Book 1 – Chapter 2: School
"Bella" Charlie calls as I walk out of the bathroom. I walk downstairs and he frowns when he sees my sad form. "What happened?" he asks me and I frown.
"I saw him…we started talking and…" I start to sob again. "I screwed up…so badly…I was so bad to him" I sob and he sighs as he hugs me.
"Oh Bells…" he sighs and I frown. "Is he going to be at school today?" he asks me and I shrug.
"I don't know…Either he's picking me up or his sister" I say and he frowns.
"Ok…" he says and I hear a car parking in the front.
"Cya" I say before hugging him again and throwing my bag over my back. I walk out the door to see a silver Volvo parked in the front and Alice out front. "Hey" I say and she frowns.
"Well…I don't know how to tell you this but... Jasper and Esme set of last night to calm him down. You really fucked up, didn't you" she says as she hugs me and I start crying.
"Can you tell him that I said I'm sorry…I'll stay out of his way from now on. It'll be like I never existed" I say and she frowns. Her eyes go blank before she steps in the car and I frown. "Alice? What did you see?" I ask her and she frowns.
"He's planning on avoiding you, but he can only do so for so long." She says and I frown.
"What was he saying last night?" I ask her and she frowns.
"That you don't love him, that you lied to him and myself. He thinks that he should die for falling for you. He tried to make his way to Italy, but we caught him before he could get to the car. His future disappeared the minute he left your house. He's upset with all of us… can you please make this right. Ask to be friends for now…he'll be ok with that, but after a while you both have to get into a relationship…" she says and I frown before nodding.
"Sure…anything to make this right" I say and she smiles.
"Nervous?" she asks and I grin.
"Very" I say as she steps out the car. In the distance, I see Edward and by the looks of it, the rest of his siblings. "Here we go…who is the brown haired boy and the blond girl and boy next to Edward?" I ask her and she smiles.
"Brown haired boy and the blond haired girl is Emmett and Rosalie. They're mates, married and haven't been apart for one second. Jasper's my mate, he's the blond haired boy. He's the one that can alter and read people's emotions." She says and I nod as I walk towards the school entrance.
"Yes…give it a try…I'm interested"
I suddenly start to giggle and I quickly hold my hand over my mouth, while Alice throws Jasper a glare. "I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me" I say and she frowns.
"I know" she hisses while looking at Edward and Jasper. The brown haired boy, Emmett as Alice points out, comes over to me with the blonde haired girl, Rosalie.
"So you must be Bella!" Emmett says and I grin as he hugs me.
"Hi Emmett…Hi Rosalie" I say and Rosalie smiles.
"Thank you for giving Edward grief. Now he might not snoop through my head for answers" she says before hugging me. Jasper comes over and grins at me and I smile and nod.
"You are one interesting Vampire" he says and I laugh as we shake hands.
"No fair" I laugh and he grins as he walks over to Alice and kisses her.
"Hey Edward" a different girl calls as she walks up to Edward.
"Oh no…not Jessica" Emmett grumbles and I frown.
"Jessica?" I ask them and they nod towards Edward.
"Jessica. How great to see you today" Edward says and I try to hold back a laugh.
"I was wondering if you had a date for the dance in a few months' time."
"I don't have one…" he says cautiously, trying to keep the conversation normal. Jealousy fills me and anger, over the top of my nervous state and upset, with heartbroken.
"Well I was wondering…"
"No thank you Jessica" he says before walking over to us.
"I'm going to go inside" I say before walking away, before they could stop me. Another boy with brown hair stops me in his path, obviously a human.
"Hello, you're Isabella Swan? Right…I'm Mike Newton" he says and I smile.
"Bella" I correct him and he grins. "I'm really sorry but I need to get to my first class" I say and he nods as I pass him. I feel Edward by my side as he walks with me.
"I'm helping you… you have no idea what he was thinking about" he growls and I frown.
"What was he thinking about?" I ask him curiously and he grumbles.
"Taking you as his girlfriend, having sex, then maybe, if he had the strength and you weren't good in bed, he'd just break up with you" he says and I frown.
"Oh" I mumble and he frowns before going silent. I decided that this is the time to make a move. "I'm sorry…about last night…I didn't mean any offense…I just spoke before thinking and…I'm sorry. But you didn't have to threaten to kill yourself for it" I say and he frowns.
"Alice told you about that?" he asks me and I nod.
"She was worried about you…you said you didn't think I loved you back. But I do Edward…but it doesn't make sense for you to be loving me" I say and he frowns.
"It's not your fault. It's mine. I overreacted. But we all have our moments of doubt" he says and I frown.
"Friends…for now" I ask him and he nods. "It's not that I don't want to be with you…I just don't want to dive into a relationship so quickly." I explain and he nods.
"I understand. People can so stupid things when they love another. Take Tanya for an example" he says and I frown.
