Tripping The Prom Queen

Chapter 9: Use Somebody, Part 2

Author's Note: Yes, I'm back! Finally! Sorry for the delay! I had relatives visiting, including my baby niece and nephew! Amazing how two cute kids can steal all your free time! Not that I'd ever complain!

I hope you all are still into this! I didn't hear from too many of you after my last chapter. I guess you didn't like it, or were too grossed out by "Jictoria!". Well, this chapter should make up for it, with some prime "Bedward" and "Bemmett" moments… not to mention a new, mystery couple!

Thanks to those who did review: EsmeAliceRose, Angeline95, jady-n33, and 101ling

Oh, I don't own Kings Of Leon, or their song "Use Somebody". Unfortunately! It's beautiful!

Ok... Cue the drama!


Chapter 9: Use Somebody, Part 2

"Edward's house?" Bella sputtered.

I'm actually at Edward's house?

"Yeah. The band practices here." Alice replied matter-of-factly. "And I can see why. It's huge!"

"And beautiful" Bella added, thirstily drinking in every detail.

"Jasper says they have a space set up in the basement." Alice informed.

"We just go around to the back…"

She led Bella to the rear of the house.

"They left the door unlocked for us."

Alice opened it. Immediately, music wafted towards them, from the bottom of a long stairway.

"Sounds good" Bella remarked, eagerly following the sinuous, melody downstairs. Alice was practically running.

"Ok" Jasper was saying "Let's try that other song."

"I've been roaming around…"

"I was looking down."

"And all I see…"

"Painted faces, fill the places I can't reach"

"You know that I could use somebody…"

"You know that I could use somebody…

"Someone like you, and all you know and how you speak…"

"Countless lovers, under cover, of the street."

"Jasper sure has a beautiful voice." Bella whispered.

"It's not him." Alice giggled.

However, Bella's eyes had already shot forward, lured by those of the powerful singer, as he soulfully crooned.

"You know that I could use somebody."

"You know that I could use somebody!"

"Someone like you!"

Suddenly, she stumbled, and slid down the remaining three steps.

"Bella!" Edward immediately stopped singing and hurried towards her.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." she said, carefully standing up.

"Yes. You are. More than fine, actually…"

"No broken bones." she said, trying to lighten the moment.

"Good." Edward said, smiling at her.

But I still feel… dizzy.

"Um, that was great!" Bella said breathlessly to Edward.

"Thanks." he replied modestly. "But we still have a lot of work to do."

"Sit here, Bella!" Alice squealed, patting the seat beside her. She hadn't even seen Bella fall. She was too absorbed in Jasper.

"Alice, Bella… Meet the rest of "Twilight!" This is Aro, our bass player. Caius, on keyboards, and Marcus, back there on drums."

The girls and musicians greeted each other, as Bella sank gratefully into a chair.

"Let's try that last song again." Jasper directed and practice resumed.

Seated, Bella managed to avoid any more accidents. However, she still felt shaky. Edward's singing moved her as no one else ever had.

Breathe in… Breathe out…

She kept a small, careful smile on her face, hoping it concealed her thudding heart.

Onstage, Edward's emotions were no less potent. While he seemed poised, his pulse raced. He had always channeled his feelings into his music. With Bella as his audience, he sung more passionately and beautifully than ever. His performance seemed to spur the other band members to play more powerfully than ever before.

They continued rehearsing for almost two hours.

Excellent!" Jasper finally proclaimed. "Our best practice ever!"

"Thanks." Aro agreed, and Caius and Marcus nodded.

"You girls must be our lucky charms." Jasper smiled, looking at Alice. "You'll have to come around more often."

"Maybe we will." Alice smiled suggestively, as Jasper led her off to the side. Marcus, Caius and Aro were already leaving.

Edward seized his chance, stepping over towards Bella.

"What did you think?" he asked her.

"I loved it." she said truthfully. "You guys are amazing!"

"What part did you like best?" Edward was curious.

"The last song. "Never Think". I've never heard that one before."

"I wrote it."

"Really?" Bella was impressed. "I didn't know you wrote songs."

"Neither did I!" Edward laughed. "That was my first."

"You'll have to write more, then!"

"I think so!" he easily agreed, adding.

"What about you? I know you write."

"Yes. Stories and poems, though. Not songs."

"Maybe you should try it, too. I bet you'd be great at it!"

"I don't know…"

"Song lyrics are just poetry, really." Edward confided, adding.

"Maybe we could work on something together. I could use someone to help me."

"Me?" Bella said disbelievingly.

"You"

"I'd like that…" Bella said shyly, her eyes flickering nervously and landing on the large wall clock.

Crap! 6:00!

"Is something wrong, Bella?" Edward asked solicitously.

"No. I just need to get home."

"Emmett's coming over." she explained.

"Oh. I didn't know about that."

Why didn't he tell me?

"He needs help with English."

"Well, then he asked the right person." Edward replied, concealing his inner turmoil.

Is that really what Emmett wants? I hope so! Why don't I believe it!

