Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or the universe S Meyer created. There may (or may not) be strong language or subjects in this chapter...
None of It Does
Chapter 3
The next day I left my I-pod in my bag feeling confident that I was strong enough without it. I was able to block out their thoughts most of the morning until lunch.
Man I wish I had a little brother … Ben Cheney thought as he watched Angela eat lunch with her little brother. Though, it wasn't the actual sibling he wanted, it was the way in that he wanted.
Yellow, yellow, yellow…
Red…
Black, please be black…
Sometimes it astounded me to know that boys did the grossest and stupidest things like betting on what color underwear Lauren Mallory was wearing. I turned to the rest of the table hoping to be distracted and not wanting to know anything about Lauren's underwear.
"Hey Edward," Emmett said sitting up straighter to look over Alice's head. "You know what I've just realized?"
"What?" he grunted with half a sandwich in his mouth.
"Maybe Imes is a ghost or a poltergeist," he said thoughtfully.
"Maybe," he shrugged his shoulders continuing his lunch. Everyone else broke off into their own little conversations as I tuned them out nibbling on my lunch. I wasn't too hungry after I discovered that Lauren was wearing pink…
You with your switchblade posse, I'll get my guns from the south… The song was catchy and I couldn't help but sing along because Jasper had spent all of last week singing it.
"We'll take to the yard like a cockfight, four kicks whose strutting now," I mumbled lowly. I felt a heavy thud on the table and everyone turned to look at Emmett who was just staring at me. My heart skipped a beat that it was beating so fast… It hadn't been Jasper singing.
"Do I have something on my face?" I asked playing dumb listening intently to his thoughts. I couldn't understand him he was speaking so fast, and it sounded like Spanish. But I barely understood Spanish because the gods had given Forks Mrs. Chea, a Chinese woman who taught Spanish…
"Let me see," Rose said tilting my face even looking up my nose as I swatted at her. "I don't see anything. Did you finish that book I gave you?" She asked playing along. I loved Rose; she was very perceptive and sly as a fox.
"Yeah it was good. You said there was a sequel?" We continued our fake conversation until everyone went back to what they were doing. Edward and Alice were talking about some movie, and Rose and Jaz were making conversation with Emmett. I kept listening to his mind, but he was very intent on concentrating to what they were saying.
In Biology, I was the one to scoot my chair as far as I could. Edward made me very nervous, and I wasn't sure how I should react to him. In gym, the boys were playing a game of basketball as the girls watched, and my mind went into a frenzy of theories about Edward. He had brain cancer or at least a tumor. Bitten by radioactive spiders. Drench in nuclear wastes. Or he had his own curse to deal with... Most likely, most reasonably, he had a tumor.
But subtlety was not my greatest strength. How do you tell someone to got get a brain scan? 'Oh hey Edward, I know you hate me and all, but you might want to get a brain scan. I think you have a tumor.' I remembered some of the stories Charlie used to tell me about when I was a baby. When I was three, I used to complain about headaches and voices; he took me to the doctor and found nothing wrong with me. They figured it was something like Tinnitus, but I learned real quick to keep my mouth shut when therapists and asylums were brought up in Charlie's mind. He'd never actually send me away, but it did cross his mind a few times wondering if he was doing the right thing by not seeking treatment for me. So far I've concurred with his decisions.
But I wasn't supposed to be asking about his vagina or other strange questions. I was supposed to be friendly-ish, and then there was this whole other issue with Emmett. I'd been so careless around him. Usually guys won't pick that stuff up… well I didn't actually talk to that many guys - only one really. But I did make the offhand comment and mess with a guy once in a blue moon. But with Emmett I messed up. Now when I'm around all he thinks about is food or the rock in his shoe, and during classes he concentrates on his work and then there are some slips about Rose. But nothing crude or vulgar… he's just fascinated by her. He has the possibility of being a stupid anomaly… just a possibility.
