Thanks for waiting for me to come back, guys. I'm here with another update filled with Edward Cullen wonderfulness. Thank you to my two wonderful reviewers. I really hope that more people start to review soon, because I know you are reading this story, I see the story stats - so you, yes you. You with the face. You should review, it makes me feel better about updating :)
Enjoy!
The next morning it was very hard to argue with the part of me that assured myself that last night was a dream. Logic wasn't on my side, nor was common sense. I clung to the parts that were permanently imbedded in my brain - like his smell. I was sure my imagination wasn't good enough to come up with that all on it's little lonesome.
It was foggy and dark outside my window, and I was just as happy as I had been to see the sun. He had no reason to disappear from school today. I dressed in cooler clothes, trying to remember that I didn't have a jacket for the ride there. It would be cold - I needed to remember to buy a new one in Seattle. At least I'd find one in those stores, even if not as nice.
When I got downstairs, Charlie was gone - I was running later than I had thought. I swallowed a granola bar in three bites, chased it down with milk straight from the carton and egged myself to move faster with simple chantings of 'run, run, run', 'late, late, late' and 'stupid, stupid, stupid'. When I rushed out the door a gave a little gasp at how cold it was, trying to cease my chanting. It was unusually foggy and I was actually in the driveway before I could see that there was a second car in the driveway with mine - a silver car.
I didn't see where he had come from, but suddenly, he was there at the passenger's door, holding it open for me.
"Do you want to ride with me today?" he asked, amused by my expression - and probably the sounds he had heard me making. There was uncertainty in his voice, as if he wasn't sure I would accept something that was clearly a choice. But it wasn't a choice at all. How could I say no to that?
"Stop being nervous." I instructed as I smirked at him and stepped into the warm car, noticing his jacket was slung over my seat. I looked at him as he was sitting next to me suddenly - hadn't my door just closed? - and he saw my eyes on his coat.
"I brought the jacket for you. I didn't want you to get sick or something." His voice was still guarded. I noticed he wasn't wearing a jacket himself, just a light gray knit V-neck shirt with long sleeves. Again the fabric clung to him beautifully. It was a colossal tribute to his face that it was beautiful enough to keep me from staring at his body.
"I'm not that fragile-" I began, but at the glare I received, rolled my eyes and put the jacket over my shoulders. I tried not to look like I was enjoying it as much as I was - he smelled delicious. Ha. Ironic.
"Aren't you?" he contradicted. I didn't feel the need to answer. We drove through the fog-shrouded streets far too quickly, feeling awkward. Or at least, I was. Last night all the walls were down, but I didn't know if we were talking under the same terms and impressions, today. It left me tongue-tied.
"What, no twenty questions today?" He asked with a smirk. I immediately relaxed.
"That happens to be my favourite game." I taunted, but seriously - it was. "Why, do my questions bother you?"
"Not as much as your reactions do." He looked like he was joking, but I wasn't sure.
I frowned. "I react badly?"
"No, that's the problem. You take everything so coolly - it's unnatural. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking."
"I always tell you what I'm really thinking." I countered immediately.
"You edit," he accused. I looked at him with raised, skeptical eyebrows.
"I can't lie to save my life." When he kept his gaze on me I sighed. "Okay, maybe once or twice...a little."
"That's enough to drive me insane." I shrugged, looking back out my window, loving the effect of the fog hanging in the trees.
"You don't want to hear it." I assured him. The pain in my voice was very faint, I hoped he hadn't noticed it.
He didn't respond and I had hoped that I didn't ruin the mood. We made it into the parking lot of the school, but something occurred to me far too late.
"Where's the rest of your family?" I asked, more than glad to be alone with him, but remembering that his car was usually full.
"They took Rosalie's car." He shrugged as he parked next to a glossy red BMW M3 convertible. It looked like a 2004 or a 2006. It was a beautiful specimen of vehicle and I had to concentrate to make sure that I didn't drool on the window. "Ostentatious, isn't it?"
"It's beautiful," I breathed. "333 horsepower to 7900 rpm, right?"
