Just as a note, Emmett is Bella's brother in this. And this is unbeta'd. Please excuse any errors.
I own nothing.
The Twilight Twenty-Five
Prompt #: 5
Pen name: Evil Black Poppies
Pairing: Bella and Edward
Rating: T for safety
Photos for prompts can be found here:
community[dot]livejournal[dot]com/thetwilight25/13912[dot]html
There are three things you should know about me before I tell you my story:
One. My parents are divorced.
Two. I moved to Forks from Phoenix when I was eight years old.
Three. Edward Masen has been my best friend since I was eight years old.
+| August - 2001 |+
I didn't want to move. But, well, my mom... she's always been flighty. So she decided, in a moment of actual, honest, good parenting, that I should go and live with my dad. Why? So she and her new boyfriend could go and drive cross-country.
I had been going to visit my dad for two weeks every summer since I was five years old. I hated the town he lived in, Forks, Washington. It was too small, too rainy, not sunny enough. It wasn't like home. My home was Phoenix, Arizona with my mother.
But despite my protests, here I was, sitting-in the rain-on my father's tiny, sagging front porch, just wanting to be home. Charlie had tried to draw me inside with the temptation of frozen pizza (he lacked the ability to cook) but his attempt were futile. I was miserable.
"Excuse me... but who are you?" a voice asked to my right. Startled, I jumped up from my seat on the old, creaky porch swing. I turned to see the speaker. It was a boy who looked to be about my age wit an odd shade of red-brown hair, that reminded me of sunsets in Phoenix, and bright green eyes. He had one eyebrow raised, questioning me more so than his words.
"Um... uh, I'm Bella." He looked at me with this strange look. It seemed to say, 'and? What does that even mean?' "I'm the chief's daughter," I finished.
He nodded, pondering this. He walked up to the porch. "I'm Edward Masen," he gave a lopsided smile, "Nice to meet you Bella." He held out his hand over the porch railing. I took it. His grip was tight and a little sweaty.
And that was the first time I met Edward Masen. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
+| June 20, 2010 |+
"Bella," Edward began, running his hands through his hair, as he always does when he's stressed or nervous. I knew from the expression on his face it was the former. "I promise to write to you everyday. Not emails, but actual letters. I swear."
Today is Edward's birthday. Today Edward is eighteen. Today Edward is leaving for Scotland for summer vacation. I have always been the one leaving during the summer. I always go to visit my mother wherever she resided for the summer. But this time, I am staying in Forks because my mother was on her honeymoon with husband number 3. And Edward is leaving instead this summer. I now know how he feels every summer.
I'm upset with him. I want him to be here the one summer I am in Forks. But no, he has to leave. I know these plans were made long before my mother decided to get remarried in Vegas and have another honeymoon in Bermuda. But still... I can't help feeling hurt.
"You're crossing your arms and glowering. You're mad at me." Edward says. He looks down at me from his 6'1" frame. We're at the airport terminal, waiting for his flight to arrive. I've got my arms crossed over my chest, I won't meet his eyes, instead I glare at the wall across from me. It's not really a wall, more of a giant window, but I digress. I don't want to be mad at him. He's been in my predicament for the past nine years, it's only fair I feel his pain for once. Doesn't mean I have to like it.
"I am sorry Bella," he says in earnest, "I really am, you know that. If it were up to me, I'd take you with me. Really." I know he feels bad. I can tell from the way his voice wobbled just a teeny, tiny bit when he said 'really'. Edward tried to hide his own emotions. He didn't like people giving him special treatment just because he was sad or something.
I knew he got that from his dad. His dad is a big fancy doctor, who only lived in Forks because his wife wanted to live in a small town. He dad sees emotion was weakness. Edward tries to please his dad. Sometimes too hard. Edward is going to medical school in the fall because his dad wants him to be a doctor too. I know Edward received a scholarship to Brown for his baseball playing, but his dad didn't want him to become an athlete. They'd had a really big fight about it. Edward, always trying to please, ended up relenting and accepting a partial scholarship to Hopkins.
"I know," I sigh. A monotonous tone announces that his flight is boarding. We stand up slowly, almost unwilling to leave each other. I know he's only going to stay with his cousins for a month, but it's hard to be without your best friend for a while.
"This is it." I look up to meet sad eyes. He's got his duffel bag in hand and is bitting the inside of his cheek, contemplating something. All of the sudden, he's hugging me. I feel a bit awkward, but it's Edward and his scent of fabric softener and mint is comforting. "I'm going to miss you," he whispers to my hair, he's buried his face in it.
"Me too," I say into his shirt.
Then he releases me, mumbles goodbye, and turns his back to me.
In a few short seconds, he's gone.
I receive his first letter in a matter of days.
Bella,
I arrived in Scotland safely - Aunt Siobhan and Uncle Liam were there to greet me (Aunt Siobhan says hi, but I'm not sure if you remember her from when she visited a few years ago.). Scotland is nice, the weather is similar to Forks', which reminds me of home. So it's comforting... to some extent. It's harder too, because when I lie in bed at night and listen to the rain hit the roof, I know you're not next door, doing the exact same thing. Actually, there's not really anyone 'next door' here. Aunt Siobhan has a farm so our neighbors are a few kilometers away (see I'm already thinking metric!)
My cousin, Maggie, is pretty cool. She's a few years younger than me-sixteen-but, she's not that bad. Everyone I meet here think that because I'm a 'Yank' (their term for Americans) I love pizza or any other 'American' kind of cuisine. I keep having to tell people that I don't like pizza! I wish you were here too, you'd like the way the people here talk. They have a totally different way of speaking, it's almost a foreign language! Seriously, Bella, the should offer it as a class. I can see it now, 'Scottish - English, 101'...
-Edward
Hey Edward,
I'm glad that you got there in one piece. Forks is, as usual, boring as hell. But Alice offered me a bit of a respite, she wanted to go shopping, but I convinced her to go to the zoo in Seattle with me. It was fun, Rose, Emmett, and Jasper came too. I think Alice wants to date Emmett, but I couldn't be sure. Emmett was pretty quiet on the ride back (we just got back, so no I haven't talked to him since the car ride.)
I think you're onto something with that Scottish class! :)
-Bella
PS: Say hello to your aunt for me, I do remember her from the last time she visited.
Our letters passed in a similar, friendly fashion for the next several weeks. It was only until the end of the month, did one particular letter catch my attention...
Bella,
I don't want Jasper to be the one to kiss you.
I want to be the one to kiss you.
I always have.
-Edward
I couldn't respond.
I didn't know what to say.
I kept thinking about it, mulling it over. I had liked kissing Jasper. I did. He was smart, cute, funny. I liked him a lot. But I just couldn't fathom Edward. He'd always been there, he'd known me when I liked to make mudpies and get covered in dirt (I was a bit of a tomboy in elementary school). But the problem was... I kind of really wanted to kiss Edward too.
I was in a bit of a pickle.
+| July 20, 2010 |+
The passengers of flight 769 are slowly filling into the terminal. I crane my neck, looking for one specific person. The shock of sunset-colored hair I'm looking for has yet to emerge.
There he is.
Edward.
I run to meet him, pushing past men in business suits, women pushing strollers. I run to him.
With out speaking, I run to him. Without speaking, I throw my arms around his neck and jump on him, wrapping my legs around him. Startled, he grabs my thighs to support me. Without speaking, I kiss him.
And he kisses me back.
Fin.
