Tripping The Prom Queen
Chapter 5: La Push Beach
Author's Note: Ok, time for chapter 5. And now we hear from some new voices!
Actually, this chapter is my favorite so far! Guess why? Hint: His initials are EC. Get ready to swoon! Also, if anyone is wondering what's up Rosalie's butt, we get some idea here!
Thanks again to those who read and review: EsmeAliceRose, Cullengirl110, itsjadee, and angeline95.
Keep the comments coming! I want to know what everyone thinks about Rosalie… and especially Edward.
Chapter 5: La Push Beach
While Bella, Alice and Jacob partied and plotted, another sort of gathering took place at La Push Beach.
It was a completely different scene… but one just as intriguing. The A-list from Fork's High School gathered around bonfires and kegs of beer, gossiping, relaxing, hooking up… or trying to!
Smoothly, Edward Cullen detached himself from the crowd. On the pretext of getting himself another beer, he strolled over to the keg. He desperately needed a break. Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory had been relentlessly competing for his attention all night. Even now, he felt their eyes on him checking him out. It was as if he could read their minds.
What a difference a year makes. he thought, tapping the keg and thrusting a large paper cup under the spout.
"Hey, bro!" Emmett's voice boomed, easily discernable. "Get me one of those too, will ya?"
"Sure" he agreed, as his cousin turned back to the crowd. Something he said caused their friends to laugh loudly.
Our friends… Edward considered. He owed Emmett a lot.
Without him… I wouldn't be here now!
Edward hadn't thought much about his social life- or lack of one, until recently. For most of his life, he had been absorbed in music. He learned to play the piano when he was only three, acquiring this ability by watching his mother. Elizabeth Mason Cullen was an avid pianist and both she and his father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen were thrilled by their son's prodigious talent. She immediately arranged for lessons and Edward progressed rapidly. His exceptional gift was quickly acknowledged and he performed his first professional concert in Seattle when he was only nine. The demands of his music career, combined with school left him with little time for anything else.
All that changed when he was fourteen and his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Edward's music fell by the wayside as he watched his mother struggle through a mastectomy, then aggressive chemotherapy. Her body became emaciated, and her beautiful bronze hair thinned. Yet she never lost her fighting spirit. Her treatments were rigorous, and administered by the best specialists around. However, they failed to arrest the cancer's growth.
Elizabeth died in just a year.
The loss of his beloved wife devastated Carlisle. Edward saw his father struggling to go on. Carlisle's solution to his grief was devoting himself completely to his work. When he wasn't with patients, he holed himself up in the hospital laboratory. At home, he poured tirelessly over medical journals, looking for a cure for the illness that stole his wife from him.
Edward felt powerless, knowing that he couldn't do anything to help his father. His own grief was equally strong, and he withdrew even further, leaving the house only to attend school. He abandoned his music, lacking the sprit for it. Following his father's lead, he threw himself in his studies. However, his school work failed to absorb him; Edward had never found it very challenging, garnering straight A's with relatively little effort.
Restless, he searched for something else to distract him.
Easily, he succumbed to Emmett's pleas.
"Dude, try out for the baseball team!"
"I don't know…"
"Why not?"
"I don't know if I'm good enough." Edward confessed.
"Of course you are!" Emmett insisted. "Hell! You're better than half the guys on the team! You can definitely outrun them. I need you on my team! Please!"
"Just try out. Girls love it!"
Girls… Edward thought.
He took his cousin's advice and became the school's starting first baseman, surprising everyone, including himself. With his new-found athletic success came overnight celebrity.
Edward was ambivalent about this sudden popularity.
These people wouldn't talk to me for years. Suddenly, they want to know me. Be my friend. How fake!
Still, part of him enjoyed the female admiration. Edward watched in disbelief as the cheerleaders vied for his attention… and an invitation to the Spring dance.
However, he aspired beyond this queue of beauties. Only one girl had ever intrigued him.
Bella Swan
Bella Swan was so different than the others. He remembered watching her on this very same beach. She stood quietly, but serenely, taking in the scene. She did not flirt, preen or seek attention. Unlike the other females, she was completely natural, comfortable in her own skin.
Edward admired that. Yet despite their years as classmates, they had rarely spoken. He sensed that Bella was as shy as he himself had been.
From the classes they shared, he also knew how intelligent and sensitive she was. Over the years, she had also become quite pretty, too. Edward liked her silky dark hair, doe-like, melting chocolate eyes and delicately boned frame.
