Chapter 6

Edward offered to take me on a tour of the rest of the house. Alice and Rosalie said they would be upstairs in Alice's room, and Edward made them promise not to drag me away when I went to look at their room. Emmett and Jasper went back to playing their Xbox. Edward began giving me a tour of the house, starting with the kitchen.

The kitchen was so open and bright that it made me think of my room as a dark hole. Huge difference in the feeling you get upon entering. Esme's kitchen had light oak counters and an island in the middle of the kitchen. The counters and island's tops had smooth tile on it, like smooth stones.

The whole kitchen was kept neat and tidy. How did Esme find the time to keep the whole house clean? Maybe her kids help her out. That would explain it. There were cupboards and shelves along part of two walls and to the side of the island was a beautiful light oak table. It looked freshly polished and I felt almost afraid to touch it; to disturb its beauty.

Behind the table was a sliding glass door that lead out to the patio and garden. The garden was beautiful; I had no idea how so many beautiful flowers could grow in such a rainy place. The forest looked greener today; healthier. The river a bluer blue than I had ever seen before. It was a breathtaking sight. As if it couldn't get any better, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds for a moment, giving the outside world the look of a fairy tale. I half expected to see Prince Charming riding up on a white horse.

I looked around the kitchen in awe, my eyes came to rest on Edward. He was watching me with what looked like amusement. I wondered why. Did I have something on my face? Was my hair frizzy? Or did I just look like a moron.

"You know, its almost like you've never seen a house before. Watching the shine in your eyes as you take in all the details; like you've never seen beauty before. "he said to me. My heart fluttered slightly in my chest. That was beautiful, the way he had said it; like poetry. It was beautiful. I began looking at Edward Cullen through new eyes; eyes that had never before seen beauty in people and places; only in words and sounds. In nature too, but never in anything man-made like a house. Or even people.

I realized I had been staring at him the whole time, though I could tell I probably didn't look too stupid; I had my arms slightly in front of me, with my right wrist atop my left, my head was tilted to the side a bit, and I could feel my eyes gleaming with thoughtfulness. I could feel what I looked like from the inside-out without moving a muscle.

"Well, I've never seen such beautiful places before; its breathtaking. " I told him truthfully. Of coarse I left out all the other possible parts that could go in there. Like how I had seen any beauty because of Charlie, or because of the darkness in me I couldn't see any beauty in people; although that tended to be partly their fault too. Of coarse Edward and the others know nothing about all this; they thought I was just another girl.

I sighed quietly, Edward seemed to hear it and gave me a questioning look. I shook my head at him, thinking about how he couldn't know. He just can't. If he found out. . . the world would end. And I would surely die. I really wasn't in the mood for dieing right now; try me again later, then maybe I'll say yes. But no, I knew I would never do that. I liked my life, though it was horrible and unfair, it was my life. And I was prepared to deal with it.

One of the things I had also kept a secret from the Cullens(and my father) was the fact that I could probably take out Edward and Jasper, possibly Emmett too, though I wasn't sure yet. Charlie, on the other hand, was another matter entirely. I couldn't beat him; he was too strong, smart, and fast.

I was a black-belt in martial arts and karate, I was a master at all the arts of fighting and attacking with any weapon, and I would probably make a great soldier in the army. I was tough, strong, smart, and powerful. Just not powerful enough to beat Charlie; but then again, who was? Nobody I've ever heard of, that's for sure. I looked around, for a moment forgetting where I really was. Then I remembered. Oh. The Cullen's. A tour of the house. Shoot! I glanced up at the clock and sighed in relief; I still had a few hours left til I needed to start heading out.

I took a deep, steadying breathe to calm myself and reopened my eyes. Edward started walking towards the grand oak staircase and I gladly followed him. He led us up to the second floor, telling me which room was which as I glanced inside them. The first door was Rosalie and Emmett's room as Edward pointed out to me. Their room was huge! The room had red walls and golden carpeting; the whole room had a look of love and royalty together as one in it.

There was a huge king-sized bed against the wall to the right with a red and gold comforter. The curtains were golden as well as the carpet. There was a black steel vanity which was huge and full of makeup and stuff. The room was also very neat and tidy, which suprised me. My room would be neat and tidy. . . if I could keep it that way with Charlie around. I closed the door and we moved onto the next one. Carlisle and Esme's room.

Carlisle and Esme's room was made up of some light gold, white, and beige as the theme. There was a small balcony on the back side of the room, though that whole wall was already made of glass. The tiles on the floor were like neat, smooth castle stone from a good six hundred years ago. It gave you an ancient feeling, like you expect a queen to walk out of the closet or a princess with golden curls to come bouncing through the room. I smiled at the thought of it and moved on. Carlisle's study.

Carlisle's study was a smaller room with a fair sized mahogany desk in the center of the room, with tall, dark bookshelves simply stuffed with books lining the walls on all sides, except the glass wall; that was still pure. Across the hall was Esme's study, which had a huge desk full of blueprints and house plans and models. The whole room was full of file cabinets with documents and the such, and to the right of the door was a small lounging center, for relaxing while she works.

Edward led me up the next flight of stairs, pointing out the few remaining doors. The first one, to my left, was Alice and Jasper's room. When I opened the door Alice and Rosalie were sitting on Alice's huge bed talking and doing their nails. They smiled and waved and I waved back at them, looking at their room. The walls were a pink color, perfect for Alice. It made you feel all bubbly and happy inside, like you could feel the happiness radiating from the room.

The bed was huge with bed posts reaching the ceiling and the comforter was pink, purple, white, and blue. There was a vanity across from the bed, even bigger than Rosalie's. She had a huge closet, the doors for it were open and it looked like an isle in a store to me; so many clothes. The carpet was a pretty blue color that accented the walls and bed. I gave them one more small wave before leaving.

Across the hall from Alice's room was Jasper's study. It was very simple and I immediately loved it. It had light brown walls with a golden carpet laid out over the wood flooring. There was a lounging chair and a pair of comfy looking chairs next to it. There were a few bookshelves in here full of books, and near the back wall was a computer on a desk. It all had a very simple feeling and made me relax instantly. Edward closed the door and we moved on. When we passed one of the rooms, Edwards told me it was just a guest room, and he opened the last door at the end of the hallway.

The room was so comforting I relaxed further and looked upon the room with bright eyes. I loved this room already. There were a few bookshelves; one had books, the other two was full of cd's. There was a huge stereo system by one of the walls and the bed was on the opposite side. The room had a very faint gold, beige, and white theme to it. The carpet was a light gold, almost a strange beige. The walls were white, and the curtains were beige.

The back wall was, again, all glass. It had a door in it though, leading to another small balcony made of beige stone. The bed had light gold comforters and white designs in the fabric, making patterns all over the bed. There was a small, inviting black leather sofa near the balcony. It was amazing. I realized Edward hadn't told me who's room it was, so I assumed it was his. I smiled slightly and walked in, over to the cd's to look at his music.

Edward eyes me warily, and I glanced his way curiously. After a moment of us staring at each other, he raised his eyebrows. I laughed; the expression on his face was hilarious. I stopped looking at the cd's and walked out to the balcony, resting my forearms on the railing. I stared out at the beautiful blue river and the lush green forests. I could probably never leave forks, it was too beautiful on nice day. I sighed longingly and rested my head on my arms, watching the birds fly by and the breeze play with the trees. It was all very peaceful and serene.

I glanced at my watch and sighed in regret; it was about time for me to go. I walked back into Edward's room and Edward looked at me questionably.

"I have to be heading home about now; its getting late. "I told him. He nodded his head in understanding and in one fluid movement got up from the couch. He thought he understood, but he didn't. He had no idea. None of them did. He told me he'd drive me home and I said goodbye to the girls and the guys downstairs. I received a bone-crushing hug from Emmett. I laughed as he swung me around. He set me back on my feet and I waved goodbye once more before walking with Edward to his shiny Volvo.

Edward opened the passenger side door to his Volvo and I stared at it for a moment. Was he serious? He was holding open a door for me like a gentleman; a type of man I had never encountered before. Ever. Wow. Edward gently took my arm and lowered me into the seat, closing the door behind me.

Shoot! He was probably starting to think I was mentally retarded or something! Dangit! Why did I do that? I can always think straight when something unexpected happens; that's what makes me such an advanced student. And here I sit, looking like a complete idiot when a guy opens a car door for me. How stupid!

I hit myself on the forehead with the heel of my hand multiple times before Edward got in the car, stopping when I heard his door open. I rested my head back against the seat in my own frustration and closed my eyes; being angry with myself. No wonder Charlie hated me! I could be a complete moron when I put my mind to it! I felt the car quietly purr to life and start to take off. It was very smooth; no bumps. After about two minutes of complete silence I sighed and said "Sorry about that, I just kind of lost it for a moment. No ones ever done that for me before. "

My voice was kinda tight and strained, and I knew it was because I was so frustrated with myself. I opened my eyes and glanced over at Edward; at least he didn't look mad. He looked amused, as if what I had just said was funny. How was that funny? I didn't see any way in which that could be seen as funny. Nope, not one bit.

"You mean that every man you've ever met in your entire life has never once opened a door for you before? I may have to fix that Miss Swan" he said, teasing me. He wiggled his eyebrows and I laughed at him; at least he knew how to cheer someone up. Slightly.

I saw my house up ahead and my stomach clenched; Charlie would probably be home soon. I wonder if I could wiggle out of punishment tonight. I tried to think of something extra-special I could do for Charlie, and a spark of inspiration hit. When Edward pulled up to my house I told him goodbye and practically ran to the front door. I had so much work to do, and so little time to do it.

Once I got inside I closed the front door, slipped off my plain blue jacket, and got to work. First, I started Charlie's dinner, Lobster with some salad and fries, a baked potato was on the side. Once that was cooking, I set to cleaning up the living room, setting it to Charlie's wishes and doing the same to his room. I went back down to the kitchen just as the oven beeped. I took out Charlie's dinner and set it on the table and got out two beer bottles for him.

Making sure everything was as it should be, I ran to the door to grab my jacket from alongside it, and dashed upstairs. I opened my closet and pulled out a green apple and started munching on it; I was a little hungry.

I watched as Charlie's cruiser pulled into the driveway and he sauntered out of it. He walked lazily to the front door and I could see him stop on the door step smelling his dinner before he stepped inside. I could hear his approval from downstairs; that's a good sign. Maybe my beating would be less painful tonight.

I kept that thought in my head, listening to his every move and sound as I quietly munched. I finished my apple quickly and quietly discarded the remains. I sat on the hardwood floor; listening as Charlie ate his dinner. I heard him grunt as he stood and walked over to the living room. I silently and stealthily made my way down the stairs to clean up his mess without him noticing.

I looked over what was left; the remains of the food were trashy and un-edible, but there was a brighter side to what else I saw. Charlie had one of his two beer bottles still sitting on the table, unopened. I grinned slightly and it faded as I cleaned up his mess, also putting the bottle back in the fridge with practiced silence.

As I was heading up the stairs I heard Charlie in the living room watching some game. He was encouraging the players as if they could hear him. I shook my head and continued up the stairs when I heard Charlie yawn. He was tired. He'd be asleep soon. I might get out of a beating. Amazing.

I didn't start happy dancing yet, not with Charlie in the house and awake. I'd do a happy dance tomorrow morning on my way to school. I'd done it before; it always made me feel light, carefree, and happy for once, I loved it.

I would dance on my skateboard, and if anyone saw me they'd almost smile, some even would, because of the happiness I felt. I was almost never happy, except for on occasions like this. Occasions where I wouldn't get beaten, and where maybe there was a little added bonus too. Like eating some leftover dinner from Charlie, or talking to someone like Edward who doesn't think I'm a freak.

I actually smiled to myself for a moment, then it quickly vanished as I heard heavy feet slowly making their way up the stairs. Either he was tired, or he wanted the creepy 'im coming to get you' effect. Or maybe both. I just hoped he was just tired and would let me be tonight; I needed a break after the knife thing.

I held my breath and listened as he stopped in front of my door. He opened it and I looked up at him, but he didn't look like he was going to beat me; he just looked really tired.

"Thanks for dinner Bells; that was the best lobster I've ever had. No beating tonight or tomorrow night if you behave. "He told me dully and closed my door. I stared at the door in complete and utter shock, with also a growing feeling of excitement and pleasure. Moments later I could hear Charlie's famous snores. Nothing could wake him up now, not til' at least 7 tomorrow morning. Sweet.

I waited on the floor another two minutes until Charlie's snores got slightly deeper and I was absolutely positive it was safe. I opened my door and treaded lightly to the bathroom to take a quick shower and clean up. I took a nice warm shower, letting the water run down my skin and freshen me up. I applied my favorite shampoo; it smelled like fresh forests and trees, like the most peaceful and beautiful place in the world. If it existed. I'd never go there, but the smell made me think as such anyways.

I cringed slightly when the hot water first went over all my scars, but otherwise I was fine. I put in my conditioner which was soft and smooth and cleaned my hair, making it easy to brush and clean. It always cleaned it up.

After I was clean and had shaved my legs I hopped out of the shower and dried off. Then, I brushed through my hair and braided it into two braids on my shoulders. I looked kind of cute. I made sure it was nice and tight and then I put away the brush. I brushed my teeth, rubbed my face a moment to help keep the circulation going and checked all my bruises and scars. The bruises were fading slightly from Charlie having not beat me tonight.

I rewrapped the bandage around my stomach and left my arms bare to let them get some air. I put on my pajamas and treaded silently back into my room and crawled into bed.