Holocene by Bon Iver
"And at once I knew,
I was not magnificent."
VII. Time
The weeks flew by surprising Abby because she figured each day would linger on more than the last. But they didn't.
Most weekends she saw her friends or went to the Reservation to see Leah, mending the relationship she herself broke. On days she was in school, Edward always sent her a smile and it mesmerized her entirely making her gravitate towards him like the world forced her to. They spent most days chatting in hushed tones, away from the prying ears of the students of Forks High learning about each other in the simplest way and unraveling completely.
But Leah's words still lingered in the back of her mind.
"Why do you always say 'no' to me?" Tyler asked, pouting at an unsympathetic Abby as she took out the books for her next period from her locker.
"Because my feelings for you don't go past the realm of friendship?" Abby raised an eyebrow at him, already knowing the daggers she was going to have to face at lunch because of Lauren. Honestly, if anyone was a victim it was Abby not Lauren, because apparently Tyler didn't know the meaning of 'no'.
"Come on, Abby, you always go to dances alone. Let me take you this one time."
The 'Spooky, Scary, Skeleton Dance' was right around the corner, along with Halloween, and it was the first dance of the school year. Abby was never one to miss dances because she always went with her group of friends. She adored goofing off and dancing with them. It was rare for them to bring dates because they - mainly Jess and Tyler - were so convinced they'd all end up with each other.
Eric and Mike were blind as bats to not see that Angela and Jessica have always fawned over them. Lauren was always interested in Tyler but the teen had his eyes set on Abby, who couldn't be bothered to give him the time of day.
"I don't go alone," Abby shook her head, "I go with the group, like the rest of us."
Tyler narrowed her eyes at her, suddenly thinking of a new student that had his eyes on the pretty brunette, "Are you sure this doesn't have anything to do with Cullen?"
The girl blinked at him before her usual soft gaze turned into an icy glare, saying, "You may have to be specific, Tyler, there's quite a lot of them."
"Oh come on, you spend some days with him at the library and other days with us during lunch. If you guys are dating, why not just come out and say it?"
"Because we're not," Abby drawled out the last word, slamming her locker shut and watched as Tyler flinched from the loud noise. "I didn't realize it was such a crime to make friends, Tyler." She practically hissed.
He grimaced and murmured, scratching the back of his head, "It isn't. I'm sorry, Abby, I just -"
"I'm not going to the dance this year, Tyler." Abby concluded. "I'm not really in the dancing mood. Maybe you should ask Lauren."
"No means no, Tyler," a welcomed female voice said, sliding up next to Abby. Jessica glared at the boy before he slouched his shoulders and walked away from the two brunette girls, defeated.
"You know," Abby started as the two started walking to their Calculus class, "you'd think after six years, he'd get the hint."
"Oh please," Jessica scoffed, "in his head you're the only girl for him. He won't get the idea till you actually get a boyfriend and given your track record, well, unlikelier things have -"
"Hey!" Abby laughed, gently swatting Jessica on the arm. The two of them laughed together, walking to their next class. Abby groaned loudly, "I can't go inside of this classroom, Jess. I can't do this anymore. God should've taken me when He had the chance."
Jess snorted, as the pair walked to the door of the classroom, and grabbed her by the arm forcing her inside, "You really need to work on your suicidal tendencies when it comes to Calculus."
Whenever the sun was out, the Cullen family went hiking and camping because Esme and Carlisle Cullen believed in the idea of embracing the outdoors on the rare occasion of a sunny day. At least, that's what Edward told her one day while they were in the library for lunch.
He never ate, Abby came to realize. He told her that he would always have a big breakfast in the morning and ate heavily at home. But he always watched her eat as if he wondered what it was like to simply eat.
Whenever Abby sat with her friends at lunch, she snuck glances at the Cullen table - none of them ate. Or at least, not much. The apples, salads, and opened potato chip packets were always left untouched. She was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt because really, it was due to Edward's friendship that she slowly found her way back to her old group of friends.
