Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. Enjoy.
Living with Charlie was easy. Unlike Renee, he didn't hover. He gave me my own space, didn't ask too many questions when 'I was too quiet' and essentially just let me be me. He was like a roommate, but he was also just my dad.
Charlie didn't expect much. He was proud of hearing I wanted to buy my own place and assured me rent wasn't necessary. As long as I helped with the cooking and laundry - and that he had full real estate of the living room on game day - we could coexist without any issues.
The following day at school, Edward Cullen was absent. His desk sat empty, solemn, every time I cast my eyes to his assigned seat. His sister Alice, was also absent. When I enquired at the front office, Mrs. Cope informed me that Alice had switched to American Literature which was fine (was my lesson that bad?!), and that Edward had an explained absence listed as 'illness'. I thanked her for the information and frowned, thinking about how I was going to have to ask Edward for an absence note the next time I saw him.
I wouldn't say it out loud, but Edward Cullen made me uncomfortable. There was something about the way he looked at me on that first day, the pain on his face. It was unsettling.
Tuesday turned into Wednesday and Wednesday into Thursday, and soon it was Friday morning and at 3:30pm I would have officially finished my first week teaching at Forks High.
The morning was easy, Angela and I sipped instant black coffee or the 'black death' as I had called it, curled up on the sunken brown leather chairs in the teachers lounge.
"The Mill, Saturday night?" Angela suggested, clinking her spoon against the ceramic of her cup.
"Mmhm, sure." I nodded, distracted by a flash of bronze passing through the glass corridor. Was Edward Cullen at school today?
"So what have you got on for the rest of the day?" asked Angela as she rubbed the condensation from her glasses with her sweater sleeve.
"Lesson planning and then decorating," I mused.
The bell chiming sent us off in opposite directions and I soon found myself alone in my empty classroom. Whoever was here before left nothing behind, so I had a blank canvas to work with. I didn't add too much, a poster here and there, a calendar with upcoming dates and unit outlines. The only real decoration I added was a few succulent potted plants by the windowsill. On my desk, two framed pictures: a purple sunset in Arizona, and a photo from graduation day, a wide toothy grin on my face, squashed between a beaming Renee, Phil and Charlie. On top of my copy of Macbeth I placed a single green paper crane.
"Ms. Swan?" A melodic voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I quickly turned my head to the sound. There stood Edward Cullen in the entryway to my classroom.
"I hope I'm not disrupting you," he moved towards me gracefully. His long legs moved effortlessly across the classroom as he made his way to my desk.
I quickly shot up. I righted myself by grabbing onto the desk and then smoothed my clothes down, ironing out imaginary creases in the fabric.
"Edward... No, not at all, it's fine. Sorry, I'm just surprised to see you," I stuttered out. Why did this boy make me nervous? What was wrong with me?
"Ah, yes. Toothache. Sorry about that." He smiled, as he tapped his cheek and proceeded to pull something out of his bag.
"This is the homework that's due on Monday. I won't be here as my family and I are taking a long weekend to go hiking, so I thought I'd drop it off now." He handed me the piece of paper and I took it from him gingerly.
Staring down at the cursive writing of his homework and avoiding his gaze, I took a breath, ready to tell him what I had been dreading. "I'll need an absent note for this week and for Monday. I know your parents called about this week and that you are telling me now about Monday, but the school district still requires a written note." I stated assertively, my words sharp and direct. I looked up at him and he stared back at me, an annoyed look cast across his face. Had no one asked him for an absent note before? I stared back at him, refusing to break his gaze now. I felt red heat moving up my neck and into my face, my blush was betraying me.
Edward took a step back and looked away from me. He sucked in a loud breath.
"Yes, absent note. I'll have that for you on Tuesday."
I thought he would leave by the tone of his voice but instead he quickly moved across the classroom. His eyes scanned the items I'd added to the room, almost cataloging them. He made his way back to me and suddenly stopped. I watched as his gaze travelled to the paper crane.
"Origami, Miss Swan?" he frowned as he studied the crane.
"Oh, no. I'm not very good. It was a gift from a stupid ex-boyfriend in college. And I've just never been able to throw it out. We both did a book study on Sadako and the Thousand..." I was talking too much, why was I telling him this?
He cut me off. "If a sick person folds one thousand paper cranes, the gods will make her healthy again." He gently picked up the crane and studied it. He looked amused. "His lines are not very good, some of the folds need..." he began to pinch at the paper as his voice trailed off.
I snatched the crane from his hand and he flinched. Our fingers touched for the briefest of moments. He looked at me startled and then down at the crane that was now safely in my hand.
"How do you know that book?" my words were rushed. Chris was an idiot and yeah, the crane wasn't perfect, but I didn't like the way he spoke about it. It made me uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, never mind." Edward looked at me square on and pinched the bridge of his nose before storming out of my classroom.
