Twilight and it's character were created by Stephanie Meyer.
Chapter 38: Normal Couples
I laid out a nice baby blue dress on my bed and sighed nervously. Today i'm finally gonna meet all of the Cullens, and unfortunately for me I haven't had a very good track with first impressions lately. I would be lying if I said that this day should have come sooner, I wish that I could have kept it at bay just a little longer. My hair was already done, I parted it down the middle and put big waves in it that stopped at my lower back. I put my dress, which came to my knees and made around shape at my neckline, and then I slid on my white lacey cardigan. After I put on my shoes I sighed nervously and finally headed down stairs, in case you were wondering I did get completely dressed first because I was stalling.
"Hey everybody..." I said pathetically but enough to get all of their attentions.
"Whoooo! Where are you going looking so nice?" Jazz asked.
"You look beautiful Jessy." My mom said, I was about to thank her but dad interrupted me.
"Please tell me you're not going to see a boy." My dad said. I blushed hard.
"...It's funny that you say that, cause I am." I said. Dad let out a groan through his breaded mouth and grabbed his wallet off the side table. Then pulled out ten dollars and gave to Jazz which she happily accepted.
"Yes, I told you so!" She said. I looked at her with an eyebrow raised and eyebrow at her in confusion. "We made a bet a couple mounts ago on when you would get a date, oh don't look at me like that. I had total faith in you and in Edward." She said while she slid the money in her shirt pocket.
"I didn't think you would be ready to date until your senior year." He said.
"Really?" I asked surprised. Could I really blame him for thinking that, most teenage guys are immature and a bit of a turn off, thus my current predicament.
"Dad said that he didn't think you would date until your finally year of high school and I said that you would before this school year is up. If you got a date after this school year he would win but if you dated before the year ended I win, which I did!" She said proudly. I looked at dad still surprised.
"You're more innocent than Jasmine." He said honestly.
"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" She asked.
"It just means that you are more experienced that's all." He said. I turned away from them as they began to bantered back and forth.
"Mom did you know about the bet?" I asked her.
"No, I didn't know anything about this." She said, and then she looked at me sweetly. "Jess you look so gorges but why didn't you ask us to go out on a date before today?" She asked me with an eye brow raised. I shuffled in my jeweled sandals and dad and Jazz stopped talking and looked over at me.
"Because we just planned this last night over the phone." I explained. With an eyebrow still raised my mom was quiet as if that was not good enough of an answer. "Mom please let me go he's taking me to meet his family." I said. Of course I just said that to use it as ammunition, but it worked mom expression was surprised at first but then she sighed in reluctance.
"Alright but we have to meet him first." She said.
"That's actually what I came down here to tell you, he's planning on meeting you all officially when he gets here." I said.
"You're just telling use this now!?" Jazz asked loudly. I nodded.
"Yes, sorry, sorry." I said.
"I have to go get dressed." Jazz said before she went up stairs.
"What time is he coming?" Dad asked. I looked down at my phone.
"..in about five minutes." I said. My heart started to pound when I staid that.
"I just can't believe that you waited to the last minute to tell us this." My mom said. I pressed my teeth together.
"Sorry..." I said.
"Are you sure you want to wear sandals in Forks, they are really cute but we're not in South Florida any more." She said.
"Yeah but I never got the chance to wear them and i'm going to be outside anyway.
"As long as you're sure."
Edward is incredibly punctual so of course in precisely five minutes there was a knock at the door. Oh god.
I went to open the door for him.
"Hey Edward." I said with a tight smile, he smiled back with a humored expression.
"Hey Edward long time no see!" Jasmine chimed in as soon as he was inside.
"Hello Jasmine, it's see you again. You too Mrs. Jones." He said politely with a slight smile then he looked at my dad. "Hello Mr. Jones i'm Edward Cullen." He said before he put his gloved hand out for my dad to shake heartily.
"Nice to meet you young man! You're the one that saved Jess from that van. I couldn't think you enough." My dad said. Maybe this is going better than I thought that it would. With that comment about Edward being a young man it brought to surface how strange it was to introduce my family to a vampire. He has lived so many lifetimes then us all combined.
"No thinks necessary, I wouldn't want to live in world without her." He said. I looked at him in awe, now of course that was a little heavy but still.
"That's so sweet, that's how I feel about my wife. I like him! You picked a really good one Jessica!" My dad said. Dang it dad. I haven't really looked either of them in the since they started talking I opted for the floor instead.