A ball slammed against the bleachers waking me out of my trance. "Bella, please watch out," Emmett begged me as he ran over to get the ball. I nodded and focused my eyes on the game. With my luck I would be the one to end up in the emergency room because of a basketball to the face. My eyes drifted among the guys running up and down the court, but they ended up on Edward. I didn't even know a person could be that graceful. He ran swiftly between players and passed the ball to someone else. He paused with his hands on his hips breathing hard watching the other guys run down the court.
Bella duck! I heard Emmett yell.
I dropped my head to my knees as the ball flew over me bouncing to a stop up higher on the bleachers. My heart stopped and my face blanched when I saw Emmett on the other side of the gym staring, gaping at me. Only then I realized that he hadn't shouted it; he'd only thought it.
I ran out of the locker room like a bat out of hell making my way to the parking lot hoping to leave before Emmett found me. Maybe if he slept on the idea, he'd realize how crazy it all was. Maybe he'd think he imagined it all up and stop drinking so much caffeine. I doubled my pace when I saw Rosalie by the car, but it hadn't been enough…
"Bella wait," I looked to see Emmett walking toward me. I stopped and waited until he was standing in front of me. "I think we need to talk."
"Come on Em, let's go," Edward said as he walked passed us.
"You go ahead I'm catching a ride with Bella," Emmett told him causing him to turn at us quickly.
"Why?" he asked sharply.
"I'm helping her with her math," he said before Edward walked to his car and drove away with a scary glare on his face. I looked over to where Jasper and Rose were watching me and waved them off. We'd be walking home today…
"Come on, let's go to my house," I said starting to walk out into the parking lot.
"So where's your car?" he asked.
"I don't have one; we're walking," I told him. "I don't live that far away."
"No one does," he joked as we walked in awkward silence to my house. It was only a fifteen minute walk. My house was small, but homey – a tiny, two story with cracking white paint and a faded blue door with matching shutters. And Dad has always worked his ass off to pay the bills all by his self.
"This is it," I mumbled letting the door open and allowed him in.
"You're a mind reader," he said as soon as the front door shut. He looked at me for a response, but he continued when I couldn't say anything. "Are we going to have a pop quiz in Mrs. Chea's class tomorrow?"
"I wouldn't know," I mumbled nervously. Was this really the first thing to ask me?
"But you just-"
"It's only guys. I can't hear girls," I interrupted him staring intently at the invisible patterns on the wall.
"That doesn't make sense," he murmured as he tried to reason it out.
"None of it does Emmett… you're not actually freaked out by this?" I asked him.
"Nah, I think it's awesome – explains your weirdness too," he grinned. "Oh man, I should have warned Ed."
"What does that mean? What about Edward?" I asked failing to be nonchalant.
"Like you don't know," he scoffed winking at me before noticing my clueless expression. "Wait, don't you know?"
"Know what?"
"You don't," he said puzzled.
"No… I… I can't read him for some reason," I admitted feeling embarrassed. It kind of seemed humiliating - not being able to read a guy - for some reason.
"Does that happen a lot?"
"Never," I told him feeling a bit agitated.
"Hmmm… that's why you asked if he had a vagina," he laughed.
"It made sense to me at the time," I muttered.
"Wait until I-" he started.
"No!" I cut him off before he could even finish the thought. "Emmett, you can't tell anyone! Promise me? Please? I'll do anything you want just don't tell anyone!" I begged.
"Relax Bella, your secret's safe with me," he said holding up his hands like he was surrendering.
"For now," I grumbled. I looked back up at Emmett as he sighed loudly. Dropping his book bag and tugging off his jacket, he pulled the hem of his shirt over his head. Panic filled me as I stared speechless at his muscled stomach. He wanted me to have sex with him?!
