I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.
Cheryl and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and April, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.
BPOV- age 8
Ch. 2
I climbed out the back seat of the truck and looked at our cabin. It felt strange to be here this year, but also a welcome break. This year Mom wasn't with us. She was getting things settled in California. At the end of the summer, I was supposed to go live with her. Then every other year I was supposed to go back and forth between Mom and Dad. The one thing I insisted on, which Mom eventually caved to, was I got to spend my two weeks here with Dad every summer.
"What do you say we toss our things inside then go fishing?" Dad asked.
"But I always go fishing with Edward first thing—it's tradition," I told him.
Dad chuckled. "Two years in a row doesn't make it a tradition."
"Technically, this is our third year," I reminded him, and he raised an eyebrow at me. "Please, Daddy?"
He shook his head and smirked. "I'm only Daddy when you want something. Fine…but promise me, you and I will go at least one time just the two of us?"
"Promise, thank you." I grinned and grabbed my bag, hurrying to the house.
I tossed my bag on the bed and was about to hurry back outside when a walkie-talkie caught my eye on the nightstand. I picked it up and read the Post-it note stuck to it.
Turn me on and press talk.
I pressed the button. "Hello?"
After a few moments, Edward responded. "You're here, finally. Meet me at the spot."
"Give me a few minutes. I have to help unpack the truck," I told him.
"Roger."
"Who?" I asked, confused.
"That's what you're supposed to say on a walkie-talkie."
I shrugged. "Roger."
I hurried to help get everything in so Dad would give me permission to go. When I reached our secret place, Edward was already there with his line in the lake. He looked like he had grown a few inches since last summer.
"Hey," I greeted him. "Any bites yet?" I took a seat next to him.
"Not yet. But I just got here." He looked over at me. "Want some?" He shook a bag of gummy worms at me.
"Thanks." I reached in and pulled out a yellow and green one, my favorite.
"Just don't confuse them with the real ones," he teased me.
I rolled my eyes. "That wasn't me. it was Emmett."
He nodded. "True. But it was still funny."
"Thank you for the walkie-talkie," I said.
"You're welcome. I got them for my birthday, even though I asked for cell phones for us. But apparently, we're too young," he complained.
My mouth dropped open in shock. "You wanted to give me a cell phone for your birthday? I don't think my dad would allow me to accept it."
"Oh…I didn't think of that." He frowned. "I guess we'll have to stick to the old-fashioned way, emailing each other when we're at home."
We talked about a few other things while we fished. I found Edward's private school interesting. It sounded much better than mine. I was always bored and kids like Jessica and Mike made it torture when the teacher had to explain the same lesson over and over. I wondered if my new school would be any different.
"Nothing is biting. Want to do something else?" Edward asked.
"Like what?" I brought in my line.
"My uncle has a new paddleboat. I'm allowed to take it out as long as I can be seen from the beach," he suggested.
"Okay. Let's bring our stuff back to the house first so we don't have to carry it around," I agreed.
Days
We went to the Cullen's since I would only wind up there for dinner and so we didn't have to make two trips. We were just setting things on the porch when the door opened and Mrs. Cullen came out with Emmett and his friend, Randell, behind her.
"Hello, Bella. You're getting big." She smiled at me.
"Hi, Mrs. Cullen. Thank you," I said politely.
"How many fish did you guys catch?" she asked.
"Nothing. Can we take the paddleboat out?" Edward asked.
"No fair. I was about to ask," Emmett stated.
"I asked first," Edward retorted.
"It's my dad's boat," Emmett responded.
"Hold on, don't argue. You can take turns. How about we flip a coin to see who goes first?" Mrs. Cullen proposed.
"How about we arm wrestle for it?' Emmett flexed his muscles.
"How about we race for it?" I suggested. I knew I was faster than some of the boys in my class.
"We aren't allowed to drive the golf carts." Emmett scoffed.
"She was talking about running, genius," Edward said.
"Edward, don't be rude," Mrs. Cullen scolded him.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"You think you can beat me?" Emmett laughed. "I'm bigger than you are."
"Exactly. You have more wind resistance than I do," I told him.
"More wind…what?" He gave me a confused look.
"Wind Resistance. The bigger you are the more it works against you when you move," I explained.
