Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, except for the two new characters introduced in this chapter. If anything is too uncomfortably closely thats a tongue twister-- for me at least related to the original text, please let me know-- I will change it to the best of my ability.
However, I don't want to change the name of this chapter because I think it fits perfectly. Sorry. No copyright infringement intended.
AND NOW... BELLA'S ANSWER!
Chapter 8: Gesture
Would you um... would you want to go with me?
My jaw dropped. Was Jacob seriously asking me to the Sweethearts Ball? I hadn't really planned on going, maybe just to the last ten minutes or so, just enough time for Edward to keep his promise. And now, my best guy friend was asking me to go with him? I didn't dance. I couldn't even walk without tripping over my own two feet. I should have mentioned this little fact to Rosalie and Alice before they went crazy over dresses.
"Bella?" Oh right, he was still waiting for my answer. How could I tell him that I didn't want to go without hurting his feelings?
"Um, Jake... I don't dance. At all," I started, biting my lip. His face fell slightly, but he tried again.
"I don't either, and we don't really have to dance. We could just hang out by the food. It's supposed to be good." I sighed, knowing he wouldn't give up.
"Okay, I'll go." But I won't be too pleased about the whole thing, I added silently. Jacob's expression was like a little kid's on Christmas morning.
"Really? Awesome! We'll talk about other details later. Now I guess you have to go back?" I nodded, giving him a little wave before turning, and walking away.
I shoved my hands in my pockets, looking at the grass beneath my feet as I walked back to the dorm. What had I just gotten myself into? I couldn't bear to hurt Jacob, and wasn't I doing just that?
"Oh, crap," I mumbled, looking up. Was I leading him on? My gaze focused on a dark figure against the building. I rolled my eyes when I made the distinction– it was two people, tongue wrestling. Both had blonde hair, but I recognized the faint pink tone to the female's. I groaned, quickly entering the building.
"Miss Swan?" I turned my head towards the person behind the desk– Ryan again. I grinned at him, and he returned the gesture.
"Hi Ryan," I greeted him. He nodded a bit.
"It's about your roommate, miss Denali. She's decided to move out. Your new roommate's name is Skye Holmes. She should be waiting for you in there, no doubt wanting to introduce herself." I nodded quickly, before heading off towards my room, feeling exuberant. Tanya was gone! This certainly was a reason to celebrate.
I pushed open my door, and was greeted by a strange sight. My roommate was sitting on her green and blue striped bedding, in the Thinking Man position. Her bags surrounded her on the floor and bed. I watched her curiously as she remained stock still.
"I heard you coming," She said, her voice a clear, high soprano which reminded me fleetingly of Alice. Her bright blue eyes flickered over to me, and a smile crossed her face.
Skye was beautiful in a unique sort of way. Her dirty blonde hair hung halfway down her back in waves, more voluminous than Rosalie's. Her skin was fair like mine, but had a rosy undertone. Her cheeks were slightly flushed in a way that was very familiar. A strange pattern of freckles dotted her skin, and as I looked more closely, her skin was not as clear as my own. Her teeth weren't perfectly straight, nor were they white as a sheet. Her lips were plump and pink, the lower one a little out of proportion to the top. But she didn't seemed put off in the slightest on her imperfections. She absolutely exuded confidence.
"You're Bella?" I nodded in response, searching for words. Skye straightened up, brushing out nonexistent wrinkles in her jeans, before extending her hand towards me. "Skye Holmes, at your service!" She announced proudly. A giggle escaped my lips as I shook her hand. Skye was roughly my height, maybe an inch taller. Her figure was extremely slender, with little curves. For a second, I wondered if she struggled with eating disorders– but it would be very rude to ask.
"It's nice to meet you, Skye. How long have you been here?" There were so many questions I wanted to ask her.
"I started here my freshman year. I bet you're bursting to ask me more, but it will have to wait for a few moments. I'm waiting for my boyfriend to come and help me finish setting up..." She trailed off, looking hesitantly towards the floor. I nodded, acknowledging the abrupt change in the atmosphere. Skye looked almost... distant, when she spoke of him.
"Having problems?" She shrugged. "I can help as well, if you like. And we can get Rose and Alice– they're our neighbors– to give us a little aid. Then you won't have to deal with the awkward atmosphere," I offered. Skye's lips twitched upwards in a smile.
