A week had passed now, since my crazed dreams had begun and I hadn't given away that I had been having them, but then again, I could never be trusted in my sleep.
Somehow, the dream where Edward ignored me must have been wrong. The next night I had a perfectly normal – as normal as it could've been – dream where he spoke to be, introduced himself in fact. It was so awkward, I could hardly believe it! It felt like I was going bright red in my dream. And then there was him. Just sitting there, looking down with a crooked smile that made me melt. I was such an idiot. Not only was I having dreams about a god-like creature but I was blushing and swooning over them.
The next was one that shocked me so much I was amazed I didn't wake. The school parking lot was thick with snow and ice, I could tell it was cold. I was standing at the end of my old truck, looking down at the wheels and the snow chains that had been attached to them. Everything was going pretty slow, exactly like in movies, which proved my dreaming point. I turned my head to see a crowd – with Edward standing in the middle – wide-eyed. I spun around as fast as I could in slow motion to see a van screeching and spinning on the icy roads coming straight for me. Then, with my eyes wide now, I looked back to Edward. He was running, everyone else was still in slow motion but he was just running normally. Normal enough but I could see pain on his face as he sprinted at the fast-slow pace. I stood watching him and before I knew it his cold body was pressed up against mine and we had fallen to the floor. I saw the van smash into where I was just a minute ago and suddenly everything was moving very fast. I felt something hit my head and saw a dent form in the side of the van. I woke with my breathing rapid and hand clutching the back of my head as if I really had hit it on a car.
But with the recent ones I wondered if I was coming to my senses and my mind was battling my conscience, knowing what I was doing made me mad and was turning me mad. Edward was ignoring me and no matter how much I tried to talk to him he didn't turn to reply.
My life away from my dreams was still quite interesting when I wasn't day-dreaming of the imaginary boy in my mind that may or may not have loved me. I'd had a week at school without anything major happening. A few falls but they were expected, me being me. I found my way around with ease, I could remember a few names but after realizing I didn't know Mike's name and then when he introduced himself all over again, I knew to stay away from him. It was obvious he liked me but he was just too keen. I was counting the days till I was asked out and I'd somehow have to get out of it.
Of the people I could remember, I knew Jessica, Angela and Lauren. When I was re-introduced to Eric, Tyler and Mike they all looked heartbroken. What had I done before all of this?
My classes were all pretty easy. At least I could remember enough to get a good grade. I wasn't picked on for questions, Charlie, no doubt, explained how I needed to settle back into school, but quite honestly, I didn't feel any different. The work was sufficient enough to keep my mind working and it gave me time to think about how crazy I was going.
I and my mind new different things. My mind knew that I was making it all up and how no one that beautiful could exist and I knew in my heart that my dreams were becoming all too real.
Friday night and I was doing all the usual, standard things. Washing, cleaning, homework and cooking. Charlie was out late on patrol and I had no one else in the house to talk to. My mind was drifting off back to Edward until the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Bella? Hey, it's Jake." It's just Jacob, don't get panicky.
"Hey Jake, you okay?"
"Yeah, I was just wondering what you were doing tomorrow?"
"Oh, um, I've got nothing on. Why? Did you wanna catch up?"
"Yeah, it's meant to be a nice day so I was thinking we could go down to First Beach, just like old times." Old times?
"Sure." What could go wrong? "Maybe it'll jog my memory or something." I was showing the smile in my voice. "I'll be there at eleven."
"Eleven, sure. Bye."
"Bye." I hung up.
I had no idea what my relationship was like with Jacob. I didn't know if it was strong or weak, if we hung out much before or if this was something that hardly ever happened. What if this was a date? I'd never thought of that. Did he think it was? Did I think it was?
What was I going to do? I sighed and sat down on my bed after washing up. I suppose I'll just have to take it as it comes, I thought to myself. Go and be ready for anything. It wasn't that hard in theory. I didn't need practice, it was just go. I didn't need to worry about a swimming costume because it was way too cold to swim at this time of year. Turn up and be prepared.
