To my surprise, it wasn't Mom or Charlie who had come to pick us up from school, rather Jacob in my Truck. "Get in loca, We're going to the rez for your first driving lesson." He said, banging his hand on the exterior of the truck through the wide-open window.
Dahlia had texted me the hour before that she was going out with Angela to get better rain-clothes. I thought it best to let her have her own friends. I was about to get into the truck when I spotted them, the Cullens. Next to a shiny new Volvo. Way too new and expensive for this town. I remembered that their dad was a Doctor.
"Just a second..." I told Jacob, leaving him sitting in the driver's seat. I walked- as casually as I could muster- towards them. Towards Edward.
"Hey." I chirped, and the little one, Alice, beamed at me.
"Hi!" Alice said. I realized neither of us had introduced ourselves, but our reputations proceeded us.
"Uhm..." I foundered. What had I come over here for? "Edward-" I called just as he said my name. "Go ahead," I told him, ah, yes. No thinking, only giving him the responsibility of carrying the conversation. Served him right, being so fucking rude earlier.
"We should... go to port Angeles... this weekend. " He suggested. I gaped. No fucking way. I kept my composure.
"Uh, yeah, that sounds like fun." My truck's horn honked, and I remembered that I left Jacob in the car. "That's my ride.. uh..." I pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down my number. "Text me later." I nodded, turning on my heel and climbing back up into my truck.
"Why were you talking to the Cullens?" Jacob wondered aloud once my seatbelt was fastened, turning out of the parking lot. His tone was... angry. I'd never heard him be anything but jovial. Well, I guessed, I'd only spoken to him once...
"Edward, uh, the red-head? He asked me out?" I stated this more like a question, I didn't believe it myself. Jacob's eyes widened.
"What do you mean he asked you out?" Jacob questioned, turning down a dirt road I didn't recognize. Well shit, If I get murdered by a fourteen-year-old, at least he's handsome.
"Like he asked me out, to go to port-Angeles, this weekend." I restated Edward's words, replaying the encounter in my head.
"Alone... you'd be Alone in Port Angeles... With Edward?" Jacob questioned and I tilted my head.
"Uh... yeah... I'm pretty sure that's how dates work, Jacob." I laughed, and he shook his head.
"That's not a good idea. Edward is bad news bears." Jacob turned off the truck, jumping down and running to the other side to help me down.
"What makes you say that?" I asked, hopping into the driver's seat.
"Check your mirrors" He murmured, clicking my seatbelt for me.
It was after nine by the time we decided to call it a day, and I only cried twice. Jacob was really gentle and patient, which was the only reason the lesson lasted as long as it did. We pulled into the town's only diner, hopping out of the truck to get some dinner before heading home. We sat inside, grabbing a pair of menus before looking over them.
"I want a steak, but I can't eat a whole one." I complained, and he chuckled.
"I was going to order two, I guess I can do one and a half." he tilts his head, shrugging and grinning. I laughed.
"Actually that might just work." We agreed that since he was teaching me to drive, I would buy dinner, and we'd do homework in the truck before lessons. Luckily, the diner was cheap. We ate, joked, and learned about each other.
He had a pair of sisters, both gone now one-off to college and the other married. He lived alone with his dad, his mom passed away when he was young. Car accident. His great-grandfather was Ephraim Black, the chief of the Quileute tribe. He loved horror and slasher movies, he rode motorcycles and he was really close with Embry and Quill. He hated some guy named Sam, and he really, really does not like Cullens.
To me, it sounded a lot like jealousy. Especially after Edward asked me out.
Jacob dropped me off at Ten thirty, and I checked my phone. Three messages. Two from Edward, one from Angela.
This is my phone number. -Edward
Three PM, Saturday okay? -Edward
I took a moment to respond.
Sounds fun, See you at lunch. - Callie
I thought it was funny to respond the way that he had.
I switched to Angela's Messages.
Dropped Dahlia off at yours <3
I promptly fell asleep. Alone this time.
