A/N: I'm SORRY!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE!! But now that I have finished screaming my head off, on to more important business.
Okay, so I have decided to continue the Word Challenge, but I have to put up some guidelines. So here they are:
-Words must be in the English or Spanish language. I say Spanish because it is the only other language actually mentioned in the Twilight series besides English (its mentioned by the humans anyway. I mean, Italian is also in the series, but yeah, I don't want to go into that). Plus, I'm Hispanic, therefore it makes things easier for me because I can ask my parents what the hell a word means.
-Stick with only 1 to 2 words. I want everyone who submits a word to get a chance.
-Words can be difficult or just absolutely strange and random. That's the point of the challenge: to challenge me with words that I've never heard of before.
Okay, that's it with the guidelines. I personally don't like them all that much, but it's necessary.
And to all of you who encouraged me and supported me when I was ranting on about something that we all have to deal with, thank you so much. I think I would have been an emotional wreck without all your support.
Now, for this chapter, I needed to keep things serious, so I won't be doing the Word Challenge for this one, but trust me, I plan to go all out next chapter. That means next chapter is going to be pretty interesting. But this chapter, we are gonna have some Bella & Edward action (don't think dirty). So, now that we have that settled, let me put up one of those silly disclaimers and then you all can read the much awaited Chapter 10!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight; nor do I own Twilight socks, but I plan on stitching the word "Twilight" into some of my plain tube socks!! This reminds me, my new profile pic is of some new socks I got at Wal-Mart recently. I love them!!
Oh yeah, this chapter is going to go back and forth with Bella's and Edward's POV. This chapter is also kind of long, so yeah. You'll get why…
Chapter 10: Bonding
BVOP
Sunday morning I was awoken by the sound of heavy breathing beside my face. I didn't open my eyes, but I turned over and pretended to be asleep, when in reality, I was stealthily reaching for my pillow. This intruder wouldn't get away that easily. They took a step closer towards my bed and I attacked. My pillow must have hit them right on the head because the next thing I heard was a loud thud as they hit the floor. Their deep groaning was enough to make me laugh.
"That's what you get for sneaking into my room, Emmett!" My laughter was escaping through my yells. Truly, did he think that he could sneak up on me? I was a fairly light sleeper; he's known that for years. The big teddy bear grunted and stood, probably a bit peeved that he didn't scare me. "Jeesh, Bells, where the hell did you get such an arm?" He sounded impressed, which was just like Emmett. Physical strength from the women in his life was always important to him. Though he would gladly stand up for me, he was proud that I could stand up for myself when I needed to. It was just his brotherly way.
"I learned from the best, Em." I knew that would soften him up. He chuckled and ruffled my hair playfully before leaving the room. When my bedroom door shut, I attempted to untangle myself from the mass of sheets on my bed only to land on the floor. My fall was heard from downstairs, to which Emmett laughed boisterously at. After finally untangling myself, I clumsily stood and walked towards the bathroom to have one of my human moments. Once I was down, I headed downstairs to the kitchen.
Sounds that were being given away from the activities taking place downstairs hinted to me who was here. From the sounds of things, Emmett and Rosalie were expressing their love for each other by making out while Jasper and Alice were both whispering quietly to each other. Both couples were in their own little worlds, simply reveling in each other's presence. But there was one other being inside the kitchen. His steady breathing was strangely calming. I descended down the remaining steps and leaned against the railing. Honestly, I didn't want to spoil the moment that these lovers were having. I myself was jealous they had found their soul-mates. To say that I had been in love before would be a lie. I had never loved and ever since the accident, I believed that love was impossible for me, which it probably was. The accident scarred me and left me blinded, in a literal as well as metaphorical sense.
EVOP
I watched as Bella leaned against the staircase railing, seeming lost in her own thoughts. Her brows furrowed, a small pout made its way across her face. If it hadn't been so sad, I would have said it was cute. I wondered what her eyes would behold had she not been blind. From the old family photographs that were sitting atop the shelf in the living area, I had gotten a wonderful view of what her eyes were like before the accident. The chocolate brown orbs she had possessed held a spark of life. The depth was hypnotizing, drawing you in and making it impossible for you to escape them.
Oh, how I longed to see her eyes that way again. I longed not only to see her eyes though; I longed to see the life that her face had once held. When I looked at her now, it looked as if the happiness her face once held was now gone along with her eyesight. My attention snapped back to the beautiful girl before me when she sighed. She didn't even seem conscious of her actions. The sadness that her facial expression held was enough to make me want to go up and wrap my arms around her and assure her that everything would be alright.