"What are you doing?" I asked him harshly not intending to partake, but I gasped as he turned around. His thoughts rolled quickly through my mind like a movie as I looked over the scars that covered his back. Memories of a large man with a belt, long nights of crying in a closet, and a small house crowded with kids and a small woman yelling at him in Spanish…
"My dad was abusive when I was little. One of my teachers found out and I ended up in the foster system where my mom adopted me," he told me turning around. A large tattoo of a family crest covered one of the worst areas on the back of his left shoulder.
"Why are you showing me this?" I asked.
"You showed me yours, I showed you mine… I can keep a secret, and now we're even. I won't tell anyone," he promised.
"Thank you, I'm sorry about-" I started to mention the scars.
"Don't worry about it," he said struggled to put his shirt back on.
"Well then I'm sorry I thought you were going to demand sex," I joked nervously as he squinted his eyes at me.
"Would you have done it if I had?" he smiled.
"No," I snorted. "My father is the Chief of Police; I do know some self defense."
"Good to know," he shook his head. "Can I ask you a favor though?"
"I can't," I told him seeing ideas of pranks in his head.
"It doesn't have to be big or anything. It could be simple like Rock Paper Scissors. That'll aggravate the hell out of Edward."
"I think it'll be very difficult to do since I can't read him, remember? Plus I don't want anyone else to know especially him," I told him.
"Ugh, Bella," he whined.
"What's with the tattoo?" I asked him with a smirk.
"You haven't seen a tattoo. It doesn't exist until I turn 18," he told me with wide eyes. "My dad will kill me."
"Don't worry I can keep a secret," I mocked.
"I guess you know a lot of secrets, huh? You're like the ultimate secret keeper," he joked.
"Right… so um what are you going to tell Edward?" I asked.
"About what?" he asked confused.
"About why you're here?"
"Oh, uh math tutoring?" he suggested.
"Oh okay… could you really help me with my math?"
The next day at lunch, I had a huge headache and my I-pod wasn't helping at all. It laid silently in the secret pocket of my hoodie, and my head was pounding and I was ten minutes away from skipping class. But I really needed to stick through it though because I only had so many days that I could write off. And honestly school stirs up the routine of boredom at my house, so even though I hate it, I have to admit I needed Forks High.
Hey Bella, can you hear me now? Emmett continued to talk to me through his thoughts like he'd been doing all morning and ignoring my glares.
How about now?
It was weird and annoying to have someone else that knew about my curse and… kind of nice too. But I definitely wasn't going to stand up on my chair and make a big announcement about it anytime soon. And also I hadn't told Rose and Jasper that he knew. I didn't want them to feel… disappointed? in me that I had told someone about my curse. Though I hadn't told Emmett; he found out on his own which I thought was worse… I gave Emmett a small smile before kicking him in the shin, and I turned my attention back to the rest of the table and saw Edward looking at me. I smiled wearily and he looked away. That had been smile attempt #4 and still no reaction.
"So Bells, thought anymore about your type?" Rose asked me trying to bring me into the conversation.
"My what?"
"You know, your type of guy?" She asked again gaining everyone's attention. Alice smiled at me with a curious look in her eye. I hadn't really thought about it much, but I was determined to have a decent friendly conversation with her for Jasper's sake.
"Um," I wracked my brain for something good to say. "I don't know."
"Like height, hair, funniness, attractiveness, intelligence, athleticism," Alice suggested counting them off on her fingers.
"Uh, yes?" I shrugged my shoulders unsure of how to answer.
"How have we not had this conversation before?" Rose laughed shaking her head at me.
"How about we make this easier; would you rather want him to be taller or shorter than you?" Alice asked again with a smile.
"Taller," I nodded.
"Body type – slim, lanky, ripped, pudgy-" she continued.
"Healthy," I told her cutting her off.
"Would you rather he be funnier than smart or vice versa?" Rose asked.
"Smarter than funny," I thought quickly. I'd rather listen to a guy process information rather than think of crude jokes.
"Would you rather he be able to throw a football 50 yards or play an instrument in a band?" Alice asked again.