I pulled on my pyjamas and gladly fell into dreams that made no sense.
I was in the Science lab and to my left I could see Edward, ignoring me completely, as usual. Oddly enough, so was I. I was about to turn to him when Mike came up to me…
"So" He was looking at the floor "Jessica asked me to the spring dance."
"That's great! You'll have a lot of fun with Jessica." I was really happy, even if I didn't like him much. Jessica still had a thing for him even though they split up.
"Well…I told her I had to think about it."
"Why would you do that?" Even if I was making this up, it wouldn't sit well with Jessica.
He was bright red and looking at the floor. "I was wondering if… well, if you might be planning to ask me." I felt my eyes go wide. I would have to watch out for this in real life.
"Mike, I think you should tell her yes."
"Did you already ask someone?" Mike's eyes darted towards Edward.
"No. I'm not going to the dance at all." I saw Edward turn his head towards me out of the corner of my dream.
"Why not?" He protested.
"I'm going to Seattle that Saturday" Wow. I was pretty good at this lying stuff in dreams.
"Can't you go some other weekend?"
"Sorry, no. So you shouldn't make Jess wait any longer – It's rude."
"Yeah, you're right" he mumbled and walked back to his seat. I sighed in relief. Then I noticed. Edward was staring at me.
I looked up into his golden eyes. They had such intensity, I had nearly forgotten how amazing they were. I couldn't look away, even with my subconscious screaming at me, about how idiotic and crazy I was.
"Mr. Cullen" asked Mr. Banner from the front of the classroom. My heart was thudding in my chest. He kept his eyes on me for as long as he could and then he said in that angelic voice of his, "The Krebs Cycle."
Okay, so it wasn't exactly the most romantic thing he could've said but just to hear his voice again… I couldn't put it into words. And the way he looked at me…
As I moved my hair to create a screen between us, the bell rang.
"Bella." My heart fluttered when he said my name.
I turned slowly. "What? Are you speaking to me again?" The words came out without me having any control over them. His lips twitched.
"No, not really." I closed my eyes in my dream, just listening to his voice. I didn't know I could do that in dreams, but as Edward proved, anything was possible.
"What do you want, Edward?" My voice came out harsh though I didn't mean it to.
"I'm sorry" I opened my eyes. "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way."
"I don't know what you mean."
"It's better if we're not friends. Trust me." Was this my mind battling itself again?
"It's too bad you didn't work that one out earlier. You could've saved yourself from all this regret." My voice was still as harsh as before.
"Regret? Regret for what?"
"For not letting that stupid van squish me."
Shock erupted onto his face. "You think I regret saving your life?"
"I know you do"
"You don't know anything." What exactly was that supposed to mean?!
I was angry. I had no idea how I came to get so angry over a small figment of my imagination. I had made Edward up and I was getting angry. I turned sharply away, clenching my jaw, gathering my books up and sweeping out of the door, trying to make a grand exit.
I tripped. Tripping in dreams is almost like tripping in real life, you even wince before you hit the ground. I got to collect my books and Edward had already done it for me. God, he was quick.
"Thank you." I said icily. I was still fuming.
His beautiful golden eyes narrowed as he retorted back. "You're welcome."
I stalked off to the car lot. Despite being mad, I was confused as well. If my mind was playing tricks on me why did it make him give me that longing gaze after Mike left? Somehow, Eric caught up with me.
"Hi, Eric."
"Hi, Bella."
"What's up?" I missed the nervous edge in his voice as I unlocked the truck door.
"Um, I was just wondering… if you would go to the spring dance with me."
"I thought it was girls' choice?" Him too?!
"Well, yeah."
"Thank you for asking me but I'm going to be in Seattle that day."
"Oh, well maybe next time"
"Sure"
Well, that was awkward.