Bella's not like his other girls! If he hurts her…

"I'm sorry you have to go." Edward said. "Do you need a ride or anything?"

He gestured towards Jasper and Alice, deeply engrossed in conversation.

"It seems that those two will be occupied for a while."

"No. I have my truck." Bella replied. "But thanks."

"Any time, Bella."

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. In school."

"I guess you will."

"Bye"

"Bye"

After confirming that Jasper would take Alice home, Bella walked back towards her truck. She sat in the cab for several minutes, trying to soothe her swirling emotions.

Edward is… so wonderful! So talented and sensitive…

However, she couldn't dwell on him long.

I have to go now! Emmett's coming over in less than an hour! I haven't even told Dad!

She revved up her engine and drove off. Twenty minutes later, she arrived at home. Charlie's police cruiser was already parked in the front.

Dad's home… Crap!

She rushed inside. Charlie was seated at the dining room table, eating some leftover pasta directly out of the Tupperware container it had been stored in.

"Sorry, Dad." Bella apologized.

"For what?" her father replied. "I can fix my own dinner, you know."

"You actually warmed that up yourself? Without setting anything on fire?"

"That only happened once!" Charlie retorted defensively. "I told you. Defective wiring."

"I remember." Bella smiled.

"Have some?" her father invited.

"Can't" she answered, noting the time.

Twenty more minutes!

"What's going on, Bells?" Charlie asked perceptively.

"Um, someone's coming over. He needs help with English."

"He?" her father echoed suspiciously.

"Yeah"

"Who's "he"?

"Emmett McCarty"

"The football player." Charlie said needlessly.

"Yes"

"He'll be here in twenty minutes." Bella explained, running up the stairs.

In the privacy of her room, she quickly brushed her hair and refreshed her makeup. She was just putting on a final coat of lip gloss, when the doorbell rang.

Oh, no! she thought, hearing her father greet Emmett.

"Good evening, Chief Swan." Emmett replied respectfully. "I'm here to see Bella. She's helping me with our English assignment."

"She told me." Charlie said cooly, leading the school's star athlete into their modest living room.

"Bella will be down in a minute."

"I'm here." Bella called, joining the men.

"Great!" Emmett enthused, as she sat next to him on the couch. Charlie stood across from them, not moving.

"Dad!" his daughter warned.

"Ok" Charlie answered, retreating. "I'll go finish dinner."

Finally, Bella and Emmett were left alone.

"So…" she said, nervously.

"So" he repeated, smiling easily at her. "Where do we start?"

Oh yeah… English!

"Did you do your essay yet?"

"Essay?" Emmett said, shocked. "There's an essay?"

"Yes!" Bella told him, alarmed. "Ten pages. Due Friday!"

"I know." Em laughed. "Just kidding! But I haven't even started it yet!"

"Ok." she said. "Let's get to it."

They worked diligently for almost an hour. Bella explaining the major themes of King Lear, and helping Emmett comprehend Shakespeare's complex language.

"This is so hard." Emmett complained. "Why couldn't he just write it normally?"

"For him, this was normal!" Bella laughed.

"I guess." he said doubtfully. "I'm just not into this kind of stuff."

"You seem to get it now."

They had amassed an outline for the assignment.

"It's a start." Bella proclaimed.

"A start?"

"You've got good ideas. Now, you just need to write them out. Polish them up. Oh, and proofread your paper before you turn it in."

"No way! I need to do all that!"

"I don't know if I can…" Emmett confessed.

His insecurity touched Bella; it was something she could understand.

Emmett always looks so confident! I never thought he'd ever be unsure about anything.

"Write it." she said. "I'll check it over when you finish."

"You will."

"Yes. But you have to give it to me by Thursday."

"Done." Emmett promised.

"You're really great" he added.

And really hot, too. I don't know how I never noticed it before.

"Maybe we could go out sometime." Emmett proposed.

"Oh, I don't know…" Bella hedged, recalling Alice's advice.

Don't be too eager! Guys like girls who are hard-to-get. Especially guys like Emmett! Make him work for it!

"Well?" Emmett pushed.

"Ok"

"Cool" he replied. "So? Saturday? There's that new Vampire movie coming out… "Moonlight" Supposed to be really romantic?

"I did want to see that." Bella agreed.

"So, I'll talk to you later? Pick a time?"

"Ok"

"See you later." Emmett told her, leaning over to peck her on the cheek.

Bella walked him out, then turned and ran gleefully up the stairs

The plan… It's working.

She whipped out her cell phone. She had important calls to make!


The following morning dawned damp, cloudy and very chilly. However, that never stopped one of Fork's most determined young men.

He had a job to do, and he would do it.

Donning old gray sweats, he set off at a slow pace, carefully gaining speed as he ran through the deserted streets.

For Emmett, this morning run was a sacred and special part of his routine. True, it was essential for his conditioning, allowing him to develop endurance and strength.

However, it was also his chance to be alone and think.

Today, his thoughts were full of Bella.

She's… amazing! Beautiful, smart, sexy and beautiful… Did I say beautiful?

