Chapter 37: Finishing high school
Easter brunch wasn't scary. What was scaring Bella was the bachelorette party, the bridal shower, and all the other things Alice and Elizabeth were throwing at her. She didn't need anything like this. What part of a small wedding didn't they get?
"Damn it!" She heard Edward swearing from upstairs. He was supposed to be getting dressed. Bella was zooming between the kitchen and living room, helping Elizabeth.
"I'm going to grab my shoes," she told Elizabeth, finding an escape.
"Yeah, go, sweetie. Everyone should be here any moment," she said from the kitchen.
Bella wanted to see what was taking Edward so long and she had to be away from the atrocious food smell. She slipped inside his room and found him at the mirror, fighting with his tie.
"Come here, silly boy."
"Why do I need it? Tell me, again! Why?" He groaned, shuffling toward her.
"Sit on the bed, you're too tall. Take it as practice for the wedding," she whispered, kissing his nose. "What did you do here?" There were at least three tight knots.
He gave her a pointed look that made her laugh. "It's nothing funny! Did you hear Dad? He was just here, telling me that he knew how to make a Winchester tie knot when he was ten."
"Windsor!" Bella corrected him, giggling.
"Whatever!" He sighed, exasperated.
Bella managed to untie his weird knots then knotted it correctly. It wasn't that hard. This was one of the few memories she had from before. She remembered how her father taught her to knot his tie. She used to love to do it.
"Done," she announced him.
"That was quick." Edward got up and went to inspect his tie in the mirror. "How did you do it? Is there anything you don't know how to do?"
Bella met his eyes in the mirror. "Of course, there are things I don't know how to do!"
"Like what?" He smirked, the challenge clear in his voice.
"Like…I don't know! You'll be the first to know when I come across something I have no idea what to do with."
"I won't hold my breath," he muttered, returning his attention to the tie.
"You want to learn?" She offered, going to stand behind him.
"I guess I should learn." He shrugged.
"Give me another tie," she instructed.
He went to his closet and came up with a dark blue silk tie then brought a chair in front of the mirror, sitting down. Bella sat on his lap, facing the mirror with her back pressed to his chest. She put the tie around her neck.
"The wide side on the right and about twelve inches below the narrow end," she started.
"I was wrong from the start," he said to himself. "I made them equal."
"It's okay. You're learning now." She focused back on the tie. "Cross the wide end over the narrow and bring it up through the loop."
"That's the easy part."
She elbowed him in the stomach. "Bring the wide end down, around behind the narrow, and up on your right," she continued. She felt like an instruction book. "Push this end down through the loop then pull it tight."
His hands joined hers over the silk tie. His green eyes looked darker than usual, his arousal potent in the air.
"Turn the wide end and pass it across the narrow one. Pull the end up through the loop." He tickled her nose with the wide end. "Edward, pay attention."
"You're distracting," he murmured in her ear.
"Slip the wide end through the knot in the front. Then tighten."
His hands tightened the knot around her neck then he turned his head so he could kiss her. Was this turning him on? Bella shifted so she could wrap her arms around his neck. That's when she felt his hardness pressing against her hip. He was overly enthusiastic, like always.
The doorbell ringing loudly made them jump apart. For a moment, she had forgotten where they were. He looked just as dazed as she felt.
She rose and went to grab her shoes – the reason she had come up to Edward's room.
Downstairs, they greeted everyone then moved to the living room. She sat next to Edward, transferring some of her food on his plate when no one was looking.
"Stop it," he hissed by the end of the second course. He was slumped in his chair, his hands joined on his stomach. "I can't even think of food."
She tried not to laugh, but it was hard. A small giggle escaped her, and she earned what should have been called a glare, but it was just an exhausted look.
Leah was attached to her notebook and despite her mother and Elizabeth's pleadings; she kept asking things about the wedding. No one should have given her chores.
"Did you go cake tasting?" she asked, suddenly.
Edward groaned, closing his eyes. Maybe she had fed him too much, after all. He shouldn't have eaten it all.
"Yes," Bella answered her, putting her hand on Edward's thigh.
"And? What did you choose?"
Bella bit her lip, still worried Edward might get sick. "Berry cake, I think."
"Sounds good," Jacob interjected. "Did you taste it, too?"
She shot the adults a look – they weren't paying attention. "No," she mouthed.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth decided to bring dessert. Edward looked in pain only hearing about it. The choice was pound cake and ice cream.
Jacob wolfed his part in a few minutes. That's when Bella saw the opportunity.
"Want more?" she asked, already pushing her part to him.
"You don't have to ask, blo… Bella."
She shook her head at his almost-slip.
