XXI. Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Your Window is Open, So I'm Climbing Through

Monday morning, I woke up in the Stanley household to the sound of a torrential downpour. Sheets of rain obscured the forested view from Jessica's window, thunder rolling so loudly, it was impossible to fall back asleep.

"Jessica," I hissed, prodding her from where she'd tucked herself underneath a mound of blankets and pillows.

"Five more minutes, mom," she whimpered, voice husky with sleep.

A clap of thunder crashed overhead.

I slumped back down, grumbling, "How the hell can you sleep through this?"

But Jessica remained oblivious and soundly asleep. Unfortunately for her, student council duties demanded that she be at school early.

So it was with a grumpy and slightly damp Jessica that I arrived on campus an hour before our first period was scheduled to start.

As soon as we'd reached the safety of the cafeteria awning, Jessica ducked out from beneath her umbrella. "Here," she said, thrusting a key into my hands. "This is for room 301. Everything should already be in there."

"Got it!" I grinned, shoving the key into my coat, and rushing off in the direction of Building 3. Even with the umbrella, I was unable to completely escape the rain.

I arrived to the correct room, running a hand through my damp hair, but paused when I found the door already ajar, light spilling out into the hall from the small crack in the entrance.

I edged forward and peeked inside, eyes blowing wide open when I found the room vivid with reds and pinks. Streamers wrapped around the walls and windows, hand-cut paper hearts hanging from them, glitter and heart confetti scattered about, and chocolates and roses arranged artfully atop the desk on the farside of the room. And on the blackboard behind it, written in gorgeous calligraphy: Will you be my Valentine?

"Aww, Edward, you didn't even let me help," I pouted.

He hopped off from where he sat atop the teacher's desk and flashed to my side, holding up a plastic bag of balloons. "We still have these," he reassured me, dropping a kiss atop my head.

"Alright, let's get to it," I grinned, dropping my bag and Jessica's umbrella beside the door and joining Edward in a corner untainted with glitter. Being the teacher's pet that she was, Jessica had gotten us access to an empty and unused classroom which we were using to set Angie and Ben up.

"How was your night?" I asked once I'd settled cross-legged on the tile floor. I gulped and blew air into my first balloon, colored a soft, baby pink.

Edward groaned, "A little unbearable. Aside from Rosalie and Emmett flaunting their affection more than is the norm, everyone had to insert their opinions regarding you. Emmett kept insisting I replace your decrepit truck, Alice nearly ordered you a 24 karat gold-dipped rose, and Esme baked so many goods, Carlisle required a second car to transport it all to Forks General. It was either sharing it with the hospital staff or disposing of it."

Despite the absurdity, I found myself deeply touched.

I tied off the balloon and bounced it across the room. "Your family is sweet, but I hope you didn't follow their advice," I laughed. "Though I wouldn't mind some of Esme's baked goods."

Edward grinned, "Alice flew through a couple hundred visions to check which you'd enjoy the most and saved them in a basket for you."

I pressed a hand to my chest, "Alice is a treasure."

"Try living with her for a couple decades," Edward grumbled before pressing a deflated balloon to his lips. Despite the snarky remark, affection gleamed in his eyes.

We had blown up and bounced off most of the balloons, when I pointed out, "Are you sure you want to try the meadow again? Weather's a bit miserable."

"Alice sees it clearing up before the school day is over," he said, flicking another balloon across the room. "But if you're uncomfortable with returning so soon…"

"Oh! No, I think it should be fine," I assured him. Although it had only been two days since James' coven had accosted us, I was still too relieved by their elimination to be bothered by the resulting shock. "All the gross dismembering happened nowhere near the meadow, so it remains untainted."

Edward grimaced. "I'm sorry you had to witness that."

"I'm more sorry I didn't get to see you sparkle," I snickered.

Edward flicked the next balloon against my forehead. "Be serious."

"Uh, you're the one assaulting me with balloons," I said, and tossed a balloon back at him.

It bounced harmlessly off his head "Now who's the one assaulting who?" he laughed.

"Your head is hard as a rock. That hardly counted as assault!"

"I disagree. You've ruined my hair," Edward carefully patted his untidy array of copper locks.

"Oh my gosh, you're right! Your hair went from messy, to...messy. What a tragedy," I deadpanned before tying off the next balloon and chucking it at his head.

Edward heaved a deep and completely unnecessary sigh. "I'm unsure of how much more of your abuse I can handle."

I shrugged. "Probably not much more. You can turn the sickly Victorian boy into a vampire, but you can't make him roll with the punches."

Edward wrinkled his nose and muttered, "I was Edwardian, not Victorian."