"Band," I said remembering that guys who were able to read music were generally smarter than people who didn't.
"Hmmm, guitar or drums?"
"Piano," I grinned as Emmett struggled to hold back his laughter.
"How romantic should he be?" she asked again with a serious tone.
"What?"
"Like a lot of special dates and anniversaries or lots of handholding, compliments, long talks…" Alice continued to babble as I sent a look to Jasper saying 'this is what you're getting yourself into'.
"No, none of that," I cut her off as I stared at Emmett whose face was cherry red.
"She likes piano players, Edward," he said actually giggling. I knitted my eyes at him as he looked at back at me. Edward plays the piano... he told me.
As we left lunch, I should have felt better. My headache was gone and I spent 15 minutes talking to Alice about my type, but the comment that Emmett made, made me nervous for some reason. There was no possible reason for me to like Edward in that way… it would be impossible… said the girl who can read minds…
In biology, I spent the entire time staring down at an empty page of my notebook and listening to the failing attempts of note taking. Mike Newton was trying to decide who to ask out first, Ben was struggling to pay attention due to Angela's vanilla perfume, and Edward was still keeping his thoughts to himself. I couldn't help but watch him out of the corner of my eye. He'd fiddle with this wide leather bracelet on his right arm, and his leg bounced at a constant, quick pace as he stared down at a blank piece of paper. I guess he was too perfect to take notes.
The girls played another game as I sat with my trig homework on the bleachers. I almost laughed out loud when I heard Coach Clapp check me off for participation.
Stanley, in the game, check. Swan…on the bleachers and out of the way, check. Thomas, game check.
I sat on the highest row leaning against the brick wall of the gym, knowing I wouldn't be target practice this high up, with Emmett and Edward. The only reason Edward was there was because Emmett was trying to help me with my work… trying to. I would sit silently as Emmett slowly worked out the problem on my paper explaining with his thoughts. I already thought I was in trouble, but now I knew that I was in deep trouble. The work during the first week of school was supposed to be easy, but I was just getting frustrated with all the numbers, the tangling thoughts, and the presence of Edward dizzying me.
"Em, I don't think you're a very good teacher. She doesn't look like she understands any of it," Edward laughed in a smooth voice as Emmett and I glared at him.
"It's too noisy in here," he snapped. Ignore him.
"You're not even explaining it to her. She can't learn it from just watching you," Edward continued.
"I'm learning just fine," I said turning away from them staring at the problem. I'd given up on apologizing to Edward, well trying to apologize. I was almost surprised that he didn't run away just then. I'd been watching him out of the corner of my eye since lunch waiting for him to make a joke or something for me to respond to nicely except he just sat there watching me and Emmett with a scowl on his face. As I felt their stares, I wrote down a lame answer shutting the book irritated. None of it was making any sense to me.
I stumbled as I tried to move down the bleachers and Edward gripped my arm to settle me. I felt like my heart was going to pound right out of my chest as my mind tried to comprehend the silence. I jerked my arm away and ignored their stares as the flooding thoughts soothed me. Why were the gods being so cruel to me?
"So what do you guys think about that new zombie movie? I think it'll be really good," Alice asked starting off our conversation the next day at lunch.
"Yeah looks awesome," Jasper hurriedly agreed.
"Oh we should all go see it. Where's the closest theater?" Emmett asked as if he had memorized the words… which he had.
"Port Angeles," Alice replied giving Emmett a slight nod. My body froze as I looked over at a disappointed-looking Jasper. Rose looked at me frowning and knowing that we couldn't go. To be exact, it was I who couldn't go; Rose and Jaz were just too loyal to hurt my feelings.
"Sounds fun," I smiled back at Alice who smiled brightly back me.
"Great! I'll look up the times," she spoke excitedly pulling out her cell phone.
You don't have to do this Bella. We can do something else… Jasper shook his head as he shared his thoughts with me.
