In the essential prose
of things, the apple tree
stands up, emphatic
among the accidents
of the afternoon, solvent,
not to be denied.
-- The Apple Tree by Wendell Berry
Where the Wild Apples Grow
Chapter Seven: In Which She Blushes
I immediately tried to sniff the air around him to see if it smelled like cigarette smoke; it didn't. Instead, it smelled oddly like clovers and grass. My eyebrows pulled together; did he use cologne to cover it up? Did Carlisle know that he smoked?
I was interrupted from my sniffing by Edward's voice.
"Good afternoon, Bella." He smiled at me, one side of his mouth higher than the other.
And I was blushing, because he was smiling at me and he had a face that wasn't ugly.
"Hello, Edward." I smiled at him as well, trying to smile crookedly like he did.
He nodded his head politely at me in return.
Aunt Esme began to pray, and everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes except for me. I took it as a chance to study Edward with his eyes closed.
"Dear Lord," Aunt Esme began. Edward's eyes twitched. "Thank You for the wonderful day yesterday." His eyelashes were incredibly long. And dark. Very dark, long eyelashes. Almost like a girl's. A girl would kill for those eyelashes. "And I am so very glad that nobody broke anything." A couple of muffled laughs. "Thank You also for providing this wonderful meal for us, and providing the opportunity for our beloved friends to visit us as well." Edward's lips twitched into a small smile. I held my breath. "Amen."
I quickly glanced away from Edward's face, and back across the table. Alice was looking at me with an eyebrow raised, almost like she could sense that I had watched him. I blushed, practically feeling the sweat dripping from my arm pits. I looked down at the table.
Aunt Esme began passing around all the food. When Edward passed me eggs, his fingertips grazed mine, and I felt fire race up my spine and down my body. I felt my face turn pale for once instead of red. I didn't take any and quickly passed it over to Alice.
It was quiet for a moment as everyone took their first few bites.
Carlisle began. "So, Isabella –"
"It's Bella, actually." Edward interrupted.
We all looked at him, surprised.
He shrugged at us. "What? That's her name."
"Alright, Bella. Are you excited for your first day of school tomorrow? First day of high school, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm kind of excited. A little nervous though." I gave a small smile, and but some bacon in my mouth.
"Yeah, starting a new school – especially high school – has got to be tough. I moved around a lot when I was your age, so I know how you feel." He smiled brightly at me, and I gave him another small smile.
"Don't worry, Carlisle." Alice said. "I'll be there to help her out." She winked and smiled at me. I smiled at her as well. "And so will Edward. Won't you, Edward?" She gave him a knowing look, and he laughed. I tried hard not to glare in embarrassment at Alice.
"Sure." He replied, still laughing. "I'll tell her all the boys she needs to avoid, because they'll –"
"Not at the table, Edward." Carlisle reprimanded.
Edward just laughed, while I blushed furiously.
Thankfully, I think Esme knew that I was in distress, and she turned the subject away from me starting school to when our stuff would arrive in the moving van.
"Bella, I think your stuff will be here in the next couple of days. I heard they got lost, but they'll be here soon. Don't worry if you run out of clothes. You can borrow some of Alice's things or we can take you shop—"
Alice's excited squeal interrupted her. "Yes! We'll take you shopping! That would be so much fun! We could be like sisters. Of course, I'd be the older sister and you'd be the younger sister. I've always wanted a little sister, you know. This would be the perfect opportunity to –"
"Um, y-you guys don't need to buy me anything." I said, mindful of what my mother's argument with Aunt Esme a while ago. "Really. You've done so much for me and my mom already."
Aunt Esme smiled, and I tried to ignore Edward's eyes on me.
"It will be no problem, Bella. You're my little brother's daughter." She gave me a look that made it seem like we were the only two in the room, until I broke the eye contact and put another piece of bacon in my mouth.
The only noise for a while was the sound of knives and forks against plates.
"I thought the message at church today was a good one." Carlisle said.
"Absolutely." Aunt Esme gave him what I honestly could describe as a flirtatious smile. Geesh, I could see what Alice meant. She was so obvious.
Alice gave me a smirk from across the table, and covered her mouth to hide her laughter. I glanced at Edward, and he was trying to stifle laughter as well.
Carlisle and Aunt Esme proceeded to have a very flirtatious conversation. They obviously thought they were being sly. I was amused to see that Edward and Alice had tears streaming down their faces from trying not to laugh. First Alice would let out a giggle, and then Carlisle would glance at her with a quizzical look on his face and then put his hand quickly on Aunt Esme's arm, which made Edward snort, which made Alice try not to laugh harder.
I had to admit, I was feeling the tiniest, little bit jealous of their companionship. But it didn't matter, I told myself, in the long run. Because he was graduating this year anyways, and then I would never see his face – or his crooked smile – again.
With that in mind, I watched the banter of the four with tolerant amusement, until the eggs grew cold and the bacon disappeared, until the milk left stains on the glass cups, and until the clock turned its hands to three o'clock.
Carlisle stood up first. "Well, I guess we better get going."
Edward stood up as well. "Yeah, we should." He glanced at Alice, and she giggled. I bit my lip.