"See, the real tragedy was that you were an American boy named after the king," I laughed.

Edward rolled his eyes and chucked another balloon in my general vicinity. "What can I say? My mother took one look at me and saw royalty."

I released a startled laugh. "Guess I can't argue with the wise words of your mother."

Edward's smile softened. "No, I suppose not."

Brrrrrng!

"Is it that time already?" I frowned, glancing up towards the clock.

Edward matched my frown. "Appears so. Before we go, I have something for you." He took my hand and helped me to my feet, before leading me over to the teacher's desk.

From behind the arrangement of chocolates and roses set up for Angela and Ben, Edward picked up a sleek, black box lined in gold.

My eyes lit up and my face split into a grin. "Is that chocolate?!"

"Just as requested," Edward smiled, placing the box of chocolates into my greedy, human hands.

"Yes!" I pumped my fist. "You are the best boyfriend!"

"Ah, that's not all," Edward said sheepishly.

"Huh? But this is all I asked for," I reminded him. Chocolate was the one thing I always overindulged in on Valentine's Day. Plus, I figured if I asked for something specific, he would refrain from going overboard and buying me something outlandish.

"Well...Alice insisted that it wouldn't be Valentine's Day without at least one stuffed animal," Edward confessed, reaching behind the desk and revealing a big, pink teddy bear.

I gaped and carefully accepted him. "He's so soft," I realized, pressing my cheek atop his head. "I love him."

"...You do?"

"Yep!" I then lifted him up, simba-style. "I christen thee, Pepto!"

"Pepto?" Edward chortled, eyebrows quirked up in a combination of puzzlement and amusement.

"You know? Like the medicine?" I huffed when Edward only quirked an eyebrow in silent judgement. "I was pretty sure you'd attended medical school, but I guess my knowledge is fallible."

"You know it's not," Edward chuckled.

Brrrrrng!

I glared up at the sound of the warning bell.

"Come on, love. Can't make you tardy on my account," Edward said, steering me in the direction of the door.

I pressed a palm to my lips and muffled a mock-gasp. "What would people think?"

"Nothing pleasant, I can assure you."

"Then hurry, before you sully my virtue any further!"

We laughed and continued our silly antics, but eventually I did make it to Mr. Mason's class. Not even the miserable downpour could ruin my mood.

For a second, I was so enticed by the knowledge of chocolates in my bag, that I nearly missed Angela's quieter-than-normal disposition, alongside her pink cheeks. "Hey, Angie," I greeted her cheerfully once I took my seat beside her. "How's your morning?"

"Oh, it's good," she murmured, slightly distracted.

When she didn't elaborate, I shrugged, my smile knowing. "Would you like a chocolate?" I offered, allowing her a peek into my bag.

"No, thank you," Angie refused with a grateful smile, fiddling with a note on her lap.

I lifted my shoulders. "More for me."

It was during third period, in Mr. Varner's class, when the student council kids (including Jess) went around the school to drop off carnations (red for love or yellow for friendship.) Considering how cheap they were, I'd gotten a bunch, not just for Edward, but for all my girlfriends as well―Jess, Angie, and Alice. Even Lauren and Rosalie.

I was slowly chipping away at the worksheet Mr. Varner had handed out, when a student near me released a startled gasp. I glanced up, eyes bugging out alongside my classmates when Whitney, one of the student council members, pushed the door open with her shoulders, arms swamped with carnations.

She started off by calling a few girls' names, and then, catching sight of me in the back, scampered over to me, a grin splitting her face, "These are for you, Isabella!"

The class gaped alongside me while I gingerly took the load off her hands. A few were yellow, but if I had to guess, there were around two dozen red carnations.

"Ah, thanks Whitney," I chuckled nervously.

"You're welcome!" she chirped, before skipping out of the room.

Across the aisle, Jennifer leaned over and gasped, "Are all those from Edward? Did he write notes on all of them?!"

"Ah, yeah, I think all the red ones are," I mumbled, face red. Yikes. How am I not used to all the staring by now? Where's a paper bag when you need one?

Another girl, Ashley, asked, "Aww, what do the notes say?"

It was then that Mr. Varner stepped in, eyeing the pile of flowers obscuring my worksheet. "I expect you'll finish up your work first, Miss Swan."

"Yes, Mr. Varner," I acquiesced.

The girls around me pouted, some eyeing me enviously and others peeking at the white notes attached to the tall stems with curiosity. I ignored their tittering and whispers, instead making room on my desk for the math sheet. I focused on steadily working through the problems, until the stares ceased and their backs were turned.

