DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ITS CHARACTERS. I OWE ALL OF THAT GREATNESS TO THE ONE AND ONLY STEPHENIE MEYER, WHO I MUST REPEATEDLY BOW DOWN TO. BUT SERIOUSLY, IF I DID, WOULD I REALLY BE WRITING THIS STORY? DIDN'T THINK SO.
A/N
Okay so I forgot to mention when this is all taking place.
Bella, Alice, Rosalie, and yes Jacob are all in their sophomore years of high school. It's right before Christmas break. Just to clear that up.
So I really didn't get any responses suggesting what I should do for this chapter, so I'm kind of just winging it. I think you all need a good dose of HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA right now, though, so I'll try to fit that in to these next few chapters.
Here's Chapter 4.
Enjoy.
-S.N.O.
CHAPTER FOUR: THE CALLS
A few days had passed since my break-up with Jacob (A/N—don't you just love how that sort of rhymed?! I DO!) and I was still completely fine. Sure, I missed him and being able to say that I had a boyfriend, but now I felt like I had absolutely no restrictions.
I had come to the conclusion the day after the break-up that the only reason why I was crying on my drive over to Jake's house was because I felt terrible that I was going to be breaking his heart. Obviously, that's not what happened.
Today was a Saturday. It was about a week before Winter Break started, and time for my family to start making and addressing invitations for our annual New Year's Eve party. We always invited the same people, give or take the few friends that we would either lose or meet within the past year. This year, I believe we had 136 people that we were inviting in total. A lot of them were Mom's and Dad's friends, Dad's coworkers from the hospital, and some of our close family members. Others were mine, Alice's, and Emmett's friends. Some regular invitees were Rosalie obviously, her older brother (and Alice's date for this evening) Jasper, Edward Cullen and his parents, Angela Weber and her boyfriend of two years Ben Cheney, and… the Blacks. Mom had asked me repeatedly if I was sure it was okay to invite Billy and Jacob, and each time I would tell her:
"Mom, of course it's okay. We agreed that we'd still be friends, so hey it might be a little weird, but it should be fine." She was never quite convinced. Nevertheless, she still typed up an address label and ordered one more invitation.
Because we had so many invitations to label, we worked all day; folding the invites, placing them in the envelopes, stamping them perfectly with the Cullen seal, and then placing the address labels on the front cover. It was a family tradition that a week before Winter Break started officially, all five of us would just sit around in the living room, making party invitations and having a good time. We had been doing it for as long as I could remember.
Flashback
Three Years Ago-
"Emmett, stop! You're getting the envelopes all smushed and wrinkled!" Alice whined as Emmett carelessly tossed his assigned invitations aside, then proceeded to step on them every time he got up.
"Chill out, Al. It's no big deal," he calmly replied to her. Alice's expression became horrified as soon as those last four words were spoken.
"It's… no… big… DEAL?! God, Emmett! You are so thoughtless!" She threw down the invitation she was currently labeling and jumped up to stand and look Emmett directly in the eye. (He was sitting on the couch, and she was eye-to-eye with him while she was standing up.) "You KNOW how important this is to me! These invitations have to be PER-FECT! Do you understand? P-E-R-F-E-C-T! PERFECT!"
"These invites have to be perfect, meh meh meh, oh meh gaaaaaaad perrrrrfect," Emmett was waving his arms around trying to imitate Alice's words. They went on and on like that for about fifteen minutes, while I just sat there on my favorite black recliner laughing at my brother and sister's immaturity. They were constantly having fights like that, even though we all know how close they were. Mom finally broke it up when she told Alice that she'd take away her credit card for a month and Emmett that he wouldn't be able to play any sports for the rest of the season. That got them both to back down immediately and we all continued to address the pricey invitations.
End Flashback.
I giggled softly at the memory. Something like that seemed to happen every year. Emmett wouldn't care, Alice would get mad, blah, blah, blah. Alice really did care a great deal about stuff like this, though. I guess you could say she's the perfectionist of our family. About everything. Clothing, furniture, decorations, silly party invitations… But that was just her. Alice in all her perky, perfectionist glory. She was my sister, though, and I loved her with all of my heart. At that thought, I looked up from my usual spot on the recliner to find Alice trying to hold herself back and not scream at Emmett for being so careless and lazy. Good for her, though, for not cracking.
Mom and Dad were sitting on pillows from the couch and leaning against the wall. I smiled at how in love they were. My parents, as far as I knew, never fought. Never once did I ever hear them argue, except playfully. Mom was resting her head against Dad's shoulder, humming a familiar tune while sealing an envelope delicately. I loved that about her. How she could always be so happy. How she always hummed or sang while doing something. Dad seemed to be humming the harmony to the song. It was so adorable. I found that I had been smiling through that entire thought, long as it was, when I heard the landline ring. Emmett seemed to be the only one besides me to hear it.