"I'd like that. Thanks!" She sighed, her expression changing to brooding. "So, Alice and Rose are our neighbors? As in Alice Brandon and Rosalie Hale?" I nodded in confirmation. "Wow... I always thought they were sort of stand-offish. Then you came, and got everyone talking, with you being friends with them and all? Isn't Rosalie's best friend Tanya?" She almost spit Tanya's name– I was hard put to keep myself from laughing.
"I think Tanya is getting lower and lower on Rose's friend list with each passing moment," I corrected. Skye nodded slowly.
"You know, Tanya was in my room. We switched roommates– my old one was Lauren. Lauren Mallory. You might know her... I thought they'd gotten in a fight... oh well. But Tanya was unpacking, and Christian– he's my boyfriend– was being overly helpful. I suppose I'll have to watch him more closely for the next few weeks. Come to think of it, he hasn't asked me to the ball yet..." Skye mused, gazing distantly out the window. I watched her, my old worries returning. What if Jacob said something strange? Maybe something about how he wanted to be more than friends? I didn't know what I would do about that. Jacob was one of my closest friends, and I couldn't bear to break his heart. I was shaken from my reverie when the door banged open and a blonde boy entered. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen him before.
"Hey Skye," He kissed her on the cheek. Skye pursed her lips slightly, but he was oblivious to the lack of response. "So, what do you need help with?" She narrowed her eyes slightly, gesturing to the bags. He furrowed his brows, nodding. He looked at the bags, then turned his gaze to me. His eyes were hazel and looked as if they were hiding something. "And you're Bella," He stated. I nodded slowly. "Christian Webb." He extended his hand for me to shake. I did so, gingerly.
Unpacking Skye's bags was a slow process. At first, I didn't know how she planned on fitting all of her stuff into this room, but we managed. Alice danced through the doorway about an hour after we started. She watched us for a moment, before making her person known.
"Hello friends! I'm Alice Brandon, your next door neighbor. I suppose Rose will be joining us shortly. She's with Emmett right now," She announced loudly, giggling. I drifted over to my bed, sitting down. Skye and Christian continued unpacking. Alice walked to the window and looked out. She gasped, and let out another giggle. I peered at her curiously, but she shook her head slightly, not looking at me. I attempted to peek around her body, but she shifted so I couldn't get a clear view. I sighed impatiently, flopping down on my pillow. I watched Alice through narrowed eyes as she closed the curtains, then perched on my bed, gazing expectantly at the door.
"Three... two... one." There was a soft knock on the door. She looked pointedly at me. I rose, thoroughly irritated that she wouldn't tell me what was going on. I opened the door, then turned around, letting whomever wanted to come in enter. A familiar hand rested softly on my shoulder, which made me spin around, smiling brightly.
There stood my Adonis, looking as godly as ever. The usual half smile graced his full lips, his bronze hair tousled to perfection, his emerald eyes luminous. In his hand was a single red rose, which he held out to me. I took it, my fingers grazing his hand. An electric current shot through my fingertips and raced through my body, sending my heart off on a frenzy. I yearned to touch his hand longer, forever maybe, but I couldn't move too quickly in risk of losing him. I examined the rose, noticing a few thorns still on. I moved my hand away from the hazards– blood was not my friend. My fingers slid over the soft red petals, my eyes still focused away from him.
"Do... do you like it?" His voice was slightly nervous– an adjective that I never would have expected to apply to him. I shook my head slightly. Like didn't even begin to cover my feelings about this simple gesture. I looked up, expecting my eyes to meet his again, but he was looking another way. My hand involuntarily reached out to touch his cheek, gently turning him to face me. His face burned, with embarrassment? Did he really think I didn't like it?
"I love it," I answered quietly. Edward's lips turned upwards in a bright smile. "But not–" I stopped, blushing bright red. What was I saying? What if he didn't feel as strongly as I did. He watched me expectantly, waiting for me to continue. That wouldn't happen. I lightly shook my head, looking away from me. Edward copied me by placing his hand on my cheek, turning my face to his. His viridescent eyes gazed into my own, and they looked as if they were smoldering.
"But not what?" He asked softly, the velvety folds of his voice putting me into a trance. I opened my mouth to quickly answer his question.
"But not as much as I–" The door burst open and Emmett bounded into the room. I silently thanked him for his poor timing. Edward glared at him.
