Disclaimer: I dont own Twilight.
The Fourth of July has always been my favorite holiday. Not because I'm patriotic or some shit, definitely not that. I like the simplicity of it, the day is pure happiness in our country, there's no stress for presents or costumes, nobody panics on the Fourth of July, we just celebrate. It's not religous so everybody who lives in America is involved. It was my mom's favorite holiday also. From our backyard (from anyone's backyard in Forks) we could watch the fireworks, mom and I would play in the sandbox or on the swings while dad made a fire and we'd roast everything, hotdogs, marshmallows, Jiffy Pop, pizza crust, my dad even made a (scorched) grilled cheese once, Mom would sing The Star Spangled Banner while dad played guitar, just before the sky would light up in sparks of brilliant color and I would shreik with joy and giggle as I cover my hands over my ears.
Even after she died, I was never sad on this day, infact I still smile at the memories of The Fourth of July. Of all things I remember of her time with me on earth, that day, is the one thing I shared with her.
My hand started to cramp and my eyelids become heavy with exhaustion, so I closed my diary, and tucked it under my mattress. I looked at the clock 12:02 am.
Happy Fourth of July, mom. I smiled slightly and looked at the calendar, when I saw a big sad face, and suddenly my smile dissapears and my heart plummets to my stomach , I'd totally forgotten.
Today's the last day before he leaves for Arizona, for 7 weeks. 7 whole weeks, pretty much the entire summer, without him. My chest tightened at the thought and suddenly I was too panicked to sleep.
What was I going to do with myself? My whole world revolved around him, and he was leaving me here, by myself with an empty schedule and heart. I missed him already, which sounds super cheesy, but it's true.
I needed to see him.
I got out of bed and blindly searched for my cellphone in the dark, after stubbing my toe on the desk, I found it and flipped it open. It was midnight but I knew he'd be awake, he always stayed up until 2. 'Just in case you need me.' He'd said. Well, I need him.
I punched in the number I knew by heart and he answered on the second ring. " Bella." His smooth voice answered, I heard the smile in his voice.
" Hi, um can you come over, Charlie's in his room...asleep." I asked shyly.
" Of course give me 10 minutes, my parent's are asleep, but Jacob's still up, so.." He trailed off, I understood, Jacob hated me, because Edward was always opting to go to the movies with me, instead of playing video games with him, infact he was the one who told me they were going away for the summer when I came over, he answered the door and grinned deviously at me then very 'innocently' blurted out how they were going to Arizona for 7 weeks, and then very quietly muttered to me " 7 weeks without him attached to the hip with you." Edward was not very happy with him.
"." I blushed.
" I will." We hung up and I sat on my window seat waiting for his form to appear.
Edward lived 2 blocks away so we always walked back and fourth from each others houses. Sometimes- times like these- I would call him in the middle of the night and he'd sneak out and I'd let him in, and he'd stay until sunrise, sometimes we'd sleep and other times we, well...would'nt sleep.
Last summer, when we were 14 [well he was anway] puberty hit and I got boobs and he got muscles. Edwards definitely not the athletic type but Esme signed the whole family up for tennis lessons,and they they go camping twice a year, and it started showing. He was still lanky but his arms and chest had more definition to them. Anyway when this happened, the innocent kisses, started to get...hotter. Little pecks and handholding, turned into, making out and wrapping his arm around my waist. We both decided to wait until we were 18 to have sex, but that did'nt stop us from exploring. Like I learned that he really likes it when I tug his hair and he discovered that kissing my ear really, well...turns me on.
I was brought of my thoughts when Edward appeared, and I quietly made my way down the stairs to the front door. I fumbled with the lock for a moment before swinging the door open and finding his beautiful facing smiling my favorite lopsided grin.
" Hi." I whispered.
"Hey." He took my hand while, I led him silently up the stairs to my room and quietly shut the door behind me.
" Sooo, what's up?" He asked while scooping me up into his lap like always.
" Well I, I just realized what today was and I just really needed to see you." I whispered looking at our interlocked hands in my lap.
"Oh." He said and kissed my temple. " I'll call, every day, 3 times a day, I promise." I turned around in his lap so I was straddling him and took his glasses off and pressed my forehead to his.
"It's not the same." I mumbled. He frowned, sadness in his emerald eyes.
" I know." He kissed me gently and slowly, tenderness seeping off of him as he gently caressed my face, his touch as light as a feather.
He broke away suddenly with fiery passion burning in his eyes, and whispered three words that made my heart skip a beat. " I love you." He whispered confidently.
He'd never said that before, I mean, I guess I sorta knew but he'd never actually said it out loud. Joy and a million other beautiful emotions overcame me as I brought his mouth back to mine, kissing him with all of what defined me, him, us. We broke away, gasping for air. " I love you too." I said breathlessly.
His whole face lit up in a beauiful smile as he brought his lips to mine kissing my until I was lightheaded and my heart thumped wildly in my chest.
" What am I gonna do without you?" He murmured, pushing a lock of my long brown hair behind my ear.
"Swim, play tennis, go to the beach, get a sun burn, meet a gorgeous blonde beach bunny, and fall in love with her and come back here and dump me to pursue you relationship that wont last then, come groveling on your knees to me saying how wrong you were..." I trailed off. And smiled a big cheesy grin at him.
