Once she was inside Robin felt like she was being a little silly with the whole thing. She lived with her house right against the woods and her dogs were afraid of deer. "Some guard dogs you are." she laughed watching her dogs wag their tails at her. "Let's go up stairs." she sighed and lead the dogs up the flight of stairs.
She opened the fridge and pulled out some left over pizza. She took a bite and held it with her mouth as she dug in the fridge for something to dip the pizza in. She took piece and tore it in half tossing it to the dogs while she pulled out some garlic infused bread dipping oil with her free hand. All in all a lame lunch but it was better then cardboard pizza with bits of corn stuck on it she would have received at school.
She poured the oil into a bowl and grabbed two more slice laying them on the rim of the bowl. Then she went to the couch and sat down turning on Oprah. She ate slowly tearing pieces of the pizza throwing them to the dogs. She made a face as the dogs stopped taking the bits of pizza and hunkered down.
Robin stood up setting her bowl aside. She moved to the front of the house where the grand twelve person oak dining table sat in front of a picturesque bay window. She peeked out of the window her mouth hanging open. The new guy Edward was about to knock on her front door. "What the hell?" she asked shaking her head. He looked over at the window and she dropped down to the floor on her hands and knees.
A knock sounded at the front door and the dogs started to bark. "Shh, we are not home." she hissed pressing herself against the floor below the window. What was going on, how had he know where she had lived, she said she lived close not down the road. Not to mention his intent, she hasn't been exactly friendly, if they were looking to make friends they were at the wrong door.
It wasn't that she hated them, they just made her edgy. All to perfect looking and just, she couldn't place it but it was there. She ignored the knocks holding her breath willing him to go away. He stopped knocking and she couldn't but help feel like he was looking in the large window trying to peer in.
She laid there waiting until the dogs came over and nuzzled against her before she let her breath loose. "That was a close call." she laughed nervously. After rough housing with the dogs she stood up and grabbed her discarded food no longer hungry. She split it up between the dogs and then went to her parents room and curled up on their massive California King bed. She picked up the remote for the stereo and hit the play button so the cd she had in there played. It was a little sad, her parents would listen to smooth jazz and giggle like school kids in here while they were home. It had always grossed her out but now she would give anything for the disgusting noises.
She fell asleep somewhere between the Steve Miller Band and Rise Against in the middle of the large bed. In her dreams she dreamed of the five of the new kids and Esme standing at the large bay window knocking. Their strange topaz eyes glowing at her inhumanly as they smiled at her knocking on the other side. For some reason it was appealing and frightening at the same time.
Then her dream turned nightmarish as Edward started to sing the same Say Anything lyric over and over again. "I'm the spider, I'm the spider crawl inside her." while the others chanted at her. "I can feel you out there some where." She felt like she was being pulled toward the window no matter how she tried to fight the urge.
Once she reached the pane Edward stepped through his hand held out towards her. Once she was within grasp with inhuman speed he pulled her into him. Despite the swiftness of his actions the world seemed to slow down. His lips were on hers and the kiss was explosive in slow motion, as if she were trying to consume him and he like wise with her. She tugged on his lip playfully but it was to rough and she nicked his lower lip. Instead of blood welling there tiny little spiders began to crawl out of the wound.
Robin screamed and backed away as Edward started to sing the same line over and over again while the spiders crawled toward her in a black wave. Right as she was about to have the first of the spiders crawl up her she was yanked out of the bad dream and into the real world.
It took her a second to realize that she was awake and in her sleep had rolled on to the remote causing The Spider Song to repeat. She laughed and shook her head climbing out of the bed. Her little cat nap had lasted longer then she anticipated and it was twilight outside.
She pushed herself off the bed and opened the door the dogs jumping up excitedly wanting to go out. "Yeah one second." she grumbled and went to the deck door opening it. It smelled fresh like it was going to rain again. "Make it quick." she told the animals leaving the door cracked open a little. Then she made her way to the front bay window looking at it. It didn't seem scary or ominous, just the same window she had grown up looking out of while she sketched.
She noticed something on the front porch and frowned. She moved to the front door and opened it. On the front porch there was a white casserole dish. She bent down and picked it up it was still relatively warm. She opened it and took a deep whiff, cheesy broccoli chicken and rice filled her nostrils. "Esme…" she shook her head.