"Tanya?" I ask him and he frowns.
"She's always been interested in me…I never showed her any particular interest in her either…She never really loved me. She was and still is, desperate for a mate" he says and I frown. His arm lingers on my back and I freeze. "Sorry" he mummers to me and I shake my head with a smile.
"It's ok" I say and his arm snakes around to my waist and he slowly brings me to his side. "So…Jessica?" I ask and he grins. "So is she your secret human girlfriend?" I tease and he laughs.
"No…" he laughs as we walk into the room. "No you're the only one" he says and I grin.
"Ah! Miss Swan…I see Mr Cullen has escorted you to the correct room. You can take the last seat, next to Mr Cullen" the teacher says as we walk towards the desk.
"So…Jessica likes you... what? You probably have a handful of girls after you" I laugh and he grins.
"Not like you can talk" he says and I frown. "Every guy that saw you today, taken or not, we wondering if you had a boyfriend... and to answer your question, yes she does like me…way too much" he says and I frown. "But don't worry. She's asked me out like…twice. I recon every girl has asked me out in this school but I've rejected every single one. Jessica likes mike, but she was trying to get to me before the 'new girl' could get to me and win me over, but she considered that and she decided it was unlikely. Unlikely my ass. I told everyone that asked me out that I don't date. They all suspected I was gay or something…I would really love to prove them wrong" he mumbles and I laugh.
"Well I'd be willing to help them out" I say with a smirk and he laughs.
"You just said friends…for a bit." He claims and I laugh.
"Well every single cell in my body is telling me right now to throw you on the ground and take you here and now…but since there is people here…I decide not to" I say and he grins.
"Maybe one day, after we get married" he hints and I raise my eyebrows. "What? Alice has told you about the vision" he laughs and I grin as we pay attention. The teacher begins to teach before putting on a video about body systems. Once he turns off the light, Edward's hand lingers on my waist and I quietly move my stool closer to him.
"This is stupid" I whisper and he grins.
"What the movie?" he asks and I roll my eyes.
"Yes…that is stupid. But us being friends" I whisper and he laughs.
"So Miss Swan, would you be my girlfriend?" he asks me in a whisper and I laugh.
"Of course" I mumble as his head leans down towards mine. He kisses me before pulling away and looking towards the teacher, who makes his way to the door where the lights are. I move back to where I was sitting and he turns them back on again and pauses the video.
"Just to show that we were paying attention last lesson, Mr Cullen? What is the process which our cells split to create identical copies?" he asks Edward and I grin.
"Division, used in DNA replication. Sir" Edward says loudly and I try not to crack a smile.
"Pay attention people" he says before turning off the lights and playing the video. I move closer to Edward and kiss his jaw before moving my way up to his lips. Edward smiles as I dig my fingers into his hair and smiles into the kiss.
-Later-
"So, how was your first class?" Alice asks me as we walk to Literature. I grin and I raise my eyebrows.
"You already know. So how's that vision of Edward and I getting married?" I ask her and she shakes her head with a laugh.
"Still there, but so much more clear now" she says and I grin. "Bella, something changed" she says and I frown. "Instead of your eyes being brown or yellow…your eyes were red" she says and I frown.
"Do you recon I slipped up?" I ask her and she shrugs. We walk into the classroom, while she returns to her seat.
"Miss Swan, your seat is at the back, next to Jessica Standley" the teacher says and I frown. Jessica. I walk over and chuck my stuff down next to hers and Jessica smiles at me.
"Hi, you must be Isabella Swan?" She says and I smile politely.
"Bella, You're Jessica Standley right?" I ask and she nods.
"So you went missing for a week, and showed back up in phoenix, and your father took you in to keep an eye on you. Did you run away or something?" she asks me and I frown.
"Lie, tell her that you came here because you wanted to spend time with your dad and because your boyfriend was here. You didn't run away, but you don't feel comfortable talking about what happened when you went missing" Alice instructs me and I frown.
"No I didn't run away, and I don't feel comfortable talking about what happened when I went missing…I moved here because of Charlie, my biological father. I wanted to spend time with him. Plus my long-time boyfriend was here and I decided that I wanted to surprise him." I say and she frowns.
"So who's your long-time boyfriend? How long have you been together?" Jessica asks me and I frown.
"A year, and the last bits up to you" she says and I grin.
"We've been together for a year maybe…maybe more now…he's an amazing guy, his personality keeps me in check too…he's beautiful, but it's not the looks that count. It's who he is inside" I say and she frowns.
"Soo… What's his name?" Jessica asks eagerly. I frown and sigh.
"Tell her" Alice whispers and I smile and bite my lip. Jessica raises her eyebrows and I grin.
"Edward Cullen" I say and her jaw drops and she grimaces before replacing it with a surprised smile.
