Hi everyone! I'd just like to thank everybody that reviewed or favorite or alerted my story, and just all my readers out there. That last chapter had a lot of readers and I'm so glad everyone out there is giving my story a chance! I know that it may seem like this story is progressing somewhat slowly, but I know exactly where I'm going with it and I just want to make sure that all of the characters are well established. I'd also like to give a long overdue shout out to my reviewers because you guys really make me want to continue writing and you inspire me to try to do my best!
A huge thank you to:
ShinyVampiricArmor (my very first reviewer!)
GlowstickGirl
TwilghtLover Now and forever
OmTrOcKiT1o1
kdillin
clueless c
madyb713
live4dance
Sunshine72
RaeRaeMae-xoxo
ucanlookbutyacanttouch
Vampiress-Hannah-Tsukiyomi
AngelsLuvMe
twilightluver32
usagiseiyaforever
AliBelly
Now on with the story:
:]
Chapter 8:
BPOV:
I made my way as quietly as possible to the staircase, knowing that Rose and Alice could still be lurking around here somewhere, still thinking about my conversation/fight with Edward. I had judged him in that first moment to be just like the other jerks I've had the pleasure of knowing, and yet there seemed to be something different about Edward. It was almost as if the person he was on the surface wasn't the real him.
I felt ashamed. I, of all people, should know what could happen if you judged someone on your first impression of them. Rose and Jazz terrified me when I first met them, and you couldn't find two nicer people in this whole town!
There was just something about Edward that shut off that little voice of reason in my head; the voice that would normally tell me not to judge people too quickly. Every time I was around him, I turned into this flustered, irrational, bold girl that I never knew existed inside of me.
Edward Cullen was driving me insane, and I couldn't figure out why that was.
I was so engrossed in my mental contemplation that I failed to hear the tell-tale high-heeled clicks of my approaching doom.
"Gotcha!" I was grabbed by two well manicured hands and forced back up to the torture chamber.
Darn you Edward Cullen! The boy could make me crazy when he wasn't even here!
I was plunked down into the chair (thankfully without the duct tape this time) and spun around to face the furious girls.
I cleared my throat nervously. "Um, hi?" That really set them off.
"Hi? That's all you have to say for yourself? HI?"
"Rose, calm down! It's not like it was that big of a_"
"Deal? Was that what you were going to say, missy? Of course it's a big deal!"
"Alice, I'm sorry, but I think you guys are_"
"Overreacting? No I don't think we are, do you Rose?" She shook her head angrily.
"In fact, I don't think we can be friends anymore." I sat there shocked. I was about to lose my best friend and a fantastic new friend just because I wouldn't give in to a makeover? Well I suppose it made sense. People like me don't belong with beautiful people like them.
"Oh. Well then. I guess I understand. I'll just – go now." I felt my face fall as I tried to get up out of the chair. Rose and Alice looked at each other, then at me, and then they burst out laughing. I sat back down, more confused than ever as they leaned on each other for support. Once they recovered from their laugh attack, they shook their heads at me.
"Man Bella, I knew you were gullible but this is just sad!" Rosalie snorted.
"Huh?"
"Bella, we're not mad at you! We were just kidding. And boy did you fall for it!" Alice giggled. Ahhh, I see. Well, may as well get in on this! I mentally gave an evil laugh.
I stood up angrily.
"Well that was just plain cruel. You know what? I don't want to be friends with people like you! Have a nice life." And with that, I stormed to the doorway.
"Bella, wait!"
"Bella it was all her idea, she made me do it!"
"Rose!"
I spun around and winked at my distraught friends.
"Gotcha!" They looked stunned for a minute and then started laughing hysterically.
"And you think I'm gullible." They both quirked an eyebrow at me, and I backed up. They tackled me to the ground and began tickling me mercilessly.
"Ahem." We looked up and saw Esme in the doorway.
"Hi girls."
"Hi Esme."
"Hi Mom."
"Bella and Rosalie, would you girls like to stay for dinner?"
"Sure Esme."
"That would be great thanks."
"Great!" she began walking away, but stopped for a moment. "Should I be concerned?" motioning to our current position.
"Nope, we're good."
"Ok then."
After Esme left the girls finally let me up.
"So what do you guys want to do now?" The girls looked at each other, and then at me with matching puppy dog faces.
"Oh no. No, no, a thousand times no!"
"Please, Bella? We won't do anything over the top, promise!"
"Come on, Bella. I just want to get to know you better. You know, spend some time with just us girls!" I was beginning to crack. Stay strong Bella! Don't look at those adorable, sad, pleading eyes!
"Fine." They both squealed, all traces of sadness gone. Let the torture begin!
EPOV: (Surprise!)
After talking to Bella, I sat down at the piano my parents had let me set up in my room. Talking to Bella had left me upset and confused, and there was no better remedy than trying to drown myself in my music. I stroked the keys of my favorite instrument, and recalled a song that I'd recently written. My emotions just poured out from every lyric, every note. I wasn't great at expressing feeling verbally, so I did it through music. My mom says this is why everyone loves my music so much. She says they can truly understand what I'm trying to say through my songs. I began playing the song, letting myself give into the music. The entire world was gone. Nothing else mattered. It was just me and my music.
Numb (by Linkin Park): (AN: this song perfectly portrays what's going through Edward's head right now. If you've never heard it, pay special attention to the lyrics!)
