________________________________________ Work ____________________________________
BPOV
I woke up on Sunday 9am to get ready for my first day of work. I had decided to take some shifts at the Barnes and Noble in downtown Baltimore, and although it wasn't going to be my home store (that was in Forks) they had offered me the chance to go and get acquainted with their system and help with the inventory. As I don't have my truck here Emmett had offered to drop me off on his way to kill time whilst Rosalie was working.
I got ready and went downstairs to make Emmett some breakfast since he was helping me out today. Emmett came down about half an hour later looking a little worn out, whether from Rosalie or a poor night's sleep was anybody's guess. He ploughed quickly through breakfast and we headed downtown.
Emmett showed me the route I would use if I ever borrowed a car or got my truck here, indicating bad neighborhoods that I should never go to under any circumstances. To be honest he didn't have to tell me - you could plainly see a drug transaction taking place in broad daylight in one of the areas.
Emmett parked in the parking garage around the corner from work. I stood outside and couldn't believe the size of this place – it was a downtown harbor, but on a much bigger scale than Port Angeles. I could see the aquarium, a science center, loads of shops, and noticed boats and paddle boats sailing around the marina. There were people everywhere, and the atmosphere was so vibrant. I had never seen anything like it.
Emmett tapped me on the shoulder, "Don't worry, it can be a bit intimidating. We'll all come down here one weekend for a night out and to give you and Alice a tour of the harbor. Now get to work and don't forget to call me when you need picking up."
I had never heard Emmett speak so much, and was momentarily stunned. He suddenly wrapped me up in a big bear hug, before scooting me up the steps to work.
When I got inside I asked for the manager and was directed to a short balding man named Steve.
"Hi you must be Bella from the Forks store." He said staring at me through his glasses.
"Yep, that's me. Thanks for letting me pick up some shifts here, I'll try my best to pick up your systems quickly."
"What department do you work in at Forks?" he asked.
"I usually work on the information desk, but also help customers out on the floor and set up displays."
"Good stuff. I'll have you helping the college kids, and get you set up with a scanner. We have all the tourists in at the moment, dropping their kids off at school. They're pouring in with endless lists of textbooks as the school bookstores aren't open yet. Do you think you can handle that?" he asked, looking at me uncertainly.
"No probs." I responded. So that's what I did for the next five hours. I helped nerdy kids, rich brats, gamers, jocks and everyone under the sun find the books they needed for school. I even got a tip.
At the end of my shift Steve said he had received some positive customer comments about how helpful and friendly I was, and I packed up feeling very happy with my days work. He also invited me back to his store as soon as a position or any shifts opened up.
I called Emmett and went down the marble stairs outside to wait for him. As I sat on the steps outside I noticed a man selling balloons and making balloon animals, and then the distinctive aroma of a hot dog vendor. My stomach growled so I went over to get a hotdog, some chips and a soda. I knew Emmett would already have eaten, so I didn't get anything for him. I settled on the steps and had myself a city picnic whilst I waited for Emmett.
He came around the corner carrying a huge pink teddy bear which was almost as big as he was. I began to laugh as he put the teddy bear down next to me.
"Where did you get that thing Emmett?" I asked as he sat next to the bear, leaning over to rest on it.
"I was playing a game against some kids and I just kept winning. Don't worry, I shared my tickets with them and used mine to get this for you and Alice" he explained.
When we got to the Jeep, I strapped the bear into the passenger seat and climbed in the back. People in other cars were staring at us as we drove back, and Emmett and I couldn't help but laugh. A couple of people honked at us, and one little girl was crying and reaching for the bear while her mom tried to calm her down.
We got back to the house at about 7pm. Rosalie was in the kitchen heating up some left over spaghetti, Alice and Jasper had gone to the movies, and Edward was nowhere to be found. Emmett sat down to eat with Rosalie and they laughed softly together and exchanged kisses.
I went to find the boxes that I had shipped earlier this summer so I could put them with the other stuff to take to our dorm tomorrow. I didn't realize how heavy the boxes were until I almost dropped the first one. I decided that dragging, pulling and pushing were much better options. Or at least they seemed that way until my grasp slipped and I went crashing to the floor.