Sitting in the lunchroom wasn't as nerve wracking as she thought it'd be when Edward was just a few feet away from her at his own table. It was like he would always be there if she needed him - a guardian angel just for her.
"What're you thinking so hard about?" The familiar velvety and gentle voice spoke up as he took his eyes off the microscope to shift his captivating gaze to the brunette sitting next to him.
She gulped feeling like a deer caught in the headlights because she was scrutinizing him, thinking he was hiding something. But if he was, wouldn't it be his secret to tell? Abby wasn't dumb; she knew it in her bones that he wasn't entirely human. It just wasn't possible to look like an Adonis reincarnation, to look so utterly flawless, or maybe it was...?
Maybe he was Adonis reincarnated!
She just couldn't believe in what Leah had told her - it was entirely too improbable, too mythological. There was no way Edward and his family were vampires; they couldn't be the bad guys (if they could even be called that). It was entirely too...unnerving.
"Abby?" He tried again, placing a pale hand on top of hers.
Her breath slightly hitched at the coldness of his skin but it lit her hand up as if his touch caused a fire upon her skin. She liked his cold hard skin, she noticed and he'd always find subtle ways to brush his finger tips against her own. And every time he did, it burned her alive in what could only be described as the sweetest fire on earth.
"I'm sorry," she finally said, giving him an apologetic look. Her heart was beating in her throat as she lied through her teeth, "I was just thinking about Jess chewing out my brains for not wanting to go to the Halloween dance." She decided to softly hold onto the hand that was on top of hers and Edward truly believed he was going to explode while sending her a heartwarming smile.
"I could only imagine," Edward replied. He was fully aware of the verbal beating Abby received from Jessica during lunch. He remembered chuckling to himself when Abby started jokingly banging her forehead against the lunch table to get Jessica to stop talking.
"It wasn't fun in the slightest, I assure you," Abby laughed.
His hold slightly tightened on her hand and he smirked his infamous little smirk, "You know, I believe that I've determined that your laugh is the single best sound in this grim world. I hope it never comes to a stop."
No, she decided as she deeply flushed, Edward Cullen was not scary nor a bad guy. A reincarnated Greek figure was the only thing she cared about when it came to him. And maybe a bite from a radioactive spider.
She could handle that.
"Edward, Abigail," Mr. Molina abruptly scolded, causing the two to detach their hands. "Are you two done with the lab?"
"Uh-" Abby started before Edward swooped in saving her from answering.
"Yes, Mr. Molina, we just finished." He gathered his papers along with Abby's to hand over to the teacher who looked quite upset that they had managed to finish the lab so soon. Abby glanced at her own sheet and her eyes widened when she saw the same answers in her lab as his - when did he write the answers in for her? Though, it wasn't the first time he had written in answers for her. She loved that he always thought of her. Math and science were two subjects that didn't quite agree with her.
But to be fair, she was thinking awfully hard in the beginning of class and Edward seemed to know everything about Biology II while Abby knew zilch.
"If you aren't going to the dance this weekend," Edward spoke up when Mr. Molina was out of earshot, "could I interest you in doing something with me?"
"Maybe," Abby teased, "if it interests me."
He couldn't help but smile at her teasing remark and said, "Well, I thought it was a crime that you hadn't been to the Frye Art Museum and I think it's my duty to uphold justice and take you there."
"You want to take me to Seattle on Saturday?" Abby wondered, raising an eyebrow at him. She might've been cool and calm on the surface but her heart was doing somersaults inside of her ribcage - did he just ask her out on a date?
"If you'll have me," Edward flashed his brilliantly white teeth at her, wondering if she understood the double meaning behind his words.
Abby bit her bottom lip and tried to hide her deepening blush from his smoldering eyes.
Placing a lock of hair behind her ear, she replied smiling a soft smile, "I'd love to."
Edward Cullen never cared too much about sleep during his limitless life. But that Friday night he wished for nothing more than to waste his hours away with his eyes shut closed and have a dreamless sleep. The night seemed endless and all he wanted to do was pick up Abby as soon as he could.
