For Blue Skies by The Strays
"I can't get used to it
I'll never get used to it."
IV. Sketchbook
It was a strange experience for Abby to watch Jason leave every morning - earlier than her - when he hasn't lived in Forks for seven years. The second he got accepted to Washington State, he left as fast as he could. He never liked Forks - he hated small towns. And now, here he was back for his little sister.
Abby would never tell him how unbearably guilty she felt for dragging him back to Forks just because she was 17 and a minor. But she needed him. She truly believed she couldn't handle a life without him and them. At the end of the day, she couldn't feel more grateful that he stopped his life in Seattle to come back to her. There was no one else in the world she'd live with in this empty house other than him.
She heard Jason's car pull out of the driveway and she grabbed a granola bar to eat for breakfast before reaching for her bag. She was just about to grab her books to get some early morning studying done when she suddenly heard a knock at her door. Abby raised an eyebrow at the door, wondering who the hell would be knocking at 7:15 in the morning.
She figured it couldn't be a criminal because what criminal knocks? In broad daylight? She walked over and opened it, withholding a gasp when she saw a familiar crooked smile upon a disastrously handsome man.
Abby was sure she standing at her doorway with her mouth hanging wide open like a fish so she shook her stunned expression off her face before asking, "Edward, what're you doing here?"
His slightly bushy brows pushed toward the middle of his head before he said, in a tone that almost sounded like a question, "I thought I said I was driving."
"Yes. After school," she emphasized. Abby then wondered, "How'd you even know where I live?" He was leaning against the doorframe and even a simple lean made her heart want to beat out of her chest. The thumping of her heart raging against her ribcage reminded her of a jackhammer, incessant and powerful.
Edward's smirk didn't leave his face as he answered, "It's a small town, Abigail. I just asked the school aid where I could find you because you," he suddenly held up her sketchbook that she didn't notice before, "dropped your sketchbook in the hallway after art yesterday and I saved it from getting trampled. So, you're welcome."
She walked closer to the door frame and instantly realized the height difference between the two of them. Abby was an average 5'4" compared to his clearly staggering height of over six feet and it took every bone in her body to not want his body to encompass hers, to protect hers. He was lean, in the best way - not skinny by all means because he had clear protruding muscles popping out of the burgundy crew neck sweater he wore today.
He made her want to dig a hole and lie in it forever.
"Thank you," Abby whispered, taking the book from him and almost stepped back when her fingers brushed against the tips of his. Maybe it was because he felt like ice, or maybe it was because she'd always liked the cold, or maybe it was because his butterscotch eyes were piercing her rather plain ones but she swallowed saliva into her rapidly drying throat thinking of how a deep red has now darkened her cheeks.
She gently cleared her throat, causing the two of them to break their meticulous eye contact. She looked down at her book before flipping through the pages to make sure all the loose paper within it was still intact.
Abby glanced back at him, gently saying, "My mom got me this in the beginning of summer. I always get a new one every summer."
His expression softened greatly, and he resisted the urge to wrap her much smaller self around him, "I heard about what happened. I'm so -"
"Don't," Abby shook her head, sticking the book in her bag, and said, "I've had enough condolences to last a lifetime." He took a step back when she walked out of her house to lock her door and stand on the porch with him. "Edward, I can't-" she released a deep breath, "I don't want everyone to look at us as we drive up to school."
"I understand," he nodded, "why do you think I came so early?" He asked rhetorically but he was a little hurt that she didn't want the school to have eyes on them, no matter how much sense she had made. It was obvious she was uncomfortable with the looks, and it would only serve to create more drama if they arrived to school together.
Edward knew he had no right staking any kind of claim on her so soon but she was stunning - with pouty lips, slight chubby cheeks, and legs that went on for miles. The boys of Forks High School knew it, too. And every little thought any of them had about her made Edward want to commit mass homicide - save for Abigail of course. Though, he was sure she wouldn't be totally okay with murder.
He continued to speak before she could say anything, "Abby, I can't make sense of you driving to school only to leave your car in the lot after school. I suggest we go early, stay in the library, and then after art you take me to your favorite areas of Forks, Washington, fair?"
She couldn't help but continue to stare at him like a fish. Abby closed her mouth and released a breath of air through her nostrils, "Fair."
Edward's gray Volvo was not as sleek and ostentatious as his siblings Jeep and she thought she remembered a red BMW convertible as well. But his car was comfy and had heated seats, so she definitely couldn't complain. The short drive was in comfortable silence with only Edward's CD of classical music playing in the background.
Abby was right. he was a classical music kind of guy.
He drove slightly over the speed limit but it was almost like he was driving his entire life with how smooth his turns were and how she didn't jerk a single muscle when he pressed the brake. But he couldn't have been over 17 like the rest of of her peers - so how'd he know how to drive so well for a 17-year-old?
