Love hurts more than hate.
- Michael Todd
"What happened?" I asked as I fetched the first aid kit from my bag.
"Emmett Cullen happened," Rosalie spat her eyes heating.
"It's just a busted lip and a cut, Rosie," Jasper said and I handed Rosalie the kit. She quickly started to wipe the blood away. Jasper had a deep cut underneath his right eyes. She poured some peroxide on a pack of cotton balls and started to gently dab the cut.
"It doesn't matter, Jazz. You just can't pick a fight whenever you want! You have to use your brain sometimes," Rosalie scolded and started to unpeel a bandage. He rolled his dark blue eyes and pushed the hair out of his eyes.
I sat on the bench next to Jasper, sandwiching him.
"Thanks for coming, Bella. You're the only person I knew who carries a first aid kit with them at all times," Rosalie said flashing me a smile.
"Well it's nice to know my clumsiness comes in handy," I joked.
"I hope I didn't interrupt you from anything," Jasper said sullenly.
"No, of course not," I said and checked out his lip. It didn't look too bad. He wasn't in bad shape except for the cut and lip. He had a light bruise on the side of his left eye, but it was barely visible.
"How'd you get here so fast anyway?" Rosalie asked as she gently placed the bandage on the cut. I could see Rosalie pure look of relief. She worried for her reckless brother. He worried me too. I could kill him sometimes.
"I was already in the park. I decided to take a walk. Enjoy the few days of summer left," I said softly the fear and nerves already seeping through my voice.
"Hey, you've been in Forks the whole summer. School will be a breeze," Jasper said as he gently pushed my shoulder. I offered a smile and Rosalie put the stuff back in the small plastic box and handed it back to me.
I opened my bag and pushed it in before attaching it on my back once again.
"Yea I guess. Ouch, he got you pretty bad," I said knowing Emmett's size and knowing if he threw a punch it was bound to pack about twenty pounds of muscle behind it.
"Eh, wasn't too bad. I got in a few good ones myself. His eye's gonna be black for a while," Jasper said smiling like a chessy cat. Rosalie smacked his arm, hard.
"Ow! What the—"
"This is not something to be proud of! This isn't a joke. He really could have hurt you," she scolded and her voice raised an octave. Her eyes were tear filled but she wouldn't cry. Rosalie never cried.
"I'm sorry, Rose," Jasper apologized knowing his limits with Rosie and knowing when not to push too far.
"You scared me," she bit out glaring daggers at him. He shrugged and stood up.
"That's cause I'm not living life, fearing them," he said calmly and walked away. We sat there staring at his tall form as he walked away and down the park trail.
Rosalie sighed and let her head fall in her hands. I scooted closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders. She laid her head on my shoulder and stared blankly ahead. I smoothed her golden blonde hair. Rosalie was always worried about her brother. He was her twin. They connected in the weirdest way possible.
I've seen it since I was 7. When I really started to notice how strong a bond my cousins shared. It was as strong as nature itself. You couldn't break it.
"I don't know what to do. God, Bella he's scares me when he gets into these damn rumbles. He's so childish. He acts like he has to continue the whole damn war that they started," she babbled and lose blond curls fell into her face as she sat up straight. I knew who they were.
The generation before us, and the generation before them and so on.
"Look Rose, things are hard for him right now. I mean it doesn't help that both our grandfathers keep filling his head with all their hatred. He has one more year, you both do. Then you guys can leave here, forever and perhaps do a better job than my father," I said with a smile and she laughed. A few of the teenage boys playing Frisbee were distracted as they looked over at her.
Rosalie was a beautiful person. She had looks and confidence and beauty of the soul.
"Ah, Bella, at least your father tried. He wanted to raise his family away from this, not my dad. My dad only feeds him more wood to the already burning fire. It never ends," Rosalie sighed.
"It's not like that at all. My dad hates them as much as yours. The only reason he moved was for my mother. The only reason he came back was for granddad. You know how his heart problems are acting up on him," I said softly and stared at the dirt path in front of me.
