EPOV
Saturday October 26, 1996
"I'm telling ya man, no matter how organized they try to be, Full Moon on the Quad just isn't going to ever be the way it was in the fucking 19th century!"
"If we just enforce the rules, and line up the upper and underclassman and let the lines converge at midnight like they used to then-"
"Shut it Yorkie, you know that they're not even gonna wanna do that! It's just gonna be a full out make-out session and you know it! I don't see what the problem is with that!"
"Newton, we all know you're a desperate pig who never gets any unless their drunk, mentally unstable, or confused, all of which happen at Full Moon."
"Whatever Sam, not all of us use steroids to get chicks!"
Lounging in the back on a leather ottoman I pinched the bridge of my nose and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to tune out the annoying chatter of my classmates. This senior FMOTQ planning meeting was a total failure. We were supposed to figure out a way to make the stupid tradition more organized and more like the way it was in the fucking 1800s, but newsflash, admins: we aren't in the 19th century anymore, so why bother?
"Hey Eddie."
"Shut the fuck up Emmett, I'm not in the mood today and I've told you not to call me Eddie!"
"Touchy, touchy…Sorry, so what are all these idiots bitchin' about today?" Emmett asked.
"The stupid Full Moon on the Quad. What else?"
For those of you who don't know Full Moon is this ancient Stanford tradition that has been going on for ages. Apparently it used to be some sort of 'rite of passage' for Stanford freshmen and seniors. So, every year on the full moon in October, all the freshmen would line up on the quad across from the line of seniors and at midnight the two lines would merge and the girls would receive a rose and a kiss. Today? It's just a bunch of drunk horny college students making out and swapping spit with every face they see while a loud band holds a 'concert' at one end of the quad. Sounds like so much fun! Not.
The idiots are still arguing over how to organize the damn thing. Really, who gives a shit anyway; people will just do what they want to do. Finally, the meeting is adjourned once it's been decided that the concert will be held away from the quad, and then at 11:30 students will be allowed onto the quad to get ready. Hah! That's 'get ready', as in use free mouthwash, eat free breath mints, buy some red roses, and then try and kiss some girls. I think I'm going to stay holed up in my room and watch a movie or something.
"Hey Edward, so are you going to the Quad tonight?" Emmett asks me, breaking me out of my little internal diatribe.
"You're fucking kidding me right, man?" I stare at him in disbelief.
"Edward, don't be such a killjoy dude. Best case scenario, we find a hot chick that's into us that we get to make out with. Worst case, we make fun of Newton, Crowley, and Yorkie as they try to get chicks. Besides you're a senior this year, its practically fucking tradition, just man up and try to have some fun with it Cullen."
Of course when Emmett puts it that way, I'm convinced.
"Fine," I sigh. "I'll go with you to the damn quad tonight."
"Atta boy! Hey maybe if you're lucky, you'll find a girl who'll put up with your moody ass," he said.
"Don't push it McCarty." I muttered as we headed back to our dorms.
RPOV
"Aaaaand that's a wrap! Great work guys. See you at rehearsal tomorrow."
I let out a long sigh, relaxing as we were finally done for the day. This last minute rehearsal had really messed up my routine for the day. It was almost 9pm now and I hadn't eaten since 8 this morning. If I wasn't careful, I was going to end up passing out.
It's not that I starve myself or anything to watch my weight. It's quite the opposite in fact. If I don't eat regular meals, I'd probably end up shoving my face full of terribly unhealthy foods and get out of shape really fast. Of course, most people around here think I'm lying if I ever say anything like that. They all see me as Rosalie Hale, some type of perfect person with the right looks, the right grades, the right family…yet somehow I have very few friends here and it's already my second year here.
My best friends, and quite possibly only friend, Charlotte skips to catch up to me. Her short legs have to work twice as fast to keep up with me. "Rosie, slow down! We can't all speed-walk with 7 foot long legs."
"Jesus, Char, if I had legs that long, I'd be fucking Bigfoot."
"Or Yao Ming," she snickered.
We both made our way back to the dressing room. When we entered, conversation stopped, and everyone turned to look at us. I rolled me eyes. Wayyyy to make it obvious that you were all talking about me, I thought. Char and I moved to our respective mirrors and began changing out of our costumes, eager to book it out of there and get back to our dorms.
"Honestly, Char I don't know how you managed to put this much fabric into this robe," I complained as I tried to find my way out of the sea of fabric that was Cassandra's costume in the play. Charlotte was a great seamstress and so of course she was in charge of costume design, a huge job for just a sophomore to receive. In addition to her work backstage, she also performed onstage as well, minoring in drama with a concentration in dance.
