"It was great dad, I'm going to train with the guys every day after school."
"Why with the men?"
"The girls don't give me enough of a challenge. I haven't fought a woman since I was 12."
Charlie raises an eyebrow, "Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Definitely."
"Okay then, how about you and I go out to eat at the diner?"
Astrid smiles, " Emmett took me out to eat but I wouldn't mind going with you for dessert. Let me go change really quick."
Astrid ran up to her room and changed into a pair of skinny jeans, her favorite sweater, and black boots. She came downstairs and met Charlie at the door. He grabbed his keys to the patrol car and the went outside.
"You don't mind going in the squad car, right?"
"Of course not, I'm not Bella, Dad."
Charlie hugged Astrid they then got in the car. As they drive down to the diner, Astrid begins to tell Charlie everything that happened. That her new trainer, Matt Ryder, had her fight several women but they weren't even a challenge for her. They get to the diner and Astrid pauses in her story.
Getting out of the patrol car, father and daughter go inside. They are greeted warmly by Cora and she seats them at their usual table. Charlie orders a T-bone steak with a baked potato with all the fixings and corn. As Charlie ate Astrid continued with what happened at the gym.
"So then Carlos did a Superman punch and I went down."
Charlie flinched, "Are you okay?"
"Never better. I didn't stay down for long. The fight lasted for quite a while eventually Matt called it a draw. He told me I was good but that my footwork needed improvement."
Charlie nods, "And Emmett?"
"He was just sitting watching the fight. It looked like he really enjoyed it. You should have seen the look on Matt's face when he saw Emmett. He was practically salivating to get Emmett to join."
"And why doesn't he?" Charlie asked.
"Emmett's a big guy but he's really just a teddy bear. I'm sure if he was pissed off enough he could really do some damage. But I don't think it's in him to fight."
Charlie nods. They sit in companionable silence for a while Charlie eats. Every now and then Charlie would glance at Astrid, she was not unaware of it. When he finally finished, they ordered some cherry cobbler with ice cream Astrid turns to her dad.
"Something wrong, Dad?"
"You know, it's okay if you like Emmett, Astrid. There's nothing wrong with that."
Astrid looked at her father surprised. This was not something she was expecting Charlie to want to talk about.
Charlie sighed. He was uncomfortable at the thought of talking about boys with his daughters but he thought that now was the right time and if it had to be one of his daughters he was glad it was Astrid. He knew that she wouldn't make this any harder on him than it already was.
"What makes you think I like him, Dad?"
"You two spend quite a lot of time together and you talk about him quite a bit."
"He's my friend."
Charlie looked at Astrid, "I know he's you, friend. But it's also okay if you like him more than just a friend."
Astrid sat there for a minute, "Okay, maybe I do, but I'm not in love with him or anything."
"I never said you were. But if you wanted to… I don't know have a relationship with him," Charlie said rubbing his neck awkwardly, "I guess I'd be okay with it."
"Why?"
"He seems like a good guy and it's obvious he likes you."
"You haven't even met him yet."
"That's true, but from his actions and what you've told me about him he seems like a good guy."
"You think so?"
"Yes, I do. Look I'm not going to encourage you to go and pursue a relationship with him. I'm just telling you that if you did I think I'd be okay with it. Of the two of you girls, you are a better judge of character, sweetheart. So I trust your judgment."
"Okay, Dad."
"Okay then, I'm glad we got that out of the way. Now let's eat this and go home, there's a game on."
When Astrid and Charlie got home, Astrid sat in the living room with her dad and watched the game with him. But she wasn't really paying attention. She kept thinking about what Charlie had said about Emmett. Okay, yes, she had to admit to herself that she did like Emmett more than just a friend. But did that mean that she wanted to be in a relationship with him?
Astrid shrugged, 'Yeah, I could give it a go. I mean what would change? I've already kissed him, we spend most of our time together,' She thought, 'So, I guess if he were to ask me, I'd say yes.'
After the game, Astrid was walking by Bella's bedroom when she heard voices. She could hear perfectly well that Edward was basically asking Bella permission to kiss her. She smirked and quickly burst through Bella's door catching Edward and Bella kissing. Bella gasped and Edward's mouth fell open. Completely shocked that he had just been caught.
Astrid quietly closes Bella's bedroom door, "Well, well, well, look what we have here. Mr. Cullen, didn't I tell you just this afternoon that if you didn't stop this shit I was going to tell my dad?"
Edward sat there like an idiot and gaped at Astrid.
"Well, didn't I?"
Bella was the first one to come out of her shock, "Astrid don't. This is the first time Edward has snuck into my room. Please don't tell Dad."
"Bullshit, Bella, I've heard him come in here before and besides even if that wasn't the case I was standing right outside that door when he told you he has been stalking you for a while."
