Here is Chapter Two, hope you like it.
EPOV
"Yes!" I shouted and put my hands up in the air. My heart slammed against my ribs viciously. The adrenalin in my blood soured to a new height. Getting a three-point shot at the last second had done that to you. It was not every day something like this happened. I could hear the chanting of the girls from the bleachers. I savored the glory and the cheers resounding around the stadium. This was the moment I lived for.
"Get your ass out of bed!" a girlish squeal was vibrated from the loudspeaker of the stadium. What the hell?
"GOOD morning!" a squeal changed into a real deafening shout from the top. Mornings! Gosh! I hated mornings. I really hated mornings when my annoying pixie of sister jumping on the end of my bed.
"Alice Cullen!" I shrieked in outrage "You are killing me here. Leave me alone and let me sleep." If there was one thing that I didn't want to do at this ungodly hour, it was to drag my still sleepdrugged body off the bed.
Alice responded by walking to the far end of the room and yanked open the full-length outsized curtain. Sunshine immediately floored into the room. I couldn't imagine how such a tiny and weightless elf could have done that heftily. Where was her energy come from? The light crept into the flimsy cover I held over my head and yet, I was not ready to face the day. The next thing I knew, the covers was ripped off of me and my whole self was exposed to the cold air of my room. I cracked one eye open and immediately regretted it. The sun which sliced through the curtain hitting me, smacking into my face and made my eyeballs feel like they were on fire. "Holy shit," I mumbled into the bed as I pulled the covers over my head again.
"Get up Edward. Go have your shower. We are waiting for you in the cafe. I am so excited!" She leaned back against his doorframe, watching me in silent amusement, biting her lip to keep from snickering.
I huffed but threw my legs over the side of the bed grumbling. Shooting her one last death glare, I stomped into my bathroom slamming the door behind me. Glancing at my reflection on the mirror, I slapped both sides of my face, rubbing my cheeks roughly and hoping the action would bring back some life into me to face the long day ahead. Today was another watershed for my family. Yet, the prospect of moving to that small town called Forks today was something I was yet to look forward to.
A look at the digital clock at the bedside confirmed that I had to meet my parents down in the hotel restaurant in less than half an hour. I quickly took off the clothes and put myself under the shower jet. The cascading ice cold water immediately chased away the remaining drowsiness and inertia. I tried to gear myself to the new change today. Hopping from one place to another one every two to three years seemed like a pattern of life to me and Alice ever since we were toddlers. Carlisle was an excellent surgeon and bent on giving as much as possible to other people. After working in two major hospitals in Chicago, he had decided to work in small-sized hospitals where he believed his skill could help more people in need. He always joked that large hospitals had so many doctors that it outnumbered the patients. In full support of his earnest wish, we all went when he went. Our new destination was a small town near Washington called Forks. The chief surgeon of the hospital there, Mr. Raysen, was an old friend of Carlisle and would retire next month. Carlisle agreed to take over as a favour out of past reminiscence.
When I got out, Alice was not in sight. I snatched the only T shirt from the hanger and pulled over my head, buttoned up my jean and settled on my all time favourite a pair of black Redwing boots. Giving myself a last look at the mirror, I am ready to face the world.
After having some scrambled eggs and an overdose of enthusiasm of Alice and Esme down on my throat, we checked out of the hotel and stared our six-hour long drive to Forks.
"I searched in the internet. There's a great mall at Post Angeles. It is merely half an hour drive from Forks. With the rainy weather, I shall need a whole new wardrobe for school. Edward, don't pull your face, or you will be prematurely old at the age of thirty. Look on the bright side; maybe you would meet the girl of your dream there." Alice chattered once we were in Carlisle's Mercedes.
"Yeah, maybe." I smiled at her and ruffled her hairs playfully. Alice was always over the moon every time we moved. She always had a way of helping me to see the humor in every situation. I can't imagine how life would be without her optimism shining all through my way.
"Don't you dare ruining my hairs; I took an hour to make it look like this." She habitually threw my hand away and slightly bumped my shoulder before talking to Esme about where we were going to have lunch.