I sat in the truck, trying to calm down. Why was everyone asking me to the spring dance? In my dreams? Of course, because I'd never actually get asked out nor would I have to courage to ask a boy. All the same, why was I saying no? I ignored Tyler as I started up the noisy engine. Edward's shiny Volvo was two cars down from my truck and he pulled out blocking my path. I scowled at the mirror where his reflection was. One flick of my foot would dent his paintwork. It was so easy...A simple movement...
Tyler knocked on the passenger window. "Sorry Tyler, I'm stuck behind Cullen."
"Oh, I know – I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here." This was getting stupid. "Will you ask me to the spring dance?" Why did my mind have to rub it in this much?
"I'm not going to be in town, Tyler"
"Yeah, Mike said that." He admitted.
"Then why –"
He shrugged. "I hoped you were just letting him down easy."
"Sorry Tyler, I really am going to be out of town then."
"That's cool. We still have a prom." I hoped he didn't take that literally. I didn't need dreams of Tyler asking me to the prom as well.
I drove away when Edward moved. The amazingly beautiful family were already inside.
Then the dream changed. I was back at school, the car lot again and it was raining hard, as it does in Forks. I fumbled with my keys as I locked the door to my truck. They dropped into a puddle at my feet. I bent down to get them but white hands flashed down to grab them for me.
Edward.
"How do you do that?" I was still angry, though I didn't mean to be. It was obvious I didn't have any control over my emotions.
"Do what?" He held out my key and dropped it into my hands.
"Appear out of thin air."
"Bella, it's not my fault you are exceptionally unobservant." Lie. I could see his eyes were a wonderful light shade of butterscotch and the rain that hit his hair made him look even more of a model than normal.
"Why the traffic jam last night? I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating to death."
"It was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him a chance."
"You…" I fumed at him. He grinned that crooked smile.
"And I'm not pretending you don't exist."
"So you are irritating me to death? Since Tyler's van didn't do the job?"
Again, shock sprung over his face. "Bella, you are totally absurd." I scowled and walked away. "Wait." He called after me as he jogged to catch up. "Sorry, that was rude, I'm not saying it isn't true, but it was rude to say it anyway."
"Why won't you leave me alone?" I moaned.
"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me." He smiled at me again.
"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?"
"You're doing it again."
I sighed. "Fine then. What do you want to ask?"
"I was wondering, a week from Saturday – you know, the say of the spring dance –"
"Are you trying to be funny?" I interrupted him. My mind really was rubbing it in now.
He grinned. "Will you please allow me to finish?" I bit my lip and waited.
"I heard you were going to Seattle that day, and I wondered if you wanted a ride."
"What?"
"Do you want a ride to Seattle?" He repeated.
"With who?"
"Myself, obviously." He said it slowly.
"Why?"
"Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I don't think your truck can make it."
"My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern." I started to walk again.
"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?" He marched next to me.
"I don't see how it's any of your business."
"Wasting finite resources is everyone's business."
"Honestly, Edward" I felt a thrill as I said his name again. "I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend."
"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."
"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up" We'd stopped in front of the cafeteria roof so we wouldn't get wet. I was so confused…
"It would be more…" He searched for the word. "Prudent for you not to be my friend, but I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella." His eyes were intense and electricity shot up my spine. His golden eyes were smouldering in the rain.
"Will you go with me to Seattle?"
I nodded and he smiled briefly.
"You really should stay away from me." He warned in a serious tone. "I'll see you in class"
He turned and walked back the way we came, my spine still flowing with energy.
The dream changed yet again. I was sitting in the school cafeteria next to Jessica as usual, with my lunch consisting of pizza and lemonade. I wasn't paying attention until I heard what she said.
"Edward Cullen is staring at you again. I wonder why he's sitting alone today." My eyes flew up to the table he was sitting at. All alone. He grinned, beckoned me over with a finger…then winked at me. I felt my knees melting away beneath me.
"Does he mean you?" Jessica said with an insulting tone.
