Chapter 5

"Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels. I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels." - Jackson Browne, "Running on Empty", a number 11 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, it spent seventeen weeks on the chart after debuting on February 11, 1978.

"One burger, one fry, two grape sodas," I yell out through the window to the picnic tables. Two prepubescent girls fetch it, giggling and taking too many straws.

Sighing, I lean on the counter and rest my head in my chin, watching the surfers. I'm really trying to see if Edward is out there, but they all look like bobbing dots on the ocean. Alice finishes up taking an order and sidles up next to me.

"How was the retreat?" I ask and bump my hip into hers.

"Okay."

"That's it? Okay? Nobody tried to make you drink the Kool-Aid or anything?"

She shoots me a look. "It was just okay. Typical. Praying and stuff." She trails off and gets more straws to replace the ones the girls took. Alice never thinks to restock, so I know something's up. Maybe she is being brainwashed by cult leaders to do a better job.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, just not much to talk about." She smiles. "What did I miss here?"

I let her change the subject and fill her in on the beach party and last night, but gloss over all the stuff with Rosalie and Emmett. The conversation with Rosalie is still sitting in the back of my head and I don't think I could talk it out with Alice, anyway. Angie, yes… she's a bit more worldly and in the know about stuff like drugs and relationships. Alice still has stuffed animals on her bed and posters of Disney movies mingling with crosses on her walls.

"This guy Jared asked me out," I supply, giving her a little bit of gossip to squeal over. Which she does, loudly.

"I'm so happy you said yes! Everyone needs to be in love in the summer." There's a wistful look on her face, and I hope she's not thinking about our much older teacher again. We discuss what I should wear and how I should act, when suddenly the topic of our conversation is walking over.

With Edward.

They're both still wet from their ride, the trunks they have on hang low on their hips as they take their surfboards from under their arms and dig them into the sand to stand them up. I straighten, hoping they're coming to get some food. Jared sees me and waves, a smile breaking out on his face. He's classic California - blond, blue-eyed, with a toothpaste-commercial smile. He could be the poster boy for the entire state. I wave back, flattered he looks excited to see me.

But then my eyes fall on Edward and the small enthusiasm I had at seeing Jared explodes like Pop Rocks in my stomach into full-blown elation, thinking about our car ride and how maybe we've turned a corner. It makes me feel giddy until I notice it looks like the last thing he wants to do is come to the window and order a hot dog from me.

They amble over and before Alice can wait on them Jared leans on the counter in front of me. "Hey, beautiful." I can almost feel Alice's eyes widen like a troll doll.

I'm not looking at Edward but every bit of me is attuned to him. He doesn't seem to think anything of Jared calling me that, nor does he say hello or smile or basically act human in any way.

"Hey." I answer and lean towards him invitingly with my boobs, which I know I shouldn't do, but I get stupid when Edward is around.

"Looking forward to tonight," he says and Edward turns his back, resting his elbows on the counter behind him and looks around. Not gonna lie, I thought after the other night he'd at least be polite to me.

"Me too." It's sort of a lie, and sort of not, but I make it sound convincing. We chat while they wait for their food, and I find out a little more about him. He goes to UCLA with Edward and is majoring in film. Edward pipes up and they start talking about some project they have to start before the fall semester and I look at him attentively, realizing I don't remember him and Rosalie ever discussing what he's going to school for at the dinner table.

Edward notices and narrows his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing," I say a little affronted. "Guess I never heard you talk about it before."

"I guess you weren't interested."

I jerk back at the rudeness, but it's not really surprising, I suppose. Back to the old Edward. "It sounds cool." I shrug, hoping to look unaffected by his attitude.

His face softens a bit, but he immediately leaves with the food Alice brings over and walks right past the tables to his dad's surf shop.

He shows up for dinner, which makes sense since he ate not an hour ago. I should've taken that as a clue.

