Destiny

~8~

In the middle of the night, Bella bolted up awake. In that split second in the darkness, she saw Edward, who was watching her. She snapped on the light, but the room was empty.
'Was I dreaming?' she asked herself. 
'That was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen...'

Bella stood in the exact spot of the accident. Behind her on the lawn, several classes congregated, gathering for a field trip. Mr. Molina was in charge.                             
"Make sure I get your permission slips", Mr Molina yelled.                                     
Bella was staring at the skid marks on the pavement. She remembered the van reeling right to her, but she cut out Destinee from this memory. She replaced the memory of Destinee saving her with Edward and she blushed. Then she saw Edward arrive with Alice and Jasper. She watched him, barely noticing that Mike trotted up to her.
"Look! You're moving. You're ALIVE!" he exclaimed over dramatically.         
"Yeah, false alarm."         
"Thank Destinee."
Bella growled lightly.
"Actually, I'm glad you're both not dead 'cause - well, that would suck, plus I wanted to ask you... even though it's like a month away..."
But Bella was distracted by Edward and didn't listen what he was saying. She looked at him across the lawn. He had his head down and was in a quiet conference with Jasper and Alice. Abruptly, he looked up, as if he was listening to her and Mike, though he was too far away to hear. Bella quickly refocused on Mike.                                       
"So what do you think?"
She gave him a confused look.
"You want to go? To prom. With me?" he repeated when he realized that she didn't listen.
Bella was horrified.
"Prom. As in dance. I, uh... have to go somewhere. To Jacksonville. Yeah."         
"You can't go another weekend?" Mike wanted to know.
"Non-refundable ticket", Bella said.
Just then Destinee came up. She caught some parts of their small conversation.
"Maybe you should ask Jessica. I can see that she wants to go to prom with you", Destinee told Mike.
Said blond teen followed Destinee's eyes way across the lawn to Jessica. She smiled at them. Suddenly Edward crossed their views in front of Jessica. He seemed to be smirking.

The field trip was going to the community college greenhouse. Mr Molina and a tour guide lead several dozen kids through the greenhouse. Bella kept an eye on Edward who was up ahead with Alice and Jasper. Mr Molina demonstrated the compost           machine as the students messed around and walked past.
"C'mon, Eric, stuff that compost down deep... that's it..."
The machine gurgled and spun.      
"Now Tyler, take a big steaming cup of 'compost tea.' This is recycling at its most basic level..."
"Hey, don't drink that!"
When Bella saw Edward pause by an ancient staghorn fern, alone, she took a breath for courage and strode up to him.                                        
"Hello, Edward."
He glanced at her and merely nodding. His fists were constantly clenching and unclenching. Bella looked at him, appalled by his rudeness.                                       
"Really?"                      
But there was no response. She turned around and started to walk away.                                         
"What's in Jacksonville?" Edward suddenly asked.
Bella turned back to him.                             
"How did you know about that?"         
"You didn't answer my question."
"You haven't answered any of mine. You won't even say hello."                                   
"Hello."                                    
"And how did you stop that van?"         
"Adrenaline rush. Very common. Google it."
Bella didn't buy it.
"Floridians. That's what's in Jacksonville", she said.
She turned to storm off, but she stumbled over the irrigation hose. Edward steadied her, catching her scent, which was still so powerful to him. He clenched his jaw.
"It helps if you actually watch where you put your feet."
Insulted, Bella kept moving. Edward kept pace, serious now.                                        
"I know I've been rude, but it's for the best."                     
She just looked at him like he was crazy. He walked away as Jessica suddenly rushed up to Destinee.
"Guess who just asked me to prom!"                        
"Who?"         
"I totally thought Mike was going to ask you or Bella. Since he described you as a goddess-like person. Is it gonna be weird?"
"No way. Zero weirdness. Except for the goddess-like part. You guys are great together."                        
"I know, right?"
"Wait, did he really call me goddess-like?"
"Yep", Jessica said popping the 'p', "Come on."
Jessica took her arm and dragged her along. They rushed to catch up with Angela. Bella meanwhile headed out the door that lead to where everyone was looking at the compost 'worm box', grossing each other out with the slimy creatures. As Bella backed away, Edward stepped up.                                       
"Bella, it would be better if we weren't friends", he meant."
"Too bad you didn't figure that out earlier", she said, first wounded, but then she got angry.
"Let me guess. The brat gets to stay friends with you", she hissed, "you could have let the van crush me and saved yourself all this regret."
Edward snapped.
"You didn't thank her? She really doesn't deserve this, Bella. She risked her own life to save you. Imagine I wouldn't have been there. She would be dead. Then you would regret it."
"I know I definitely wouldn't. But I also know you do regret it."
"You don't know anything."                          
His harshness stung her. Suddenly, Alice appeared at Edward's side. She eyed Bella with curiosity.                             
"The bus is leaving."
Alice turned to Bella.       
"Hi. Will you be riding with us?" she asked her.
"No. Our bus is full."
He purposefully walked Alice away. But he glanced back at Bella. She didn't see it though. She only saw Destinee hanging around Rosalie and Emmet.