"Yea, but you only witnessed a summer of trouble," she breathed and stood up.
"Rosie—"
"Forget it, Bella. I'm gonna go check on Jazz," she snapped quickly and walked away. I sighed. I felt like pulling my hair out. I couldn't do anything right by her. I knew what she felt. She felt like I was an outsider trying to understand.
She had enough of that.
I was at a total lost when it came to her.
A cool summer breeze decided to make itself present at the moment. With it, it brought all the wonderful scents of summer. Sunshine, grass, fresh dirt, and sweets of all kind. I pulled my back pack out and opened it until I took out the novel I wanted.
Rosalie and Jazz called me a bookworm to the core. I agreed. If there was one thing I knew, was that books were the best escape. To live as someone else if only for a moment was the best.
But my mind couldn't focus on the words. It drifted off.
Drifted off to when I moved here. When I had to put up with a grumbling grandfather. Every sentence he spoke cursed the damn Cullen's into the seventh layer of Hades.
I drifted off to when I first saw the first Cullen. The tiny Alice. She was perky and laughing in the only mall in forks. I watched as she passed the small bookstore with a group of girls and a tall blonde boy she was hanging on.
She was small and gorgeous. Her hair short with different color spikes. I remember as she glanced at me with eyes that were bright and cheery. In the same second she looked away and rushed off.
I remember when I first saw Emmett Cullen. I was sitting in the bleachers of the school waiting for Rosalie when he and a group of guys came into the field. All laughing and pushing each other around like a bunch of jocks. He was tall and so big I actually shivered in fear. His hair was dark and curly and he looked up at me.
His eyes were full of laughter and he wore a bright smile. He took one look at me and then turned and hit one of his buddies in the head. He stole the football and started to run away.
I remember seeing Carlisle. I had sliced my hand while helping my mother with dinner. She rushed me over to the hospital and I sat in the waiting room while my mother talked to the receptionist. My hand was covered in a bloody towel and he walked in. He was tall, but unlike his children he was blonde. He walked in, talked with one of the other patients in the waiting room, and walked out. He didn't even glance at me but I knew he saw me.
I remember meeting Esme. I was shopping for ingredients for one of my mother's crazy recipes and I bumped carts with her. The force made me stumbled backward and I let go of the cart falling on the floor. She rushed over and helped me up, apologizing the whole time in her sweet tender voice.
I could tell her children picked up her traits. Her hair was dark and her skin pale. Her eyes were a bright hazel. She took a glance at me. Forced a tight smile and walked away.
The only Cullen I had yet to meet was Edward Cullen. I didn't know how he looked or where he hung out. I only knew his name.
He was a loner, Rose had said. He was the odd one out, Jasper had told me.
"Isn't it kind of hard to read when you're not looking at the words?" a soft voice asked and I was broken out of my reverie. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and looked for the source of the voice.
I could be cheesy in my description of the boy, but I wouldn't bother. To say he was gorgeous would be an understatement.
He smiled lifting one side more than the other. A crooked smile.
I blushed and closed my book.
"I was distracted," I answered.
"May I ask by what?" he said lightly.
"Just…some things," I said and sighed.
"Was it a boy?" he asked smiling wider. He was teasing me. I laughed and looked at him. His bright green eyes twinkled with mischief. The breeze blew again sending the small trickles of hair that landed in his face to flutter.
"A little," I said not knowing why I was even talking to him.
"Ah, and does this mysterious boy have a name," he asked.
"I haven't met a person who doesn't?" I said a bit confused. He laughed this time.
"True, but sometimes if you admire someone from afar you don't know the name," he explained. I blushed again.
"I don't admire him. It's the farthest thing from that," I said softly and looked down at my book. I gently strummed my fingers on it making a steady rhythm. I looked around and noticed that the buzz in the park had died down. The boys who had been playing had left and there were no longer couples walking past me. A few kids were playing tag a few yards away and there were distant sounds of dog barks in the air.