One of the little problems that come with the curse is that I don't do well with large crowds. I guess I could be classified as an agoraphobic, but not a severe case like one of those people who'd get panic attacks by just leaving the house. I can only imagine how awful theaters are now, but I have a pretty good idea from watching movies in class. Every other guy is thinking about how hot the girl is onscreen or how hard a girl is making them, but that's not the reason for me not going. I haven't been to a movie theater since Toy Story. First and last movie I ever went to. I had seen all the previews on TV and I begged Dad for weeks to take me. When I finally convinced him, he took me in the morning of a school day. I was so excited, but unfortunately every stay-at-home-mom had the same idea. The room had been packed with screaming kids and I only lasted fifteen minutes before I passed out.
"For tonight there's a showing at 7:15 and 7:45, which one do you guys want to do?" Alice asked shaking her phone in her palm.
"How long does it take to get up there?" Emmett asked reciting his lines.
"Takes like an hour fifteen if you follow speed limits," Rose answered as Emmett grinned at her happy for the response.
"It'll take Edward thirty minutes," Alice continued. "We could all take the Jeep. It'll fit all of us."
"Um," I coughed clearing my throat. "I'm not allowed to ride with anyone else until I'm eighteen except for Rosalie and Jasper… my dad's rule." With my dad being a police officer, he's seen all the speeding tickets and car accidents, of which 95 percent involve teenagers.
"Oh alright, we'll just take two cars for the 7:45 showing, sound good?" Alice asked us as we agreed. "Edward?"
"What? Oh, yes, sounds awesome," he rolled his eyes at her. Alice continued to beam as we finished lunch, and when the bell rang, everyone scattered except for Jasper and me.
"You don't have to go; you can pull the sick card at the last minute," he tried again.
"Jaz, this is important to you. I can suffer for two hours in a dark room; it can't be any worse than this place, right?" I joked. I could have easily agreed to bailing out, but I couldn't not go. Jasper needed me to be a part of the group, and Rose needed me for backup. In public, guys were always hitting on her, and tonight Jasper would be too focused on Alice. Mrs. Hale had named her perfectly; Rose was just a magnet. She drew everybody in like bees to a flower.
"Thanks Bella, I owe you one," he sighed giving me a quick hug.
In Biology I couldn't concentrate at all. Apparently perfect Edward had to wear contacts, because he was wearing a pair of eyeglasses when I entered the room. They were thick oval lenses and the dark frames reminded me of something from the 1950's. I couldn't help but look at him as he stared down at his biology book. I didn't know a pair of glasses could be sexy, but guess what, they were on Edward.
"Could you stop staring at me?" he whispered harshly still looking down at his book.
"What?" I asked startled.
"You're staring," he turned to glance at me for a split second.
"Oh sorry, you've got an eyelash on your cheek," I mumbled motioning to my cheek. I turned away from him for the rest of the period, tossing my hair to the left side to shield him from my view.
In gym I managed to not look at him…so much. Being Friday, Coach Clapp let us have a free day with the choice of basketball or bleachers. I chose the bleachers and Emmett joined me after a game.
"So what happened at lunch? What was all that about?" he asked as I flipped through my math book.
"You caught that?" I asked knowing he was referring to Jasper and me.
"Well Edward did, and he asked me, and I remembered you guys were kind of weird," he babbled.
"Jasper and Rose feel bad because I don't do movies," I sighed.
"What?"
"It's hard for me to go to crowded places. Forks is not a problem; we've got a town population of 3500, but Port Angeles and Seattle are a little hard on me. And I don't really get to enjoy the movie with all the mind reading… So Jaz and Rose usually don't go to that many movies. I don't even know what's playing now," I finished my rant.
"Wow that sucks… I guess it's like someone talking in your ear during the whole movie," he mumbled more to himself than to me.
"Can I ask you something?" I looked over at him nervous before glancing toward the court. "What's Edward's deal?" I tried looking into his mind but all I got was Spanish and some Chinese?