I collapsed back into my chair. What on earth had just happened? Why was he so weird? Why was I being so weird?
Angela's gentle voice broke me out of my thoughts. "Bella, you look like you've seen a ghost!" She surveyed my room. "I like what you've done with the place. So, about those drinks Saturday night, want to do tonight instead? Ben has actually asked me out on a date…" she grinned and then begun to chew on her lip. "And you look like you need one."
"Oh god, of course! That's exciting Angela. Tonight totally works. When and where?" The end of day bell rang out through the room. Angela said she'd text me the details of the bar in the next hour or so but to be ready for 7:00pm.
I took my time as I packed up my belongings for the week, making sure I didn't forget any work to be graded or supplies. I was still traumatized from the time I made a 7th grader cry when I lost a piece of work to be graded. With everything tucked into my bag, I made my way to the parking lot and through the lingering students. Some waved or nodded as I passed them.
Just as I made it to my truck, a small hand touched the wrist of my jacket.
"Ms. Swan, do you have a moment?" Alice Cullen stood before me. "I just wanted to say that my leaving British Lit had nothing to do with you. I just had some credits from the last school we were at and it made more sense. Plus Edward's mood swings give me whiplash, I need a break from him." She laughed, and I found myself laughing too.
"Thanks Alice, that's sweet of you to explain."
"Have a good weekend, Ms. Swan. I'm sure I'll see you around." She gave me a wave before skipping off to a red BMW across the lot.
On arriving home, I let out a huge breath when I saw that Charlie's cruiser wasn't in the driveway. Sharing a bathroom with your father was tricky at 16 and felt trickier at 24, although over the last week it hadn't been too bad. I quickly made my way inside, throwing my belongings onto the kitchen table, wanting to get in a shower before he arrived home.
I traced the pastel blue tiles of the bathroom as I waited for the water pressure and temperature to build. Charlie's hot water system rivalled Renee's, however his 60's bathroom interior was well overdue for a makeover.
I washed off the remnants of the day, shaved my legs and conditioned my hair, finishing up just as the water pressure lessened and temperature began to drop. Wrapping a towel around myself, I stepped out of the tub and took a moment to look at myself in the mirror. I noted the way my skin color was slowly changing, my slightly freckled tan slowly fading away. The blueish-purple tint under my eyes seemed more obvious now with the color of my skin slowly fading away; I'd need to start wearing more concealer. Never one for too much makeup, I got away with tinted moisturizer, blush, and a little setting powder through college. I was thankful that I'd chosen a career that wouldn't require much more than that, but I'd probably need to invest in bronzer if I wanted to look alive through the sunless months.
I busied myself with drying my hair and choosing an outfit for the night. Laying my jeans and sweater out on my bed, I opted to put on a pair of sweats while I prepared Charlie some dinner. I really didn't need to go out with my new work colleague for the first time with enchilada sauce splayed across my jeans.
As I turned to exit my room, I lingered in the doorway, feeling overwhelmed at Charlie's kindness. Before my arrival he'd cleared up my teenage room, boxing away my girlish trinkets and grade school paintings. He had purchased a new bedspread with matching decorative pillows, "I remembered your mom said you liked purple," he mumbled when he first showed me my room.
I closed the door with a smile and shuffled my way into the kitchen, checking my phone just as Charlie's cruiser pulled into the driveway.
The Mill at 7:00pm! X Angela
"Smells delicious, Bella," Charlie's voice rang through the living room as I heard him remove his jacket and make his way through the house. The floorboards creaked as Charlie's footsteps made their way into the kitchen.
"Just enchiladas, nothing fancy," I said with a smirk as I took a peek at the tray bubbling away in the oven.
"You staying in tonight?" he said, gesturing at my attire.
"Actually, I'm heading out. I'm meeting Angela Webber for a drink at The Mill at seven."
Charlie nodded and looked almost relieved.
"Good, I was getting worried you hadn't made any friends."
I laughed quietly and decided it was time to take the tray out of the oven. Charlie immediately made a bee-line for me, his hand reaching out to pick at the melted cheese on the edge of the tray. I swatted him and he laughed as he grabbed two plates and quickly made work of setting the table.
We ate in a comfortable silence, the kitchen filled with the sounds of our cutlery clinking against the plates.
"Any of the kids give you any trouble, Bella?" Charlie asked as he helped himself to a second serving.
"No, they are actually pretty great… Mike Newton is a bit of a talker, but he seems sweet. Alice Cullen actually dropped out of my class and then came to tell me why, which I thought was considerate. I seem to have built a pretty good rapport... with most of my students…" I trailed off.
"Most of your students?"
"I think Alice Cullen's brother hates me," I blurted out.
Charlie laughed. "Oh, Edward? That boy doesn't smile for a single soul. Except maybe his mother. Lovely lady, that Esme Cullen."
