So, I know it's been a while since my last update, sorry about that. I've been busy with the last weeks of school and trying to find something entertaining for my students... I picked up MadGab, Would You Rather?, and another game I can't remember the title of. I think they enjoyed themselves... The biggest problem was making sure I got all the pieces back... and these are high school students!
Also, just an FYI, I reposted Chapter 2, 'cause I'm just a little crazy, and I found some typo's. So, I fixed the ones I found and reposted. Nothing else changed!
Oh, well! So, here's the next chapter!
Chapter 3 – The Record Store
BPOV
I got home from my first day of school around three o'clock. It had been one whirlwind of a day, that's for sure! I even made plans for tonight. Though, thank God, they are not with Mike Newton. For one thing, Jess seems to like him. I'm not exactly sure why, and it's not like she's my best friend or anything, but I don't need to be making enemies already. For another, he's just annoying. He thinks everything he says is funny and original. He thinks that working at an outdoor outfitters store makes you outdoorsy... He doesn't even take walks, let alone camp anywhere. He slicks his blond hair straight back. Two things about that: 1) blond is unoriginal, and I can tell it's not his natural color, and 2) slicked back hair makes anyone look like a skeeze, especially is you can see the comb marks. It's like he's practicing for the comb-over he'll have in his early thirties. Eww!
The rest of my day was awesome. Alice and Rosalie are awesome, and I can see myself getting along with them. Jasper's quiet, but when he does speak, it's hilarious. Emmett speaks all the time, and it's always hilarious. There were a couple times Rose had to put him in his place today at lunch, but just to remind him to be respectful of the people around us. Then there's Edward; what can be said about Edward? There's so much. We spent most of the day together, as we will for the rest of the year. I learned a lot about him today. He's smart, that's for sure. He looks silly, but almost sexy, sitting in the desks at school. He's so tall, and his legs are so long, that when he sits at one of the desks, his legs extend out to the sides of the desk in front of him, slightly bent at the knee. He really was nice to look at, and I wouldn't mind spending the rest of the year hanging out with him. I just kinda hope he doesn't get bored of me being around all the time. He did looked a little more comfortable at the lab table in Biology. At least they have stools and his feet rest comfortably on the ground. I probably looked like a kindergärtner with my feet swinging above the floor.
He said he was going to a record store tonight. I wonder what kind of music he listens to. I like just about anything. I had to buy the 16GB iPhone to hold my music, but I am totally going to look into this rumor I heard about a 32GB coming out soon, because I still can't fit all my music on the device. My music selection ranges from Pop, to Hip-Hip, to R&B, to a little Country, to Alternative, to New Age, to Classical, to Blues, to Dance hits, to Latin, to Rock, to Reggae, to just about anything. I know it's a lot, but I've got over 3,500 songs that equal out to about nine and a half days straight of music without repeating. I can almost guarantee that anyone can find something they like! Music is like an obsession to me, so when Edward mentioned the record store, I jumped at the chance.
I was sitting in my room catching up on my reading assignment for English. Charlie wasn't home yet even though he said he's be home around six. I had already made him a quick dinner and left it in the oven to stay warm. I looked at the clock and realized that Edward would be here any minute, so I went downstairs and wrote Charlie a quick note about where I would be, where to find his dinner, and a quick sorry that I wouldn't be eating with him. I didn't think he'd mind that I was hanging out with a friend. He hadn't minded all month, why would today be any different?
Just as I finished writing the note, I heard a car pull up outside. I grabbed my favorite Coach Signature Zoe bag in black and headed out the door. I almost stopped dead in my tracks when I looked up. He brought the Aston. We had talked a little about cars at school today, and if I remember correctly, Jasper said he doesn't let anyone in it; something about being 'skankified', if that's even a word. So I was shocked when he opened the drivers side door and walked around to open the passengers side door for me.
"Wow, Cullen! I guess this is a compliment! Is it safe to assume that I'm not considered a skank?"