She grabbed her jacket and pulled it on and slipped her shoes on taking the dish in hand. She pulled the door closed behind her. She looked at the dish and made a face. She had went through that phase where everyone thought what the girl with the dead parents needed was a good home cooked meal. She wondered if it occurred to people it just made her more sad like a little jab at something she would never had her own mother make.
She made the hike to the house that had sat empty for years and wished she had brought her car instead. "You are so lame." she told herself as she started to make her way up the driveway. What sane person took off food gift in hand on foot to return it? No one that was who she thought to herself. The closer she got to the house the slower she walked trying to minimize her noise. Once she was at the front porch she had slowed her movements to make snails look like jaguars as the dream replayed in her head.
She bent down laying the casserole dish gently on the stoop. Before she could stand up she was bathed in light for a split second. Then she was shadowed again. "Damn automatic lights." she grumbled and stood up hoping to escape without being noticed. Then she saw the large body builder type standing in the door way. "Hey." he said looking at her brow raised. "Hey, I am Robin. Paul Bunion right?" she asked running a hand through her hair. "Actually I am Emmett." he replied. "Right, sorry about that." she made a face.
He raised a brow at her then looked at the food on the step. "What are you allergic to niceness?" he teased. Robin crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I hate when people do stuff like this. It reminds me of all the food my mom will never cook for me, you know if she had cooked. Or how about you guys are so perfect it makes a normal gal like me nervous. Or for a third option we could go with I am allergic to green things." she said sarcastically. "That was a lot of or's, also that allergy must be pretty painful with that sweet Aston Martin you drive." he chuckled.
"Whatever, please just tell Esme I said thank you and I like it but it just, yeah can't happen." she shrugged turning to leave. "What is going on?" the pixie girl asked opening the door open further. "Awesome, this isn't awkward at all. E…someone left this on my porch and I was just returning it." Robin nodded. "Oh, well it is one of Esme's favorites I am sure she will appreciate the speedy return on it. So did you like it?" she asked. Robin coughed and looked away. "No Alice, I guess she is allergic to perfectly green food her mother might have made if she had cooked." he chuckled. Robin stood her mouth open. He was an asshole who said stuff like that. "What just because your parents are no longer with you means only you can say rude things?" he asked. Robin wanted to slap him, if he hadn't been being truthful she would have, or maybe not with him being the size of a small nation. "I guess I deserved that one."
"I was pretty out of line this morning." she said after an awkward pause. "I just, was not in a good mood and then you were there and it felt like you were making fun of me a little." she shrugged. There was more silence and she felt compelled to fill it. "You know your all blindingly beautiful and you know I am painfully not." she motioned to her body and sighed. "What are you talking about we were being serious." Alice said. "Ok well now that that is cleared up…" she looked up as lightning flashed ahead and thunder crashed and it started to pour down the rain she had smelt before. "Awesome. She grumbled. "I am just going to uh yeah." she pointed with her thumb down the driveway. "Where is your car?" Alice asked pulling Robin who was already soaked inside.
Robin stiffened, their house was sort of similar to hers, stairs leading up stairs leading down, and a nice open layout making the stair case the only thing that obstructed the view of the whole first level. She hugged herself and rubbed her upper arms. "Oh Robin, what a lovely surprise." Esme said coming around the stairs from the kitchen. "Well I just wanted to return you casserole." Robin said pushing her glasses up her wet nose.
"You didn't have to, I just suspected you might want some comfort food after today." Esme smiled. "Well, thank you." Robin said finding it hard to turn it down to Esme's face. She shifted uncomfortably running her hand through her hair. "Well I should go." She looked guiltily at the puddle gathering at her feet. "Where is your car?" Alice repeated. "Oh I left it at the bottom of the driveway." Robin nodded. "Well if you would like I could send one of the boys to get it while you warm up." Esme offered.
Robin blushed looking at her and shook her head. "It's ok no big deal." The front door opened and Edward entered the house with another man, who of course had the topaz gold eyes of the other and was as painfully beautiful. Like Esme he radiated compassion and was a little older then the others. She assumed that he was her husband, the doctor if she remembered the conversation between Esme and Mrs. Lockheart correctly.
