Prom
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.
A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!
Part Six-Introducing Deadwood Bunion
Everyone held their collective breath as Old Quil zoomed into the car park in his ramshackle truck. The old monster shuddered and groaned in protest as he spun the wheel too fast in his attempt to pull into one of the last parking spaces available. There was the inevitable squeal of brakes as the old man unfortunately overshot the white lines separating each vehicle and slammed into the car parked in front of him.
"Whoops." Old Quil cackled as he looked at Bella and Quil's stunned faces. "Who put that silver heap there?" He pointed at the silver Volvo which now had a huge dent in the rear.
"Oh, my!" Bella gasped as she leaned forward and peered through the grimy windscreen of the ancient truck. "That's Edward's car."
"Deadwood?" Old Quil pushed his thick glasses up his beaky nose and squinted at the damaged car. "I can't see any wood."
"SHE SAID EDWARD!" Quil bellowed at his grandfather.
"Never heard of him." Old Quil said dismissively as he glared at his grandson. "And there is no need to shout. I am not deaf."
"Gah!" Quil cursed as he shoved open the passenger door and climbed out of the old truck. He was beginning to lose it. He loved his grandfather dearly, but the old man was really testing his patience.
Jacob and Embry jumped out of the back of the truck and joined Quil. They were both trying to calm their racing hearts. "What the hell, Quil?" Embry snapped hoarsely. "The old man nearly killed us."
Quil and Embry began to bicker. Jacob ignored them as he hurriedly ran over to help Bella climb out of the truck. She was grateful for his assistance. She was still shaking with nerves from the wild ride, and on top of that she was going to have to explain to Edward that Quil's sweet old grandfather had accidentally totalled his beloved car.
"Are you okay, Bells?" Jacob asked softly as he slid his arm around her waist to steady her.
"I think so. My head is still spinning, though." Bella rested against Jacob, grateful for his solid presence.
Old Quil eventually joined them. His bushy brows drew down as he came across Bella tucked into Jacob's side. "Let the girl breathe, boy." He barked, startling them both. "Quil, come and help your young lady." He ordered.
Quil raised his eyes to heaven. "Things I do to keep the daft old fool happy." He mumbled under his breath as he plastered a smile on his face and sauntered over to Jacob and Bella. He gained some satisfaction when he saw Jacob's expression turn sour when he threw a very friendly arm over Bella's shoulders. "How ya doin,' baby?" He crooned, winking at her playfully.
Bella's cheeks turned crimson as she gazed at Quil in bemusement. "Have you got something in your eye again?" She asked timidly.
"Now none of that, my boy." Old Quil decided to intervene again. He cuffed Quil around the back of the head and looked at him sternly. "You offer Bella your arm like this." He held out his arm so Bella could rest her hand on it. "You do not wrap it around her like a straight jacket. Look and learn. Look and learn." He smiled fondly at Bella and patted her hand. "May I escort you inside, my dear. Let's show these boys how's it's done."
"Thank you." Bella returned his smile before throwing an anxious glance over her shoulder at Edward's damaged car.
"Boys, bring the records would you." Old Quil ordered as he began to lead Bella toward the school gym.
Bella tensed the closer she got to the gym. The last contact she'd had with Edward was a hurried conversation informing him of the last minute change of plans. To say he hadn't been happy was an understatement. There had been little time for him to argue as Old Quil had commandeered her attention, thus giving Edward no room for manoeuvre. She knew that Edward would be waiting for her outside the school gym, but what mood he would be in was anyone's guess. Loud thumping music drifted out into the night air. Bella saw Old Quil frown, he was clearly unimpressed by the playlist. Jacob, Quil and Embry trailed behind, carrying Charlie's borrowed vinyl. Bella prayed that the hired DJ would indulge the elder and allow him to play some of his tunes at some point during the night.
Just as she suspected Edward was pacing up and down outside the gym. Her heart began to pound with extreme anxiety. She had to admit she was a little scared of his reaction. He was dressed in an expensive tux, the black only served to enhance the whiteness of his skin. Like always he was attracting admiring glances from the other girls who were filing in with their dates. And why wouldn't he? Edward was movie star handsome. He belonged on the cover of a magazine, not here in Forks, pacing restlessly as he waited for her to arrive.
"Are you okay, my dear?" Old Quil asked solicitously as he noticed her nervous reaction. "Don't fret. Mrs. Quil had the exact same reaction when we attended our prom. Once you've taken your first spin on the dance floor your nerves will settle."
"She was probably blinded by the silver suit." Quil whispered to his friends, snickering.
Bella gulped when she saw that Edward had spotted them. He stood tall, his brow furrowing as he stared disapprovingly in her direction. Bella wasn't sure whether it was because of her choice of attire or Old Quil's. Either way she couldn't stop the irritated sigh leaving her lips as he hastily rearranged his perfect features into a more welcoming expression.
"Bella, love." Edward greeted her smoothly.