He looked at me like I was insane. "You know cars." He stated, much like Jacob. I was starting to think by people's reactions that identifying cars was something no other girl here in Washington could do. "I thought you hated going fast?"
"I like it in theory - no one I have ever known has been that fast before last night. No need to be. I live in the city, I don't get a personal brain-radar." I fake glared at him. He smiled.
"If you like cars why are you driving that piece of scrap m-"
"Do not hate that truck. It's got character."
"That generally comes with 300,000 miles." I smiled, proud that my truck may have actually hit that mark, but knowing it hadn't. It really would have fallen apart and not even someone who could rebuild cars like Jacob could have fixed that.
"If she has that, why do you drive a Volvo?" I asked. He looked at me in shock, only looking away so that he could park.
"So you don't like Volvos now?"
"They're overrated. And in comparison to BMW convertibles?" I looked at him sceptically. "Can you blame me?"
He laughed. "Like I said, it's ostentatious. We try to blend in."
"You'll never succeed." I laughed as I got out of the car. I wasn't late anymore, his lunatic driving had gotten me to school with plenty of time. "So, if Rosalie's car is so ostentatious, why did she drive?"
"Haven't you noticed?" he asked with amused, bright eyes. "I'm breaking all the rules now." He met me at the front of the car, staying close to my side as we walked onto campus. I wanted to close that little distance, to reach out and touch him, but I was afraid he wouldn't want me to - like he never had.
"Why do you have cars like that at all, if you're looking for privacy?" I asked him, looking up. He was much taller than I remember thinking on the first day, even when he stood up and marched out of the room. He was over six foot, which was a bit of strain on my neck, even if I was five foot six and a half.
"An indulgence," he admitted with an impish smile. "We all like to drive fast."
"Of course you do."
Under the shelter of the cafeteria roof's overhang, Jessica was waiting, her eyes bout to bug out of their sockets. As soon as I was close enough she was quick to cling onto my arm, looking straight at Edward Cullen as if he were an alien - which was kind of close. Basically my first guess when I had asked if he were from Krypton.
"Good morning, Jessica." Edward said politely. It wasn't really his fault that his voice was so irresistible, or what his eyes were capable of so I didn't judge Jessica as she ogled.
"Er...hi." She shifted her wide eyes to me at that time, trying to get her thoughts together. "I couldn't find your jacket and I have to go to class."
"You should probably go then," I said with just as much emphasis behind my words. Surprisingly, she got my hints a lot faster than I thought she would and detached herself so that I could regain some circulation.
"I guess I'll see you in Trig, Liv." She gave me a meaningful look.
"Yeah, I'll see you then." She walked away, pausing twice to peek over her shoulder at us. I sighed after she was out of earshot.
"What are you going to tell her?" Edward asked.
"You told me you couldn't read my mind!" I hissed.
"I can't." He smiled. "However, I can read hers - she'll be waiting to ambush you in class." I groaned as I pulled off his jacket - taking moment to breathe him in - and handing it back to him. He shook his head and I was quick to shrug it back onto my shoulders, glad that at least his smell could give me some comfort...which was slightly, really creepy of me.
"So, what are you going to tell her?"
"Little help?" I asked him. "What does she want to know?"
He shook his head, a cruel grin spreading across his face. "That's not fair."
"No, you holding out on me is what isn't fair." He that deliberated for a moment, while we walked, trying to determine what he could and could not tell me. We walked towards my first class quietly, ignoring the stares.
"She wants to know if we are secretly dating. And she wants to know how you feel about me."
"Putain." I swore. "What should I say?" People were passing by us and probably staring so I tried to keep my expression plain. He stopped in the middle of our walk and turned towards me, humming to himself thoughtfully. He caught a stray lock of hair that was escaping the twist on my neck and wound it back into place. My heart spluttered hyperactively.
"I suppose you could say yes to the first...if you don't mind, of course. It's easier than any other explanation."
"I can't lie," I reminded him in a quiet voice.
"I don't think with the amount of time I intend to be near you that it could be considered a lie," he hummed thoughtfully. I felt my heart stop.