"Do you need some help?" I heard a familiar velvety smooth voice from behind me. Sure enough I turned to see Edward leaning in the doorway with a smirk on his face.
I blushed as I realized he must have been watching me struggle. "I just need to get these boxes over to the other stuff we're taking to the dorm tomorrow" I replied as I got up and rubbed my butt where I'd laded so heavily. My blush became fiercer as I realized Edward's smile got a little brighter as he watched me, then he lifted his eyebrow. How much more embarrassing could it get?
Luckily I didn't have to find out, because he picked up the box to move it like it was nothing. Stupid guy with strong arms. Then he got the other boxes, placed them all in a row next to the bags and went upstairs without another word. To be honest I was getting more than a little fed up with his little looks and smirks and raised eyebrows, which always make me feel like a little kid. I opened one of my boxes and grabbed a book as I continue to think about our virtually wordless exchange. I got the blanket off the couch and snuggled up in the comfy recliner to read.
Alice and Jasper got back around 8:30 and brought a few pizzas with them. We ate together, and Alice and I went to bed after Jasper left. I wanted to get to bed early as we would be up at 7. We had a jam packed day coming up: moving our stuff in, unpacking and orientation. Just the thought of it made me fall straight to sleep.
_____________________________________College Life _____________________________________
BPOV
Alice and I woke at 7 and quickly showered and changed. I headed off to the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone while Alice started loading bags into the van. Emmett loaded the heavy boxes and then drove us to school. Alice and I happily dashed off to get our dorm assignments, returning quickly to the van where Emmett was waiting for us.
Emmett enlisted the help of one of his friends to help with getting our belongings up to the room. Everything was at least in the right room before I glanced at my watch, realizing that Alice and I had 35 minutes to get to orientation. Emmett gave each of us a hug before kicking us out of the van at the auditorium building. Chaos surrounded us as we walked in. I hadn't known what to expect, but people were everywhere. Existing students were vying for the newbies attention to get them to sign up for various organizations, fraternities, sororities and clubs. Others were frantically asking us to sign petitions. Alice and I looked at each other, linked arms and strode across the quad, embracing the chaos but never leaving each other's side.
As we walked through we gathered what seemed like hundreds of flyers and pamphlets, which we would go through later. Orientation and the campus tours were over fairly quickly, and at 3pm everyone was released to continue unpacking and to prepare for our first real day of college.
Returning to our room, we piled everything onto the two twin beds leaving floor space to maneuver. I took notes as Alice quickly made an initial list of some things we would need now that we knew what we had to work with. We then set to with unpacking as much as we could, pushing non-essential items under our respective beds in suitcases until we could resolve what Alice announced to be a 'major storage issue'.
When we were satisfied with our efforts in the room, we headed to the common area to find that someone had ordered pizza for everyone. Sitting with the other freshmen, I discovered over the course of a round of 20 questions just how lucky I was to be rooming with Alice – there were certainly some characters at college!
After making our beds, we tried in vain to find a home for the huge pink teddy bear. After concluding that it would be happiest back in Alice's room at home we headed to bed early. As we lay in the dark, we chatted about worries we had about our first day and promised each other that we would stick together and keep each other sane.
I woke at 8 and got ready for my classes which were to begin at 9. Waving goodbye to Alice, I let her know that I would be gone until about 6. The day proved interesting, and I met so many new people that I felt a little overwhelmed. My classes were mainly introductory so very little work was actually given out, but I was excited about what the coming semester would hold.
Returning to the dorm, I found Alice going through the pamphlets and flyers we got the day before. We sat cross legged on the floor and picked through the piles, identifying some of the things we could see ourselves being a part of. Unsurprisingly our choices were very different: I picked a couple of reading groups for authors I loved, whilst Alice joined the fashion club. As if to emphasize our differences, she debated joining a sorority – after I threw a cushion at her head and jokingly told her I would have to kick her out of the room, she decided she maybe wouldn't have time for that.
