End of Chapter 1
Two days later I was on a plane to Seattle facing an uncertain future with Charlie. I had been playing out every scenario in my mind. What if Charlie died during surgery? What if the treatment didn't cure him? What would I do if I couldn't stomach the sickness and care of Charlie? I wasn't exactly known for my strong stomach. No. I could do this. I was determined. I could do this for Charlie.
Chapter 2: Angry Chair (EPOV)
I couldn't believe I was in nowhere fucking Washington. I was sitting like a pouty child in my room of our new house in Forks, door locked, angry music blaring and refusing to un-pack. What the hell were my parents thinking moving from Chicago to here?! Now of all times. I was going to be a junior this year. I had the rest of my high school career mapped out. I was going to be captain of the baseball team. Valedictorian. I was planning on taking some college courses along with my high school work next year. I had my place with the Chicago Youth Symphony. The conductor was even going to give me a showcase piece this year!
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" I screamed. Light tap on my door.
"Edward, dear. Please lose the drama. This is a big adjustment for all of us." Esme, my mother, said from the hallway. I flipped her off.
"Crude gestures are unnecessary." She said as I heard her putting things away in the linen closet out in the hallway. How did she always know? Esme had that natural mother's instinct, though myself nor my two siblings were her biological children. We had all been adopted by Carlisle and Esme.
I walked over to my door, and threw it open. Esme peaked out from around the open door of the closet and eyed me. I just stared. No, glared would be more accurate.
"Remind me again why we moved to this green whole in the earth." I chided.
"You know why, Edward." She said with a sigh. "Helping start up the hospital's new cancer center is a wonderful opportunity for your father. Plus, he is getting the chance to try some innovative procedures. It is exciting for him, and a true gift for the people in this area to have such excellent care so close to home."
"What was wrong with the cancer center in Chicago? It's one of the most renowned in the world! How could this place ever offer dad a greater opportunity?" I retorted.
"Some environments can provide emotional and spiritual fulfillment that cannot be found elsewhere. You know how your dad always wishes he could see his patients through from diagnosis to recovery. He can't do that in Chicago. It is a more personal environment here." Esme explained.
"Whatever." I mumbled, and returned to my room.
"Edward," my mother called after me, "please find the silver lining."
I grumbled as I turned off my stereo, and grabbed a sweatshirt off of my black leather sofa that was in my room. I headed down the stairs towards the second floor of our new house. It had three floors, and I had the top to myself. My sister Alice, brother Emmett, and parent's rooms were on the second floor, along with my father's study.
"What mom means to say, little bro, is pull your head out of your ass." Emmett said from the door of his room.
My brother was a senior this year, and the guy was a tank. He was the star lineman of our high school back in Chicago, and there was no doubt that he was going to get a scholarship. The Forks High football couch was practically waiting on our doorstep when we got here. My sister was the exact opposite. She wasn't even five feet tall, and had the small figure of a pixie, and was a ball of energy. I am sure she would have herself on every yearbook, prom, and whatever else committee they had here before our first day of school was out in a couple of weeks.
"How can you be so calm about this?" I yelled. "You are going to have maybe five percent of the college scouts checking you out up here as you would have in Chicago! What scouts come to check out the Forks High School games?"
"What is meant to happen will happen, man." Emmett said with a shrug.
"Thank-you, oh wise zen master." I bowed.
"Plus, this is a whole new school of chicks who haven't had a taste of this." Emmett said grabbing his crotch.
I rolled my eyes.
"Just stop being a jerk to mom, man. You are making her upset, and that is pissing me off." Emmett glared.
"You are being a bit of a douche, Edward." I heard Alice say from her room.
"I'll remind you about that in about two weeks, Alice, when you discover you have no where but a mall or two to shop at." I said, as I headed downstairs.
"He's joking, isn't he?" I heard her poke her head out and ask Emmett as I rounded the corner towards the kitchen.
"I'm going for a run." I yelled up towards my family.
I walked down to the mud room next to our kitchen, and began lacing up my running shoes that were already caked with mud from my treks out into the forrest that stretched out behind our house. I would never admit it to anyone here, but I did love the wilderness that stretched out around our house. It was beautiful and calming. I needed calm right now. Maybe, Emmett was right. I needed to just get over myself and accept that I was stuck here for the next two years. I pulled my hooded sweatshirt on, because it was most likely raining. The rain here was as consistent as the winds in Chicago. If they weren't here at the moment, they weren't far off. I stepped out onto our back lawn and breathed in the damp air. I couldn't escape Forks, Washington for now, but I could give myself the illusion of escape. I put my ear buds in, selected my angry mix from my playlists, and took off into the woods.