"I see," he said and leaned back on the bench.
"I doubt it," I said softly.
"Is he a Cullen?" the boy asked raising an eyebrow. I eyed him skeptically. This town was small, I knew that. But I wasn't aware on how many people actually knew of the rivalry.
"Maybe," I said and he laughed.
"And you're the newest member of the Swan family?" he asked.
"How do you even know this?" I asked.
"Sweets, this isn't a big city. This is the town with gossiping families in every corner. It's hard not hear the latest subject of gossip," he sighed.
"So then, give me the 411," I said and turned to face him. He laughed and let his head fall back.
"Okay, but this is just going by gossip. Um let's see. Well there is the news that Charles son has moved back, bringing back with him his wife, Renee, and his lovely daughter, Isabella. So with the move of more Swans the tension has grown between the two families. Am I right so far?" he asked raising his head and cocking an eyebrow.
"You're good," I said and he smiled the simple crooked smile once again.
"Of course I am."
"So you know me, who are you?" I asked.
"Why don't you just call me Anthony for now," he said and winked. I blushed again.
"So what's your preference? Isabella, Bell, Bella, what?" he asked.
"I prefer Bella," I said.
"Okay, then. Well your nothing compared to the rumors going on about you," he said. I raised my eyebrows in question.
"Oh well some say you're lovely, other said you look like you crawled from under a rock," he said and I flinched a bit. Ouch.
"What do you say?" I asked.
"Well that's for me to keep. But I don't agree with the latter," he said and I blushed again.
"Well, thanks, I guess," I said softly.
"So what Cullen boy was annoying you?" Anthony asked and I looked to meet his eyes. His green eyes matched the scenery in this small town. They were so bright.
"Edward," I admitted without giving much thought. He raised his eyebrows.
"Why?" he blurted.
"I don't really know, but he was the boy I was thinking about," I answered.
"Have you met him?"
"No. That's sorta why I was annoyed. I mean, like you said this town is pretty small so how I kept avoiding him, I have no idea," I said and leaned back.
"Ever think he was avoiding you?" Anthony questioned.
"Maybe. I shouldn't let him bother me anyway," I said and started to put my book in my back pack once again.
I stood up from the wooden bench and turned to face Anthony. He raised an eyebrow at me.
"I should get going. It's getting pretty late. I'll see you around then," I said and he nodded.
"Yes, most likely," he said and flashed another smile.
I nodded and started to walk away.
"Uh, Bella?" he called and I turned shortly. He rose a finger a beckoned me over. Curious I slowly walked back toward him.
"Yes," I asked when I stood right in front of him.
"Well, I was wondering if you could do a favor for me," he said slowly and ran a hand threw his hair as he leaned back on the bench.
"I don't—"
"It's not a big one. Just answering a question," he interrupted me. I took the bait and sat back down.
"Okay, shoot."
"Alright well. It seems no one really knows why the Swans and Cullens hate each other except…that it's been going on for generations. Do you know?" he asked and I pursed my lips while I thought.
"Growing up…I was to believe that the Cullens were dirty lying cheaters. I know the recent heat is from faulty business deals. To be honest, I don't even think I know," I said letting a breath out and placed my hands on my knees.
"Do you believe their dirty lying cheaters?" he asked and it was quiet while he waited for an answer.
"I've never had proof, but I've never had reason not believe my grandfather, or my father," I said and quickly stood up. I started to walk away without a good bye; because I wasn't too sure I liked Anthony.
"Thank you, Bella," he called and I turned my head slightly to see him. I only nodded and continued walking home.
~0~o~0~o~
"You should have stayed in your desert. I don't see why she has to come and go to school—"
"With those devil children," I finished for my grandfather as I placed a quick kiss on his cheek. He turned his head to get a look at me and glared.
"Dad," my father sighed and Granddad snapped.
"Don't you, Dad, me. I didn't ask you to come home Charlie!"
