This is for my Music 'n' Car Rides challenge. Are you allowed to do your own challenges? Lol. Well, whatever. :)
So, for this story- remember that even though it isn't from anyone's POV, Edward can hear everything (except Bella). Then it'll make more sense.
Characters/Pairings: Jessica, Mike, Angela, Edward, Bella
x x x
Jessica Stanley bounced up in down in her soft leather seat. She'd never been this excited in her life, what with living in Forks and nothing ever happening there. She was actually inside of Edward Cullen's car.
She glanced around furtively, checking out the interior. This might actually be the nicest car she'd ever been in. She wanted to scream out of sheer joy, but then realized that was a bit strange, and that she might not be invited back to the car. So she settled for squeezing Mike Newton's hand as hard as she possibly could. Oh, she was going to have the best story tomorrow at lunch. Take that, Lauren Mallory.
Mike, on her right, winced slightly. "Ow, Jess," he groaned, tugging his hand out of her death grip.
She giggled slightly. "Sorry," she said, fluttering her eyelashes in a way she hoped was girly and innocent.
Mike didn't even notice, because Bella Swan had turned around from her spot in the front seat to face them. "You okay?" she asked, smiling.
"Yeah," Mike said in a way that he hoped was tough. "It's nothing." He glanced at Edward Cullen, who was sitting stoically in the front seat. He was so freaking lucky to have Bella, and he didn't even know it.
Jessica squeezed his hand again. Oh, yeah. Mike had a girlfriend. He'd forgotten for a minute.
"Your car is amazing, Edward!" Jessica gushed. "You get to ride in this every day, Bella? How awesome is that?"
Bella sighed. "Er, very awesome." She locked eyes with Angela Weber, who sat on Jessica's left.
Angela bit her lip, trying not to laugh as an unspoken thought passed between her and Bella. Angela loved Jessica, she really did. But Jessica was... well, Jessica. She liked attention, and she liked when a lot of people gave her attention at once. And in Edward's car, with four people surrounding her, it was the perfect opportunity.
"Seatbelts on?" Edward asked, turning around to check.
"Uh, yeah..." Mike raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. What, did Edward think they were completely incompetent?
Mike looked down. Oh.
He quickly snapped his seatbelt into place.
At least it was too quiet for Edward to hear. Hopefully no one else noticed.
Mike thought he heard a snort from the driver's seat, but figured he was wrong as Edward expertly maneuvered the car out of its parking space and began driving towards the parking lot exit.
Man, this was an awesome car. Mike would do anything for a car that ran this smoothly.
"Can we listen to the radio?" Jessica asked, flashing an angelic smile. "Please, Edward?"
Edward squeezed his eyes shut. This was going to be a long car ride.
Bella poked him on the shoulder and gave him a meaningful look. It's only for a little bit! Her eyes seemed to plead with him.
Or at least he thought so. He really didn't know.
Oh, the things he did for his Isabella.
He flicked a button and music filled the car.
"-Late night you make me feel like I'm desperate! I'm not desperate-"
Jessica sat up a little straighter. "I love this song!" she screeched.
"-A little bit possessive, little miss obsessive, can't get over it-"
"Ashlee Simpson? No." Edward jammed the button again. A little bit too hard, Bella thought, but the car went silent.
Jessica folded her arms. What was wrong with Ashlee Simpson? Anyway, "Little Miss Obsessive" should be Edward's theme song. He was the most neurotic, possessive-borderline-stalker she'd ever met.
Edward glared into the rearview mirror and stepped harder on the gas.
"Uhh... we're going kind of fast..." Angela spoke up timidly. She peered around to look at the speedometer, where the needle was quickly making its way past 60 miles per hour. "I think the speed limit around here is 35."
"I like to drive fast," Edward said curtly, but with a look from Bella, the car slowed down to 40.
"What can this baby go up to?" Mike asked excitedly. The fastest his car had ever gone was 60, and something had blown up under the hood after he'd pushed it up to 61.
"Pretty high."
"Let's not test it," Bella advised in a way that sounded more like a command than suggestion.
"Can we listen to something else, then?" Jessica grumbled, still a bit put off about Ahslee Simpson. She examined her nails. The red nail polish was chipping, and she made a mental note to schedule a manicure later that week.
