Darkness Will Come to Light [1]

XXXIX. Love is Weird

The week went by and Edward continued to sit with Bella at lunch. Rosalie didn't try to hide her displeasure. She not-so-subtlety glared at Bella until Edward hissed at her, making the blonde turn away.

Melaina didn't mean to stare at them, but Edward took a slice of pizza off Bella's tray and deliberately took a bite. He chewed and swallowed it, to Mel's utter amazement. She turned away when Jasper nudged her arm. "What?"

"You're like a child filled with wonder."

"I didn't think you guys could eat," the human Cullen admitted.

"He's humorin' her. Food tastes like dirt to us," Jasper explained.

"Hm," Mel said. "He's eating dirt to appease his girlfriend. Love is so weird."

"You'll learn the truth of that one day."

Mel scoffed. "I'm not going to hold my breath."

"Hey, now, remember what we talked 'bout."

"Yeah, yeah. Fate's going to deliver an Alice to me one day," Mel paraphrased their conversation from months ago.

Jasper rolled his amber eyes.

~*~

Edward left with Alice after lunch to hunt in the park. The National Forest park, not a human park.

Mel suffered through her last two classes, biology and Phys. Ed., with Bella. Note-taking filled the forty minutes of biology class and gym consisted of a heart-bursting run of CrossFit activities.

Bella nearly swung a weighted bar into Mel's face, but the weight missed the shorter brunette by mere inches over her head. Mel stayed a double arms length away after that. She didn't want to lose an eye; she happened to like their green-grey tones.

At the end of the day, Savannah caught Mel at her locker, and they were talking about making plans to hang out when Emmett bounded over. He lifted Mel over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing at all.

Mel squealed and hit his back with the binder in her hand. "Emmett, put me down, you big oaf!" He only laughed, which shook his shoulders and Melaina's body.

Savannah laughed too. "No, don't laugh, save meee!" Mel cried out to her best friend.

Sav tried to yank me down, but Emmett held firm to Mel with one arm. He swung Sav on his other shoulder, to her surprise. "Eeep," she squeaked.

Emmett started walking down the hall with the girls over his shoulder. Students parted to let him pass with wide eyes. He stopped outside on the front steps. They were still under the roof edge, but Mel could hear the drizzling rain hitting the pavement.

"What are you doing?" Rosalie's voice held an undertone of amusement, though her face was blank as she rounded the building.

"Look what I found! Can I keep them?" Emmett said excitedly.

"Emmett, you cannot kidnap your sister and her friend. Put them down."

"Aw, but Rose--"

"Down." Rosalie pointed at the ground to emphasize her words.

"You're no fun," Emmett grumbled. He carefully set Mel and Sav on their feet.

The best friends exchanged looks before bursting into laughter. Emmett pouted all the way home.

~*~

Mel had just placed a Tupperware of mac 'n cheese into the microwave when her phone rang. Savannah's Avril Lavigne ring tone filled the kitchen. Mel pressed start to heat up her food and then patted herself down to find her cellphone.