"Oh." Not my best response, but I was surprised I could vocalize anything at all.
"And as for her other question...well, I'll be listening to hear the answer to that one myself." One side of his mouth pulled up into my favourite uneven smile. I couldn't catch my breath soon enough to respond to that remark. He turned and walked away. "I'll see you at lunch." He called over his shoulder. People everywhere watched in awe.
I hurried into class, flushed and irritated. He was such a cheat! He was totally going to spy on everything I had to say to Jessica so that he would know some of what I was thinking and in the end, I would know nothing more because stupid boys can't talk about emotions. I thought about not telling Jessica anything, but let's be honest - she would get it out of me through force.
"Morning, Liv." Mike said form the seat next to me. I looked up to see an odd, almost resigned look on his face. "How was Port Angeles?"
"It was..." There was no way to sum it up. "Great," I finished stupidly. It was not just great. "Jessica found a really nice dress."
"Did she say anything about Monday night?" he asked, his eyes brightening in excitement. I became a little more excited too, glad to see where the conversation was going.
"She said she had a really good time." I assured him.
"She did?" he asked eagerly.
"Well, I can't give you any more details without blowing the bomb, but yeah. That you got her a carnation was a really sweet touch." He blushed. At least now he knew that I knew everything - which was a plus. Depending on how much he thought about it, he would know that she had had such a good time she'd decided to blurt it to the world.
Mr. Mason called the class to order then, asking us to turn in our papers. English and then Government passed in a blur, while I was worried how I was going to explain things to Jessica and agonized over the fact that Edward would know everything I did say. How very convenient his little talent could be when he wasn't using it to save my life.
By the end of second hour, the fog had almost disappeared, but the day was still dark with low and intrusive clouds. I smiled up at the sky as I walked towards Trig. This looked more like lightning than rain that would end up hitting and it meant that I would get a good nights sleep and be able to relax more. There hadn't been a storm in weeks.
Edward was right. As always. Jessica was sitting in the back row, nearly bouncing off her seat in agitation. I reluctantly went to sit by her, trying to convince myself that I should just get it over with.
"Tell-me-everything!" she commanded before I was in my seat.
"What do you want to know?" I hedged, trying to take my books out of my bag for something to do.
"What happened last night?"
"We went out for dinner." I explained when she was about to talk, I added. "Yes. He bought." She squeaked a bit, so I shrugged. "Then he drove me home."
"How did you get home so fast?" She glared, her expression completely suspicious.
"He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying." I hope the spying little bugger heard it. I hope he even laughed in class and had people look at him like he was out of place.
"Was it like a date? Did you tell him to meet you there?"
"No." I blushed. "I was...very surprised to see him there." She must have remembered how terrible I was with lying because she believed it even with the awkward pause. Her lips puckered in disappointment of my lack of thrilling details.
"But he picked you up for school today?"
"Yes - that was an even bigger surprise. He nearly made me pee myself when he was suddenly right beside me." I laughed. "He noticed that I didn't have a jacket last night."
"So...are you going out again?"
"He offered to drive me to Seattle Saturday because he thinks my amazing truck isn't up to it...does that count?"
"Yes." She assured me, far too hyper for her own good.
"Well, that's certainly not the kind of date I'm used to." I smirked.
"No one is used to a date with Edward Cullen! W-o-w." She exaggerated the word into three syllables.
"Wait!" Her hands flew up and the three rows in front of us turned to look at her. We duck our heads closer together to try and stay quiet. "Has he kissed you yet?"
"No." I said immediately, my face clearly burning. I really hoped that he couldn't see things, too. "It isn't like that." She looked disappointed and I knew that I did, too.
"Do you think Saturday...?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively. I widened my eyes a little.
"I really doubt it." I was doing a terrible job disguising my dislike of the situation.
"What did you talk about?" She asked, pushing for more. Class had started but the teacher wasn't paying close attention and we weren't the only ones talking, so at least we weren't being too loud. I hoped we wouldn't get caught. So long as we were whispering: I didn't want everyone to know. Or did I? It would be nice to...what? Claim him? Not necessarily claim him...but more so have it so I could.