Edward sighed. Anything to drown out of the sound of Jessica debating between nail polish colors. "Fine." He pressed the button again, flipping rapidly through stations until he appeared to have found one he liked, his hands settling back on the steering wheel.
"-it's too late to change events, it's time to face the consequence-"
"What is this?" Jessica wrinkled her nose.
Edward was about to reply, when Angela cut him off. "Depeche Mode," she said matter-of-factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Circa 1990."
"You like Depeche Mode?" Edward twisted around to look at her, a small hint of surprise on his face.
"Yeah, you too? Most people in Forks have never even heard of them." Angela grinned.
"I have... shall we say, good taste in music. What song is your favorite?"
"Definitely 'Just Can't Get Enough' from 'Speak & Spell.' That's their best album, in my opinion."
Edward frowned and shook his head. "'Violator' is better. It has more... substance. 'Speak & Spell' is too much like bubbly eighties pop."
"Ah, so you like the darker stuff. I'm more upbeat," Angela smiled. Who knew Edward Cullen had good taste in music? Actually, who knew Edward Cullen even liked music?
Edward smirked.
"-'never again' is what you swore, the time before-"
"Hello? Can we please change it? Gawd. I'm gonna go home and, like, slit my wrists or something!" Jessica moaned. This was such a depressing song. Who was Depeche Mode, anyway?
Edward rolled his eyes and pressed the "seek" button.
"-you'll probably move right through me on my way to you!"
Mike, who had been bewildered for the past two songs, finally spoke up. "Oh, Finger Eleven," he said nodding in approval and grinning. See, Bella? He knew about music, too!
Jessica smiled with glee at Mike. Was this alternative rock? Ooh, her boyfriend was such a rebel! She wrapped her arm around his waist and snuggled into his side.
Edward flipped the station.
"Hey!" Mike protested.
Edward rolled his eyes. "That song is repetitive, unintelligent, and really makes no sense."
There was a sudden burst of guitars and drums and bass.
"-don't wanna see your face, you better disappear-"
"'Beat It!'" Angela said, smiling.
Once again, the music station changed. "Michael Jackson's is better," Edward explained as he flipped through stations.
Angela shrugged. "Touché."
"-huts of New Mexico. Cut his teeth on turquoise harmonicas, oh, oh, oh-"
"This is good," Mike said, trying to redeem himself.
"Who is it?" Bella asked from the front. She sort of liked this song, too.
"Vampire Weekend."
The car lurched suddenly. Bella and Edward exchanged a look, and Bella switched the station without comment.
Weird, thought Angela, Mike, and Jessica simultaneously, but none said anything.
A good choice. Edward commended them in his head.
"-if heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied-"
"Is Death Cab good all around?" Edward glanced at the back seat, and to Bella next to him. It was obscure enough for him, alternative enough for Angela, popular enough for Jessica, and suitably emo-alt-punk enough for Mike. And Bella liked whatever Edward liked.
Mike, Angela, and Jessica nodded.
"-fear is the heart of love, so I never went back-"
They sat in a comfortable silence until the song ended and the station began playing some god-awful Madonna.
"'Ray of Light' was her best album," Angela said. "This... not so much."
Edward winced in agreement and turned the dial on the dashboard.
"-and it's sad but true, the sounds that don't come back-"
"Oh, 90's Spoon is the best!"
"Ewww, how can you guys listen to this?" Jessica made a face that involved scrunching up her nose and sticking out her tongue.
And so it began again.
Edward sighed.
Once again, this was going to be a long car ride.
x x x
Songs (in order):
"Little Miss Obsessive" by Ashlee Simpson
"Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode
"Paralyzer" by Finger11
"Beat It" by Fall Out Boy
"A-punk" by
Vampire Weekend
"I Will Follow You into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie
"June's Foreign Spell" by Spoon
I like all of these songs except Paralyzer.
I do love Madonna. Quite a bit. I'm going to her concert with my dad and I'm so pumped! Haha.
So, hopefully this was all believable, and I didn't make Jessica too annoying, and the songs Edward liked seemed like songs Edward would like. :)
And I'm not really sure why they were all in the car. Maybe Edward was giving them a ride home, or something. Idk. Just make something up. :)