Renee has Helen Reddy playing through the Hi-Fi speakers Charlie set up outside, and we're waiting for him to show up for the beige and yellow food on the table. I take the moments before we have to die a slow death via casserole to watch Rosalie and Edward interact. She seems back to normal, hair is curled nicely and her lips are so shiny she looks like she rubbed Crisco on them, so she must be feeling better.

He's leaning back in his chair and has Rosalie's hand in his on his knee, but they aren't really talking. She'll mutter something to Renee every once in awhile and he pretends to listen, but isn't really taking part of the conversation.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Renee says the absolute worst thing she could ever say.

"Okay, well, we might as well start eating without him."

I give her a death stare and try to set the casserole on fire with my mind. Rosalie, however, sits up. "Looks good," she says and scoops some with the serving utensil.

It sort of sticks to the spoon and sort of doesn't in its gelatinous state and my mouth and eyes widen in horror as I watch Rosalie reach for Edwards plate. The action makes him snap his attention back to the table and instinctively, I look at him and he looks back at me, an equally appalled expression on his face.

I can feel the brainwaves across the table, the same thought and fear transmitting between us, which makes me smile, and makes him smile back at me. He nods his head for me to look at Rosalie and just as we're sharing awe that she's about to take a bite, Charlie bursts through the sliders.

"Sorry I'm late, I brought chicken." On the table go two tubs of the Colonel's Original Recipe and I just about call everyone I know to tell them we've been rescued.

Edward and I look at the buckets, at each other, and then both grab for the delicious fried goodness that will be in our stomach in seconds.

"If I'd known you were going to bring dinner, Charlie, I wouldn't have slaved all day in the kitchen." Renee grabs her drink and turns in her chair.

"Yeah, Charlie. Look at what we're missing tonight," I say around a mouth full of juicy leg meat.

And that's when I feel it.

Edward's foot taps mine twice. I look at him, and he's smirking behind his hand with a mouth full of his own poultry. I'm swooning inside, positively reeling from his act of silent camaraderie.

Maybe he feels bad for being a jerk earlier.

"What's everyone doing tonight?" Charlie sits down and opens a beer, then reaches for two breasts and a biscuit. I didn't even notice the biscuits in my chicken haze, so I grab one. "I thought we could try out the new game I brought home. It's called Simon."

"Bella has a date tonight," Rosalie rats me out as she picks at a piece of fried skin.

Charlie quirks an eyebrow at me. "A date? You and Jake back together?"

"No-"

"She's going out with someone older." That earns Rosalie a glare and I wish I could take back our bonding time from the other night.

"Oh? How old is old?" Charlie puts his half-macerated chicken down.

"He's twenty, goes to UCLA, starting his second year."

"Is that right?" Charlie asks, looking over at Edward. "You know this kid?"

Edward puts his chicken down and wipes his hands on his napkin. "Yes, sir. We've had some classes together."

"He's studying film, too?" Charlie asks.

"He's focused more on directing."

"What are you focused on?" I pipe up, hoping this makes up for me not knowing jack shit earlier today.

"Cinematography."

"Oh, like how the movie is shot?" I ask.

He looks surprised at my knowledge. "Yeah. It's the art of the movie photography. How it's lit, camera angles. Ultimately what the film will look like is all the cinematographer."

This is the most animated Edward has ever been at dinner. He looks around the table unsure, but when Charlie asks a follow-up question, he continues. "Think about Lawrence of Arabia, how beautifully they shot the desert landscapes. Almost makes it the star of the movie. Or how The Godfather changed how movies were filmed in terms of light and dark." His entire face is lit up and I could listen for hours.

He looks like he's got more to say, but Rosalie makes a comment about how he should study to become a director like Jared because they get all the glory. He tells her he has no interest, but it's enough to make him clam up and pick up his chicken, and I want to punch her.

Charlie turns back to me. "What are you doing with this soon-to-be director tonight?"

