But I tell you,
When it comes to pleasin' me,
It 's the dearest in the orchard,--
Is that old apple-tree.
--The Old Apple Tree by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Where the Wild Apples Grow
Chapter Six: In Which She Stays

Aunt Esme and Alice went to church the next morning. My mother and I stayed behind, citing the reason that we were both tired from all those people from yesterday and that we still had some unpacking to do. Well, at least Mom did. I had finished after everyone went home yesterday and we packed up all the apples to cart to other places.

I stayed in my bedroom long after the sound of Aunt Esme and Alice shutting the door behind them quieted. I stared up at the ceiling, thinking about yesterday, and how after Edward had left, and I finally gathered the courage to go back, Alice's friends offered for me to sit with them.

And what could have I said but yes? I mean, yes, they were all intimidating – not to mention upperclassmen – but they were kind of nice to me as well.

I groaned and rolled over on my side. Why was I trying to look on the bright side of things, when all it would lead to was disappointment? I was sure I would eventually become a nuisance to them, despite Alice's apparent of her happiness of my being here. I would just wind up sitting alone anyway. The sad little freshman sitting with the popular upper classman because her older cousin felt sorry for her. How pathetic.

If I saw that in a movie, I would so stop watching it.

Somehow, my thoughts lead from that back to Edward.

Edward. A different name, a different kind of face then what you usually saw around everyday mortals. A plethora of mix-matched puzzle pieces somehow managing to fit together to create his face.

I wondered if I would see him tomorrow, and then I blanched.

My first day of high school.

It kind of made me sad – okay…a lot sad – that Dad wasn't here to see me off. He had been excited for me to finally take that final step on my way to Adultdom. He made me watch all these 80s movies about high school – classics like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink – and then disparage them to me, and then tell me what high school was really like.

But at least I didn't have my braces anymore. That would've been too much for me. I'm sure Aunt Esme would've loved to home school me… Well, at least I think so. My mom? Not so sure.

Aunt Esme had said last night at dinner that Mom didn't have to get a job, considering recent events and all, and that we were family, and we took care of each other. Because that's what family does – protects their own.

I had to admit, I felt pretty patriotic at that moment.

I lay back against my pillows, and watched the sunlight dance on the ceiling. It was so quiet. The silence pressed down on my ears. But it was so peaceful. I felt warm, covered up in my blankets, snuggled up in my cotton nightgown. It still fit from sixth grade, which my mother found astonishing.

I glanced at the clock. Eleven o'clock. Aunt Esme had said they would be back around noon, and that if I wanted anything to eat, there were plenty of leftovers in the fridge. I shrugged to myself. I wasn't all that hungry at the moment.

I went back to watch the shadows play with each other.

Hey, Dad. First day of high school tomorrow. Wish you were here. I miss you. I wonder if you can even hear me. Bella.

I sighed and tried to stop the tears from coming. I was strong, wasn't I? I didn't have to cry.

I stood up and went over to get Dracula. I shivered because the hardwood floor was freezing on my bare feet. I would seriously have to get some slippers sometime soon. Maybe I had some in my boxes.

I hoped those movers came here soon. I was getting pretty tired of the clothes that I had with me. I climbed back onto my bed, settled under the covers, and began to read about the seductive world of vampires.

---

I was broken out of my trance by a knock on the door. I looked, surprised, at the clock. Twelve forty-five? Already?

"Can I come in?" Alice.

"Sure. Come in."

Alice opened the door, and she bounced in and on top of my bed. She was wearing a pretty white dress, with lace embroidered at the hem. She smelled pretty; it was kind of a fruity, like melon or mixed berries. It was almost as nice as Aunt Esme's vanilla scent.

"'Sup, Bella?" She asked, a smile on her face.

"Nothing much. Just reading." I held my book up as evidence.

"Dracula? Seriously?" She shuddered. "Sorry. I read that in tenth grade – never again. Malknecht killed it. I mean, at first it was kind of cool, but then it was all and what's the symbolism of this or why do you think Dracula was attracted to Mina --gah. It was too much." She sighed.

"Um…okay." I looked nervously at her and then back at my book, not sure if she was going to take it from me or rip it into pieces.

"Sorry. I get a little over-excited about…everything." She laughed, and I smiled lightly at the sound. She had a pretty laugh. "But you'll get used to it, living with me. Oh, and beware when I PMS. I'm pretty evil." And she gave me this happy giggle that made me believe otherwise.

We paused for a second, just looking at each other. I was itching to get back to my book. It was just reaching the climax…

"So, what did you want?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just checking in on you." She smiled and looked at me.

I nodded at her, she at me.

"Okay, then." Knowing I was being rude, but not thinking of any other way to tell her to leave, I turned back to my book. Looked back up when saw she was still there, but her eyes not looking at me. I followed her eyes to the picture at my bedside table.