"So we heard from Jesse that you're taking her to meet your family." My mom said.
"Yes mam, if that's alright?" Edward asked.
"Yes that's fine, just make sure she's back by eleven." She said looking at me and I nodded.
"Yes of course." He said.
"So I guess we can get going than." I said.
"Yeah we don't want to hold you two up." My mom said.
"Okay see you later." I said.
"Goodbye." Edward said to them before he opened the door for me and once we were both through he closed it, following that we heard a bunch of whoos and go Jessicas from behind the door.
"We can still hear you!" I said.
"Sorry!" I heard Jazz say from behind the door. When I turned around I looked up at Edward who looked to be containing his laughter.
"You can see why I was dreading this right?" I asked. We walked until we reach his Volvo and he opened the door for me.
"I thank that you're overacting." He said with a smile. Then he closed my door for me.
"That wasn't so bad was it?" He asked and I nodded.
"Sure." I said stiffly and he laughed. Then he started his car and we were now headed towards my second cause of a heart attack.
"Am I the first guy you ever brought home?" He asked me casually, we had been driving for about five minutes in silence.
"Yeah...you could tell that?" I said blushing.
"Your family kind of gave it away..." He said with a smile.
"Yeah I never brought anyone home before which is why i've dreading it, I won't say that my anxiety level will go down when I meet your family cause this is all new to me." He put his hand on my knee in comfort. I looked at him and he retracted it.
"Sorry." He said.
"No that was actually very comforting." I said and then I took his hand and held it between both of my own in my lap. "Thanks."
"You know i'm just as nervous as you are." He said. Now that I couldn't believe, all I felt was a sense of ease coming from him.
"Bull!" I said jokingly.
"No it's true, i've never brought a girl home before or... dated anyone before you. This is pretty new to me also." He said. That I already knew but he always seemed like this strong guy that just skips through anxiety or awkwardness, like that was just not apart of him. I smiled. "What?"
"Just getting to know you that's all." I said.
When we arrived at his house it was like the familiarity of a dream crossing over into the real world, the experience was eye opening. Edward opened my door and put his hand at the small of my back and lead me toward the model dream house.
"This is amazing." I said in awe. The house that I had envisioned now stood in front of me, my eyes went over every detailed that they could take in before we reached the door.
"Wait until you see the inside." He said.
I hope that they didn't make anything, I purposely told Edward that I ate so they wouldn't expect me to eat. I was feeling self conscious about the sound of my chewing and the way it would smell to them. It's funny how i'm worried about such an everyday thing. The gravity of how i'm meeting a coven of vampires/my boyfriend's family started to set in again, I sighed because of the rapidly beating in my chest. I'm so nervous my breath felt like it would be caught in my throat at any minute.
Don't stop breathing, don't breathing. Edward rubbed my hand that was in the crook of his shoulder before he lead me into further in the back of the house.
Although I knew it to be unnatural for them there they were siting still in the family room watching television, and they pretended to have not heard us come in. I saw two seats of couples Emmett and Rosalie as well as Carlisle and Esme, they turned around and stood up when Edward cleared his throat. I swear my tongue just swelled up.
"Everybody, this is Jessica." Edward announced. "Jessica you've met everybody but Esme, but for the sake of being formal. These are my parents Esme and Carlisle. And Emmett and Rosalie of course are my siblings." He said.
"It's nice to see you again Jessica." Carlisle said with a smile that showed off his dimples.
"You as well. Hello everyone, thank you for having me." I said and yes I realized that I was being way too proper.
"No, we are happy to have you." Esme said. She was so beautiful, how could a vampire look so gentle and kind? Then again they all push past the stereotype of what is considered a typical vampire.
"No kidding he never shuts up about you." Emmett said.
"Emmett." Esme said sternly.
" I meant that in a good way." They were all quiet for a moment because they were all looking at Rosalie, surely waiting for her to speak to me.
"Hi." Rosalie said rather forced and impassively. I never wished I was dead for the sole reason of my heart beating too fast And Edward holding my hand just made my palms sweatier and cold, how is he not disgusted by that? I just want to stop this feeling. Am I overreacting? I'm meeting my vampires boyfriend's vampire family... Perhaps NOT!
"It's great to finally have a pretty face to put put with your name. Edward's been so happy since you can into his life. Thank you." Esme said. If it wasn't for my makeup I'm sure everyone would be able to see me blushing hard. I ducked my head and put the hair that curtained the side of my face behind my ear.