He scoffed at me. "Please, Bella. There is nothing skanky about you." he said as I slid into the seat. Black leather, black dash board, black exterior; the car was stunning and elegant.
Edward closed my door and walked back around to the other side, getting in and backing out of the driveway.
"So, how was your first day?" he asked as we headed down my street. I had only gone into Port Angeles once to go to the bookstore. I didn't really take the time to walk around, so I had no idea what to expect, though I knew the drive should take around an hour.
"Interesting..." was the first word that came to mind.
"Is that a good interesting, or a bad interesting?" Edward asked with a smile. His smile really is cute, kind of lop sided, and his eyes sparkled. Those beautiful green eyes I had noticed earlier today. They're total panty-dropper eyes. I bet he can have any girl he wants. Too bad I'm not a one-and-done kind of girl. Of the three guys that I've been with, all of them were boyfriends at the time.
I realized that I should have answered Edwards question by now, and I hoped that it just looked like I was thinking it over. "I guess it was a good interesting." I said, smiling. "There's this guy who followed me around all day, but other than that..." I trailed off.
"Very funny." he said, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "But the way I remember it, I knew where I was going, and it was you that was doing the following." he smiled.
I laughed, turning my head to glance out the side window. The trees were a blur of green and brown, and the drops of rain water on the window skewed the view even more. It was a little trippy, but it was beautiful. "Do you like living here?" I suddenly felt like asking.
Edward thought about that for a moment. "Yeah, I guess. It's kind of quiet, but, obviously, the drive to Port Angeles isn't that bad," he gestured out the window, emphasizing our current destination, "and the drive to Seattle isn't a killer. We still get out and do fun things." he laughed.
"I was wondering about that. I've been here for a month and all they want to do is go to the park, or La Push, or just hang out at someone's house. I was beginning to get bored out of my mind."
"Well, you have to know the right people." he smiled again. "So, what kinds of things did you do for fun in Phoenix?"
"Normal teen things. Movies, shopping, bowling, parties, weekend trips to the beach, going out to dinner, you know."
"We have those things here too." Edward reminded me.
"I know, I know, but if this place is so wonderful, then why do you go away for the summer to California?" I asked. I wasn't necessarily arguing with him, I was just curious.
"My parents used to live in Cali. My dad, Carlisle, was Chief of Staff at a transplant surgery hospital there when we were really young. Esme, my mom, didn't want us to grow up in a city. She wanted to live in a small town where everyone knows everyone... I guess she got that wish." he smiled again. He's smiling an awful lot tonight. "We've always lived next door to the Hale's. So, when we moved from Cali, Esme told Mrs. Hale about the area and they moved up shortly after us. Neither of them got rid of their house in Cali, so we use them as summer homes."
I fell silent for a moment, not knowing what to ask him next. There were so many things I wanted to know, but I wasn't corny enough to start asking questions about favorites. Those things can be learned over time.
"Do you miss Phoenix?" Edward asked a little while later.
"A little." I admitted, looking down at my lap. "I miss my mom and Phil, that feeling of being home. I kinda still feel like I'm visiting."
"We'll fix that." he said with confidence. I looked up to see him glance over at me before looking back to the road.
The rest of the ride to the harbor town was quiet. We made it there quicker than expected, though I'm not surprised. Edward pulled into a parking lot and got out of the car. Before I could gather my things, he was already at my door, opening it for me.
"Thank you." I said as I stepped out of the car. I noticed a couple people eying us, but that's what you get for driving an Aston Martin around Washington State.
"Dinner, first?" Edward asked. I simply nodded my head and we headed off down the street. I'm assuming Edward knew where we were going, because I was just following him; as I had all day today. He stopped outside a restaurant called The Mediterranean Café and asked if I was interested. The cousine, I assumed, would be something Italian, so I agreed.
We walked up to the podium and Edward asked for a table for two. I laughed internally when the hostess started eying me up. She thinks we're on a date! I'll have to share this little gem with Edward once she walks away.