Not so lady-like, Leah stole Edward's pound cake when he didn't make a move to eat it. He looked happy with just his ice cream, which he was moving in the cup with the teaspoon.
After all the food was cleared off the table, Bella helped Elizabeth with the coffee. Jacob apologized that he had to leave, having promised Renesmee's mother to be there for the afternoon, and Leah said she was busy with who knows what chores for the wedding. She took Seth with her, who hadn't even talked for the few hours they had been at the table. He had gotten a small cold and was acting as if the end of the world had come. Edward and Bella ended up going up to his room where he sprawled on the bed, moaning.
"I think I put ten pounds on, maybe more."
"You should have told me you couldn't eat it," she admonished him gently, sitting next to him. "What can I do?"
"Stop moving," he murmured.
She went to his rocking chair and plopped down, snagging the book from the floor. She had been reading from that book for over a week.
All too soon, he started snoring, and she knew he would be out for a few hours. Bella focused on Gatsby's story. There had been a few years since she last read it.
After about an hour, Jake's dad, along with Leah and Seth's parents, left. Five minutes later, Elizabeth came into her son's room, stopping shortly when she saw him sleeping. She glanced at Bella, smiling.
"He's not much fun when he's tired, eh?"
Bella returned her smile, not telling her he didn't feel well because of her stuffing him at the table.
"It's okay. I'm entertaining myself with old Gatsby, here." She nodded to the book.
"That's a good book. I remember enjoying it," she said, softly.
"Yeah, that's why I'm reading it again," Bella whispered. "Do you need help in the kitchen?"
She looked like she didn't want to disturb her. "If you can part from the book? I really love all my china. If I ask Ed, he'll most likely break some."
"So Edward takes after him?" Bella asked, following her out of the room after throwing a soft blanket over her boyfriend. Fiancé, Bella reminded herself.
When she didn't answer immediately, Bella looked at her worried. Elizabeth was watching her with compassion and tears in her eyes. "You're so good to him, with him. I haven't seen many people acting like this. Especially, at such a young age."
"I love him," Bella said honestly.
"Oh, I know that. And he loves you more than I thought possible." Elizabeth touched Bella's cheek. "I think it's a Masen thing. When they fall in love…you can't change their minds."
Bella grinned, hugging her. She returned the hug.
"And I love you for caring for my son. I know he'll be well taken care of when you two marry." They separated and started walking down the stairs. "Despite the fact that you are so stubborn to not go to college," she added, shaking her head.
"You understand why we don't, though?"
"Somewhat."
They had reached the kitchen when she stopped again. She looked around for her husband and when she did not see him, she turned to Bella.
"I trust you, Bella."
Bella felt her face freezing. She should have paid attention to what they had talked downstairs. Had Jake's dad said something? Because Elizabeth just sounded like she knew more than she let on.
"Thank you." It was all she could come up with.
The tension seemed to leave when Ed appeared with a stack of china coffee plates from the living room, precariously balanced on his hand. Bella saved them just in time they started trembling. She heard Elizabeth breathing a sigh of relief. She winked at Bella when she walked to the kitchen.
.
.
.
May came and went too fast for Bella's liking. Edward wasn't much fun when he was studious. She ended up locked out too many nights because she was "a distraction" and he "had to study."
They spent every afternoon after school in his room, learning – more exactly, Bella was explaining stuff – then not very graciously, she was pushed out the door or window, depending on which she had come in. The weekends were a bit more relaxed, though they focused on the wedding.
The only time he allowed Bella touch him for more than five minutes was on a Friday night when his parents were held up at work. Edward had a headache and after trying to focus on his Calculus and failing, he gave up. They had kissed before he chucked a box of condoms at her, smirking. She knew what he wanted. She didn't say no because even going down on him meant that she was touching him in some way. His plan had been much more complex. He had begged her to let him go down on her at the same time. When she finally caved, he was naked, smiling hugely.
After putting a few condoms on his shaft and straddling his head, Bella started licking him. His tongue on her folds felt better than she remembered. It didn't take long for either of them since they hadn't done more than a few kisses for over three weeks.
On the last weekend of May, Bella dragged him out of the house, but not before he managed to hide his Biology textbook under his shirt.
"We aren't staying long, okay?" he asked, keeping a hand over his stomach where his book was 'hidden'.
"You need some fun, Edward! Don't tell me you don't need a break!"
They were in her car, on their way to the Cullens. They had bugged her to bring Edward over. She couldn't wait to share the new, nerdy Edward with them.
"But Bella! It's the first time I'll graduate!" He widened his eyes.
"Wanna bet you won't remember a thing after your change?"
"I don't care! I want to get good grades now."
