into the dark - Caroline Swan - 1

I Eat All The Icecream

"Not tonight. I've had enough of pretentious posh boyfriends." I said, referring to Edward. My dad's lips twitched upwards as he ill-disguised a laugh, waving me off. "Dad, he literally pulled up to the airport and stopped in a no-parking zone," I told him, secretly hoping my dad would give him a ticket. My dad shook his head, frowning and muttering about, 'that damned boy' under his breath as I retreated upstairs.

-

I was reading the chapter with the Shade, my favorite character despite being somewhat evil, when the front door suddenly slammed shut. Bella, as usual, couldn't manage to close it quietly. I quickly bookmarked my page and made my way downstairs. I had changed my clothing after a much-needed shower (airplanes made me germaphobic), a pair of jean shorts hanging on my hips and a worn, light brown leather jacket hanging over a plain t-shirt.

I rolled my heterochromatic eyes, groaning internally as I saw Edward for a second time that day. I had only been in Forks, Washington for a few hours, and was already noticing how attached and co-dependent Isabella was to Edward.

"Hey Caroline," said Bella as the pair noticed me. She set down her backpack -which she always carried around for some absurd reason- and gave me a smile that would make a bridge troll grimace. "I thought you would want to come to dinner..."

I yawned, settling onto a stool facing the island counter, shaking my book, "You should know by now that a zombie apocalypse wouldn't tear me away from this beut."

Bella's nose scrunched at the well-worn-out book, the cover showcasing a coffee stain and the visible pages yellowed. Renee, our mother, had continually tried to buy me a new version, but I had always refused, especially after Trishton's death. The book had been a keepsake, the words messily scrawled in the margins becoming as precious as a nun's virginity or something. Back in school, we would slide the book across our desks, notes scribbled in the margins in my messy handwriting, and Trishton's -surprisingly- neat penmanship. "You've read that book, like, fifty times," Bella stated, eyeing the book distastefully.

"Nine," I corrected with a bit of an edge and cradling the volume to my chest protectively, "And if you ever read something other than Romeo and Juliet, I'm sure you would grow to love a book too."

Edward's eyes flicked over the barely-visible title, his eyebrows lifting as he smiled politely, turning to his girlfriend, "Eragon is an excellent book, Bella." He said in an amused tone, nodding to me, "Do you have a preferred character? I prefer Eragon and his brother, Roran."

I smirked, leaning forward, invested in the conversation, "They're so bland though." I critiqued, "Aya and Durza are much more developed, multi-faceted characters." I pointed out, my heterochromatic eyes shimmering as my book nerd reared its' head.

Edward furrowed his eyebrows, his elbows settling on the granite island countertop, "Isn't Durza the Shade and the main antagonist?" He asked dubiously.

I rolled my eyes, placing the book down on the countertop, expressing myself with my hands, "Okay, yeah, so? I mean, it wasn't exactly his fault that he was consumed by the spirits he summoned and that they took over his body, making him evil, was it?" I rattled off, ignoring Isabella's presence entirely as she watched her boyfriend and younger sister debate a book she had never heard of.

Edward was silent for a moment, his eyes staring past my head as he pondered, "I suppose you are correct in a way. It wasn't his choice." My sister's boyfriend's words seemed to have a double meaning as I narrowed my eyes, seeking out an explanation but coming up empty-handed, Sherlock Holmes would be disappointed.

"Anyone want icecream?" I asked quickly, changing the sullen mood, popping the freezer open and snatching the unopened tub hidden in the back corner behind the frozen brussel sprouts. 

"Grab me a serving Carol!" My dad shouted over the noise of the latest baseball game on the television. I grudgingly set out a bowl for my father, giving him the minimum amount as Bella watched on, horrified.

"Caroline Swan, how long has that icecream been in the freezer?" She whispered, her face twisting in disgust. I shrugged, taking a massive bit of the chocolate sweet straight from the carten, my novel nestled underneath my arm as I precariously balanced the tub of icecream in my other hand.

I held the spoon out, speaking with my mouth partially full, "That shall be determined on whether I barf my guts out tonight or not, Isabella." 

"Okay, even if I did want to eat that icecream -which I don't- now I can't because you ate straight out of the carton." My older sister said snobbishly, putting her hand on her hips. I knew she tried to stay away from sweets, she was paranoid about her figure. However, I had inherited a fast metabolism from somewhere down the family line and couldn't gain weight if Barney the Dinosaur threatened me.

"That is an incorrect acussation." I stated cooly, alternating between taking bites of the rich chocolate icecream and pointing my spoon at my older sister condescendingly. "You can eat it, my saliva on the icecream is not preventing your from partaking in this delicious meal, you merely choose not to, darling sister." 

She glared at me, obviously vexed at my correction as her boyfriend gave her a kiss and I gagged, mentally unprepared for the horrific, traumatizing scene. "¡Consigue una habitación!" (Get a room!) I shouted, shielding my child eyes from the barf-worthy interaction. One of the best things about being able to speak multiple languages, was that I could smile sweetly at my older sister, call her a wilted flower, and she was none the wiser.

"¡Nadie quiere ver eso! ¡Oye! ¡Estoy cegado internamente y no volveré a ver! ¡Mis ojos necesitan ser blanqueados mientras voy a saltar a un río para limpiar mis pobres e inocentes ojos de la horrorosa imagen! ¡Ustedes creen que están enamorados pero no es real! ¡Métanse en la cabeza! ¡Los locos! ¡Besándose delante de mí! ¡Nunca seré esa chica inocente de hace cinco segundos!" (Nobody wants to see that! Hey! I am internally blinded and will never see again! My eyes need to be whitened as I go to jump into a river to cleanse my poor innocent eyes of the horrifying image! You think you are in love but it is not real! Get into your head! The crazy ones! Kissing in front of me! I'll never be that innocent girl from five seconds ago!) I shot off, waving my hands around like a lunatic (or the time that Bella has slipped on a puddle of water and looked like a character straight out of a cartoon.)

"¡Consigue una habitación! Y con fluidez, muy impresionante. ¿No crees en el amor? Eres una chica muy interesante." (You speak Spanish? And fluently, very impressive. Don't you believe in love? You are a very interesting girl.) said Edward fluently. I blinked in surprise while Bella looked back and forth between us like she was spectating a high-stakes hockey match.

"El amor es una emoción falsa creada por una necesidad que no es real. ¡¿Y me llamas niño ?! ¡Solo soy unos tres años más joven!" (Love is a false emotion created by a need that is not real. And you call me child ?! I'm only about three years younger!) I retorted, my hands on my hips, jutting my chin out. The pretentious prickly boyfriend chuckled, pulling my older sister closer and resting his chin on her head as I ooverdramatically retched, essentially leaping up the stairs like I would across a river of lava, fake-gagging the entire way up.

Isabelle shouted from downstairs, sputtering, "You can't just take all the ice cream!"

"You lost your claim to it you bipolar Floridian state ripoff! I can take it, you just don't want me to!" I called downstairs, slamming my door shut and shaking the heebie-jeebies off as I quietly indulged in the stolen ice cream, laughing at a humorous line from my book.