have a house about a mile away from me, and they drag me round there for Sunday dinner every week. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't have mum's roast dinners. I've tried cooking them for myself, but I just can't get the potatoes to go right. I'm a roast potato failure. *pouts* I'm hungry now.
Condoms – This, I was a little dubious about. Kevin, the spotty kid in the shop, assured me that even if I didn't know you, they would be a great thing to put into a care package. The only thing that concerned me was what size to get. He explained the sizes with something along the lines of 'eh,''Hmm,' 'Oh my god' and finally, 'there's no way it's going to fit,' so I got you a pack of each. Durex is a good make, so I trust them. I didn't get anything too specific. Ribbed, extra thin, 'tingly.' No, that's a little too intimate, right? Incidentally, did you know that Asda, part of the Wal-Mart group, actually sold cock rings? They're pink and glittery. Kevin wanted me to get you one, but that's just a little bit too private, don't you think?
Anyway, that's the end of the list, and I got to the bottom of my Alcopop. Its cherry flavoured and tastes like dirt, but it gave me the oomph I needed to send this to you, so if I look like a prat, blame Cherry-luscious Al-pop. What a friggin name!
Anyway, must go as Jasper, my brother is nagging at me to keep the noise down and go to bed. I had to agree because I need him to drop me off at the post office before work in the morning. And yes, Jasper lives with me. He decided to blow up his microwave last week by putting a tin of beans in there. Metal is always a no-go for microwaves, but he didn't even take the top of it, so it all exploded, and half his kitchen burnt down. He'll be here with me for a few more weeks. Oh, joys!
I hope all is well on your tour and that you have a good birthday that's coming up.
All the best,
Miss Isabella Swan.
As Alice finished reading, we all looked at each other, completely shocked. Then we found ourselves bent over in laughter.
"What the fuck!" Emmett laughed heavily as he started to rummage through the box.
"I have so many issues with this; I don't know where to start!" Alice snorted through her laughter.
"Don't be so horrible, all of you," I tried to chastise through my own laughter.
I loved the thought that someone had sent me something and had gone to all this trouble, but the contents of the letter were what made me laugh so much. I was used to gifts and letters of love and devotion, but nothing like this. It was amazing.
"Emmett, what are you doing?" I asked as he started to rummage through the box.
"I'm looking for the candy, a guy needs candy," he said as he started to throw shredded paper all over the floor of the hotel room.
"Well, if anyone gets the candy, it's me," I protested as I pulled the box away from him and towards myself.
He pouted an award-winning look, and Rose patted him on the head.
Half an hour later and all the contents were now sitting on the coffee table in front of me. She had really outdone herself.
I smiled as I looked over everything and smelled the bath stuff. The 'squashed fly biscuits' were, in fact, shortbread cookies with dried fruit in them. I shared them out with the rest of the gang, and it kept Emmett quiet for a minute or so. That was until he spied the large bar of chocolate.
"Please?"
"No," I sighed.
"Please?"
"I said no," I rolled my eyes.
"Just a little bit,"
"No," I growled.
"One little square and then I'll shut up,"
"No," I barked. I was only doing this to get a rise out of him, but when I saw Rose cringe at his whining noises, I gave in. I broke him off one little square and handed it to him.
"Is that it?" he asked as he pretended to sob.
"That's all you asked for," I scoffed as he threw it into his mouth.
The long, low groan that escaped his lips was enough to turn anyone off for life.
"Oh, God, I think I just came, Rosie, can you develop a craving for this shit so I can go on a trip to get some?" he pleaded round the lump of chocolate.
"Don't be such an idiot, we're going over there soon so you can have as much as you like, even if it does make you sick," she laughed.
Soon after his fake orgasm, I kicked them all out. Alice was as tired as I was, and Rosie looked fit to collapse with exhaustion.
I read the letter one last time and went to sleep with the largest smile on my face.
When I woke up the following morning, something was playing on my mind, but I couldn't for the life of me, work out what it was. I had slept well, and I had no meetings or interviews today; in fact, I had the whole day off until my show tonight. Granted, I had a soundcheck at four, but that was it.
The day went fast, and the show was amazing, yet I still had this nagging feeling.
By the time I was ready to crash, I'd got angry with myself. This all started when I got the package. Why?
I was so irritated. I should be winding down, but I was pent up. I should be heading to bed, but I was wide awake, and I felt like I should be pacing or something.
I glared at the letter on the sideboard, thinking that it might answer something.
I walked over to it and lifted it up, reading and re-reading the contents again.
It gave nothing away, except for a funny drunk English girl and her name.
Her name.
Maybe I could search for her? Maybe if I got more information about her, it would help me settle.
I wasn't holding my breath, but it couldn't hurt, right?
Oh, how wrong I was.
It hurt a lot.
Google was a wealth of information once you got passed all their shitty links.