"Emmett, don't be stupid. Bella was about to tell me something important." Emmett looked shocked. "Why are you so shocked?" Edward spat, sliding his arm around my shoulder. I watched Edward curiously. He glanced at me, noticing my intent gaze. "He just asked the stupidest question. What did I do wrong?" He mocked, rolling his eyes. My jaw dropped, my eyes opening in confusion.
"Edward–" He cut me off.
"Bella, don't tell me you think that it wasn't a stupid question," Edward sighed, tightening his grip around me.
"Edward, that's not what I--" Again, he cut me off.
"What were you going to tell me?" Alice shot him an exasperated look.
"Edward, let the poor girl finish." She switched her gaze to me, watching closely. Everyone else followed her gaze. I blushed.
"Edward, Emmett didn't say anything," I said in a quiet voice. Edward was staring at me like I had mental issues.
"Bella, you can't be serious. Didn't you hear him?" He looked around at the small group, his eyes hesitating on Alice. "Didn't any of you hear him?" Edward's voice was almost pleading, begging for someone to confirm that Emmett had spoken. I shook my head, while Alice and Jasper quietly responded 'no.' Everyone else remained still. Emmett's jaw was hanging wide.
"Edward, I didn't say anything. When you glared at me, all I could think about is what I did, and then you burst out, all Don't be stupid, Emmett," He said slowly, amazed. We remained silent for a moment, until Rosalie spoke.
"I bet it's nothing. Emmett does stupid things all the time," She said brusquely. Emmett hit her hard on the shoulder. "And you call me the abusive one," She muttered, rubbing the spot. Edward chuckled weakly. Skye and Christian watched us in awe. It was like they had never seen someone be interrupted before. Alice drifted over to the door, breezing through it. Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett followed her. I turned towards Skye.
"Do you mind if Edward and I take a leave?" I inquired of her. She snapped out of her trance, waving me away. I softly took Edward's hand, and led him out of the room. Once we were on the elevator, I looked closely at his face for the first time since he realized that Emmett had not spoken. On it was a calculating expression, his brows brought together, his eyes crinkled, his lips pursed. He looked as if he was trying to figure out a difficult math problem.
Edward gazed back at me. "What are you thinking?" He asked quickly.
"I was wondering what all that was about," I replied, shrugging. He nodded slowly.
"I was wondering the same thing," He said, his expression becoming more calculating. "I wonder..." He closed his eyes tightly, concentrating. After a few moments, his eyes opened again.
"What were you thinking just then?" He shot at me. I shrugged, not really wanting to admit it. "Please tell me?" His green eyes were smoldering again. I blushed furiously.
"I was thinking about what I didn't want to tell you earlier," I admitted, blushing even deeper. His perfectly full lips turned downwards. It was a sight that made me unhappy. "What's wrong?" I demanded, trying to keep my tone from being rude.
"I'm just trying to figure out what happened, and it's not working out the way I had planned." He smiled wistfully at me, slipping his hand into my own. It was at this time that the shiny elevator doors opened, and he led me briskly out the glass front doors. He continued towards the front entrance of the campus. I couldn't keep the smile at my face, realizing that we were headed for the gardens, a place that I would always treasure.
A chilling breeze swept the flowers as we passed through the preliminary boundaries. I shivered, and Edward quickened his pace, forcing me to break into a reluctant trot.
"Edward, are we almost there? It's cold," I complained, shivering again. All I wanted was to be in his comfortable arms, breathing in his now familiar, but still delicious scent.
"You sound like Lauren," He taunted, chuckling. "Yes, we're almost there." I pouted, and followed him to... wherever he was taking me in the garden. Once we reached the roses, hundreds of red roses, he stopped, picking a fresh one. I checked my hand– I didn't remember dropping the first. He laughed musically, offering me the rose. I took it graciously, a smile spreading across my lips. He continued to walk, slowing his pace so he was next to me. "Doesn't it make you wonder... what would roses be if they weren't roses?" His words sparked something in my mind.
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet." Edward chuckled. I blushed, realizing that I had just quoted this aloud.
"Won't you continue?" His sweet breath tickled my ear.
"So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes, Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee..." I paused, feeling my breath shorten as Edward's side pressed against mine, his hand squeezing mine. "...Take all myself," I breathed. We were at the edge of the lake, right beside a large beech tree. I leaned against it, sliding down to sit at the roots. He kneeled in front of me, taking both my hands in his.