"He is not stalking me."
"Yes, he fucking is! Wake up, what normal guy sneaks into a girl's room and watches her sleep?!"
"I don't appreciate-"
"I don't give a shit what you don't appreciate, Ass Wipe. I told you that I was going to tell my dad and I'm going to tell him."
Astrid turned to leave Bella's room when suddenly Edward was standing right in front of her blocking her way out of the room. Astrid's brow furrowed.
"How the hell did you do that?"
"You will not tell your father anything," Edward commanded then growled.
Astrid stared at him for a few moments. Edward smiles convinced that he was able to compel Astrid into not saying anything.
"Did you... did you just command me not to say anything and then growl?"
Edward's smile falters.
"Who the fuck do you think you are to order me not to do anything?! And what's this growling shit? You think that's going to scare me into not telling my dad you're breaking and entering?"
Edward stares at Astrid in disbelief. His eyes flash quickly to Bella who has this terrified look on her face.
"You're not going to tell your father, Astrid."
"Oh no, watch me."
Astrid reaches for the door when Edward grabs her arm hard enough to bruise her. She grabs his wrist and twists bringing Edward to his knees, "Touch me again and I'll break your wrist."
To make her point, she twists it a little more but instead of feeling bone-breaking, she hears a grating noise. Astrid looks down at his wrist and sees that it's beginning to actually crack like a piece marble under her hold.
"What the fuck are you?!" Astrid says with her eyes enlarging.
"Astrid, please, let him go!"
"No."
Edward swing with his other fist, which Astrid easily catches and twists trapping both of his arms, "You really don't know how to fight, do you?"
"Please, Astrid!" Bella nearly screams.
"Keep it up and I won't have to tell Dad. He'll come in here." Astrid tells her sister.
She then looks down at a helpless Edward, "Now, Mr. Cullen, I'm going to ask you a simple question and depending on your answer will depend on whether I break your arms. Are you going to continue to sneak into my sister's room?"
Edward looks up at Astrid and growls.
"Ah, ah, growling is not an answer."
"No."
"No what?"
"No, Miss Swan, I will not sneak into Bella's room anymore."
Astrid gives him a vicious smile, "Good boy, I knew you could be trained."
Edward scowled up at her.
"Alright, Astrid, you got what you wanted now let him go."
"Gladly."
Astrid released him then wiped her hands on her pants as if she had been touching something filthy. Edward stood up rubbing his wrists he looked at Bella, "I have to go."
"Yeah, you do," Astrid said before Bella could retort.
Edward sent Astrid one final glare then vanished out of the window. Bella gave her sister the most hateful glare.
"I hate you."
"I don't care. Some day you'll thank me for this. And if you don't I pity you."
And with that, Astrid left Bella alone in her room sniffling.
Meanwhile, Edward makes his way back to the Cullen house in a very bad mood. He barges into the house and goes straight up to Emmett's room slamming his door open, "You need to control that psycho girlfriend of yours!"
Emmett pauses his game and stares at Edward, "What are you talking about, what girlfriend?"
"ASTRID!" Edward screams.
"Astrid isn't my girlfriend, we're just friends. Why what happened?"
"This is what happened!" Edward screams and raises his hands to show Emmett the damage that Astrid had done to him. His hands and wrists were cracked and brittle.
Emmett sits up alarmed, "She knows what we are?!"
"That's what you're worried about? No, she doesn't know what we are. You should be more worried about the fact that she has the strength to do this in the first place!"
Emmett completely ignores his comment, "What exactly did you do?"
"Why do you assume I did something?"
"Because I know Astrid, she would only do something in defense of Bella. So, I'll ask you again what did you do?"
"Nothing! She caught me kissing Bella, that's all."
"Didn't she warn you to stay out of Bella's room?"
Edward didn't reply.
Emmett crossed his arms, "What exactly happened?"
"I had to stop her, she was going to tell Charlie."
Emmett's eyes narrow. Edward squirms under his stare.
"I grabbed by the arm to prevent her from leaving Bella's room."
Emmett was instantly on his feet, "If you hurt her-"
"Don't worry, she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She grabbed my wrist and twisted, sending me to my knees. And then I…"
"You what?"
"I swung at her."
Emmett growled at him, "But she caught my other wrist and twisted. That's why they're both cracked," Edward clarifies.
Emmett throws his head back and laughs, "That's right, you can't fight worth shit."
Edward glares at him, "Yes, I can."
"No, you really can't. You depend on being able to read your opponent's mind to come out on top. If you couldn't do that, you'd get your ass kicked all the time," Emmett informs him, still laughing.
"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Edward exclaims in a petulant voice. This causes Emmett to laugh even harder.
Emmett calms down, "So then what happened?"
"She wouldn't let go until I promised I wouldn't sneak into Bella's room anymore."
