I wracked my brain trying to find a decent reason to refuse Edward's offer, but it just resulted in a very painful headache and more frustration. What am I afraid of? It was just one more question I didn't have the answer to. That seems to be happening a lot lately.
The fact that the sun was rising made me glance at the clock hanging on the wall. Already time for school? I reluctantly pulled myself off the bed and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. I kicked the bathroom door closed behind me and undressed.
I stepped into the shower and slid the glass screen closed before turning on the water. I adjusted the controls to the right temperature and it heated up in no time. I took my time showering and eventually started singing in the shower. I stopped when I realized that I was singing the song that he gave me. It's a very good song. It'd be a shame if it had to go to waste. And would it really be so bad if he sang it with me? I still couldn't think of any reason to deny his request, so I finally made my decision.
I finished showering and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry myself off. I reached for my clothes automatically before realizing that there weren't any there. You didn't bring any clothes in with you, I reminded myself. I sighed and wrapped the towel around my body. I looked down and cringed; the towel was just long enough to cover my bottom. I smirked as I remembered a dress Evelyn purchased for me once. I had almost choked her for even suggesting I wear something like that out in public. Still smirking, I pulled the door open and stepped out into my room.
"I was wondering when you'd be done." I jumped and spun in the direction of the voice. I saw a pair of eyes staring back at me with the same horrified look I was sure I had on my face. I screamed and fled back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.
What the heck is he doing here? Why didn't I hear him come in? I need to get a lock on my door! I suddenly remembered that I still had no clothes. I can't go back out there with him there! He just saw me in nothing but a towel!
"I am so sorry! I didn't see anything! I'll see you downstairs," he sputtered before I heard the door open and close loudly.
I waited a moment to make sure that he had really left. I cracked the door open and popped my head out to look around. There was no one there so I stepped out and ran to the closet to find something to wear.
I picked up a light pink satin skirt lined with strips of black satin that tied in a bow at my hip. Black lace lined the bottom edge and the skirt flared slightly from the layers of tulle underneath the soft satin. I grabbed a sleeveless black shirt with small halter strings to compliment the accents on the skirt and finished the look off with black leather boots. I looked like a runway model even without makeup and accessories.
I went back into the bathroom to brush my hair. I'd found that one of the advantages of being a vampire was that my hair seemed to blow dry itself; it needed very little maintenance. I ran a brush through it a couple of times and it fell in waves down my back covering my exposed shoulders. I grabbed a light pink jacket and my backpack before leaving my room and going downstairs.
As he said, Edward and the rest of those who would be going to school today were waiting downstairs. John whistled when I stepped into view and his appreciative noise was soon followed by the shattering of glass as Evelyn flung a vase at him.
"Bella, you look..." Edward started but couldn't finish. I laughed at his expression and his brothers. I heard a giggle from the small girl and received another death glare from the blond one. Edward cleared his throat and refocused, seeming to remember something.
"Bella, this is Jasper," he said pointing to the tall blond male. "That's Alice, Jasper's wife," he then pointed to the small short haired girl. "That's Emmett and his wife Rosalie." The big bear-like, Emmett, stepped up and took my hand, shaking it vigorously.
"Hello, Bella," he said with a grin. I smiled and nodded, not sure what to make of the grizzly sized man. His wife continued to glare at me from the spot she stood. Alice was the next one to make her way up to me and she shooed Emmett away.
"It is very nice to meet you, Bella," she giggled and threw herself at me, planting a kiss on my cheek. "I see why Edward was so entranced by you," she added. I turned to look at him and saw that he was glaring at Alice. I smiled when I heard a distinct growl coming from him.
"Don't we all," Emmett commented. Rosalie elbowed him in the ribs before turning and striding out the door. He mumbled an apology and quickly followed her.
"Bella, why don't we let Edward drive?" Evelyn suggested. I was more than happy to comply with that; I nodded and walked over to Edward. He grinned and held out his hand; I dropped the keys into it. I walked beside him as we made our way out of the forest.
"I'm sorry about what happened earlier," he whispered in my ear.