"Oh I was unaware we had a guest." The man spoke. "I was just on my way out." Robin said shifting uncomfortably from leg to leg. "Robin this is my husband Carlisle, he works at the hospital. Dear this is Robin, she lives in that big house down the road, and goes to the children's school." Esme smiled going to Robin's side offering her the hand towel in her hands.
Robin started to dry herself off with the hand towel gratefully. "Edward, beings you just passed it would you be as kind as to pull Robin's car up the drive?" Esme asked causing Robin to freeze. "No it anyone is pulling the Aston Martin up it is me." the blond who had to be… Rosalie said coming down the stairs. That was all she needed, the living embodiment of beauty throwing herself in the mix. Surely there was a quota to how many perfect people could be in a room.
"Well if the car was sitting outside I would let you Rose, but it isn't out there." Edward shrugged grinning at Robin crookedly. She shook her head, why was he so insufferable all of the time. "Well, Rose dear if you could get her cleaned up while we call the police…" Esme started. "No!" Robin shook her head. "I walked, I live just down the road so I walked. But it is embarrassing to be caught like this so I would rather walk back soaking wet then admit I need help getting home when my legs can just carry me there." Robin sighed trying no to let the now sopping hand towel drip anymore then she had in her puddle.
"Oh don't be ridiculous. You could get sick that way." Carlisle spoke shaking his head. "Yes, he is right, please just wait for a while for it to pass if you insist on walking. You could have some of that casserole." Esme smiled softly. "I…" Robin sighed, she had been past rude to Edward before and still they were being so nice to her. "There is casserole?" Carlisle asked. "Well, I made it for Robin but if she doesn't object we could all share it." Esme smiled.
Robin sighed, it felt like a trap, a well constructed trap. Of course that was absorbed, she was the one who had brought the food back right before a rain storm. There was no way they could have known she would do that. "Yeah, ok." She nodded. "Perfect, Rose?" Esme beamed.
"Ok, you look like you are about my size, follow me." Rosalie motioned with her hand. "Yeah, sure." Robin forced a smile. She followed the leggy girl up the stairs and into the second room on the left. "Go ahead and strip out of those wet clothes." Rosalie instructed. "Great." Robin said sarcastically. What she always wanted was to get semi naked in front of a supermodel.
She pulled her wet beater off of her body and over her head as Rosalie disappeared into her closet. "So, you guys are all adopted?" Robin asked after she had stripped down to everything save her under ware. "Yeah, Jasper and I are brother and sister, and the others are our cousins. Pretty much our parents passed and we went to live with out uncle and his new wife. Pretty much the same thing happened to the others." She said from in the closet. Robin opened her mouth to say sorry but then closed it again.
"So how about you, you drive a pretty nice car and live in an awful big house to be orphaned." Rosalie said over the sound of pulling clothes down from somewhere in the closet. "Well my parents only died last year, it's their stuff. I just inherited it all. My grandfather passed and they re wrote the wills not expecting that they would really need me to inherit the stuff at age seventeen." Robin said softly. "They traveled a lot for work, and I was emancipated when I was sixteen so I could you know sign for permission slips, and consent to anything I might have to while they were gone." she went on. "Well, I guess that means your parents trusted you." Rosalie smiled peaking out of the closet. "I guess they did." Robin replied.
Rosalie exited the closet with some jeans, a tank top, and track jacket. "Here." She offered them to Robin. "Thanks." Robin said staking the stack. "I guess it is pretty lucky that you and I are roughly the same size." she nodded. "Yeah, pretty lucky." Robin agreed pulling the jeans on.
After Robin was dressed she followed Rosalie into the bathroom to dry her hair a little more. "So why are you being so nice to me?" Robin blurted out. "Well that is just how Esme and Carlisle are, personally I am in it for the car." Rosalie grinned. "Yeah, it is an amazing car, way better then my Mom's Lotus." She shook her head. "You have a Lotus and an Aston Martin?" Rosalie asked. "They were my parents, I can't bring myself to get rid of them. My mom has wanted a Lotus since she saw Pretty Woman, and my Dad he just had classic taste like that." She said a little breathlessly feeling tears wanting to well up.
