As a result of my conversation with Edward I'm five minutes late for English and am reprimanded by Mr. Mason. I apologise to him and sit down. Mike smiles at me from the back of the classroom and I remember that I still haven't asked Mike to the dance yet. Today, I decide, and then text Angela the same.
At lunch Angela tells me that she feels like backing out and just texting Ben. I tell her it'll be over in a second and besides, we have to honour our pact. So I turn to Mike and say meaningfully, "Mike,"
Angela turns to her left and says, "Ben,"
"Do you want to - "
"Go to the spring dance?" Angela interrupts brightly, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
For a split second neither of the boys say anything and I'm afraid we're going to get turned down, all while pissing off Ben and Mike by putting them in a spot like this. Practically half our lunch table has turned to see what's going on. Then Ben laughs and says, "As a foursome?"
Angela says, "God, no, I'm asking you and Bella's asking Mike!"
"In that case, my answer is yes," Mike says, smiling widely.
On Angela's left Ben has given a similar answer and Angela is blushing happily. The conversation starts up again and Ben and Mike high-five. I look over to Jessica and she gives me a small smile, but then stares at the lunch room floor.
Just as I'm wondering what to say to Jessica, Angela says, "Edward Cullen is staring at you again. I wonder why he's sitting alone today."
What have I done now? I pantomime driving, point at myself and then give him a thumbs up just in case he didn't understand that I'm okay driving to Seattle.
Edward looks confused for a moment, but then he re-plasters that confident smile on his face and points at the seat next to him. As I'm trying to understand why he wants to sit with me, he winks at me. Does he think he's dazzling me? I turn my hands up to ask what he wants but he just points at the seat more insistently. He looks very desperate to talk to me so I decide to meet him.
"What do you want?" I ask in a neutral tone as I reach his seat.
"Why don't you sit with me today?" he asks, still smiling.
"Maybe because you told me you don't want to be friends?" I point out.
His face falls a little. "Bella, I said that it's better if we're not friends, not that I didn't want to be."
"So… you do want to be my friend?"
"Yes, precisely." He beams like a teacher whose student just gave the right answer.
"Well, Edward, if you want to be my friend there are some rules." His eyebrows furrow. "Stop following me places without my knowledge to pick up keys and such, it's unsettling. Don't smile at me all the time for no reason. And no winking. I don't know if you're trying to enchant me or what, but it's coming off as a bit creepy." Now I'm the teacher, waiting for the student to acquiesce.
"Okay," he agrees.
I sit down.
"So anyway, I decided that as long as I'm going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly," he begins.
I imitate the sound of a buzzer and stop him. "Another rule. No more cryptic talk. Don't say mysterious things unless you plan to explain them."
He seems let down by this. I've probably invalidated half of what he wanted to say to me. After a minute he remarks, "I think your friends are angry with me for stealing you."
"Angry? No, I think they're just surprised that you're not sitting with your family today."
"What are you thinking?" he asks suddenly.
"I'm trying to figure out what you... are," I say awkwardly.
"Um, white male, age 17, from Forks, Washington-" he recites.
"No, Edward, that's not what I mean. I think we both know something weird is going on here."
"Weird…" He feigns confusion. Then – "Hey, who's being cryptic now?"
"Okay, sorry. Look, everyone can tell that you and your family stay away from others and act a bit strange, but since you talk to me and saved me from a death-van, I also know that your hands are freezing cold, yours and your father's, you never eat, you always appear out of nowhere, and you have some lightning-fast reflexes. And so I want to know, in the most respectful way possible, what exactly you are, because this behaviour's not normal."
His face's frozen. I casually sip my lemonade and await his answer.
He brightens suddenly. "Why don't we turn this into a little game? You've obviously caught on, but can you figure out what I am?"
"Were you… bitten by a radioactive…creature?"
He laughs softly. "Seriously?"
"Okay, I need some time before I can give you an actual answer."
"Fair enough."
The bell rings and I start gathering my bag. Edward just sits there, performing fancy tricks with a bottle cap. "Aren't you coming for bio?"
"It's healthy to ditch class now and then."
Let him bunk, I need to pass this class. I rush to class… and rush out again when Mr. Banner announces that we'll be testing our blood type. Blood makes me faint; there's no way I'm sitting in there. Mr. Banner excuses me so I decide to sit on a bench outside and do some homework.
"Look who decided to bunk," says a familiar voice. Edward is smiling down at me. "Can I sit, friend?"
"Yeah. I guess you were right – it is healthy to ditch every now and then."
He smiles wider. "Yeah, I'm always right."
I'm writing the answers to a cell division worksheet when Edward asks, "Why'd you change your mind, though? About bunking class?"
"Blood makes me sick."
"Ah… me too." Then he laughs loudly like he cracked a joke and adds, "Not really."
I don't get the joke so I focus on what I do get – my bio homework. As I'm writing down the answer to question three I see Mike turn the corner, supporting someone from our bio class who looks positively faint. Another one who can't stand being around blood. I'm out of my seat just as Edward's saying, "Bella, go."
I hide in the gym, hoping no more bleeding zombies (okay, finger-pricked humans) will come my way. Twenty minutes later gym starts and the other students start trooping in. I go to get changed and meet Mike on the way there. "Are you feeling better now?" he asks, concerned.
"Yeah, thanks."
"Listen, about the beach trip – come to my dad's store at ten on Saturday."
I assure him I'll be there – he has to show me the tri-rock, after all. He smiles at that and goes to change. One very lively (and very sweaty) basketball game later I'm walking out to my truck when Edward catches up. "Hey, can I drive you home? In your truck if you want," he offers quickly. "And this isn't creepy, because we're friends now," he adds proudly.
I want to say that it's a bit creepy how fast this friendship is moving, considering we weren't even talking before lunch and now this is the third time he's sought me out today. But then I realise that maybe the Cullens' isolation isn't entirely by choice. I might be Edward's first friend at this school. When was the last time the poor guy hung out with someone who's not in his family?
So I nod and Edward climbs into the passenger seat, pleased. He sits there for a bit listening to the music and then says, "I didn't know you're into classical music."
"Me? Not so much. My mom? Into it, big time. It reminds me of her."
He asks about my mom and I tell him of her cooking experiments, her fanciful imaginings, her eccentricities, and her affectionate nature. He's silent for the rest of the journey. When we reach he asks, "How old are you, Bella?"
"Seventeen. Just like every other junior…" I say, unsure where he's going with this.
"You seem older."
"Hey, teenagers can be mature. Also, someone had to be the responsible one, living with my mom. I love her, but she gets carried away sometimes…"
"Bella, are you scared of me? You know, what you said about me putting others off, being creepy…"
I regret saying that. I hope I haven't hurt his feelings. "No. You're just… mysterious and… aloof."
He sighs but doesn't say anything. "I should go, my family's probably wondering where I went. Have fun at the beach tomorrow."
In a spur of the moment decision I ask Edward if he wants to come. I doubt he gets invited to things often. Edward says he can't, he's going hiking with Emmett. Before I can ask him how he plans to get back to school, he jumps out and disappears into the rain.