"Stop your whining," she said, pulling at the dress, trying to help me out of it. "The costume has to reflect your role in the play! You're the tattered spirit of Agamemnon's mistress and you tie the whole deal together, you have to look heavenly, royal, and mourning spirit-ish all at the same time. Besides I can't help it that you're so tall you need like double the fabric."
"Mourning spirit-ish?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "Is that a new word that they've added to the dictionary that I don't know about?"
"Whatever Rose, don't pretend like you never use '-ish' at the end of something to describe stuff."
"I don't have to pretend anything because I don't do that," I smirked.
The dress finally whooshed over my head and I stuck my tongue out at Char.
"Very mature, Rose," she muttered.
As I was pulling my jeans on, Irina stalked by, shoving me with her shoulder. Caught off guard, I lost my balance and crashed to the floor, legs tangled up in my jeans, pulling my bag off the counter with me, everything spilling out and rolling across the floor.
"Klutz," she sneered, and stalked out of the room, the rest of the senior girls following her out.
Irina Dutov. She makes my life at Stanford hell. Unfortunately, we are both majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and I have the worst luck in the world so of course we got placed in the same lab for our Stanford Design Program projects. My mama always taught me to try and see the best in people but I am convinced that there is absolutely nothing nice about that girl. And of course, to top everything off we are both pursuing minors in Drama. You would think that since we have such similar interests, that it would be easy to be friends…but no, Irina hates me and does everything in her power to sabotage me in my work, without getting herself dragged in front of the dean of course.
I think she has hated me ever since I showed up to the auditions for the Waste Land Project. I was so excited when I got a callback for one of the female leads in "Dining Room, Home, Tomb, Decaying Hole and Empty Room." I love T.S. Eliot's poem "The Waste Land," so to be performing in a play inspired by it and tied into Roman tragedies was a dream come true! Of course, Irina also received a callback, and I was honestly excited to be playing alongside such a talented performer. She, however, viewed me as competition that was to be eliminated and threw a temper tantrum when I got the role of Cassandra and she the role of Clytemnestra. It wasn't even as if I took away a role from her! I remember hearing her shrieking and complaining that a sophomore got a lead role that deserved to be given to an upperclassman. I was hurt; I knew I had done well in the auditions and deserved the part. From then on, Irina went out of her way to inconvenience me and insult me during rehearsals. Her favorite thing to pick on was, of course, my southern accent that sometimes became more pronounced whenever I was stressed or emotional in rehearsals.
Thankfully, Charlotte was always there for me during rehearsal. She was such a good friend, always there to comfort me after a particularly bad session with Irina at rehearsals. She was also there after classes, back at the dorms, when Irina's issues began spilling over into my engineering work. I just hope I would be able to one day repay Charlotte for everything she did for me.
Already, Charlotte was at my side, helping me up from the floor.
"I swear, I don't understand how that girl can be such an A-class bit-"
"No, Charlotte its fine, you don't have to stoop to her level and call her names," I said. Pulling my jeans on all the way, I turned to start gathering up all my things that had been scattered across the floor. Shoving everything back into my bag, I turned to Charlotte. "Alright," I sighed. "So I'll meet you in the studios tonight in an hour for a final dress fitting?"
"Yepp," she said. "I just have to make a few small alterations and then you'll be all set for the performance outside the Stanford Mausoleum!" Gathering up the costumes and packing them away in her suitcase, she skipped out the door, rolling the bag behind her.
I turned out all of the lights in the dressing room and headed out in the other direction. I needed to run to the library and get some work done quickly. Thank God Meyer Library was open pretty much 24/7. There was no way I'd be able to make it back to my dorms, work, and then cross campus again to get to the art studios by 10 to meet Charlotte. At quarter-past 9 I saved the work I had managed to get done and hurried over to meet Charlotte.
She was all business when I got there, promptly stuffing me into the dress, and getting to work. After about 20 minutes, she set her needle and marking pencil down.
"Alright Rose," she said. "I think you're all set. We just need to head down to the mausoleum super quick so I can see how you move around those sphinxes and the stairs in the dress, okay?"
Grumbling I agreed and let her lead me outside towards the building in my ridiculous costume. Once there, she made me walk around, run up and down the stairs, and even practice a few scenes. Exhausted and starving, I finally had enough.
"Char, I am so tired and hungry, we really need to stop now. Just let me grab my cell phone and we can order some Chinese or something okay?"
"Fine but don't forget you have to change out of that dress and we left your clothes at the studios, so you're going to have to-. Hey Rose, what's wrong?" she cried, noticing me rummaging through my bag, a worried expression on my face.
