A knock came from the door. I looked outside and saw a silver Volvo in the driveway.
Oh shoot! I'm... I'm not cute yet! - "shhhut up! It's Edward. Be happy." - I am... but that doesn't mean I'm cute.
"I'll be down there in a second!" I yelled knowing he could hear me even if I whispered it.
The jeans that were once on the floor two seconds ago were now clinging to my hips. I kept forgetting how much faster and stronger I became when the new moon was almost here. I guess that's why I haven't been wanting to eat anything...
I flew down the stairs and opened the door in a hurry wanting to see Edward's face.
"Miss me?" He smiled a crooked grin.
"Yay." I said breathlessly.
Edward laughed and wrapped his arms around me carefully in a friendly hug. I shivered not just because of his chilliness.
"How are you doing?" He asked in my ear. I knew he didn't mean the simple vague small talk question.
I sighed. "A lot better than I thought I would be doing." I stated as I smiled at him.
"Good. You should never keep things like that to yourself." Edward said seriously. Talking about Isaac.
"I'm working on it." I thought.
"Am here if you need to talk... about anything." He smiled then added, "Well, we have a science project to work on. I'll drive you to my place." He looked around my house "But I must ask, what's wrong with working here?"
"Uh... I've been cooped up here to long. I want to get out of it." It was a half-truth.
Edward just shrugged and led me to his car. Before he closed my door he looked at me and said, "Your not going to tell me to stay away from you again, are you?" He was playing around remembering the last time he drove me somewhere.
I laughed. "We'll just have to find out." I teased and next thing I knew we were flying down a road I have never been on.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
"My mother is home and Carlisle is at work but my brothers and sisters are all out having fun." He stated as he opened my door for me.
"Sorry." I said shyly.
"For what?" He cocked his head to the side.
I just shrugged. I didn't really know what I was sorry for.
Then I looked at the house I was about to enter. "Wow." Was all I could say? It was the most intricate beautiful house I had ever seen... and yet it was so... simple.
Edward laughed. "My mother likes to restore old houses. This one is my favorite. You haven't even seen the inside."
He led me to the door and opened it revealing a wide white room with a baby grand piano in one corner.
"Wow." Was all I could say again as I saw the back wall. Well... it wasn't a wall; it was a huge glass screen that covered the entire back half of the house.
Edward smiled and tugged on my arm and nodded his head towards a back room. "We'll be working in there."
The room we were working in was a small room compared to the first one but it was still huge to me. There was a desk... or desks that were an old fashioned white. The floorboards were a dark mahogany making the room look classy and from another era.
"Esme usually tries to paint here. This was her studio until she realized she wasn't that good." Edward smirked.
I laughed and asked, "So what is it now?"
"Whatever we want it to be. And right now it's the perfect place to work on our project." He pointed to a box that held a bunch of Styrofoam balls and paints.
"Cool!" I said like a little kid.
We decided we would each work on one half. Edward tried to help me cut out one of the Styrofoam balls so that it would look like a square. We both failed.
"Um... yea. I don't think this is going to work Edward. Even if it would hold together when we cut out the inside of it, the square would be to small to work with." I whined.
He puckered his eyebrows. "Hmm. Well what else can we use?"
"How about a shoebox? That would work wouldn't it? Do you have any?" I stared at the little pieces of Styrofoam scattered around the room like it had just snowed.
A wicked grin grew on his cold lips. "Oh Yes. We have shoeboxes. I'll go get some." He dashed out of the room.
"Make sure they are the same size so when we put them together they match up." I called after him.
He returned with a pile of shoeboxes in his arm. "What do you prefer? Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, or Jimmy Choo's?" Edward smiled with a wicked glint in his eyes.
I paled. "What...?" I noticed that on all of them was a limited edition label on them. I tried not to think of the prices.
"You said we needed shoeboxes. Here they are. Now let's go to work. Which ones would be more sensible?"
"Well the one that is long and not too wide and bigger would be better for what we're doing." I bit my nails trying not to think how much money the box and their original contents were.
Edward looked at the boxes and threw two boxes at me. "Gucci it is."
I giggled for some reason. Edward laughed with me and then we couldn't stop while we worked on covering the boxes with paper Mache that was going to be the cell wall.
"This... has... to be... the most expensive... science... project." I giggled in between words as I sloped the wet gooey stuff all over the designer boxes making sure to cover up any numbers I see.
"No one can say they... they... have classier... materials... than us." Edward laughed.
We kept laughing and laughing. We really couldn't stop. I cried of laughter and my sides started pinching.
"Positively, the best boxes ever." I smiled sitting down holding my sides and wiping the laughing tears off my cheeks.
We had sobered up finally when we were working on the inside of it.
"You know what? We should use Jell-O for the cell membrane and then put while it's forming we can fit off the cytoplasm stuff in it."
"You really want an A don't you?" Edward grinned.
It wasn't the A, I just knew that Jell-O took a while to be completed and that meant more time with Edward. I hadn't even started to talk of everything I wanted.
What also helped was that he didn't have any Jell-O.
"Oh... well, let's go get some." I said getting up from a kneeling position ready to go the car.