Rarely did he encounter anyone else on these journeys. Today would prove an exception. Up ahead, he glimpsed another, equally determined young man. Even from a distance, he easily recognized him.

"Eddie!" Emmett called, catching up to his cousin.

Only Emmett was allowed to call Edward by his childhood nickname. Anyone else who tried to was quickly silenced. James was the last person to attempt it, several years ago. When he didn't acquiesce to polite requests to stop, Emmett beat him up.

After seeing James's black eyes and swollen lip, no one else dared to call Edward that.

"Em." Edward greeted him.

The two men began running, side by side.

"How's it going?" Edward asked casually.

"Ok" Emmett replied. "You?'

"Same"

"How's your new band doing?"

"Great." Edward answered, increasing his pace. Emmett easily kept up with him.

"You'll have to come hear us sometime."

"Definitely!" Em agreed. "Just don't forget me when you're rich and famous!"

"No. Not me!" Edward laughed. "That's you, Mr. NFL!"

"We'll see." Emmett said cautiously. While he was confident in his talent, he was well aware of the vagrancies and risks of his chosen career path.

A lot of things can go wrong… One injury… and it's all over!

"Bella came to practice yesterday." Edward remarked.

"Did she?" Emmett replied. "She didn't mention it."

"She told me she was tutoring you in English."

"She did. She is." Em said self-deprecatingly. "You know I need all the help I can get!"

"Yeah." Edward agreed. He knew that only too well. Usually, he was the one trying to aid his cousin.

"Why did you ask her?"

"She's the best in our class." Emmett said.

"And that's all?"

"What are you getting at?"

"You don't have any other reasons for picking her?"

"I didn't" Emmett said truthfully. "Well, not at first."

"But?"

"We're going out Saturday."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Edward warned, pissing Emmett off.

"What is your problem!"

"Bella's not like your other girls!" Edward snapped. "She's very shy and sweet. And sensitive. She's not gonna move on that quickly."

"I just don't want to see her get hurt!"

"What kind of jerk do you think I am!" Em exploded.

"It's just… I've seen you in action!"

"And you think that's all there is to me!" Emmett fumed.

Maybe…

Edward remained silent for several awkward moments.

"We're done here!" Emmett yelled.

Abruptly, he turned and ran away.

Edward also started running … in the opposite direction. Heedless of where he was going, he accelerated, desperate to drown out the increasingly loud and more insistent voices in his head.

Bella isn't yours! You have no right to stop her from dating Emmett! Or anyone!

You like her. You should have done something about it sooner.

Now, it's too late.

Too slow…

He raced on, heedless of the rain now falling. Finally, exhausted, he stopped, finding himself somewhere deep in the woods.

Damn!

He stood motionless, desperately trying to catch his breath as the storm raged around him. Finally, he was able to leave, and headed much more slowly towards his home.


Bella spent the week discussing plans for her upcoming date with Alice and alternating between complete excitement and total terror! When Saturday night finally, inevitably, arrived, she stood before her full length mirror, critically surveying her appearance.

As always, she benefitted from Alice's unerring fashion sense. The violet blue boatneck sweater and dark jeans suited her and were perfect for a movie date.

"As good as it gets!" she told her reflection.

Inhaling deeply, she tried to steady her jangling nerves.

It's not like this is your first date! she chided herself.

Truthfully, she had only dated a few other boys, always set up by Rosalie. Bella had never really cared that much for or about those boys. Since the dates were inconsequential, she had never worried much about their opinion of her.

Emmett was different. She genuinely liked him. Somehow, he had become more than just a way of getting revenge on Rosalie.

He's… nice! she admitted. And hot!

Almost as hot as…

No! Don't think about him! It isn't right! You are dating his cousin!

Nothing is going to happen with you and Edward! If he liked you, he would have asked you out!

"Bella!" Charlie called gruffly. "Emmett is here!"

With an air of finality, she tossed her long hair over one shoulder and went to greet him.


"That was a great movie!" Bella said, three hours later.

"It was okay." Emmett smiled, as the credits rolled. "Not really my thing."

"Bloodthirsty vampires aren't your thing."

"Usually" he replied. "But this is more of a chick flick."

"Then why'd you bring me here?"

"Because I thought you'd like it." Emmett told her. "And you did!"

"You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to." he replied. "Because, it's not like there was much else to pick from!"

"True" she agreed, as they made their way up the aisle.

"Besides…" Emmett grinned impishly. "Now you owe me one! On our next date, you have to do anything I want!"

"Next date…" Bella smiled beautifically. "Who said anything about another date?"

"I just did!" Em smirked cockily, taking her hand.

"Well, I need to see how this one goes before making that commitment."

"Babe, you're gonna love it! Trust me! The excitement is just beginning!"

"We'll see." Bella paused, spying Jasper and Alice several feet behind them. She waved, and Alice waved back.

"Let's wait…"

Bella's voice suddenly faltered.

"Bella? Bella?'

Emmett also stopped speaking. He had spied what Bella already had. It shocked him just as much.

Standing just a few feet away from them, also holding hands, were the last two people they had ever expected to see together.

Rosalie and Edward.