                             
Bella entered the kitchen, threw down her book bag and coat, still being angry. She started upstairs but Charlie entered from the kitchen.                             
"Your mother called. Again."
"Your fault, for telling her about the accident."
"She always did know how to worry."
There was a hint of sadness.
"But... she's changed, too. She seemed happy. Phil sounds all right."                                       
"He is", Bella replied.
She continued upstairs, glancing at her parents' wedding photo.         

The next day Bella pushed through the doors. She glanced over at the Cullen table. Edward was sitting with his siblings. He didn't look at her. Anger and determination was setting in again as Bella joined Eric, Jessica, Mike and Angela and Destinee. She dropped her book bag on a seat.                             
"La Push, baby. You in?" Eric asked.
"Should I know what that means?"
"La Push beach, down on the Quileute rez. We're all going after school. Big swell coming in", Mike said.
"And I don't just surf the internet", Eric said enthusiastically when he jumped on his chair, doing surfing moves.
"Eric, you stood up once. On a foam board."
"There's whale watching, too. Come with us."
"La Push, baby."                                    
"I'll go if you stop saying that."
A few minutes later Bella went to the salad bar station and artfully designs an architectural salad. As she reached for an apple, Edward was suddenly next to her.
"Edible art", he said charmingly.
Startled by his sudden appearance, she fumbled and dropped the apple. Edward caught it with his foot, hackeysack style, then bounced it back into his hand, the red of the apple was stark against his pale skin.           He presented it to her with small smile.                                       
"Thanks... but your mood swings are giving me whiplash."                                       
"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."
"What does that even mean?"
"It means if you were smart, you'd avoid me."
Edward inadvertently glanced at his four inhumanly beautiful siblings, who were waiting for him, expectantly, at their table. She noted her own, very human friends, except for Destinee, monitoring this           conversation from their table. Mike glowered with jealously.                                       
"So let's say, for argument's sake, that I'm not smart. Would you talk to me? Tell me the truth?"
"Probably not. I'd rather hear your "theories."
"Okay... how about radioactive spiders? Kryptonite?"
Bella leveled his gaze, challenging.
"You're talking about superheroes. What if I'm not a hero? What if I'm a bad guy?"
Bella looked closer at him.
"No. I don't believe that. You're not bad. You can be a jerk, but it's like this... mask. To keep people away."
Edward was taken aback by her honesty, her insight and drawn in by her.
"Look, why don't we just-hang out. Like... come to the beach with us. It'll be fun-sand fleas, wind burn,  salt water stinging your eyes."
Edward offered her a small smile, considering it in his mind.       
"Which beach?" he wanted to know.        
"La Push", Bella replied.
His smile lessened almost imperceptibly.                              
"Is something wrong with that beach?                       
Edward glanced over at Mike. The two exchange cold looks.                                       
"It's just a little crowded", he meant and walked away.