Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter four of "Into the Shadows." This chapter has some Edward/Bella. It introduces Jessica, Angela, and Mike. The Cullens and Eric will appear in the next one. Stay tuned for chapter five.
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Chapter 4: Driving On/Arriving at School
Edward drove down the street six minutes later. He moved his hands to the sides of the steering wheel. He observed a white-tailed deer walking down the other side of the street. Bella moved around in the passenger's seat as if she were dancing. Phil Collins's You Can't Hurry Love played on the radio. He looked at her while raising an eyebrow.
"I swear, Bella. You are going to dance your way out of this car," he said.
"I can't help it. I love this song. Phil Collins is such a great singer," she replied cheerfully and clapped twice.
"He's cool. He plays the drums really well," Edward admitted.
"Not to mention he's great with keyboards and guitars," Bella added with a big smile on her face.
"Whatever you do, Bella, don't start singing," Edward warned.
"Okay," Bella said, looking toward him. "You can't hurry love. No, you'll just have to wait. She said love don't come easy. It's a game of give and take."
Edward laughed to himself. He loved telling Bella not to sing knowing she would still do it. He found it entertaining to listen to her somewhat off-key voice. She laid her hands in her lap.
"At least you're not as bad as many contestants are on American Idol. Their voices are just terrible," Edward muttered annoyingly.
"I can't stand those contestants," Bella agreed and shook her head in disbelief. Some of them sound like cats being dragged up a chalkboard by their claws."
"Some see themselves as the greatest singers in the world and get mad when the judges tell them they are awful," Edward said and rolled his eyes.
"The judges are being honest. If the contestants can't take their criticism, then they shouldn't participate," Bella said bluntly.
He gave her a thumbs-up. "You're right on target, Bella."
"Aren't I always?" Bella teased.
"No," Edward responded, laughing quietly.
She snapped her fingers. "Damn."
She gazed out her window. She saw a great-horned owl turn its head completely around while sitting on a branch near the middle of a tree. She turned back to him.
"People are going to be surprised that we have consummated our relationship," Bella said while rubbing her nose.
"I can see Jessica and Angela talking with you eagerly about it," Edward agreed and chuckled quietly. "My family was very surprised when I told them after I returned home. They believed I would control and kill you because you are my singer."
"There is one person who won't likely be happy. That's Mike," Bella commented and swallowed hard. "It is well-known he has had a huge crush on me ever since he saw me. It did not decrease one bit, though he entered a relationship with Jessica."
"Mike and Jessica have an off-and-on relationship," Edward whispered while tapping his hands on the steering wheel. "They keep breaking up and making up. They are together right now."
Bella cupped her chin in her hand in thought. "At some point, they will break up for good. Who knows when that will be?"
"In a million years," Edward said sarcastically.
"Nice use of sarcasm, Edward," Bella complimented.
Edward looked at her and smiled. "Thanks, Bella."
He looked ahead. He reached over and ruffled her hair. He blocked her when she tried to do the same to him. He shook his finger in her face as she crossed her arms.
"You are not allowed to ruffle my hair, Bells," Edward said while poking her shoulder with his finger. He ran his tongue all over the inside of his mouth. "No, no, no."
"Since when did you start calling me Bells?" Bella asked.
"Since now," Edward said and formed a wry smile on his face. "Besides, that is what your father calls you sometimes, right?"
"Yes," Bella admitted. She uncrossed her arms and ran her fingers through her hair. She laid her hands in her lap. "I even joked he should put bells in my hair."
"You would look good with tiny bells in your hair," Edward said while reaching over to flick her chin twice. He cupped it in his hand. "You look good in anything."
"Thank you. Anyway, I know Dad won't be exactly thrilled when he learns you sneaked into my room and made love with me," Bella said as he returned his hand to the wheel.
"You are lucky he is a heavy sleeper. That made it very easy for me to get in there. He will likely assume I drove to the house to see you," Edward suggested, giving a shrug.
"You are probably right. Your house is several miles down the road from mine. The average human can walk four miles in one hour. It would take two hours for one to walk eight miles and so on," Bella explained and propped her head up with her elbow on the door.
"I can be at your place in just a few minutes," Edward said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Maybe I should come one night and kiss you while you are asleep."
"Bring it on. I dare you," Bella threatened in a playful voice. "How about you do that tonight?"
"Nah. I want to do some reading at home," Edward said, shaking his head so fast that it appeared to be a blur.
"Hmph. You are such a spoilsport," Bella grumbled while crossing her arms and looking out the window.
"I heard that," Edward responded.
Bella looked at her boyfriend to blow a raspberry at him. He turned to her with a big smirk on his face. He mimicked her before letting out a light laugh. They looked ahead before clearing their throats. She crossed her left ankle over her right one.
"Bella, I want to tell you that my family and I are planning to go camping this weekend," he said, blinking three times.
"Oh, man," she grumbled disappointingly. She grabbed a handful of hair as she frowned a bit. "I was hoping you'd spend the weekend with me since Dad is going on a fishing trip with Billy and Harry."
"Well, we need to go hunting. We have not done that in a while," Edward commented in much seriousness. "We need to have family time to ourselves too. Do not worry. We consider you part of the family."
"When do you leave?" Bella asked.
Edward tapped the wheel three times. "We won't be leaving until the early evening on Friday. I can spend time with you after school ends that afternoon. Would you like that?"
"Yes, I would!" Bella blurted out eagerly and looked at him. "I want to be sexually intimate with you again."
"I do too," Edward growled in much playfulness. "Just don't let us fall off the bed, the couch, or any other place when we do that."
She nodded. "Duly noted."
