CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Acquaintances

In my head, my plan was simple: I would befriend Edward Cullen, stick to him like glue if I had to, until I knew everything about him. Eventually, I would discover something that turned me off to his charms, something that would change him from the beautiful enigma with whom I shared confusing but mind-blowing conversation into someone average and real. Surely, I'd soon discover he had an affinity for gangsta rap and monster-truck rallies or that he spent the majority of his free time admiring himself in the mirror. Perhaps he was unforgivably rude to his parents or impossibly selfish. In time, he'd almost certainly prove to be cruel, dull, or vain. In sum, my scheme would allow me to discover that he wasn't worth my involuntary fascination. I had to kill every single butterfly that fluttered in my stomach whenever I was in Edward's presence; I had to see Edward just like every other male at Forks High School: immature, irritating, and irrelevant. After I uncovered Edward's flaws, I'd again be capable of loving Jacob with every ounce of my being, with no remorse or second guesses as to my future, our future.

In reality, my plan would prove more challenging than I'd hoped.

On Monday, I arrived at school hell bent on my mission. After Mike's party, Edward had begrudgingly admitted he found me interesting, so much so that he'd acquiesced to an "acquaintanceship" between the two of us. I wasn't going to let him weasel out of his proposal; rather, I planned on upping the ante by greeting him in the hallway every time I saw him and waving to him at the start of the lunch hour. I wasn't brave enough to plop myself down at his lunch table, but I'd do everything else in my power to force us into a necessary friendship. Soon, his face would blend in with everyone else, and I could finally return to my normal life where my heart beat at a steady pace and my affections were reserved for Jacob Black.

I knew Edward kept his distance because he was worried that I was like all the other girls who swooned over his every word and fell completely in love with him within five seconds of first seeing his mind-numbingly dazzling face. But he was wrong. I hardly knew him, and I already found that he aggravated the hell out of me; after a few short weeks of picking his brain, I'd likely find him intolerable.

I kept my eyes peeled for him in between classes but never once saw him. At lunch, I braced myself to give him a perky wave from across the cafeteria, but to my dismay, both he and his sister were nowhere in sight. Monday turned into Tuesday, and by Wednesday, I was stir crazy and anxious after I spent another English class period next to an empty desk.

Where the hell is he? I asked myself when I stormed past the lunch line on Thursday to discover Edward and Alice's table was still deserted. Even in my head, my voice sounded panicky.

At first, I'd wondered if this time was like his extended absence during the first week of school, but I tried to calm myself by remembering that this time it was different, Alice was gone too and Edward hadn't displayed any recent signs of revulsion toward me. They have to come back; nobody disappears a month into their senior year and transfers to a different school. Maybe they're on vacation or one of their relatives in Alaska died and they're attending the funeral. The excuses piled up, but I couldn't force myself to believe a single one of them. The Cullens disappearing for good should have been a blessing, but given my unrelenting obsession over their vanishing act, I knew that my original plan to investigate Edward in person was still the only way to get him out of my head.

Later Thursday afternoon, nothing could lift me from my frustrated funk. After school, Jacob's perky, cheerleader-like encouragements about my Dartmouth application brought a smile to my face, but my nerves were still on edge. When Charlie called and said he was bringing home pizza loaded with my favorite toppings, I knew I was in trouble because I only whined to myself that I wouldn't have cooking to distract me from my rapid-fire speculations about the Cullens' current location. Even the weather was wearing on my nerves; usually, any hour without rain in Washington was a cause for celebration, but today the beautiful sunny weather that had inexplicably persevered in Forks for five consecutive days only annoyed me because it didn't match my grumpy disposition.

Friday was more of the same, and as I parked my truck outside Newton Outfitters after school let out, I was certain my mood could not grow any fouler. Mike greeted me with an enthusiastic hello as soon as I walked through the door, but I could only grumble an empty response as I tied on my polyester work smock and slumped over the counter behind the cash register.

Mike smiled at me sympathetically from across the store where he restocked hiking boots. "Rough week?"

"The roughest." I stared out the windows at the town square. My only sense of relief came from the suddenly overcast sky; at least the weather would finally coincide with my grouchiness.

"They say a big storm's headed in tonight," Mike mused. "I bet business will be a bit slower today. Nobody wants to camp in the rain." Most of the Newtons' business came from weekend visitors to the area, campers seeking last minute supplies they'd forgotten to pack.

"Yeah, that's too bad. I kind of like it when it gets busier in here."

