Chapter 36

Bella and Rosalie purchased a pair of gorgeous matching Ducati bikes. The brand-new motorcycles were sleek, shiny, and stunning, and Bella loved hers. She opted for a black model while Rosalie selected a red one. Bella went a step further and got herself matching biker gear and helmet, which added to her overall badass appearance while riding. Her outfit completely covered her head to toe, so she was even able to take her bike out on sunny days. She was absolutely in love with her new ride.

While riding near the campus one day, Bella spotted a large crowd gathered at one of the student halls. Curious, she decided to stop and listen. She soon realized that it was the beginning of a protest march in support of students' rights on campus, and she felt compelled to join. As Bella listened to the speakers, she found herself nodding along in agreement with what they were saying. She also observed a few people presenting opposing viewpoints, and she was impressed by how they engaged in a civilized debate on the topic. Bella was captivated as she listened in, picturing herself on stage delivering a persuasive argument and persuading others to her point of view. Inspired, Bella resolved to become more involved in her University's political issues.

Recognizing the importance of effective communication skills, Bella enrolled in both debate and public speaking classes during her senior year. She also joined the debate club, despite already being fairly outspoken, she wanting to learn to debate with confidence and avoid making any missteps. In addition to these classes, she was also pursuing her interests in photography and architecture. With Esme's talent for designing homes and occasionally working for others, Bella was hoping she could help her some day.

As Bella began her senior year, she was determined to make it an unforgettable one. While she wasn't entirely sure what field she wanted to pursue first after college, she was resolute in her determination to find a job. She had no intention of becoming an eternal student, repeating the same process over and over again. Although she hadn't discussed her plans with the Cullens yet, she was sure that they would understand her conviction to never return to high school. Bella was open to learning new skills and gain knowledge in college, in the future but she had no desire to repeat her high school experience. Bella was confident that after having that discussion with Carlisle none of the Cullens would ever attend high school again.

It was the weekend, and Bella had spent most of the day training with Jasper at the Cullens' house. As she was saying goodbye to everyone, she noticed Edward sitting at his piano, playing a beautiful yet melancholic melody. They hadn't had much to say to each other since she had returned from Europe, but Bella was determined to overcome the awkwardness between them.

"Hey Edward," she said with a friendly smile. "I'm going to meet some of my college friends. Would you like to come with me? I can show you around the campus, and we can have some fun."

Bella hoped that by inviting Edward to meet her friends, they could rekindle their friendship and move past the pain of their breakup. She felt confident and eager to introduce Edward to her college life, which was a happy and fulfilling experience for her.

Edward looked up at Bella in surprise. "I'd like that very much, Bella. Thank you for inviting me," he said, his eyes softening.

Bella felt relieved and happy to hear Edward's response. "It's no problem," she replied with a smile. "The sun is already down, so there should be no issues if we took my bike. Let's head out."

Edward POV

As Bella straddled her bike and glanced back at him, Edward couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief. She was a vampire now, and it was hard to reconcile the image of the fragile human he once knew with the strong independent woman before him. Edward knew that if he wanted to have a real friendship with Bella, he needed to let go of his old perceptions of her and accept her for who she was now.

Hesitant, Edward climbed onto the back of the bike behind Bella, his arms wrapped around her waist. He could feel the warmth of her body against his, but he tried not to think about it. As they weaved through the nighttime traffic, heading towards campus, Edward focused on the road ahead, feeling Bella's body move in tandem with his as she deftly maneuvered the bike through the streets.

It was then that Edward was able to pickup Bella's voice with his ability "So we're going to meet my friends at a place we like to meet at called 'The Spot'," Bella's voice chimed in. "I know my friends Jill and Amber will be there, and maybe one or two others. We're a little early so I'll be able to show you around campus before we head to meet the others."

As they zoomed through the city streets, Bella regaled Edward with tales of her time at college. He was amazed at how much he had missed and how much she had grown. It was like she was a different person entirely,

Despite the initial awkwardness, Edward found himself enjoying Bella's company. It was nice to spend time with her without the pressures of a romantic relationship. As they rode through the city, he couldn't help but feel grateful for this opportunity to reconnect with her.

When Bella parked the bike and hopped off, Edward followed her to 'The Spot', curious about the place and the people Bella was about to introduce him to. Bella seemed to know everyone on campus, and the way everyone greeted her, it was evident that she was well-liked. Edward couldn't help but notice the way people responded to her, and he realized that Bella was now a confident and charismatic person, far from the shy and reserved teenager he once knew.

As they walked, Bella pointed out various landmarks and buildings on campus, each with a story and history behind it. Edward listened intently, fascinated by the depth of her knowledge about the campus. Suddenly, a group of large men approached them, and Edward tensed up, ready to protect Bella. But to his surprise, Bella greeted them with a warm smile and friendly hugs, and they all seemed to be old friends. They must have been basketball players, judging by their height and physique, Edward thought.