I decided to run to the East of the house today. I hadn't run this direction yet. I pushed myself harder and harder. After about 30 minutes, I found myself running into a clearing. It was oval in shape, and it was filled with tall grasses and sprays of wildflowers in white, purple, and yellow. I plopped down on the uncharacteristically dry ground, and laid back and soaked in the sun rays that were stealing moments through the swaying trees. I was at peace in that moment.
I sat there for a long time listening to the birds. I watched as a black tailed deer and her fawn roamed the northern edge of the meadow. I tried to be as still as I could in the grass to see if she would move any closer. She must have picked up my scent, because they scurried off after a moment. A few more afternoons like this, and I might actually discover something to like about this place.
I took the run home at a slower pace. I wasn't ready to get back to the house, because I knew when I did, I would have to finally start unpacking. Emmett was right. I couldn't keep being so unfair to Esme. How can you continually upset someone as good as her. When I approached the house, the sun was starting to set, and I paused to watch the orange, pink, and purple dance on the horizon. I loved this time of day. Sunset. The Gloaming. Twilight. It gave a sense of calm to the earth. As for me, it meant another day over, and one day closer to leaving Forks. Only 729 to go!
I walked in the back door and heard unfamiliar voices mixed with those of my family coming from the living room. I kicked off my shoes and opened the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water. I turned the corner to see my siblings engaged in conversation with a boy and girl our age. They were both blonde and good-looking. I could tell they were siblings.
"Edward!" Alice called bouncing over to me. "Come meet our neighbors, Jasper and Rosalie Hale. Their twins and seniors at Forks."
"Knowing Alice, she probably knows your favorite color and social security numbers by now as well." I laughed as I shook Jasper, then Rosalie's hands. They laughed softly as well, and I knew I wasn't far off the mark.
"The woods are great training." Jasper noted nodding towards where I came. "I wasn't surprised to hear Emmett played football, so is cross-country your game?"
"No." I shook my head. "Though that might provide some good fall conditioning. Baseball is my game."
"Excellent!" Japser hissed out, his eyes suddenly aglow. "What position?"
"Center field, usually, because I am fast as hell." I smirked.
"Fantastic!" Jasper enthused. "Half our outfield graduated this year."
Things were starting to look up for Edward Cullen.
"Who plays?" Rosalie asked pointing to my baby.
"That would be me." I stated walking over to my shiny, baby grand.
"Are you any good?" Rosalie challenged.
"Rose." Jasper hissed.
"Fair question, man." I raised my hands in surrender. "You tell me."
I sat down, and thought for a moment. I didn't want to do anything trite, so I chose Arabesque by Debussy. I closed my eyes and my fingers danced along the ivory and ebony keys for the next three and a half minutes. By the time I had finished, Esme had joined the crowd, and as I played the last notes, everyone clapped.
"Momma will be thrilled." Rosalie whispered to Jasper.
"Is your mother the music teacher at the school or something?" Alice asked.
"No." Jasper replied smiling at Alice, and causing her to blush. "She is one of the coordinators of the Seattle Youth Symphony. It is the biggest youth symphony in the United States, and they are always looking for soloists."
"They just lost their former pianist to the London Symphony Orchestra last year." Rosalie added.
Esme looked at me with a twinkle in her eye that said 'I told you so'. I gave her a smile, because I had badgered her with my scowls enough for one day.
"Well, if everyone would excuse me." I said as I stood. "I should get cleaned up for dinner. Jasper, Rosalie, it was nice meeting you both."
"I'm sure we'll see you again soon." Rosalie said with a beautiful smile.
"I'm definitely dragging you out on the next nice day to work my arm, man!" Jasper said.
"Sounds great." I smiled. "See you guys around."
I stopped to kiss Esme on the cheek before running up the stairs. Time to stop being an ass, Cullen. Things are looking up.
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A/N: Heeeeeeeeeere's Edward! Seems like Edward might settle into Forks. What do you think? Just wait until school starts. The Chicago and Seattle Youth Symphonies are real things. You can Google it. ;-)