"He's done the same to me." I said with a smile. Really Jess! Really! That's your answer! Stop embarrassing yourself before you die.
"Hello Jessica!" I heard on the side of us so I turned and saw that Alice had come from around the corner. Of course Jasper wasn't that far behind her and I felt my anxiety disappear. What the fu- oh right Jasper. Does he do this all the time?
"Hi, Alice and Jasper?" I said it like a question, I'm getting too good at playing dumb. I hope she doesn't hug me, i'm already emotional as it is.
"Correct." She said with a smile and then she hugged me, maybe I should just get used to being touched. Before I could relax in her embrace she took three steps back to Jasper and smiled even wilder.
"Really Alice?" Edward said, I think he was a little embarrassed of her forwardness.
"Hello, Jessica." Jasper said with a nod of his head.
"Hello." I said.
"Jessica I was wondering if we could hang out sometime? I heard from Edward that you are a talented artist and maybe you could help me out with some fashion designs?" Alice asked. That was surprising, did Edward really mention that? I glanced at him for a split second and saw that he wasn't happy about her idea, neither was Rosalie.
"Um I do draw and stuff but I don't think I would make a good fashion designer." I said honestly.
"I highly doubt that. Come on please?" She asked. She was so pleasant how could I say no?
"Alice...?" Jasper said questioning how interested she was in me.
"You don't have to say yes." Edward told me.
"Why would I say no?" I asked him, than I turned back to Alice."Sure, why not? I'll give it try." I told her.
"Great! I'm sure we're going to get along just fine. Just get my number from Edward K!" She said.
"Ok." I said smiling.
"Come on Jess i'll show you the rest of the house." Edward said and and than he put his hand on the small of my back.
"See you all later, it was very nice meeting everyone." I said with a wave and then Edward started to turned me around.
"See you later Jesse!" Alice said along with the others murmuring their goodbyes.
"I thought that you were nervous?" Edward asked with a crooked smirk.
"I was and still am a bit, but when Alice came along she made me feel a little better. I will be getting her number from you by the end of the day right?"
"Right..." He said. I smiled at him and kissed his side of our intertwined hands. Our tour was short but very interesting, I think it was due to hiding anything that might be too abnormal to me and ring vampire bells.
When we came to his piano I didn't dare look his piano, if he started to play for me I knew I would get overwhelmed and cry. I wanted today to be as happy as possible not sappy. I felt a pang of annoyance at myself i'm tired of always being over emotional, it's like I don't have any self control anymore.
"What's the matter?" He asked.
"I wanna see your room." I said. Edward gave me a smile and took my hand.
"This way." He said. He led me up to the stair case and I saw the wooden cross and graduation caps on the wall and had to remind myself that this was completely real. Edward turned around and saw that I was looking at the them and smirked.
"Yeah this was my mothers idea, sort of inside joke." He said.
"Ah, more inside jokes. Will I ever be on the other side of your jokes?" I asked. He looked away from me and towards the top of the stairs.
"Come on." He said avoiding my question. We reached his room and then he opened the door, once I walked in I immediately saw the difference in what I remembered what it was supposed to look like. There was a black canopy style queen sized bed with in the middle of his room, the sheets on it were dark gray and thick, immediately I wanted to jump on it. Except for the wall his bed was on and the entrance door to his room every other wall were windows to the outside greenery.
"Wow...Edward your room is amazing. Heaven only know why you want to com to mine so often." I said before I put my phone in my pocket and sat down on the chair next to his bed. I didn't want to be rude and mess it up. "This is really sexy." I admitted. Then I noticed that one the wall not facing the bed that the middle wall window looked like it was a door also.
"Is that a door to the outside?" I asked.
"Yes." He said looking away.
"It doesn't look like there's any stairs out there. How do you get down?" I asked it before I could stop myself. Maybe i'm already getting too realized here because clearly knew how he was able to do things others couldn't. I looked away from the window and over at him.
"What do you think?" He asked seriously, it was almost like he wanted me to guess. He stared me right in the eyes waiting on me to respond.
"I'm guessing it's another inside thing." I said. I don't know if it was the view of the trees or being surrounded by all things Edward but I couldn't help but think about how our lives intertwined and all of the stuff that I hide from him.
"One of these days we're gonna have to be completely be honest with each other." I said. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down on his bed in front of me.
"I know and i'm dreading it." He said before he took my hand and kissed it.
"Me too." I said.
