Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight; all rights go to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N A special thanks to all of those who favorite and followed this story so far.
Also a shout out to those who have reviewed.
I am really sorry about how long it took to post this chapter! But I hope you enjoy! (:
Chapter Two, New York.
Esme's POV:
"An artist is always alone - if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness." ~ Henry Miller
2:37 am.
Is it really that late, well early? I inwardly groaned, looking down at my sketch book. I lazily flipped through the last six dozen of sketches, all Carlisle Cullen; various expressions and positions, and usually smiling; but there were some with that thoughtful expression of his. I've gotten to see the many faces Carlisle makes in the last couple of weeks; I never would have guessed my senior year would be so amazing.
Proving that I may be a little infatuated.
I rubbed my eyes and put my sketch book and pencils away. Dad recently has had a lady friend, but I don't think they are serious enough to be dating. So he has taken to sleeping at her house the past few nights. I feel strangely alone, the peaceful sound had an eerie undertone; like the peaceful atmosphere was silently waiting for the moment will be destroyed.
Carlisle's POV:
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." ~Helen Keller
I rolled over on my bed to see the time flashing brightly at me.
2:38 am.
I moved onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. I was excited to see Kate tomorrow, well today, even though it has only been a week since we left Oregon, I was itching to tell her about everything that has happened in the past four days. Somehow, I managed to fit in with this awesome group of people; and meet the most amazing girl. I was waiting till I saw Kate to tell her about Esme. Kate is going to freak out of course, but that's half the fun. Kate has always been there for me, and I knew if she could be able to meet Esme, she would love her.
Kate went off to college last year, and it was really hard with her leaving home. But she left for Washington State University. She decided we would meet in Seattle for a day. Charlie and Garrett are helping to cover for me. We are staying the night at Charlie's, whose parent's work on Saturdays, which is perfect for me to sneak out of Forks early tomorrow morning and spend the day with Kate. My dad will never know the difference when I show up to church on Sunday with Garrett and Charlie.
~000~
I walked outside to meet Esme, walking to school together has turned into a routine of ours; one I am highly thankful for. I sent a silent thankful prayer up to God as I waited for her to come outside. I haven't seen her come out from the roof since Monday, and I haven't asked her why. I feel like there is something that Charlotte, Renee, and Esme know that they haven't shared with the other guys. But I think everyone knows that there is something off, they just don't ask. Like it is better if everyone just pretends that they don't see the signs. Unlike the rest of them, I plan on finding out; because teenage girls don't usually wear the same clothes from the day before and carry a bag with tennis shoes and extra clothes, to sneak out of their houses in the morning. Isn't that type of thing reserved for sneaking into the house? It just doesn't make sense.
"Hey thoughtful, what's up?" Esme said grinning at me, amused.
"Oh, I was just thinking about how I am visiting Kate tomorrow." I said. It was the first thing that came to mind. I couldn't exactly tell her I was thinking about how I saw her on the roof that day. I was yet again amazed, yet slightly disturbed how easily I have learned to lie.
Esme stopped walking, "Whose Kate?"
I turned around to look at her, confused.
I haven't told her yet? Well I have been too busy trying to figure her out to tell her about myself.
"Oh, Kate's my sister."
Esme's POV:
I felt embarrassed for how I acted.
It's just his sister! I shook my head, trying to ward off the stupid feeling creeping up my spine.
"That's cool. I didn't know you had a sister." I started walking again.
Carlisle nodded his head, "Yeah she is attending Washington State."
"EEEEESSSSMMMMEEEEEEE!"
Someone screamed from behind us. Carlisle and I turned around to the obnoxious sound.
Renee, of course, I don't know anyone else as happy and loud as she is.
I smiled brightly at her, "Good morning Ren."
"GOOOD MOORNNINNGG!" Renee sang as she skipped over to Carlisle and I.
"Renee." Carlisle smiled at her, "You seem cheery." He stated.
"I am." Renee squealed happily.
I sighed dramatically, "Why?" I humored her. I knew she wanted to me to dig for the answers.
