I forgot the disclaimer for last chapter! I do not own twilight, sorry!
The rest of the week I found myself thinking of Mr. Cullen. During his class I would sit and watched him very closely as he read the words of Poe. His voice was perfectly fit for the eerie tales. Smooth and daunting. I memorized his movements. How he barely looked at the page when he read. Every so often his adam's apple would bob. He'd run his hand through his hair and push up his glasses.
I worked meticulously on the essay of Lenore. Making about four drafts that I decorated with red pen and highlighters. By Thursday night I had typed the final draft, proud of my flawless dissertation. It was five pages long without the double spacing. I even added headers and footers, page numbers and the date on every page. I neatly put it in a clear binder, each page in a sheet protector. My OCD was border lining lunacy.
I turned it in early, it was due Monday, but I wanted to please Mr. Cullen in the only way possible. You could say I was kissing his ass a little. When I handed it to him before class started he smiled approvingly. He asked if he could read over it and I nodded, taking my seat. I watched nervously as he examined my essay carefully. After a few minutes he looked up at me from over his glasses that had slid down before pushing them back up.
"Bella, this is probably the best thesis I've read. Most college students aren't this detailed or in depth. You've deconstructed the topic fluidly. Great job."
I felt my cheeks flood with heat and tucked my hair behind one ear. "Thank you, Mr. Cullen…"
"I think I'll choose you for the debate today. You'd be a fierce competitor. Have you taken a debate class?" he asked coming to sit on top of the desk beside me.
"No, sir. Forks doesn't offer one. But I took Speech."
"I'm sure your NYU essay is just as flawless."
"I got in didn't I?" I quipped, raising a brow.
He smirked, raising his brow as well.
"You're not like the other kids, you know that?" he asked leaning in.
"What do you mean?"
"You are way beyond your years. All AP Honor classes, no detentions, no marks. Not even a single tardy. Not to mention your perfect attendance." He replied putting his hands on my desk and smiling.
"And how did you know that?" I questioned leaning in, challenging him.
"You piqued my interests. I've never met someone quite like you. Reading classic books that most adults can't begin to understand."
"You didn't answer my question, Mr. Cullen…" I pressed, curious, but sounding coy.
"I read your file."
"Did you? Find anything you liked?"
He smirked, rubbing his thumbs on my desk, his eyes burning into mine.
"Maybe. Except for one thing…" He leaned even closer, lose enough that I could smell his sweet spearmint breath. "Your police chief father gave me a speeding ticket last night…"
I had to blink to rearrange my scattered thoughts. But before I could reply, a few students came in, dispelling our tense banter.
He quickly straightened up when he heard them enter and went back to his desk. I sighed, wishing we could have more time to talk. Well I wouldn't consider that talking. I had a large intuition that we were in fact flirting. This made me shiver and throb between my thighs.
After my final class ended, Alice rode home with me. She said something about a celebration of making it through the week. Plus she could tell I was acting weird. I had yet to tell her of my Mr. Cullen obsession. And tonight I had a feeling she would find out tonight.
We sung at the top of our lungs to Framing Hanley's version of "Lollipop" on our way to my house. We held chips, dip, popcorn and chocolate covered raisins hostage in my room with a stack of chick movies and my expansive cd collection. The first half of the night she talked about her Jasper.
Jasper was eighteen, out of school and working in his dad's diner, saving up for UW. I felt bad for him, he and his dad weren't the richest of people. But Alice didn't care. She had told me they would get married and have three kids.
But her curiosity got the best of her as she painted my toenails with black polish.
"Alright, you have been giddy all week. What have you been slipping into your sodas?" she asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
"Nothing."
"You know Bella, denial is not just a river in Egypt."
I snorted and shook my head. "I just… Oh Alice I have developed a crush on the unattainable…" I groaned, rubbing my temples.
She looked at me confused.
"Mr. Cullen. My teacher, Alice! I am lusting after someone I can't have!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms up in frustration.
Alice giggled and blew on my polished toes. "Mr. Cullen, huh? I've heard the rumors of him. Jessica and Lauren are practically writing Mrs. Cullen all over their binders."
We both snickered at that.
"But what am I gonna do? Hell, we flirted today! I don't think he even knew that. Alice, I'm going to go crazy in that class!" I groaned, stuffing my face in the pillows on my bed.
"Bella," Alice pulled me out of the pillow, face serious. "Why don't you just date someone? Get him out of your mind? It's worth a try."
I groaned again. Date someone? I've never been on a date. My first kiss was with the next door neighbor's kid when I lived with my mom in Phoenix when I was nine. After that disaster I never really took interest in boys. Plus Forks wasn't the greatest place to date anyone. My choices weren't very great. There was Mike Newton, who was too much of a kid, immature. Eric Yorkie was too much of a pizza face. And Tyler Crowley was almost in the clutches of Lauren Mallory and she already hated me.
