OK, I'm psyched!! You reviewers are the EPITOME OF AWESOMENESS!! I thought I would have to wait forever for reviews but it turns out I already have at least 96!! I mean, that's at least 16 more than I requested!! As a gift, I send you all SCENTED PINE CONES!! Cinnamon scent...Mmmm…
Anyway, back to business…
Note for Aden101: The phrase "Baby Donald Duck Antenna topper" is in here. IN YOUR FACE!!
NOTE for Ericaisdazzled: I have used the word "bucket;" therefore, I have defeated your word…for now.
And I would like to thank all the little people/reviewers for reading (and reviewing) my story! You all rock. I mean, when I said I wanted 80 reviews, you gave me 90!! That's BIZARRE!!
You marshmallow peeps DAZZLE ME!! -swoons- OK, here is Chapter 6!!
Disclaimer: I asked Stephenie Meyer if I could own Twilight and she got a restraining order against me. So, I've given up on trying to own Edward, Bella, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, Charlie, and all others.
Chapter 6: Definitely Not Average
EVOP
The occurrences during lunch and Biology class were unexpected, to say the least. Most of the female population of Forks fell for my charm, whether I intentionally charmed them or not. Heck, I had elderly women trying to flirt with me half the time. But as I already knew, Bella was not an average girl. Still, she should have at least swooned or something.
I was walking, well, more like limping, out to my Volvo, but as I got there, I saw that Jasper was leaning against the driver's side. The look on his face showed that saying that he was displeased would be an understatement. When he caught my gaze, I found that I couldn't look away. His glare was filled with disgust, a look I often received from Alice and Rosalie, but never from him. Jasper was the quiet one of the group, never truly getting caught up in these sorts of predicaments.
As I finally reached him, he took a step toward me, almost penetrating my personal space. I had to look away from him; normally I wouldn't be bothered, but his anger was definitely new. "Edward, what the hell were you thinking?! Wait, don't answer that. You were thinking that you could get in her pants if you used the old Cullen charm."
Saying I was shocked would be yet another understatement. My eyes were probably going to fall out of their sockets and my jaw quite possibly could have been sitting on the concrete. His stare never let up as I gawked at his newly expressed emotions. After a few seconds, I composed myself and put on my poker face. I would prefer to seem indifferent than let him know that I was actually pretty much very afraid of him.
"Jasper, what are you talking about? Or for that matter, who are you talking about?" Just hearing myself say that was enough to make me want to vomit. The words came out arrogant and cocky, something that I truly didn't want.
"This sounds just like you Edward. This is exactly why you can't pursue Bella. She isn't like every other girl that you have gone after and she definitely isn't Tanya." I immediately froze when he said that name. No one had mentioned her for the past two years; in fact, that name had been avoided ever since we moved here from Alaska. Just hearing that name was enough to make my blood run cold.
"Admit it Edward. She is the reason that you act the way you do. And now because of all that she put you through, you now take it out on every other girl you meet. I can honestly say that when you do it to Lauren or Jessica, it doesn't bother anyone as much because it is expected, but when you do it to Bella…" He shook his head and I immediately felt quilt crash over me in painful waves. He was right. Bella was kind and sweet; a real angel. Lauren and Jessica were the complete opposite. They were rude, obnoxious and purely snobby.
For someone to hurt or treat an angel in such a manner is unforgivable. And what he said about her was completely true. Ever since we had moved here, I had never actually had a relationship that included actual dating. And I had never tried. After one girl, there was always another that was just waiting in line. Two years ago, I never would have expected this from myself. My biological mother, Elizabeth Masen, always told me to treat women with respect, but I had completely let her down. I had ruined any chance that I had with Bella.
I was snapped out of my epiphany when Jasper hit me on the side of the head with a book that I hadn't noticed he was holding. "Edward! Are you even listening?!" I just stared at him for a moment before I actually came back to reality. The pain from the smack was finally setting in and my hand automatically went up to put pressure on it. I deserved a lot more pain than this, though. I deserved to feel fire running through my veins in order to pay for what I did to Bella. (A/N: There's the self-loathing Edward that we know and love. OK, from this point on, he is going to be better. I hate typing about the player Edward. It depresses me.)
"Jasper…I really screwed up this time. I promise, no, I swear that I am going to fix this. There is no one else to blame for my actions except for myself. Not even Tanya. You won't be seeing the "Player Edward" anymore." Jasper's eyes were wide and then they turned into a fixed glare. He was looking for any sort of dishonesty or hidden motives, no doubt. When he didn't find any, he relaxed his gaze and seemed to relax.
"You really like her, don't you?" He spoke quietly. I nodded, looking down. Honestly, I was a bit embarrassed. Never before had I fallen for a girl so quickly or so hard, not even with her. And never before had any girl actually made me want to change my ways. None were special enough, but Bella was different. She was abnormal, unpredictable, and beautiful. I would do anything to prove to her that I could change. She may never forgive me for what I did, and I didn't expect her to, but maybe she could find it in her heart to let me into her life. For that, I would go to the ends of the earth just to prove it. She was definitely not average.