They made it to the school and Edward was right, they were practically the only ones in the lot - save for a few faculty members. And just as he did when he picked her up, he opened the passenger door for her. She sent him a kind look before they started to make their way to the library.
"So," Abby started, "I don't think I saw all your siblings yesterday. I think I saw your two sisters and the big, burly brother?"
Edward chuckled at her description, and he nodded, "That is one way to describe the buffoon; his name's Emmett." He opened the door for her when they reached the school and he almost became putty in her hands when she gave him a soft smile. "And there's Jasper - who's Rosalie's twin brother. They're the two blondes and Alice - the smaller girl. My cousin's joining us today - Esme's niece, Elizabeth."
"Oh?" Abby wondered, as they slowly walked down the halls of Forks High with a few inches of space between them, "Why didn't she come to class on the first day?"
Edward knew his lies would catch up to him (he could only hope it was later rather than sooner), but he couldn't tell her that his vampire cousin went hunting last minute to quench her bloodlust so he said, "She just came back from visiting some family members in Alaska."
"So, Esme has family there?"
He nodded, reaching for the library door and opening it for her. Edward spoke in lower tones as they entered, "We only moved because my father, Carlisle, got offered a decent position at the hospital and Esme has a soft spot for small towns."
Abby thanked him as he pulled out a chair for her at one of the library tables at the far corner of the small room. There were shelves of books next to them and practically surrounding them with their parallel shape, almost shielding the two to the outside world. But Abby knew no one really ever came to the library. It was too small and had a faint smell of mold, still it was quiet and unbothered and a restless orphan like Abby loved it.
"You're lucky," Abby said after he sat down, "they sound like amazing parents."
Edward nodded, smiling fondly while thinking of his 'parents', "They are." Noticing her face turn downcast, he quickly changed the subject asking her, "So, if Salvador Dali is your favorite artist, is Surrealism your favorite art movement?"
He knew he had her hooked because her big brown eyes brightened and she leaned forward in her seat, their elbows almost touching. He froze, refusing to push any boundaries, refusing to make her uncomfortable but he couldn't fathom how alive she made him feel.
She vehemently shook her head, smiling just a bit all the while showing him her pearly white teeth. Abby explained, "I love Dali's works but Romanticism in art is just - it's something else." Edward urged her to continue with a nod of his head. She bit her bottom lip before saying, "Imagine placing only your emotions over reason and over your own sense's to come to a different meaning of yourself, to experience the world in a totally different way. Romanticism is all heart." She scoffed, staring down at the table before looking back up at his never-ending gaze, "Nowadays, we forget to use our hearts. But really, it's all we've got, isn't it?"
Edward felt like he couldn't breathe - even if he didn't have to he suddenly felt like he needed to, and he couldn't.
He wasn't entirely sure yesterday (or maybe he just didn't want to believe it) but he knew now: Abigail Davis was his as much as he was hers. And he had waited his whole life for her.
"You're dating Edward Cullen!?" Abby winced when she heard the familiar shrill voice spew out a false accusation. The young brunette closed her locked before coming face to face with Jessica, who's eyes were wide as an owl's and mouth was agape with excitement.
Abby raised her pointer finger, "Okay, one: way too loud for right before lunch," Abby raised her middle finger as well, "and two: I am not dating Edward Cullen." Abby rolled her eyes, dropping her hand, as Jessica and her started walking to lunch. Abby decided that she'd sit in the library but her daily urge for Vitamin Water was calling her once again.
"But he walked with you to your English class!" Jess smiled all too widely.
"We have the same English class and the same art class. We're bound to walk together. I just met him yesterday, Jess." The duo walked into the lunchroom.
Abby could practically feel Jess's eye roll next to her and heard her ask, "Fine, be difficult about your love-life-"
"-Nonexistent love-life-"
Jess ignored Abby's interruption, "Have you seen Elizabeth Cullen? She's gorgeous - well, they all are."
Abby hummed, thinking she hasn't seen the girl but heard about her glorious strawberry blonde hair. She shook her head, "No, actually. Has she been in your classes?" Abby thought about how she only shared gym and Calculus with Jessica but shared a majority of her classes with Edward, Angela, Tyler and Mike. She kept to herself mostly, except with Edward who was incessant about having a partner in every class they were in.
"Yeah, all of them!" Jessica groaned. "It's bad enough I have to deal with Lauren's looks, now I have to deal with hers?"
"Hey," Abby scolded, "you're gorgeous. Even if they're all good looking, it doesn't mean you aren't. You, Jessica Stanley, are drop-dead stunning. And Lauren's a bitch, so who cares?"
Jess released a loud (quite obnoxious) laugh, garnering a few looks from their fellow students and Abby couldn't help but smile at her. She missed one of her closest friends. She missed Jess.