Isabella Marie Swan. Age twenty-nine. English teacher. Teaches years seven (eleven-year old's) to sixth form (seventeen plus). Hobbies include music, art, outdoor sports.
The school's website didn't give much away, so I started searching for her in the obvious places, for example, Instagram. Anyone who was anyone had an Instagram account.
Or not.
There wasn't one person with her details that came up. But I did find her on Facebook. Bonus, she wasn't hiding her much of her account. And thank fuck for that, because she was fucking beyond stunning.
Brown eyes, brown hair, red lips, cute smile. I was hooked! I was pretty sure that it was her as she had some pictures up of what looked like a school setting. Was I that lucky to find her so quickly?
There wasn't a day went by when I wasn't subjected to fake screaming girls and women.
This Isabella woman looked different.
But why? I had no answers.
I looked at her archive and found a shit load of pictures of her, and what I assumed were her friends and family.
In every one of them, she was smiling shyly, or holding up her hand in protest.
She was cute.
Beautiful.
Enticing.
I wondered how soft her skin was.
If her hair was as alluring in real life.
I had strange visions of me wanting her, taking her, claiming her.
And I was hard.
Shit.
I hated long-ass flights. I hated layovers, waiting around and then sitting my ass down for fuck knows how many hours.
"You're cranky. You need to get some rest when we get to the hotel. I don't need a cranky Edward," Rose murmured from her first-class seat next to me.
We'd just landed, and we were waiting for the all-clear to move about and get off this damn contraption.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I just haven't had a good few days. It's always the same; you know that." I replied to her, smiling and patting her leg.
"Keep your hands off my woman, Bro," Emmett snarked as he stood up, even before we were told we could.
"Someone has to keep her happy," I replied and dodged a playing fist.
"You all need to stop it and get moving. We have to get through this airport before we're in the clear. Then you can dick about as much as you like," Alice griped. She didn't like flying at all. She always went a little green. "Well, you can have some playtime until Friday, so that gives you three days of fun. Do you have any plans?" She asked.
I just shrugged. I've been to this country more times than I could count, and I'd seen everything that I wanted, so far. Well, apart from seeing a certain brown-haired girl, but that didn't seem like it would ever happen.
No.
Never.
Was I really going to do this? I was stupid, right? Yeah, a total dumb fuck.
I opened my private account. Only close friends and family knew about this. Yeah, I was a sucker for the games.
I was doing this.
Shit.
I opened a new message. Now, what should I say? I had an idea, but I didn't know if it would work or not.
EA Masen: Can I tell you a secret?
Yeah, that was vague, but I didn't know how else to start this.
And so, I waited.
And waited.
And… You get the drift.
It wasn't until a few hours later that my phone pinged. I turned into a little boy at Christmas. She'd responded!
Isabella Swan: Who is this?
EA Masen: I need to know if you can keep my secret before I tell you who I am.
There. That wasn't so hard, right?
Isabella Swan: Well, as I don't know you, I can hardly spill your secrets to anyone, can I? What is it you need to tell me?
Here goes nothing.
EA Masen: I have your package right here, and it's huge, thank you!
There. I'd done it. She would know who I was.
Isabella Swan: Ew, you sick fuck! Keep your dick to yourself! What arsehole thinks that anyone woman would be interested in flaccid dick picks! They look like naked mole rats, minus the teeth! Fuck off and leave me alone!
Oh, fuck.
EA Mason: No! No, I didn't mean it like that! I got the package you sent me the other week! I'm not a pervert, I promise! It's me, Edward!
Jesus, talk about having a panic attack and heart attack all at once!
Isabella Swan: No, it's not.
Huh?
EA Masen: It is, I promise.
Isabella Swan: No, it's not. It can't be.
EA Masen: It is, why don't you believe me?
Isabella Swan: Because if it's you, the whole should be opening up pretty soon to swallow me whole, and I'm not ready to die yet. I have a bucket list to get through.
EA Masen: I don't want you to die either, but I'll prove it's me.
Isabella Swan: Please don't. I'm begging.
EA Masen: The tea bags tasted a little too flowery. The Pro-Plus gave me a little gas. The chocolate was to die for (in a good way), I'm trying to cut back on the cigs, so the patches were great. Condoms… Not bragging, but I think I might be in the 'oh, my God' category, and my brother stole the comics from me. Proof enough?
I was trying not to laugh, but this was hilarious. Not once, in my whole career, did I ever have to prove who I was to anyone.
An hour went by.
Then two.
EA Masen: Did the whole turn up?
EA Masen: Isabella?
Isabella Swan: Sorry, I'm here. I thought it was my brother playing a trick on me. I had to hunt him down at the pub.
EA Masen: And how is Jasper? How's his kitchen coming on?
Isabella Swan: Oh, Shit. It's really you, isn't it?