BPOV
On the drive to the psychiatrist's office, my mind pondered over what could happen with this new doctor. With all the experience I had with shrinks, I knew that many would do anything to get results from their patient. They needed good track records in order to get more business and if they had a dud patient, they would let them go. Not that that would bother me, I just didn't want to let down Charlie. He already had to deal with a blind daughter; he didn't need a "helpless case," as a few of my past shrinks had said.
And it was then that realization hit me of my actions today. I had actually stood up to Lauren, the main hyena. And then, I crushed the school player's foot with my hard wooden cane; which surprisingly didn't miss his foot and hit the hard tile floor. Never before had I actually acted on my violent thoughts and today, I had let my temper get the best of me. As much as I hated to, I would have to apologize to him. Who knows what kind of damage I could have caused. I did put quite a bit of force into that hit. And I have a feeling that I my want to beat people lately with my cane was one of my forces behind that one powerful hit to his foot. Yes, I would definitely have to apologize.
I was pulled out of my thoughts by the Jeep's engine being shut off. And then my big teddy bear of a brother spoke, "Hey Bells, we're here. I am going to take you in so you don't get lost in there. But first I have to get out the bucket of Baby Donald Duck antenna toppers from the back." The way he said it was so casual, as if this occurred all the time. Before I could stop myself, I just blurted out my question.
"Emmett, why the hell do you have a bucket full of Baby Donald duck antenna toppers?" When it came out, it sounded very humorous. Soon, Emmett and I were laughing uncontrollably. I was doubled over in laughter, holding my ribs, afraid that the laughter was going to cause me to lose consciousness from lack of oxygen. I'm sure Emmett looked the same way.
Finally, I got an answer. "Well Bells, you'll see." I never said it was a good answer. After Emmett grabbed his bucket of antenna toppers, he escorted me inside. I heard the glass doors slide open, the cool air of the building much more comfortable than the humid air outside. I could feel the stares again. It was getting irritating. In Phoenix, things were the same way, but a much larger scale. But over there, the stares would last for a few seconds before they were averted to something or someone else more out of the normal. Here, the stares would last from the moment I walked into a room to the moment I left; and possibly even after I left said room.
The stress that had disappeared when the antenna toppers came into play was now back and rearing its ugly head, laughing maniacally in my face. After signing in, I took a seat. After a few moments, I heard Emmett's chair squeak as he leaned towards me and whispered, "Jeesh Bella. Stop shaking your leg like that. It's making me nervous and I'm just going to wait for you to get out of your appointment." After a few moments of trying to control my shaking legs and controlling my now ragged breathing, there was a very calming, yet strong voice.
"Bella Swan, we're ready for you." I stood and headed towards the voice with my cane. I heard the steady breathing of the person who I assumed was the doctor. His voice was soothing and strangely comforting, something I wasn't used to when it came to shrinks. In fact, most of my doctors had such a professional voice that I felt like I was telling my story to a complete stranger. Many people would find that helpful, but for me, I would rather not burden a stranger with my problems.
I held out my hand for him to shake, which he did. "Good evening, Dr…" I had forgotten that I didn't know his name. Well, this was a bit awkward. I could feel a slight hint of heat on my cheeks.
"Cullen. But I would prefer if you call me Carlisle. You must be the girl that Edward, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and Alice have been talking about nonstop for the past week." Now my face was definitely beet red. I probably resembled a tomato right now. Great, what an excellent way to start out a session! Hint the heavy sarcasm. Then I thought about what he had said. He was Edward and Alice's father. And Edward had been talking about me. Crap. Well, Edward and his player ways weren't my main problem right now. For now, I had to analyze my new psychiatrist in hope that I wouldn't get arrested for beating him with my cane.
I nodded and proceeded, "Well, let's get this session over with, Dr. Cull-I mean Carlisle." He chuckled lightly and led me into the room that I suppose was his office. I sat down in a soft leather chair and waited for Carlisle to start. There were a few shuffles of paper before he began the session.
"Okay, Bella. So, how was your first day of school?" I was taken aback. Normally my shrinks would ask me the "how do you feel" question first. Or maybe even just say, "so what is wrong with you?" This doctor was definitely different, and for some reason, I felt like I could tell him whatever I needed to say. After composing myself, I answered.
"It was…good. I suppose it will just take some getting used to." I could almost imagine his nod. It was then that I realized that I had no idea what he looked like. Well, now that I'm paying him, I'm sure I have the right to know what he looks like.
"Carlisle?"
"Yes?" I felt a warm blush spread across. Most people don't normally get asked what they look like, especially when the asker is directly in front of them.
"What do you look like?" He chuckled again and I'm sure my blush grew pronounced to the point where I could probably stop traffic. The town's new blind girl blushes red like a tomato. Yes, that would pretty much stop traffic.