"I don't know, lots of stuff?" I basically whispered back. "We talked about the English essay a bit, our families, us..."
"Please, Liv, give me some details!" She was pleading now, dying from the lack of gossip. I giggled a bit before nodding.
"Well, okay, I've got one. You should have seen the waitress flirting with him - it was over the top noticeable but he didn't pay any attention to her at all." Let him make what he could of that.
"That's a good sign," she encouraged. "What she pretty?"
"Very. She was probably nineteen or twenty."
"Even better." She was almost squeaking in excitement. "He must like you!"
"I think so, but it's hard to tell. He's always so cryptic." I sighed and looked at me with wide eyes.
"I don't know how you're brave enough to be alone with him." she breathed. I looked started, I was sure. I looked her up and down.
"Why?"
"He's so...intimidating. I wouldn't know what to say to him." She made a face, probably remembering this morning or last night when he had turned his dazzle on. I laughed a bit.
"Sometimes I have a problem with speaking in general, around him. He just...kind of paralyzes me." I admitted, blushing a bit when I thought about how he was be listening.
"Oh well. He is unbelievably gorgeous." Her shrug told me that to her, that was all that mattered. I wrinkled me nose when I realized that it was probably true.
"There's so much more to him than that." I sneered, my eyes widened when I realized what I had blurted. Well, Edward - in case you didn't know that not only are you the most gorgeous guy we had ever seen, now I thought about you often and all your amazingness. Hope you don't mind. Now as you listen in you're about to hear me gush and watch me turn to jelly at the mere mention of you.
"Really?" She asked, ready for the gossip. "Like what?"
I should have let it go. I hoped he was joking about listening in but from the little I knew about Edward and his frustration with not being able to hear me, I knew that he was going to. I probably would have, too. I bit my lip, carefully calculating out the best response.
"I can't explain it right, but he's even more unbelievable behind his face." She snorted. If only she knew about the vampire who wanted to save life and used his curse to do so. Just so he wouldn't be the monster the world was trying to push him to be.
"Is that possible?"
I nodded.
"So, you like him, then?" Guh! Why didn't she give up? This was the question I knew I shouldn't answer and yet the answer came immediately.
"Obviously."
"I mean, do you really like him?" she urged. I giggled.
"Yeah..." I blushed again. I hoped that detail wouldn't registered in her thoughts. She'd had enough of my single word answers.
"How much do you like him?"
"Way too much." I whispered. She made a high pitch noise in the back of her throat. "Obviously more than he likes me - but I don't see how I can help that." I added for his benefit. I wondered if my face would now be permanently blushed.
Thankfully, Mr. Varner asked Jessica for the answer to the next question and it gave me time to regroup. I tried to pretend to pay attention for the rest of the class and started evasive action the minute the bell rang.
"In English, Mike asked me how you liked Monday night."
"You're kidding! What did you say?" She gasped and I knew that I was safe.
"I told him that you said you had a lot of fun - he seemed really excited."
"Tell me exactly what he said and your exact answer!"
We spent the rest of the walk and most of Spanish on my description of the conversation and Mike's facial expressions. I wouldn't have kept the attention on someone else's personal conversation for so long had it not been to keep myself safe. And then came lunch. Jessica noticed my excitement as soon as I shoved my books in my bag without thought of them.
"You're not sitting with us today, are you?"
"I don't think so." I couldn't be sure that he wouldn't conveniently disappear again. But outside our Spanish class, leaning against the wall - looking more like a Greek god than an 11th grade student - was Edward waiting for me patiently. Jessica took one look, made a high pitched sound that she thought he wouldn't hear, and departed.
"See you later, Liv." Her voice was thick with implications. Something told me that I might have to turn the ringer off my phone. I looked up at him innocently.
"Hello." His voice was amused and irritated at the same time.
"Hi." There wasn't really much else to say and he didn't speak - biding his time, making me wait for the inevitable taunting and possibly dismissal of friendship - so it was a quiet walk to the cafeteria. He even came to stand in line with me, which earned me stares as if it was my first day all over again.
