Two things I feel like I should mention here:
1. The views of my characters in no way reflect my personal views. I don't wish to offend anyone. I just wish to tell a story about growth and tolerance. You'll see. Hopefully you'll stick with me on this.
2. I updated the rating to "M" from "T" because I figured the premise lends itself to… well, hot hate sex. And let's face it: hate sex is TASTY. I hope that makes people happy. It won't be the smutfest TOFTT is… this story actually HAS a plot, and it ain't in Edward's pants… okay, well maybe a little bit.
More at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own this biz-nass. I just write it for fun.
BPOV
I skipped out of class as quickly as I could. I was already late getting to Jake's house and I hated being late. When Mr. Allan had released us early from class, I had tried to get out of there as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, Bella in a hurry is usually "Clumsy Bella." I dropped several things while trying to shove everything back into my ratty messenger bag, and I could feel the hot embarrassment climbing my cheeks because I knew I had an audience.
I peeked up at Edward from beneath my bangs and saw him watching with a look of sarcastic amusement on his face. I kind of wanted to slap it off, but I knew he'd probably just think it was so funny that I was so affected by him.
Hurrying to the door, I almost died in shame as I tripped over myself and fell onto one knee, banging my elbow against one of the desks. A pair of black wingtip shoes stepped into my vision, but I refused to look up. I just sat there for a second, wishing with all my might that a hole would open beneath me and swallow me whole.
Edward apparently didn't get the hint that I would rather die than look at him, because he crouched down and gently lifted the arm I'd banged against the desk, turning it to see if there was anything wrong with it. "Are you okay?" he asked.
I huffed and finally raised my eyes to his. I didn't know why he'd bothered to stay behind when he saw me fall, but I figured he probably just wanted to rub my face in my own clumsiness. "I'm fine," I sneered.
Edward looked slightly taken aback, and I wondered if I'd missed the mark with my assumption. He just cleared his throat and said, "Okay, then. Guess I'll see you later."
As he left the room without looking back, I felt the heat abate from my face. I wanted to forget the feel of his hands on mine immediately. There was just no way I would crush on "Captain Christian."
I quickly picked myself up and brushed myself off, grabbing my things and walking at a more sedate pace out to my truck. I hurriedly climbed in and drove to the supermarket so I could buy a few things to bring to Jake's house.
I shoved some Botch into the stereo and blasted it as loudly as I could stand. I wanted to get hyped for the barbeque. A bunch of our friends would be there, and I was just looking forward to having a good time.
The store was super busy due to Fourth of July coming up, so I had to shove my way through the crowd to get to the natural foods section. I grabbed a couple packages of Smart Dogs and some buns, along with some Tofutti Cuties ice cream sandwiches and a few six packs of Blue Sky pop. I loved these get-togethers because everyone always brought tons of tasty vegan food.
I paid for everything and carried my bags back to the truck. The sun was shining, but it was windy and I was happy I'd thought to bring my Fugazi hoodie. I zipped it up and took off, my truck clunking down the street until I turned off onto the highway.
I switched from Botch to OCS, one of my favorite local bands. They were huge vegan activists and their music never failed to inspire me. I cranked the volume and shouted right along with them, pounding my fist on the steering wheel and jerking my head while I bounced up and down on the seat.
There were a few cars already parked outside of Jake's house, so I parked across the street and carried my bags around the back. I knew he'd be in the backyard, manning the grill and shooting the shit with Quil and Embry, and that's exactly where I found him.
"Hey guys!" I shouted, smiling brightly.
"Hey, Bells! What's up?" Jake shouted back, setting down the spatula so he could wrap me in a big bear hug.
I groaned as he squished my mouth and gave me a big sloppy kiss. "Ew! Jacob Black! Where is your girlfriend, might I ask?" I teased, punching him lightly on the shoulder.
He just laughed and said, "Leah's in the house with Emily building the hero Sammy for the barbeque. Sam's working late, but he'll be here soon."
I waved to the other guys and walked in the sliding glass door, following my nose to the kitchen. I saw my favorite ladies laughing as they tried to build a massive sandwich.
"Hello, my sexy ladies! What's the haps?" I asked as I put the pop and Smart Dogs in the fridge. I snuck a Tofutti Cutie before I put them into the freezer.
"My lesbian loverrrrrrr! How's that stupid douche in poli sci?" Emily asked.
"Le sigh. I think he probably hates me just as much as I hate him. Too bad he's so fucking hot, you know?" I said with a fake frown.
"Maybe you could take him on a magic carpet ride and show him a whole new word," Leah said with a dirty chuckle.
"Oh my god, you are just too disgusting. Besides, using Aladdin references in a perverted manner just feels wrong," I replied, tossing my empty Cutie wrapper at her.