EA Masen: Yep
We bantered back and forth for a little while more. She was dying of embarrassment, even though I told her that she had no reason for it, and I just basked in the fun and mystery of it all.
Isabella Swan: I need to go to bed soon, Edward. It's been great, but I'm exhausted. School productions suck the life out of you. What time is it there, wherever you are?
I looked at my clock.
EA Masen: Hmm, It's almost midnight.
Isabella Swan: That's my time, too. Where are you?
EA Masen: Sitting in a hotel room just outside of London *wink*
Isabella Swan: Oh, shit. Why?
EA Masen: I have a few concerts to play over the next couple of weeks. Lol
A few minutes went by.
EA Masen: Hyperventilating yet?
Isabella Swan: Yep, a little.
EA Masen. I'll let you get some rest, but I'll check in with you soon. Sweet dreams.
I didn't hear anything back, and it was now one in the morning. I really needed to get some rest.
Bella: I have a ball of Blu-Tack on my desk that I play with. He's called Blob. When he gets warm and sticky, I leave him to sit there and cool down. Then I start playing with him again.
I was on the fast track of falling in love with this woman. We'd moved from Facebook to WhatsApp. It was an easier way for me to message on the go, and I was going all over the place this week. I'd lost count on how many interviews I'd done, but that was a huge part of my life, and I had to deal with it.
Bella, as she asked me to call her, and I had constantly been messaging, and we just clicked. She was an open book and said what was on her mind. She never held back. We were currently talking about strange habits that we had.
Edward: Blob? That's original, and your description sounds slightly… perverted? Lol
Bella: I'm a simple girl, and I call it as I see it. What about you? What's your habit?
Edward: I don't know if it's a habit or a case of OCD, but I have to have a guitar pick in every pocket. I even have one in my wallet.
Bella: That's just being practical. Give me a proper habit—a bad one.
Edward: I like to smell the music sheets when they're brand new and out of the packet. They just have this feeling about them.
Bella: OMG, me, too! It's so hard to describe, but the smell is comforting.
Edward: Yes! I don't let anyone open the new packets.
Bella: I'm exactly the same. When a new delivery turns up at the school, I shoo everyone out of the room and savour the moment.
Bella: Bugger, I have to go. Lunch is over.
Flirting happened. It wasn't the 'in your face flirting,' but clearly obvious. We both enjoyed each other's company very much. We'd shared a few pictures, and just last night, Emmett grabbed my phone and started messaging her. She found it funny, so that was okay.
I really wanted to meet up with her, but our timing sucked. I was on the go all the time with hardly any time to breathe, and to top it off; my parents were just about to turn up for the last week of my stay here. I was over the moon with that, but I wanted time with Bella, too.
And she was non-stop stressing. The end of school music production was in a few days, and to say that she was on edge would be an understatement. She cried on the phone last night that she lost Blob. A nasty little shit of a student grabbed him, and he's now somewhere in the music room holding up some music sheets. I didn't' laugh. It was one of the very few actual conversations we'd had, and she sounded heartbroken. Not over the ball of Blu-tack, but because she was so tired and stressed.
She was proud of the end of year students. They'd stepped away from the standard Wizard of Oz or Grease performance and wrote one themselves. It was all based on bullying and self-acceptance. She was over the moon with them, but still, it was taking its toll.
I felt like my heart was ripping out of my chest for her. I needed to do something. Anything.
Bella: I don't know if I should kill you or kiss you. Actually, if you ever come near me, I'll probably make you marry me, and I'll name our firstborn after you. I like the sound of a Jr after the name.
I cracked up laughing. She wouldn't hear me complain about that.
Edward: So, you got the gifts? Do you like them? Did I miss anything? And you don't want to make threats about marriage and babies. I might just hold you to them. *wink*
I'd spent a fair few hours tracking stuff down. I chuckled at the letter I included.
Blu-tack: Blob is no more, but now you can have a whole family of Blobs, just put them where you need them most.
Dressing Gown: You were too cold last night, and I wanted you to be warm. This is the softest one I could find.
Slippers: I know your feet were hurting the other day. Being on them all the time is never good, but these should give you a little more comfort.
Harry Potter Pajamas: I will never let you live it down that you admitted you were a secret HP fan. Did I remember the right house for you?
Hot Chocolate: I know your addiction now, and you can't hide it from me. Enjoy.
I also included some of her favorite candies, some hand cream, and to top it off; I bought the largest bouquet of white and black flowers, tied up in musical note ribbon.
Then I had it all delivered to the school, just because I could.
Bella: I loved them. I loved all of it. Thank you so much! I had to wrestle the note away from the kids, and they gave me shit for the rest of the day, but it's perfect, thank you again! And yes, Hufflepuff is my house, of course.
I didn't want to type anymore, and I was desperate to hear her voice, so I called instead.
"Hey, you. How did the concert go, did everyone behave?" she asked.