He led the way in the line, still not speaking, though his eyes returned to my face every few seconds speculatively. It seemed to me that irritation was winning out over amusement as the dominant emotion - which made me nervous. I wondered which part of the conversation he didn't like. Maybe it was back to the idea that I could possibly like him too much and that he didn't want me to like him at all?
He stepped up to the counter and quickly filled a tray of food - most of which was my favourite food.
"How did you-" I realized he probably had taken note of everything I had eaten. "You're not getting all that for me?" I was not up to eating so much. He shook his head, stepping forward to buy the food.
"Half is for me of course." I raised my eyebrow but he said nothing else, only led me to the same place we had sat the Thursday before. From the table to our left a group of seniors sat amazed as they looked at us but Edward seemed oblivious.
"Take whatever you want." He pushed the tray toward me. I smiled, picking up a green apple and turning it around in my hands.
"I'm curious," I started. "What would you do if someone dared you to eat some food?"
"You're always curious." He grimaced, shaking his head. He glared at me, holding my eyes as he lifted the slice of pizza off the tray and deliberately bit off a mouthful, chewed quickly, and swallowed. I watched, eyes narrowed. "It someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn't you?" he asked condescendingly. I frowned.
"I actually have eaten dirt. I was really bullied and it was that or dog dung." I wrinkled my nose. "I also ate worms for a dare."
"I suppose I'm not surprised about the worms but..." he shivered. "To think of someone bullying you." We stopped that conversation before one of us got too into it. Something over my shoulder caught my attention and he grinned.
"Jessica is analyzing everything I do. She plans to break it down for you later." He pushed the rest of the pizza towards me. I put down my apple and took a bite of the cheese pizza. Luckily he didn't know the toppings I liked on it - if he did, I would be unnerved. He knew too much about me and I felt like I knew very little about him. Save his biggest secret in the world by knowing he and his family are a coven a vampires...that's no big deal, though.
"So the waitress was pretty, was she?" He began casually. I snorted, it was a good start.
"I was joking when I said you didn't notice. No need to make fun."
"I didn't notice, actually." He shrugged. "I was paying attention to more important things." His eyes smouldered over to me and tried to hold back my shiver. No fair.
"Poor girl." I could now afford to be generous, but I can't say it was entirely heartfelt. I took another bite of pizza. He was still battling with himself and I watched patiently until he was ready.
"Something you said to Jessica...well, it bothers me." I kept my gaze steady on him and took another bite of pizza.
"Not surprising." I said when I was done chewing. "Hearing unrehearsed scripts and overhearing real conversations are always a bit of a letdown. No chase scenes."
"I warned you I would be listening." He reminded. I rolled my eyes.
"I warned you that you wouldn't like what goes through my head." I was proud that I was able to hold my aggravation and make coherent sentences. This was a step in the right direction. "You should be glad that you don't know what I think about. The rest of the world usually is."
"I wouldn't tend to agree." He frowned lightly. "You did say that, but you aren't precisely right. I do want to know what you're thinking - everything. Every minute. I just wish...that you wouldn't be thinking some things." I scowled.
"I don't really understand the difference."
"But that's not the point at the moment." He told, shaking his head like we had both been dazed again. It surprised me, because he was shaking his and I wasn't. There was a moment I wished that I could do that to him - dazzle him. Confound him to the point the just gazed at me to look at me. That would never be the case.
"What is?" I asked moodily, now upset when I started thinking, for the hundredth time, how out of my league he is. He leaned forward to me, his hands under his chin. I leaned forward too, trying to remember that we were in a populated area, so we had to stay quiet about some things. I didn't want to get excited or anything.
"Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?" he murmured, leaning closer to me as he spoke, his dark golden eyes piercing.
I didn't remember how to breathe. The question had knocked the air out of me and I was drowning in my own, heavy surprise and happiness. That was it. It's official. This was all a dream. A fantastic, wonderful dream that I would kill myself for - just so I would never wake up.
"Stop it." I muttered, leaning away slightly.
"What?" His eyes were wide, he hadn't expected me to move away, it seemed.