"I know, but I can't help it. Ezra is obsessed with that damn movie right now. I swear to God he's watched it at least ten times this weekend. Jake thinks it's great, but trust the proud papa to think his son is perfect," she harrumphed.
"Speaking of the little rugrat, where is he?" I asked, looking around for Jake and Leah's precocious three-year-old.
"Oh, he's with your dad and Billy for the day. They took him fishing. I guess they want to pass down the Black family obsession with catching slimy things." Leah shuddered and pulled a disgusted face.
"How's Jake with the idea of Ezra fishing?" I asked curiously.
"Oh, well, I dunno. It's a difficult issue because Jake feels like it goes against our morals and such, but at the same time, it's an ancient part of the Quileute history. We've tried to explain that to Ezra, but I guess we'll just see what happens," she replied.
I shrugged and walked over behind the girls to get a better view of the massive sandwich. "So, are we talkin' Veganaise? What are you using for the cheese? Please don't say Veganrella. That stuff tastes like vom," I whined.
"We're only putting Veganaise on half of it cuz Sam hates too much mayo on his sandwiches. Says it makes the bread soggy. We're trying that new Teese stuff, cuz Vegan Gourmet only tastes good melted and we need it to be cold," Emily said.
"Bella, my love, will you get more of the salami from the fridge please?" Leah asked.
I nodded and washed my hands so I could help them finish preparing the food. We spent the next thirty minutes chopping, dicing, slicing, and skewering. There was a massive vegan feast laid out on the table by the time the grill was ready for the Smart Dogs and Boca burgers.
We all gathered in the backyard with plates piled high with food. The funny thing about vegans is how obsessed we all are with food. I liked to think that becoming a vegan made you a nutritionist and a foodie at the same time.
"Hey, Bells, are you gonna work the booth at the AFA fest tomorrow?" Embry asked.
"Yeah, I was hoping Emily and Leah would come too," I said as I nudged them.
"Sam wants to take me to Portland for our anniversary," Emily said with a big goofy smile on her face.
"Dude! Nom! Stock up at Food Fight, k?" Jake said. Leah laughed and slapped him on the forearm, but Jake just turned and kissed her sweetly.
I was so happy for my friends. I'd known everyone here from the time I was a baby. We'd all hung out throughout our school years.
I'd been vegan since our sophomore year in high school when I went on a tour of a slaughterhouse for a stupid school project. I was so disgusted that I went home and did tons of research before declaring my intention to go vegan to Charlie and Renee. They were confused, but supportive.
Eventually, I'd convinced all of my friends one by one. I'd invite them over and cook impressive vegan dinners and share videos and books with them. I was happy to say that everyone finally converted, and I liked to think it brought all of us closer together.
The Fourth of July weekend was a big weekend for Action for Animals because so many people grilled out with hot dogs and hamburgers. AFA volunteers would hang banners along the overpasses along the freeway and stand on corners with signs and pictures of animals in slaughterhouses.
I admired their efforts, but knew that most of the time things tended to get out of hand and I'd really rather avoid getting arrested by one of my father's own officers. Instead, my friends and I usually volunteered to work the outreach booth at local shows and events.
This year, AFA was going all out and throwing a big festival where everyone could come and listen to music, eat food from vegan vendors, and explore all the booths where people could learn more about animal rights, animal activism, and buy things that were 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
I was super stoked. This would be one event where we wouldn't have to fight with anyone or search for food that we could eat. We could just let all of the frustration and futility go and enjoy being among like-minded individuals. I sighed in bliss at the thought.
"So you said OCS is going to be playing, right?" I asked Jake.
"Shyeah! They're one of the main bands playing. I know that Earth Crisis was talking about showing up, but who knows…" Jake replied excitedly.
Embry jumped up and went over to the stereo inside to put some music on, and we started reminiscing about shows we'd worked in the past. I was most excited about the time I got to work a booth at Warped Tour, because I got to go backstage and meet one of the guys from Throwdown.
I admired his commitment to staying healthy. He worked out every day, ate healthy, and eschewed all drugs and alcohol in an effort to keep his body as pure and strong as possible. Even being straight edge and vegan, I still wasn't anywhere near as healthy and in shape as he was.
A few hours later, the sun was setting and we started cleaning up. I was completely relaxed here, with my friends. We always had a good time, with good food and great conversation. I loved my little family.
Emily and I helped Leah clean up the kitchen while the guys broke everything down in the backyard. The sounds of booming male laughter drifted through the window over the sink, and we all smiled. I truly felt like I belonged when I was here with these people.
We heard a swift knock on the front door before it opened and my father, Charlie, stepped in with a beautiful young boy. His dark skin was luminous with excited contentment and his lustrous black hair flopped in complete disorder on his small head.