"There's always Jacob, your childhood friend? He's cute."
I gaped at her. "Jake? Ew! Alice, he's like my brother!"
"I was just suggesting. Well, we can figure this out. In the meantime lets get lost in the world of Tim Burton. Starting with Sweeney Todd!"
We were obsessed with Tim Burton movies.
Saturday morning I woke up to see that I was alone. Alice wasn't beside me. I saw my phone on the nightstand flashing with a text. I read it.
Emergency. Mom invited family over. See you Monday! –A
I yawned and began my morning rituals. During my shower I decided to drive to Port Angeles to my favorite book shop and drink coffee in the café they had inside.
Slipping on a nice sweater and my favorite dark jeans and boots, I left the house. I left Charlie a note by the phone so he wouldn't send a search party.
The shop was quiet as always with a scarce amount of people. I had The Feminine Mystique open in my lap and a steaming latte in hand.
"Now what is a seventeen year old girl doing in a book shop on a Saturday? Shouldn't you be out shopping or hanging with friends?"
I jerked my head up and gulped.
He was so different… With a normal long-sleeved grey t-shirt and jeans. And no glasses? His hair was disheveled more than usual and he had stubble on his jaw and upper lip.
"Mr. Cullen, it's nice to see you." I felt like an idiot.
"Bella. You didn't answer my question." He smirked, remembering my words yesterday.
"Um, I hate shopping and my friend is busy with family." His smile grew. I bit my lip, not sure what to say. Luckily he saved me from blurting out something embarrassing.
"Why don't I treat you to lunch? For your amazing essay?" he asked.
Lunch? Oh, no. This would be like a date… Say no! Say no!
"I couldn't let you pay, Mr. Cullen."
He laughed. "Today I'm just Edward. Today, I 'm not your English Teacher, but a friend."
A friend. Lunch with a friend. That's not a date. I smiled.
"Edward, huh?" I teased as we walked down to a small diner around the corner.
"My mother was a fan of the classics too. She loved Jane Austin."
I laughed. "I like it. It's strong, kind of different. I'm glad it's not Jeff or Cody."
He chuckled. "What about Bella? Not really a popular choice in Forks."
"My mom. She had an Italian streak. I was born during that phase. So Isabella Marie. Not that original."
"Marie?"
"My Grandmother on my Dad's side. What's your middle name?"
"Anthony."
I repeated his full name out loud. "Edward Anthony Cullen."
"Isabella Marie Sawn."
We snickered, entering the diner and settling in a booth. I went silent when I accidentally bumped my knee into his. Heat flooded my cheeks as I mumbled an apology. We soon were munching on cheeseburgers and slurping milkshakes.
"I have a brother and sister-in-law. Emmett and Rosalie Cullen. They live in New Hampshire. He's working on being Pre-med and she's an editor for a magazine."
We had been firing questions back and forth. Bella and Edward. Not Bella and Mr. Cullen. It was easy to forget our roles and we again slipped into or flirting.
I blushed and smiled. He smirked and laughed. I wanted to change his profession. I wanted to run my hands through his hair. Wanted to feel his lips. My stomached burned with these thoughts and he saw me squirming.
"You okay?" he asked, laying a pale hand on my forearm. I gasped as a shock of electricity shot over my skin. He quickly retracted his hand and glanced at his fingers. "Bella?"
Closing my eyes and nodding, I answered. "I'm fine."
He eyed me carefully then set money down on the table. "Maybe you need some air."
It did feel stifling in the smoky diner. I stumbled to the door and took in a deep breath once outside. The wind blasted into my face, burning my cheeks and nose.
"You okay now?" Edward asked. I nodded, leaning against the brick and sighing.
I went completely still when I felt his fingers brush my hair from my face and behind my ear. It made me shiver and I looked up into to his eyes. We stared at each other intensely until someone walked past and into the diner.
"Um, sorry. Uh, thanks for lunch… Edward." I stammered out.
He nodded and then smiled nervously. "Let me walk you to you truck. Will you be alright to drive?"
"Yeah. I think I just got a brain freeze from the milkshake," I lied.
We found my truck in less than five minutes. He stood by the opened door, hands shoved into his pockets. "Well, see you Monday?" I offered lamely.
"Yeah, Monday. See you, Bella." With that he left, glancing back at me as I let my truck roar to life and get on the now less busy street.
That wasn't a lunch with my teacher. That wasn't innocent… That was a date. The only thing missing was a goodbye kiss.
Okay I got good feedback for the first chapter! Don't worry sweethearts. They will eventually get to the M rated stuff, but I don't really wanna just dive in, you know.
Reviews are better than Edward flirting!