"Well, if you ever need someone to drive one of those cars you know who to ask." Rosalie grinned. "Yeah, sure." Robin nodded. Alice popped her head into the bathroom and grinned. "Dinner is ready. You look really good." she smiled. "Oh yes, I make the drowned rat look fierce." Robin said snapping on the last word. "Wow, just wow." Rosalie shook her head. "You just dropped a million cool points." she said still shaking her head. "I tossed my cool points out the window a long time ago." Robin giggled.
Robin followed the two gorgeous girls down the stairs to the kitchen with a breakfast nook consumed by a huge table. It was set for eight places with the casserole, a salad, and glasses of water for everyone. "Oh there you look much better." Esme smiled. "Here have a seat." she said puling out a chair. "Thanks." Robin said sitting in the offered chair. She watched as Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Rosalie, Alice, and Emmett gliding around gathering the last few things before filling in the chairs around her.
"Where is the other one…" Robin paused and mentally ticked off the names of the kids. "Jasper?" she asked hoping she had remembered the right name. "He had a few things to take care of." Esme smiled. "Well shall we?" Carlisle asked. Then he started to serve himself food from the dish and pass it around before making a bowl of salad.
Once the food was doled out everyone started to eat and an uneasy silence filed the room. After a few minutes Carlisle opened his mouth. "So you live in the house down the road?" he asked looking at Robin. "Yeah, me and the dogs, two of them Shar Peis a black one Jade, and a yellow on Butternut." she nodded. "Oh, I didn't know anyone lived there." he said. "Well since my parents died, I sort of have let the place go." she admitted sheepishly. "Well I am sorry to hear that. Sometimes people let those things go in their grief and then it just becomes an overwhelming task to right those things." He offered. Typically she would be offended by the comment but he seemed so earnest she couldn't really get angry.
"Yeah, pretty much, I don't know and some things it feels like if I clean, I will be wiping away what's left of them." robin said softly surprising herself. "Well, if you ever want some help, I would be more then happy to." Esme offered quickly. Robin just nodded silently and started to work on her salad.
A few minutes passed in silence and Alice spoke up. "So we start tomorrow at school will you be there?" Robin shrugged. "Maybe Between my stellar grades, and my personal tragedy the school pretty much leaves me alone no matter what I do." "Really? That seems odd." Esme said. "Well not really I have been emancipated a while, so they are used to being pretty autonomous." Robin shrugged again. "That is pretty cool." Emmett offered. "I guess, never really have thought about it." she shrugged.
"So what classes are you in?" Robin asked trying to switch gears. "Well, Rose and me have pretty much the same schedule. Composition, Calc, Chemistry, Gym for her weight training for me, Art, then American History." he shrugged. "Ah good old schedule A." Robin nodded. "Schedule A?" Rosalie asked. "Well it is a small school, there is pretty much only four different schedules for each grade." Robin explained. "Then with there beings so many of you guys, they probably stuck you all with the same schedule right?" she asked.
Edward nodded. "Well Alice, Jazz, and I do have the same schedule." "Let me guess, hmm Geometry, Envio Bio, Lit, Choir, World Civilizations, and Gym for Alice, Weight Lifting for the guys?" She asked looking at Alice turning her face from Edward. "How did you know?" Alice asked looking amazed. "Well, that is schedule D for juniors, it is the emptiest schedule block." Robin chuckled. "Oh what scheduling block are you in?" Carlisle asked. "Junior block D." she said. She just knew that her empty classes would be filled with the perfect little trio. "That is great, I guess it is very fortunate you live so close then." Esme smiled. "Perfecto." Robin said flatly.
"Well I have a question is lunch all together? We all have the same lunch block after third period." Rosalie asked. "Yeah, the whole school has that as lunch period." Robin nodded. "Well tomorrow maybe you all can have lunch with Robin and her friends." Carlisle suggested looking at Edward. If I had friends. Robin though dryly.
"Well, thank you for dinner." Robin said once she had finished. "It was delicious." she complimented truthfully. It was much better then the take out and fast food she had been living off of. "Well your welcome here anytime." Esme smiled. "Of course just let us know to set an extra place and your more then welcome." Carlisle nodded. "Thanks, I can help clean up if you would like." Robin offered. "Oh no you're a guest." Esme shook her head. "If you want, you can stay and hang out for a while." Alice counter offered. "I should really get going." she shook her head.
