Chapter 17: Teachers assistant
"You are such a girl!" I teased Felix coming in the back door after taking the laundry off the line. "What are you listening to? … Is that Roxette?"
"Shut up, this is good music!"
"Yes, it is, for a girl you weirdo."
"Hey, it's better than that crap you listen to Bella, you wouldn't know good music if it knocked on your door, bent you over and bite you in the ass" he chuckled to himself.
"Excuse me?" I said "There is a reason it's called classical music Felix, because it's classic -it has class"
"Whatever B, and alternative and indie rock? What's your philosophical take on those?"
"Don't go there, you like those too"
"And you like Roxette!"
"And I'm a girl." I told him mockingly. "Point."
" !" He said rolling his eyes and himself off my couch. "Don't you have a class to prep for or something?" He teased as he turned on the PlayStation he'd brought here from the castle and loaded up Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, which was a welcomed change from his usual Call of Duty Black Opts and Death Nation.
Ignoring him I took my laundry and walked down the hall to my room to fold and put away. Demitri was reclined on my bed, with my nook in his hand.
"What are you reading?" I asked.
"What you had bookmarked; The Daylight Saga." He gave me the look as he said this.
"Which one?" I looked back at him.
"Solar Noon."
"Hmm, my least favorite of the four."
"Well, really I was just hoping to distract myself from that crap Felix is listening to..."
"HEY!" Felix hollered at us from the living room while we both laughed at him.
"...but since that didn't work" he continued. "I kept reading."
Demitri and Felix had come with me to stay for the week leading up to my return to the university. They said it was to spend time with me and to have a break from the guard, but I knew that even though that was true, it was more accurately a way for them to check the area and do a full 'security sweep' in an effort to make sure I was safe; to make sure that there were no Cullen's or wolves lurking about.
They were here for a few hours more and then would both leave back to the castle, and at which time I would be heading to Pisa' for my first day as a teaching assistant and third year student.
After everything was folded and put away, I curled myself up next to Demitri on my bed and began to read with him.
"There are two things I don't understand about this." He said at one point.
"And what's that?"
"First, why do you keep reading this same series over and over again? You literally know it by heart; better than the author at this point, and yet you keep reading it?"
I chuckled at him without answering; he wouldn't get it anyway. "What's the second thing you don't understand?"
"Why she leaves him in this book?"
This I could explain to him, having read them more times than I care to admit, (as he already pointed out) I knew how the book and series ends, and since he wasn't ever going to finish either I wasn't really ruining anything for him.
"She was trying to protect him from herself, she thought she was a danger to him and that the only way to keep him safe from her and her kind was to leave him, even though it killed her to do so."
"That's exactly what I don't get though, why not just take him with her? He wanted to go; he said he would change for her and they have the technology on her home planet to make that happen. It doesn't make any sense to me, especially since they quite obviously love each other."
"Yes, but it's not that simple." I began defending the book to him "She doesn't want to be responsible for taking his humanity, turning him into something that her own people are struggling with after spending so much time with the humans. She sees them as pure and good, whereas she believes them to be cold and callus. She thinks she's protecting him from a world and life that he would hate; and protecting them both from the hate that she believes will eventually turn into resentment towards her."
I continued; even though I agreed with Demitri, I could understand the characters motivation "Imagine it this way, apply the books events to our world, imagine there was a human you cared about..."
"Don't be ridiculous Bella." He laughed darkly, shaking his head.
"No really, just think about it for a second, do you think knowing everything you know about our world and how we live in it, could you selfishly do that to someone you cared about? Regardless of them asking and saying that it is what they want? That person doesn't understand the consequences of the choice they are making."
"I don't know, you're trying to compare apples and oranges. Our world is different, if what your saying could be applied to our world it's not at all the same thing. We don't ever change, when we love; really love, it's forever, it takes over our entire existence. I don't believe there would be a choice, rational thinking couldn't be applied to our situation the same way it was applied to hers."
We were now sitting up on the bed looking at each other, Demitri continued as we debated the book. "In applying the books terms to our world Bella, I know I would have been selfish enough to change the person, I don't believe there is any other way to be in our kind. Look at Marcus, he is the example of what life would be like having lost the person you loved. I couldn't willingly put myself through that when there was a simple option of changing the person to ensure that I never would."
"I don't know, I don't know if I could." I told him stoically. "It just seems really selfish, doesn't it?"
