22. Bliss

B: I just got home

E: I'm glad 3

E: I'm sorry about tonight...

B: Don't worry about it. You couldn't have known they were all coming home. Your family is funny

E: Yeah cause you don't have to live with them

B: Lol

E: Sleep well beautiful, Xoxo

B: 3

"Can I come in?" Alice was attempting to act casual, but I knew her better than to fall for her attempts.

"Yeah"

She opened our bedroom door and sat next to me on my bed.

"Sooo…" A wide smile formed over her face, "Tell me everything!"

"Their really isn't much to tell"

"You still have some lipstick on your face"

I rolled my eyes at her. We were silent for a moment, but I knew there was nothing I could do to avoid this conversation.

"We talked. We watched… well like, 2 minutes of a movie, and then we uh…. Got distracted"

"What did you talk about!? When are you seeing her again?"

"Tomorrow at school"

"That so does not count"

"Well we didn't really have the chance to plan anything" I said through my teeth

She sighed, "I'm not getting more details out of you, am I?"

Didn't I just tell her everything?! What more did she want?

"Nope" I clarified.

I went to the elementary school early with Esme in the morning. Mrs. Tanner gave me sheet music to the songs she was teaching them this year. It was all very basic, but I had never played piano for a choir before so I was unsure what to expect.

The children came in at 7:30, and we spent the first day listening to the songs they would be performing at the Christmas concert. The children filled the room with their ambitious thoughts, and it was almost intoxicating to be in the presents of their optimism.

"Thanks for doing this for me, Edward." Mrs. Tanner said she she drove us to the high school, "I know I'm taking the one free morning you have from jazz band"

"I don't mind. The kids are fun to be around" I smiled, remembering their contagious laughter.

"Next week in choir we are going to start holding auditions for solo's, and I think you should try out"

"I don't know," I said, a little surprised, "The students don't seem to particularly like me, and their seems to be a competitive nature to everyone"

I really did not want to agitate any of them, but I especially wanted to avoid irritating Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton. They were friends of Bella's, and I heard they were auditioning for a duet as well as solos.

"You're the best one in there, kid" Mrs. Tanner sighed, "You can't let them scare you. They will back off once they see how good you are"

I nodded, "But I don't know any good winter songs"

"Who said anything about it needing to be a winter song? Sing something by The Fray again"

I thought about that for a minute, "Can I do How to Save a Life again?"

She smiled and nodded.

The morning went by dreadfully slow, and it wasn't just because I had English instead of Concert Band. I felt myself thinking about Bella Swan when I was supposed to be thinking of Shakespere, but I couldn't seem to stop.

I was later than usual when I got to the cafeteria. Bella wasn't sitting in her usual spot, and I felt a mini wave of panic. Was she sick? Did she ditch to avoid me?

But she was sitting at my table with Alice. Why on Earth would she do that?

They stopped their chatter once I approached.

"Hey," I smiled wryly at Bella

"Hi" she responded in the same tone.

I sat next to her and listened to Alice's description as to why Taylor Swift should have won a grammy for her album, Red. She did not let anyone else get a word out, but Bella seemed to be engaged in her chatter.

The bell rang and the three of us got up. Alice danced in the other direction to head for her next class. Finally I was alone with her.

I reached out to take her hand as we walked to class. To my surprise she didn't pull away but held it tightly in her hand.

We walked into biology class and I held her hand during class. I, for once, was incredibly grateful I was left handed.

"So," Bella said as soon as class was over, "What's your favourite movie?"

I smiled, "Probably The Blind Side, but I also really liked Empire Strikes Back. What about you?"

"Water for Elephants" She answered automatically, "Second would be The Wedding Singer"

"Favourite book?" I asked,

"That's like picking a favourite child" She rolled her eyes, "I really liked My Sister's Keeper and The Time Traveller's Wife. I love the classics too, like Jane Eyre. My favourite author is Jane Austin"

I thought about that for a moment. I had not read any of those books.

"What about yourself?"

"Um, maybe I am Number Four. The movie was awful but I liked the books"

"Favourite band?" She asked,

"That's impossible to answer" I smiled, "But right now I've been mostly listening to The Fray. I love Linkin Park, Panic! At The Disco…" I tried to think of bands she might have heard before, but I rarely listened to any pop music, "I like indie bands mostly, like Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, The Killers..." I admitted

She nodded, "I'd answer too but I don't listen to much music. I like reading to classical music but I don't know many of the songs names, let alone who wrote them"

We were in our math class now, and I kept my hand on hers. We both had to at least attempt to pay attention in this class or Mrs. Evens would separate us.

Even though we couldn't talk, I still glanced in her direction during class. We blushed and looked away from each other whenever we got caught by the other.

It felt as though there was an invisible thread between us and we were connected somehow. It felt like I had known her forever. It felt like this strange blissful feeling would never end. I wondered if the electricity that always seemed to flow between us would eventually stop.

"What is your mom and dad like?" I asked her as we walked to her truck.

"My mom is eccentric, brave, and scatterbrained. I'm starting to acknowledge that she is also a bit of a narcissist and selfish. She's not a bad person, but she often lives in her own world and forgets about surrounding people"

"What's your best friend like?"

"Her name is Angela. We grew up together in Arizona. She wants to be a journalist for National Geographic and she's very passionate about multiple things."

I smiled and teased, "What does she think of me?"

Bella smiled and blushed, "Well, she thinks that you sound adorable from my description of you. She wants to meet you one day."

We were at her truck now, but I was not ready to leave her yet.

"I heard a rumour from Jess that you are auditioning for a solo at the concert" Bella teased, "She doesn't think you'll be any competition for her"

"There are no secrets in this place, are there?" I rolled my eyes.

She giggled and leaned her body close to mine. We were leaning on her truck, and our bodies were closer together than most of the other students.

"Mrs. Tanner told me to" I admitted, "I'm not that good of a singer, but she seems to think I'm special for whatever reason. Maybe I should throw her off and play something that I wrote"

Bella gasped, "You write music?"

I sighed. I was not really ready for her to know this, "Um... Yeah. It's not good or anything"

"Well what are they about?"

"Mostly about… the accident. It helps me to put the… feelings into melodies" I looked away, wondering what she must think of me.

She leaned closer to me and stroked my arm, "I'd love to listen to them one day"

I leaned down anto give her a peek on the cheek, but she pulled me closer and kissed me on the lips. She moved my hands from my side and wrapped them around her waist.

I put my lips to her ears, "Maybe I'll have to write a song about this… feeling"

Bella blushed and stroked my cheek with her hand. Her eyes were full of purity. Of happiness. I kissed her again, and this time her hands moved into my hair, along my neck, down my crest….

Someone could have been getting murdered beside us and I would not have noticed.