I took a deep breath and retreated myself back to the last night's party. It was definitely a party above the par. Mark's parents were away on business and we had the whole house for ourselves, including the stunning full-length swimming pool and more so, the outrageously perfect band room in the basement. We had assembled a school band called "WAG" – We Are Good. We played all the songs we had composed during the past two years all night. I could still feel the ache along my arms right now. We played the instruments in turn – brass, piano, drums, even saxophone. I even did the vocal for a few songs. Mark normally did this part. Not that I can't sing, I just love playing piano and composing songs more. It was embarrassing enough to have girls in school all sneaking behind you, gossiping everything of you or throwing themselves at you. Stealing the limelight from our music, however unintentionally, was a crime I wouldn't commit. All in all, I had a great time in Hamshire and Forks had big shoes to fill in.
Shortly after we pulled onto the highway, it started to rain. The drive really wasn't bad… the rain somehow made the ride kind of more comfortable, the soothing sounds of the light tapping on the windshield served as the perfect backdrop music to the steady stream of chatter of my family. Pulling my iPod out of my pocket, I nestled the ear buds and blasted the volume. Staring at the passing scenery unseeingly, my mind escaped me again.
Thanked to the popcorns and chips stocked up by Alice, I was able to survive until two when our car pulled into the carpark in Port Angeles for lunch.
"The first one who comes into the mall has the pick for the restaurant!" Alice dashed off before the last syllable went out from her month.
We all looked at her indulgently. None of us would dare to defeat Alice when she set her mind to win. Her nagging about the unfairness of her losing for the days after was not worth the moment of glory. The mall was much bigger and sophisticated than I thought. We went into a Thai food restaurant. The food arrived shortly and tasted like heaven, thanked to the non-existent breakfast I had this morning. After satisfying my hunger, I settled further into my chair and looked around. There were quite a number of youngsters hanging out here. My attention was caught by the table at the far end corner where a big guy and stunning girl were seated. They made a striking pair. The guy was at least six feet five or six, with rusty short curly hair, strong muscles which stood out even from a distance I was sitting. Next to him was a blonde with a figure that every girl was dreaming for and every boy dreaming about. While she was too flashy and too forceful to be my kind of girl, she was definitely a pleasure to the eyesight. I was wandering whether they would be attending the same college with us in the coming September when I discovered Alice being stuck in the middle with a group of guys towering over her petite frame on her way back from the washroom. Not wanting to have any bad collisions on our first day of arrival, I hurried to the spot.
The big guy was there sooner than I was. He dispersed the group and drew Alice away. The blonde girl gently pulled Alice to her side.
"Hey, Mike, you leave the lady alone." The big guy censured the guy in the grey jacket who seemed to be the head of the nerds.
"We are just asking whether she needs an escort to tour around as she is new to the area. No big deal, Emmett." The boy named Mike stammered.
"You rascal and your scumbags better leave this restaurant NOW or I won't be responsible for the consequences." Emmett said menacingly as he cracked his knuckles.
"OK, easy, no harm done here. Miss Pixie," pointing a finger at Alice, Mike continued, "we will be seeing each other very soon."
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" Alice wrestled out from the blonde's arm and stepped right in front of the boy Mike. All eyes were now focused on her and everyone stopped talking. Sensing her anger steaming out in wave, I took a step back for my own safety. The situation would turn out as I expected after all. Nobody called Alice a pixie in front of her.
Before that poor boy could articulate a response, Alice took a drink from the waitress who was just passing by and threw all the content to Mike's shirt in one go. Mike gasped and stared at her with his mouths dropped open in shock.
"Shut your month up and never come near me in a radius of 10 metres, or you will have more to be sorry for." Before she could lash out at Mike and kick his goods, I stepped in and pushed her back to where she couldn't do any more damage.
"That's my squirt but I think that's enough for the day." I whispered softly and turned back to face the pitiful boy whose shirt was trenched with lemonade.
"Now, coward, you stay the hell away from my sister and stop harassing any girl who comes in your way, or your face will have a meeting with my fists. I'll be watching you two." I said menacingly, removing a lemon from his shirt before cracking my knuckles in front of his scared stiff face.