"Charlotte, I can't find it!"
"Find what?"
"My cellphone! I know I had it in here. I don't remember even taking it out or using it at the library, so it has to be in here!"
"Rose calm down, I'm sure it must be with your clothes back at my studio."
"No Charlotte, I never keep my phone in my jeans. It's too bulky and annoying. It has to-"
"Irina!" Charlotte suddenly said.
"What are you talking about? She never took my phone."
"No, Irina. It was her, today, after rehearsal, when she pushed you, when you were changing. Your bag fell and all your stuff was everywhere. I bet your phone fell out and you didn't see it so you didn't pick it up!"
"Oh my god, Char you're right!" But then with a sickening feeling in my stomach, I realized my problem. "But Char, the theater's closed tomorrow so I can't go get it then. And I can't wait until Monday without my Blackberry! Oh great, I am so screwed. Wait what time is it? Maybe the theater doors are still unlocked!"
"Ummm, I have 10:50. I think it shuts at 11 on Saturdays, so if you hurry…"
I was already sprinting down the path, headed towards the theater.
"You better come back with that dress, missy! And it better be in mint condition after you run in it like that!" I heard Charlotte calling after me. I smiled as I hitched up the ridiculous dress and ran faster, hoping the train didn't catch on anything. I knew Charlotte would kill me if I tore her masterpiece just a week before the show.
I almost cried with relief when I reached The Pigott Theater and saw the lights on inside the lobby. Rushing inside, I took the hallway to the dressing rooms backstage and wrenched open the doors, flicking on the lights. A small red LED light flashing caught my eye from under a chair. My Blackberry! I was saved! Crouching down to grab it I saw that I had a few emails about my design lab project and an unread text. Opening the text I saw it was from the campus-wide announcement system.
TONIGHT IS FULL MOON ON THE QUAD! GET READY TO LOCK LIPS AT 11:30 ON THE MAIN QUAD.
Just great. I hope I can cross the Main Quad over to Char's studio in time. The last thing I need is to be seen running across campus in this crazy white dress!
EPOV
"Damn it, Emmett! Aren't you ready to go yet?" I called from near the door. I swear that guy takes more time getting ready than a girl does!
"Chill dude. I just wanna look good under the moonlight tonight!" he sang.
"Shut up Em. I still don't get why you care so much about this stupid saliva-fest."
"Gross Ed. The point of this is to meet some new people, check out the crazy freshman, and maybe hook up with some random chick for the night. And that is not going to happen if I were to go out looking like you."
I glanced down at what I was wearing. A flannel shirt over a black tee and some jeans. Oh yeah and my black Nikes.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing? I'm not dressing up for this. I'm only coming with you so you don't look like a friendless loser, remember. I'd much rather stay here, watch some TV, maybe try and get some work done."
"Laaaa-aammmeee. Come on Eddie have some fun for once!"
"How about I try to enjoy myself tonight," I sighed. "But only if you stop fucking calling me Eddie!"
When we arrived at the quad, it was already pretty full and it was only 11:35. People were talking about the concert from before and how much they were looking forward to midnight. Already I was getting bored, but I had promised Emmett, so I tried to seem interested in the breath mints that were being handed out at one of the tables.
Five different flavors of Icebreakers later, I saw Emmett making his way towards me, two roses in his hand.
"Here ya go, Edward," he said, handing me one of his flowers.
"Awww why thank you Emmy, how sweet of you!" I gushed in a girly voice.
"Oh shut up, you know it's not for you. It's for whoever you try to kiss at midnight. And yes, I say try because no one is going to want to get within 15 feet of your moody ass if you keep acting the way you are tonight."
"Emmett, I told you, I am not interested in kissing some random girl tonight! That's just kind of creepy."
"Whatever dude, I'm gonna go and scope out who's here and figure out who I wanna go for."
"Alright Emmett, you do that." Twirling the rose around in my fingers, I sat on the wall at the edge of the Quad, leaned my head back, and just stared at the full moon.
RPOV
I quickened my pace, clutching at the hem of my dress, hoping that the pure white of the fabric wasn't getting dirty from the dust on the pathway. I glanced down at my Blackberry screen as it buzzed with an incoming text. Shit, it's 11:45 already!