"Uh well, all I can really say is that Edward is just being Edward…," he muttered watching Edward. "Why? Has he been mean to you still?"
"Not really… don't say anything to him, but we're not exactly on friendly terms," I told him thinking about all of my attempted smiles.
"I wouldn't really worry about it; he'll come around eventually, but you could always try starting over. I'd bet he'd go for it; it's something he would do," he suggested.
"Alright," I agreed. I'd never do it. Edward intimidated the hell out of me. "What's with the Chinese?" I asked him circling my finger at his head.
"Chinese? Oh, it's Vietnamese… I learned it when I was living in the system. My friend Quang taught me some, but I only remember a little. I'm friends with him on Facebook; he's name is Kevin if you want to look him up."
"Kevin?"
"It's his American name. His birth mother even gave it to him, but both his parents died in a car accident. He didn't stay long though; adopting parents love Asians," he mocked looking down at his knees.
"Oh … well I don't have a Facebook," I told him trying to change the subject.
"Everyone has a Facebook," he looked up at me. "Or a Myspace."
"I don't. I don't need one. But Rose and Jaz both have one… They have friends back in Texas," I told him.
"Oh… can I ask you a question?" he asked nervously as I nodded. "What happened to Rosalie?"
"Uh," I stuttered startled by his question.
"I know something's bad happened; I've seen it before," he murmured.
"I can't tell you; it's her secret. But it's nothing horrific like you're thinking… but it was still bad," I told him seeing his ideas of rape and assault. He had seen it before…
"Emmett!" A yell startled the both of us. "Come on, let's go," Edward called from the bottom of the bleachers dressed in his regular clothes with his book bag hanging off his shoulder. Looking around the gym, students were coming from the locker rooms and Coach Clapp was placing basketballs onto the rack.
"Crap," Emmett groaned as he hurried down the bleachers. "See you later Bella."
I muttered a goodbye as I stuffed my book back into my bag and slowly made my way down to the floor. As I glanced up, I found Edward still watching me, and when he realized I was looking at him he disappeared quickly through the doorway.
I found Rosalie standing against her car people-watching as she waited for me and Jasper. Apparently he was supposed to be helping her with her books, but I bet that they haven't stopped flirting yet to even open her locker.
"So I was thinking..." she started as I stood next to her.
"Shocking," I gasped at her joking.
"You should set up a truce or whatever with Edward. I don't know what ya'lls problems are but you guys need to get your act together. Especially since we'll be hanging out with them a lot more now," she told me.
"Yeah okay," I agreed with her. "Emmett suggested the same thing… but in a nicer way."
"Huh," she mumbled.
"Yep," I smiled peeking at her.
"Well I think you should do it as soon as possible," she continued.
"Okay," I nodded knowing I wasn't going to do it.
"Good, he's right over there," she nudged me. I looked across the parking lot to see him standing behind his shiny Volvo with the trunk open.
"Do I have to do it now?" I whined. I hadn't expected her to force me to do it especially so soon.
"Go!" she laughed pushing me forward. I groaned as I walked carefully on the pavement in his direction. Like all Fridays, kids were pulling out of the lot quickly and I tended to be invisible to mostly everyone. As I got closer, I noticed Edward was flipping through his I-pod. Again I noted his leather bracelet, and it bothered me that he wore it on his right arm. Usually if a person is right-handed, which Edward is, they'd were a watch or jewelry on their left arm, not the right. It didn't make sense; neither did the face that I had been even pondering about it. But hopefully now that he was distracted, I could sneak up on him before he tried to get away; or maybe he would continue to ignore me, so I didn't have to actually go through with this.
I was within an arm's reach of him when I heard the loud honking behind me. It all seemed to play out in slow motion…
Tyler Crowley's van was speeding down the aisle trying to get out of the parking lot as Jessica Stanley's white Honda started to pull out of her space. He swerved around her as she slammed on her brakes, but he had swerved too far… toward us. My body hit something hard as I moved to get out of the way, and I found myself on the ground scrunched up and covered in shattered glass.