Me and my dad. I swallowed.

"You guys look happy in this picture." She commented after a while.

I nodded.

"You can tell he really loved you."

I nodded again, swallowing my tears, refusing to show them in front of Alice.

She looked at me again. "You're lucky you knew your dad, at least for a while. I have no idea where mine is. He left when I was, like, two months old. Or so I'm told."

My eyes sought hers. "Are you sad?" I whispered.

She shook her head. "Nope, not really. I mean, if I never knew him, how could I miss him?" She shrugged at me, her normally-happy eyes growing serious for a moment, before they brightened back up again. "Oh! I remember! We're having lunch in about forty-five minutes. Be warned – we have guests! So go get dressed, Bella."

Alice launched off the bed, and smiled at me again before closing the door behind her.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the headboard. Crap. Visitors. I hoped this didn't happen every Sunday. I looked back down at the page, and back at the clock. Well, surely I had enough time to just finish the next few pages…

---

The next time I looked back at the clock, I saw I only had about two minutes to get downstairs and get dressed. I flew off the bed, book-marked my page, and got out a bra (though I didn't really need one), Ole Miss sweatshirt, and jeans. I had no idea where I got it, considering that neither of my parents went there. It was just one of those things where it's always been there, and you never question it.

I shimmied my nightgown off, pulled on all my clothes and my hair back in a ponytail because I knew I didn't have enough time to brush it through to make it look nice. I pinched my cheeks and left before turning around and grabbing my fuzzy socks.

I skipped two steps at a time as I went downstairs. I jumped the last step, almost fell, but caught myself on the banister. I slid my socks on all the way up and continued into the living room. I was hit instantly with the smell of bacon and eggs. So we were having breakfast for lunch. Interesting.

I heard strange voices coming from the kitchen, and I went to investigate. I stopped short of the door and peeked around the corner. My mouth fell open – Edward, and another guy with blonde hair. It wasn't Jasper, though. Aunt Esme smiled up at him, and then spotted me.

"Bella! Come on in!"

I shut my mouth, blushing at the sudden looks my way. Edward glanced at me, and held my eyes for a moment. My heart beat stuttered, and I automatically put my hand up to my chest. I gave a pained smile.

"Bella, this is Carlisle. And I'm sure you met Edward yesterday." She smiled at Edward, and he patted her cheek familiarly. I raised my eyebrows, wondering how he got away with that, but then Carlisle started talking.

"Hello, Bella. Nice to meet you." He walked over to me, and shook my hand firmly, like Edward had. I wondered if they were father and son, but they looked to different for me to be sure.

"Hello…um…I'm not sure what to call you."

"Just call me Carlisle." He said, smiling, his eyes crinkling up at the corners.

"Okay…Carlisle." I smiled nervously. As soon as he let go of my hand, I went in search of Alice. I found in her in a room adjacent to the living room that I hadn't noticed before. I cleared my throat, and she looked up from where she was setting the table.

"So…who is that guy?"

The guy…oh. That's Carlisle."

"And who exactly is Carlisle?"

Alice raised her eyebrow at me. I would have to practice that in the mirror sometime.

She smirked at me. "He goes to our church. My mom kind of has a thing for him..."

"Seriously?" I turned around in the direction I had come from. "How old is that guy? Like, thirty?"

Alice laughed. "No, he's about forty-three."

My eyes bugged out. "No way."

"Way."

"But isn't Aunt Esme, like, thirty-six?"

"Yup." Alice said, lips popping on the p.

"Isn't that kind of old for her?" I asked timidly.

"Not for her, anyway, if the way she flirts with him is any indication. She thinks I don't see, but I see." Alice grabbed some salsa and threw it carelessly to the middle of the table. I waited a couple minutes, gauging her mood before I asked my next question.

"So you don't mind…if, you know, he marries Aunt Esme?"

"I don't know." Alice shrugged, not seeming bothered by my question. "I mean, I want for her to be happy, and if he makes her happy, then…" She shrugged again. "Who am I to say no to her happiness?"

I paused for another moment before asking another question. "So you won't think you'll be…I mean…you don't think that your father will be replaced? You won't be angry?"

Alice huffed, and I stopped, blushing, thinking I had gone too far.

But she wasn't angry. Well, not at me, anyway.

"Bella, no, I won't be angry."

Her tone ended the conversation, so I left it alone.

Just then, everyone from the kitchen came bustling in. My mother was a no show. I sighed, disappointed yet resigned. She didn't like meeting new people right now. Yesterday she had spent most of the day inside. When she did go out, it was a bit of a stretch to her.

"Alright everybody! Take your seats and then we'll pray…and then we feast!" There was a bustle as everyone went to claim where they would seat. And somehow, I ended sitting next to Edward.

Perfect.

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