Rose, you know I love you babe, but I have to lock up my studio and head back to the dorms, Peter said he's waiting up for me ;) But you can just give me the dress tomorrow when I meet you for breakfast k? ~ Char
Groaning, I paused to quickly type out a response to Charlotte, letting her know that it was fine and that I'd return the heap of fabric that was my costume then. As I continued down the pathway, I noticed how the palm-trees along the sides were leached of their color, as the moonlight cast an eerie glow on them. It was starting to get chilly and I wished I had remembered a coat, because this costume was not utilitarian in any way. As I neared the Main Quad, I could hear the noise of other students as they geared up for their midnight kisses.
"It looks like I'm not going to be avoiding the funny looks from people tonight after all, not in this get-up," I muttered to myself.
"Oh that's for sure sweetie, though I'm sure that's what you wanted all along." That sharp, grating voice could only belong to one person. My evening is just getting worse and worse.
"Irina, I wouldn't even be here dressed like this if you hadn't decided to knock all my things on the floor, making me have to run back to Pigott to find my phone," I explained with an exasperated sigh.
"Aww, poor baby. Didn't your mama ever teach you to be more careful with your thingsh down on the ranch?" she taunted, placing her hands on her hips. Ugh, why is she so ignorant? Not every person from the South is in agriculture!
"Irina, please. It's late and I just want to go back to my dorm okay? I really have no problem with you, so I just don't know why you hate me so much."
"Wow, are all people from Tex-ass this stupid? You took my lead role in the play, you little bitch. I should be Cassandra, not you." She slurred as she stumbled forward, swaying slightly as she pointed her finger in my face. "You're just a sophomore! It's not fair! That'sh why I hate you!" she wailed, stomping her foot, and starting to cry. Oh god, now she's having a temper tantrum on the walk right in front of the Main Quad, where I'm sure half the student body is waiting! Is she drunk…?
"Well it's fitting then, don't you think? That you play Clytemnestra, the scorned and murderous wife of Agamemnon, usurped by the young Cassandra who steals his affections?" I couldn't help but point out the similarities between the real life problem she described and the characters we each played. She ran forward at me, but tripped over her own feet. Serves her right for traipsing around in those ridiculously high heels. I quickly moved past her, leaving her there, sitting in the middle of the walk, screaming at the skies, and sobbing. Gosh, I do feel bad, but honestly she just needs to get over herself.
"Rosalie Hale, you are nothing, nothing! I don't know what anyone sees in you, and I'm going to make sure everyone knows it!" She screamed after me. What a drama queen…
I was so close to the Main Quad now, but it was far too late. Looking down at my phone screen again I saw it was already 11:58. Damn it, I'm just going to have to wait out the make-outs and then get back to my dorm when the Quad has cleared out or when people have calmed down a bit. The roaring crowd was definitely getting louder as they started a countdown to midnight. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the deafening noises, walking slowly forward along the wall at the edge of the Quad, hoping it would ward off the headache I could feel coming on from all of the evening's stress and unnecessary events.
I heard the last 30 seconds being counted out… when I tripped over something in my way, and as my legs got tangled in the Cassandra costume, I just put my hands out, hoping to break my fall without smashing my face.
EPOV
I had no idea why I was here anymore. Emmett was chatting up some goo-goo eyed sophomores, telling them about his accomplishments on the rugby team. Yorkie was trying to impress some uninterested looking junior. Crowley seemed to be having better luck with some underclassmen, and of course Newton was already locking lips with some frizzy haired freshman. I can't believe you couldn't wait 2 minutes to do it, Mike. Realll classy.
I was just about ready to leave and try to get back to my apartments before the post-event rush, but then the countdown started and I knew better than to try to fight my way across the quad when everyone was kissing. I leaned back on the wall again, stretching my feet out in front of me and staring up at the sky again. I had no plans to kiss anyone, and I was just going to wait for Emmett to hook up with someone and then find me so we could head home. I tried to ignore the 30 second countdown when something hit my ankles and as I looked forward, all I saw was a flash of gold and white arc over my legs. Reflexively, I shot my hands out to catch what I now realized was a girl who had tripped over my feet.
Pulling her up, I saw the most beautiful face surrounded by a halo of blonde hair. I was struck by her beauty, sky blue eyes that drew me in immediately, a rosy blush coloring her cheeks, and then perfect bow-shaped lips that just begged to be kissed…"Angel," I whispered, as I took in her tattered, white, billowy dress.
RPOV
I think the most beautiful man in the world just saved me from totally embarrassing myself. Oh wait, you just did embarrass yourself by tripping over his legs in a ridiculous costume that…did he just say angel?