But they had agreed at nine am which gave them enough time to explore the museum and have lunch in a restaurant Alice had made reservations for. The day was set but he was truly impartial to anything they did as long as he got to spend the entire day with her uninterrupted.
"You looking at your clock in a hateful manner won't make time go any faster."
Edward inwardly groaned when he saw his shorter pixie-like sister practically prance into his room and pounce in front of him. He glared at Alice when she stood in front of the aforementioned clock and couldn't help but curse her and time.
"I wouldn't have to stare at it if you'd just tell me how today goes," Edward sneered at her.
She giggled, "Oh, Edward darling, that defeats the purpose of having all of this unfold naturally."
He blinked at her once before scoffing, "I'm an immortal vampire with a human mate. What part of this is natural?"
Alice tapped her chin in thought and spoke out her thoughts, "You're not wrong but the 'falling in love' part is natural."
He'd never been more fascinated by a human before; he'd never felt a pull to anyone like he felt towards Abby. That couldn't have been natural. But he recognized the same pull in Jasper's mind, in Emmet's mind when it came to their respective significant others. Edward truly just wanted to know if Abby felt it as distinctly as he did just so that he could figure he wasn't crazy about this 'tether', but he couldn't read her mind no matter how much he wished to do so.
"Can you at least tell me that I don't end up eating her for lunch?" He practically pouted, knowing well enough that he'd never even let the thought of harming his beloved girl slip past his mind. But Alice has kept her mind silent ever since the family has come to know about Abigail, and it was driving him insane. He wanted to know what the pixie was hiding from him.
She rolled her eyes, "Oh, please, you and I both know she smells like flowers to you and not a meal." Alice took a seat next to him on his loveseat and continued, "Carlisle's convinced she doesn't smell appealing to you because she's your mate."
Edward shrugged, indifferent to the fact of Abigail smelling appetizing or not. He was simply grateful that he didn't have a single urge to drink her blood. It didn't bother him in the slightest when he was near her. Most times it felt as though she calmed his thirst - almost like he didn't have to hunt at all, just enough to survive.
Maybe she was it for his survival.
"You know," he started, thinking about the stunning brown eyes that encompassed his every thought, "in all my years, I was complete in myself, not realizing that the one I was meant to be with just wasn't alive yet."
"Oh, Edward, you're smitten!" She squealed happily, clapping her hands for a moment.
Yes, he was.
He was there at exactly 8:58am, walking to her door. He softly rapped against the white polished wood and the door came flinging open only seconds later. And there she was: brunette hair that was slightly curled at the ends, a simple but stylish outfit of jeans and a soft-looking knit sweater with ankle boots adorned on her delicate feet. Abigail was a complete and utter vision.
A bright red flushed upon her face that was graced with subtle makeup, and she placed a strand of hair behind her ear saying softly, "Hi."
"You look," he smirked that unbelievable crooked smirk that made her knees painstakingly weak, "breathtaking."
She grinned brightly at him, trying not to blush harder than she already was, and dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder, then said, "I better; this hair is money."
Edward laughed aloud and watched as she stepped outside to her porch, locking the door behind her. "It's called being nice to compliment people back, Abby." He enjoyed their back-and-forth very much; it was so easy to be himself with her.
After locking her door, she turned to face him and gone was the grin that took him by surprise. Her face held nothing but sincerity as she whispered, "How on earth do I compliment perfection, Edward?"
He knew then, Abigail Davis was a world of trouble. But Edward would've done anything to have a place in her troubling world.
A/N: Ahhhhhh! He asked her out! AND she's having super serious questions about the man's 'existence'. Let me know if you guys think they're moving too fast? I don't think so. I actually can't wait to get them together. Honestly, I'm writing all this before Twilight because the books/movies will be quite a whirlwind!
Also, I'm almost done with the next chapter aka their date! Maybe if I get reviews I'll have it up by early Sunday *side eyes* *smirks*.
Review, y'all!