"I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo," He replied, reciting the words perfectly. I smiled slightly, unable to hold it back. His returning grin was brilliant. Was I taking this whole thing too literally? Was it just in my mind that Edward knew Romeo and Juliet? I had never seen him as a romantic tragedy type of person– let alone literary type of person at all.
Nobody knows me. Not my friends, not my family, my own parents didn't even know me.His words finally clicked into place– he was right. I hardly knew him. But I finally found someone who I want to know me. And I wanted to know him. Now more than ever, I felt the passion inside of me, the craving to reach out and pull his face to mine was so strong. Almost too strong. I gazed at him, searching his face hungrily. Was he fighting the same feeling as well? He couldn't be– he couldn't love me. Even if I was something special... I felt the grin slip off my face. Of course Edward didn't love me. I was just another one of his little girlfriends, sure to be thrown away next weekend. He was an actor, and an excellent one at that. He had proven it to me with his perfect recitation of the play. The flicker behind his eyes that I had once mistaken for passion must have been the lie he was executing so well.
The lie I had fallen for.
How had I been so obtuse? How had I nursed even the slightest inkling that he had real feelings for me? More feelings than he had for Tanya? I was tricking myself in the cruelest way. How could he like me, plain, boring Bella, when there were girls like Rosalie? Girls who were sure of themselves, even when they had flaws? Girls like...
Skye. She had reported boyfriend problems. But what if it was the other way around? What if she was the problem, not the victim of the problem? They didn't act as if they knew each other– but I knew Edward to be an excellent actor, so why couldn't Skye be the same?
Edward noticed the change in my demeanor, watched as my expression grew desolate, then incensed. Chagrined anger pulsed through me, the hole in my heart ripping wide open.
"Bella? Bella, what's wrong?" And he called Emmett's question stupid? When he was inquiring the most obvious thing in the world?
"That's a stupid question," I hissed, suppressing my rage. Half of my body was pining for me to pull my hands out of his, and storm away. The other half wanted the last word, wanted to prolong the moment that I left. I settled for digging my nails into his wrists. His expression was confused, but not pained– did he wonder what had caused my sudden wave of fury? Was his concern so overwhelming, he didn't notice me clawing the life out of his wrists? It was taking a long time for him to guess the cause of my anger. "Almost as stupid as me. But I must admit, you sure had me fooled." My voice was venomous, my eyes narrowing. He was oblivious.
"What are you talking about, Bella?" I let out a groan of impatience.
"This whole time, it was just a ploy. How much money was it this time? Five dollars? Ten dollars? Because surely, that's all I'm worth. Now you can go and collect your money from your track buddies, because I'm not falling for it anymore. How could I have believed that Edward Cullen– beautiful, selfless Edward Cullen– would have feelings for me? Me!" My voice broke, my mind unraveling. It spiraled through all the moments we had had together, the happy ones. When we talked at lunch that first day, when he almost kissed me in the hallway, when we discussed temptation in the gardens, when we sat together on the bed, almost kissing again, when we sat on the stairs at the party...
The first time we kissed. And then later that night, when it happened again. After rifling through these memories, I was less sure of myself. I closed my eyes, trying to reassemble my thoughts. When I opened them, and looked back at Edward, he was watching me intensely. I sighed deeply.
"I'm not good enough for you," I told him in a small voice, looking out towards the lake. He shook his head vigorously.
"Bella, what were you just thinking?" His words came out, rushed, excited. I furrowed my brows. Was he confirming that I wasn't good enough for him? "And the only issue we would have concerning said 'goodness,' is if I wasn't good enough for you. You're my life, Bella." He said simply. "Now, please tell me. What were you thinking after your voice broke?" His tone was urgent.
"I was thinking about us... when we talked at lunch... that time in the hallway when the headmaster interrupted us... the first time in the gardens... sitting on my bed after school... when we were talking about our families..." I trailed off, reminiscing. "And the times we kissed," I said quietly, turning back to him, the blush vibrant on my cheeks. "The best times of my life," I admitted. His face was torn for a moment, before he leaned forward, and pressed his lips to mine with more passion than I knew existed. His hands slid from my grasp, his arms encircling my waist, hugging me tighter. My arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer still. No Bella, this is wrong, he doesn't love you! The pessimistic part of my mind was shouting at me, but I payed it no mind.
"This is wrong," I murmured unconsciously. Edward pulled away slightly, leaving just the slightest bit of his perfect lips on mine.