Alice and I didn't have any classes together, and my schedule was pretty hectic over the next week. Consequently we only saw each other back at the dorm, especially as she too was swamped with classes. I could tell she felt bad about not seeing Jasper, her brothers or Rosalie all week. As a result a friend date night was born, and we all agreed to meet up at the house each at Sunday at 6 so we could touch base.
The first Sunday Alice was cooking, which left me feeling more than a little nervous. I had only ever witnessed her making breakfast, and as much as I was growing to love the little pixie, that did leave something to be desired. I had worked all weekend, picking up shifts wherever I could. Emmett picked me up from work on Sunday, and when we walked into the house found Edward and Rosalie in the living room watching something on the TV. Alice and Jasper were together in the kitchen making Tacos.
I got waves and hello's from everyone as I headed to the bathroom to freshen up. I was still in my work uniform, which Alice could never understand – she didn't seem to realize that changing would simply mean more laundry which I didn't have time to do.
Jasper called us to dinner and our little group gathered around the table to really begin the evening. Conversations broke out around the table, but I noticed that Edward was unusually quiet. Shrugging off another of his unfathomable moods, I continued to tell everyone about my classes and ask about theirs. When dinner was done Emmett and Rosalie went to clean up the kitchen, and Edward excused himself to his room, while Alice and Jasper went up to her room to 'watch a movie'.
I settled in the lounge and kicked off my shoes as I pulled the blanked around me and relaxed into the sofa. I pulled out one of my English texts, relishing the opportunity to get ahead on my reading. About an hour later there was a knock at the front door and Edward came downstairs to answer it, opening the door to reveal a girl I had never met. Extraordinarily pretty, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, taking his hand as he led her upstairs. So that was what a booty call looked like I thought, as my self esteem plummeted another couple of notches whilst those on Edwards bedpost increased slightly.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable I returned to my book, struggling to concentrate as I waited for Alice to decide it was time to head back. Jasper had agreed to take us back to our dorm, and I closed the door behind me on the strange goings on.
That was pretty much the pattern for the next few weeks. Monday through Friday was classes, study, and study groups, with sleeping and eating seemingly optional. Saturday and Sunday were for work, and of course we continued tomeet each Sunday at the Cullens for dinner. Every Sunday Edward was quiet during dinner, and every Sunday at about the same time there would be a knock at the door. I could say one thing though, his booty calls were varied – I don't think the same girl walked through that door twice. The only common factor was that they were all beautiful, with an hour glass figure and full of confidence. I smiled wryly as I wondered whether he had a factory somewhere churning out these alarmingly similar women, they certainly seemed quite fake and plastic.
Edward was always courteous though, helping me to make dinner when it was my turn to cook, and I in turn tried not to let his escapades bother me. I only ever recognized one of the girls, who was a part of my study group. We exchanged hello's, but Edward started nuzzling the nook of her neck and wrapped his hands around her waist. She giggled and excused herself quickly, following Edward straight up the stairs. About 10 minutes later I decided I was done with waiting for Alice and went to find her. Hearing more than I ever needed to from Edwards room, I hustled Alice out of the house, muttering about needing to bleach my ears.
________________________________________Christmas ___________________________________
EPOV
Time passed quickly as we all settled into our routines, and before I knew it Thanksgiving had been and gone. It had been three months since school started and the familiarity of my weekly routine comforted me. Around school, lab time, hanging out with Jasper and Emmett, partying and the group dinners, the girl of the week on Sunday was a welcome distraction. I viewed it as an opportunity to release some of my tension and gear up for my week to start all over again. This wasn't always the case, as when Tiffany from Towson turned up I felt a distinct sense of unease when she greeted Bella directly. I quashed the feeling quickly and took control of the situation – after all she was here to meet my needs, not to chat with Bella.
Relations had calmed between Bella and I, and I did everything I could to be friendly towards her, even helping her cook dinner when it was our turn. I knew we only got paired together because we didn't have 'significant others', but it could be quite awkward at times.
Christmas break was upon us, and instead of going home Mom and Dad were coming here. We all pitched in to clean the house and I made sure to not make any plans that week. Mom and Dad arrived on Christmas Eve. We spent the day catching up and relaxing as a family, before mom disappeared to the kitchen to begin some early dinner preparations.
