Please review!
Bella
She tried to not think about the charming Edward Cullen. He was definitely a heart breaker, probably had many girls at his feet in high school. She tried to tell herself that these were not the kind of guys she liked, but he was different. He was a gentleman, no doubt from his military training. He had the most unusual hair color- almost like bronze. She remembered his eyes where like two emeralds staring into what seemed her soul as they had danced. When they danced. Normally she tripped over her feet and stepped on the other guy's feet. But Edward had made sure she didn't trip, and for that small moment she had forgot she was dancing. Because she had gotten lost in that crooked grin of his as he talked so casually with her. His jacket smelled amazing; but she couldn't quite pick up what it was. It wasn't any cologne that Jacob wears on occasion and it intrigued her even more. She sat in one of the many chairs littered around the backyard and watched the party.
"What is a pretty woman like yourself sitting all alone?" someone asked.
She turned and saw Jacob smiling at her with that big, wolfy grin of his.
"Hey Jake it's nice to see you again." I said.
"You too Bells. Edward sent me to get you, The party is almost over and we are going to shoot at some stuff." he said.
"Didn't you guys just get back from Iraq?" she asked. "Already missing shooting stuff?"
Jacob extended his hand and I grabbed it and used it to stand up. "No to be honest I don't feel like shooting tonight but Alice wants to see Jasper shoot. Then of course Rosalie wants Emmett to beat him.."
"So it's a competition?" she said coming to a conclusion.
"Of sorts. Though I don't know why they try Edward always wins."
"Really?" she said. She remembered Seth had said Edward was the best. "Then shouldn't you disqualify him and let someone else win?"
"And let someone else steal Edward's title of "Best Shooter"? Please he's not that crazy."
Jacob put his hand on my back and pushed me lightly towards the back of the house where there was laughter. Before they did she saw Esme and Alice begin to say goodnight to all of the people who had came. The house was in a wreck with snacks and red plastic cups all over the place. She wanted to go help Esme but Jacob kept her going towards the laughter. Soon she saw Edward who was play fighting with Emmett and seemed to be the source of the laughter. When he saw use he mocked one more punch to Emmett and walked over.
"Here's your jacket." I said.
"No hold onto it. I can't wear this suit while sniping the shirt's too tight."
"Jacob told me this is some kind of competition."
Edward rolled his eyes. "It's only a competition because Emmett's competing and he has his girlfriend to impress."
"Yeah he told me that too. And that you've got a reputation to protect."
Edward smiled a crooked smile. "You bet."
"Edward! Are you going to set up or what?" Seth said.
"Yeah man give me a minute!" Edward called back. He looked at me with piercing green eyes that made my eyes flutter. "Come with me?"
"Where?" I asked.
"The roof." he said as easily like a child would say he was going to get a snack.
"In this dress?" I said looking down at the beautiful white dress that Alice had forced her too wear.
"It's got a better view." he said.
She raised an eyebrow questionly. "Really?"
Something flickered across Edward's face but it went away quickly. "You'll have to deal with Emmett and Jasper's bickering."
She had heard Alice always complaining about her brother's. She had always shown up at her Dad's door with a splitting headache and saying I had no choice but let her sleepover. If it was so bad for Alice then perhaps she should go somewhere away from them.
"Alright." she said.
His smile grew even more and it dazzled me for a moment, but I shook myself out of it when he grabbed my hand and lead me to the ladder that went to the roof. He climbed up it first and helped me climb the ladder. The roof was almost flat which was much better than she thought. Edward spread a blanket out and gestured for me to sit in it. I sat down and watched him as he studied and adjusted his gun.
"Ready Edward?" Collin shouted.
"Yeah hold on!" Edward shouted back.
Very faintly she could hear Emmett and Jasper arguing already on the ground.
"No way Cowboy. I am going to win and your going to pay up big time." Emmett said.
"And when you lose Bear, your going to regret it big time." Jasper replied
"Alright Collin I'm ready." Edward said suddenly.
"Okay Jacob put up the first target!" Collin yelled out.
A small target the size of a baseball appeared in the forest. It was red and easy to spot but it was really far away.
"That's an impossible shot." I said.
"Not for me. That's the biggest target we have."
"The biggest? What's the smallest?"
"A dime." he said.
"Your clear Edward." Collin said
"Make sure you're watching Bella."
"I'm watching trust me." I said.
He winked at me which made my heart flutter and layed down on the roof and looked down through the scope of his gun.
"Firing!" Edward yelled.