She smiled broadly, "We are going out to dinner tonight."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes! Charlie invited me out to dinner, but my mom wasn't too keen on us being alone, so I told her you were going!" Renee spoke enthusiastically.
"So I am going to be the third wheel?" This doesn't sound as great as she is making it sound.
Renee chuckled, as if I had asked a stupid question. "No silly! Carlisle is coming too!"
"I am?" Carlisle asked, a little shocked.
Renee frantically nodded her head, "Duh! Of course you are! Charlie is going to talk to you about it later!"
Carlisle's face was comical. He hasn't been here long enough to get used to Renee yet, she is very forward and energetic.
~000~
CLING CLING CLING
"I would like to make a toast!" Renee declared, clinging her fork to her class.
We were at dinner; Charlie had made a reservation at the Lodge. The four of us were overly dressed, but Ren had insisted that we do. We hadn't even been here five minutes before Ren declared the toast.
"Thank you." She smiled warmly at us, "Thank you for putting up with my crazy dress code and impromptu date."
My stomach flipped at the word date. It was a date, a group date, but a date.
A date with Carlisle Cullen… My inner monologue squealed the thought.
I glanced at Carlisle who was across from me, I smiled shyly at him. In Carlisle fashion he smiled confidently back at me, his smile had a way of calming my nerves.
Carlisle's POV:
Date…yes this is technically a date, but I wonder if Esme sees it that way?
As if she could hear her name in my thoughts she glanced over and smiled softly at me. My inner thoughts were going crazy at the sight. I didn't even need to think about it, her smile always pulls one from my lips.
Our food quickly arrived, and any feelings of awkwardness or tension that was there in the beginning of this date disappeared. Jokes and laughter filled the air; it felt like eating lunch at school together, relaxed and normal.
"It's getting kind of late, so I am afraid we are going to have to call it a night." Charlie said to the girls. "Garrett will be getting to my house soon and I don't trust him alone."
He spoke jokingly, but Garrett did have a strange sense of humor. Just yesterday he thought it would be funny to fill an unsuspecting student's backpack with whipped cream, but I was sure he wasn't going to find it to be as funny when he got in trouble; but Garrett always surprises me. He said it was just part of the joke and that you're not man enough if you can't take a punishment with a smile on your face and good humor.
"Ah, but
"It's not that late!" Renee whined.
Esme's POV:
Charlie smiled at her as he waved the waiter over. He began to pay for the check when both Carlisle and Renee called out.
"Hey! Let me pay half of that." Carlisle said to him.
Renee had her eyebrows raised, "I can pay for my meal."
I started to feel a little uncomfortable.
I don't have money to pay for this…
"No way, I can't let a girl pay!" Charlie scoffed.
Renee rolled her eyes, but she seemed pleased.
Carlisle smiled over at me, "I've got Esme and my meal covered." He spoke to Charlie, but looked at me the whole time.
He made me feel comfortable, safe, and taken care of. Something I wasn't used to feeling, and as great as it felt; it scared me.
After the boys paid we all walked out to the parking lot together. Charlie had driven us all here, so we all hunkered into his old faded red Chevy. It was packed, but somehow we all fit.
Carlisle's POV:
It was uneventful as we dropped the girls off, but Charlie seemed a little tense afterwards.
"Exciting evening." I mused aloud.
Charlie nodded his head, but he didn't say anything. I didn't want to push it, if he wanted to tell me he would. When we got back to his house Garrett was sitting on the front porch talking into his cell phone. He was smiling a goofy smile, he didn't even seem to notice us pulling into the drive way he was so distracted by his conversation.
Charlie smirked at me, "Fifteen bucks says he is talking to Charlotte."
I chuckled quietly, "I'm not betting against you on that, he is definitely talking to a girl."
Charlie laughed as we got out of the car, "Tell your girlfriend we said hello!" He hollered as we walked past Garrett into the house. Garrett rolled his eyes at Charlie, he just turned around and continued talking like we weren't there.
"My room is up the stairs to the left. I am going to grab some sleeping bags from the closet and meet you up there." Charlie said as he started to walk down a hallway.