School the next day was better, much better. It was better because it wasn't raining yet, though the clouds were dense and opaque. It was easier because I knew what to expect of my day, and I had at least known a few of the other students. I was still constantly getting nearly lost, but I had enough help from my classmates that I was never late.
Some kid named Mike came to sit by me in English, and walked me to my next class, with Eric glaring at him all the while; that was flattering. I didn't have the heart to tell them that Cullen had asked me out. I waited, very impatiently, for lunch to roll around.
Mr. Varner called on me in trig when my hand wasn't raised and I had the wrong answer. I had to play volleyball in the gym, which was awful, but Mike and Eric both tried to help as best they could.
I so badly wanted to see Edward- to be near him.
When lunch finally came to fruition I had this strange, bubbly feeling in my chest, like when you're at the top of a roller-coaster, looking down, knowing you're going to drop but not knowing when.
I looked for him upon entering the room, my heart sinking when I didn't see him. A blue-sweater-clad arm snaked around my shoulders, and I nearly grabbed it to break it before I looked up to find Edward. Edward's grinning face. My heart just about jumped out of my throat.
"Hey-" I stammered, and he laughed.
"Did I frighten you, Callie?" He asked, sarcastically.
"No, just surprised." He nodded.
"I'm good at that." His smile was enchanting. He led me to his family's table. Alice looked pleased, Jasper looked frightened, Emmett looked disinterested, and Rosalie looked downright PISSED.
"Uh... Hi," I greeted them, sitting down with my tray of food. Once again, none of them ate anything. Rosalie stood as soon as I sat, dumping her tray in the trash and leaving out of the backdoor.
"Did I say something-" I asked, and Edward shrugged.
"Oh don't worry about her, she's angry with me, not you." Edward stretched, leaning one arm on the back of my chair. He was so casual, relaxed, as my heart raced.
I thought it best to not ask what he had done to piss his sister off. Sisters were just like that sometimes. I remembered once, Dahlia dumped an entire bottle of red glitter in my sheets because I had had the audacity to tell her I didn't particularly care for her snickerdoodles because I didn't like cinnamon. I'd still find pieces of red glitter to this day, and that had happened five years ago.
Edward chuckled, seemingly unable to contain himself as he found something funny. I wondered then, what he was thinking, as he struck up a conversation with Alice and Emmett. I took the opportunity to try to speak to Jasper.
"Uh, hey, you're a senior, right?" I asked, admiring his golden tresses.
"Yes." He responded curtly like he hadn't thought to breathe until I had spoken to him.
"I like your hair." I tried again, not really knowing what to say to this boy.
"Thank you, Ma'am." I was taken aback by the southern accent and the strange politeness of the way he spoke.
"I like your shirt." he tried, and I laugh. We were wearing the same sweater, I realized. Thick creme, cable-knit turtlenecks. He paired his with black slacks, and I wore thick red fleece tights and a black skater skirt.
"You certainly have a good sense of fashion," I said, gesturing at his ensemble.
"Oh I can't take credit for that at all, Alice picks out most of what I wear." he smiled for the first time, and I gawked at his grin. Beautiful, perfect. Just like the rest of them.
"Alice, could you dress me too?" I asked jokingly, but something in the way she grinned told me she didn't think it was a joke.
Edward walked me to biology, his arm never leaving my shoulders. It felt protective, but also territorial. Mike and Eric stayed away whenever he was near, and I wasn't entirely sure I liked that. As we sat, I felt the burn of several pairs of eyes on us.
The class was easy, more notes I didn't need, so Edward and I just talked. I learned that he and all of his siblings were adopted. Rosalie and Jasper were the only ones biologically related, being twins. The Good Doctor was apparently a saint in his own right, and I had hoped to meet him.
Edward asked a lot of questions though, about me, my family, my life before Forks. He'd get tripped up on a few questions, like he'd meant to ask more, but didn't know how.
"So, your mom and dad are... divorced?" he asked and I stifled a laugh.