"Dazzling me. You're compelling enough as it is. So stop it." I smirked at him. He frowned slightly.
"Oh."
"It's not your fault. I know you can't help it." I muttered. "You've had 'a while' to become holder of hearts." I giggled but stopped abruptly as I realized what I said. I paused for an infinitely long and awkward time until he thankfully broke the silence.
"Are you going to answer the question?" I bit my lip.
"Yes."
"Yes, you are going to answer, or yes, you really think that?" He asked suspiciously. I sighed, hoping he would have just taken the answer.
"Yes. That is what I truly believe." I kept my eyes down on the table, my fingers playing with the indents in the linoleum table. The silence dragged on, but I stubbornly refused to be the first to break it again. I fought hard against the need to look at his face, too, even when I heard him heave a sigh.
"You're wrong."
I glanced up in surprise, a knee-jerk reaction. His eyes were gentle.
"You can't know that." I was disappointed in myself. Since when had I become some stupid damsel in distress Mary-Sue? This may have been what I wanted but I didn't know that I would have to change to get it. Then again - had I? Or was I just constantly nervous around him because of how sensitive everything was?
"What makes you think that I can't?" He asked, his eyes penetrating. I assumed he was listening rather forcefully to hear something from my mind. I tried to silence my thoughts just in case.
"Let me think." I began somewhat sarcastically as I leaned away from him. "Aside from the obvious - and I can't be sure because some of us can't read minds - but sometimes you're saying goodbye when you say something else to me." That was the best I could come up with to explain the sensation of anguish that his words often seemed to carry.
"Perceptive," he whispered. And there was the anguish again, surfacing as he confirmed my fear. "But that is also why you are wrong." He began to explain further but suddenly his eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by 'the obvious'?"
"Well look at me," I said, though he already was. I indicated with my hand towards my entire being. "I'm so ordinary - in body, personality, and most other aspects of ordinarylife - well, except for bad things like all the near-death experiences, the fact that I've got good mental shield against you and that I'm so clumsy I should be considered disabled. Now, let's look at you," I waved my hand toward him and all his perfection.
He seemed angry for a moment but then his eyes took on a knowing look. "You don't see yourself very clearly, you know. I'll admit that you are dead-on about the bad things," he chuckled blackly. "But you didn't hear what every human male was thinking on your first day of school."
"Fresh meat?" I offered. He smirked.
"Trust me just this once - you are the opposite of ordinary. For all the 'bad' reasons you listed, and then some." I had to swallow to wet my throat enough so I could speak again.
"But in the end - well, no, because it's not the end - I just...I'm not saying goodbye." I stumbled, glad that I finally got the sentence out in the end. He nodded.
"But don't you see? That is what proves me right. I care the most because if I can do it," he seemed to struggle with the thought of whether or not he could, "if leaving is the right thing to do," he rephrased. "Then I'll hurt myself by not hurting you just to keep you safe." With a mood shift, he was smirking at me again, his golden eyes playful.
"Of course, keeping you safe is beginning to feel like a full-time occupation that requires my constant presence." I did not argue that for a moment, because I wanted him to be there constantly. But I still had a bone to pick.
I glared. "Your theory is flawed."
"Is it?" He seemed surprised by my severity.
"Yes. Because if you left - it would hurt me more than anything else that you've had to save me from." Silence. Deafening silence as he thought over my words, a crease appearing in between his eyebrows as he concentrated on it. I was glad he was giving me that much, at least.
"Luckily." He explained. "No one seems to want to hurt you today."
"Yet," I added with a smile.
"I have another question for you." his face was still casual.
"Shoot."
"Do you really need to go to Seattle this Saturday, or was that just an excuse to get out of saying no to all your admirers?"
I made a face. "You're lucky I like you more than you like me," his eyes narrowed. "Because I haven't forgiven or forgotten about the Tyler incident and your involvement. It's your fault he thinks he's taking me to Prom."
"Oh, he would have found a chance to ask you without me - I just really wanted to watch your face," he chuckled. I would have been angrier had I not liked his laugh so much. "If I'd asked you would you have let me down?"