After less than a minute, her sad face was quickly composed and she pushed herself off the wall to stand straight. It was then that I noticed what she was wearing. Her pajamas, which seemed to consist of a simple pair of sweat pants and an old, baggy t-shirt, may have looked bad on anyone else, but they just made her look so much more natural. She didn't even have to try to make herself look beautiful. Her hair was slightly messy, but it just made me want to run my hands through it. I watched her lips part as she began to speak.
"Morning, guys. Not that I mind, but what are you all doing here?" Her head cocked to the side ever so slightly, making her look absolutely adorable when she was swept with confusion. Alice answered her question, "We're going SHOPPING!" I watched as a look of horror spread over her face.
"Wait! Why are we going shopping?!" As much as I hated seeing Bella so bothered, I couldn't help but think that shopping today would be very entertaining.
BVOP
After hearing the excited tone in Alice's voice, I freaked. "Because Bella, we need to get supplies for the costume party and I needed to get some material so I can finish up your costume. Anyway, I've seen the clothes you've worn so far, and I'm disappointed." Her tone didn't leave any holes open for me to object. I sighed and nodded dejectedly. She squealed loudly and I could hear the balls of her feet touching the ground as she bounced up and down.
Have I ever stated how much I loathe shopping? I believe I have, for more than one reason too. First of all, I didn't care about what I wore unless it was comfortable before I was blind and I don't care now. Going shopping has never been my forte and being blind just gave me more incentive to not go. Second of all, why bother trying to dress up when I have no reason to? It made no sense in my mind.
Glumly, I found my way back up the stairs and changed into the first outfit that I could put my hands on. After dressing, I grabbed my cane and made my way downstairs. As soon as I arrived, I found myself being pushed into Emmett's Jeep. Then we were speeding off to Port Angeles mall.
As soon as we arrived, I was dragged out of the Jeep, barely given enough time to grab my cane. I could hear the boys snickering behind me as Rosalie and Alice sighed impatiently for me to hurry up. Before I could even speak, they pushed me into a store. Being blind, I had no idea which store we were in, but I knew from the atmosphere and the smell of expensive perfume in the air that it was definitely not a store I would shop at.
"Alice, what are we doing here?" I could almost hear her rolling her eyes as she sifted through the racks and racks of clothing. Ignoring me, she stuffed several articles into my unsuspecting hands, making me almost topple over from the weight. Seeing me stagger, Alice laughed her tinkling laugh. She ushered me into what I assumed was a dressing room and told me to strip. I did so reluctantly and changed into one of the many outfits she had handed me.
The shirt was as soft as silk, which it probably was. The skirt was too short. I could feel the air hitting my mid thigh and I felt overly exposed. Embarrassed, I stuck my head out of the dressing room and spoke, "Sorry, Alice, but I'm not coming out. If I can feel air where I'm feeling it right now, then I have to object." I heard her sigh and come towards me. Her footsteps and Rosalie's, which I heard because of her heels, came closer to the point that they were right in front of me. I instinctively took a step back only to have them grab my arms roughly and pull me out of the dressing room. I staggered and caught myself before I fell. Once I had straightened myself out, I heard a gasp.
EVOP (A/N: Sorry about all of the changes, but it just makes things easier for me to type out)
I couldn't retain my gasp as hard as I tried. Alice had told me to make my opinion known on Bella's new wardrobe, which Alice was purchasing without Bella's knowledge. Therefore, here I was, in the dressing room of a store in which I didn't have the patience to check the name of. As soon as I stepped into the room, Alice and Rosalie were pulling Bella out of the dressing room. There she stood, wearing one of the most sinfully wonderful outfits that I had ever seen (A/N: sinful doesn't mean slutty or sexy or whatever, it just means that its beautiful. Sheesh people, get your minds out of the gutter).
The top was pure white, and made her look angelic. The navy blue skirt, which I must say was short, made her legs look miles long and brought out the creaminess of her ivory skin. She was just way too beautiful for her own good. I could imagine the looks she would receive if she wore this to school. After realizing that I was still gawking at my new friend, I looked at her face and noticed the blush and grimace that her face held. The grimace was obviously from having to wear an outfit that she had on, while the blush was from me gasping at the sight of her.
"Alice, like I said, I'm not getting this. It's way too revealing and I probably look hideous in it. And being as you can't prove me wrong by making me see myself in the mirror, I am free to object." The anger was evident in her voice as she spoke to Alice. I rolled my eyes when I figured out what Alice was going to do next.
