- Chapter Three -
Edward's Interlude:
It had been six weeks of Jason and I moving into Forks. Six weeks of every morning that I had seen Bella Swan wave to me every morning before she hopped into her truck and drove to work. Six weeks of me pinning after her, wondering why I had not dibbed on her first.
Because I was a slow coach.
"You're regretting not getting dibs on her, aren't you?" Jason's voice interrupted my thoughts. I narrowed my eyes at him. He was standing at the doorway of my room, looking around in disgust. I turned around on the chair from the desk I was working on.
"Seriously dad, if you don't clean your room I'm calling grandma Esme", he threatened, picking up a sock and throwing it at me.
"You can't threaten me with grandma Esme for everything", I pointed out to him. He grinned with a shrug and fell backwards on my bed.
"I think I can."
"Smart ass."
"Bella doesn't like Christmas, apparently", he informed me casually. I got up and collapsed next to him, tired. "She says she doesn't like getting presents." He snorted. "Weird, I know."
"How would you know?" I asked, curious.
"She told me today", Jason said.
"When did you talk to Bella Swan today?" I demanded, sitting up. He ran his hand through his hair a couple of times before rolling his eyes at me.
"She's my teacher, dad", he said, exasperated. My eyes widened in surprise.
"What?" I squeaked.
Jason spent a couple of minutes laughing at my new voice before talking, of course. He leaned forwards toward my face and answered.
"I said", he began slowly as if talking to a four year old; "sheeee...is mmmyyyy teeeeaacher."
"Enough of that", I swatted him away. "Since when?"
"Since I started school", Jason snapped, "I told you before but every time I'd mentioned her name you'd jump around and shout 'where?' like an idiot."
"You're an idiot", I mumbled.
"Real mature, dad", he said sarcastically. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"So you called dibs on her then. I bet you've been pulling your charming moves on her at school", I taunted, "mustn't be going too well though?"
"Dad, I'm twelve. Do you think its going well?" he stared at me, deadpanned. I laughed, ruffling his hair.
"Go to sleep, Jase. There's a Christmas party at Alice's house tomorrow night", I informed him, half yawning, "and we're expected to be there two hours early so that Alice makes sure we're dressed right."
"Christmas is still a few days away", Jason pointed out, "why is the party tomorrow?"
"Because Christmas is to be spent with family only", I explained, repeating Alice's words, "and the party is for her friends and her family. Don't ask me anymore questions, its Alice logic."
"I'm sleeping here. Can't be bothered to walk to my room", Jason told me with a poke in the back. I turned off the light.
"Don't bother asking or anything."
"Of course not. Goodnight, dad."
"Night."
--
--
I woke up – too early for a Saturday – to the sound of glass breaking. I immediately sprung out of bed and looked around. Jason was not in bed next to me where he should've been. I sprinted downstairs straight to the source of the noise which was in the kitchen.
"What are you wearing?" I asked, completely surprised.
There my twelve year old son stood on the kitchen counter, a mixing bowl in hand wearing what looked to be one of my shirts, covered in flour, butter and other ingredients from the kitchen.
"I didn't want to get my clothes dirty", Jason said with a shrug. On the floor was a broken plate.
"What are...what are you...are you baking?" I asked, my voice had gone all high and squeaky in surprise and shock again.
"I made brownies for Bella", Jason explained, "We never gave her anything back for the cookies she made for us when we moved in."
"In other words, you're kissing her ass", I muttered quietly to myself. Jason grinned.
"Heard that. I'm telling grandma Esme. And yes, dad, I am."
"I am not cleaning this mess up", I warned him, "when you're done...decorating the kitchen with flour, clean it up. I'm going back to sleep. Can I trust you not to burn yourself or the house whilst I'm away?"
"I'm not three, dad", he said with an eye roll.
"No, you're a Cullen. And we're known for burning things. Especially baked goods", I informed him, "on second thoughts, I better help you. This could be used as blackmail with grandma Esme if she finds out I let you cook on your own."
"Blackmail?" Jason widened his eyes innocently as if he never heard of the word. "No help needed, father, I already did everything. The brownies need"- he checked his watch on his wrist – "around ten more minutes and they'll be done."
"Blackmail it is then", I sighed.
--
I watched, peeking through the curtains of my living room window as my son marched over to Bella Swan's house with a batch of home made brownies in hand. I had to admit, the kid was good. Kissing up to her with food was a good idea. The brownies weren't poisonous either. He downloaded a recipe from the internet and followed the instructions perfectly. And when I tasted him I wondered if it was healthy to envy my own son.
Didn't even burn his finger.
The little...
He balanced the plate on one hand as he knocked on the door, then stepped back waiting. I could see he was nervous, he even combed his hair. I continued to peek in shamelessly as the door opened and Bella Swan was revealed, looking surprised.