"E-Edward Cullen?" she stutters and I nod. "Wow" she laughs and I grin and nod. "So it's not just about the money and the looks?" she asks me and I frown.
"Money? What do you mean?" I ask her and she lets out a surprised laugh.
"The Cullen's are rich. They have like, truckloads of Money and they just throw it away. It's insane. So he never told you? Never bought you an expensive necklace or something?" she asks me and I shake my head.
"Never. He never told me. I never liked expensive gifts anyway" I say and she frowns.
"Oh… Ok" She says. "Explains why he said he didn't date anyone" she mumbles under her breath and I grin. The bell goes and I stand up and walk to Alice who grins.
"Edward's got something waiting for you" she says and I grin as we walk to our lockers. I run back into Jessica who is at my locker.
"Bella, Mike and I were going to ask you if you wanted to sit at our table at lunch. You could bring Edward if you want" she says and I catch the hint.
"I'm sorry Jessica, but I might sit with Edward's family instead. Maybe some other time" I say and she frowns. I hear Edward talking with Jasper as they walk towards my locker. Jessica walks of before flirting with Edward as she walks past. Edward comes up to me and opens his locker. "Hey" I say and he grins as he pulls me to his side.
"Hey" he mumbles before kissing my forehead. "So…you don't like gifts?" He asks me and I wrinkle my nose in disgust. "That's a no" he says and I laugh.
"What was Jessica thinking" I ask him and he laughs.
"That the only reason I didn't date was because I had you in my reach. She thinks I'm dating you because you're heartbreakingly, utterly beautiful" he says and I giggle before he kisses me softly.
"Bella…Edward" Alice calls us from beside. Edward stops and pulls us apart. We walk into the cafeteria where Edward buys us lunch that won't be eaten. "Appearances" Alice explains and I nod as Edward pays. We walk down to the table where Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper already sit.
"Hey" Rosalie and Emmett say at the same time and I smile as we sit down.
"Someone's together" Jasper mutters in Emmett's ear and he snickers. I frown and Edward's hand rubs my back before I lean back into his touch.
"How about we go back to the car, plus you have gym last" he says and I nod as we walk out the cafeteria. Once we're close to the car, Edward drags me to the back, where he opens the door. I jump in and he walks over to the other side where he jumps in and closes the door behind him. He suddenly starts playing with my hair and I smile at him. His hands slip down to my cheek where they rest and I suddenly launch myself at him. I kiss him fiercely and he chuckles before responding with the intensity. He pushes me down onto the seat and I start working my fingers on his buttons. He suddenly pulls away and I frown as he fixes his buttons again.
"I'm sorry" I say and he frowns before kissing my forehead. "I didn't mean to pressure you" I say as he jumps out and walks to the driver's side of the seat. I walk to the passenger side and he smiles when I sit down next to him.
"I'm sorry…I didn't want you to feel rejected, I just want to be married to you first" he says and I frown.
"But what if I never want that?" I ask him and he laughs.
"You've been told about the vision, love. You know it's going to happen eventually" he says and I feel as If he's not telling me as he nervously, and impatiently taps the wheel.
"Tell me" I say and he frowns. "What are you keeping from me, what do you know about it?" I ask him and he frowns.
"Alice's visions are…subjective. So they can change based on what people decide" he says and I nod. "So it could be something that will happen no matter what, just as long as you are…not alive. Species like us aren't alive. As long as you or I exist, the vision might be really common. Unless I give up hope" he says and I frown and nod.
"Where are we going?" I ask him and he grins.
"Back to the house…unless you have somewhere you need to be?" he asks me with a grin and I laugh.
"What about your siblings?" I ask him and he cracks a smile.
"They're last classes they can go to. Only Esme will be home, and Carlisle is at the hospital" he says and I frown.
"Hospital? Isn't there a lot of blood?" I ask him and he laughs.
"Yes. That's the point Bella. He's never killed a human as long as he stays around them" he says and I nod with a smile. He drives through the forest until a pathway is revealed in the woods with a driveway. He drives in and presses the button on the garage door and it opens before he drives inside. Once inside he closed the door before we walk out and wrapping his arm around my waist. I hear someone above moving around and I see Edward smile as we hear a second pair of footsteps.
"Why is there two footsteps?" I ask him and he laughs.
"Alice told them I would bring you here to meet them…" He says with a grin and I smile as he pulls me inside. He gives me a tour of a room until when we move into the next room we run into a girl…well a woman in the living room watching the football. "Esme, This is my Bella" Edward says with a proud grin and I hide behind his back.
"Hello Bella! I'm Esme" the brown haired woman as she looks over at me. I quickly peek and Edward chuckles as Esme bounces up beside me and pulls me into a hug. "It's so nice to meet you. And I'm so happy to call you family. I expect that one day you and Edward will get married, as Alice's vision displays. I'm so excited to call you my daughter! Oh Alice and I had the best idea-" she says as she lets go of me and looks at us together.