Mike smiled back at me. "I know what you mean; it makes the time pass a lot faster. Plus, it puts Mom and Dad in a great mood; I can usually get another hour tacked onto my curfew on days when business is good." His cheerfulness faded as he looked past me out the large storefront windows. "Oh great," he groaned.

"What?" I asked, following his gaze to a monstrous red jeep making its way towards us down the street.

"Ugh. The Cullens are coming."

My heart stopped. "The Cullens? They're coming in here?"

Mike was brooding too much to notice my dread. "They're in here all the time; they're big time outdoor enthusiasts. I bet they were out of town camping all week." Under his breath, he muttered, "Lucky bastards."

I glanced down at my bright orange smock and considered bolting for the storeroom. I'd been eager to see Edward at school, but not like this, in front of his entire family, dressed like a construction worker.

Before I could act on my instinct, Mike asked, "Can you please deal with them? They make me sick to my stomach, Bella. Just being around them gives me the creeps." He noticed my skeptical expression and added, "You'll see. Just wait until you meet them all. The big one especially."

His face looked so pathetic that I couldn't say no. Reluctantly, I gave him a sympathetic smile and turned my focus back to the window. The jeep was parked in front of the store now, and I could see it had three occupants. The first two piled out onto the pavement, one tall and blond, the other enormous and muscular with curly dark hair; I could see why Mike was apprehensive in the bigger one's presence. Squinting, I made out the face of the third, who remained seated in front passenger seat of the vehicle; he stared back at me and despite my earlier unwillingness to see him, I begged Edward with my eyes to climb out of the jeep and come inside. My hopes were dashed as I realized the rigid expression on his face meant he had no intention of answering my silent pleas.

The other two Cullens noisily made their way into the store. The muscular one was laughing uncontrollably while the other shook his head silently as amusement washed over his face. They headed back to the aisle where the fishing poles were kept while I busied myself with an old copy of Guns & Ammo that Mr. Newton kept behind the register.

My eyes studied an advertisement for a camouflaged rifle, but my brain refused to process a single word on the page. Instead, I was hyper-aware that Edward could see every move I made, if he opted to look at me from his spot inside the jeep. Of course, I refused to look at him to see if he was staring in my direction, so I continued to flounder in my inner turmoil. I was so distracted by keeping up the appearance of nonchalance that I jumped when I realized Edward's brothers had moved to the front of the store. Thankfully, they seemed oblivious to me, the insignificant girl behind the counter.

The biggest of the two Cullens cleared his throat. Turning to the other, he asked in a booming voice, "Which one do you think he'd want, Jasper?" He held at least three fishing poles in each hand, dramatically lifting up one at a time as if weighing them with his bulging arms. Dramatically, he continued, "I have no idea what Edward's tastes are."

His blond brother, apparently named Jasper, took a deep breath. "Let him be, Emmett." His tone was steady, as if soothing a potentially violent wild animal.

Emmett grinned. "Now, Jasper, we can't let Edward go on this fishing trip with a pole that he's not 100 satisfied with." He moved to the store window and tapped on the glass.

In the jeep, Edward appeared shift his attention to Emmett against his own will. He slowly turned his head forward toward the storefront. It was hard to tell through the jeep's tinted glass, but his jaw looked locked in place, indicating frustration.

Emmett's face displayed a look of overdramatic confusion, complete with a furrowed brow and a bitten lip. He shifted the fishing poles from hand to hand. "WHICH ONE?" he mouthed through the glass.

Edward shook his head in response, clearly indicating he didn't care, but Emmett continued to shrug and examine the poles. As if portraying the role of the clumsy oaf in a vaudeville act, Emmett nearly dropped several as he elaborately struggled to maintain his balance. "THIS ONE?" He tried to point but had difficulty singling one out.

Edward nodded begrudgingly as if granting Emmett a tremendous favor. His lips moved very briefly.

"WHAT?" Emmett's pantomiming continued. He pointed to his ear and mouthed, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU." Then, he motioned for Edward to come in, to which Edward responded with a look that would put lesser men in their place. Emmett, however, was unfazed; if anything, his eyes lit up as if he were playing a game. "COME HERE." His words lacked sound, but I could feel playful antagonism in them.

Jasper said something quickly under his breath, but his words were lost on me.

I knew I should've tried harder to keep up my feigned absorption in Guns & Ammo, but the exchange among the Cullens was too fascinating. I didn't even look away when Emmett looked back at me with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry about all of this. Our brother, he's a bit difficult."