"I'm sure what ever you're not telling me isn't as bad as you think, not like what have." He said. I sighed deeply.
"If only you knew." I said with a small lump in my throat.
"I wish I did." He said. I shook my head and sighed before I offered him a small smile. "I never thought that I could be in love with someone, and to be in love like this it's... crazy. I love it." He closed his eyes and kissed the inside of my wrist and I gasped when I felt a jolt of electricity go through me.
"It is crazy, completely insane." I said. He looked at me with smoldering eyes then he pulled me onto his lap. I laid my head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around my back. Sometimes it felt like there was an invisible line that that linked both our hearts, and the feeling of mine pulsating was so strong like it was beating for his too. Edward laid down and I rolled next to his side but I kept my head on his chest.
"I can't believe we're finally laying in your bed for a change." I said. I felt my body easily relaxed, his bed was so comfortable.
"I know, this definitely is different." He said. I wondered was he also referring to the fact that he hasn't needed a bed since he was human. "We should go another time." He stated and then he sat up.
"Hmm?" I asked, my head was now on the pillow beside him.
"I had a surprise planned." He said with a smiled.
"Well we can post pone it until tomorrow. I feel so comfortable I don't want to move, I just wanna lay in your bed some more." I said honestly.
"I wouldn't want to rush you for something like that anyway." He said
"What do you mean? Where were we gonna go?"
"The specific place is a secret but to get there we were going go for a little hike, but it's dawning on me that...you're not exactly use to those kind of activities like I am so you will go a lot slower then i'm used to going."
"So you were really planning on a hike? You know i'm not even dressed for a that."
"I already got you the perfect clothes for it."
"No way, you don't even my size." I said.
"Alice helped picked them out of course. And I kind of looked through your closet while you were sleeping to see your size." As he said it I think even he realized that that was strange because he squinted his eyes.
"That is a little creepy... but sweet." I said with a laugh. I know that I shouldn't be surprised by this but I don't think anyone could've taken that in stride unless you were a Cullen.
"Can I see them?" I asked. He wen over to his dresser and pulled out folded clothes. I unfolded then after he laid them in my hands, it was a pink long sleeve sporty shirt with long black hiking pants, a black jacket and I saw brown hiking boots on the side of the dresser. I thought those were a little small for him.
"I like it, this is really like if I were a hiker. I mean i'll do it because really want to go with you but let me just make it clear that i'm not an athletic type." I said.
"Noted. But yeah I suppose we can just go tomorrow, if that's alright with you?" I shook my head.
"Not really, tomorrow is Sunday, I go to church." I said. Than I got an idea. "We could still meet after service and go camping?" I said suggested lightly. Edward sighed.
"Absolutely not, I want to bring you home the same day." He said sternly.
"Come on, it'll only be one night and you can take me to school in the morning. Edward didn't look convinced in the least.
"That would require you to wake up hours earlier than usual and hike back down in the morning. And I thought that you weren't the athletic type?" He said using my own words against.
"I'm already hiking right? I'll just do it twice for a night with you under the stars. And what can I say you bring out the adventurer in me." I said.
"How would you get your parents to agree for you to go camping overnight with someone they just met, a boy at the very least?" He said
"Right..."I said disappointed. Well that put an end to that. Just than there was a knock on the door.
"Go away." Edward said annoyed, but the knock persisted.
"It's Alice." I heard from behind the door.
"I know go away Alice." Edward said.
"Edward come on." I laughed before I stood up and went and opened the door which reviled a smiling Alice.
"What do you want Alice?" Edward asked.
"Nothing from you Edward. Jessica we really didn't have that much time to speak before since Edward just took you away so fast. I wanted to just let you know if you need anything so much as a favor or even just hang out i'm here for you." She said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes. So if you wanna have a sleep over...or pretend sleep over to hang out more with my bother I got you." She said with a wink. Of course I would have realized that she was listening even without knowing that she was a vampire, I just don't think she considered it as something to be guilty of.
"If I weren't mistaken I would that you were ease dropping Alice." I said.
"Me never!" She said with mock worry.
"Oh sure." I said with a knowing smile. "But I suppose I do need your help. You see I want to go camping with Edward but I will need help convincing my parents on letting me go out overnight."
"Sure! As I said we can have a sleep over and if you decide to hang out with Edward intend oh well." She said playfully.
"Alice..." Edward warned.
"What? I'm just trying to help out my new friend, of course we will have to have a real sleepover soon."
"Sure i'd like that." I said honestly.