As soon as Jess sobered up from her fit, she gave Abby a pleading look with a small pout on her lips. Abby knew that look and immediately shook her head, saying, "No, Jess, I'm going to the library for lunch."
"Abby, please," Jess tried. "You broke tradition yesterday. It was the first, 'First Day of School Lunch' that we all of us didn't have together in a decade. Come sit with us, please? I'll even ask Tyler to keep the flirting to a minimum because the kid will burst if he doesn't at least get one flirt in."
The dark haired brunette couldn't help but release a small smile, however it quickly disappeared as she shook her head. Abby let out a shaky breath before whispering, "I just - I don't think I could handle a big group right now."
Jess softly nodded, placing a hand on Abby's should and said, "I know, but I miss you, Abby. Angela and I can't talk about the ever so interesting life of Forks without you. It feels wrong."
She stared at her suede nude ankle boots guilty before looking up at Jessica, remembering Charlie's words to not push away people who care about her. And as if there was a silent tell, Abby looked past Jess's shoulder to the Cullen table she (and the school) has informally dubbed. Her eyes scanned the table to see an unfamiliar strawberry blonde talking to Rosalie and then, her eyes landed on Edward to see him already looking over at her. He sent her a soft smile and Abby couldn't help but smile back.
She looked back at Jess, exhaling a huge breath. "What if it's just you, me, and Ang at the library?" Abby asked, eyes wide with hope. She could handle it if it was just the girls. They always had the most fun anyways.
Jess's nodded in excitement, a large smile coming over her face and practically squealed, "I'll go tell Angela!"
She could do this. Abby could do this.
Lunch was familiar.
Lunch meant everything to Abby. It reminded her of before summer when Abby had lunches like the one she had today, everyday. She knew she could have the same type of lunch breaks everyday but she was terrified she'd feel suffocated - she was terrified of lying about being fine. Baby steps, she told herself. Abby took a step today and didn't kick her friends out of her life. Angela and Jessica were the rocks she needed right now and they fully delivered.
Abby didn't know why she was surprised to see Edward in her Biology II class, but she was even more surprised when Mr. Molina paired the two as partners for the semester. Mr. Molina always had a strict policy when it came to conversation so the period went silently between the two, save for a few whispers, but both of them felt it: the delight of being in another class together, sitting with each other.
Art had come and gone, conversation flowing languidly between the two but Edward had noticed she was more focused on her work than talking to him. He couldn't help but smile to himself when he saw her love of art show through her gentle and intentional brush strokes. Every moment she placed her brush on the wet canvas, she lost herself deeper in the painting - eyebrows furrowed and messy fingertips.
If Romanticism could've been a person, he concluded it would've been Abigail Davis.
Edward walked her to her locker, telling her about his love of classical music and explaining that Beethoven, Brahms, and Mozart were some of the best composers of all time.
"They're not incredible just because the world says they are," Edward continued, watching Abby place her books inside of her locker. They were both aware of the eyes on them, sending them looks of curiosity, maybe even jealousy, from both the girls and boys of the school. "When you close your eyes, you hear what they want to say through their notes."
"And what did they want to say?" Abby asked, ignoring the looks of her fellow classmates. It's what she wanted to avoid completely but she guessed it was impossible given her past and his status of the 'mysterious new boy'.
"Each song's different, but love seems like one of the more common themes," Edward smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back at him.
Abby's phone started to vibrate in her back pocket and she whipped it out after closing her locker. Edward realized most of the student population had already left the hallways with the exception of a few stragglers still at his or her lockers. He watched as she gave a confused look to the caller ID.
The beautiful brunette answered the call with a gentle, "Hello?"
Edward's own phone buzzed in his pocket, signaling a text message has been sent. He took his phone out and saw a text from Alice that wrote 'catch her.' What? Why is he catching anyone?
It was then Edward realized he should've been paying attention to Abby and the current phone call she was on. Her face changed rapidly from confusion to a pale, horrified expression. Her eyes portrayed a look he's never seen on any person - crippling despair. The hand that gripped her phone to her cheek loosened due to her severe trembling.
He caught her cell phone instantly when it inevitably slipped from her hold while worriedly asking, "Abby, what's wrong?"
Her knees suddenly buckled and he grabbed her upper arms because she couldn't keep herself up. Her head was buried in his chest and he heard her trying to breathe properly, choppy breaths in and out.
"This can't be happening. Not again." He heard her cry into his sweater as Edward held her to his chest.
A/N: Am I evil for leaving this on a cliffhanger? Also, I loveee the favorites/follows! Thank you so much! I'd really love it if you would review as well. I'd love to hear of some of your feedback! The more reviews, the faster I want to update haha.
Also I've decided to add songs to the chapters so if you would want to listen to the song I was listening to as I wrote this, it's at the very top!