I felt light raindrops on my face as I tried to sit up, and it was then I realized that I was lying on top of Edward. I rolled off of him careful of the glass and stretched out my body. The back of my head was throbbing as I looked over at Edward to see the area above his right eyebrow bleeding.
"Bella! Bella! Move damn it! Get out of my way! Bella," Rose's voice sounded over us. I looked up to see her shoving people who were crowded around us.
"Edward?!" Emmett was right behind her with a worried look on his face.
"Stop screaming," Edward groaned next to me as he sat up holding his head.
"Are you okay?" I tried asking him but my voice was drowned out by the familiar sound of sirens...
I stared down at my worn out tennis shoes trying to make myself disappear. I could hear Edward shifting on the wax paper on the cot across from me, and I tugged on my shirt again missing my hoodie that had been taken away.
"Oh Edward," a smooth voice sounded as someone entered the room crashing through the double doors. "Thank heavens you're alright." I think my jaw actually dropped at the sight of the gorgeous man. This had to be the infamous Dr. Cullen, and the nurses hadn't been lying. Aside from the blonde hair and the nose, he was a clone copy of Edward.
"I'm fine Dad. It's just a little scratch," Edward muttered as his father hugged him and examined his face.
"Where are your glasses? You're not wearing your contacts," he scolded him as he flashed his light into his eyes.
"Dad," he grumbled pulling them on.
"Bella?!" My father's voice broke me out of my trance; he entered the ER with an anxious expression.
"Hi," I smiled weakly as he gripped my shoulder. "I'm fine I swear; nothing's bleeding," I told him holding up fingers wiggling them.
"Jesus, you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days," he mumbled as he quickly kissed the top of hair. I wasn't too worried about that. My dad was very young compared to the other fathers of kids in my class. He was barely nineteen when I was born and he remained mostly fit and healthy over the years. And as of the Chief of Police, the worst thing he has to worry about is stupid kids.
"Didn't Rose call you?" I asked him as it had become customary for her to do.
"Yes, but there's a hundred kids out in the waiting room; I figured there had to be a lot of blood to draw that big of a crowd," he told me as I mentally scoffed. Most likely they're fans of Edward's or just bored. The news of the accident will be spreading around Forks until Monday. "Carlisle," he nodded toward Edward's father.
"Charlie," he returned with a handshake. "I assume this is your daughter Isabella. Hello, I'm Dr. Cullen, but you can call me Carlisle," he smiled at me.
"Bella," I corrected him as shined his light in my eyes. I stared at him as he asked me a few questions and realized his eyes weren't emerald green like Edward's. They were a strange golden hazel-y color.
"Alright I'm still going to subscribe a few painkillers for you just in case; sometimes head injuries can be fickle, and it might hurt later on," Dr. Cullen continued as I tuned out. I couldn't help but glance at the four-eyed boy across from me.
Four Eyes was supposed to be a humiliating term that school children used to bully each other. It was supposed to be demeaning and crushing, yet none of that came to my mind when I looked at Edward. The thick lenses seemed to enhance his green eyes, and the frames softened his square face. Edward Four Eyes Cullen and his stupid beautiful glasses… Why were the gods rubbing someone so perfect in my face?
"I should also be thanking you Bella," Dr. Cullen pulled me from my trance.
"For what?" I asked confused.
"From what I've heard, if you hadn't been there, Edward would be in a much worse state," he told me glancing at Edward.
"Oh," I shook my head trying my best not to blush. "I didn't," I stammered unsure of what to say. How am I supposed to respond? 'Yeah you better thank me!' And honestly I don't know how we ended up safely curled up in the little nook that the two cars created. In time of stress, our body was supposed to react in a fight or flight fashion. It could have been my instincts that "fought" for our protection; but I think my response was flight, and Edward was just in the path of my escape route.