Setting my pencil aside, I first picked up the three yellow carnations from atop the pile and pulled off the notes, which read:

Love you bestie! -Jess

Happy Valentine's Day, Isabella! You're a great friend! -Angie

You're not there yet, but just know you'll make an incredible sister one day! Love you tons! -Alice

I smiled fondly, carefully folding the notes and tucking them into my folder.

I then began the long task of unravelling all the notes attached to the red carnations. There were so many! Some notes were unbelievably sweet and had me grinning goofily, while others utterly swept the rug from beneath me.

I like it when you sing. But why Mary Poppins?

Even though I cannot read your mind, it's what I find most beautiful about you.

Sometimes when you speak, I get the sense you're from a different time. Why is that?

I was aware that Edward observed me closely. I just never realized how much he already knew.

I continued to stack them neatly on my lap, until I came across a note that wasn't from Edward. I frowned, a little horrified when my eyes ran across the phone number hastily scribbled across the paper, and below it, was signed off by Tyler. That's cringey as fuck. I was quick to crumple up the note and shove it into my back pocket, to be thrown away later. Relieved when it seemed no one had noticed my odd reaction, I read through the last notes with a small smile, until I came across the last one, and found yet another note that was not from Edward. This one read:

You're a great girl, Isabella! I hope we can continue being friends! -Eric

It would've been nice, if it hadn't been attached to a red carnation. Maybe it was a mistake? Even so, I wasn't very close with Eric. I shared a few classes with him and he sometimes sat at lunch with us, but we rarely ever spoke. But I didn't want to make awkward assumptions, so with a small hesitation, I tucked his note into my folder between the girls' notes.

Overall, I'd received two dozen red carnations from Edward alone, along with the two extra red ones, and the three yellow.

By the time I actually finished up all the trig problems, someone complained, "Aw, Isabella already read through all the notes."

I rolled my eyes. "What? Did you expect me to read them out loud for the class?"

Jen pouted. "Well no, but I wanted to see them?"

Which only made me glad I hadn't allowed that. If my classmates found out I'd received red carnations from both Tyler and Eric, I knew it would blow up in my face with unnecessary drama. I had enough of that with the Cullen's. I certainly didn't need it with the rest of the town.

"Ah, sorry, Jen. I'd rather not," I smiled sheepishly, hoping she wouldn't be too offended. It's not like Edward had written anything incriminating, but they already ogled us enough as it was. Was a little privacy too much to ask for?

"Aww, lame," she sang, sticking her tongue out at me.

I shook my head in amusement, relieved when I finally heard the sound of the bell. Gathering my stuff, I paused long enough to drop off my worksheet, before making a beeline for the door. Out in the hall, Edward met with me, right on schedule.

The six carnations I'd gotten for him looked pitiful in comparison to the pile I held in my arms. Although, the fact that he had exactly six was highly suspect. I narrowed my eyes. "You mean to tell me, I'm the only girl who got you flowers," I said skeptically, an eyebrow raised.

"Well, no," Edward confessed with an embarrassed grin. "But I gave the others away."

"Oh, that would've been a good idea," I agreed thoughtfully, until I noticed Edward's own narrowed eyes.

"Ah. I see I'm not the only guy who sent you flowers," he scowled.

"Now you understand my dilemma?" I teased him.

But that didn't quell his irritation. "Who sent the others?" he glowered at the two red carnations I'd kept separate.

I pursed my lips. "What exactly do you plan on doing with this information?" When he failed to respond, still glowering at the innocent flowers, I huffed, "It was Eric and Tyler." His expression only grew darker.

Catching sight of Jennifer exiting the class from my peripherals, I quickly called her attention, "Hey, Jen! Can you do me favor?"

"Uh," Jen momentarily hesitated at the sight of Edward's petulant scowl, but ultimately agreed, "Sure…what's up, Isabella?"

I shoved the two carnations into her hands. "Take these for me, will you?"

"Eh? Why?" she demanded. It only took another glance towards Edward for her to catch on. "Oh. Oh! Okay, I see. Right, I'll just take these off your hands," she winked, before flouncing off.

"Better?" I asked, successfully keeping my laughter at bay.

"I suppose," Edward grumbled, tangling his fingers with mine.

"Alright, grumpy, come on," I said, leading him in the opposite direction from where everyone was converging towards the cafeteria. "We've got some spying to do."

But before we could even exit the building, we ran across Rosalie and Emmett standing beside her locker.

"Isabella!" Emmett called above the mass of red carnations in his arms, "You want to watch this?"