"I-I-am so sorry! It was a total accident, I swear!" I stammered out to the perfect man holding me tightly in his arms as he looked me over. Oh crap, he looks like a senior, this is just going to be so awkward, Charlotte will never let me live it down. "I really am sorry for crashing into you like that, I should have been watching where I was going, I'm usually not this clumsy I swear, and I really hope I didn't hurt you, not that I mean you aren't strong, well I don't know that but I guess – I'm sorry I don't know what I'm talking about, I'll just um leave and um…" Is he laughing at me? Oh man, I'm making a bigger joke of myself now. I just need to get out of his arms and leave – Hold on, what? He's still holding me against his –!
EPOV
I don't know what compelled me to do it but halfway through her flustered rambling apologies, I heard the final seconds being counted down around us, and when the midnight bell rang, I just pulled her up to me and pressed my lips to hers.
Heaven…that's the only way I can describe it. Of course, it was quite fitting that I thought of our kiss that way, what with her angel get-up and all.
I think she was quite shocked, because she was unresponsive at first, her entire body frozen against mine while my lips pressed softly against hers. Oh God, this was so forward of me. I just forced myself on her and we don't even know each other's names! Oh man, if my parents ever find out about this – wait is she kissing me back?
RPOV
One minute I was stammering my way through apologies, hoping to make my escape quickly before the gorgeous man openly mocked me, and the next, his soft lips were pushing against mine. I think I was so surprised I just stood there for a moment, but then I realized how wonderful it felt and without considering the consequences, I began to move my lips against his, responding to his touch.
Just as I started to kiss him back, he gasped and my lips opened with his, and suddenly our kiss had deepened. No kiss had ever felt like this! I wondered if it was because it was us, or because it was him, or because maybe he had a lot of experience with –! I cut my thoughts off before throwing myself back into the kiss. If this was a one-time thing, I might as well enjoy it. My hands wove into his bronze locks, pulling us closer together. He leaned back on the wall, pulling us onto it so I was straddling his lap as he sat. Oh God, if my mother saw me now… He finally broke away for air, but continued placing small kissed along my cheek, behind my ear, and then down my neck. I shivered at the feelings that were coursing through me. Finally he stopped at the base of my neck, burying his face in the crook there, and inhaling deeply.
Then he pulled back, and gazed into my eyes. I was mesmerized by the clear green of his eyes and blinked a few times before I registered what he was saying.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Edward Cullen, and I am terribly sorry for accosting you like that. I promise I have never done anything like this before…" I just stared at him, watching the way those beautiful lips formed words and remembering how they felt against mine. "And well, um it's just when you tripped over me, it was like you were some kind angel who had fallen from heaven, and I swear I was just so struck by you I couldn't really help myself, and um I didn't really even want to be here, I just came with a friend, and now I'm glad I came because I met you…" Oh, this is so cute, now he's rambling!
I smiled and quickly placed my hand over his mouth, cutting him off to put him out of his agony. "Nice to meet you Edward, my name is Rosalie Hale." Removing my hand, I then leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, before pulling back to see his reaction. He looked a bit shocked. It's so funny how our roles have been reversed after one kiss! He moved his hand to stroke my face gently, before cupping my cheek.
"Angel, I know we're doing this a bit backwards, but I how would you like to go someplace with me now, so we can get a cup of coffee and talk? I mean, I'm not sure about you, but I've never met someone who has made me feel like this, and I'd really like to get to know you better."
It was so unusual for me to so easily trust someone I'd only just met, but I felt so safe with Edward, that I knew it couldn't hurt to pursue this, this…whatever we had. I smiled gently before wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him, close. "What did you have in mind?" I whispered in his ear. I felt him shudder gently beneath me, before he stood up and lowered me gently to stand on the ground.
A wide grin crept across his face. "How 'bout The Axe and Palm? It's open until 2 I think."
"Sounds perfect."
"To the Axe it is then." He grabbed my hand tightly in his, before handing me the rose that he had been sitting next to on the wall. I smiled at the gesture, and held it tightly in my other hand. Still linked together, we set off down the walk towards the Old Union. As we continued away, the noise from the Quad faded away, and we felt as if we had all the time in the world to explore this new 'us'.
A/N: Hi (to whoever is still willing to read this after almost 4 months...) Thanks so much to my readers who came back and thanks to whoever has decided to come by and check this story out for the first time. I really do apologize for not updating sooner. I am sooooo sorry, but I really did reach a block on this outtake, and I'm still not totally happy with it, but I had gone ahead to the next chapter in the real story, so I decided to post this as promised anyway. If you have any suggestions on this one, let me know, editing and revising is a constant process. Also, please review and let me know what you think of this in general, it helps to know what you all think of this and how I can improve it, anything! Thanks soooo soooo much for reading this. I'm posting up Chapter 4 with this outtake too, so it should come up soon.