On Christmas Day we rose late and opened our presents together. As usual Alice had bought and wrapped all of my gift for the family, so it was interesting to see what I had bought them. By late afternoon dinner was ready and we sat together to enjoy the meal.
"Did Bella go home for the holidays Alice?" my mom asked looking around the table at Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and myself.
"Yep, she flew home to see Charlie. She's also going to collect her truck as she doesn't want to keep depending on Jasper and Emmett for rides." Alice said through a mouth full of pie.
"Oh that reminds me Edward, do you want us to get your Volvo to you?" asked my dad
"That would be great, thanks dad". Thus the scintillating dinner conversation continued.
Feeling festively full, we all settled into the living room to relax a bit and watch 'A Christmas Story'. I hated that movie but it was a family tradition, so I sank into the sofa hoping for a two hour nap.
My hopes were shattered as Alice chirped up, "I almost forgot, here are Bella's gifts to you all. She asked me to pass them out since she couldn't be here" she said whilst passing out neatly wrapped presents. I looked in astonishment as Alice passed me a gift, especially as I wasn't sure whether Alice had bought her one on my behalf.
We opened our gift as my mother fussed "how is Bella adjusting to school and work here?" She always worried too much.
Alice replied, "She's doing pretty well. She works too much, as she doesn't like depending on her mom and dad. I think she is saving up for a new car though, because that truck isn't going to last much longer. Between work and study she's pretty jam packed."
"Maybe some of my kids could learn from her" mom smirked at us with a glint in her eye. She knew we all balanced study and our social lives, but had the advantage of not needing to work. We did all appreciate that fact though.
"Maybe mom" Alice replied, rolling her eyes "I think she's planning on a lighter workload next semester though, to try and get a better balance."
"Does she have a boyfriend or go out on dates?" mom continued her interrogation. I leant forward a bit, actually wanting to hear the answer to this. I knew she taunted me every Sunday with her cute work outfit and little hips swaying while she bopped around the house, but there were another six nights a week.
Alice shook her head in response, "She doesn't have a boyfriend. She does keep in touch with a friend, Jacob, from back home. There's a guy from the fraternity round the corner as well. They talk a lot online and on the phone but never really hang out cause she is so busy. She did tell me once that he asked her out."
"Well don't keep me in suspense Mary Alice. What did she do?" Geez, my mother and my sister were sitting here gossiping and giggling about Bella's love life, or lack thereof. I looked around and noticed I was the only one left in the room with them. Crap. I quickly I turned towards the TV as I continued to eavesdrop on the conversation.
"Oh calm down mom I'm getting to it! She told him she was really busy and didn't have time for a boyfriend or dating right now. But she told me that although she thought he was cute and really nice there was just no chemistry there."
I stopped listening to them after that, and an hour or so later I headed up to bed. At least I knew Bella was OK, and not dating frat-boy. I paused on the stairs as I realized what I was thinking. Why did I care if she was OK? I didn't want her to get hurt, but OK – surely that would imply I actively cared about her well being? I decided the festive cheer had gone to my head as I continued up the stairs to bed.
A few days later I found myself in Alice and Bella's dorm room, hooking up the 32" plasma and DVD player which my parents had bought them for Christmas. Alice had let me in and then went off to hang out with some girl from down the hall.
It didn't take long to set it all up, and get the TV hung on the wall. My work done, I sat on Alice's bed to look around. You could definitely tell who had which side of the room. Alice's side was a bit messy and clothes all over the place while Bella's was neat and tidy - everything seemed to have a place. I saw some pictures on her wall next to her bed so I scooted over to take a look.
There was a picture collage of her and some Indian guy who looked about 22. He was real tall and built almost as big as Emmett. In all the pictures of them together she was in his arms somehow and they were hugging or he was kissing her on her cheek while she made a funny face. I noticed that in some of the pictures that the way he was gazing at her it looked like longing whilst she just looked happy. There were also some pictures of her with people I assumed were her mom, stepdad and dad. There were a few group shots of her pulling stupid faces with a bunch of other teenagers, who I assumed to be friends from high school. Another photo caught my eye and I moved to see it better. It looked like her prom photo. Bella looked, well, the only work for it was beautiful. She was wearing a stunning gown in a deep purple color, which clung to her curves in all the right places. Damn that girl was fine. Her cheeks were tinged with that adorable blush on her cheeks she looked so innocent and sweet.