"Ok well, if you change your mind…" She pulled out a napkin from the center of the table and started to scrawl her number on it. Rosalie grabbed it and wrote her number as well. "Or you want some help with those cars." she grinned handing it to Robin. "Right, well I guess I see you guys around." Robin said stuffing the napkin in the pocket of the barrowed jeans. "I will get these cleaned and back to you tomorrow Rosalie." She motioned to the clothes standing up. "No it's ok they look good on you, keep them if I can barrow your cute tank top." she said quickly. "Sure, whatever you want." Robin nodded.
A loud clap of thunder sounded overhead and Robin groaned. "I can give you a ride." Emmett offered standing. Robin hesitated but then nodded. "Well, I am blocking you in Em, I'll do it." Edward said quickly. Robin swallowed and bit her lip. After her creepy dream the last thing she wanted was to ride in a car alone with Edward. But what could she really say? I dreamed about your family and it was creepy until you and I started making out then it was horrifying? Not. "Ok yeah." she nodded.
She followed Edward to the garage after saying good bye to the others. She slid into the silver Volvo's passenger seat. Edward got in and turned the car on. "So… everyone seems nice." she said nervously as Edward hit the radio button. "I'm growing legs, I'm growing legs…" The Say Anything song fired up from where it had left off. The Spider Song. Robin hit the button as Edward backed out. "What you don't like Say Anything?" He asked looking over at her. "Oh I do, just that song… it reminds me of." She shook her head unable to think of anything to say. "Alright." was all he said.
They spent the short drive in silence with no radio. Edward turned onto her driveway and pulled up parking his car. "I'll walk you up." he said looking over at her. "Ok." She nodded biting her lower lip. She opened her door and climbed out of the car. He joined her and pushed her door closed. He held an umbrella over their heads as they went to the door. She frowned seeing the porch light off and the house so dark. "Wasn't your light on before, I mean today?" Edward asked. "Yeah, it is always on…" She opened the door the dogs barking.
It was pitch black inside and Robin flicked the light switch. "Fuck my life." she groaned when it didn't respond. The dogs ran up soaking wet and muddy leaving paw prints where they went. "What? How did?" she sighed remembering she had left the door open for them to get back in when she had turned them loose. "Awesome, look you should go, I have a lot of work to do." She made a face turning to face him. Once the dogs saw Edward they started to growl.
"Jade, Butter no!" Robin rebuked. She grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him into a kneeling stance. "See, friend." she said offering his hand in hers for the dogs to inspect. After a few seconds they tentatively wagged their tails and licked their combined hands. "See good girls, he is alright." she cooed. Edward chuckled and she looked at him blushing. "Sorry, I.. Wow it is more cold in here then I thoughts. Your hand is like ice." she said looking down at his hand in hers. His hand felt cold and hard to the touch, almost unnaturally cold.
He pulled his hand from hers and stood up. "You shouldn't have done that." he shook his head. "Done what? I wouldn't want them to attack you, bad form after your Mom fed me." She made a face. "I guess, look do you want some help with this?" he asked. "No, I'll be ok." She smiled her fake smile at him. She would be ok she always was broadcast the smile.
"You don't have to do that you know? Always pretend your ok. It's natural to not want to be alone." he sighed. "But I am alone." she snapped. Guttural sounds of more words fell out of her mouth and she closed it. She was grateful for the dark that held the her silent streaming tears in confidence. "Look the open door probably kicked on the furnace, and it blew your amp running constantly. I find your breaker box and take a look. Esme would kill me if she knew I left you like this." Edward said slowly. Robin nodded taking a deep breath. "It's in the garage." she said after a few tries.
He moved away from her to find the garage. After a minute or so she moved the door to the deck shut it groaning at the puddle she had to stand in to do so. After that she went to the closet by the garage door to get a mop. As she grabbed it the lights flickered back on. Edward emerged from the garage and grinned. His lopsided smile at her "There you're all set." he nodded. "Yeah, thanks." she nodded gripping the mop.
"You sure your going to be ok?" he asked. Not wanting to rehash the scene with the lights on she just nodded. "Ok well I guess I will see you at school." he said . "Yeah, see you." She said as he moved towards the front door. Robin walked with him and closed the front door behind him locking it. Once she was done she turned her face set against the mess that looked back at her. "At least I got in a good nap today." she sighed starting to mop.