With his hulking frame and impossibly loud voice, Emmett should have scared me to death or at least intimidated me into silence, but I was more entertained by him than anything else. "Oh, don't worry, I know that already." I smirked back at him, impressed with my own confidence.

He studied me for a moment before retorting with a grin, "I bet you do."

The sound of the jeep door slamming shut startled me. In a nanosecond, Edward threw open the shop door, bells ringing in a futile attempt to announce his presence.

"Oh, there you are!" Emmett exclaimed with overemphasized relief. "Which one—"

"I don't care." Edward spoke through gritted teeth.

"Now, Edward, once we get close to the trout, you'll feel otherwise. You know how you get." He showed off the handfuls of fishing poles as if he were the world's most ripped game show hostess.

Without looking, Edward grabbed the closest one. To his surprise, Emmett then shoved all the poles into Edward's arms. "Don't make a rash decision. Think about it. We'll be in the car." Emmett was carefree as he gracefully strode back out of the shop. Jasper shot Edward an apologetic look before following his brother to the jeep.

The shop door banged shut behind Jasper, and Edward and I were alone.

I couldn't help but flash a wide grin in his direction. "Hey."

He stood in the middle of the store, his face dumbstruck, his hands juggling a tangled mess of fishing rods. It was all so ridiculous; I could barely contain the laughter that bubbled up in my throat.

The annoyance from his encounter with Emmett evaporated when he looked over at me. He returned my grin, and I did my best not to melt into the floor. "Hello, Bella."

He carried the fishing poles over to the counter in front of me and sat them down with a flourish. "I should apologize for—"

I shook my head at him. "Don't worry about it. I found your brother pretty entertaining, actually."

"Well, he certainly would agree with you, but for the rest of us, he's irritating beyond belief." Edward glanced out to the jeep where Emmett sat in the driver's seat, cranking up the bass on the stereo to the point that the fishing poles began to rattle against the glass countertop in front of us.

"So did you decide which one you wanted? Because if you need help picking one out… I have zero expertise to offer you."

He smiled again. Despite his earlier behavior, he seemed to be in a good mood. "No expertise needed. I'll just take this one." He lifted the most expensive pole from the pile and handed it to me.

As I moved to the cash register to ring up his purchase, I asked, "So where did you disappear to all week? You missed a fascinating week in English; Mr. Berty brought in a short story he wrote, and it was awesomely awful." I hoped Edward wouldn't notice how I couldn't stop beaming.

"My family and I decided to head up north near Alaska for a hunting trip." He was careful with his words, which I found maddening. Why must he be so mysterious whenever he answers questions about himself? Maybe he turns into that yeti Mr. Crowley was talking about whenever there's a full moon…

It took me a moment before I realized it, but Edward and I had locked eyes. He refused to avert his, which were predictably light to match his relatively cheerful mood, so I looked away to search for a bag large enough for his fishing pole. "That's quite a drive for hunting. You must really be into that sort of thing."

He chuckled, undoubtedly amused at some private joke he would never share with me. "I suppose so." He leaned slightly on the counter, not bothering to stand up straight when I handed him his bag and receipt. "I can't help but ask; how was your recovery after Saturday night?"

He smirked at me, and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. "I survived. I don't know if you've heard, but Tylenol is a miracle drug."

His smugness vanished, and his tone became grave. "That's good to hear, but I wasn't referring to your health."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I knew his strategy, and I wanted to tell Edward he could relax; I hadn't dumped my boyfriend to chase after him. I tried to tell myself Edward was insufferably vain, but to his credit, anyone with his face would have valid concerns about girls tossing their significant others aside in a fruitless attempt to win his affection.

I kept my thoughts to myself, and smiled up at him. "Jake and I are just fine. He was pretty cool about the whole thing." I sighed. "Actually, 'pretty cool' doesn't do him justice; he was a total saint in light of my… behavior." I blushed at the memory.

The muscles in Edward's face relaxed, giving weight to my theory about his motivations behind asking about Jake. He nodded sincerely. "I'm glad." He picked up his new fishing rod and stood up straight. Almost as an afterthought, he asked, "So Berty's short story wasn't exactly Shakespeare?"

I didn't really care that my face lit up like a forest fire. "The main character was a centaur, Edward. You picked the wrong week to skip out."

His laugh filled the entire store. "I agree." It must have been the lighting, but I could've sworn his eyes sparkled ever so slightly. He tapped the counter with his fingertips and turned for the door. "See you Monday, Bella."

All I could do was bob my head up and down and smile. When I was finally capable of choking out a goodbye, he'd already left.