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless lost under the surface
Don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)
[Chorus]
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Become so tired so much more aware
I'm becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly afraid to lose control
Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)
And every second I waste is more than I can take
[Chorus]
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Become so tired so much more aware
I'm becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
And I know
I may end up failing too
But I know
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you
[Chorus]
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
Become so tired so much more aware
I'm becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
[Chorus]
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
I've become so numb I can't feel you there
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
As the last note faded, the real world began to come into focus. This was the kind of song that would most likely not pass the approval of the record company. They claimed everything I'd written recently had become too morbid and melancholy. But that's the only emotion I'd been able to convey lately, and it's impossible for me to write something that I didn't mean whole heartedly. The company and my manager, Tim, had been on me for a while now. They actually couldn't be more thrilled when my parents demanded that I take a break from the Hollywood spotlight, and finish out my junior and senior year in some backwater town no one had ever heard of. I remember Tim's "tearful" goodbye.
"Get your head screwed on straight Edward, ok? Be a teenager, finish high school, and go crazy, I don't care. Just do whatever you need to do in order to get that song writing genius I know and love back, m'kay? Send me what your working on while you're gone, and I'll be checking up on you every once and a while. But above everything else, protect your image!"
Protect your image, Edward!
Image is everything, Edward!
Image! Image! Image!
All my "image" had gotten me was a distrusting family and a bad boy reputation. A couple years ago, Tim decided that my image had to change. He said I wasn't "interesting" enough.
Everybody loves a rebel, Edward! Tim had said. (AN: Who can recognize what movie that's from?)
And I listened to him. I let everyone believe I was the definition of a bad boy. Of course I'd never pushed it as far as getting involved with drugs and alcohol, or even letting anyone think I was for that matter. I didn't want to send that kind of message to my fans. But the public soon began to see me as a rebel; with the ripped jeans, leather jacket, signature aviators, with some girl constantly on my arm. But while I as creating my new image, I was constantly hurting my family. I came home later and later from parties that Tim insisted I go to. I hardly spoke to my siblings; or anyone for that matter. I lost their trust. I couldn't stop the act though. Tim made it clear that if I stopped the bad boy act, my fans would leave me. I love what I do so much, and I don't want to become some wannabe has been. Sometimes it felt like I could burst from the constant inner turmoil thing. When my parents announced that we were moving, I actually couldn't be more thrilled; but I threw a fit and acted like a rebellious teenager.
I had been bottling up these emotions for almost three years, and Bella had managed to almost break down my carefully constructed walls within minutes. There was something about that girl. She wasn't like anyone else I'd ever known, because she had absolutely no idea who I was! And surprisingly, I loved it! She wouldn't try to get to know me because of my fame. I could actually have a true friend; a meaningful relationship.
I almost smiled as my spirits began to lift, before I remembered why that was impossible. I couldn't bring Bella into my crazy Hollywood life. Into the lies, scandals, and insanity. I needed to keep her far away from me. I needed her to keep thinking I was who I pretended to be: a rebellious, egotistical jerk that couldn't care less about her, or his own family.
I sighed and went downstairs to get a glass of water. I nodded at Emmett and Jasper who were at the kitchen table devouring a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies that I'm sure my mom had just whipped up.
Suddenly we heard yelling coming from upstairs. A door slammed and we heard the commotion move to the staircase.
"Bella, come back! We're not done yet."
"Oh yes you are!"
"Come on Bella just a little more eye shadow!" The three girls came barreling into the kitchen. Bella spun around and faced her pursuers. They stopped and put matching puppy dog faces on. Oh they were good!
"Don't you even think about it! It's not going to work this time. You promised me that you wouldn't go over the top, and this" she gestured to herself "is over the top."
"But_"
"Nope!"
"Bella if you'd just_"
"No!"
The fashionistas sighed sadly, "Fine."
"Good girls," smirked Bella and turned around to face us. All of our jaws dropped. Emmett and Jasper let out a small, "wow", but I was speechless.
She was wearing a flowing blue top, dark skinny jean that hugged her legs and small black flats with little bows on the top. Alice and Rosalie had curled her naturally wavy hair even more, so that it flowed beautifully down her back; and used light, natural looking makeup that accented her natural, understated beauty. Her chocolate brown eyes stood out more than usual due to the smoky-eye effect the girls had expertly created.
By now she had blushed bright red, noticing the stares from all of us.
"What?" she asked, biting her lip nervously. That woke up us from our shock, and I managed to shut my mouth.
"Damn! My twin is a hottie!" Emmett yelled. Bella blushed even more and looked like she wanted to disappear into a hole.
"Go change Bella." Jasper deadpanned. The girls looked hurt, but Bella looked somewhat relieved.
"See guys, I told you I looked ridiculous." She started towards the door triumphantly.
"No, it's not that. You look beautiful, which is why you need to go change. I don't want to have to beat guys off you with a bat. I'd rather keep my criminal record clean, if you don't mind." The girls looked pacified, and Bella resumed the "please let me disappear" expression.
"Ok, well why you all delude yourselves into thinking that I look good, I'm going to go die in a hole before you guys come up with some other form of torture for me." She turned to go out the door, and gave a wave over her shoulder at us without looking back. I took a deep breath.
Staying away from Bella Swan was going to be harder than I thought.