"Please Bella. I really want to get a gift for my new best friend." And there it was. The famous puppy dog pout that enabled Alice to get anything she wished; the same pout that took me years to learn how to resist and here Bella was, not even faltering.
"Ah ah ah, Alice. I now you're pouting, but guess what? I can't see, therefore, you have no effect on me." Bella nearly sang when she spoke. Her already musical voice became irresistible and I found myself nearly staggering forward to pull her into my embrace. I quickly stopped myself and noticed that Alice's gaze was hard and angry. She huffed and mumbled angrily to herself as Bella went back into the dressing room and came out in her normal clothes. I figured now was the perfect time to make my move at bonding with her.
I leaned over to Alice and whispered in her ear, "Alice, you can buy whatever you want for Bella. You know her size anyway. Just buy it for her like you were going to anyway." She nodded happily and began picking out various articles of clothing from the racks. I then walked over to Bella who was running her hands over a blouse that was on a rack. It was like she was seeing it through feeling. I almost got lost in another Bella-induced daze when her head turned to me.
"Yes, Edward?" The way my name rolled off her tongue was wonderful, but if I got distracted, we wouldn't be able to slip away from Alice.
"Bella, how would you like to get out of shopping?" I knew she would say yes to getting away from Alice, but if she would do it with me, I was not sure. A grin had slipped onto her face and she looked eager, until she seemed to think over things and frown.
I felt sadness and rejection wash over me. I knew that it was my own fault; I was the one who left a bad impression on her with my horrific ways, but I was hoping that she would find a place in her heart or life for me. "Look Bella, it's okay, you don't have t-" I was cut off when she held up her hand. Then she spoke, "No Edward, it's just that…well, you might get bored having to pull me around. I've never been here before and since I can't see, you'd have to show me around."
Normally I was good at reading people, but Bella always said something to catch me off guard. But the idea of her holding me back and keeping me from enjoying myself was ludicrous! Bella would never bore me, ever. "Bella, you won't bore me. Come on, before Alice sees." Her cane at her side, she followed my voice quickly. I grasped her arm and felt that same electrifying shock that I had felt in Biology class. We exited the store quickly, avoiding Alice as much as possible. "Thank you," Bella sighed exaggeratedly. We laughed in unison as I pulled her along to the food court.
"Are you hungry?" I asked her. To be brutally honest, I just wanted to hear her talk again. It was just so musical, and yet somewhat deep; it was purely enchanting. "Actually, I'm just thirsty," she smiled sheepishly while a beautiful blush spread across her cheeks. For about the hundredth time today, I had found myself going into a daze. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and offered for to get her a smoothie. She nodded shyly and sat while I went and ordered one for her. While I ignored the "flirtatious" look that the cashier gave me, my thoughts were on Bella, as always.
There had to be some sort of way for her to let me in. Something about her seemed guarded; it was almost as if she was keeping a secret. (A/N: I just kicked you all in the butt with some good, old-fashioned dramatic irony) I wanted desperately for me to be the one that she opened up to. I wanted to be the one. When I picked up the order, I turned towards the table that Bella was seated. As soon as I saw that boy seated there grabbing her wrist and leaning towards her, whispering in her ear, I felt anger and jealousy run hot through my veins. It wasn't until I saw the frightened look on her face that realization rushed through me. I began to make my way to the table; no one would touch my Bella. (A/N: I just love a possessive Edward!)
BVOP
While Edward was away getting the smoothies, I dwelled over what he had said. He said I wouldn't bore him. I had always found myself as a plain, rather unexciting person, therefore when he had said that, he was obviously just said that to be polite. But the sincerity in his voice made it hard for me to not believe him.
The thought that he wanted to be my friend ate away at me. I had never been that close with anyone, friend-wise. After the accident, I just grew more secluded, but now I didn't know what to do. People actually wanted to be my friend.
I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of nearing footsteps. In the sounds of bustling coming from around the food court, I could tell that this person was not Edward. His footsteps were light and his strides were long. This person took short strides with heavy footsteps. Their presence weighed heavily as they finally reached the table I sat at and they sat down on the seat in front of me. I immediately stiffened from their presence. I didn't know them and I didn't feel like I should meet them.
"Hey sweetheart, why don't you and I get out of here?" His boyish tone sounded like it was supposed to be seductive, when in reality it just made me want to vomit. It was not deep enough for him to be an older man, but more around my age. Compared to Edward's smooth voice, his was raspy and cracking. I would have laughed had the situation not been this. I actually think I puked in my mouth a little.