"No, Esme will get it." He put his hand on my shoulder. A chill ran down my spine at his simple touch that also made me blush.
"I don't want to bother-"
"She'll be happy to do it. She has nothing else to do." Edward smiled at me letting me know that it was okay.
So Esme went to get Jell-O, I still hadn't seen her, and meanwhile Edward and I worked on the stuff that went inside. Raphide crystal was easy, toothpicks, and the rest we used various Styrofoam.
As we painted and shaped I started talking about Isaac and other random things about my past.
"And once, when we were in middle school this kid names Andy asked me to go to this silly little dance with him. I refused saying something like I didn't know how to dance. Which was a huge lie. My mom put me in dance classes when I was... eight. Anyway, Isaac heard that I said I couldn't dance. Of course he knew I was lying and he didn't like that. So the next day at lunch while we were waiting in line, we were last as usual, he waited till everyone else was comfortable in their seats and then he put his and my tray down. He grabbed my hands, spun me around and forced me to do a bourree pas de that melted into a canyengue. In front of EVERYBODY!" I shook my head and sighed.[1
Edward started laughing as we put the finishing touches on his third mitochondrion. "I can't see you doing that."
"I know." I blushed. "I'm to clumsy now. But back then I was really athletic. It would surprise you."
"I'm sure it would." He agreed in a voice that would melt chocolate from two football fields away so imagine the reaction it had to my heart.
Edward smiled at the sound of my beating heart.
I could tell he was going to ask what happened that made me so clumsy so I started talking about something else. I didn't want to get into that right now. Later. Not now.
"Yeah, after that no one could say I couldn't dance. Let me tell you, a canyengue is harder than it looks." I smiled as my half of the druse crystal started to look like it was supposed to. "But then everybody thought we were in love with each other. Doing a canyengue with someone will give that impression. And we were in Middle school! So of course gossip followed." I shook my head and laughed again. I don't remember laughing so much except when I was with Isaac. "The good thing that came out of it was no guy ever came near me again."
"And that's a good thing?" Edward asked.
"You would agree if you saw the losers there." I stated.
Edward nodded as if I had a point.
"I remember him saying in ninth grade, 'Izzy, you're going to be a crabby old lady with nine cats.'"
I smiled at the memory. " I replied, 'No I won't. You won't let me be crabby and you're allergic to cats. So therefore I will never be a crabby cat lady.' That was the first day of high school for me and since Isaac was a year behind he skipped a grade to be with me... or so I could be with him. He was still my baby brother but I still looked up to him." I sighed and started working on my mitochondrion. "Everyone knew us as Izzy and Isaac. It was never Isaac. Or Isabella. It was Izzy and Isaac."
Edward looked at me and spoke, "Izzy? I thought you just went by Bella?"
I nodded and looked down at my feet but I wasn't interested in my untied shoelaces. "I didn't like to be called anything that sounded like Izzy because it reminded me of Isaac and I couldn't handle it back then. But I don't care anymore. You can call me Izzy if you want."
Edward smiled but shook his head. "That was Isaac's thing. I'm not your brother, Bella. Shoot me if I am." He grinned.
"He doesn't want to be my brother... what does that mean?" - I don't think it means anything bad... maybe it means that he really does lik- "No. Don't say it. I can't set myself up." - You're being ridiculous. - "Is that my problem?" - Yeah, it kind of is. -
The door to our room opened and a woman stepped out holding a bag in her hands.
"I got every kind of Jell-O they had. I didn't know what you needed." A sweet tender voice came out of a sweet tender looking woman.
"Bella, I'd like you to meet my mother Esme." Edward introduced. "Esme, this is my friend Bella."
I walked over to her and shook her hand. I wasn't surprised by the same vampiric coldness; I was used to it by now that it no longer scared me.
"Bella," Esme elongated the word. "It's a pleasure. Edward has told us so much about you."
"You too." Was all I could think of to say? -What was I supposed to say to my vampire friend's vampire mother? - " Hello, nice to meet you too. Please don't eat me."
Esme looked at Edward and something she found there made her smile. "Well, I should go and leave you to your project." She smiled at me then and closed the door on her way out.
Edward rolled his eyes and took out the ten things of Jell-O Esme had bought.
"Ha. Here we go. Green Jell-O. Just what we needed." I said as I held up three boxes of lime Jell-O.
"Hmm. ok we'll make this and then set it in the boxes. Then before it's done chilling, squish the stuff in there."
"Okay boss." Edward said as we headed for the kitchen with the shoeboxes/plant cell haves under out arms.
We waited for the water to boil.
"So," Edward started. "I know it just seems like we've just met, but I want to tell you some-"
"EDWARD!" A shrill voice yelled from the front door. Edward winced at the loudness... but maybe that wasn't the only thing he winced at. "What did you do to my closet!"? A very angry Rosalie stepped into the kitchen.
"Nothing." Edward said coolly.
"But Alice said you were in there...digging into... something." Rosalie wasn't so easily put down. "Oh, hello Bella." She turned to me and forced a smile. I would have giggled but I was to stunned at the moment.