She said something and laughed. Jason laughed too. I narrowed my eyes.
Jason spoke whilst giving her the plate. She smiled at him accepting it and gesturing inside her house. He shook his head and jabbed a thumb in my direction. Self consciously I whipped the curtain and stepped away from the windows for a couple of seconds.
No hyperventilating, they didn't see me spying.
With that thought, I continued to peek.
Jason said something else which made Bella Swan laughed. She ruffled his hair and bent down to hug him. He had turned bright pink by the time he made his way back home.
--
Alice's party was supposed to be small. By the way her house was decorated; I remembered that my cousin never did anything half way or half heartedly.
"You're here", she squealed, grabbing me by the collar to hug. She may be small but her hugs were killers.
"Good evening Alice", I said, trying to get her off of me.
"Aunt Alice", Jason tugged at her elf costume. She turned around, effectively releasing me and went to hug her next victim. Her house was decorated with mistletoes, and those shiny long thingies along with her massive Christmas tree with stood proudly in her living room. There were a couple of people around already, sitting down or standing making conversation.
"Doesn't he look cute", she beamed at me, ruffling Jason's hair. He scowled, muttering about wanting to bring his DS. Alice had already dropped by our house in the afternoon, to pick out our clothes and tell us exactly what time we were supposed to show up.
"Jasper!" Alice's shriek made me jump.
A tall man, who looked around my age with shaggy blonde hair and tanned skin walked over to us, holding two drinks in his hand. I had met Alice's boyfriend a couple of weeks ago and I had to say that he seemed to be a perfect match for my cousin.
"Hey Edward. How's it going?" he grabbed my hand and shook it, then turned his attention to my scowling son. "Little Edward. Would you like a drink?"
Jason merely rolled his eyes. Everyone seemed to be seeing a little of me in his features therefore effectively annoying the hell out of him when they called him 'Little Edward' or 'Mini Eddie'. I thought it was pretty funny.
"Meet my friend", Alice exclaimed to me as Jasper led Jason away to give him a drink. "Wait. Stay here. I'll go get her. No...We'll go to her. She'll be hiding somewhere. Edward! Why are you standing so stiff? Take your coat off! It's a par-tay!"
"Par-tay", I nodded glumly just to spite her. She whacked me round the head, Esme style. I grinned with a shrug.
She proceeded to pull off my jacket, not minding when my left arm got caught and she practically tore it off along with the jacket. I rolled my eyes as a champagne glass was thrusted into my hand and Alice started dragging me around people in search of her friend. If I didn't know any better I would think her friend was hiding on purpose.
"Alice", I grumbled when we had gone around the kitchen and living room twice and still hadn't seen her friend. More people were filling up around the place and there was a buzz of noise along with the Christmas music playing.
"She's probably upstairs", Alice announced suddenly, "I'll go get her! You stay right here. I mean it Edward, don't you dare move."
With her forefinger pointed menacingly at my face Alice narrowed her eyes at me before bouncing out of the kitchen and disappearing in the crowd. I rolled my eyes at her but decided to stay put. Angry Alice was a scary Alice.
"Dad!" Jason called out, running towards me. With his drink in hand he managed to trip over the rug, effectively splashing me with his can of coke.
"Oh great!" I groaned. Jason smiled up sheepishly at me.
"Uh...sorry, dad."
"Edward there is – what happened?" Alice shrieked, looking at my half drenched shirt with wide eyes. Behind her, I couldn't fail to notice the beautiful Miss Bella Swan smiling faintly at me. Until my son jumped her.
"Miss Swan! Hi", Jason beamed at her. She looked down at him, grinning brightly.
"We're out of school, Jase. It's Bella", she told him. Jase? She called him Jase?!
Unhealthy envy of my son. It was very unhealthy.
"You look pretty Bella", he grinned back. She blushed, smiling. I groaned once more.
"You guys are neighbours, right?" Alice asked, grabbing some tissues and rubbing it furiously on my shirt. I pulled it off her and began to do it myself. She pursed her lips at me.
"She's my teacher", Jason explained.
"She's my best friend", Alice shot back.
"She made us cookies", Jason said indifferently.
"She made me a birthday cake once", Alice grinned.
"My shirt needs help", I interrupted Alice. She nodded in agreement.
"Go upstairs and you can borrow one of Jasper's shirts", she offered. I thanked her and with one last look at Bella laughing with Jason, I went upstairs.
I turned on the lights as I went and turned to the master room, heading straight to the cupboards. It was quieter upstairs without the buzz of the crowds. I scanned through the large cupboard and grabbed a simple dark blue shirt before throwing it on.
The amount of clothes in there told me that Alice had tampered with Jasper's clothing choice.
"Hello?"
A voice startled me from my thoughts. The door squeaked opened and Bella Swan's head peeked through. Her eyes locked with mine, looking as caught off guard as I was.