It was at that moment that Edward realized he hadn't heard anyone's thoughts since he arrived on campus with Bella. He had forgotten that Bella had the power to block his ability to read people's minds. Although it was a welcome relief for Edward to be free from the constant chatter of people's thoughts, he felt disoriented, unsure how to interact with people without the benefit of his gift.

Edward turned to Bella and said, "I guess I can expect my powers to be shut off while we are together?"

Bella smiled at him and replied, "I'm sorry, Edward. My friends' thoughts are their own. It's not bad to be like everyone else, right? Just listen to what people have to say, you don't need to know what they think. Now, we're going to go meet my friends. I've already told them that we used to date. I didn't bad mouth you too much, so you should be fine, but they might make some comments. Just please be sociable. These are really good friends of mine."

"Of course, Bella. I look forward to meeting your friends," Edward said politely, wondering what Bella had said about him.

As Bella and Edward made it to "The Spot," which looked to Edward like a type of student union with lots of eateries inside, he saw three people at a table get up and call Bella over, smiling.

As they reached the group, Bella hugged each girl in turn before introducing Edward.

"Edward, this is Jill, Rachel, and Amber. Girls, this is my friend Edward," Bella gestured to each girl in turn with a grin.

"Nice to meet you all," Edward said with a polite smile.

As Edward greeted Bella's friends, he couldn't help but take a closer look at each of them. Jill appeared to be normal, with black hair set in a ponytail. She seemed pleasant enough, and he had no strong opinions about her.

Rachel had a nervous smile and a kind face, but Edward couldn't help but think that her makeup was too heavy, and her hair color was unflattering. He couldn't imagine why anyone would choose to dye their hair that particular shade of platinum blonde.

Amber, on the other hand, was dressed in a much too revealing outfit that left little to the imagination. He tried to focus anywhere else than on her chest, which was on full display in her low-cut top. He couldn't understand why a woman would choose to dress in such an immodest manner.

As he watched them, he noted that both Rachel and Amber were staring at him intently, and their heart rates had increased significantly. He couldn't be sure, but he suspected that they were scared of his predatory nature, given that he was a vampire.

Jill looked at Edward and said, "Damn, Bella, is this the Edward you used to date? No wonder you turn down every guy you meet if you're looking for someone as fine as him. What did you do to her, Edward? My girl Bella here should have racked up a count higher than all of us, but here she sits, a not so sweet and not so innocent but very much still a virgin?" she said, locking her eyes onto Edward's with a devious smile.

Bella rolled her eyes and bumped Jill with her hip. "Very funny. Be nice, guys. Edward is still a good friend. We haven't seen each other since we ended our relationship, and we're going to try being friends. Don't bust his chops too hard," she said with a grin.

Rachel and Amber giggled while Jill just stared at Edward with a sly grin. "They're all man-eaters, Edward. I'd watch yourself with these girls," Bella said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"We're all starving, so we ordered some pizzas. They should be ready soon," Amber said, changing the subject.

"So, Edward, are you going to be going to school here too?" Rachel asked, looking a little smitten.

"No, I'm not quite sure what my next move is regarding my education. I've been traveling the past couple of years, seeing the world," Edward replied, trying to steer the conversation away from himself.

As they all continued to talk and laugh, trying to include Edward in their conversations, the food finally arrived. They all dug in, and Edward was surprised when he saw Bella take a big slice and start eating it with a smile while continuing to chat with everyone.

Suddenly, he heard Bella's voice in his head. "Don't you dare not join us, Edward. Man up, take a slice, and smile while eating it." Edward was startled. He was still not used to hearing Bella in his head. He tried to look happy as he took a slice and started eating.

Bella POV

Bella was relieved that Edward seemed to be fitting in with her friends so far. She noticed Rachel and Amber looking at him with interest, but Bella knew that would be a lost cause for her friends. They all chatted about their final year in school and laughing at Amber for decided to take a course called "Sex in the digital age".

It was then that Jill dropped her big news. "So you guys will be happy to hear that Ted and I are moving in together. We just got a small apartment together outside of campus."

All the girls cried out in excitement. Bella was the first to respond, "Oh my god, Jill, that's amazing! Congratulations! You and Ted make such a great couple."

Rachel added, "Yeah, I'm so happy for you guys. Living together is such a big step."

Amber chimed in, "It's so cute that you two will have your own little love nest."

Jill blushed at the attention and said, "Thanks, guys! We're really excited."

Bella then jumped in with a mischievous grin, "You know, guys, I was there when Jill and Ted did it for the first time. You should have seen the smile on this girl's face afterward."

"Hang on a second Bella. What were you doing while watching Jill and Ted do it for the first time." Amber said giggling as she said it.