"Hey Charlie," Sue smiled appearing next to us. "There's some paperwork for you to fill out at the front desk. Oh and Bella, I made sure to get out all of the glass for you." She handed me back my hoodie, and I eagerly pulled it on to cover up my fruits.
"Thanks Sue," I called out to her as she and my dad left the room. Sue Clearwater was a nurse here at Forks General even though she lived on the reservation in La Push, and she also happened to be my dad's secret girlfriend. They'd been seeing each other for the past five years, but I guess Dad keeps it a secret for my benefit… which I understand – not wanting me to witness anything non-G rated.
"Dad, the car…" Edward mumbled whining to his dad.
"It'll be alright; we can get it fixed," Dr. Cullen reassured him, and I rolled my eyes at Edward which did not go unnoticed. Dr. Cullen excused himself as his pager went off, and when I glanced back at Edward, he was glaring right back at me.
"Why is it that whenever you're around weird shit always happens?!" he asked harshly. "Every time I look around, you're there. It's like you're stalking me! Why were you even there?"
"Stalking you?!" I stammered feeling the anger bubbling up in me.
"And you are so rude and pretentious. Like what has Alice ever done to you? She is the kindest person ever, and you treat her like crap like you do everyone else."
"I - ugh!" I grunted angrily choking on my words. "I've apologized to Alice, and she accepted. I've quit trying to apologize to you because every time I open my mouth you run away. But you don't know me, and you don't understand anything." I slid off the wax paper and walked out of the room trying to keep myself from crying. I gave up when I found Dad flirting with Sue at the front desk.
"Bells, what's wrong?" he asked looking me over and then his eyes flicked behind me to the set of double doors.
"I just need to go home," I muttered breathing heavily.
Dad didn't say a word as he us drove home. Charlie Swan was not an emotional man. I mean he wasn't an impassive doorknob, but he didn't wear his heart on his sleeve. Nope, he wore it in the "manly" place under several layers of tissue near the bone, but I knew he loved me and cared about me immensely. I didn't need to hear him say it every day when I could see him thinking about me all the time… even though I really wasn't supposed to be listening. Around the time the normal kids discovered each other – you know when the boys started running toward the girls instead of away from them - I kind of made a deal with my Dad. I'd tried my best to block him so that he could have some privacy. Now knowing how boys think, I don't know how he was able to NOT think about certain R-rated things all those years. I mean he's still a man. Though I was a heavy sleeper…
"Bells," Dad stopped me from opening the door of the cruiser as we sat in our driveway. "Did that boy do something to you?"
"No," I sighed. "Just an argument." I hadn't told him about not being able to read Edward before, partly because I didn't want him to worry. But mostly it was because if I pretended it wasn't true, then eventually it wouldn't be.
"You know if you ever have any problems, you can come to me," he told me fiddling with the car keys. "I know something's been bothering you lately…You don't always have to do things on your own."
"I know. It's just that," I started. "That Edward guy… I can't hear him, so things have been… off. Nothing seems to make sense anymore."
"Hmph," he grunted mulling it over. "Maybe he has higher levels of estrogen."
"I don't know," I cracked a smile. "I already asked him if he was born a girl."
"What?" he chuckled making me feel better and less embarrassed.
"Yeah, he didn't take the suggestion too well."
"Huh, well all I can say is that sometimes life just refuses to make sense."
AN: This was originally ch 3 & 4 but I decided last minute to put them together because practically chapters 2,3,4 all run together as one anyway. And sorry for the mixed tenses… I wrote it out in present tense, but it's better typed as past tense…
I hoped you liked it. Ch. 2 had wrapped nicely and I hope I did that with this one too…
Imes is pronounced like Times but without the T… it's important. kind of. That's why I told you… ; )
Song lyrics: Four Kicks by Kings of Leon
THANKS FOR READING!!