"And what have you come as?" Old Quil interjected before Bella had a chance to respond. He scrutinised Edward's tux warily. "This is a prom, young man. Not a fancy dress ball. You look like count Dracula in that get up. All you need is the black cape and the fake fangs. Unless you are going to put those on later? Are you really that pale or do you have makeup on?" He peered into Edward's face through his thick glasses.
Jacob, Quil and Embry didn't bother to hide their laughter at this comical exchange. They made sure to surround Old Quil and Bella like three tall bodyguards.
"I assure you that I am not wearing makeup. This is my normal complexion." Edward replied haughtily. He was insulted by the old man's insinuations about his appearance and annoyed at the boys laughing about it, especially the one called Jacob. His golden brown eyes narrowed as he glared in Jacob's direction. Jacob's laughter died as he glared defiantly back at him.
"Well, you should eat some roughage. It'll put some colour in your cheeks. You look anaemic." Old Quil advised. He drew Bella closer to him protectively. "I hope he's not one of your friends, my dear." He continued in a loud stage whisper. "No wonder they used him as the doorman. He would scare the pants off any civilised young lady-"
"My name is Edward Cullen." Edward interrupted him sharply. "And I am Bella's actual bo-"
"Deadwood Bunion? What kind of a name is that? Tsk." Old Quil spoke over him as he fiddled with his old fashioned hearing aids. There was a loud screech, which set everyone's teeth on edge. "Speak up. I don't know why you young ones feel the need to whisper. You need some elocution lessons, young man. Maybe it will teach you to talk in a more civilised manner."
Edward was aghast. He focused his gaze on Bella, waiting for her to defend him to this uncouth individual but she seemed dazed. To his amazement he watched as the old man waved him to one side and led Bella straight by him, flanked by the three giant Quileute boys loaded down with boxes of vinyl.
"Wait right there." Edward recovered his poise and hastily ran in front of them so he could block their path.
Old Quil drew to a halt and tapped his foot on the floor as he waited. "Well open the door then, Bunion. We haven't got all night."
"My name is Edward Masen Cullen. I can assure you I'm not a painful swelling on the first joint of the big toe." Edward proclaimed indignantly. "Tell him, Bella." He implored her.
"I'm so sorry, my dear." Old Quil apologised to Bella. She was still speechless. Right now she didn't know whether to laugh her ass off or cry. "Bunion seems to be a bit soft in the head. He's clearly a jobs worth. Boys, sort him out would you."
"With pleasure." Jacob took the lead, accompanied by his two wingmen. They surrounded Edward Cullen, cutting off his view of Bella.
"Allow me, my dear." Old Quil beamed as he opened the door for Bella to go in ahead of him. Flustered, she went inside, wondering what the hell had just happened.
Bella stared around wide eyed at the transformed gym. In Phoenix, they held their proms in hotel ballrooms. Forks high had no choice but to hold it in the gym. It was probably the only room in town big enough for a dance. She looked in disbelief at the balloon arches and twisted garlands of pastel crepe paper festooning the walls. The school clearly hadn't gone overboard on the decorations. It seemed Old Quil wasn't impressed either.
"Is this the best they could do?" He said in disgust. "We made much more effort in my day." His keen gaze drifted to the dance floor and his lips pursed in disapproval at what he saw. "What on earth is going on here?"
Bella followed the direction of his gaze. A wide gap had formed in the centre of the dance floor, where two couples whirled gracefully. The other dancers pressed to the side to give them space. Emmet and Jasper were intimidating and flawless in classic tuxedos. Alice was striking in a black satin dress with geometric cut outs that bared large triangles of snowy white skin. And Rosalie-well Rosalie was beyond belief in a vivid scarlet dress, which was backless and tight to her calves where it flared into a wide ruffled train, with a neckline that plunged to her waist.
"This is unacceptable." Old Quil was scandalised at all the show of flesh on display. "Totally unacceptable. You wait there, my dear."
"Where are you going?" Bella called to him desperately.
But Old Quil failed to hear her. He shuffled off in Rosalie's direction without a backward glance. Bella looked around wildly for help. Thankfully she saw Jacob and the boys in the distance. She hailed them, completely forgetting about Edward in her desperation for one of them to capture Old Quil and stop him approaching the rest of the Cullens.
"Are you okay, Bells?" Jacob was the first to reach Bella. He dumped his box of records and put his hand on her shoulders. "What's wrong?" He finally noticed the worried look on her pretty face.
"It's Old Quil. Someone needs to stop him." Bella cried anxiously.
"Haven't you learned yet, Bella." Quil came up on her other side and glared at his grandfather irritably. "There's no stopping the old man when he gets a bee in his bonnet. You can only go along for the ride."
Old Quil had reached the centre of the dance floor. He stood there proudly, like a glittering disco ball in his gaudy sequinned suit. He clapped his hands loudly, trying to make himself heard above the thumping beat of the music. The other students arrayed along the sides of the gym stared at him curiously. In the distance Bella could see her other friends-Mike, Angela, Eric, Jessica and the others gawping along with them.