"Is my kissing expertise worse the third time around?" He teased, his lips brushing against mine as he spoke. His sweet breath trickled through my own slightly parted lips, setting an internal struggle.
"No... I don't understand..." My thoughts were becoming muddled as I gazed into his verdant eyes. "I don't understand... why... why me?" I stuttered, blinking in confusion. Why were his eyes so damn dazzling? He chuckled, shaking his head slowly so that his lips brushed against mine. The gesture was so tempting, I could feel my mouth watering.
"Silly Bella... when will you ever see yourself clearly?" I couldn't contain myself anymore. I pressed my lips to his again, pushing away the all-consuming worries. He responded eagerly, gingerly sliding one of his hands lower down my back. I clung to him as if he were the string holding me to sanity, holding me to life. One of his hands left my back, and I quickly realized he would collapse into me if that one hand was not on the tree. I tilted my head sideways, trying to deepen the kiss.
Moments passed, our lips glued together. It was so wrong, but so right at the same time. Wrong, in the case that I didn't understand why he chose to be here with me. Right, because his lips shaped to mine as if they were created just for me. I was growing dizzier, and I knew I would soon have to draw breath. Edward traced his tongue along my bottom lip, before it was gone, his lips grazing my jawline. I sighed, reluctant for the parting, but pleased that it had lasted long, and we were still in contact.
"Ay me!" Escaped from my lips before I could stop it. Edward's full lips returned to mine for a chaste kiss before he spoke, the words rolling from his velvety tongue.
"She speaks: O speak again, bright angel!" I giggled, ducking out from under his arms, feeling frisky. "Bright angel, I said speak, not run away," He complained, pouting. I giggled again, moving quickly– at least, as quick as I could while I was crawling– away from him. He stood, and loped over to me, catching up in a matter of seconds. He flopped to the ground in front of me, grinning.
"In order to pass, you need to tell me the password." He demanded, crossing his arms firmly.
"My oh my, this is Emmett type behavior," I muttered. He laughed, a chorus of beautiful bells ringing.
"I'll give you a hint– close your eyes, and when I snap, open them. Okay?" I nodded, obeying. After a few seconds, I heard him snap his fingers, and my eyes flew open. Oh! His brilliant green eyes were the only things I could see, the flecks of gold brighter than ever. Instinctively, my lips crashed to his. I was just getting around to the part where I wrap my arms around his neck when he pulled away.
"Excellent. You got the password right," He teased, rising, taking me below the elbows. "How about a little game of tag? Since you and I both appear to be in quite the playful mood..." I nodded, knowing that he would win– I was hopeless when it came to running. "I'll even give you a head start," He promised, winking. I smirked. I was still hopeless, but maybe, just maybe... he said I couldn't see myself clearly... I kissed him passionately on the lips, before waving and taking off.
It worked much better than I had expected. I counted to fifteen in my head before looking back. He still looked dazed. I chuckled– who knew I could be dazzling? And even to Edward... well that was something else. I ran as quickly as I could– even though it wasn't very quickly at all– before tripping on a root. I yelled out in surprise, before landing flat on my stomach. Edward was by my side in a flash.
"Bella? Bella, what's wrong?" He had said these words so recently, but now they seemed to have a different meaning to me. I was definitely okay– much, much better than okay. Who wouldn't be okay with Edward near them?
"I'm fine," I replied quickly, flipping onto my back and sitting up. "See? Healthy as a horse." I smiled at him like a maniac. He let out a soft laugh. "Oh, Edward? Why were you asking me what I was thinking? You never asked me that before... at least, I don't remember anything about that..." My lips twisted downwards in a concentrated scowl. Edward softly placed his index fingertips on the corners of my mouth, pushing it upwards. I laughed, and his smile was brilliant.
"Won't you tell me why you wanted to know what I was thinking?" I asked, focusing on making my expression dazzling, just like his. He sighed, dropping his hands from my face. How I longed to snatch his hands and place them where they belonged...
"I have... a theory..." He sighed. "Come to dinner with me tonight, we'll go out. I'll tell you then," He promised. I nodded. I wouldn't let him forget this particular promise.
Curiosity killed the cat.
Author's Note: Now, don't be too upset. Bella just had to say yes to Jacob. I wouldn't have it any other way. It creates my favorite thing-- romantic conflict.
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