Trying to keep my voice from giving away my fright and disgust, I spoke as quickly as possible. "Sorry, umm…my friend is just over there getting smoothies." Most of it came out in a stutter. His voice reminded me of just before the accident. It disgusted me to no end and I almost allowed my mind to wander back into my memories. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and I felt him lean forward, his breath feeling disgustingly warm against my ear. "I think you will enjoy having some fun with me." I tried to pull my wrist away, but his grasp was firm. If he held any tighter, I'm sure there would be bruises. My mind raced, wondering how I would get out of this. Where was Edward now?!
As if he had read my mind, I heard Edward's footsteps about ten feet away, the steps quicker than they normally were.
"Excuse me. You had better release her now before I make you release her." His voice was so sure and was full of venom. If I hadn't known he was trying to protect me, I would have been scared. The boy released me instantly and grumbled under his breathe. I heard his footsteps pound away as Edward quickly walked over to me and pulled me into a hug. The familiar shocks ran through my arms and surprisingly, I felt…comforted and safe.
"Bella, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" His voice was frantic yet laced with a bit of anger as he spoke into my hair. I think I heard him inhale deeply, but I couldn't be sure. I hugged him back tightly and spoke, "Yeah, he just freaked me out a bit. I'll be fine." I'm sure Edward was looking at me quizzically now, but he let it go and released me from his arms with reluctance. Once released from his arms, I lost a bit of that comforting feeling that I had when he held me.
The truth was that that encounter reminded me so much of before the accident. He had spoken to me that way before the accident. I had tried so hard to get away…
I was cut off of my thoughts by Edward. "Are you okay, Bella? You look like you were somewhere else for a sec?" I plastered on one of my well-practiced false smiles and spoke, "Yeah, I just zoned out for a minute." He didn't push it.
"So Bella…I don't know…do you…maybe…wanttoplaytwentyquestionswithmesoIcangettoknowyou?" (A/N: I also love a nervous Edward!!) He spoke so quickly that I could not understand what he said. My guess is that he understood the look of confusion on my face because he corrected himself. "I meant, would you mind playing twenty questions with me so I can get to know you better?"
Understanding washed over me and I replied, "Sure." I could hear the smile in his voice as he began.
"Favorite color?"
"Hmmm…I can't answer that directly. It changes day to day."
"Well, what is it today?"
I thought for a moment. "I would have to say brown."
"Why brown?" He sounded genuinely confused.
"Well, brown is warm and comforting. For me, at most, I can see bright colors out in the sunlight, but I can never see brown. Most of the time, I just see black."
He seemed to think for a moment; his gaze was on me, making me almost squirm underneath it. "You're right. Brown is very warm."
"Okay, my turn," I said, thinking for a moment, hoping my question wasn't too personal. "Why are you or were you a player?" My voice was gentle. I really didn't want to anger him or make him feel like I was prying. Curiosity was just becoming very overwhelming for me.
"Oh. Well," he paused for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts, "it's complicated."
"I have time; I think I can understand." He sighed, tiredly.
"You don't have to tell me if it's too personal. I will understand if you can't." I had plenty of secrets from him. It's understandable that he would have his own. Pushing him to talk would only put a strain on our barely existent friendship.
"No, it's okay. Just, not yet. Maybe I will tell you later though; in a more…private place." I nodded in agreement and could almost feel the tension in the air ease. "Okay then, you go ahead and ask."
He was silent in thought for a few moments before asking, "Favorite kind of book."
"That's a pretty vague range. Well, I would have to say I like the impossible romances. The tragedies that in reality, aren't as tragic as they seem. They hold deeper meanings that meet the eye if you look deep enough. For example, Romeo and Juliet. Juliet would die for Romeo and vice versa."
"That's quite an assessment. But why don't you see Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy? I mean, they both die in the end. They both have their flaws and they don't spend the rest of their lives together."
"But see, that's just the thing. One cannot exist while the other doesn't. Therefore, in the end, they spend eternity together in the after life; that is, if you believe in the after life. So, if you think about it, it's not much of a tragedy after all." When I finished speaking, I felt his breathe much closer to my face than before. Becoming more aware of my own body, I felt that I was leaning forward and he was probably doing the same, hence his sweet breathe fanning my face. I leaned back slowly, steadily putting a bit more space between us. His chair creaked beneath him, signaling that he too had noticed our previous position.
The game continued, going from easier questions like favorite movies to more difficult questions such as our lives from before we moved to Forks. We were so caught up in learning more about each other that we didn't realize that two hours had passed and Alice was making her way over towards us, fuming.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU!?"