"Hey, no more fighting. I'll be fine. I can hold my own," I said and grabbed a muffin from the basket on the kitchen table.
"See she has smarts," my mother said as she entered the kitchen. There was a faint car horn from outside.
"Well that's my queue. I'll see you later, love yous," I quickly said as I made my way to the front door. I could hear Granddad throw warnings behind me but ignored them. Today would be tough enough without him having a fit.
The last weekend of summer had flown before my eyes. I hadn't had any encounters with Anthony any more, but I had been spending time in the park, hoping to run into him again. I didn't know, why, but I wanted to see him again.
But in a blink I was sitting on a park bench, now I'm sitting in the back seat of Jasper's car.
Rosalie chatted about some of her friends and her latest crush. She fixed her makeup and scolded me for not wearing any. Jasper fiddled with the radio, switching from some sort of indie band, to rock band, to rap.
I would never understand his taste in music. Pretty soon we were in the school.
It was while looking for my first class where I saw him. He was leaning against a locker talking with a group of kids. His red hair played in his face and he shot a smile to a girl who was fiddling with her hair and then he looked up.
He saw me. His green eyes sparkled and I looked down at my schedule to see what class I was heading to. I turned and started to walk away.
"Hey," he called and his voice echoed in the nearly empty halls.
I slowed and he caught up.
"Where you headed?" he asked as he matched my footsteps.
"Room, 312. I said and looked at the doors.
"Well if you're not careful people will mistake you for a freshman. I mean do you even know what they do to freshman here?" he asked. He was teasing me again.
"Well then I'm just going to have to duck my way out of trouble. People usually ignore me anyway," I sighed.
"Do you want help?" he asked.
"Are you offering?"
"Are you taking it?"
I narrowed my eyes and sighed because the first bell had rung and if I didn't get to class in three minutes I was going to be late.
"Fine. Where is it?" I asked and he flashed a smug smile. He walked me to the class room and when I expected him to walk away he flashed me a wicked smile opened the door and walked in.
I stood there for a moment, but opened the door and walked in behind him. He had already taken a seat in the back of the class and he looked bored and careless.
The class looked up and I caught a few dirty looks from the class mates. I suspected they were on the Cullen's side and instantly hated me.
The teacher, whatever her name was stared at me for a moment and then turned to the bored.
I walked to the back and took the only empty seat.
The one next to Anthony.
He didn't talk to me or even look at me. I didn't know why, but the class seemed to sneak looks our way. Then the whispering came and the note passing.
"Mr. Cullen, do you mind answering the next question?" the teacher asked.
I looked around the class for a moment, expecting Emmett Cullen to pop out somewhere or finally meet the elusive Edward Cullen, when the answer came from next to me.
Anthony had answered the question, but…
I sank in my seat dumbfounded. The whispering and the looks finally made sense. But the behavior in the park and offering to take to my class wasn't. He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. I didn't look at him. I looked straight ahead and wished I was anywhere but here.
I could feel the anger boiling and my eyes started to prickle with tears, because I cried when I was angry. I bit them back and started at the clock.
He was Edward Cullen. He lied and acted like a friend.
He was an enemy.
But that wasn't what I was angry about. I was angry because for the first time I doubted my grandfather.
I was angry because I wished he wasn't the enemy.
And that was wrong.
- - -
Okay, I know I told you that this chapter was finished and I would post it up soon…well that was true…but then I felt that the chapter I had written was all wrong so I had to rewrite the chapter. This is the rewritten version. I would have posted it earlier except my internet wasn't working in my laptop (where I held my stories), but I got it fixed for now and was able to switch the chapters to my main computer. So now everything is in order and I can now update.
Anyway. Let me know what you think of the story.
BTW: I know lots of you think I'm trying to recreate Romeo and Juliet but that's not true. Romeo and Juliet gave me inspiration for this story but I will never be able to do the story justice so instead I took all the forbidden romance stories I know and jumbled them together.
REVIEW!! Please
Twilightholic-Tanya