"Thank you for the wonderful lunch, Esme." Carlisle gave her a quick hug.
I wasn't sure about it, but I thought I could hear her sniffing him.
I guess it ran in the family.
--
"Alright girls," Aunt Esme said as soon as the door shut behind them. "You don't have to do the dishes. Alice, go help Bella with her school stuff, and get her ready for school tomorrow, okay?"
"Of course, Mother. Thank you." She kissed Aunt Esme's cheek, grabbed my hand, and dragged me up the stairs.
She started talking when we were halfway up. "I know it must suck starting school as soon as you get here" – she looked back at me – "but, it is my duty as your blood relative to make that transition as easy as possible for you. So don't you worry about thing, okay, Bella?" She tugged me around a corner and led me to her room.
It looked exactly the same as yesterday. Not that I was expecting much difference.
"So, yeah, this is my room. I bet you were expecting something pink, right?"
I blushed.
"Aha, got you, didn't I?" She smiled at me and then went over to her closet. "I'm sorry I forgot to give you your school supplies earlier, but with the whole picking thing this weekend, well…you know." She gave me a knowing smile.
I nodded.
"You can't help but forget. Right." I agreed.
She smiled brightly. "I picked it all out for you. I thought you might like light blue colors and brown. Am I right?" I nodded, and she handed me several grocery bags. "I already put your name on them, and all the other boring stuff."
I took them all. "Well, thanks." I gave her a half-smile. "That was really nice of you."
"No problem."
A pause.
"Well, if that's all…"
"Of course that's not all! Go put that stuff in your room, and then come back here. We're going to pick out your first day of school outfit!"
I felt a little queasy. "But…I already have…"
"Bella, really. I have the perfect thing in mind for you." She pleaded with me with her eyes. And then I remembered the conversation earlier, when she said she always wanted a little sister.
"Alright." I sighed. "Do you have a backpack for me?"
"Oh! Right!" She went back to her closet and pulled out a nondescript tan backpack. "This seemed your style."
She was right. "Thanks."
"Alright, go on and come right back!" She smiled and me and turned back to flip through her clothes.
"Okay." The bags were starting to make red marks on my arms, and I quickly went back to my room and put them on my bed. I stood there for a second, catching my breath. I went back to Alice's room.
She already had several outfits lined up on her bed.
"Geesh, that was fast." I commented as I sat down in a black rolly chair.
"One of my many talents." Alice put her hands on her hips. "So which one do you think is the best? No, actually, pick two of your favorites, and then we'll try those on and then you can pick the one you think is best."
"Alright…" I looked at them nervously. I immediately skipped over the ones with the skirts, which crossed out three of the seven. I thought about the one with the vest, before crossing the one of as well. I disliked the one with the Cookie Monster t-shirt, so that left the slightly fuzzy white sweater and brown pants and the tank top with a jean jacket and jeans with holes in them.
"I kind of like those two." I pointed at them.
"I thought you might." She said and handed them to me. "Go change in the closet. It's a walk-in, so you should have enough room."
I took them carefully and walked over and shut the door behind me. I looked at all the racks of clothes and shoes in awe, and wondered how she could navigate through them so fast to pick out clothes for me.
"Alright in there, Bella?"
"Yeah, fine." I took off my current outfit and put the jacket one on first. I kind of liked the white sweater one better, so I was saving that one last. When I finished tugging on the jeans, I fixed my hair back up again, and stepped out.
Alice was in my seat, waiting impatiently.
She squealed, "Oh! Bella! That looks fabulous on you! Do you like it?" She wheeled a mirror over to me. I stared at her in surprise. She had a mobile mirror? "What do you think?"
I pivoted, and looked at myself critically. "I think the jacket is a little big on me."
She pursed her lips. "Yeah, you're right. But I still think it looks great. We can always find a different jacket. Go try on the other outfit."
I nodded and headed back in. I took off those clothes, folded them, and put them on the floor. When I grabbed the sweater off the floor, a light blue camisole that I hadn't noticed before fell off of it. I put that on first, and then the fuzzy sweater.
It was so soft. I felt cocooned in its warmth. I loved it immediately. I put on the brown pants. They felt like velvet. I rubbed my hand on it. Yes, definitely velvet.
I fixed my hair again back in a ponytail and went back out.
Alice gasped and didn't say anything.
"I really like this one." I said quietly, softly feeling the sweater.
"It looks perfect on you." She smiled and moved the mirror over to me.
My mouth fell open.
The sweater nicely contrasted with my brown hair, and it seemed like it made my eyes look bigger. The pants, instead of making look like a stick, seemed to make me look graceful. I smiled at myself.
"It would look better if you put your hair down." Alice said.
I did as she said. Of course it was messy, but she was right.
"It makes you look older." She smiled.
"Yeah, it does."
"I think we've found your first day of school outfit. You can wear the jean jacket for the second day."
I nodded, still feeling the soft sweater.
--
After dinner, and where my mother still didn't come out of her room, I took a shower and went to bed. Nervous butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and the tears fell down slowly down my face.
Aww, poor Bella.
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Just to tell me what you think, of course. :)
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