Author's Chapter Notes:
This chapter is kind of boring, but it shows a lot of things that might happen later
(Continued from the very end of the last chapter. Bella and Edward are behind a building in each other's arms.)
As I held her in my arms, I started to believe more and more that Bella really did love me. How could an angel such as this pick me? I didn't deserve to look at her soulful eyes through those thick, ebony lashes. I didn't deserve to cup my hand around her soft, silky cheek. And I most certainly didn't deserve to press my lips to her full, luscious ones. I don't know how I survived for so long without her. She's everything.
"Edward, are you okay? Your face looks funny." she whispered.
I chuckled at her choice of words. "Yes." I whispered in reply. "I was just thinking about how I don't deserve you. You're an angel."
She chuckled darkly. "It is I who doesn't deserve you. You know something's wrong with me, but you still love me."
"Nothing is wrong with you.. Sure, you're missing some memories, but you're still perfect." I objected.
"It's not just that memory. I can remember some things, but only a few. I can remember how my mom Renee and I used to sing to the Beatles in her car. And I can remember how to draw. It's like a reflex." she said. "That and the grass place is it, except for pain. I can remember pain. Lots and lots of pain."
I cringed. Surely I hadn't been the cause for such pain! "But the pain is gone right now, correct?" I asked.
"Yes. Now all I feel is love. And a bit of hatred. But only for that guy who was with me before you came." she shuddered. "He was gross."
Once again, I laughed. "Yes he was. But he's gone now. And I'll never leave you-- that is, unless you want me to."
She clung tighter to my chest. "No! Never leave me!" she cried. I saw tears trickle out of her eyes. The sight just about killed me.
"Shh, sweetheart." I soothed. "I'll never leave you. Never. I'll be with you forever." I meant it. I wanted to be with her for every moment of eternity.
At that moment I made a decision: After graduating from college, I would secure her hand in marriage. I loved her, and I wanted her every moment to be amazing with me. We could have a child, and it would be gorgeous just like its mother. Even after our hair turned grey, I would still be able to kiss her wrinkled cheek and say I love her and mean it still. And in our last moments, I would squeeze her hand and say one last 'I love you'.
"Why are you smiling?" Bella said, grinning widely now.
"I was thinking about you." I answered plainly. "You're so beautiful."
"I think you're pretty good looking, too." she murmured into my chest. I pulled my wrist up to my face to check the time. It was 8:10! If classes begin at 8:15, we needed to move quickly.
"Bella, I hate to ruin the moment, but we kind of need to go." I said, interrupting the peace of the morning.
"Okay. You can set me down on the grass then." she said softly. I turned to see her face clouded with worry. Once again she looked like a lost toddler. "You don't have first hour with me." she whimpered.
"I know. But I will be with you in second hour." I soothed.
"'kay. I better go then. I love you!" she perched up on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to mine. For a moment, I stayed there, melting in the feeling of her soft lips on mine. I pulled back, not wanting to lose myself and end up being very late for calculus.
"I love you, too." I whispered against her lips. She walked away, still smiling at me over her shoulder.
~!~!~!~!~!~
I've never found calculus to be especially riveting, but I found myself struggling to concentrate on even the smallest and most simple problems. How could you blame me? The thought of Bella sitting alone in English scared me, though her private mentor had said she was learning remarkably fast in that subject. For someone who had lost all memory of over ten years of school, being able to read third-grade context was pretty amazing. But still, her sitting in a class with people whose names she can't even remember could be pretty dangerous.
The shrill call of the bell signaled for us to move to our next class. I scrambled to grab my books and shot out the door before everyone had gotten out of their chairs. The run from building three to building five took only a few seconds, yet I couldn't go fast enough. Students shot angry glares as I pushed past them quickly. When I entered the classroom, I sat down and looked around quickly. Where was Bella?
Other students filed in, chattering about some news that there was a kid looking for revenge, and then looking at me. I didn't have time to process the information because Bella walked in. Her hair swished about her face, touching her pale cheek lightly. A light blush touched the apples of her cheeks, probably from the fresh chill of the morning. She glanced up and caught me staring, making her blush become more evident. I opened my arms widely for her to come into. After setting down her books, she obliged.
"How was English?" I murmured into her ear. I felt a shiver run down her spine.