"Maybe he needs help with his biology homework. Um, I better go see what he wants…" Seriously, I was getting good at lying.
I walked over to his table and hovered around the spare seat, unsure of what to do.
"Why don't you sit with me today?" He smiled that crooked smile and I felt my knees shake. I sat down just in time. He kept smiling. There was a long silence.
"This is different." I managed.
"Well…" The rest of the words came out in a rush, I had trouble catching them. "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly." …What?!
"You know I don't have any idea what you mean," I pointed out after another long silence.
"I know." He looked over her shoulder briefly and swiftly changed the subject. "I think your friends are angry with me for stealing you."
I didn't turn around. Pah, Edward meant more than friends in dreams. "They'll survive."
"I may not give you back, though." I gulped. He laughed.
"You look worried."
"No. Surprised, actually…What brought all this on?"
"I told you – I'm tired of trying to stay away from you. So, I'm giving up." He was still smiling but he was serious and it didn't touch his eyes.
"Giving up?"
"Yes – giving up trying to be good. I'm just going to do what I want now and let the chips fall where they may." His smile faded.
"You lost me again." The grin returned.
"I always say too much when I'm talking to you – that's one of the problems."
"Don't worry – I don't understand any of it."
"I'm counting on that."
"So, in plain English, are we friends now?"
"Friends…" He mused.
"Or not."
"Well, we can try, I suppose. Though I'm warning you now that I won't be a very good friend to you." Why did I have to make him talk in riddles?!
"You say that a lot."
"Yes, because you're not listening to me. I'm still waiting for you to believe it. If you're smart you'll avoid me."
My eyes narrowed. "I think you've made your opinion of my intellect clear, too."
He apologized with a smile.
"So," I continued. "As long as I'm being…not smart, we'll try and be friends?"
"That sounds about right."
My hands wrapped around my lemonade bottle that I brought over.
"What are you thinking?" He asked with curiously in his eyes. I looked up into the topaz.
"I'm trying to figure out what you are." Was I?
I saw his jaw tightened but he played along. "Are you having any luck with that?"
"Not too much."
He chuckled. "What are your theories?"
I blushed and said nothing. How did I blush in a dream?
"Won't you tell me?" He tilted his head with a smile.
I shook my head. "Too embarrassing." I had theories?
"That's really frustrating, you know,"
"No," I disagreed quickly. "I can't imagine why that would be frustrating at all – just because someone refuses to tell you what they're thinking, even if all the while they're making cryptic little remarks specifically designed to keep you up all night wondering what they could possibly mean…Now, why would that be frustrating?"
Oh…
"Or better." I continued trying to stop myself. "Say that person did a wide range of bizarre things – from saving your life under impossible circumstances one day to treating you like a pariah the next, and he never explained any of that, even after he promised. That also would be very non-frustrating."
…Dear…
"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?"
"I don't like double standards." I was scowling now. We just stared at each other, though inside I was lost in his eyes. He glanced over my shoulder again.
"What?"
"Your boyfriend seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you – he is debating whether or not to come over and break up our fight."
"I don't know who you're talking about but I'm sure you're wrong anyway." …Not…Mike?
"I'm not. I told you, most people are easy to read."
"Except me, of course."
"Yes. Except for you. I wonder why that is…" I gazed back into my eyes and I had to look away.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"No, you?"
"No, I'm not hungry." He fought a smile.
"Can you do me a favour?" I asked.
"That depends on what you want?" He said warily.
"It's not much." He didn't say anything so I continued. "I just wondered…if you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good. Just so I'm prepared." I traced the lemonade lid with my finger. Finally, my mind was catching up.
"Sounds fair."
"Thanks."
"Can I have one in return?"
"One."
"Tell me one theory."
"Not that one."
"You didn't qualify, you just promised one answer."
"And you've broken promises yourself."
"Just one – I won't laugh."
"Yes, you will."