X X X

In the following weeks, I attempted to carry out my plan to the best of my ability, but Edward still kept me at arm's length. I was getting nowhere; I'd found out nothing about Edward to dissuade me from my obsession with him. We spoke every day in English, but I was never able to get him to supply a direct answer to any personal question I asked him. Mostly, we discussed the novels we read for class or made small talk about the principal's newly acquired hair piece. I tried to avoid talking about my personal life, but he still occasionally led me down that road.

The only increase in our interaction outside of English class began on the Monday following the Cullens' visit to Newton Outfitters. Given Edward's friendliness in the shop, I got up the nerve to nod at Edward as I passed his table in the cafeteria. He granted me a slight smile in return. We continued this routine for several weeks. Finally, Jessica's undying curiosity got the best of her. I saw her watching my exchange with Edward as I approached my usual seat opposite Mike with my tray.

"So what's the deal with you and Edward Cullen? Are you guys friends or something?" It was October, and she'd brought a gallon of apple cider to the table for all of us to share. I should've known her generosity would come at a price.

"We sit next to each other English, so we help each other stay awake during Mr. Berty's lectures." I took a gulp of my cup of cider and pretended not to see the look of intrigue on Jessica's face. "That's all."

"He never talks to anyone but his sister and you, Bella." She spoke as if accusing me of something.

"He hardly talks to me either, except in English." This fact drove me insane; I felt like a detective following a trail of cold evidence when it came to befriending Edward.

Lauren was pretending not to listen, but she was a terrible actress. I knew she was still fuming over how Edward had blown her off at Mike's party.

Jessica leaned toward me conspiratorially. "Do you have a thing for him?"

Usually, my acting skills were far worse than Lauren's, but I'd practiced my answer to that question over and over in my head so many times that I was ready. It didn't matter that the asker was Jessica instead of Jacob. "No way. I just think he's interesting to talk to. We're just acquaintances." Very impressive, Bella. Before I could congratulate myself too much, I stupidly continued, "He doesn't even want to be my friend, so I think he just talks to me because he pities me."

Lauren shifted her blue eyes in my direction, barely suppressing a smug grin. My brutal honesty about my relationship with Edward clearly pleased her.

Jessica didn't push any further. It was obvious to everyone that Edward had no interest in me outside of sixth period. He was out of everyone's league; the distance he kept from all of us made perfect sense, even to Jessica Stanley.

Once all eyes were off of me, I stole a glance at him. He was pushing food around his tray as his sister smirked at him from across the table. I would've given a pinky toe to know what they talked about every day.

At our table, the topic had turned to the homecoming dance. Jessica was babbling on about finding shoes to match her dress. Tyler mentioned something about how he needed to get a new dress shirt in a larger size to accommodate the growth in his biceps. Lauren fell into his trap and was feeling his arms as he flexed. Mike then added he was planning on waxing his Suburban before he picked up his date, an overeager sophomore who'd told him she thought he was the next Brett Favre. Anyone who saw my expression would know immediately I'd welcome a gunshot to the face rather than continue listening to the conversation around me. Nonetheless, I stayed in my seat, having really nowhere else to go.

Twenty minutes later, I escaped to English, though I was still worn out from the hellish monotony of the past fifty minutes.

Edward studied me closely as I entered the room, my shoulders hunched and my face likely gloomy. Of course, he noticed everything. "Another riveting lunch hour?"

I slumped into my seat, tossing my books onto the desk with a bit too much force. "You have no idea."

He didn't push the issue, and I was thankful. I didn't want him knowing how lonely my classmates made me feel. They annoyed me as well, but mostly they made me feel like some sort of freak for not caring about dances, celebrity gossip, and high school sports. I spent the class period dwelling on how I never seemed to fit in anywhere.

The bell rang, startling me from my thoughts. Edward started for the door, but stopped suddenly. He turned, his face conflicted. Hesitantly, he murmured, "If you want, you could sit with Alice and me tomorrow."

"What?" He couldn't possible be suggesting what I thought he was suggesting.

"You could join me for lunch." He smiled down at me. "Think of it as a vacation from whatever, or whoever, it is that's bothering you."

I recalled what he'd told me on the sidewalk the night he'd walked me home from the party, how he'd restricted our relationship to "acquaintance" status. I couldn't help but say, "Having lunch together is something friends do, you know."

Edward was silent for a second before he sighed and responded, "Maybe being friends wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

I suppressed what surely would've been a humiliatingly dopy grin. "I agree."

I practically skipped off to History. My plan was finally taking shape.