"Look for yourself." Edward gestured to the door out the kitchen and up the stairs, inviting her to go ahead.
"Edward, I swear if you... touched... anything your head is mine!" She growled as she ran up the stairs, but I could tell she was going much more slowly that she would have if I weren't there.
"Hey Edward." A cheerful voice bounced in the room. "Hey Bella." Alice said as if it were normal for me to be at this house. "Are you guys done with your project yet?"
Edward looked at her with a raised eyebrow and laughed. "Nope. We got four more hours to go. Jell-O takes forever."
"Cool. Ya! That means you get to stay till ten!" Alice squealed and gave me a hug.
I laughed at her buoyancy as I returned the hug to the way to skinny Alice.
"Hey guys. Alice! - What are you doing to her?" A deep but playful voice entered the room. I let go of Alice and saw Emmett closer than I would have ever liked. But he grinned and he looked fun instead of scary.
"AHHHHHHH!!!" A scream from upstairs wafted down.
"EDWARD! Where... What..." She stammered and next thing I knew she was in the now crowded kitchen.
"Where are my limited edition shoeboxes?" She raged. I paled and looked at Edward accusingly.
He sighed and pointed to the room we were working in. "The Prada, Gabbana, and Jimmy Choos are in there."
She ran to get them. The entire kitchen was silent but it was interrupted by, "Where's the Gucci?" Rosalie growled. She walked back into the room.
Edward pointed to the paper macche covered boxes on the counter. He was suddenly not in the talkative mood.
"And what is that supposed to...be." Realization hit her. "You did not use my shoes for your little project." She hissed.
"Um, I kind of did." Edward said unnerved.
Rosalie looked like she was about to chop off his head and throw it to the masses.
Two figures appeared in the door way. Jasper and Carlisle.
I turned to Rosalie. "It's not his fault. I was the one to suggest shoeboxes."
She turned to me slowly losing her steam but she still had enough to make little kids cry. "Ya, but were you the one that got into my closet and picked out my special occasion shoe's box?"
"Oh, well then, it is your fault." I said to Edward, lightening the mood. Jasper smiled at me and peace entered my body.
Carlisle looked at Rosalie. "Now, Rose, your shoes are still intact right?" She nodded her head. "He didn't mess them up in anyway did he?" She nodded her head again. "Well then why are you so upset?"
"Because it was my stuff and it was limited edition!" She hissed.
"That's all?" Carlisle sounded very much like a therapist right now.
"I don't know! I guess I'm jealous." Rosalie admitted.
"Oh I see." Carlisle eyed me slyly, "Are you over it." She nodded.
Emmett spoke up. "Okay, take a shower. You stink." Emmett joked. Rosalie immediately laughed and walked into Emmett's arms and whispered something into his ear that even I couldn't hear. Emmett and Rosalie grinned as they ran up the stairs. Everyone else left behind laughed.
Carlisle walked over to me and smiled. "Hello Bella."
"Hey Dr. Cullen, nice to see you somewhere outside of the hospital for a change." I grinned.
He laughed and game me a one armed hug. "Please call me Carlisle."
"Carlisle." I tried it out and smiled.
I heard a bubbling behind me and said to Edward. "Hey! Its finally ready."
Carlisle walked over to Jasper then he, Alice, and Jasper left after a very enthusiastic wave from Alice.
Once we filled the mixture into the boxes, Edward set the timer for four hours as I put the shoeboxes into the fridge. Which, not surprisingly was very scarce in the food department. I just smiled as I closed the door.
"What? Why are you smiling?" Edward asked as he cocked his head to one side.
"Um, your family. They're really great." I said honestly.
Edward smiled kindly. "Yeah. They are. Crazy and impossible at some times, most of the time, but that's a family."
I could see in his eyes that he really loved them then he stared at me and was debating on whether to tell me or not. Tell me that he was a vampire. But the reason that I came here to his house instead of mine was so I could tell Edward that I knew. His house, because Charlie couldn't possibly over hear His house because his family could hear and they had a right to.
I sighed. I knew I had a lot of explaining to do in the next four hours.
"Would you like to see my room?" He said completely oblivious to the turmoil going on inside my head.
"Sure... what else to we have to do in four hours. Oh wait, I better call Charlie and tell him I'll be home around ten. I left a note where I was..."
Edward nodded. "You should." He said very serious.
He handed me his phone and I dialed the number.
"Hello?" Charlie's voice spoke.
"Hey, Ch-dad, did you get my note?"
"Yea, what time will you be home?"
I took a deep breath. "Ten. I'll be home at ten." I chanted this in my head.
"What ever happens, I'll be home at ten. Whatever they think, I'll be home at ten. Whatever they say, I'll be home at ten. I'll be home at ten. And at ten, I should have spilled my guts to the species that ruined my life... - But this species also built it back up. Stronger even. -
[A/NSo now you know who Isaac is, it's now time to focus on what really went down that night on the new moon five months ago. ----
[1 A bourre pas de dance is a quickstep thing that's fast and complicated. A canyengue is sort of like a tango but more flowy and complex, sensual and spicy. I don't dance. I just read that somewhere.