"Hey, Em, could you get that?" I asked politely.
"Nope," he said to me, popping the 'p'.
"Why not?" I asked him on the second ring.
"'Cause I don't wanna?" he replied as if I was supposed to know that. I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily as I put the invitation I was working on down and made my way over to the kitchen where the nearest phone was. The Caller ID said that it was unknown number. That was strange. I picked up the phone and answered anyway.
"Cullen residence." I felt like greeting whoever it was in a polite and mannerly way.
But there was no response.
"Hello?" I tried.
Again, no response.
"Look, if this is a crank call I will—" I was cut off by the sound of the other line clicking off and the dial tone starting up. I pressed 'end' and set the phone back on its charger.
"Who was it, Bella?" Mom asked me as I came back into the living room.
"I don't know. It said 'unknown number'. I think it might have been a crank call though because—" I was interrupted again by the sound of the phone ringing again. I sighed. "I'll go get it." Again, I thought as nobody moved. I answered the phone the same way I did a minute ago.
"Cullen residence."
No answer.
"Is this the same person who called here just a minute ago?" I asked impatiently into the phone.
"I swear, if this is some kind of joke—"
"Bella?" My brow furrowed in confusion as I recognized the velvet-soft voice that belonged to Edward Masen.
"Edward?" I asked into the phone.
"Uh… yeah."
"Was that you who just called?"
"Um… yeah, sorry. The uh… phone line sometimes goes out like that." He sounded unsure of something.
"Okay… Well hold on a sec, I'll go get Emmett."
I started making my way back to the living room when I heard Edward's voice come through the tiny speaker on the phone.
"Bella, wait," he said abruptly, my brow furrowing again.
"Yeah?"
"Well… um… I… uh…"
"Spit it out, Edward," I sighed impatiently.
"I didn't exactly… call… for Emmett." I was so confused. What did he mean he didn't call for Emmett?
"Hey, Bella, who is it, honey?" Mom called to me from the living room.
"Um, it's no one Mom," I yelled back, covering the phone.
"I bet it's a boy," I heard her whisper to Dad. She probably thought I couldn't hear it. Hah. My own mother underestimates me far too much when it comes to that. Then I realized I still had the phone in my hand and I could heard Edward calling my name, probably checking to make sure I was still there.
"What do you mean you didn't call for Emmett? Why did you call?"
"Well, I… called… totalktoyou." That last part came out so quickly I wasn't even sure I'd heard it.
"Talk to me," I said as more of a statement rather than a question into the phone.
"Yes."
"Um… why… ?" I asked.
"Well, because… I was wondering… ifyoumaybewantedtogooutwithmetonight?" Again, I couldn't be so sure I'd heard those last few words he said.
"You… what?" I heard him take a deep breath before responding.
"Bella, do you want to go out on a date with me tonight?" He said that part more clearly and calmly. I gasped out loud, leaving my mouth hanging open in shock as I realized what was going on. Emmett was trying to play a joke on me. Why else would Edward be calling to ask me on a date? I mean, it's not like he liked me or anything. My eyes narrowed and the shock faded as the anger started to kick in.
"Emmett is so going down," I whispered quietly.
"Bella?" Edward's voice snapped me out of my thinking.
"Edward, it was nice and all for you to call, but you don't have to play along anymore. I understand if you were forced into this and you called against your will, or maybe not. Whatever. I have to go kill my brother now. Bye," I said to him, clicking off the phone. Emmett was going to pay for embarrassing me like that. How dare he? How dare he force his best friend to call and ask me out. Ugh! He was so… so… Emmett! I was going to get back at him, alright. I just had to figure out how…
EPOV
I had been pacing back in forth in my room for hours. Her brother had called me the other day, telling me of her break-up with her long-time boyfriend the day before. Why he decided to tell me was beyond me. I mean, it's not like I was always gabbing to him about how much I liked his sister. Maybe he was just bored. I don't know. But I figured, as soon as we hung up, that this was my chance.
I just kept on trying to figure out what I was going to say to her, and then how. Ugh, why did asking a girl out have to be so damn difficult?! I finally just looked myself in the mirror and thought aloud, "Edward, you can do this. It's just asking her out on one little date. She's just a girl." But she wasn't just a girl. She was the most amazing girl I had ever laid eyes on. Sure, she was my best friend's younger sister, but that didn't matter. We never really talked, though. So this was going to be that much more difficult. NO. It wouldn't be. She was just a girl, and this was just a date. Just a girl, just a date.
I pulled the scrap of paper that had their landline number written on it out of my back pocket. I had memorized it from calling there so many times, but I was afraid that I would get so nervous I wouldn't be able to remember it. I was right. I sat down in my desk chair, cell phone and number in hand. It took me a few tries to get the correct number dialed because my hand was shaking so much. I also 67ed the number so she wouldn't give the phone to Emmett as soon as she saw the caller ID. Once I had the right phone number dialed in, I took a deep breath, and pressed 'send'. I knew that she would be home because Emmett had told me today was the day that their family would be addressing invitations for their annual New Year's Eve party. The whole family, all five of them, would be sitting at home all day, doing nothing but making the invites, like they did every year.
