The Learning Curve: Chapter 18
Port Angeles
Edward couldn't see me again outside of school until Monday because of his grounding for his violent outburst. I only got to see him in English and Biology, which gave me a chance to talk to him a little bit, but never about our lessons. We couldn't sit together at lunch, either - even if he wanted to sit with me, which I didn't think he did, it would only add fuel to the fire. Thanks to Mike, everyone knew that Edward had hit him, and they all knew it had to do with me. The worst story I'd heard so far was that Edward had gotten me pregnant. The rumor didn't worry me nearly as much as the future possibility, so I told Alice we'd be looking into birth control that Saturday when we went shopping for unmentionables. Fortunately, she'd already been through this and knew of a free clinic I could visit for a prescription.
The thing I found hardest to manage for the rest of the school week was not kissing Edward. Not once. He'd given me a taste, and now I was dying for more - like a kid that had never eaten candy before, then ate a huge box of chocolates, and then had to go back to life without chocolate.
It was downright inhumane.
On Saturday, I found myself in a dressing room in a department store in Port Angeles, trying on bras I had no intention of buying. Alice had a point about pretty underwear, and the panties I could handle, but the bras were out of hand. No way was I wearing an underwire when I had barely anything to hold up.
"Alice, can we pay a little more attention to comfort?" I complained as I wriggled back into my usual cotton bra. "There has to be something lacy out there that doesn't feel like it's trying to crack my ribs."
"Comfort is for sissies," Alice shot back, but when I opened the door a moment later, she was holding up some less offensive options.
After we picked out more new underwear than I needed and depleted my savings more than I wanted, Alice took me to the free clinic.
Since it was a Saturday, it was packed, and I felt claustrophobic in the small, crowded waiting area. Alice chattered away to distract me, but I couldn't truly forget about where I was until I heard an all too familiar voice.
"Bella? What are you doing here?"
My face instantly went red.
"What are you doing here, Edward?"
"Volunteering. My dad made me come with him. Part of my penance for assaulting Newton."
"Oh."
"Bella? Really, why are you here? Is there something wrong?"
I swallowed and looked away. "I, um, I needed a prescription."
"Oh." To Edward's credit, he seemed to get it right away. "I could pull some strings for you, get you seen faster."
"I - um - I would really rather not see your dad about this."
He gave a wry smile. "I'd rather you didn't either."
A/N: I take it back about chapter 21. Chapter 22 is going to be the real killer.
Today's A/N is also a public service announcement. To those inquiring about my other stories: Anatomy of a Human and Madman's Mercy will probably be on hold until December. I'm focusing all my energies this month on finishing Bonne Foi - and writing this, of course, but 500-word chapters are significantly easier than 4000-word chapters.