A loud pop sounded and Edward's whole body jerked backwards from the recoil of the gun. The red target did a 360 as the bullet got right on target.
"Direct hit. Nice one Frost." Emmett said.
"So what do you think?" Edward asked me.
"That was pretty crazy." I said.
"Alright Emmett you're up." Jasper said.
Emmett pointed his gun and she didn't see him firing but she saw dirt fly up just inches from the red target. A few very selective words came from downstairs resulting in snickers from downstairs and from Edward. Jasper went next and just like Edward hit the target perfectly. Bella could hear Alice's excited squeal from downstairs. Emmett then offered everyone a beer but when they all refused he just helped himself and lounged on a chair. It was only until Edward spoke that she realized Edward had found a new target.
"Um Edward what are you doing?"
"Shooting Emmett's beer bottle." he said casually like he had done it a million times.
He fired a single bullet and Emmett's bottle shattered in thousands of pieces and spilled the beer all over the floor.
"Edward I swear to god!" Emmett said. "That's the third time this month you did that!"
"You've done that before?' I asked.
"Emmett loves his beer. Take that away from him and you get the best laugh imaginable."
"You scared me."
"Sorry a lot of people think it's cool. You're much more different than other girls, it's intriguing."
She blushed which she knew he could clearly see.
"Edward I'm going to kick your sorry ass when you get down here! That was a good beer!"
"You had too much Emmett." Edward laughed.
The targets had gotten smaller as only Edward and Jasper tried their hands at hitting them. It was only at the second to last one that Jasper just barely missed. Once Edward successfully hit it she heard Jasper following Emmett's lead on the selective curse words.
"Don't worry Jasper. Just take pride that you could beat out Emmett." Edward said between laughs.
A phone rang and she thought it was hers and scrambled to find it but it must have been Edward's because he put his phone to his ears.
"Hello?" Edward said. A pause. "Hey Tess! What's up? Of course I'm still here why?"
His eyebrows furred together and he had a confused face as he listened to what ever she said on the phone. Then he erupted in a panic.
"Don't you fucking dare Theresa-"
He didn't finish as a group of people emerged from the edges of the forest with guns blazing. Edward had skidded towards her.
"Are they crazy?" she yelled over the noise.
"It's not real bullets." Edward yelled back.
"Then why are they shooting?"
"Practical joke. Just stay right here and don't get up okay?" he said staring into her brown eyes with his emerald ones.
"Sure." she squeaked. He must of read her lips or something because he nodded and went right back to his gun. She plugged her ears from the noise and somehow she heard her phone ring. She opened her little bag and saw it was her Dad- crap.
"Hi Dad!" she yelled into the phone.
"Bells?" Charlie said. "What's that noise?"
"We are ah-" she was at a loss for words. "Watching a movie."
"It sounds like a warzone in there."
She looked at Edward who was still shooting his gun. "Yeah no kidding."
"Well are you coming home or staying with Alice again?"
"No I'll come home in like an hour or so okay?"
"Sure thing Bells. See you soon."
"Bye Dad."
She hung up and tried to get Edward's attention and when she did something hit his shoulder.
"Shit!" he said.
She rushed over to his side. "Oh gosh did you just get shot! ."
"No," he groaned.
"Then why are you in pain!" she yelled.
"It's a rubber bullet remember? It just hurts like if Emmett punched me with all of his force into my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry I didn't mean for that to happen!"
"Not your fault Bella." he said rubbing it.
He sat up and pulled back the sleeve of his shirt and she could see the bruise already forming under the pale skin. Once he saw my worried expression he put his hand on mine.
"It's fine. Honestly."
She had only then just realized that the shooting had stopped and there was a voice screaming downstairs. She quickly recognized it was Esme's.
"What the heck were all of you thinking!" she yelled. "Someone could have gotten hurt and seriously injured! Now you all need to clean this mess up out here right now and help me clean inside."
There was a chorus of yes's and Edward picked up his gun and slung it over his shoulder and extended his hand.
"How about I drop you home?"
"I could help Esme-"
"No way. She will agree with me and tell me to take you home. She let's no guests of her's clean."
She smiled and took his hand as he pulled her up. When he had pulled her up he was so strong that she almost collided with him but he grabbed her shoulders. She became completely aware of the distance between them- six inches. Up close she could see every detail of his face. My eyes traced over his pale white features: the hard square of his jaw, the softer curve of his full lips—twisted in a smile now, the straight line of his nose, the top of his forehead—partially obscured by the tangle of rain-darkened bronze hair…
"Um.." she muttered in a daze.