She seated us at a comfortable booth, but definitely within view of her station at the podium.
She handed us each a menu and said, "I'll just go let your server know you're here." I smiled up at her, but I doubt she noticed.
"Edward," I said, getting him to look up from his menu. "She thinks we're on a date." I laughed. "Did you notice the glare I got when we walked in?" I couldn't contain the giggle that came out.
"I wasn't really paying attention." he shrugged and looked back down at the menu. "I think I'm going to have the Gnocchi with Alfredo Sauce."
"That sounds good. I'm going to have the Penne in Vodka Sauce with Ham."
Just then out waitress walked up to introduce herself and take out orders. She was perky, with that valley girl lilt to her voice. It was almost laughable watching her flirt with Edward. She was pretty, but she was trying too hard. As soon as she walked off to get our drinks, Edward noticed me trying to hold the laughter in.
"Go ahead," he said, sounding defeated. I couldn't hold it any longer and let myself laugh at the situation. "It doesn't change. Even when I come here with the others, she still does that eye thing. It looks like she's having a spasm." He dropped his face into his hands.
"She just can't help herself." I said, with a fake swoon in my voice, laughing again.
"Whatever." Edward mumbled while I continued to laugh.
We had a nice conversation over dinner where I learned a few things about Edward. Mainly, there's a gym here! I was wondering what I was going to do about exercise. I didn't really feel like running around Forks in the rain all the time. In Phoenix, I used to go to LA Fitness Sports Club three or four times a week. Edward said he usually goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays right after school, and Saturdays in the morning.
After dinner we went straight to the gym, and I signed up for a one year membership so that I could start going with Edward the next day. He said I already followed him around during school hours, I might as well follow him around after school, too. Cocky bastard! I let that one go without vocal comment, just a playful glare.
When we finished up at the gym, we walked over to the record store. It was one of those old, hole-in-the-wall kind of places. I find that they usually have the best stuff. We separated down different aisles to look through the collection. I had already picked up The Cars: Complete Greatest Hits, Ben Folds' solo album Rockin' the Suburbs, and Cake's Comfort Eagle when I came across the most glorious find of the century. I think I stopped breathing when I saw it sitting in the bin. Pink Floyd's The Wall, on vinyl! This couldn't be real. I picked up the box with the white brick background. The outside seems to be in good condition. I opened up the box to pull out it's contents and inspect it. Everything was there; albums with sleeves and inserts, and everything looked to be in excellent condition. I quickly added it to my pile before moving on to pick up the new Asher Roth CD, along with John Mayer's single for Say and Jason Mraz's album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. I knew Asher was really the odd man out in this musical grouping, but you can't tell me you don't like his song I Love College. It's got a good beat, makes me wanna dance.
I headed back to the counter to be rung up and met Edward there.
"Wow." Edward started flipping through my selections, commenting as he went. "Pink is 60's rock, The Cars are 70's rock, Cake is newer rock, Ben Folds is mellow rock. Then you pick some new pop music and Asher Roth? How do they fit in?" He teased.
"I like a wide range of music, okay? What about you?" I looked to his pile. All classical. "Wow, Cullen, you've really got a wide assortment there." I teased.
He shrugged. "I needed some new music for relaxing." he stated simply. I think that's one of the things I'm liking most about Edward. He does what he wants and doesn't care what people think of him. Most teens wouldn't be caught dead listening to classical.
We paid for our finds and headed back to Edwards car. When we turned the corner and the parking lot was in sight, I noticed a few guys our age admiring the Aston. I nudged Edward to get his attention. "Check it." I said, pointing to the small crowd.
"Wanna play with them a little?" Edward asked with a mischievous look in his eye.
"What did you have in mind?" I asked, smiling up at Edward.
"Just play along." he said as we got closer.
We slowed when we got to the group. Edward seemed to be admiring his own car. Oh, so we're gonna surprise them when we get in? Yay! I did a little internal happy dance. Didn't want to give anything away.