He knew that he wasn't the only male in Forks noting Bella's blossoming beauty. Several of his teammates discussed her in the locker room last Spring.
"When the hell did Swan get so hot?" James asked crudely.
"Yeah, I'd do her!" his friend Larry (short for Laurent) agreed.
"I wouldn't mind a piece of that!"
Over my dead body! Edward thought protectively. He would never let these dirtbags get near Bella.
He spent that afternoon, evening and much of the next day planning how to ask her to the Spring Dance. Despite his newfound popularity, he remained unsure of himself and even considered asking Emmett for advice. Emmett was a true player, off the field as well as on. His cousin had already scored a date for the dance with Rosalie Hale, Bella's best friend.
We could double. Edward hoped.
However, his visions shattered when Emmett stormed into the locker room.
"What's wrong?"
"Spring Fling"
"Rosalie bailed?" Edward asked, astonished.
"No way!" Emmett laughed. "Never! What woman could resist me?"
"None" Edward agreed, knowing it was true. No girl ever rejected his cousin. Emmett's brawny good looks, coupled with a gregarious personality rendered him irresistible to women.
"So, then what?" James pushed.
"Rosalie wants to double. She wants her friend Bella to come to the dance with us, with her date."
Yes! Edward celebrated.
He was about to volunteer when Emmett continued.
"So she set Swan up with Newton!"
"Mike Newton?" Edward spat out. Newton played shortstop on the baseball team. While he wasn't a bad guy, he definitely rubbed many his teammates the wrong way, including both Edward and Emmett.
"Yeah! Now, I gotta spend a whole evening with him!"
"Bummer times, man!" James commiserated.
"That sucks!" Edward said vehemently, completely disappointed.
"What a waste!" Larry agreed.
"Yeah!" James continued. "For Swan. Newton won't have any idea what to do with her!"
The guys all snickered. Edward laughed with them, but felt immense relief.
That's true… If it's not me, guess it's not so bad that it's him… Better him than a guy like James…
But I wish it was me.
Reluctantly, Edward accepted the invitation of the next girl who asked him, who happened to be Jessica. They doubled with her own BFF, Lauren and Lauren's date, Jasper Whitlock. Jasper seemed to be about as interested in Lauren as Edward was in Jessica. Jasper was also as into music as Edward was and played guitar and bass. The two had completely bonded by the time they reached the school.
At the dance, Edward's attention constantly drifted from his own date to Bella. She wore a simple midnight blue dress, modestly covered by a vintage cardigan sweater. She looked very uncomfortable as she danced with Mike Newton, unsteady in her high heeled shoes.
Beautiful… Edward thought wistfully.
That night completely disappointed him, as had the remainder of the semester. Bella reportedly had gone out on two other dates with Mike. Reluctantly, Edward gave up on pursuing her. While he didn't particularly like Newton, he respected "guy code", which clearly rendered a teammates girlfriend off limits.
At his father's urging, he spent the summer touring Europe with Emmett. He knew Bella would be working at Newton's family's store, and Rosalie and the other girls would be away at Cheerleader Camp. Carlisle encouraged him to take this opportunity to see the world.
"Very educational. Broaden your horizons".
Although he hadn't said so, he knew his father hoped the journey would inspire him to return to his music. However, when it came to exploring, Emmett had verydifferent ideas.
"A different hottie in every city!"
His cousin had certainly lived up to that promise. Edward lost track of Emmett's women.
Zafrina in London, Senna in Paris , Carmen in Barcelona, Tia in Madrid, Maggie in Dublin, and…
Exhausted, but very satisfied, they returned to Forks in time for the start of varsity football practice. The Spartan's Quarterback and team captain again urged his cousin to try out. This time, Edward did not hesitate. Although it wasn't his favorite or best sport, he again made the team.
That resulted in his presence in La Push that night. Emmett was hosting the first party of the year, and mandated that the entire squad attend.
Edward sighed. Without realizing it, he had emptied his large cup of beer. He was filling it again, when Jasper approached him.
"Hey, man"
"Hey"
"Having fun"
"Not really". Edward admitted. He would never admit this to anyone else. However, something about Jasper forced him to be honest. He knew he could trust him.
"Are you ever coming back over there?" his friend asked, helping himself to a drink.
"Do I have to?"
"Fraid so!" Jasper drawled. "What else is there to do?"