I nodded and moved leftover pieces of food around my plate.
"The Cullens are a good family, Bella. Carlisle and Esme are well respected, and their children are good kids. Sometimes I see them hiking out by the trail behind our house. He gestured to the empty forest-like land that was our backyard. "You know that the kids are all adopted? And they're 'together.'"
I nodded. "Oh, yeah. Angela told me something like that..."
"Anyway, what people do in their own house is their business. From what I know, they are good kids, and they don't give me or the station any trouble. Although, I did almost book Rosalie for speeding a few months back. She was driving that flashy BMW like a maniac down Main Street."
"What do you mean, 'almost' book?" I asked as I began clearing my plate.
Charlie ran his hand through his hair. "You know, I can't even remember why I let her off, she had a good reason and she swore she'd never do it again. Every time I see her in that goddamn flashy thing she's driving below the limit..."
I left Charlie to his thoughts and third helping of enchiladas. It was just after 6:00 and I needed to get myself organized to meet Angela.
30 or so minutes later, I gave Charlie a wave as I walked out of the house.
"Don't wait up for me!" I said in a sing-song voice.
The Mill was buzzing when I arrived. Loud conversations competed with rock music playing through crackling speakers, the TV's pitched in the corner of the room blaring a random replay. I weaved through the crowd, my head bobbing up and down like a prairie dog, until I found Angela sitting in the dim light at the edge of the bar.
"You're here!" she seemed almost relieved, straightening her glasses and then moving her handbag so I could sit down.
"I wasn't going to bail on you," I wriggled into the faded brown leather of the seat and waved the bartender down to order a round.
Spending time with Angela was always easy, comfortable. Stories came with ease and I felt like I could be myself. On the second beer, she teased me at the fact I only drank light and we spent the following two and a half hours sharing college stories and discussing the state of our very miserable romantic lives.
"Books are cruel, because they set you up to believe that romance and relationships are this amazing magical thing, that there's chaos, angst, drama and lust, and then you are actually in one and it's just mundane and boring." I took another swig as Angela nodded, agreeing with me.
"And don't even get me started on sex. Sex is just… It just isn't anything like what I've read in books..." I was mortified the moment the words left my mouth. Oh god, how had I said that after only two beers.
"Well maybe you've been having sex with the wrong people!" Angela said with a laugh, resting her hand on my shoulder as if she could see the embarrassment at my admission. "I'm hearing everything you're saying, Bella. I know. That's why I'm so excited about this date with Ben."
I watched as Angela's face lit up talking about him.
"It's been a while since I've felt that feeling, you know?"
We continued to talk about the details of Angela's date and as we both came to empty drinks, decided to call it an early night.
Just as we exited The Mill, we ran into Mike Newton and a group of seniors. To say I was mortified was an understatement. Mike's chatty voice had me mumbling a quick hello and then busily trying to find my phone in my bag whilst Angela made small talk about the weekend plans ahead. I didn't want them to know I'd been drinking. I was too embarrassed. Mike and the group moved off quickly and Angela began hysterically laughing as they disappeared into the distance.
"Geez Bella, you have no chill." She tugged at the strap of my bag. "Running into these kids is common, especially on a Friday or Saturday night. Forks is small."
I nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed by my behavior.
"You have a good weekend, Ange. Let me know how your date goes?"
She gave me a thumbs up, and I watched as she made the short walk to her car. I wrapped my arms around myself and exhaled, amused at the fog that escaped my mouth. I would need to layer the next time I went out at night. It was cold.
Turning around to make my way back to my car, my eyes focused on a car that looked very similar to the silver Volvo I'd seen speeding down Main Street earlier in the week.
"Should you be driving home?" Edward Cullen appeared in front of me, blocking me from my truck. Dressed in black denim and a grey pullover he looked more like a twenty-something college student than a seventeen year old boy. His hair was wild, sticking out in all directions, the dampness of the air not having any effect on its excessive volume.
How did he even get here? Had I been that transfixed by the silver car?
"Uh, I've had two light beers over three and a half hours. I'm pretty sure I'm fine to drive, but thanks, Edward," I replied, my brows furrowed with annoyance.
He looked at me, his expression was... agitated. His body still didn't move.
"I'd like to get to my car please," I murmured, moving my hand forward to push past him. He flinched away from me and let me pass.
I could feel his eyes on me as I jumped into the truck's cab. He stood on the sidewalk as I revved the engine. I wound down the window.
"You should probably get home, Edward. It's late and I'm sure your parents are wondering where you are."
I looked away from him, completing a quick head check and made my way out of the parking lot.
I nervously kept checking my rear view mirror. I could have sworn the silver Volvo followed me on the drive home.
Grateful thanks to my beta team. Without you this story would still be stuck on my notes app x