I was so surprised by Rosalie's lack of disdain, that I agreed. "Uh, yeah sure?"

I watched the curious way Rosalie stood a small distance away from her locker as she reached over to spin the right combination on the lock, before swiftly leaning back and allowing the door to swing open.

There was an odd swish of paper sliding against paper as the hall was abruptly swarmed by piles and piles of Valentine's Day cards written for Rosalie.

I gaped. "...I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I'm somehow not surprised."

Rosalie shot me a smug grin and beside me, Edward rolled his eyes.

"Let's not continue to feed her ego," Edward grumbled, steering me back the way we'd been heading.

"Oh, real nice, Edward. I hope you tell your little girlfriend how many cards you got!"

I didn't know whether to laugh alongside Emmett or ask Edward if it was him or Rosalie who had the higher count.

When we reached one of the empty corridors in Building 3, we found Jessica, Lauren, and June crouched beneath the small window beside the closed door of room 301.

"Did I miss it?" I whispered, crouching behind them.

"They're talking now," Jessica squealed.

"Hush!" Lauren and June simultaneously silenced her.

I leaned behind them and was able to catch a glimpse of Angela and Ben. Both were bright red in the face, but their radiant smiles were telling.

"They're getting together right?" I checked with Edward, voice barely above a whisper.

"Sounds like," he whispered behind me.

"Mission accomplished!"

"Shhhh!"

Plink-plink-plink.

"Fuck," I hissed, bumping my head against the bottom of my bed frame. Sitting up with annoyed huff, I peeked over my bed to see Edward casually sitting at the ledge of my window and tapping against the glass, which I'd left wide open in an attempt to air out Bella's stuffy room. As promised by Alice, the rain had finally cleared up. "What do you think you're doing?" I grumbled, ducking back down and grasping the hair-tie I'd dropped below my bed.

"Just checking to see if you're ready to go…"

I hauled myself to my feet in time to catch Edward's sheepish expression.

I rolled my eyes. "You better hope the neighbors didn't see you," I pointed out while pulling my hair up into a high ponytail.

He shook his head. "No, there's no one around," he said while curiously gazing around my room.

I gave one last tug at my ponytail in order to tighten it, and then dropped a hand to my hip and squinted at Edward suspiciously. "You haven't snuck in here before, have you?"

Edward nervously ran a hand through his messy copper hair. "No."

I pursed my lips. "But you've thought about it?"

He smiled guiltily.

I jabbed a finger towards him, "You come in here without my permission, Cullen, and you're dead."

He held both hands up in surrender. "Promise," he grinned charmingly.

"Uh huh," I huffed while I shoved my sneakers on.

"Ready?" Edward asked, dropping to his feet.

I tugged my powder blue sweater back down into place and pulled the strap of my purse across my torso. "Yep," I grinned, glancing around one last time to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything.

I squealed when my feet suddenly disappeared from below me. "Edward," I hissed, fisting a hand into his shirt.

He shot me a cheeky grin and said, "Hold on!"

And then, we were flying.

I automatically turned my head and pressed my face against his shoulder, wind whistling loud against my ears. For a moment, the panic of being chased down by bloodthirsty vampires hit me like a sledgehammer, before I abruptly dismissed it. Don't be such a ninny, I scolded myself before peeling my eyes open, blinking rapidly against the rushing wind. But it was only a second later that we came to an abrupt halt. I gasped as Edward gently set me on my feet.

In the gray, afternoon lighting, the fairy lights twisting throughout the branches bordering the meadow glimmered brightly like points of stars.

At the center, a thick blanket covered the damp grass, a picnic basket and a portable stereo perched on its edge.

"You...you did all this?"

Edward wrapped an arm around me and tucked me close to his side. "For the most part. I can't take credit for Esme's baking skills."

It was moments like these, that I hated my inability to articulate the depths of my affections for him. "...It's lovely. Thank you, Edward."

He pressed a cold, lingering kiss to my cheek. "It's my pleasure." He lingered, skimming his nose along my cheekbone before tugging me forward. "Let's get you something to eat. You missed lunch."

I grinned as I kicked off my sneakers and plodded across the blanket alongside Edward. "Worth it! Did you see Angela's face? She was glowing!"

"I heard her thoughts, and I must agree," he smiled. "It was kind, what you and Jessica did."

"Angela deserves all the kindness," I shrugged, kneeling beside the basket and flipping open the lid to reveal a colorful array of baked goods. "Oooh, I can't decide!"

"Alice saw you would like this one the best," Edward plucked a big muffin tucked in the corner, colored in bright swirls of red and yellow.

"What is that?"