I whirled around when there was a tap on my shoulder. Bella was standing in front of me, clearly fuming. Shit, I had been so lost in my thoughts I hadn't even heard her come in.
"May I help you with something Edward?"
I stuttered slightly "I was just here hooking up your and Alice's Christmas present from my parents." I pointed to the new entertainment center.
She looked round as her eyes widened. "Oh" she responded quietly. "Well, do you know where Alice is?"
"She's gone to see some girl down the hall. Tell her I said I'll see her Sunday." With that I took the empty boxes and headed back down to my car. I needed to escape her before I said something stupid, or completely lost the ability to think straight. As I drove home I didn't think too hard about why I had lost the ability to think, I was more focused on the picture I had been caught looking at.
Sunday came, but Bella didn't. Alice said that she was working late and was sorry she couldn't make it. Personally, I thought she was trying to ignore me.
The following Sunday rolled around, but there was still no Bella. I silently wondered whether she had simply been around to get free lifts to places.
By Sunday number three it was our turn to cook, and I was getting ready to order pizza and raise hell with Bella for ditching me. She arrived, a little late and looking very tired, but there nonetheless. We cooked in silence together and took the food to the table.
We sat down to eat dinner in our usual spots, conversation rolling around me as if Bella had never been away. I was thinking about what would be happening later tonight with Victoria, and after dinner I headed up to my room. I had just shut the door when I heard Rosalie and Bella in the hallway.
"Why haven't you been to dinner lately? We've missed you. If you keep working like this you're going to burn out."
"I'm sorry Rose, I wanted to be here. There were extra shifts available and I couldn't turn down the work. To be honest though, I've not missed the parade of women take the 'walk of shame' up to Edward's room." Walk of shame, was that really how she thought of it?
Rose laughed "I know sweetie, it can be a bit much, but it's just what Edward does."
"I know, and I don't think it would bother me so much if he seemed, erm, fulfilled? But every now and then I see a different side to him. I know somewhere underneath that arrogant exterior he's better than that. I see how happy you guys are, and I'm surprised he doesn't seem to value himself enough to pursue that happiness." Because monogamy is pointless, that's why. Why enjoy one when you can enjoy many, and I am fulfilled. My internal monologue trotted out the same justification it always had, but for a second I questioned it, before returning to the conversation outside my door.
"I've wondered the same thing myself. I think it's just how he deals with the all pressure he's under with med school and trying to live up to his grandfather's expectations. You're right, he's a good guy deep down, but he needs to work this out of his system. Try not to let it bother you, and don't forget the rest of us are here. You could always come earlier to hang out and leave after dinner if you don't want to be here when the girls come a-knocking."
It sounded like they were hugging now. I could hear Bella's voice "Thanks Rose, I'll try to make it here more often."
Rose replied "Besides Bella I know he likes you. The last couple of weeks he's been asking after you and this week the thought he may have to cook on his own. I see the way he looks at you. He cares about you and wants to protect both you and Alice from guys like him. Try to see past the arrogant armor he wears. He can be a great guy when he's not trying to hit on you."
"OK. Thanks Rose." I heard them hug and walk back downstairs.
I knew she was avoiding me. I felt kind of bad about listening in on their talk, but at least I had found out something new. I thought she was judging me, but it turns out I just make her feel uncomfortable. That was something I could tackle. I felt a pang of concern for Bella, and realized I would do everything I could to make her feel more comfortable. I had to admit I had kind of missed her these last couple of weeks.
I was dragged from my thoughts as I heard the front door open. Great. Just after Bella tells Rose how uncomfortable the walk of shame makes her feel, Victoria shows up. Perfect timing. Now she's just going to stay away even more.
As I moved to open my bedroom door and greet Victoria, I didn't recognize the feeling in my stomach, but it sure as hell wasn't a good one. I didn't want Bella to stay away.