"It was great. I love the smaller venues. Don't get me wrong, I love the huge arenas, but the smaller ones just seem more intense. You sound so tired, sweetheart," as I spoke, I got undressed. I'd already showered at the venue, so I just needed some sleep pants, and then I was all set for sleep.
"I am, but it's not long to go now, and then I have six glorious weeks to myself—no stroppy kids to deal with. I can't wait," I could hear the longing in her voice, but her words gave me a small opening.
"Six weeks. Do you have any plans for those days? A vacation or anything," I hedged.
"Sleep, babe, I'm going to sleep. I'm so sick to death of the five in the morning alarm clocks and not getting to bed until midnight. I never knew how much time was spent marking bloody work; it's exhausting,"
I felt for her.
"I don't suppose you could make a little room in your sleep schedule for me, could you?" I asked and then held my breath.
"What do you mean?" She sounded hesitant.
"Well, even though we're so close, we haven't had the chance to meet up, and I thought that it might be a good idea if we could get to know each other in the flesh. You could come out to my home; I could show you the sights, and yeah…" I let my words hang there.
"Really, you want that?"
"Of course, I do, sweetheart. I want to spend as much time as I can with you, Bella. I think we could be amazing. I'll even sweeten the deal and take you to Harry Potter World if it gets you to say yes,"
"Okay," she replied quietly, and my heart exploded with joy.
"Do you really think this is a good idea, Mom?" I whispered as we took our seats in the huge auditorium. I was sitting at the end of the row, right next to the aisle, and in between my feet was a huge bunch of flowers for Bella. I was nervous as hell. Not because I was here to see her. Not because she didn't have a clue I would be here. But I was nervous because of everyone here. The place seated just over a thousand people. I didn't want to over-shadow tonight for her.
"Sweetheart, in the last three weeks, you have both given your all to each other. You're basically a married couple, minus the intimacy, but that will come in time. She's agreed to spend her whole vacation with you. She's it for you and you for her. Tonight is perfect," Mom whispered back. I looked down the line and saw everyone. Dad, Emmett, Rose, Alice, and unsurprisingly, Jasper. Alice was all but sitting on his lap. Yeah, we didn't go there. I know he did me a favor getting the tickets and all, but getting my sister in exchange was a little strange.
The performances were exhilarating, heartbreaking, and poignant. Everything was beyond perfect. The cast, lights and music, the displays and sets. It was awe-inspiring, and it was all down to Bella. No wonder she was exhausted.
At the end of the show, once the euphoric applause died down, the headteacher stood to talk. Shit, this was it. Bollocks. Now I was nervous about seeing her.
"This year's show has been a whole year in the making. Our students have worked tirelessly to show you the modern age. They wanted to do something different and show you the effects of online bullying, social stigmas, and much more. I hope when you go home tonight that a small part of their production stays with you. Now, I would like to introduce you to our musical genius. I'm still in awe of how she pulled together over a hundred students and staff to do this. It is my absolute pleasure you bring onto the stage, our fabulous Miss Isabella Swan!" he exclaimed, and the room erupted. We were on our feet, whistling and clapping as she shyly made her entrance.
This was it.
"Usually, we have some students come and present a gift of flowers to the member of staff, but this year we're doing things a little different. Sir, if you could," he said to the audience, to me.
I stood up, taking the flowers with me. The hall became deathly silent as I heard Bella gasp from the microphone. I made it just past the halfway point before I heard her voice.
"Edward? What are you doing here?" Even though she whispered it, the microphone picked it up. I stopped in my tracks and smiled. Whispers and flashed were going on around me, but I didn't care. I just couldn't take my eyes off this wondrous woman in front of me.
"A little while ago, an amazing woman said, and I quote, 'if you ever come near me, I'll probably make you marry me, and I'll name our firstborn after you.' I kinda like the idea of that, so here I am," I tried to sound nonchalant as I shrugged. "What do you say, Bella?"
"Is that a proposal, Edward?" Bella giggled as girls around us squealed.
"Yeah, I suppose it is, Sweetheart," I laughed as she launched herself off the stage and started to run toward me. With my arms wide open, I caught her effortlessly.
"So?" I urged.
"Yeah, I suppose so," she replied, and I felt like everything melt away. I could hear the screams, the clapping, and hollers, but I was in this little bubble with Bella. She'd said yes. She was going to be mine. We were going to start our life together. It was quick and crazy, some may call it stupid and reckless, but who cares? It was us.
"Kiss me?" I asked. I was a desperate man.
"With pleasure."
So just a little one for you. I enjoyed this one, did you? I might come back to them soon and see if they want to share their future with us. What would you like to see?
On a side note, I'm working on a little outtake for Pipsqueak and Teddy, which will be coming up soon, so keep an eye out for that one.
Keep safe everyone!
Loves ya!