"It would have been better if you were there. But I guess I shouldn't complain. I could be a lot unluckier and not have you in any of my classes." she sighed and then shuddered. "That would be terrible!"
"I agree, my love." I nuzzled my nose into her ear. "We should make the most of our time." My lips moved from her ear to her cheek, and slowly I started kissing down until I reached the corner of her lips. At that point, she had obviously grown impatient and kissed me fiercely. Her lips were hungry and had a desperate drive to them now. I felt my fingers unconsciously climb into the locks of her hair, trying to secure her to me forever. Unfortunately, breathing is vital to humans. If only there was some way I didn't have to . . . But that was by no way possible. I was stupid for even thinking that it was.
"I better get out of your lap, shouldn't I?" Bella whispered against my lips.
"Yes, I think you should." Mr. Banner growled through clenched teeth. Bella jumped in surprise and looked up.
"Whoops!" she muttered. Her face had gone from a delicate blush to a all-the-blood-in-your-body flush. I'm sure my face wasn't crimson to that degree, but I might have been a tad bit red in the face.
"I was thinking about maybe an hour after school with me. How does that sound to you, you little lovebirds?" Mr. Banner fumed. "Or would you rather me tell your parents?" he suggested.
"After school!" Bella and I barked at simultaneously.
"Actually, Mr. Cullen and Ms. Swan will be with me after school." a high, nasally voice objected. Everyone turned to see a stout woman with bushy red hair that was adorned with barrettes that looked like cats. Her nose was turned up so high that I think I could have looked up her nostrils. On her scrunched face there was an excess of make-up and glittery black glasses hanging on the tip of her nose. Her chubby frame was clothed in an ugly green dress. Hanging of the shoulders was a piece of cloth with tacky fringe. Who was this?
"Oh really? Well, I suppose you could take them instead." Mr. Banner agreed reluctantly. "Do you need them now?"
"Yes I do. If they could follow me to the office." the bizarre woman said. I stood up with Bella and walked hesitantly to the door. I snaked my arm around her shoulder. The woman turned around and cried, "Ah ah ah! No touching!" I dropped my arm.
The office smelled like the dentist's office. Over-bearing scents of bubblegum and mint mixed with smiles that looked processed and fake. After leading us past multiple dusty, plastic plants, the woman turned to us and pointed a doorway. I filed in and stood by an oak desk. The room looked like it had been attacked by some angry civilization of lace creatures. But there was even more pink than lace!
"I'm Mrs. Sumner. I need you all to stay here in my office while I go get Mr. Newton." she said. Newton? As in Mike Newton? Oh crap. I have a feeling it has something to do with the punch I gave him this morning. The moronic boy probably squealed and ran to the office like a third-grader. Probably to show Bella that he was a 'good guy' on the inside. Okay, whatever, Mike
Sure enough, Mike walked into the room. What was different from him earlier was the fact that there was a blue and purple blob in the middle of his face. Did I do that to his nose?! Underneath the bruised mass, there was a grimace directed towards me. Mrs. Sumner swept in the door dramatically, her ugly dressing swaying back and forth.
"Mr. Cullen, I understand that you have caused this unfortunate injury upon Mr. Newton. What do you have to say for yourself?" she accused.
"How do you know it was me? Mr. Newton," I mused, calling Mike by his formal name. "could have easily ran into a wall, or even simply fallen onto hard ground."
"You know you did it, Cullen!" Mike Spat furiously.
"Now, now, Mr. Newton. Let's not get angry. Mr. Cullen does have a point. But we can't know unless there were witnesses, we can't make any accusations." Mrs. Sumner said calmly.
Bella finally found her voice. "I was a witness." she announced. Mrs. Sumner turned her eyes expectantly towards Bella. Mike looked pleadingly at her, but she only averted her eyes, letting them rest on me. "Mike was with me this morning. We were behind building three when he . . . he attempted to, err, rape me." she sighed, then continued. "Edward came in the nick of time and fought Mike off. Just like a guardian angel." She rested her head against my shoulder lovingly and let out a breath of sweet air. I buried my nose in her hair and breathed in the lovely scent that she gave off.