"It really is nice, isn't it?" Edward asked the three guys standing near the front of the car.
"Nice?" one of them scoffed. "This car is not just nice. It's amazing."
"I think it's pretty." I commented, totally sounding the part of 'dumb-girl'.
The three boys turned to look at me with slight disgust. I noticed Edward trying to hold in a laugh. If they only knew.
One of them turned to Edward. "Dude, why do you keep her around?"
Edward smirked at me and shrugged. "She's a good lay."
I raised an eyebrow at him. Edward just laughed it off.
"This guy must be loaded," another one commented.
"Totally, do they even sell these in the States?" the third spoke.
"I'm pretty sure they do." Edward said with a knowing smile. Of course he knows, he bought the car. "Ready to go?" he asked, looking down to me.
"Of course."
I watched for a reaction from the spectators as Edward lead me around to the passengers side of the car while pulling the keys out of his pocket. He hit the button and the lights flashed, unlocking the doors. A look of confusion washed over the faces of our new friends as they started to look around for someone approaching. The shock didn't come until I was taking my seat in the car.
Two of them were speechless as the third tried to form a complete sentence. "Huh? Wha... I... But... Are you crazy, man?"
Edward just laughed. "Not at all. But you should see your face." He closed my door and walked around to the drivers seat. As we backed out of the space, I gave a slight wave out my window to the still stunned teens.
As we exited the parking lot and set off down the main road, I turned in my seat to face Edward. "So, I'm a good lay?" I asked, almost in disbelief. It was too funny.
He shrugged. "I thought it might get a good reaction out of them." he joked as I shook my head.
We headed back towards Forks, quietly listening to one of Edwards new finds from the record store.
EPOV
I had dropped Bella off at her house with a 'goodnight' and an 'I'll see you tomorrow' before heading back home. I wanted to spend more time with her; she was just so interesting. I could talk to her for hours; and she was so easy to be with, that we didn't have to say a thing. This just complicates things. Why couldn't I have met her a year from now? Why did she have to enter at this point in my life?
I parked my car in the garage and made my way up to my room. Carlisle and Esme would be in bed by now, and who knows what Alice would be up to.
Apparently, she wasn't busy, because she knocked on my door as soon as I flopped down on my bed.
"How was your date?" she sang as she skipped over to my couch and sat down.
"It wasn't a date, Alice. It was two friends spending time together." I answered her.
"Well, what did you do on this non-date?"
"Dinner, Bella signed up for the gym, and the record store. No movie, no awkward conversations, no goodnight kiss, thus, no date." I stated clearly. I didn't need Alice getting the wrong impression. Lord knows how far she would go with it.
"And why not?" she persisted. "She's too cute and you guys would make a great couple! I can see it!"
"Alice, I don't have time for a relationship right now. I need to focus on school, and my grades, and baseball. I wouldn't have the time needed to devote to a relationship. Then I would feel bad because she deserves better than that." I sighed as I covered my eyes with my arm.
"I don't think that's a good enough excuse, Edward." Alice commented as she wondered out of my room.
It's not an excuse; it's reality. Bella does deserve more than I can give her right now. We can stay friends, and be there for each other when we need it, and we can keep this platonic. At least, I'll try my hardest.
Wow, so, that was hard to write. I'm not sure why. I know what I want to happen later on and I know that I need to lead up to those events, but it's hard to not just jump to the part where they get together. Oh, common! You know it's gonna happen! It's an Edward/Bella story! And I'm all about the HEA's! (Happily Ever After)
Anyway, the next update might take a while. I have the outline ready, I just have to write it. Though, I'm going on vacation right after school gets out on the 23rd and won't be able to get to a computer until I return.
I started another story, so if you like crass, smoking, sexy Edward, check out 'That Party Last Night' on my profile. I only have two chapters so far, but it's getting more of a response than this story, so we'll see.
As always, please review and tell me what you think!
~Hanne