With tails between their legs, the group scrambled out of the restaurant. Everyone erupted into laughter.
"Hey, man, thank you. My name is Edward." I turned toward Emmett and held out my hand.
"I am Emmett, and this is my girl Rosaline. What a welcome to you guys! Now you know this place is never dull and boring. Where are you two from?" Emmett boomed with eyes still beaming with laughter.
"We're from Hamshire. My father will be working in Forks Central Hospital." Alice chimed in.
"So, you are the Cullens. We have been hearing so much about Dr. Cullen. We will be hanging out here for the rest of the day, how about you joining us later…when you finish whatever your mom has in mind for you?" Emmett directed our glance to where our parents were seated. Esme was tapping at her watch with a smile.
"I don't think we could weasel out today. Howe about we exchange numbers and we shall call you guys if we could make it?" We quickly exchanged our numbers and went back to our table.
"Mom, what a coincidence, those guys live in Forks as well!" with linking arms, Alice and Esme walked out of the restaurant. I waved a goodbye to Emmett and left the place with Carlisle.
The drive to Forks was short and uneventful. Trying to shorten our hours of slave in the new house, I grasped the first opportunity came by.
"There's a Starbuck over there! I need caffeine and my muscles are all cramming. Can I just get a coffee while you go to the store to buy whatever we need for decorating the house? Esme, please." I put on my cutest big smile and hoped for the best.
Esme rolled her eyes. "OK! We shall pick you up in an hour. remember, we have a house to work on."
Stealing a look at the sleeping form of Alice, I quickly got off the car. She would kill me for leaving her behind when she woke up.
After an hour of random meandering, I stopped in front of a carefully maintained antique cottage. That was the beauty of small towns. They never failed to amaze you with new gems and jewels. Though I was not an architect, I could tell this cottage was a prestige. I took a closer look and found that it was a bookstore. I looked at my watch. Esme would be picking me up any minute now. Thinking that I had to come to this bookstore sometime later, I gave a peer into the place through the high arch window. Inside the cashier counter, here she was. The moment I saw her, the earth stood still. She had pale skin similar to my skin tone. She had a heart shaped face with the big, brown, doe-like eyes and a cute button nose. She was engrossed in the book she placed on her lap. Her eyebrows were slighted crossed due to the utter concentration. Her eyes had a far away look with sheen moisture that made her just breathtakingly beautiful. She was biting her lower lip to keep a grip on her emotions. Her chocolate brown hair was swept haphazardly into a random arrangement on her head, some strands held loosely in a ponytail while others escaped the confines to trail down her back or caress her neck.
She was flawless.
Mine. I had to make her mine. There was no way I could let this beauty, mi reina, get away.
Something about it scared me. It was far too intense and much too sudden.
Now what do I do?
Frustration boiled in my blood, keeping my heart beating fast as I banged my forehead against my arms where they were folded on the window frame, wishing there was some guidebook for this sort of thing. Looking through the window again, I saw that she was now talking to an old gentleman. Her eyes were sparkling with mirth and warmth. Before my brain could send any order, I had opened the door and entered the small shop.
What was I doing here?
"If you are looking for the young lady, she is on the way to the bookshelves at the rear." The old man was looking at me, clearly amused by my lost look.
"Well, aren't you going to talk to her? Where is your courage, young man?" He muttered on the way to the coach at the corner.
"Yeah… thanks." I hurried to the direction the old man pointed at and just in time to see that the ladder she was standing on was wobbling dangerously and she was on the verge of falling.
I was frozen. I couldn't let her get hurt in any way. I rushed to the bottom of the ladder and got her with not a second to spare. My heart raced at the thought of what could have happened. I was happy that it was my shoulder and not her head that hit the bookshelf opposite. It was better if the bruises were on me than on any part of her.
Are you alright?" My voice was still hoarse with the fright.
"Yeah." She was still recovering from the fall. "I—I—oh my God. I-errr- fell."