Leah turned and smiled hugely, holding her arms out for her little boy. "Hey, baby! Did you have fun with Grampa Billy and Uncle Charlie?" she asked, enveloping Ezra in a big hug.
"Yeah! We went to the lake and Grampa Billy and Uncle Charlie fished while I hunted for rocks so Uncle Charlie could show me how to skip them on the water!" Ezra replied enthusiastically.
Everyone smiled indulgently at him, enjoying his infectious smiles. I went over and hugged my dad, asking him how the fishing went. I just chose to ignore the fact that my father enjoyed a pastime that I spent a lot of my time trying to combat.
Jake came in from the back with the other guys and everyone greeted everyone else. I took Charlie's goodbye as an opportunity to leave with him, and I followed his cruiser down the road as we drove back toward home.
The next day, I woke up and took my time showering and getting ready for the festival. I knew it was silly, but I always met at least a handful of cute guys at these things and I wanted to look my best. I chose my outfit with care and checked myself out in the mirror.
I had my hair pinned up under a red bandana, with a black-and-white checkered button down cowboy shirt. My black Dickies hugged my curves and I donned my black-and-white skull belt with the big rose belt buckle.
I threw on my Chucks and I was out the door, on my way to pick up Leah. We had a long drive ahead of us, so Leah was going to drive her car from their house because it was definitely more fuel-efficient.
When we got to the Seattle Center, where the festival was being held, we parked and made our way to the volunteer center booth set up for the day. We got our passes and found the people in charge so we could get our assignment.
The AFA booths were set up strategically all around the area for the festival, and we were assigned to the one by the main stage. I was really excited about that, because I was scheduled to work during OCS's set and this meant I wouldn't have to miss it.
The day was warm and sunny, and the smell of food filled the air. I sat with Leah and we handed out the vegan starter kits, along with stickers and buttons. We sold a couple t-shirts, but for the most part, we were able to just chill and listen to the music.
Of course, there were a lot of crappy local bands but their passion was in the right place. We laughed at a couple of them, but enjoyed most of them.
Jake came by with Ezra a short time later, but he couldn't stay long because his band would be playing soon. I snuggled Ezra and showered him with kisses while Leah did the same to Jake. I laughed when both boys wiped their faces in mock disgust.
I was sitting there showing Ezra some of the stickers when I thought I saw a familiar face pass through the crowd by the booth. I held my breath, sure my eyes were playing a trick on me.
He had a solid black baseball hat sitting low over his face, so I couldn't be sure if it was who I thought it was. The black Until the End t-shirt revealed colorful tattoos running all the way down to his wrists. His black pants hung low on his hips, held on by a studded belt with a massive belt buckle. My eyes roamed back to his face, trying to see it better under the shadow of the hat.
I couldn't be mistaken anymore when I saw him walk up to my friend and greet him like they knew each other well.
"Jake, man! What's up? Are you playing today?" he asked.
"Hey, Tony! What's up? Yeah, I'm playing. Everyone's really stoked for your set," Jake replied, clapping his hand on Tony's back.
Tony laughed. "Well, we'll see…" he said modestly. My ears burned. What the hell was going on? How did Jake know him?
Finally, Jake turned back to Leah and me and introduced us. "Leah, Bella, this is Anthony Masen. He's the lead singer for OCS."
Anthony Masen, eh? My mouth was hanging open in shock as I tried to process this unbelievably confusing piece of information.
Why was I so confused?
Because Anthony Masen, the lead singer of my all-time favorite vegan activist band, was none other than the guy who'd been the subject of my absolute disgust and frustration the past month.
Edward Freaking Cullen.
Notes on this Chapter:
Vegans talk about food A LOT. I mean a lot. It's all about which brands are the best, and where you like to go eat, and the "did you know this was vegan?" conversations. I hope I didn't lose too many people with all the brands I threw out there, so just in case… here's a little "glossary" for this chapter, okay?
Smart Dogs- vegan hot dogs. My personal favorite, but most people dig on Tofu Pups. Who knows.
Tofutti Cuties- delicious vegan ice cream sandwiches. My favorite is the mint chocolate chip. Dig it.
Blue Sky- delicious organic pop ("soda" for those of you not in a northwestern state)
Teese/Veganrella/Vegan Gourmet- vegan cheese. None of it is very satisfying, but it beats a dry pizza/lasagna, right?
Veganaise- vegan mayo. Yeah. What? I blame people who like mayo. Gross.
Boca burgers- this should be relatively self-explanatory, my pretties.
AFA- Action for Animals, a Seattle-based organization that is all for animal rights.
I don't own rights to any of the bands, food brands, clothing brands, or other proper nouns mentioned in this fictional story.