"Good, Dude, that's creepy."
"You can't sit there and tell me you wouldn't do the same thing if you were in love with Astrid."
"I already am in love with her and no I wouldn't do that. Because it's an invasion of privacy. There's nothing romantic about sitting in the dark staring at someone while they sleep, Edward. That's psychotic."
"What do you know?"
"A lot more than you. At least on how to treat women."
Edward glares at Emmett, "I'm not going to stand here and discuss mine and Bella's relationship with you when it's obvious you don't understand how we feel. But I will tell you this. You need to worry about your relationship with Astrid now that she knows we're not human," Edward said with a smirk.
He then leaves Emmett to go catch with the others who have gone hunting so that he can whine to them about what transpired at Bella's house. Emmett bites his lip. Maybe he should worry, what was Astrid going to think now that she had some idea that he wasn't human? How was she going to react? Would she look at him differently? Would she not want to see him anymore?
Emmett didn't think he could handle losing her friendship. It was all he had and it was something that he cherished more than anything. But if she asked him to leave her alone he would. No matter how much it hurt him. After a while, he went back to playing his game but every now and then he would look at his phone, tempted to call Astrid to see if she was alright. Emmett looked at the clock, it was already midnight so calling her was definitely out of the question. He would just have to wait until the following morning.
Astrid woke up at dawn. She decided that after everything that happened with Bella and Stupid she needed to unwind a little. She elected to go for a run then get ready and walk to school. It was a nice overcast day and she really didn't care if it rained on her or not. She just needed to call Emmett and tell her not to pick her up. Astrid got ready for her run then called Emmett.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Em, sorry for calling so early."
"No, that's alright, Astrid, what's up?"
"I just wanted to let you know that I don't need a ride to school today. I'm going to walk."
"Why?"
"I just need a little time to myself, that's all. Though if you still don't mind I could still use a ride to Port Angeles."
There was a pause, "No, I don't mind. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I just have a lot of things on my mind."
"Like what?"
"Like I think I'll test out of school and graduate with you instead."
"Why, what happened?"
"Just stuff, I'm sure you know."
"Yeah, I heard."
"Yeah, that," Astrid said with a sigh.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Nope."
"Are you sure?"
There was a long pause, "Maybe later."
"Okay, then. I guess I'll see you at school."
"Yeah, see you."
Astrid hangs up and heads out. She puts her earbuds in and starts her run listening to Shinedown as she ran. She ran for about an hour then headed back home. Going upstairs, she quickly showered and changed then headed downstairs to have breakfast by herself.
While she ate she thought about what happened the night before. She really wasn't all that concerned with the whole drama that happened with Edward. Yeah, she had bruises on her arm where Edward grabbed her but they were already fading. It was what Bella said afterward and how she said it. She said it with so much hatred that Astrid was inclined to believe it. It was amazing how Bella could turn on her so easily for an asshole like Edward. But Astrid shouldn't really be surprised. Bella had always been weak-minded and easily manipulated.
Astrid finished her breakfast, washed her bowl then went upstairs to brush her teeth and leave for school. It was going to take her at least an hour to walk to school but she didn't mind. She welcomed the solitude, it was refreshing. As she walked she continued to think about the situation with Bella and Stupid. Astrid knew that things were going to go bad for Bella if she stayed with Edward. And all Astrid wanted to do was protect her. But if Bella didn't want her protection, then she wasn't going to do anything anymore. Let Bella suffer the consequences on her own.
With that idea firmly instilled in her mind, Astrid decided that she was definitely going to test out and graduate early. High school was a complete waste of her time anyway. She should have listened to Charlie and gone on to college instead of waiting around for Bella. But she worried that Bella wouldn't make it without her and she also didn't want Bella to feel inferior to her. Astrid sighed, all that time for nothing.
She arrived at school with plenty of time to spare. The parking lot was barely starting to fill up with students. Astrid noticed immediately that Emmett was there sitting on the hood of his Jeep waiting for her. When Emmett saw her he jumps down and starts walking towards Astrid.
"You okay?" He asks when he reaches her.
"Yeah, even though my sister hates me now." She says then surprises him by hugging him.
Emmett stiffens at first then relaxes into the hug. He wraps his arms around Astrid and hugs her tightly to him causing Astrid to relax more into him. Emmett kisses the top of her head.
"It's going to be okay."
"No, it really isn't but that's the life that Bella is choosing so I'm going to let her. As for me, I'm graduating with you then I'm looking for my parents."
"You're adopted?"
"Yeah, I am. Do you mind if we talk about this later?"
"Sure. We can talk whenever you want."
"Thanks, Em. Would you mind not telling anyone that I'm adopted?"
"No, of course not."
"Thanks, now let's head inside so I can talk to the counselor about graduating with you."
"Okay, let's go."