"Nothing" Edward agreed.
The party had long lost its appeal. When Emmett first told him about it, he had been enthusiastic, hoping to see Bella there. Edward hadn't exactly lived like a monk in Europe; that was pretty much impossible when you traveled with Emmett.
However, seeing Bella again only re-ignited his previous interest. His cousin, who gossiped like a girl had told him that she was no longer dating Mike Newton. As Rosalie's best friend, he knew Bella was guaranteed to be here tonight.
That was before the scene in the cafeteria. Edward hadn't personally witnessed it, but couldn't avoid hearing about it. He could only imagine how hurt she must feel. He had hardly seen her since the incident.
"These girls…" Edward murmured.
"Yeah, I know." Jasper said, falling silent as Jessica and Lauren staggered up to them.
"Here you boys are!" Lauren trilled, already very drunk.
"We thought you'd never come back!"
Don't tempt me! Edward thought.
"Such a sad day when a girl has to get her own drink!" Jessica cooed, whipping her long brown hair over one bare shoulder in what she thought was a sexy manner.
Jasper smiled easily.
"Can't have that now, can we?"
He handed cups of beer to both girls.
"Here you go!"
There they go! Rosalie eyed her friends from across the clearing. Predictable
Like Edward and Jasper, she was bored. Rosalie had been attending these "elite" high school parties since she was fourteen, the only freshman in the known history of Fork's High to ever be invited.
One of the perks of dating up!
She watched as Lauren and Jessica tried to seduce the two boys. Personally, she had never had those problems. Rosalie knew she was beautiful and her looks had gotten her everything she wanted.
Almost
Subtlely, she turned towards Emmett. As always, he was the center of attention, teasing the girls and heartily joking with the guys.
Rosalie had never gotten over her eighth-grade crush. In fact, her feelings only intensified as they got older.
Feelings he does not return. How can that be?
She and Emmett had dated of course, off and on over the years. However, he had always kept their relationship from progressing or becoming exclusive.
"It's not you. It's me." he told her more than once.
"You got that right!" she told him furiously.
"I'm just not ready to settle down yet."
'Being with me is not settling!"
"True!" Emmett chuckled. "And if I were to go out with just one girl, it would definitely be you. But I can't, not now!"
Jackass! Rosalie told herself again now, for what felt like the millionth time.
But I don't know who's stupider. Him or me? Somehow, I always come back to him. I think it will be different.
He's never going to change!
Time to move on!
Rosalie had traveled down this road before. Last year, she had gone steady with Royce King. The handsome senior was the richest boy in town, and, like Emmett, captained the football, basketball and baseball teams.
Perfect for me! she thought. The football captain and the head cheerleader.
Things went well between them for seven months. Then, she caught him cheating on her.
"Come on, Rosie!" he protested. "It's not my fault!"
"You won't give me any! What was I supposed to do?"
"Deal!" she snapped, marching proudly out of his life.
The worst part was that she had finally started to fall for him. However, she knew she made the right choice. She would never have sex with anyone she didn't love.
Her fellow cheerleaders clearly didn't share that attitude. Victoria had long since disappeared into the forest with James. Jasper and Lauren were clearly heading in that direction. Only Jessica did not seem to be succeeding with her chosen prey. Edward remained aloof.
He's looking really good. Too good for Jess! Just like I'm too good for Emmett… and Robert.
When Robert broke her heart, she had driven straight to Bella's house. Bella had been so supportive, so understanding.
Bella… Rosalie thought now, feeling pangs of unfamiliar emotions.
Guilt. Loss. Regret. Loneliness.
Easily, she shook them off.
"She deserved it! She went behind my back!"
At first, she didn't believe what Victoria told her. It seemed impossible that her plain, meek little friend could betray her like that. Even when Jessica and Lauren corroborated the story, Rosalie still defended Bella.
Until she saw it for herself…
Images burned in her brain, unforgettable and unforgivable.
She is so dead to me! Rosalie swore.
Completely dead!
Author's note 2: I don't usually write a second note on chapters, but I just had to ask… how much are you loving Edward right now? (This chapter makes me want to leap around and sing like a child… Edward likes Bell-a! Edward likes Bell-a! But, does she like him back? Keep reading to find out!)
Also, if anyone is confused by Rosalie… all will be revealed in due time. Just remember that appearances can deceive… And can we really consider Victoria, Jessica and Lauren to be reliable sources?
Good times! Good times!