"Well, I'm twenty eight years old, blond hair, blue eyes, and I'm about six foot three inches." I thought about it and began to draw a mental picture. From what I could piece together, he probably looked like a movie star. Then was when I realized his age. He wouldn't have been able to have children that were both seventeen.
"Are Edward and Alice adopted?" I had blurted out the question before I could stop myself. My hand flew to my mouth and I quickly apologize, "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that if it is too personal." It was then that I heard a slight laugh that he was probably trying to hide.
"It's okay, Bella. Yes, they are adopted. My wife, Esme and I adopted them at an early age." I nodded and there was a bit of an awkward silence. Weird, you would think that after being paid about one hundred dollars an hour, you would be talking a lot. Carlisle was the one who started the talking.
"Bella, I've gone over old records with your past psychiatrists and many have said that you are either a helpless case or you're cured. But quite honestly, I doubt either one is true." A slight blush crept onto my face and I turned my face down towards my hands where they were sitting in my lap. "I know this must be hard for you, but you need to talk to me. We both know that you can't be feeling well with all that you've kept in. I don't even know what the accident was. According to the other psychiatrists, you didn't even give them that piece of information. Have you talked to anyone about it?" I shook my head and refused to relieve myself of the pressure that was building behind my eyes. Crying now would show my weakness. Not even a paid psychiatrist could fix me.
"Look, I didn't even want to go to the shrinks, okay? I've been forced this entire time; therefore, I felt no need to tell them about the accident because it wouldn't do any good. I'm blind and that's all there is to it. If I tell you what happened in the accident, will that fix my eyes? No, it won't. I'm sorry that I'm angry. I'm sorry that I don't want to talk about it because it would make me remember. Have any of you psychiatrist's ever thought that maybe remembering is the last thing I want to do?" There was a silence before I heard Carlisle stand and come over next to me. He put a comforting hand on my shoulder to try and relax my shoulders that were on the verge of shaking.
"Bella, I understand. It's hard and no one likes to remember bad experiences, but you need to remember to end it all. How about we end this session for now? We'll start again next Monday. How about we have the session at my office at home? It is honestly more comfortable than this one and Alice, Edward, Rosalie, or Jasper can drop you off so they don't waste gas?" I nodded and stood. I held out my hand for him to shake, which he did and left the office. Once I entered the lobby, I could hear Emmett's feet shuffling on the floor, probably trying to think of something to entertain himself with. As soon as I walked out, his booming voice came. "Bells!! Finally, you're out! I thought I was going to die in here."
The stares that I felt increased, people probably wondering why the heck some idiot was yelling at the top of their lungs in such a quiet lobby. I blushed lightly and shook my head before turning to Emmett and looping my arm with his and walking out of the doctor's office. When Emmett asked how it went, I just said it was okay. He didn't need to know that I was just about to have an emotional break down. Then I thought of something. "Hey Emmett, what happened to the antenna toppers?" I could hear the smile in his voice, "Don't worry about it, Bella."
After we drove home, I cooked a quick dinner for the Emmett, Charlie, and I then proceeded to complete the little homework that I had. After finishing with everything else, I grabbed my old pajamas and headed for the shower where I turned on the hot water so that it would be scolding and undressed. When I stepped in, the water stung for a moment before my body adjusted to the temperature. I allowed the water to relax my tensed muscles. It was then that my mind started to mull over the day's happenings.
I had survived the first day of school after getting hit on and asked out by a self-absorbed jock, talking back to the school's head hyena, getting hit on by the school's top player and then crushing his foot with my cane all the while making a few awesome friends. Pretty good day if you ask me. But then my mind went to the session that I had had. It was different. No one had actually cared how my day was, they just cared how I felt because they wanted to "fix me". Carlisle actually cared about something besides fixing my "problem".
I stepped out of the shower, drying off my hair and dressing myself. After saying goodnight to Emmett and Charlie, I headed to bed where I slip underneath the covers of my old quilt and allowed sleep to start overcoming me. One last thought entered my mind.
This town, this new life, and my new shrink are definitely not average.
OK, there's chapter 6!! I hope you liked it. So, I am just going to clear up a few things:
Edward is now going to be changing his ways. I hate player Edward. He's stupid. Normal, self-loathing, chivalrous Edward rocks my fuzzy green Earth Day socks!!
Carlisle is the shrink!!
I used Ericaisdazzled and Aden101 words/phrases, so I win!!
And I like to stick to the normal storyline, but since it's all human and that is impossible, I'm going to make the characters as similar to their own characters as possible. I have been reading over Twilight and New Moon just trying to make sure that I'm getting everything right. So if you see something you don't like that has to do with their personalities, realize that mostly everything is from the book.
So there you have it. And you all need to review!! You've been doing great with reviewing so far, and I'm totally psyched!
As a gift for reviewing, I will send you a Baby Donald Duck antenna topper telepathically!! WOOO!!
P.S. Thanks for all the comments and advice! It's all appreciated!!