Edward reached over to tickle his girlfriend's cheek. He leaned over and kissed it twice. He returned his attention to the street.
00000
Edward spotted Forks High School coming into view ten minutes later. He made a right turn into the parking lot. He went past the bus zone. He parked in a space near the entrance. He switched off the engine. He and Bella looked at each other. They heard students chatting and laughing nearby, but they paid them no mind at all.
"You ready for another school day?" he asked curiously.
"I am, though my arm is starting to hurt a bit right now," she said grumpily. "I do not have any Tylenol or water with me."
Edward chuckled. "You are in luck."
He undid his seatbelt and leaned over with a grunt. He reached into the pocket behind the passenger seat and grabbed a water bottle and a baggie filled with Tylenol. He settled back into his seat.
"I have both things you mentioned," Edward commented, holding up the items.
"Edward!" Bella yelled happily as he handed the bottle and baggie to her. She laid them in her lap. "I can't believe you had water and Tylenol with you."
"I figured you might experience pain around me at some point, so I decided to get water and Tylenol for you," Edward said, a small smile crossing his lips. "I may not be able to read all minds, but I can tell what someone is thinking sometimes."
"It is a good thing you can't read my mind. You would find out I have very naughty thoughts about you," Bella teased while moving her eyebrows up and down.
"I have very naughty thoughts about you too," Edward said, snickering under his breath. "It is part of being human or—"
"Vampire," Bella finished.
"Since when did you start finishing my sentences?" Edward asked with a wry smile.
"Since now," Bella said, giving a sharp nod. "I better take this Tylenol before we get out of the car."
"Good idea," Edward said, nodding. "The faster you take the Tylenol, the faster we can get out of this car."
"Of course," Bella muttered with a roll of her eyes. She mumbled gibberish under her breath. "Anyway, here I go."
She opened the water. She did the same to the baggie to take out two Tylenol. She popped them into her mouth. She took a long sip of water in which she swallowed them. She closed the baggie and water. She laid them on the floor in front of her feet.
"Now, I am ready to go," Bella said with much eagerness.
"Great," Edward said, getting out. He got his backpack from the backseat. He slipped it over his shoulders. "Let's go. The faster we get inside, the faster the school day will go."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard you," Bella yelled while grabbing her backpack. She exited the car and put it over her shoulders. They came together behind it. "I hope time doesn't slow down as Christmas draws near."
Edward put his arm around her shoulder as they started walking. "I hope it doesn't either."
"The Tylenol is starting to take effect," Bella whispered in happiness.
"That is great, Bella," Edward replied and kissed her temple. "You should be fine for a good while."
"Some people have to take several Tylenol or Advil during the day because their pain keeps coming back," Bella said, a frown forming on her face.
"It sucks, but it is what it is," Edward said, plating another kiss to her temple.
Bella nodded in agreement. "Yep."
Edward and Bella picked up their pace a little bit. Jessica and Angela walked up to them. The couple stopped before the girls. He released his hold on his girlfriend.
"Hey, Bella," Jessica greeted warmly.
"Hey yourself, Jessica, Angela," Bella responded and rubbed her nose. "How are you two doing?"
"Great," Angela said, laughing delightfully. She eyed Edward closely. "Edward brought you to school today, huh?"
"I thought I'd try not to let her truck run out of gas," Edward joked with a snicker.
"Good joke, Edward," Jessica commented while pointing her finger in the shape of a gun.
"You better not point that finger at us, Jess. It might go off," Bella commented in fake fear.
"Okay," Jessica said and took her finger away. "Is that better?"
"Yes," Bella said, giving her a thumbs-up.
"I will head inside, so you girls can have a chitchat," Edward said and exhaled quietly. "See you later."
The girls watched Edward head toward the entrance. They shifted their attention to each other. They could hear students laughing and hollering, but they paid them no mind. Bella formed a big smile on her face. Jessica and Angela raised their eyebrows.
"What are you smiling about, Bella?" Jessica wondered.
"Well, Edward and I—" Bella said, unsure if she could continue. She scratched her nose. "We…we…"
"You what?" Jessica asked impatiently.
"We…we…" Bella stammered.
"You did it last night, didn't you?" Angela answered swiftly.
Bella giggled and nodded in a slow way. Jessica and Angela felt their jaws drop to the pavement. They squealed in happiness. They came closer together as Bella let out another giggle.
"It is great you and Edward finally consummated your relationship," Angela whispered and smiled widely.
"We had a feeling it would happen sooner or later," Jessica added while running her hand over her hair.
"Before you ask, he was absolutely amazing. He was more interested in my pleasure than he was in his," Bella said.
Jessica let out a quiet exhale. "Mike is a great lover. He always makes sure my pleasure comes first. Unfortunately, we fell off his bed the last time we made love." She made a funny noise.
"That could happen with Edward and me at some point," Bella mumbled with a nervous laugh. "It will be embarrassing."
"Don't worry about it. It happens with a lot of couples," Angela assured in a gentle voice.
"The bright side is the floor was covered in a soft rug. That cushioned our fall," Jessica whispered in relief.
"That's good," Bella said, smiling.
Angela jerked her thumb in the direction of the entrance. "Let's head inside."
Bella started walking, as did her friends. "That is a good idea."
Unbeknownst to the girls, Mike was watching them head inside. He breathed deeply as jealousy crossed his face. He could not believe Edward and Bella had made love. He thought Edward looked at her like she was something to eat. He felt other boys were a better match for her, including him. He was dating Jessica, but his crush on Bella made him think about her sometimes. He shook his thoughts out of his head. He proceeded to go into the school.