I opened my mouth to greet her when she turned around and looked direct at my eyes for first time. The words were suddenly gone. The speech I had rehearsed like a lovesick puppy vanished from my mind like a wily vapor. I cleared my throat, wanting to try again, but there was only silence. My mind only registered the soft and fragile body against mine, the tantalizing and sweet strawberry scent from her hairs next to my face and the fathomless and warmth of her chocolate eyes. I couldn't make myself turn away even if I had wanted to.
"I know." Trying not to behave like an idiot, I gave a hesitant laugh. Sensing the tenseness of her body, I checked. "Are you hurt?".
"I'm good. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ehm…crash on you. I—could you get me down?" she asked shyly.
"Oh, I am sorry." Feeling like a true idiot, I immediately set her feet back on the ground before straightened up myself. My hands hardly left her back when she sagged against me once again. Her head was cushioned on my shoulder and her breath was short and rapid.
"Are you okay?" Scared that she might be hurt by the fall, I tried to push away her hairs to have a look at her hidden face.
"Head rush," she whispered against my ear. The air escaped my lungs with a soft whoosh. Relieved that she was not hurt, I let myself get lost in her closeness.
She stepped back after a while, "Thank you for saving me from being a cripple for life." her face scarlet and refused to look at me.
"So it was an accient, and I thought it was premeditated." Realizing my behavior had been way out of line and had not be welcomed by her, I gave a classic joke to defuse the tension between us.
She looked up and surprised at the typical pick-up line.
"What are you looking for?" she said politely after a long silence.
"Maybe you can tell me where Shakespeare is?" I made it up.
"They are in the second last row from the end." She started to turn away.
"My name is Edward, by the way," I hastily introduced myself "Edward Cullen."
"Pleasure meeting you, I'm Bella Swan." She stuck out her hand and I automatically shook it. I was unprepared for the electric current that passed between us. I looked into her eyes. This nymph-goddess had cast an irrevocable spell over me. The merriment of finding my destiny overcame all logical thoughts and I burst out.
"You feel that? I think we have a connection."
"I need to get this book to Mr. Lucas. Feel free to tour around." She immediately withdrew her hands from mine and hurried put a distance between us and she hit a table of books behind. Without waiting for my reply, she stumbled away.
I slowly closed my eyes and leaned against the bookshelf behind. I took a deep breath and tried to regulate my riot heartbeats. It was the first time I felt it – a sadness that pierced right through my heart. My thoughtless tongue had frightened away the girl of my dream. I decided to turn on the Cullen charm that had worked on every single female before her.
Play it cool, Edward!
How's it going? Nah. That's too original.
How's your day been? Nope. She's been working at the bookstore all day.
Argh! I was at a complete loss for words. What if she rejected me? What if she only talks to me just to be polite, since that was her job? What if there's an unending awkwardness between u? What if--?
I was starting to get nervous. I was never any good talking to girls aside from my friends, mainly because most of them, albeit the fan girls, would do the talking all the time, but this was different. My hands started to sweat. Not allowing another moment of hesitation, I grasped a book and went to the cashier.
The old man was just leaving when I approached the counter. I put the book on the desk. I looked at her and I was lost.
"Go out with me sometime." Did I say that?
She was taken by surprise and whispered "Excuse me?"
"How about tomorrow night?" What had I done? I acted like a complete moron.
"That's 11.99, please," she held out her hand.
"Edward, hurry it up. Mom and Dad are waiting." Alice's voice suddenly appeared at my side and I knew my time was up.
"Say yes, please" I handed my visa to her and begged.
"Um, no?" she uttered nervously.
"Come now, I really think we are meant to be!" I tried my last attempt.
"Did you pick the line from the classic section?" she said, her eyebrows raised high
"You say no now, but I think it's a good idea. We'll be friends, first." I persisted, desperate that I would be denied of the only chance of getting to know my girl
"I don't even know him" she looked at Alice despondently.
"Come on, Edward," Alice grabbed my arm and dragged me out. I could only say a goodbye before the door closed on us.
"What were you doing out there? Are you nut? I never saw you behave like that. You'd scared her." Alice reprimanded.
"Did I?" I whispered. I put my head into my hands and could only think of one thing.
I screw up bad this time.
Do you think Edward is stupid? I think he is sweet