EVOP
With Alice being my adoptive sister of more than ten years, I knew that she was eccentric. Yet, even after hearing her high-pitched scream regularly in the past, I could never get used to that. I immediately covered my ears, as did Bella and hoped that it would end soon. I prayed for the sake of my ear drums and everyone else's in the food court, that it would end soon.
As she and Rosalie walked up, with Emmett and Jasper faithfully carrying their numerous bags behind them, with scowls on their faces. This was a moment that a calm disposition was needed to deal with their upcoming rant on how we ruined a perfectly good shopping day.
And here it comes. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?! I WAS WORRIED SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU ALL!!" Alice yelled, anger pouring out of her every word. Bella flinched visibly and I figured it was time to stop this.
"Alice, I told you we were going. Did you think about calling my phone?" Truth was, I put my phone on silence. Ah, the power of technology.
"Hell yes, I did. Don't you think that that would be the first thing I did?!" Her voice was calmer now, but still laced with anger.
"Well Alice, my phone hasn't rung at all. In fact, I have no missed calls from you or anybody else in the group." Yes, I had the nerve to delete all my missed calls from her and return my phone to vibrate. So what if I just stretched the truth a little bit?
"Oh. Well, I…okay, never mind. Forget it." She said calmly, all traces of anger gone. She turned to Bella, "Bella, we got your costume stuff. And a few other items…" Bella already looked nervous and annoyed at the same time. It was extremely adorable. I took this as a cue for us to get going.
"Come on. It's getting late. We need to drop Bella off. It is a school night, unfortunately." With that, everyone walked out to the Jeep and we drove home. After dropping us off and saying our goodbyes, Emmett and Bella left.
I ran up to my room and sat on my black leather couch, thinking over what happened today. My mind immediately went back to Bella. She intrigued me to no end. Her views on music, literature, everything about her, were just magnificent. Never could never get bored of her, nor would I want to. She unconsciously held me captive and for the first time in two years, I felt like the pressure on my chest was removed. I could breathe freely and not have another worry in the world all because of Bella.
My thoughts were interrupted by Alice dancing into my room, without permission, mind you. "Well, doesn't someone seem positively pleasant this evening?" She spoke smugly, almost as if she knew something she wasn't supposed to. I decided to play dumb again.
"Why, whatever do you mean Alice?" She sighed loudly, exasperated. "You like her. It's not that hard to see. I mean, she had that same stupid smile that you do right now." I hadn't realized that I was grinning like a maniac until she pointed it out. I couldn't help but be excited when she said Bella had the same look.
"Really? She did? Did she say anything about me?" I said in a rush, hoping that Alice would give me some clue as to what Bella thought of me.
"Well, well, well, isn't someone eager to find out if their crush likes them back? Well, since you asked so nicely, I would have to say yes. She likes you back; but Edward, if you dare hurt her, I swear to God I'll hurt you! I know you probably think I'm being stupid, but I have that feeling. Like there is something that she's hiding. She won't talk about certain things and when certain things are brought up, she just shuts down. It's not noticeable, but she'll put up a wall and it's starting to worry me. Just don't hurt her, okay?" My sister, so caring. She could find out that a complete stranger was hurting and she would feel their pain.
"Never. I would never intentionally hurt Bella, Alice." I spoke with as much sincerity as I possibly could because every word I spoke was true. The truth of the matter was that I was falling and hard. I could never hurt Bella for I would suffer just as well.
Alice nodded and left the room with a good night. I dressed for bed and got under the covers, breathing as deeply as I could in order to get to sleep. My dreams were filled with the mysterious and intriguing blind girl that was surely stealing my heart.
So, what do you think?? I know. You probably hate me for taking so long to update and I'm not making excuses. Minor writer's block should not keep me from writing. Feel free to release your inner ninja monkey on me. I deserve it.
Anyway, I would like to recommend a story. UPTOWN GIRL BY VIXEN WITH A VENDETTA rocks my socks!! I'm serious. It's well written, its unique, and the characters are very much in character. So read it or I'll spill biohazard waste on your computers!!
Toodles,
-Laura
P.S. My little sis is my reference for when I say that I will do stuff like get down on my knees and scream to the heavens, "BEHOLD! REVIEWS!!" Her screenname is BXE Forever. I actually did that like 3 times. Once even when I was at the beach house. So yeah. Woo!! If you review, I will eternally love you and will not release my inner Rosalie upon you all!!