"Maybe, but if it's their choice, isn't it also selfish to deny them? You have something that they want; that you both want, but because it's within your power to control you appoint yourself the judge and jury? Decide for them, by taking away the choice they already made? That hardly seems fair."
"When you say it like that, it makes perfect sense, but I've spent a lot of time around humans. I couldn't imagine changing a parent or sibling just to ensure that I would never have to suffer their loss."
"But again, you're talking about different things; that's not the same kind of love. Still, if they wanted it; regardless of what you know about this way of life, it's still their choice, and really, at the end of the day that is the point. It's not her decision to make, and they suffer more because of it." he finished.
"You're right, and the other point is, is that it doesn't matter, she comes back for him after seeing the error of her ways, begs for forgiveness; which he readily gives, and after a few other hurtles live happily ever after. The end." I smiled at him, pushing him down on the mattress and placing a soft kiss on his lips.
"I like the ending." He told me wrapping his arms around me.
"Yes, kissing is always a nice way to end the day."
"That's nice too" He said rolling me over "But I was referring to the happily ever after part."
"Oh Gross! and you guys call me a girl? That was so cheesy school girl Demitri I think I just threw up in my mouth a little" Felix grumbled from the other room.
We've been getting good at ignoring Felix, and this time was no different.
After Felix and Demitri left I still had a few hours before I was to be at the school, and even a few classes before my debut as the teacher's assistant, but I went over everything again, just to make sure it was all in order.
The job itself was fairly simple, and I wouldn't be doing any actual teaching, unless the professor himself was absent or something. Mostly I would be doing the brunt of the work with none of the glory, taking roll call, passing out and assigning work and then grading said work. On the plus side, it is a night class so the student numbers are one third they are in the day class.
So I was surprised when the day before I had meet with the professor to go over everything and what her expectations for myself and the students were for this semester, she had given me direction to start the class; apparently that would be a fairly normal occurrence since she ran another class across campus that would end at the same time this one would begin, hence her need for a TA.
Luckily, I was very good a suppressing my feelings, and had years of experience with the guard, because the thought of being the center of attention for even a few minutes a couple times a week had me wanting to run for the hills.
I would just have to learn to adopt the same front that I do when confronting people while on duty, not as a guard member though; -no that would have the students running for the hills.
I was lost in thought, getting the reading assignment on the board and contact information for myself and Professor Hardwick, when I heard a quiet approach.
My class right before this one let out early, so I had come here, about thirty-five minutes before the class was to start. I had only been here for five minutes when the person entered the room.
Knowing that whoever it was wasn't human, I threw up my shield forcing them against the wall of the class room before even turning around.
My breath caught in my throat along with the now familiar aching in my chest at the sight of Edward pinned against the wall. I hadn't put a lot of force into my hold, just enough the ensure he wouldn't have been able to move anywhere, but upon seeing him my anger spiked a little.
"What are you doing here?!" I fumed at him, pushing a little more forcefully on the barrier.
"I'm here for class Bella, same as you." He told me with a cocky grin.
"This isn't a game Edward. You cannot keep showing up to random places that you clearly don't belong and give me half-assed excuses as a way of explanation. You have no business being here and you need to leave."
"Bella, I'm merely attending a college course, I apologize if you are reading something else into it but I do have every right to be here, it is a public university and my credits transferred over without incident."
"What are you playing at Edward?" I asked him again, pushing a bit more on the shield as I inched toward him.
"I already told you, I've come to take classes at this university."
I held his gaze as I stood in front of him, looking for something, anything that would give way to the real reason he was here. I knew he had wanted to speak with me, but this I thought was stretch.
"I'll have to notify the Volturi of your presence." I told him hoping to evoke some sort of reaction.
His jaw clenched briefly with a slight tightening of his eyes, before recovering quickly from his slip and responding casually with "If you must."
It sounded like a challenge. I didn't know if I should take the bet or not.
On the one hand it was my duty to report anything and everything to the Volturi, but if I did I would either be called back immediately or the University of Pisa' would be swarming with guard members.
On the other hand, I wasn't technically on duty right now, right now I was a student and a TA. I could also use this time to flush out his motivations so that we could get past this little song and dance of his and he could move on a leave me alone.
I would be taking a risk by not telling the Volturi, a risk with possible reprimands.
I would also never get this opportunity again, especially if the guard were to come or if I were to get called home.
Decisions, decisions.
(4-4-11)