It was futile to fight with him. Bella started questioning him on biology facts since it was his choice for that day. He grinned and answered lazily. He knew everything by heart, but insisted to go deeply.
"Biggest bone in human body?" She asked the last question as she parked in front of the Cullens' house.
"Tibia." He beamed.
Bella wanted to let it slide, but that was wrong. If she told him that, she wouldn't get him out of the book.
"Try again," she whispered, getting out.
Bella went to his side and opened the door. He stepped out, frowning.
"This one. Isn't it called tibia?" He touched his femur.
"That's the one, but it's not called tibia. This is the tibia." She knelt and touched his shin bone.
"Fuck. It's all messed up in my head. It starts with F, right?"
She inclined her head, steering him inside the house.
With the corner of her eye, Bella saw as he reached for his book, but snatched it from his belt before he had time to blink.
"Hey!" He cried out.
"Nu-huh! You know the answer. Just think about it for a second."
"Wishbone!" He shouted victoriously as they stepped inside. A second ago he said it started with F.
Bella burst in laughter, leaning against the wall for support. Everyone in the house was laughing. She started fanning herself with his book, although she didn't need it – probably a human trait she had carried with her.
"Gimme the book!" Edward moaned. "Argh! Stop laughing! All of you!"
Emmett appeared from the living room. "Wish…bone! He's so funny!"
"Okay, I was wrong! I realize it now. Only birds have that, okay! I'm only human, cut me some slack!"
"Wishbone starts with F in Latin. It's called furcula," Carlisle said, descending, smiling.
"FEMUR!" Edward yelled victoriously.
"Finally!" Bella groaned, slapping his textbook to his chest.
Once everyone was calm, with the occasional chuckle upon remembering Edward's serious answer about the wishbone, they sat in the living room, catching up.
"Are you hungry, honey?" Esme asked worried after a few hours.
"Not really," Edward answered. He had eaten too many muffins in the morning.
"Maybe some fruit? I bought some for you."
Bella saw his cheeks turning red as he nodded shyly. She was going to miss the red splotches on his cheeks. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his flamed skin.
"What was that for?" he asked, glancing at her.
"Can't I kiss you?" she asked back. "You're just adorable."
"Yeah, because every guy wants to be called adorable," he muttered.
"Our little human," Emmett interjected.
Before Edward could answer back or attempt to wrestle with Emmett, Esme appeared with a bowl full of fruits. She put them in front of Edward, along with a plate and a knife.
He picked up a nectarine and started cutting it just as Emmett barked a loud laugh. Everyone turned to him.
"Figure he'll eat nectarines!"
No one laughed.
"Oh, come on! Don't you get it?" He coaxed. "Neck." He pointed to his neck. "Tarine…?"
Edward squeezed the fruit in his hand, glaring at Emmett and muttering under his breath about revenge.
"Let me help," Bella whispered, extricating what was left of the fruit and finishing cutting it.
Emmett kept joking about Edward's food until Edward put the bowl over his head, stomping to the door. Bella rushed after him.
Edward refused to go near Emmett again unless it was necessary. He went as far as to cut him off the best men list. Of course, Edward's actions amused Emmett to no end.
.
.
.
Before Bella knew it, the end of the school was there. They went to prom, took the exams, smiled when they grabbed the diplomas on graduation day – Edward even tried to mask a few tears by burying his face in her hair, hugging her. She knew why he was crying. Unlike the rest of the students, he wouldn't miss high school, he would miss his parents, his friends…his human life. There was a big party at Mike's house and everyone was invited. The Cullens kindly declined, but Bella more or less carried Edward there. He had to experience as much as human life offered him.
By the end of that week they would be married. And knowing him, the honeymoon would be a night in her cottage then he'd want to be changed.
The party proved to be a wrong idea, although it was funny to see Edward drunk. He kept his arms around Bella's neck and kept kissing her nose and missing it horribly. They danced, and he even attempted to karaoke.
The mic wasn't on and he kept shaking it. Someone shouted to him to turn it on, but Edward was too drunk to understand what was happening. He started hitting the mic over his palm then against his temple. As everyone laughed, Bella went to him before he could harm himself and helped him with his little problem. He beamed at her then suddenly turned green. Everyone realized what was about to happen and moved aside as he threw up.
Bella had to call Emmett to help her get him home since she was supposed to be a small girl. Elizabeth wasn't as upset as Bella thought she'd be when she first saw her inebriated son. After the initial shock wore off, she called for her husband. Nevertheless, the three of them had too much fun with drunken Edward that night. He didn't want to sleep it off so they sat in the living room as he talked and talked and talked…and snuggled and kissed Bella. A lot. He was a cuddly and very talkative drunk. Ed got it all on a camera. They were going to laugh their asses off over the years.