The Swan house was pretty huge, a nice little white house. It was clean, almost too clean. When I found Charlie's room I had to laugh, for some reason I had expected it to look like the rest of the house, but of course it looked like a regular teenage room. It was a cluttered, but clean. His walls were a deep shade of green, I felt like I was outside in the forest by the color of it.
Esme would like this color. I thought instantly. It would also look good on, with her soft caramel colored hair and light complexion.
"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Charlie asked as he carried in multiple blankets and sleeping bags.
"How clean your room is." Again…the lying, I really need to get that under control. I am not sure if being able to lie about all things surrounding Esme is a good thing. I've never been able to pull off a lie until I met her. "I like the color." I added, this being truth.
Charlie nodded, "Reminds me of the forest."
I smiled, "That was my first thought." I almost sighed in relief that this was the truth, Esme had been my second thought.
"Ready for some action movies?" Garrett said as he came bounding up the stairs and into the room. He was grinning and I wasn't sure if it was just about action movies.
~000~
Since my father is unwilling to let me get a car until I graduate high school, Charlie is letting me use his truck to visit Kate. Dad is always going on about how having a vehicle is like a gateway to drugs, alcohol, and parties. I let it go; graduation isn't that far away now. I did get a job the moment I turned fifteen, so I have a good amount of money saved up, but that's going to be for college. I need to look into the jobs in Forks.
I walked into a little diner where Kate and I planned to meet up.
"CARLISLE!" My sister's voice reached me only seconds faster than her arms wrapped around me.
I hugged my sister back, "Kate!" I laughed at her ability to brighten my mood instantly. It is always like a shock when she walks into a room, instantly she lifts the moods of everyone around her.
She pulled me to the table she had been sitting at, "How's Forks? You've been so stingy on the details!" She gave me a fake glare.
"It's good, I met a lot of good friends. Charlie and Garrett are the ones who helped me sneak over here for the day. They are pretty gr-"
Kate put up her hand and interrupted me, "What's her name!? I could tell you were different after that second day of school; so spill!"
I grinned at my sister's ability to read me, "Esme. Her name's Esme."
Kate let out a girly squeal, "Tell me all about her!"
"She's really sweet, and kind of quiet. She is so kind and gentle, she reminds me of mom. She even has her soft caramel colored hair!" I stopped to smile at the memory of mom, "She's my age, we have first period together. She actually lives across the street, so we walk to school together every day. She is extremely creative, and apparently she paints and stuff, but she won't show anyone."
Kate was smiling, "She sounds nice."
We spent the rest of the day just sitting in the little diner, ordering little things whenever we got hungry. We talked of school and the little things going on in life. Kate talked about her new best friend Peter and she insisted to know more about Esme. She yelled at me for not having a photo of her, but I said the same things about Peter.
"Have you thought about it yet?" She asked me as we ate our dinner. We had been silent for the past ten minutes because the food had arrived.
I shrugged, "I want to, but New York seems really far away right now." I said quietly.
"You really like her, don't you?" Kate asked.
I was a little surprised by her question, but it suddenly gave me clarity. I nodded my head, "I really do."
~000~
It was hard to leave my sister again, but we promised to meet up at least once or twice a month and email as much as possible. I got back to Charlie's house around ten o'clock that night.
"Hey." I called out as I walked in the door, finding the two of them sitting in the living room playing Monopoly.
"How was your sis?" Garrett asked.
"Good, it was great seeing her. Thanks for covering for me."
"No problem, it's not fair that your dad is an a-" Charlie stuttered slightly, "a-a, a complete jerk."
Garrett and I laughed, as Charlie tried to defend himself, "I wasn't going to curse about a preacher!"
I had explained to them how my dad had a problem against nurses and doctors, and everyone in the medical profession; he said they all are trying to play God. He despises my sister for going to school to be a nurse. But he doesn't know that, that's exactly where I am planning on going. That little bit the guys don't know about. My ultimate dream is to be a doctor in New York City.
Esme's POV:
I should be classified as insane, you know, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I should know better, but apparently I haven't learned. I sob silently in the bathroom with the door locked, holding towels trying to keep the blood from flowing to the floor.
A/N Please review and let me know you thought! I love hearing your guy's thoughts and opinions! (: