Disclaimer: Twilight + Stehenie Awsomeness Twilight + Sarah Lame
Chapter Three- Bella's POV (age eleven)
"Bells, this is great!" Charlie exclaimed, between mouthfuls of dinner.
I had taken it upon myself to cook any night that we weren't eating out, or at the Cullen's. Even in grade six, I had been able to make more complex meals than my father.
"Thanks, Dad." I mumbled, pushing the food from side to side on my plate.
I fumbled with the chain around my neck, absently clutching the little plastic heart.
After about twenty minutes he was finished and I was able to escape to my room. I climbed the stairs two at times, stumbling a little, and flopped onto my bed. I had spent the entire day with Charlie, going around the town of Forks and making awkward conversation. I was glad to be home again, I just wanted to go to sleep.
I sighed and got up so I could change into my pajamas. I grabbed my bag and went to the bathroom. When I was cleaned up I went downstairs to say goodnight to Charlie before crawling into my bed again.
I closed my eyes.
What felt like three minutes later, I opened them again, to a dark room. There were strange sounds coming from out in the yard. I pulled the covers off and stumbled over to the window, trying to find my way in the darkness. I scraped the window open and stuck my head out. Squinting against the night, I searched for the sound of the disturbance.
"Crap. Ouch!" I heard a familiar voice grunting a few feet below my window.
"Edward?"
"Bella, get out of the way." He commanded, cursing again.
"What are you doing?" I hissed.
There was no answer.
"Edward?"
There was still no reply, but I felt hands gently push my shoulders back into my room. I scrambled around in the darkness and flicked on my desk lamp just in time to watch as Edward tumbled through the window.
"Are you okay?"
"You could say that." He muttered.
He walked over to the bed and plopped down, resting his head on the wall.
"Edward. Answers. Now." I commanded, sitting down on the floor and folding my legs underneath me.
"I came home from my piano lesson today, reminding mum, as usual, that I don't like it."
I nodded, signaling for him to continue. I knew that he pretended not to like it; Emmet would never let him live it down if he found out.
"Well, today she flipped out. Told me that she wasn't gona put up with all my complaining anymore, that she was pulling me out of lessons. I couldn't do anything! Emmet was right at my side and I had to sit there and act cool while she canceled my sessions. What do I do, Bella? I can't play at home 'cause I don't have a keyboard. Even if I did, I couldn't play it with anyone around!" he ranted on, leaving me feeling helpless.
There wasn't much I could do for him, though I wanted to. I hated it when he was upset, it made me upset, too.
He fell back onto the pillows and closed his eyes while pinching the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger. I slowly got up and crawled into the bed beside him, wrapping my arms around him in an attempt at comfort.
He sighed and put his arm around my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Edward." I mumbled, wishing I had something to console him with.
"Don't be," he sighed, "It's not like it's your fault. It's just that, well, when you're gone, all I have is the piano. You know what it's like, not seeing each other for a year."
My hand went to the plastic heart and I played with it again.
"You hadn't told me it meant so much to you…"
"It's the only thing that even compares to the feeling of when you're here."
My breath caught. This was something important, and it was being taken away from him. I couldn't stand it.
"Edward, I don't know how we'll do it, but I'm going to make sure that you can play again."
He didn't reply. I wasn't sure, but I thought I heard him sniffle a little, so I hugged him tighter. We stayed like that until our eyelids grew heavy and we were fighting to stay awake.
"Bella," he murmured.
"Mmm?" was my lame reply.
"Sorry, in advance, for falling asleep in your bed."
"Don' be… s'ry." I slurred, on the edge of sleep.
He nodded, and his arms loosened around me as he lost consciousness.
-- Later That Month, Emmet's Room --
"Bella! You cheated!" Emmet accused, throwing down his game remote.
"Did not." I said, crossing my arms over my chest, "I beat you, fair and square."
"Whatever," he muttered.
"Emmet, you just got beat by an eleven year old girl!" Edward laughed, giving me a high five.
"Hey! She's no eleven year old girl! She's almost twelve…" he defended lamely.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." I joked.
"Yeah, nobody but everybody."
"You don't believe me?" I gasped in mock surprise.
"Nope." He popped the 'p'.
"Good. You shouldn't."
He rolled his eyes and stuffed the video game back in the cupboard. We all got up and went into the kitchen, sitting down at the island.
"I'm bored." Emmet declared.
"So am I." Edward and I agreed.
"It's raining. What are we supposed to do?" he complained.
"It's always raining. What do you normally do?" I asked.
"We'd normally go hang in the shed. But Dad says we can't go in 'cause there's a rat nest and he has to get rid of it." Edward explained.
"Do you have any board games?" I tried to think of stuff to do.
Emmet's face lit up and Edward grimaced. That didn't look good.
"Twister!" he shouted, jumping up and running out of the room.
"Why? Why board games?" Edward groaned, turning to me.
"T-twister?" I stuttered. Twister with Emmet did not sound like a good idea.
He just nodded and trudged into the living room, where Emmet had already set up the mat.
-- Fifteen Minutes Later --
"Bella: left had on green." Esme called out.
I was crouched on all fours, trying desperately not to fall to the ground. Emmet was hovering above me, his arm on one side of me and his feet, both on tiptoes, on the other. Edward was crouched to my left, his arm hooked around Emmet's, reaching to the blue square, while his right leg was stretched as far as it would go to claim a red one.
I took a deep breath and attempted to lift my left hand off the mat without loosing my balance. I brought it around Emmet's leg and reached for a green spot, bringing my face inches from Edward's.
"Hello," he chuckled.
"Hi," I blushed, looking away.
"Emmet: right foot on blue." Esme instructed as the spinner came to a stop
He laughed and shifted his weight onto one foot while we snaked his other one underneath me, hooking it around Edward's right led and resting it on a blue space. He always went for the most awkward position, just to get on my nerves.
Now, Emmet's face was right in between mine and Edward's. Great.
"God, Emmet! Personal bubble!" Edward groaned, leaning away.
"Edward: right hand on yellow."
Uh-oh. He raised a shaky hand, attempting to reach for a yellow space, but caught it around my arm and we both tumbled to the ground. I landed on top of him, so my stomach was pressed against his.
We both froze as we hit the ground, neither of us moving. I looked down at him, and he stared back. His eyes were bright, depthless and intriguing. They were an intoxicating emerald green, the kind you would swoon over for hours, just staring. And I was so close to him…
We both realized the proximity of our faces and pulled back, jumping to our feet and looking away. My cheeks burned as Esme tried to disguise her laugh with a cough.
"I win!" Emmet shouted triumphantly, not seeming to notice what had just happened.
"Congrats." I said flatly.
"Yeah, good game." Edward mumbled. He hadn't taken his eyes off of me. I kept my eyes on the floor
-- Carlisle's Office, A few Days Later --
"Hey, Carlisle?" I asked, picking up a book from his massive collection.
"Yes, Bella?"
"Is it true that kids who play instruments learn better than those who don't?" I asked.
It was just me and Carlisle in the room. I had a plan. It was a little childish and I doubted that it would work, but it was the best I had right now.
"Well, it's a lot more complicated than that, but some would say so. Why?"
"Well, Renee was saying how she wished she had started me on piano, like Edward. She told me that it was why he got good grades."
"I don't know how accurate that theory is," He said, "You're a smart girl."
"Yeah, but not as smart as Edward. Emmet doesn't play either, does he?"
"No, he doesn't."
"Hmm," I put my finger to my chin, "Well, thanks Carlisle. I'm going to go find Edward now…" I walked out, closing the door securely behind me.
I wandered out to the back, stopping in front of the shed.
"You in there?" I asked the door.
I heard movement.
"Yeah, hang on."
Some loud bangs and an 'ouch' later, the door swung open and Edward stepped out.
"Hey," he greeted me, walking in towards the house.
"You ready?"
"I don't know if this will work…"
"We've got to try."
He sighed.
"I guess."
He held the door open for me and I stepped into the kitchen.
"Is it black?" I asked, making sure Esme could hear me.
"Yes."
"Does it make sound?"
"Yeah."
Esme's head turned from the counter and she watched us as we passed.
"Edward, it's a piano. Is that all you have your mind on today?" I asked, annoyed.
"I duno. It's just weird not having to play all the time…"
We had walked through the kitchen by then, and Esme was out of earshot.
"I really don't think this will work." He complained again.
"Do you want to play again or not?"
He didn't answer and I knew it was because he had no argument.
I prayed for him that this would work. I wouldn't be here to find out, I was leaving in two days.
I began to fiddle with my necklace again. The summer always ended too soon. I could never spend enough time with him, and I could hardly survive through the school year without him.
I needed him.
A/N: Wow! Thanks so much for all the great reviews, they make me happy . An extra special thanks to TwilightxoEclipse for the name! I think it fits. There are only about two more chapters before the kids are the same age as they were in the series. It might be three, I haven't written that far yet…
So, I know people always write about the Cullens playing Truth Or Dare and stuff like that, but I have yet to find one with Twister: the awkward game of the century. So here it is! lol