And hello Edward...
Collision
Meanwhile, two floors above Bella and her thoughts, Edward Cullen was reading over his Theory of Knowledge presentation, due for that afternoon. His mobile mouth moved as he formed the words and every now and then he would tug on his wayward hair in concentration, a trait he inherited from a long line of blue-blooded Cullens. He swung back on his chair, one hand dangling down so that it brushed against the sleeve of his Barbour jacket, which he had hung on the back of his chair. His Oxford clad feet were pushed up against the white drywall of his spacious room. Being Head Boy had guaranteed his chances of getting a good room and he was pleased with the result. It had a nice view of the playing fields, he had his Mac computer hooked up nicely to the school's Internet and he had decorated it with posters of his favourite bands, Indie-rock types, his own guitar sitting neatly in the corner, and a rather large pin-up poster of Eva Green. His folders and books were stacked neatly into the shelves next to his desk. Unlike most boys, Edward had a knack for keeping things neat and tidy and he liked his order. There was a peace to it.
He supposed that was what made him such a good Head Boy. Charming and amicable, he could make even the most timid of 3rd formers smile in comfort while asserting an air of authority. He still kept in with his friends within his social circle while keeping on good terms with the teachers. He kept up with his work without showing the signs of stress that most of his classmates were starting to show. He was good at balance, at equality.
This suited his choice of application. Medicine. A course that was measured, precise.
His future was bright too.
He clicked his neck and flexed his fingers before allowing his chair to swing forward with a thump. He got up and gave the presentation one last look. He was pleased with the outcome of his work. The presentation had a natural flow to it, without being too dull, a few jokes added in to brighten the topic while still managing to have a drive towards a strong conclusion. He preferred to work alone on such a thing, finding the intrusion of other minds skewed the outcome. He smiled triumphantly and tucked the presentation into the inside of his blazer, straightened his Head Boy tie, picked up his books for the next few lessons and left the room at a brisk walk. He had chapel duty to attend to, a reading to give, a prefect body to organise.
He flew down the stairs, ignoring the elevator, opened the door to the foyer and promptly crashed into Bella Swan.
"Bugger!" Bella, imbalanced as she was with her heavy bag, swore loudly and toppled to the ground. Edward managed to keep his books in his arms but the impact of the collision nearly had him fall over too.
Bella sat wincing on the floor, trying to get her bearings again so that she could cuss out the guy who knocked her over. "Swan? Are you ok? Sorry for knocking you over. Let me help you up."
She froze at the sound of his voice. It was unfortunate for Edward to come across Bella after she had been thinking such unsavoury thoughts about him. She glared at him and spat, "watch where you're going next time, Cullen!" She tried and failed to get up gracefully. She ended up staggering and grabbing the wall for support. She huffed, her face blossoming red before she eyed Edward's hand like it was a dead fish, "wouldn't want to ruin your perfect manicured hand with my peasant class filthiness." She stomped away before he could reply and slammed the door to her study, meeting the gaze of an astonished Angela. Bella hoped the slamming of her door and her outburst would dispel any humiliation she had suffered at the hands of Edward Cullen, but the sinking feeling in her gut told her that she had not.
Edward stood frozen to the spot, eyes glued to where Bella had disappeared. He had hardly thought of her these past few years, close to forgotten she had existed. After that first year in this vast senior school, he had dropped his tendency to bully the less fortunate, comfortable to stick with his friends rather than belittle the scholarship group. But after that particular encounter, Isabella Swan rose to the forefront of his mind again and he realised with surprise that Bella had changed without him noticing. That sparkle in her gaze and the defiance in her stance made the timid Bella from before shrink away into the distant past.
Bella, he realised, was a person.
This revelation may seem a little asinine. Obtuse even. But this is the same as when you realise that the person you have been sitting next to on the number 27 bus but have never talked to is a person with the same sort of thoughts and emotions as you, who also has the same complexities as you.
Such revelations can be quite shocking, as you realise this earth is far more complex than you first thought.
He shook his head, took a deep breath and carried on to chapel, a little shocked and a little perplexed.
Oh Edward, so confuddled...
Bones x