Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or its characters. I own the plot of this, though.
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, views & alerts! MY LONGEST CHAPTER YET! I think I'm screwing up my overall plot, so I have to fix everything. I wrote the final outline of things. I have about 10ish chapters to go, unless I think of something else to add. Happy? Sad? Blah?
YOU MUST READ THIS: I suppose some of you might be really confused about the relationship Edward and Cessa share. Let me try to explain this. I suppose it's very evident that they like each other, but they both don't want to admit it, 'kay? The reasons behind this will be revealed as we progress through the story. :)
-xx-
Chapter 24
The following morning, I parked my yellow Beetle next to Edward's Volvo. He was standing there, leaning against his car. He smiled at me as I got out of my vehicle. We walked across the vast grounds of the school. A huge part of it was covered in soft grass, but there were a few colorful tile paths that led to the buildings and the gazebo in the middle; there were a couple of wooden benches under white canopies entwined with vines. Various flowers like roses, periwinkles, chrysanthemum and freesia decorated the area beautifully. Their scents blended harmoniously and served as the vicinity's perpetual air freshener. We had about an hour to spare before our classes start so we decided to head for the gazebo. We sat on the damp bench and watched people move about.
"That person," he gestured amusedly to a guy with blonde hair. "is wondering if we're together. He likes you and he's trying to decide if he can take you from me."
"So you can read minds now?" I laughed.
"It's just painfully obvious," he smiled with an edge.
I stared at him for a moment, and then shifted my gaze to the boy Edward just pointed to. The said guy smiled too warmly when he saw me looking at him. Boy looked at Edward calculatingly; so maybe Edward was right. I heard a low, irritated cough, which made me turn my attention back to Edward. His expression was a cross between annoyance and smugness. I cocked one eyebrow then laughed.
"What?" he asked.
"Are you…" I started as I stifled another giggle. "Jealous?"
"Jealous?" he repeated, looking surprised. He composed himself and put on a poker face. "Nope, not at all"
"Really now?" I laughed.
"Yup," he said. He hugged my waist tightly, and then whispered, "I can do this; he can't."
"Good for you," I snickered.
I noticed a girl who passed by; she was ogling Edward. She was so trying to seduce him. She bit her lip and wriggled her manicured little fingers at him.
"I don't mean to sound conceited, but is that girl trying to seduce me?" he asked.
"I think so. She looks desperate," I said, sounding more irritated than planned.
"Now, are you jealous?" he laughed.
"Let me think," I said. I stood up and headed out the gazebo.
"Hey, wait!" Edward called out. Soon enough, he was able to catch up. He held my hand tightly. "What was that for?"
"Jealous? Nope, not at all. I can do this; she can't," I repeated his words as I showed him our intertwined hands.
"Exactly," he grinned.
He walked me to the building of the Department of Literature. Jut before we climbed up the ancient-looking stone steps, we saw Jasper heading our way.
"Good morning, you two," Jasper greeted. "I just dropped Alice off the Visual Arts building."
"Visual Arts?" I asked.
"That's the building for her course," Edward replied. "I'll be heading off now. Look after this little girl, Jazz."
"Will do," Jasper laughed.
"I'm not that little," I punched Edward playfully.
"My building is just two buildings away," he reminded me as he pinched my cheek then walked away. He turned his head to add with a wink, "Take care."
Jasper and I walked through the large wooden doors into the busy halls of the Department of Literature, prattling about Alice and Edward, our predictions for today and what we think the others are doing right now. Quite a lot of girls who passed us stole second glances at Jasper. I had to admit, Jasper was really something to look at, though in a way different from Edward. I suppose I should get used to people staring at my friends by now, what with the amount of time I spend with Edward. I think most of the girls seemed to conclude that there wasn't anything romantic between Jasper and I; their winks and giggles weren't exactly subtle. Poor ladies, if only they knew how lovingly Jasper spoke about Alice right now.
"I've counted about four guys who seem to be checking you out," he chuckled.
"I could say the same for you, though I've noticed about six already," I grinned. "I mean girls, not guys."
"Phew," he said in mock-relief. "I thought I would have to make a run for it."
I laughed at that. Jasper was fun. "I'm pretty scared for these girls. If Alice saw them…"
"Yeah," he agreed, then smiled warmly, as though remembering a great memory. "My Alice can get jealous. I'm sure Edward wouldn't be too keen with the idea of all these men staring at his girlfriend."
"I'm not his girlfriend," I replied defensively.
He chuckled. "Soon enough."
I stuck my tongue out at him. I knew it wasn't very mature, but it seemed to be the most appropriate thing to do at the moment. He laughed as we continued walking down the hall. Jasper and I were both majoring World Literature (with Creative Writing), albeit most thought I was going to take Photography. Alice was taking Fashion Design, and Edward was in the Conservatory of Music. You can say we were all artistic in our own right, and I suppose our openness to the unconventional is one of the things that enable us to get along very easily.