"Nope." I said very clearly. "But I may have canceled after - faked an illness or an injury of some sort, since you know how often I get those."
"Why would you do that?" He asked in puzzlement.
"I may have gone to an Art school, but that doesn't mean I'm not a dork. In fact, it probably makes me a bigger one. Luckily I'm better at dancing than Gym. Actually, I really like dancing."
"Then why would you cancel?"
"Call it stage fright," I offered lamely. "Besides, I'd feel terrible embarrassing you," I cut him off before he could argue me. "And I would, somehow. Probably involving falling on my face, spilling my drink all over my dress, ripping my dress, slipping-"
"So it's because you can't walk over a flat, stable surface without finding something to trip over?" he questioned with a smile. I feigned insult.
"Hey! Air is a very stable, constant factor in my tripping. If you can trip over air, it should be considered talent, not incapability."
"Well, your clumsiness would not be a problem. It's all about the leading." I smiled, biting my lip.
"You dance?"
"I've had a few years to practice." He mocked. I giggled.
"So have I." I whispered. He looked at me with a skeptical eyebrow raised.
"You do?"
"I do. Remarkably well considering how I can't seem to walk. I mean - not remarkably just...in comparison. I wasn't the best in my class or anything - even close, but I can just be somewhat graceful."
He smiled at me thoughtfully. "I would have liked to see that."
"Too bad you didn't ask me to the dance then." He winced but smiled, it seemed he liked knowing he had the option to.
"You never told me - are you resolved on going to Seattle, or do you mind if we do something different?" I didn't, actually. Not at all. Sure, I had made plans to buy things and try to impress him with how well I did in big cities, but if he had other plans so long as they involved 'we' I didn't mind.
"I am open to alternatives, on one condition."
"You seem to always have conditions." He sighed.
"Can I drive?"
He frowned. "Why?"
"Well, mostly because when I told Charlie I was going to Seattle he specifically asked if I was going to go alone - which I was at the time. I wouldn't lie to him if he asked again, but since I don't think he will I don't want to cause issues. I don't want to leave my truck at home and bring up the subject necessarily." He nodded slowly and I smiled as I added, "and your driving terrifies me."
He rolled his eyes. "Of all the things about me that could frighten you, you worry about my driving." He shook his head in disgust, but his eyes were serious again. "Won't you tell your father that you are spending the day with me?" There was an undercurrent to the question that I didn't understand.
"With Charlie, less is always more." I explained. "Where are we going, anyway?"
"The weather will be nice, so I'll be staying out of the public eye...and you can stay with me, if you'd like to." He added, leaving the choice up to me. My eyes widened, excitedly.
"You'll show me what you mean about the sun?"
"Yes." He smiled too, then paused. "But if you don't want to be...alone with me, I'd still rather you didn't go to Seattle by yourself. I shutter to think of the trouble you could find in a city that size."
"Phoenix is three times bigger than Seattle - just in population. In actual size-"
"But apparently your number wasn't up in Phoenix, so I'd rather you stayed near me." His eyes did that unfair paralyzing thing again and I couldn't argue.
"If you insist." I mocked.
"You should still tell Charlie, though." I widened my eyes dramatically and shook my head.
"No..." I drew out the word, lowly. "Why would I do that?"
"To give me some small incentive to bring you back." I gulped.
"I'm going to take my chances. " He exhaled angrily. "Let's talk about something else."
"What would you like to talk about?" He was still annoyed, but willing to talk was a good sign.
"Why did you go to that Goat Rocks place last weekend...to hunt? Charlie said it wasn't a good place to hike, because of bears." He stared at me like I was missing something very important. "Bears? You know, those are not in season."
"If you read carefully, the laws only cover hunting with weapons," he informed, watching my face with enjoyment as that sank in.
"Bears?" I repeated doubtfully.
"Grizzly is Emmett's favourite." His voice was still offhand but his eyes were scrutinizing my reactions.
"Hm," I mumbled, taking another bite of pizza. "So, what's your favourite? Ant eater?" I taunted.