"Oh you know what I was doing." smirked Bella waggling her eyebows as all the girls started laughing like crazy.

Edward's eye bugged out of his head hearing all of this not knowing what to make of it. He then heard Bella in his head "Put your eyes back in there sockets Edward. We're just joking around. And no running away to pleasure yourself this time. Yeah everyone knew. You need to loosen up and have more fun."

The banter continued until Amber shared a story about a guy she had been seeing.

Amber cleared her throat. "Okay, you guys are going to love this one. So I was seeing this guy Nick for a few weeks, right? One night, we're at his place, and things are getting hot and heavy. He's kissing my neck and he lifts my top off, and I'm just waiting for some action, you know?" She grinned at the girls.

Bella raised an eyebrow. "And then what happened?"

"Well," Amber said, "Nick stops and starts staring at my tits. I'm thinking, 'Great, he's going to say something dumb like, 'nice rack.' But no. Instead, he says, 'You have a freckle on your left boob.' Can you believe it?"

Rachel and Jill erupted into laughter, while Bella shook her head in disbelief. "Why do they do that?" Rachel said. "We know what we've got. We don't need them to point out the obvious."

Jill chimed in, "Yeah, it's like when guys say, 'Wow, you're really tall' to a girl who's obviously taller than them. Like, no kidding, Sherlock."

Edward shifted uncomfortably, feeling a little out of his depth. "I'm sorry, I don't think I quite understand..."

Jill smirked at him. "Oh, don't worry, Edward. It's a girl thing. You'll never quite understand."

Bella nudged Jill, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Jill. He's trying to learn."

Jill chuckled. "Okay, okay. The moral of the story, Edward, is when a girl gets her tits out, just start sucking."

Edward's eyes widened, clearly embarrassed he says. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Everyone burst into laughter, cutting him off. Bella leaned over and patted his arm. "It's okay, Edward. We're just teasing you."

Bella could see that the girls' stories and teasing were a little too much for Edward to handle, left adrift without his abilities, so she decided to throw him a lifeline and shift the focus off of him. "Hey, did you guys hear that Harry has been hooking up with some girl named Lisa? Do any of you know who she is? I don't want my boy Harry to get his heart broken," she said. As all the girls started to chime in with what they had heard regarding their friend, Bella knew that it would give Edward some time to get comfortable again.

As the evening drew to a close, the girls said their goodbyes to Edward and gave Bella a hug as they left. Bella whispered to Jill how happy she was for her and Ted.

As Rachel was leaving, she motioned Bella over, far enough away where a normal human could not hear them speak. "Hey, Bella. Your friend Edward seems really nice. I've always liked the quiet, well-mannered ones. Would you mind if I made a move on him? The quiet ones are always the freakiest in bed. He looks like he needs a really good fuck too, if you ask me."

Bella smiled at her friend. "You have no idea how much he needs it, but I really don't think he would be interested, Rach. I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, he turned me down as well."

Rachel looked over at Edward, who was trying not to look their way, even though he could hear everything. "Oh well. Can't get them all," she said with a smile. She hugged Bella and went on her way home.

Bella walked back to Edward, sitting down next to him and said, "You know, Rachel is a really nice girl. I don't really think you were a match with her or anything, but you should at least try to find someone out there. Do they have any vampire singles dating sites that we could join? Maybe they offer a group discount. I can get Heidi and Chelsea in on the action," Bella said with a laugh.

Edward laughed, "Sorry, I have not heard of one yet, but the internet has only been around for a few decades. I'm sure one will pop up sooner or later."

Bella was glad to hear Edward joking around. "So, how did you like meeting everyone?" she asked.

"Your friends seem very nice, Bella. I can see how much they care about you and how much you care about them. They certainly are a colorful group." Edward observed.

Bella nodded in agreement. "That they are. You know, you could have friendships like this too, Edward. You just need to open up more. No offense, but take that stick out of your ass. Learn to live and be happy. I want this for you too."

Edward let out a small chuckle. "I understand what you're saying, Bella. It's just so hard to change. I don't know how you've done it. But I do see how happy you are, and I want that too. I can't say I'll change overnight, but I will try."

"That's a good first step, Edward," Bella said, smiling at him warmly. "It wasn't easy for me either. I had to force myself to be different at first. I stepped out of every single comfort zone I had and worked hard to be the type of person I had always wanted to be. I'm not saying it will be easy for you, and in fact, I know it will be a lot harder for you than it was for me. But I'm glad to hear that you want to try."

As they sat there, Bella suddenly stood up and gave Edward a smirk. "Come on, let's go back to my place. I'll show you my bathroom so you can throw up." she said, with a hint of humor in her voice.

** I just added a good section to Chapter 16: Big Decisions and I would recommend rereading that chapter as it directly connects with the Bella that we see here. **