Mrs. Sumner's bubblegum pink lips were hanging open in shock. She blinked quickly, and then refocused her gaze on Bella. Bella however looked completely at ease. Her back was resting against her chair and her hands were neatly folded in her lap. Mike looked about the same as Mrs. Sumner, but also in the shock was a strong current of fear. His bottom lip trembled and his eyebrows turned up in an attempted look of an angelic innocence. Mrs. Sumner turned to him with raw, untamed anger aflame in her eyes. Her jaw went from slack to clenched. Mike stood up out of the chair and tried to run out of the office, but was cut short by Mrs. Sumner's sharp order.
"Mike Newton! Get back here! I'm going to call your parents, and then I'll-" she growled before I pushed Bella out of the office.
I already had an escape plan in my mind. Bella and I tiptoe silently out of the office and look around warily. When a possible witness to our escape walks by, I pull Bella down and we army crawl toward the door, staying clear out of the bystander's eyesight. Upon arrival at the door, we walk out and run blindingly fast towards my car. After the engine of my beloved Volvo is purring, we speed out the parking lot. My hands grip the handle tightly and Bella's eye's rest on the muscles in my arms. Her eyes rest on mine with a burning desire and I pull over. I turn to her and place my lips on hers. I feel her tiny hands running through my hair, and mine do the same to her silky locks. Her tongue lightly traces my lips . . .
"Cullen, get back here! Just because you did the right thing doesn't mean you aren't in serious trouble!" Mrs. Sumner barked.
We ushered ourselves back into the room and closed the door. Mike now had a red hand mark on his cheek that went lovely with the blue and purple blob. Mrs. Sumner had turned a shade of raging crimson, and her hands were clenched into tight fists. My hold on Bella's waist tightened when I saw her in this furious state. Where was that calm state of being she was in earlier?
"I'll be calling your mother, Mr. Cullen. As for you, Mr. Newton, well, that's a totally different matter. I'll hang you by those big ears from the ceiling! And once they've fallen off, I'll hang you by your ankles for so long that your face will be permanently red." Mrs. Sumner cried. She turned to Bella and I. "You may go, but I will expect you back immediately after school." There was that calm manner!
Bella walked out slowly, as if expecting to be called back in for being a bad little girl. In all of the commotion, two hours had passed. I walked her to her 4th hour Spanish class, and paused in front of her.
"I won't see you until lunch. Can I have a kiss so that I won't feel as bad?" I asked Bella, putting on a puppy-pout.
She giggled. "But of course." she laughed. I looked down towards her full, lustrous lips and brought my face towards her. When our skin touched, the world exploded. My nerves sizzled and sparked, my mind getting a dizzy, but lovely, feeling. The effect she had on me was amazing. Suddenly the warmth of her lips was gone, and a smile danced lightly on them.
"Why'd you pull away?" I pouted.
"I wouldn't want to keep us out here all day, Mr. Cullen!" she guffawed. She leaned closer to my ear, letting her breath flow out onto my skin. "Besides, there will be plenty of time for kissing later." she murmured silkily.
~!~!~!~!~!~
The final call of the bell left me terrified. My steps were slow and purposefully, almost a trudge. But I finally had to enter the office, and was surprised by the reaction I got.
"Edward!" my mother shrieked. "Why did you punch that boy? Do you need medication? Let's get you medication! If you're angry you should always talk it out, never punch it out! Maybe you need a therapist, too. I can get you a therapist, need be. Do you want a therapist? I bet you do. And about the medication, oh! Do you really need it? There are tons of pills for kids with anger issues like you. But its okay . . ." she babbled, to which I eventually stopped listening. I cut in though, not wanting her too carried away with her ideas.
"Mom! Breathe. Just breathe." I instructed. I took a breath myself, as an image for her to follow. She sucked in a gulp of air, and then let out a whoosh. "Good. No, I don't need medication. He was trying to hurt Bella. I had to get him away so that Bella would be alright." I talked slowly, making sure that her careful mental balance wasn't corrupted. Mrs. Sumner flashed me a glance that said 'I don't think it's you who needs the medication'.
"Mr. Cullen. By injuring Mr. Newton, I will have to have you serve detention on Saturday morning. You and Mr. Newton will be here until you work out your differences."
I sighed. An afternoon with Mike Newton. This ought to be just peachy.
Chapter End Notes:
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