"Esme…please…" Edward says and I frown. What could she be talking about? And what are they talking about. "Do you know where Carlisle is?" Edward says and I laugh. He had to seem normal. "What?" he asks and I laugh.
"You could literally just look into his mind and see where he is, but instead you have to ask" I laugh and he chuckles and smiles.
"Carlisle's in his study Edward" Esme says and he nods as he drags me away.
"What was she talking about?" I ask him and he grins.
"Esme is a bit like Alice, bubbly, and addicted to planning weddings…dress up…all that girly stuff" he says and I frown.
"That's sexist" I mumble and he grins and shakes his head. "I don't like playing dress up and planning weddings… does that make me a boy" I ask him and he laughs.
"Nope, it doesn't. But don't forget that I'm one hundred and nine years old. They labelled women and men back then." he says and I laugh as he takes me up the stairs towards a room with a door. I suspect that this is Carlisle's study and decide to hide behind. "Carlisle…I hope we're not disturbing you" he says and Carlisle shakes his head and looks at me.
"Is this Bella?" Carlisle asks and I hide behind Edward again.
"Yes, this is my Bella. Bella this is Carlisle, my Father" he says and I hide behind Edward, who laughs.
"Hello Bella, I'm Carlisle" he says and I shyly step out from behind him and shake his hand. I turn to Edward, whose face is smiling and holding his breath.
"I should show her around" Edward says and I smile as he takes my hand and walks out of the room. He shows me around the house until we come to his room.
"Well I'm certainly not surprised to find no Bed in yours since we don't sleep…But why do the other three rooms have beds in them?" I ask him and he frowns.
"Well…they've always had a reason to share them…I didn't really have a reason until I met you" he says and I grin as I walk around his room at a slow pace. I feel his eyes on me everywhere, awaiting my reaction and I grin as I look at his wall of music. I notice a few clear cases with labels reading 'Esme's Favourite' and I look at him.
"Esme's Favourite? What?" I ask him and he walks over, looks at the Cd case before pressing play in the player. A musical piano tune comes out and a song begins to play. "It's beautiful…did you write these?" I ask him and he smiles and nods.
"I was always the try hard of the family. I'm fluent in ten. Maybe fifteen languages. Learnt to play seven different instruments. I even learnt how to cook for some weird reason. Esme and I used to work in the kitchen and have this Cd on in the background." He says as he pulls me closer to him. I giggle as he sways closer towards me and spins me around in a circle. He kisses me and I kiss him back before tripping him over purposely. My hand catches him and I pull him slowly to the ground and lay down on top of him before kissing him again.
"Maybe you could sing and I could play" he says and I laugh.
"I can't sing" I say and he laughs.
"You realise anything in this form is possible right?" he says as I smile and think of a song to sing to prove him wrong.
"Can you keep a secret
Will you hold your hand
among the flames
Honey you're a shipwreck
with your heart of stone"
I sing and a weird, but beautiful melody comes out my mouth. I close it and burry it in his chest before he laughs.
"It's beautiful" he says and I frown. "Go again. I love your voice" I say and he frowns.
"Can I get a witness
to the bruises and
the wasted tears
if it dried a river
with your heart of stone
with your heart of stone"
"I can breath
I can breath, water, water
I can breath
I can breathe, water, water
when you're here with me
you're not here with me"
"Can I pry your fingers
from everything I
say and do
And I just can't forget you
And your heart of stone"
"I can breath
I can breath, water, water
I can breath
I can breath, water, water
I can breath
I can breath, water, water
I can breath
I can breath, water"
"When you're here with me
You're not here with me"
I finish singing and I hear clapping at the doorway, and I look up to see Esme and Carlisle with Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie at the doorway. I hide my face in Edward's shirt, who laughs loudly. "Beautiful Bella" Alice says as she bounces over to me and pulls me off Edward and hugs me.
"Mm" Edward mumbles as he grins and looks over at Jasper. "Please" he says and suddenly I feel happy. Jasper.
"Jasper" I giggle and I see him smirk as Edward's arms constrict around me. I bury my head back into his shirt where I feel safe. Edward's hand brushes my hair, untangling the knots.
"It was so beautiful Bella. One day when you're more comfortable, you should sing for the whole family" Rosalie says and if I were human, I would've blushed. Edward smiles as his arms drop around my waist and I snake my arms around his neck. He kisses my hair before my forehead. I sigh and smile as I lean into his chest. He grins as we sway to the rhythm of the piano. Then he stops the music and drags me into the living room where he plays it instead and I listen to him in joy until shock when it morphs into something new. I look at him and he smirks.
"You inspired this one" he says and I lean against his shoulder while he plays for me. Esme sits on the couch with Carlisle as he plays and I smile how at ease everyone is. This is one big family. And I couldn't ask for anything more.