"I know," I replied, not wanting to go any further into the subject. I really didn't want to know how much he had seen.
We reached the edge of the forest and saw I saw another Mercedes parked next to mine and a red convertible behind it. I raised my eyebrow and looked at Edward for an answer.
"That's Carlisle's Mercedes and Rosalie's BMW M3. We need more than one car to take all of us to school," he explained.
"Where is your car?" I asked.
"It was caught in the fire and I am currently looking for a new one," he answered, not seeming too happy.
"Oh." I was suddenly sorry I had asked.
When we reached the cars, Rosalie and Emmett went to the M3 and Jasper and Alice went to the Mercedes. Evelyn dragged John by the ear over to the Mercedes despite his protests which left Edward and me driving in my car. She planned this, I realized. Edward slipped into my car and started the engine.
"Get in, Bella, or well be late," he urged. I sighed and opened the door sliding into the car.
I made sure my skirt was out of the way before I closed the door. As soon as it clicked shut, Edward took off. His driving was smooth and flawless, but he was a speed demon. The top of my convertible was down and the wind was tossing my hair in all directions. I knew it wouldn't tangle and would fall perfectly again once we stopped, but I was couldn't see with it constantly flying into my eyes.
"Do you always drive like this?" I scolded.
"Yes. What's wrong with it?" he asked innocently.
"The fact that it's dangerous," I answered. He laughed while I tried my best to keep my skirt from flying away too. "Put the top up!" When we pulled up to a stop sign, he reached pressed a button. Slowly, the hood extended until it covered the car completely. I sighed in relief and laid back against my seat.
"My driving is not dangerous, yours is," he pointed out. I glared at him and he pretended to focus on the road.
"It just so happens that I had never driven before yesterday, so do excuse me if it's a bit imperfect," I snapped. I glanced at the speedometer and gasped. "Slow down!" I commanded. I watched the speedometer go down to 50 mph and the corner of his mouth pulled up but he didn't say anything. We stayed silent for a while. I looked straight ahead and felt him staring at me. I refused to look at him, afraid of the influence his eyes had on my thoughts.
"Bella, what is your power?" he asked out of nowhere. I turned my head slowly toward him to make the dramatic effect.
"I can manipulate any object," I answered monotonously. "For example, I can make this car disappear and then reappear wherever I please." He stared at me in disbelief but the car didn't swerve an inch. I need to learn how to do that. He was still staring at me so I added, "Don't make me prove it. I don't think my dad would like it if I transported the car in broad daylight." His eyes widened and he looked back at the road, but him mentioning my power made me wonder about his.
"What is yours?" I asked curiously. He paused for a moment and glanced at me. To my surprise, I saw disappointment in his eyes.
"I can read minds," he murmured. "I can read everyone's mind except yours." Just me? I wondered.
"Why not?" I asked. He shook his head and shrugged.
"I wish I knew."
"What about my father? Can you read his mind?" This question was probably more important to me than Edward realized: my father has yet to find a single vampire whose power worked on him.
"I cannot," he answered. "But that was because he blocked his thoughts from me completely. As far as my mind can tell, you simply aren't there. Your thoughts don't exist. We're here."
His last sentence caught me off guard and I looked up to see that we were safely parked in the school's parking lot. Edward turned off the engine and handed me the keys before getting out. I gathered my backpack and was about to open the door, but found it was already open. Edward held it open for me with a smile.
"You are a gentleman," I said as I stepped out. He smiled and closed the door behind me.
He waved to me and strode towards the school, leaving me staring after him and wondering what was going on in that head of his. When he disappeared from sight, I walked into the school too, ignoring the stares I received. I shook my head as I realized that the rest of the group hadn't even arrived yet. He drives like a maniac!
Author's Note: I know I didn't update yesterday and that's because I was at the lake the entire day with my family. School started on the 16th so it was our last chance to have a little bit of fun before I can barely lift my head out of my books. My whole body aches from the trip but I still managed to update so don't forget to review. Thanks to my editor, Seraphyn, for her hard work.