"STOP! STOP! ALL OF YOU STOP!" Old Quil bellowed.
There was a sudden silence as the DJ killed the music.
Jasper, Alice, Emmet and Rosalie drew to a halt. They turned and stared at the old man in disbelief. Happy that he had captured everyone's attention, Old Quil shrugged off his jacket and headed straight for Rosalie. She glared at him disdainfully, clearly wondering what the hell he was playing at.
"There you go, dearie. We don't want you to catch a chill now, do we." Old Quil shook his head at a bemused Emmet, indicating his disapproval that he wasn't offering Rosalie his own jacket.
Bella put her hand over her mouth, expecting Rosalie to dismiss the old man or give him some cutting remark. But to her surprise, the statuesque blonde flashed him a charming smile as she daintily hung his sparkly jacket across her shoulders and thanked him graciously for his kindness. Emmet boomed with laughter which echoed off the stone walls of the gymnasium. That was until Rosalie kicked him in the shins with one of her stilettos and apologised to Old Quil for Emmet's bad manners.
"You're most welcome, young lady." Old Quil smiled at her benevolently before shooting Jasper a ferocious glare from under his bushy brows.
Jasper caught the hint. He bowed to Old Quil and swiftly took off his jacket and wrapped it around Alice's shoulders. Old Quil nodded at him approvingly, satisfied now that the girls were more respectably covered up.
"Now boys bring the music." Old Quil hailed Jacob and the others, gesturing for them to bring the boxes of vinyl up to the stage.
"I'll be right back, Bells." Jacob grinned as he dared to plant a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
"Oh, wow." Bella placed her fingers over her tingling skin as she watched in fascination along with the others as Old Quil climbed up onto the stage and shoved the shocked DJ to one side.
Suddenly Edward appeared at her elbow. His normally coiffed hair was all mussed up and he looked harassed. "What is that crazy old man doing now?" He said darkly.
Bella felt another lick of annoyance well up inside. How dare Edward call Old Quil crazy. He was one of the sweetest old men she had ever met. "Do not call him names. Quil's grandfather is a kind and gentle man."
"Really, Bella, you can be so naive. Don't let his age fool you." Edward scolded her impatiently. "You have no idea of the things going around in his head. He isn't as inn-"
There was an ear splitting screech as Old Quil grabbed the microphone and tried to make an announcement. He scowled as he tapped the thing, trying to make it work. Quil rolled his eyes as he grabbed it off his grandfather and adjusted it for him. Old Quil snatched it back and glared at his grandson. "I know what I'm doing."
There was a ripple of laughter amongst the students as they all faced the stage, wondering what was going to happen next. Old Quil stepped forward into the light and grinned widely. "Hello, boys and girls." He shouted down the microphone.
"HELLO!" They all yelled back at him. There was more laughter.
Old Quil's grin got wider. "My name is Quil...the um...um..." He frowned as he looked at Quil junior. "What number Quil am I?" He barked at him.
"Jeez, not this again." Quil muttered under his breath before yelling at his response. "YOU ARE NUMBER THREE."
"Don't shout, boy. I'm not deaf." Old Quil said testily before facing his audience again. "I am Quil Ateara III, and I am going to be your chaperone for this evening. This is my grandson, Quil number...um..."
"FIVE." Quil bellowed.
"Stop shouting." Old Quil cuffed his grandson on the back of the head before smiling again. "This is Quil number five. We are going to be your hosts this evening, along with his friends, Jacob Black and Embry Call." He motioned the other boys to step forward and join him. "Give them a round of applause."
"What the hell is he doing?" Jacob hissed in an aside to Quil as he reluctantly followed his friends into the spotlight.
"I told you I can't control what he does." Quil complained.
There was a spate of laughter followed by enthusiastic clapping from the gaping crowd. Old Quil was acting like an old game show host. "And last but not least, I want to introduce you to my boy's young lady, the very beautiful and aptly named, Bella Swan."
There were collective gasps from the audience. Suddenly a spotlight hit Bella right in the face. She blinked furiously, her heart racing at a hundred miles an hour. She felt Edward's cold fingers reach for hers, but she found herself stepping away from him, drawn like a moth to a flame as she walked toward the stage. Old Quil pushed his grandson forward, motioning for him to go and get her. But someone beat him to it. Jacob jumped swiftly off the stage and ran to meet Bella. He held out his hand to her and she took it gratefully, wrapping her trembling fingers around his warm ones. He led her to the stage, carefully assisting her so she didn't trip as she walked shakily up the steps to join Old Quil and the others.
Edward stood at the back of the gym, absolutely fuming. He couldn't believe what was playing out right before his eyes. The crazy old man was at the microphone again.
"Right, boys and girls, let's get this prom started." Old Quil announced with a flourish.
A/N-thanks for reading!