He raised his eyebrows as his mouth turned down in disapproval. "Mountain lion."
I pouted. "Lions are my second favourite animal."
"What is your first?" I avoided the subject, not wanting to talk about what he may or may not know about other fairytales and folklore by telling him that I liked wolves.
"Wouldn't you get caught by hunting too much?"
"We have to be careful not to impact the environment. We try to focus on areas with an overpopulation of predators - ranging as far away as we need. There's always plenty of deer and elk here, which will do, but where's the fun in that?"
"Oh yeah. So boring." I murmured, trying to imagine running after a deer. I rubbed my scraped palms absentmindedly.
"Early spring is Emmett's favourite bear season - they're just coming out of hibernation, so they're more irritable." He smiled at some joke that I didn't understand. I frowned, taking another bite of pizza. "Will you please tell me what you're really thinking behind the sarcasm?"
"I'm trying to picture it - but I can't." I admitted. "How do you hunt a bear without weapons? Or catch a deer - well, I mean, you could cause you're so fast but I'd just die."
"We have weapons," he flashed his bright teeth in a threatening smile. I fought back a shiver before it could expose me. "Just not the kind they consider when writing hunting laws. If you've ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Emmett hunting."
I couldn't stop the next shiver that flashed down my spine. I peeked across the cafeteria towards Emmett and was glad he was looking away from me. The thick bands of muscle that wrapped his arms and torso were suddenly even more menacing - though I hadn't before thought it possible.
"Are you like a bear, too?" I asked him.
"More like a lion, or so they tell me. Perhaps our preferences are indicative."
"Perhaps." I tried to smile, trying not to think about him taking down Mufasa. "I'd think you'd be more like a cheetah - because of how quick you are."
He smiled at me. "Perhaps. I never considered it."
"Will I get to see?"
"Absolutely not!" His face turned even whiter than usual and his eyes were furious. I leaned back, stunned and slightly frightened by his reaction. He leaned back as well, folding his arms across his chest. I bit my lip, trying to see if I could get away with saying 'I meant see how fast you can run', but knew that I wasn't so good a liar.
"Too freaky?" I whispered.
"If that were it, I would take you out tonight," he hissed. "You need a healthy dose of fear. Nothing could be anymore beneficial."
"So why is it a problem?" He glared at me and I found myself flinching away. His eyes automatically softened when he realized he was scaring me and he stood from the table.
"Later. We're going to be late." I jumped up, grabbing my bag from the back of my chair.
"Later, then." I agreed, knowing this would not be something I forgot about when 'later' finally came.
I hope you liked it, guys. I would like to send a special shout out to my reviewers:
Angel of the Night Watchers: You quoted Finding Nemo in your last review. I am pretty sure that you are my favourite person ever. That is why your reviews are so awesome. You should try it, it really helps me and then you can get past a lot of the little bumps in the road and edit what you don't like right out. It saves time, or at least, that's what I find. Yes, Edward is very charming - it's so sad it doesn't come across in the movies, even though Eclipse was a lot better for it. I've heard Spanish is really hard to learn and I know a derivitive of Yugoslavian, which is kind of dulled down since the countries have all been mixed together in that area to form the Czech Republic. Pretty random, I know. It's nice to hear that the other books would be interesting to read, I think about how Vivienne would handle herself all the time. Being depressed and holding herself together? Pft. Nope. I picture her pissed. Newborn army? I doubt she'd be as desensitized. I can imagine it now...
Eryn Goddess of Chaos: As I just said to the reviewer before you, yeah, I don't see New Moon in the same way at all were it Vivienne instead of Bella. I'd imagine her being really, really mad. There would be no bed-ridden nature for her...well, maybe the first few days, but that's customary for any break up. I do appreciate your monster reviews, it gives me much more insight and of course the most genuine people seem to be talkative, so it's not a negative thing :) I wish I could speak something cool like Japanese. I used to watch anime, but the channel I watched it on seemed to disappear and the timing doesn't work with my school scheduling for others. The nitty gritty is on it's way so I hope you're ready for it! Thank you for the review, it was wonderful to recieve, as always!