"You're making that up," Randell accused.
"Am not." I glanced up at Mrs. Cullen.
"Well, I don't know if it affects running. But that is the general idea of wind resistance. You're very smart, Bella," she praised me.
Emmett scowled. "I don't believe it, so it's on. Let's race. On your—"
"Hold on. You kids need to be careful running on the road—there are still cars," Mrs. Cullen cautioned.
"We will be," Edward promised.
"Alright. I'll be right behind you in the golf cart. No one is to enter the water before I get there," she told us.
"Yes, ma'am," we chorused.
"Alright, on your mark…get set...Go!" Emmett yelled.
We took off running, and Emmett and I were neck and neck. I started to pull ahead of him as I pumped my legs harder. Suddenly, I felt something hit me hard in the back of the knees, and I stumbled.
"Owww." Pain radiated through my right knee.
"Bella!" Edward hollered.
"Come on, Em. Now's our chance." Randell raced away.
"Are you okay, Tommy?" Emmett asked.
I was surprised to see he had stopped. He was looking at me with concern. I pushed myself into a sitting position. He reached out a hand to help me when he was pushed away.
"Get away from her, cheater." Edward glared at him.
"Hey! I didn't cheat." Emmett slapped his fist on his chest, then pointed down the road. "That was all Randy. I had nothing to do it with it. I don't need to stoop low and injure a girl to win a race."
"You weren't going to win, Shrek. I was a mile ahead of you." I winced when I moved my leg. I picked up the large stick that had hit me and threw it away from me.
"Yeah…yeah. We will have a rematch when your leg is healed." He smirked.
"Don't plan on it. They'll probably ground you for hurting her," Edward threatened.
"I didn't do anything," Emmett insisted, looking a little worried.
"Stop arguing." I tried to get up but fell down again, feeling dizzy.
"You don't look so good." Emmett gave me a wary look. "Edward, quit being a brat and get my dad…and probably hers. I'll carry her back to the house."
"You go get them. I'll carry her. She's my friend," Edward retorted.
"Be reasonable. She's the same size as you, you can't carry her." Emmett sighed.
Mrs. Cullen honked her horn and pulled to a stop next to us. "What happened?" she asked, getting out.
"I tripped and skinned my knee." I spoke before either the boys could say anything.
"Let me take a look." She knelt beside me to examine it. "Can you bend it?"
I tried and winced. Meanwhile, the boys were still glaring at each other behind her back. She gently brushed some gravel from the wound and pressed a wad of tissues lightly against it.
"Let's get you back to the house and get this cleaned up. You scraped it pretty badly," she commented. She turned her head to glance at Emmett. "Dear, go get your dad. I'm sure nothing is broken but better safe than sorry."
"Yes, ma'am." Emmett ignored Edward's triumphant look.
Days
A short while later, I was resting on a lawn chair in the Cullen's backyard. My leg was cleaned up and bandaged, but I was told to keep it up to make sure it didn't swell. Edward had stayed close by, but he had been acting weird since we returned.
"Edward, can you run in and tell your aunt the steaks will be done in ten minutes," Dr. Cullen asked from the grill.
He got up from his chair beside me. "Do you need anything?"
"Would you get me a cherry Coke, please?" I answered him.
Edward nodded and headed toward the house. He was no sooner through the door, when Emmett took his chair. Emmett had just arrived back to the house for the first time after my accident.
"Thanks for not blaming me," he said.
"What happened wasn't your fault, it was Randell's." I shrugged.
"Why didn't you rat him out?" Emmett questioned.
"I'm not a tattletale," I answered him.
"You're not too bad for a kid," he teased.
"Gee…thanks," I said sarcastically.
"That's my seat, give it back." Edward thrusted a soda can at me as he glared at his cousin.
"Cool it, will ya. I was just talking to Bella. No need to get your panties in a twist." Emmett stayed in the chair.
I was starting to get worried a fight was going to break out. I grabbed Edward's hand, then dragged him toward his tent, limping all the way. I zipped it open and awkwardly crawled in. I settled in the back corner, stretching out my leg, wincing.
"You're supposed to be resting your leg. It's starting to bleed again," Edward pointed out.