Edward blinked and stepped away. "Come on I'll take you home."
She went down the ladder first and Edward followed after her. Once they were on the ground she could see a bunch of people she didn't recognize cleaning what she guessed were the rubber bullets off the ground.
"How's the shoulder Edward?" one of them snickered.
Edward laughed "Better than Emmett's head."
She looked and saw a large welt that was looked absolutely horrid on Emmett's forehead. It was the size of a golf ball and it did not look good.
"Oh shut up Edward." Emmett said.
She saw Jacob who was helping clean up and she waved goodbye to him and he waved back. She walked with Edward through the house and Esme came over and hugged her.
"So nice to see you again Bella," Esme said then released her from the hug. "You are welcome by anytime of course."
"Thank you Mrs. Cullen." she said.
Edward put a hand at the small of her back. "Well I need to drop her home, Mom."
"Oh of course it is late Charlie must be worried."
"See you later Mrs. Cullen."
Edward lead her out the front door of the house and into the Cullen's driveway where the two cars she had guessed they came back home in were parked. One of them was a giant Hummer which she knew was Emmett's but there was a sleek black Volvo parked behind it. Edward pulled a single key from his pocket and the Volvo purred alive. She went to the passenger side door and Edward was already there opening it for her like a gentleman. And they say chivalry is dead.
"Thank you." she said as she got in. Her cheeks no doubt were red.
A second later the door closed and the one next to her opened as Edward sat in the driver's seat. He reversed the car out of the driveway and onto the road skillfully then sped down the slick road. Her stomach seemed to flatten against her seat as the car flew down the road.
"Edward!" she said in surprise.
He looked at her smiling. "What?"
"Your driving way too fast!"
"It's not that fast."
"The odometer says 96 Edward!"
He looked at it then cocked an eyebrow. "And?"
"And you don't even have a seat belt on. You could-" She was at a lose for words for a moment. "Crash."
He roared with laughter barely able to keep it together as they made a sharp left turn.
"What's so funny." she said crossing her arms.
"Nothing." he said between hysteria.
She just stared out the window and held onto her seat tightly as she saw the blurred forest and the heavy platter of rain.
"Fine." he huffed in slight annoyance and she felt the car slow down gradually. She looked to see the speed had gown down to 78 and she smiled a bit.
"Have you ever gone the speed limit?" she asked.
"Only to get my license then a week later I got my first speeding ticket. But that was the last time I got caught." he said.
That was the end of the conversation for the rest of the car ride except for directions to her house until they had reached. When they did he parked behind her Dad's cop car and turned off the engine. After a few seconds of waiting for him to say something she gave up and moved for the handle when he locked the doors on her. She turned to look at him in confusion when she realized he was really close to her again. Just like on the roof she could tell the distance they were from each other. Six inches. His breath tickled her face and it smelled like peppermint.
"I have to go." she said but she was so startled it came out as a whisper.
"I know," Edward said his voice sounding more confident then mine. "But I'd like to see you again."
"I'm sure you'll see me. Alice loves her sleepovers."
"No not because of Alice. We are having a campfire tomorrow at La Push Beach tomorrow night. At around 6. I want you to come."
"I have to study for my tests."
He raised an eyebrow which caused her heart to skip a beat. "You have to study all day?"
"No."
"Then be ready by 6 and I'll come pick you up."
She regained her composure and moved farther away from him. "You better not drive like a manic tomorrow too."
He smiled his signature crooked grin. "I promise. I'll try my best to keep it under 80."
"It's a start I guess."
She heard the front door of her house open and her Dad stepped out. Edward unlocked the doors and touched her hand delicately as if it were made of glass.
"I enjoyed your company tonight Mrs. Swan. I will see you tomorrow."
She exited his car and went to where her Dad stood. He didn't look too pleased as he stared at the retreating black Volvo.
"That's that Cullen boy isn't it?" he asked.
"Yeah Edward." she said pushing past him into the house.
"I thought you didn't like any of the boys here."
"We are just friends Dad."
Her Dad grumbled something and went back to his couch to watch whatever game was on. She noticed he had ordered pizza and took a slice before heading upstairs to her room. She took of the dress Alice had given her and hung it up, she would return it as soon as she can. She had no need or want to wear elegant dresses like Alice did. After taking a long hot shower she put on pajamas and slipped into bed. After turning off her lamp she put the sheets over her and fell asleep to Edward's face behind her eyelids.
REVIEW!