He snorted, humor in his eyes." Yeah ok." He said sarcastically.
" Hey you never know."
" But I do know that I will only love you." He said his eyes, smoldering thing. Did I mention Edward is really deep?
"Good." I whispered simply, at a loss for words, "Me too." Suddenly I yawned hugely, ruining the moment.
" Come on let's go to bed." He said pulling me off of him but keeping his arm around my waist.
" No," I whined. " I dont want to sleep, this is my last night with you for a long time."
" Well lets lay down anyway, Jacob kept hitting me with his wooden baseball bat and my back is killing me." He reasoned.
" Ok." We slipped under the covers and turned on our side so face eachother, our hands inertwined.
" I really do love you Bella, ever since the 1st grade." He said tracing circles on the back of my hand.
" I know, I love you too, ever since the 1st grade." I said my thoughts trailing off to the first day I met Edward Cullen...
October 2nd 2001. 1st grade.
The whispers started before he even arrived.
Our teacher, Mrs. Holiday, had announced yesterday, that a new student was coming today, and warned us about 'being polite' and ' welcoming him to the school.'
Everyboday chattered quietly in excitement. Emmet Cullen bragged about how it was his cousin Edwin, or something like that. That got him alot of questioners. At recess I heard, Jessica Stanley tell Mike Newton, that her mom told her that, Edwin was from another country and his real parents were outlaws and that found him in a hospital with the flu and took him in.
I rolled my eyes at everyones, excitement over a new student. In two weeks he'll just be old news like everything else. AlthoughI had to admit I was curious about this new student. I knew he was adopted because my dad told me, but I was'nt buying the load of baloney Jessica was selling.
At least this would distract people from the news of mom's...death. They never said anything mean to my face about it- Angela my only sorta friend even made me a card and gave me a hug- I heard Lauren and Tanya whispering.
"I mean come on, who just stands in the middle of the road? It's a shame too, I liked Mrs. Swan, and now we don't have an art class." I'd heard Tanya say in the girl's bathroom. They had'nt know that I'd been in the stall, but their words cut me deep, adding another wound to my heart.
Anyway, ever since then I'd cut off all ties to pretty much every one. I sat alone at my own circle table, and went to work on the word find, Mrs. Holiday gave us. Everone else was bouncing around talking loudly, anxious to see the new boy. I sorta felt bad for the guy, he gong to be trampled by the the whole 1st grade. Unless of course he likes getting attention.
Just as I found the last word, I heard the room go silent. I looked up to see Mrs. Holiday walk in holding hands with him.
I could'nt help but observe him like everyone else. He had weird colored hair sorta red, sorta brown, that was slicked back with gel and he had really pretty green eyes and round glasses. His skin was tanner than everyone else's (which went away in two months). He was very...pretty if it was possible for boys to even be pretty.
He looked up threw his dark lashes and shyly surveyed the class.
" Everyone this is Edward. Say hello." Mrs. Holiday's voice broke the silence. Everyone said hello in unison.
" Hi." Edward said quietly.
" Now, everyone is going to stand up and say their name starting from table 1." Everyone stood and said their name Tany smiling a super 'sweet' smile at him. Goody- two - shoes.
Finally it came to table 10, my table. I stood playing with the hem of my t-shirt and stuttered out. " Hi.. m,my name is Bella." I blushed and sat down.
I saw the corners of his lips tilt into a small smile.
" So, Edward how about you sit with Emmet, Jasper, Alice and Rosie?" Mrs. Holiday asked him.
" Um." Edward said pulling to where he could whisper in her ear.
"Oh." Mrs. Holiday said surprised. Glancing over at me. " Ok." She said leading Edward over to my table. I was stunned into silence. It baffled me, why he would want to sit with me rather than his cousin. Surely he had'nt heard the rumors yet. Mrs. Holiday pulled a chair out for him across from me. " Ok, Bella Edward is going to sit with you now is that ok?" I was'nt sure if it really was ok with me, but I could'nt say that, so I nodded.
" Good." She smiled at us and made her way to her desk telling the class to finish their word finds. I decided to practice writing my name on the back, but my one 'l' still was to much longer then the other and my 'a' looked like a u. I sighed and started drawing a flower instead. Drawing was much easier than writing.
" Hi." I heard a small voice say. I looked up to see Edward staring at me.
" Hi." I said smiling a bit.
" I'm Edward. Don't call me Eddie please." He said. My smile grew at his remark.
" I'm Bella. Don't call me Isabella please." He smiled, part of his mouth tilting upwards more than the other. His smile made my stomach flutter.
" Do you want to be friends?" He asked shyly.
Surprising myself I answered without hesitation. " Okay."
I had'nt realized I'd fallen asleep, when I heard Edward tug on my arm and say my name quietly. My eyes fluttered open.
" I have to go, it's 6:15, I'll see you in 6 hours." He whispered. I groaned, six hours seemed like a very long time. He smiled. " I know." I swear somethimes he reads my mind.
" I love you." I whispered kissing his jaw.
" I love you too." He said kissing my forehead. I walked him to the door and silently kissed him, and when he left I went back upstairs, fast asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.
He loves me. Was the last thought that went through my mind.