"I believe these were the batch of lemon and raspberry muffins Esme baked at about three in the morning," he recalled.

My teeth sunk into the sweet, fluffy mass. "It's heavenly," I cried around a mouthful.

Edward let loose a loud, musical laugh, and then watched with unabashed amusement as I worked my way through the muffin.

"Was that the only one?" I cast a forlorn gaze into the basket.

"Esme can always make more," he chuckled.

"Ugh, I don't even think I have room for more. That was a big muffin," I sighed, slumping back and sinking into the blanket. Above me, the points of light shone brighter the further the gloom set in.

Edward settled back beside me. "Thank you," he whispered so quietly, I strained to hear him.

"Um, pretty sure I'm the one who should be thanking you. Although, I definitely need to add Esme to that list," I giggled.

"That's what I'm referring to. Thank you for accepting my family as well," he tilted his head towards me, eyes bright. "They love you."

My smile softened. "I believe I can say the same."

I tucked my head against his shoulder and we drifted into a comfortable silence.

A little later, I broke the stillness and reached inside my purse. "I made this for you," I said, pressing my gift into his cold palm.

Last night, Jessica and I had stayed up late making homemade cards. I'd made a simple one for Edward with a sweet note. Once Jessica had exhausted all the glitter, she'd had the brilliant idea to make bracelets and had pulled out an old kit from somewhere in the back of her closet. As a result, I'd stayed up an additional hour, braiding Edward an intricate faux-leather bracelet.

"Oh. I didn't know you could draw!"

The awe in his voice was flattering. "Only flowers," I clarified as I watched him set the card aside and tie the delicate braid around his wrist. "I hope you like it. I figured there was nothing I could buy for you that you couldn't already buy for yourself," I admitted sheepishly. Even with our relationship still so new, trying to make a simple present had been nerve wracking.

"Thank you, Isabella, it's lovely," he smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to my lips.

"Uh, right," I mumbled. God, I'm so bad at this romance thing, I mentally anguished. But Edward didn't allow me to wallow for very long.

"This is from me," he said, reaching over me and pressing a finger to the portable stereo.

My face lit up. "You mixed a CD for me?"

"I know this music isn't your style, but I hope you'll give it a chance."

―takin' it's toll then I'm leaving without you, 'cause heaven ain't close in a place like this―

"I remember this," I whispered, "This is what my brother listens to."

"...You have a brother?"

My eyes were glassy when I whispered, "Obliviate."

There was a long moment in which Edward didn't reply, and then he spoke, not a hint of a somberness in his voice. "Yes, it's not to your usual tastes. I know you prefer alternative to indie, but you should broaden your horizons."

My lips twitched into a frail smile. "You thought indie rock was the best place to start?"

"It's still within the category of rock, so I figured you'd be more amenable to it," he hummed. "Also, it's one of my favorite genres."

"I see," I murmured as I continued to listen. "Yes, I think I like it."

A couple of more songs had played through when a soft ping echoed from inside Edward's coat. "It's Alice," he murmured, sitting up and fetching the device from his inner pocket.

"Does she have a special ringtone?" I snickered, pushing myself up beside him.

"Something like that…" As soon as he'd flipped open the phone, Edward's smile dropped into a flat line.

When his eyes remained glued to the screen, expression carved from stone, I hedged, "Something the matter?"

Edward broke from his trance and met my gaze, brow furrowing into a perplexed frown, the depths of his eyes flashing with hurt. "Alice had a vision."

"Edward? What's wrong?" I asked. His gaze alone caused my gut to churn with guilt, although I had no idea what could be the cause of his expression.

"You tell me," he replied, hesitantly reaching out and brushing my cheek with his cool fingers. "Isabella, why does Alice see you running away to Portland?"

A/N: *squints* Is that plot I see? Wow, didn't know I had it in me. What do you think? Will Isabella pull a New Moon on Edward, before he can pull a New Moon on her? xD

In all seriousness, I apologize for the wait! I wrote this chapter months ago and then deleted it. I just wasn't vibing with it. And then DemoniAnophthalmia shared some lovely words and I was miraculously inspired, lol. Admittedly, it's a bit rough, so I might come back later to clean it up.

If you're still reading this story, thank you! And if you've just joined, welcome! I would have not gotten this far without you lovely readers! I promise to update soon! ;)

P.S. I have finally gotten around to writing this from Edward's POV. So if haven't already and wish to check it out, go do that! It's called Whirlpools and Sinking Skeletons.

P.P.S. I'm so sorry I didn't get around to answering reviews this time around! I promise to do better this time! I appreciate every one of your comments!