"I'm meeting him at the movies. He's taking me to see The Blob. Apparently it's a classic, so that's cool."

"Why isn't he coming to get you so I can meet him?"

"I didn't want him to have to be polite and eat something." Charlie gives me a look. "It's no big deal, I said I'd meet him because then I wouldn't feel obligated to give him road head if I'm not in his car."

Edward chokes on something and Charlie looks at him, concerned before turning back to me.

"How were you planning on getting there?"

"I have a working thumb." I mimic hitching.

"Maybe Edward and Rosalie would like to go too, seeing how it's an interest of his as well. You could double." Charlie hides his laugh behind a huge piece of chicken I want to shove into his mustache.

Rosalie's head jerks up. "What? I'm not babysitting the twerp tonight."

"I really don't want to hang out with the hooker tonight," I fire back.

"I'd actually like to see it," Edward says to a pissed-off Rosalie, and I just about spit out my Hawaiian Punch.

"Great, it's settled. Bella, you got yourself a ride. Pass me a drumstick."

I'm beyond mortified sitting in the back of Edward's Jeep listening to Rosalie bitch about having to take me to the movies like a five-year-old and about having to see the movie itself. I can tell Edward is getting frustrated with her and I can't say I blame him.

"Can't we go somewhere else tonight?"

"It's only playing this one night, I looked in the paper."

She crosses her arms and blows non-existent bangs away with her goopy lips. "We could go to the beach." To my utter horror she moves her hand until it's resting dangerously close to Edward's junk on his thigh. "Be alone."

Edward shifts and catches my eye in the mirror, before immediately looking back at the road and moving his leg so Rosalie has to pull her hand back. "We can be alone in the back of the theater."

Before I can barf all over the back of his head, I yell 'we're here!' loudly and stand in the still moving car, forcing Edward to stop abruptly. "Thanks for the lift!" I jump out of the back and make a beeline for Jared, who's already waiting with two tickets in his hand. We say hello and he looks over my shoulder.

"Are they joining us?" I can tell he's a little disappointed and that makes me feel special.

"Nope, just gave me a ride. Let's go!" We walk into the theater and Jared buys me popcorn and a Tab. I try to recall if Jake ever paid for anything and I can't remember. It feels nice to be treated like an actual date and not a buddy.

The movie is hokey, which it's supposed to be, I suppose. Jared seems to be enjoying it and he leans over once or twice to tell me something about how it was filmed. His breath is close in my ear, but he doesn't make any move to feel me up which I'm grateful for. I turn to sneak a peek at Rosalie and Edward and after I pick them out, I wish I hadn't. Rosalie is practically in his lap and although I can't actually see them making out, I don't think she's sitting on him to check his teeth for popcorn husks.

After the movie, we bump into them on the way out. There's really no way to be rude and walk to the parking lot without them, so Jared, Edward and I talk about the movie while Rosalie shuffles behind us.

"Anyone hungry? We could go to Mac's," Jared suggests.

"Mac's?" Rosalie looks slightly nervous which is weird 'cause I know she loves it there. It's the perfect spot to have men yell vulgar things at you from cars, which is right up her alley. "So boring."

"I can drop you at home, then." Edward's voice is clipped, and Rosalie looks a little bothered by the fact that Edward isn't begging her to go or suggest somewhere else. The stare down is uncomfortable.

"Fine, I'll go," Rosalie huffs.

"We can drop Bella off on the way," he finishes and is about to get in his car.

"Um, excuse me, I don't get a say?" I complain, incensed as I look right at him. I'm getting really tired of being treated like a child by my step-sisters rude but hot boyfriend.

"I am Jared's date, so you don't get to have any opinion about how I get home. Or when."

Edward's stare goes dark at my words. I suppose it came out a little sharper than it should've but too bad. He looks at Jared and then down at Jared's hand just as I decide it's the perfect moment to entwine my hand with his. It isn't clammy or anything, so that's more points for him.