Just a girl, just a date. Just a girl, just a date, I repeated to myself as the phone rang.
"Cullen residence," she answered on the third ring. My breathing stopped at the sound of her voice. It was so sweet, and the way she answered the phone was so polite, so formal. I realized I hadn't yet responded when she asked, "Hello?" into the phone. But I couldn't answer. Something wasn't letting any words come out of my mouth.
"Look, if this is a crank call I will—" I cut her off before she could finish her threat.
Stupid Edward. Stupid, stupid Edward! I thought to myself. How could you just sit there and hang up on her like that?! The effect that girl had on me. That's how.
After a few seconds of pep-talking my self again, I pressed the 'redial' button on my cell phone. She answered it again, more quickly this time, but with the same greeting.
"Cullen residence," I heard her say. Once again, I couldn't find the strength to reply. The sound of her voice just froze every muscle in my body.
"Is this the same person who called here just a minute ago?" She asked, sounding impatient.
"I swear, if this is some kind of joke—"
"Bella?" I interrupted. Oh crap. Here we go, Edward. You're talking to her. You can do this.
"Edward?" She sounded surprised to hear me. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
"Uh… yeah." It was all I could think of.
"Was that you who just called?"
"Um… yeah, sorry. The uh… phone line sometimes goes out like that," I lied. Why did I just lie to her? Oh yeah, because if I tell her the truth, that I called and hung up on her, she'd think I was a freak.
"Okay… Well hold on a sec, I'll go get Emmett."
"Bella, wait," I practically shouted into the phone.
"Yeah?"
"Well… um… I… uh…" I stammered. Was I actually stammering?
"Spit it out, Edward," she sighed impatiently. That was a side of her I had never heard before. Usually, she only used that sort of tired, impatient tone with Emmett. It was kinda cute though.
"I didn't exactly… call… for Emmett." My palms started sweating as the conversation started to move in the direction I wanted it to.
"Hey, Bella, who is it, honey?" I heard Esme call to her.
"Um, it's no one Mom," she yelled back. I could tell she was trying to cover up the phone so as not to yell at me. Esme said something else but I couldn't hear. Bella started talking to me again.
"What do you mean you didn't call for Emmett? Why did you call?" She seemed annoyed as those words came out of her mouth. Her pink, full, luscious… No! Stop it, Ed. You're still on the phone with her.
"Well, I… called… totalktoyou." That last part came out so quickly I wasn't even sure I'd said it.
"Talk to me," she said as more of a statement rather than a question into the phone. Apparently, I had said it.
"Yes."
"Um… why… ?" she asked.
"Well, because… I was wondering… ifyoumaybewantedtogooutwithmetonight?" There was a long pause.
"You… what?" she asked. I took a deep breath before continuing.
"Bella, do you want to go out on a date with me tonight?" I couldn't believe how calmly I had asked that. I felt so confident. That is, until my question was followed by another long pause on her end. A few seconds later, I'm pretty sure I heard her gasp.
"Emmett is so going down," I heard her whisper, whether I was supposed to hear or not.
"Bella?"
"Edward, it was nice and all for you to call, but you don't have to play along anymore. I understand if you were forced into this and you called against your will, or maybe not. Whatever. I have to go kill my brother now. Bye."
"Bella, wait!" But it was no use. The dial tone was already going. What just happened? Why had she said that Emmett was going down? Why did she think I was calling against my will, and just 'playing along'?
Then it hit me. Hard. But no… she couldn't. Bella couldn't possibly think that Emmett and I had been playing a joke on her… could she? All I did was place my head in my no-longer-sweaty palms and lean into the back of the chair, letting out a long, low, deep sigh.
A/N
So what did you think? Personally, I really liked it. Probably more than the other chapters so far.
I know I said that I was going to keep everything in BPOV, but I just couldn't help myself. Just for future info, I might be doing that a lot. Just so you guys have a little bit of knowledge of what's going on inside Edward's head.
I would also like to take this time to thank some of my amazing reviewers, so far at least. They've given me good reviews, and some constructive criticism which I appreciate GREATLY! I love hearing people's opinions and thoughts on how I can always make this story better. So here they are, in no particular order:
RoGueSurfer
Curx2u
TwilightFan104
iloveEmmet
QueenSheba94
OECD
D4ni3ll3
Quiet Reader421
Appriates
Twicebitten
Justrememberhe prefersbrunets
xXxtwilightxXxmysteryX
Momentarily Infinite
Teeneypixie95
and
poetspie
Thank you all so much! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon.
Love you all.
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!
-S.N.O.