He looked down to my hands playing with the bottle cap and then into my eyes. The topaz lost me again. "Please?" He breathed whist leaning in.
"Er, what?" I forgot what was going on…
"Please tell me just one little theory." He persisted.
"Um, well, bitten by a radioactive spider?" What?!
"That's not very creative." He scoffed. It wasn't… I agreed with him.
"I'm sorry, that's all I've got."
"You're not even close." He teased.
"No spiders?"
"Nope."
"And no radioactivity?"
"Nope."
"Dang."
"And kryptonite doesn't bother me, either." He chuckled a music laugh.
"You're not supposed to laugh, remember?"
He struggled to compose his face.
"I'll figure it out eventually."
"I wish you wouldn't try." If I did…?
"Because…"
"What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?" He smiled but it didn't touch his eyes.
"Oh, I see."
"Do you?"
"You're dangerous?" A strange expression crossed his face. "But not bad. No, I don't believe that you're bad."
"You're wrong." He whispered it and I barely heard it. He stole the bottle cap and started spinning it so fast it was a blur.
The next image was brief, a flickering picture. There was a group and it looked like we were sitting on a beach. First Beach in La Push. I could see Jessica and Mike and the others. Then I was walking down the beach with Jacob, leaving the group behind us. He was a little shorter than when I last saw him. We sat on a fallen branch looking at the sea. Then he began to tell me about scary stories.
My eyes fluttered open. I sat up, bleary eyed, wondering what the hell was going on in my crazy mind. Edward had asked to drive me to Seattle. Edward had asked me to sit with him at lunch. Edward was talking to me again. Edward…
But what was that all about? He was dangerous? And what was that with Jacob? He looked a lot younger than now. And scary stories? I'd have to ask about it. How, I had no idea. Dreams and real life were two very different things.
I looked at the clock on my wall. 9:42. I pulled myself out of bed after musing over Edward and my long dream for a while and started the shower up. I decided to wear something warm seeing as it was quite chilly. I pulled out a long-sleeved brown jumper and some jeans. I found a note from Charlie saying he was out all day in the kitchen as I got myself some cereal.
Soon enough, it was time to make my way to La Push. The drive didn't take as long as I thought and I was at Jacob's door before I knew it. Billy answered.
"Hey Bella."
"Hey Billy."
"Jake's in the lounge. Why don't you come in?"
The house hadn't changed much. It was just as how I remembered it, which was something considering I couldn't remember much. Jacob sat watching the TV, half perched off the sofa, tense.
"Hey Jake." I smiled.
He grinned. "Bella, you came!" He swept over to me and grabbed me in a warm hug. I could smell the woods on him again. It was again, inviting…
"I said I would, didn't I?"
His grin grew. "C'mon, let's go."
We said goodbye to Billy and made our way down to the beach, laughing along the way. It seemed Jake and I were quite close, but not that close. I had nothing to worry about.
As we came to the beach, I saw the fallen branch from my dream. I went to sit on it. Jacob followed, there was a strange expression on his face.
"What?" I asked.
"It's just… You sat there before the accident. When we first met when came to Forks for good. We sat and started talking about…"
"Jake?... About what?" He looked into my eyes, unsure if he'd said too much. I, personally, knew he had, but he couldn't read my mind. "You can trust me, y'know."
"About... and you'll laugh... About old superstitions."
"Like?" Was this where my mind came up with everything?
He watched me, half serious, half joking.
"Like… Like vampires and werewolves."
Oh dear indeed...
A/N: So, as you can tell, I went completely over the top with this chapter. It's over 4000 words and yeah. What I was trying to say was Bella is getting to know Edward through her dreams as well as (thanks to Jacob) these stories. I've plotted them at around the right time too, thanks to the Lexicon (go and read it now!). It took ages to write (3 days +) because I've had so much on and I wanted to put so much into this chapter...I have a Edward Chapter half done sitting open on my desktop so gimme a review and you may get a chapter. May...Depends. This one took a while...
Emma