Jasper and I finally reached our first class – Shakespearean studies. The classroom was like a huge auditorium that reminded me of the rooms they had in Legally Blonde. The professor arrived soon after. For an hour and a half, he went on about how Shakespeare is a good writer, but is overrated. Although the professor admitted that Shakespearean plays give us an insight of human nature, he thinks that Shakespeare is a sadistic person who enjoys making his characters suffer as much as possible. I have to say I agree with him there. I've read a number of Will's books, but I don't exactly like him as much as, say, Austen or Doyle. The bell rang and Jasper and I hurried to our next class.
"Don't you find it weird," Jasper started. "That our Shakespearean professor isn't an avid fan of Will S.?"
"That's exactly what I was thinking," I mused. "I suppose they want someone who'd actually teach without bias."
He shrugged.
Our next class was French. We had to take up a couple of languages throughout the year. I was glad I had a year of French when I was in high school, so I was at least able to properly pronounce most words (though that didn't mean I knew what they meant). The female professor's quick, low swooning in French when she saw Jasper was something I understood. I snickered lowly, but Jasper heard. He asked me about it and I teased him about the teacher having a crush on him. He blushed faintly and mumbled quietly about Alice killing her if she found out. Overall, it was comical; listening to people's attempts at properly pronouncing Comment allez-vous and Qu'est-ce que ça vert dire was deeply amusing (or maybe I was being mean).
"Hey, are you and Edward planning anything on Friday?" Jasper asked as we walked out of French, off to lunch.
"I don't think so," I said thoughtfully. "Why? What's happening on Friday?"
"Well, the rest of us were planning to watch Twilight the movie," he laughed. "Then maybe dinner right after. We'll see. So are you in?"
"I'm in, but I have to ask Edward," I grinned. "Let's see how right they are."
We snickered at the inside joke as we walked out the building. My laugh was cut short as I saw that guy standing by the foot of the stairs, staring up at me with a big smile plastered on his face. I think I stopped breathing. I didn't want to sound too much like Bella – you know, obsessed and of the sort – but this boy deserved his due. I just won't say it out loud.
"I told you so. You two are too gooey," Jasper whispered amusedly, then added for Edward to hear. "I'm going to pick Alice up. See you two at Biology."
It could've been forever and I wouldn't have noticed. We just stared at each other, grinning like a collector given a limited edition Optimus Prime figure. The distance was too far. I took a step towards him, and simultaneously, he took one, too.
"Hey," he said breathily when we finally were face-to-face.
"Hey to you, too," I smiled.
He took my hand and we walked to the cafeteria. He insisted on me telling him how my morning was so I did. I told him first about Jasper's observation while we were walking to our first class. To be honest, I only did so to see his reaction. He looked as irritated as he did when we were hanging out at the gazebo. I laughed internally; it felt weird in a nice way that Edward Cullen was jealous because guys looked at me. Then I hit myself (not literally, of course) for thinking that way. We were best friends. Anyway, I told him about our Shakespearean professor and his views on Will; Edward agreed with him, just as I did. I told him about our French professor's crush on Jasper. He laughed and considered telling Alice. As I ran out of things to say, I asked him to tell me about his morning. He claimed that his first class, Ancient History of Music, was okay. A girl approached him to ask for his number. He told her that he didn't have his number memorized, but if she insisted, he could give her his girlfriend's number so she could ask her instead. When I asked him whose number he planned to give, he shrugged and smoothly changed the subject.
"So Jasper was asking if we wanted to come and watch Twilight with them," I started conversationally as we started eating.
"That would be fun," he grinned. "Kind of weird, though."
"I bet they won't get it right," I laughed. "Robert Pattinson doesn't look like you."
"We'll see," he shrugged. "He's better looking."
"You are so fishing for compliments," I laughed at him.
He merely chuckled.
Biology was fun. We had a short introduction of the course, after which, the professor gave us permission to play with the many animals in the laboratory. It shocked me to find out that Edward was almost as scared of spiders as I was scared of birds. I tried to frighten him with the little tarantula until he threatened me with the love bird. I carefully returned the arachnid to its rightful place and went to the hamsters instead. Mathematics wasn't as eventful, but it was okay. Edward and I exchanged notes throughout the class that we barely noticed the time passing. The professor was a rather cute young man. When I wrote to Edward my assessment of our teacher, the professor suddenly pulled the paper from our grasp.
"Cute, young man," he read silently (only for Edward and me to hear) with an entertained expression.
I shrugged nonchalantly, "You kinda are. A bit."
"You've got guts, miss," he laughed. "But your boyfriend looks like he's about to eat me alive."
"He's not —" I started to say.
"It's okay," Edward said with an evidently (to me, at least) fake smile. "I don't think a professor would be a threat."
They stared at each other for a couple of seconds until the bell rang. The professor coughed and handed us back our paper. We walked out the classroom and I stared at Edward, confused by his weird behavior and expression.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Professor Newton likes you, too," he said. "I was trying to save you from the horrors of having an affair with your professor."
I was surprised with that bit of knowledge. I shrugged and then hugged Edward's waist with one arm.
"Don't worry," I said. "He's too old. Ew. No way would I like him like that."
"I know," he chuckled. "It's me you like, right?"
"You wish," I snickered as I punched him lightly in the arm.
"I already do," he grinned. I raised an eyebrow and he added, "I kid. I kid."
I smiled as I shook my head, then I sighed inaudibly. You know what they say, be careful what you wish for, lest it come true.