"Well okay see you two later." She said as she waved goodbye and walked down the hallway.
"Bye." I said before I closed the door gently. Edward was pinching the tip of his nose when I turned around.
"You have no self preservation." He whispered. I don't think that he really meant for me to here that.
"Trust me I do." I said.
"Do you?" He asked with his eyebrow raised.
"Yes. Come on, don't make me beg." I said putting my arms around his neck. "Please..."
"Jess..." I started to kiss his collar bone gently and trailed them up his jaw. I leaned away from him to see that his eyes were closed tightly.
"Please." I said again and he opened his eyes and I could clearly see even though it was hard for him he was not budging. But then I got an idea.
"How about a compromise? You take me camping and i'll give you something you want." I said. I saw his eyes calculating out possible benefits.
"Alright." He said. That was too easy.
"Really?" I asked surprised.
"Yes. It'll work out for both of us." He said playing with my hands. "But how are you going to convince your parent to go camping with my sister, so soon after meeting her?"
"I'm very convincing and something tells me that Alice is very convincing to."
"When will we go?" I asked.
"If you can get your parents to agree next Friday." He said. After a couple of moments I wondered why he didn't tell me what he wanted out of our comprise.
"Well...what will you get out of our compromise?" I asked.
"I think i'll wait until we finish the trip before I tell you. So you won't try to get out of it."
"Should I be nervous?"
"Yes." He said without missing a beat. Talk about the blunt truth.
"Ok..."I said. I was a little uncertain that this was the right decision now.
"Don't worry about it." He said before kissing me. After a couple of moments passed I pulled back.
"Could you give me a hint?" I asked and he shook his head.
"No." he said with a smile and then he continued to kiss me. His lips were to good to ignore anymore so I put our compromise in the back of my mind. We hong out and his room and talked for hours and watched movies. Being in his room made the atmosphere more personal to me, maybe that's how he feels in my room. And before I knew it the sun was down and I almost fell asleep.
"Okay come on it's time for me to take you home."
"No..." I said than I yawned.
"Oh yes." He picked me up and carried me to his car, then I slept for the rest of the ride home.
"Jess, we're here."
"Oh!"I said when I open my eyes to find the we were in front of my house. "Are you going to come up?" I said as I stretched.
"I won't be able to come over tonight."
"Oh, well I guess one full day of me could take a lot of a person." I joked and then he smirked at me.
"Indeed, however it's actually a family thing. If I had it my way we would never be apart." My heart skipped a beat.
"You're very good at making creepy things sound sweet." I said.
"Am I?"
"Yes you are." I said and then he leaned over kissed me, it was chaste but meaningful. I bit my lip when he pulled back.
"Let me get the door for you." He said and then went over to my side and opened it for me.
"Thank you." I said. There is this heavy growing feeling in my chest, I don't know what it is but it makes me never want to leave him. Does he even know how much I love him?
"See you tomorrow." He said after he closed the door.
"Tomorrow." I said.
He gave me another kiss goodnight after that I couldn't remember much of how I got in the door, all I could think about was tomorrow.
"So how was your day Jessica?" My sister asked as soon as I was in the door.
"Amazing." I said casually and she gave me a cheeky grin.
"You made out a lot didn't you?" She asked.
"Shut up Jazz!" I said. I blushed hard and fast when she said that.
"Ok, ok. But how was his family did they like you?" She asked. I nodded.
"Yeah I think they did." I said.
"Even his mom?"
"Yes, she was very welcoming." I said.
"Phew! Then the hard part is over, guys moms are very hard to please. If she gives you the thumbs up then you're in." She said.
"Okay... I'm gonna go to sleep now." I said.
"Mhm." She said before she turned back to the television.
"Thank god today is over." I said as I stretched.
When I made it up stairs I laid my back against the my room door and sighed in contentment before opening it, just maybe things will be alright for a little while. Needless to say when I switched on my light I jumped and had to cover my month so I wouldn't curse like a sailor.
There laying on my bed with a navy collared shirt, khaki pants and black loafers still on was John. He lifted his head off my pillow and looked at me.
"Hey." He said.
"Hey." I replied.
Hi guys I know that it has been forever since I posted but I finally did! When I first started writing this story I was in my senior year of high school now i'm kinda a functioning adult with a job, my own place and car. My point is a lot has changed. I still want to finish this story no matter what and hopefully my other stories as well. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and will review and comment! Can't wait till you guys see what I have in store!