"See you there." He and Rosalie turn and climb in the Jeep, peeling out before Jared even opens his door for me.

Mac's is straight out of American Graffiti. All buzzing neon signs, people hanging out all over picnic tables and leaning against cars as they eat and smoke and drink contraband beer. Music pipes in over the speakers, some Boston and Eagles mixed in with the occasional requisite Beach Boys song.

Jared pulls up next to Edward's Jeep and we climb out. I look over the crowd and I see Ang and Ben, but no Alice, so I wave them over and tell Jared I want a chocolate milkshake when he asks. Ben goes with him to fetch us snacks and Ang is on me immediately, wanting all the details of our date.

I fill her in on the buying of popcorn and non-clammy hands, and can't help but mention how Edward and Rosalie seemed at odds all night. Except when she was giving him the dental exam, of course. We glance around and see Rosalie over with the Bimbo Box crew, but Edward is across the lot talking to the guys.

We drink our milkshakes and flip our hair, Ben and Jared beside us the whole time. It makes me feel nice that he's not abandoned me to hang out elsewhere, and I think if he asks me I will say yes to a second date.

A gold Trans Am drives slowly into the lot, speakers blaring Aerosmith, and my stomach clenches because I know who is in that car.

Emmett pulls by with a trashy blonde in the front seat, and I look at Rosalie.

She's watching him like a hawk even though she's leaning against a car, smoking like she doesn't have a care in the world. Her narrowed eyes follow him as he parks and a few people wander over and lean on the T-Top, talking. I wonder if he's making drug deals out here in the open at Mac's.

He finally gets out of the car and the blonde follows. Rosalie is watching him intently despite the fact that her much cuter and less creepy boyfriend is not twenty feet away.

Rosalie looks the girl up and down from her beyond bleached hair and heavily made up face, to her purple wrap dress and matching platform Candie's. Rosalie fingers her halter top and crosses her arms, and I've never seen her look so insecure.

Emmett moves directly in front of his friend, pushes her chin up with a lone finger and waits as she goes on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

Trashy then leaves to go into Mac's and Emmett says hello to a few other people, walking right past Rosalie without a look in her direction. She looks half-relieved and half-pissed off, so she turns to Jessica and starts laughing too loud, putting on a show like she isn't obviously rattled by what she just witnessed.

I try not to make it too obvious I'm more interested in what's going on across the parking lot than my date, but it hits me in the gut when I see Rosalie call Edward over, drape her arm across his shoulder and lean into his side like a loving girlfriend and not the heinous bitch she's been all night.

As she tips her head up for a quick peck that Edward dutifully gives her, her eyes search out Emmett, who is not looking at the act she's putting on at all.

I'm relieved that it looks like Emmett has lost interest.

But it makes me sad for Edward if Rosalie isn't as happy about that.

Suddenly it's all too much. I've had my fill of Mac's and the milkshake is sitting in my stomach like Renee's meatloaf. "Jared, I'm ready to go. Can you take me home?"

"Sure," he says, even if he looks a little deflated. "Let me just say goodbye to the guys."

He and Edward slap five and Edward looks over at me and I wonder if he's going to insist on driving me home so Charlie sees he's a good boy. He makes no move to leave Rosalie's side as I turn away and climb into Jared's car.

As we're pulling out of the lot, I look back and see Edward's removed Rosalie's arm and is watching Jared's car, the dark look back on his face.

PB Fun Fact: I got the Simon game for Christmas one year. We were allowed to bring one new toy to my Aunt and Uncle's house every year for dinner (because it was horribly boring there) and when I let my older cousins try it, I didn't get it back until we left. I still haven't forgiven them.

I got so many reviews saying this story is taking you down memory lane. I am SO enjoying the fact you guys are sharing some of your own 70's or childhood memories with me! Keep 'em coming!

Thanks to the best girls I know, LayAtHomeMom and CarrieZM.