I've been part of the second edition of Song to Story contest held by our dear Frannie.
This little one-shot won first place, a tie with NightBloomingPeony's amazing story Lullaby in the Dark. Please check it out, and all the other entries.
A huge 'thank you' to everyone who voted and to Frannie for hosting this amazing contest. It combines two of my favorite past times activities: listening to music and writing. I'm blown away!
Song: Gryffin - Nobody Compares To You
Mr. Banner had encouraged me to pursue the English Lit program at Northwestern University. Chicago had never been an option until he planted the idea in my mind. On my shortlist, there was the University of Washington, a community college in Portland, and at the bottom was Jacksonville University.
Charlie had encouraged me to pursue my dream about learning English Literature and possibly becoming a writer or an editor. These had been my top choices for things I wanted to do in life, when becoming a vampire had fallen off the list as fast as it had appeared.
I tried not to think about the Cullens, but they had been a huge part of my life even if I'd barely been around them for six months. It felt like they'd been my friends forever. I tried not to feel any remorse because it had felt so right … as if it was meant to be. I'd never needed Alice's gift to understand how it was fated for Edward to meet me.
Only after my first year of college had I started living again. Jacob had put me back together as best as he could before he'd sent me into the world like a baby bird learning to fly for the first time. In the past year, I'd made some good friends who had decided to surprise me by taking me to a hole-in-the-wall tavern.
I still wasn't a big fan of birthdays, but they've been sneaky about it. I didn't have the heart to tell them how much I'd rather do absolutely anything else rather than celebrate the day I was born. I was willing to sit through whatever sports game Lydia wanted to watch, fail at chess with Mitchell, or even have mindless girl talk with Suzy.
Mitchell held open the door. "Careful. The stairs go down." I appreciated the advice because I'd have arrived at the bottom much faster if he hadn't told me.
I was still fighting the hair out of my eyes as I descended. The wind around here was crazy. They didn't call Chicago the Windy City for nothing.
"I'll get us drinks." Suzy skipped to the bar while Lydia towed me to a table in the corner behind an alcove.
The brick walls and cavern look of the pub should have been creepy, but I loved it already. I rarely liked the establishments my friends liked to visit. The pubs and clubs were usually crowded, and the music was not for my taste.
This place had old rock music at a decent volume so that we could understand each other.
I dumped my small backpack on one of the chairs. "I'm going to the bathroom; I feel a lash in my eye." I hated how girly girl I sounded, but I could barely see through my tears.
"I'll come with you," Lydia offered.
"I'm fine," I promised, already disappearing in the direction of the bathroom sign.
As I passed a table tucked in the darkest corner, something shattered near it. I could bet there was some drunk who'd fallen asleep holding his beer bottle. These people were everywhere.
After making sure there were no lashes in my eyes, I washed my face twice, and could finally see again. When I returned, I glanced in the direction of the drunk, but I couldn't see his face. Though my heart started beating faster and the old pain around my ribcage threatened to make an appearance, I filed away my reaction as an adrenaline rush from possibly being close to potential danger.
I was so grateful this place didn't card. Charlie didn't have to know what I did while away at college. I settled on a bottle of the least alcoholic beer in the world.
My friends offered me presents, making me go beet red and look around, hoping no one was paying attention. My eyes drifted to the dark corner of the room again, and the occupant of that table was suddenly in plain view.
I dropped the box I was holding, vaguely registering that whatever was inside had shattered. Mitchell complained about how clumsy I was and how they might not be able to replace the mug.
I kept my eyes on the pale boy in the corner. His dark, shadowed eyes were boring into mine.
As many times as I'd imagined seeing Edward again, it was never like this. He sat still as a statue, an art he had perfected over the past century.
"Bella!" Lydia's sharp voice made me jump out of my skin.
It was as if the buzz around the tavern returned to a loud volume, having it muted for the whole time I'd looked into Edward's eyes.
My hands started shaking, and I had absolutely no control over them. I wanted to curl into a ball and scream at the top of my lungs. I also wanted to go to him and smack him – with the metal chair, so he'd feel the pain.
I'd been so sure I'd put my past to rest.
I was moving forward.
I had new friends.
I had my eyes on a little old house Charlie had promised to help me buy if I wanted to move to Chicago.
My life had never been on track.
Then he came out of nowhere, and with one look, I was the same seventeen-year-old idiot who'd thought he'd hung the moon.
I spied another look at him.
He still hadn't moved.
God, he was so beautiful. It didn't matter if he was across the room in the darkest corner, I knew every detail of his face. The slope of his nose, the curve of his lips, his strong jawline, the purple bruises under his eyes.
It became clear to my friends I wasn't in any mood to celebrate. It was Suzy who broke the party up several minutes later. I felt terrible for leaving not even thirty minutes after we'd arrived.
When the cold air of the mid-September night hit my face, I knew I had to go back. I wanted an explanation, better than "I don't want you anymore," even though he'd lied to me for half a year about how much he loved me.
"I forgot my phone," I lied, already reopening the door of the pub.
"I'll come back with you," Mitchell offered.
"No. You guys go. I'm sorry I'm no fun. Catch you later." I slid through the door, hurrying down the stairs.
I barely made it halfway through them when I felt his presence. I couldn't see him well in the dimly lit staircase, but he grabbed my arm, guiding me back the way I'd come.
I had to check if my friends were still around when I stepped outside and onto the sidewalk. Thankfully, they'd left. Edward didn't let go of my arm, walking me to an alley. We went to the far back, where I could barely see his face.
He dropped his hand and started pacing, tugging at his hair.
I watched the scene puzzled, feeling like this wasn't my life. It was like I was watching a movie of myself making all my eighteen-year-old self's dreams come true. That wasn't me anymore, or so I liked to believe.
It didn't matter. I'd fooled myself I was over him even if he still had an impact on my body. My knees were shaking, and I doubted my heart would ever beat normally again.
"Are you going to say anything?" I demanded in a shaky voice.
Edward spun on his heel, facing me again. He walked closer, extending his hand, palm up. It was an invitation. But I didn't trust him anymore.
"What are you doing here?" I tried a different tactic, keeping my arms folded across my chest.
"I live here," he answered in the molten lava voice I'd forgotten.
My stomach did a flip. Ever since I'd decided to further my studies in Chicago, I had this nagging feeling that I was missing something in the grand scheme of things.
This was Edward's hometown.
He took another tentative step closer to me. "My Bella."
My stomach muscles clenched. "You lost the right to call me that."
"I apologize for ruining your party," he said quietly.
"Traditions," she snorted. "Ruined birthday parties are apparently your specialty."
He winced, sorrow clear on his handsome face. The fact that he looked exactly the same made an uneasy feeling settle within me. It was probably the first time I fully understood what vampire meant.
And when the clouds parted for the moon to shine in our alley, I noticed something for the first time …
His eyes were red.
The gasp that left my lips made him step back into the shadows.
All my instincts told me to run the other way and try catching up with my friends, but as I often did around Edward, I chose the moth-to-flame option.
"I don't live far. Want to come over and tell me what you've been up to?" My voice shook, and he didn't miss that tremor of fear.
His lips curled in chagrin. "Why did I think you'd choose safety?"
"Because I'll always choose you." It was the truth, as much as it hurt.
For me, there was no choice when Edward's presence in my life was one of the options.
There will be a short story based on this one. I'm not sure when I'll post it, but you can keep up with my hectic schedule and all the updates for my current wips in my facebook group - addict_writer fanfiction: www dot facebook dot com/groups/274198112656668