Edward Cullen: A Work in Progress

Five Months Ago

The response to this story is a bit surprising. I'm looking forward to having Edward grow as a person and the relationship with Bella develop. Thanks for everyone who's faved it, reviewed it or read it! Much appreciated.

Things I own: a Harvard t-shirt, this laptop, and some hotdogs

Things I don't own: Twilight and all characters associated with it. They belong to the esteemed Stephenie Meyers.

Chapter 3: Five Months Ago

"Whipping Boy!"

I will not hit a girl. I will not hit a girl. I will not hit a girl. "Yes, Bella?" I asked with gritted teeth.

"Set up for a back tattoo," she barked.

I nodded and pulled out a table. I set it up quickly and laid out the sterile drapes for the client. I then set up the rest of the station for her bitchiness. Things had not improved all that much since I started working at Dreamstyle. Angela and I occasionally fucked. However, she was currently curtailing our sexual explorations until she discovered if she liked the latest guy she was dating. Whatever. Rosie Palmer worked for me before Angela.

"You're good to go," I said, tapping her on the shoulder. She gripped my fingers and bent them backwards. "Mother fucker."

"Don't you fucking touch me, Whipping Boy," Bella seethed. The pain in my fingers caused my knees to buckle. I fell to the ground. "No one touches me without my permission. Got it?"

"Fuck! Yeah. You're breaking my damn fingers," I croaked. Bella released my fingers and she rummaged through her bag. She snarled at me as she brushed past to go smoke outside. I got up, rubbing my hand. "Jeez, anger management much?"

"She went easy on you," Angela said. "She really could have broken your fingers. And detached your balls from your body."

"What the fuck?"

"She's got...issues," Angela said with a dramatic eye roll.

"Like we all don't," I snorted. "I swear, this shop is the Mecca for all of the rejects and forsaken."

"Hi, guys!"

"Case in point," I said, turning to Alice Brandon. She was the owner New Moon Designs, a clothing boutique across the street from Dreamstyle. "What can we do for you, Alice?"

"How are you doing, Whipping Boy?" Alice teased. I growled and narrowed my eyes at the midget in front of me. Alice was Bella's roommate. How they got together, I'll never know. They were the exact opposite of each other. Alice was excitable, happy and perky. Bella was sullen, cranky and bitchy. The only thing that they had in common was the fact that they were both tiny. Alice was shorter than Bella, but they still were little.

"Don't call me Whipping Boy," I fumed.

"It's your name. Bella has deemed it so," Alice said while waving a fist.

"If I called her what I had in my mind, I'd be fired," I said. Bitchella. Slave Driver. Evil Whore. "I need this job, thank you very much."

"I'm looking for my roommate," Alice said. I pointed to the back and Alice skipped past me, pinching my cheek. I growled again and went to update some things on the computer. Adjust schedules and whatnot. After I finished my work at the desk, I pulled out my sketchbook and worked on my homework that Bella had assigned. She wanted me to create a tribal tattoo for some guy. He wanted it along his ribs. He provided a picture of the tribal art he wanted. I was re-working it so it would fit his body and on his ribs.

Alice returned a few moments later. She hopped up on the counter. "Edward, you're tall. And lean."

"Keen observation, roommate of my tormentor," I said, running my pencil along the sketch pad.