"We need to talk," I told him. "Why are you so angry?"
"You were hurt, and it was Emmett's fault, and he got away with it," Edward stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"It was Randall's fault. Emmett stopped to help." I was confused why he wanted his cousin to be the villain.
"What…you're friends with him now? You can't be friends with us both, and you were my friend first," Edward snapped.
I was hit with the same uneasy feeling I'd experienced for the past year when I listened from my bedroom as the fighting got worse. The biggest one was over me and who I should be living with.
"You're not being fair. This is just like what my mom and dad did, and you know how much that hurt me," I reminded him. He had been the only one I felt safe to confide in.
His shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. I'm tired of being left behind. Emmett did that and he took some of my friends with him. Randy was one of them. It just seems like even if guys are friends with me first, they eventually ditch me for my cousin. I don't want to lose you, too."
"Oh." I bit my lip. "I didn't know. I'm not going to choose him over you. Today was the first time he even used my real name. I still don't think it's right to blame Emmett for something he didn't have a part of. I don't have to be his friend, but it would be nice to be on good terms with him. Better him than Tanya—where is she anyways?" I realized I hadn't seen her at all.
"In New York, with some of my other cousins," Edward answered. "I guess, you got a point about Emmett."
"You guess?" I snorted.
"Fine, you're right. I'm sorry for being a jerk," he apologized.
"The food is ready," Dr. Cullen hollered.
We were getting settled at the picnic table when Mrs. Cullen came out of the house, carrying a large bowl of salad. She placed it on the table and turned to Emmett with one hand on her hip.
"Emmett, I just got off the phone with Randell's mother. Do you know what she had to say to me?"
Emmett didn't break his concentration from pouring ketchup on his steak. "That he admitted to throwing a big stick at Bella's knees, making her to trip in the race. So I punched him for hurting a girl."
Mrs. Cullen frowned. "No, only the part about you hitting Randell. Even if it was in retaliation, you can't use violence to solve the problem. I'm going to have to punish you."
"But—"
"No buts about it." Mrs. Cullen shook her head.
"Listen to your mother, son, even if your intentions were good." Dr. Cullen exchanged a look with his wife.
She sighed and thought about it for a moment. "Do you see the wood your father had delivered today for campfires? I want you to stack it next to the shed tomorrow before you do anything else." She pointed across the yard.
"That's it?" Emmett looked relieved.
"Do you need more?" She gave him a pointed look.
"No, ma'am," Emmett complied.
"And apologize to Randell for hitting him," she told him.
"Shouldn't he have to apologize to Bella?" Emmett frowned.
"Don't you worry about that. I'm going to give his mother a call as soon as we're done eating," Mrs. Cullen promised.
Days
After dinner, Edward and I sat roasting marshmallows over the fire. Mrs. Cullen was in the house, and Dad and Mr. Cullen were on the deck, listening to the ballgame and drinking beer. Emmett had decided to start his punishment early.
I wanted to go over an apologize to him for getting in trouble and thank him for standing up for me. But I was nervous since I didn't want to upset Edward either. Edward watched his cousin for a while before he put his roasting stick down and went over to the logs. He grabbed one and started to help.
"What are you doing? This is my punishment." Emmett paused what he was doing.
"It's not fair you got in trouble," Edward admitted.
"Yeah, well I still would've done it again," Emmett stated.
"Thank you for standing up for me," I said.
"You're welcome. Looks like you two get the paddle boat tomorrow. I doubt Randy and I will be hanging out much, and you need two to really get it going." Emmett placed his log down.
Edward held his piece of wood in his hand and glanced at me. "Why don't you come with us? Bella's knee is probably going to be too sore to paddle."
Emmett smirked. "Sure. Someone should keep you two kids in line and out of trouble."
I rolled my eyes. "Careful, Shrek, there are two of us and one of you. I heard a rumor ogre sink like rocks."
Instead of looking offended, Emmett started to laugh.
A/N: A nicer side of Emmett in this chapter. He's not all bad just a normal kid for the most part. Edward already has some jealousy issues. Many of you commented I used Tanya instead of Alice. I have my reasons for that, mainly I have a different role in mind for Alice.
Thank you everyone for all your love and reviews.