"No, they were never married, I'd actually never met my dad."
"But you said she was re-married?"
"She divorced my sibling's dad, they were married for twelve years." I added, trying to give some context. It wasn't enough.
"Why would they split, after being together for so long, with two kids?" I didn't want to get too deep into that conversation, but I figured hey, scare him away now and you won't have to nurse your heart so much later.
"Well, he was a drug addict, and kind of abusive." He also raped me when I was thirteen, which is what sparked my ability, but I couldn't very well say that to a boy I just met. Edward stiffened in his seat a bit, his eyes full of remorse.
"I'm sorry-" I cut him off.
"Nothing to be sorry for, all good homie." I punched him lightly on the shoulder, and silently noticed hard it was under his blue cashmere.
The bell rang, and Edward silently walked me to my next class, his arm around my shoulders pulling me closer all the way. My last class went smoothly, Spanish being one of my favorite subjects.
Edward was there, at the door as the bell rang and I questioned for a moment how in the hell he managed that. At the very least, it was Friday, so any skipping classes wouldn't affect him until Monday, meaning our "date" wouldn't be affected. Jacob was there, waiting in the parking lot, in my truck, and boy did he look absolutely thrilled that Edward was there. When Jacob's eyes landed on Edward's arm chivalrous around my shoulders, I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.
"I don't think your boyfriend likes me very much." Edward joked, and I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow.
"He's just a kid." I muttered, and Edward all but threw his head back in laughter. As we approached, I noticed a distinct lack of my sister, a brief panic set in before Edward tapped my cheek with his finger and gestured across the lot to Dahlia, talking to Mike across the lot.
"I'll go get her, you go cool off the lost puppy." He chortled, his arm left me and the loss of the weight was suddenly uncomfortable. I hopped up into the passenger seat, and as I did so, Jacob absolutely fumed at me.
"Didn't I tell you Cullen was a piece of shit?!" he seethed between clenched teeth.
"He's been nothing but gentlemanly, Jacob." I rolled my eyes, looking back out the window to see Edward and Dahlia approaching the vehicle. Jacob's eyes never left me as he prattled on about "Being a good friend" and how I should listen to him. Dahlia hopped up into the truck, squishing in on the third seat as Edward departed toward his own car.
"Jesus dude maybe chills a little, Cullen is cool." Dahlia interjected, and Jacob's angry eyes flashed toward her, then softened. Something blanked his expression and then fired it up all over again.
"You can't talk to him, Callie. For your safety and Dahlia's" He said in a tone that left no room for argument. I finally tired of it, looking directly into his eyes.
"You don't want to tell me what to do because I am older than you. You don't mind who I date or hang out with because you are not dating me." I pushed my thoughts into him, and he blinked slowly before shaking his head.
"I'm only trying to protect you, Callista." His expression left me dumbfounded. How the hell did he manage to avoid my suggestion? Only Dahlia had ever been able to, and even she found it difficult upon occasion. What the hell was going on? One day the ability is strong enough to work without me uttering a single word, and the next a fourteen-year-old boy can completely ignore me?!
The driving lesson went well. Dahlia tagged along and she and Jacob seemed to hit it off even better than he and I had. I was Glad Dahlia was making friends, but my thoughts still consumed me. What the hell was going on with him? Was Edward part of some dangerous mafia no one thought to warn me about? Dahlia seemed absolutely enamored with Jacob, and Jacob with her. They hung off of each other's every word, every breath, like something out of a romance novel. The lesson ended a little after five, and we decided to each have dinner at home.
Upon arriving home, I decided to ask the only other person who might know something about criminal undergrounds. Cheif Charlie Swan. Mom was in the kitchen, making something fried when I sat next to Charlie on the couch. It was best to come right out with it, Charlie struck me as a straightforward man.
"Do you know the Cullen Family?" I asked hesitantly. He paused the football game he was watching and turned toward me.
"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."
"They, the kids... are a little different. They don't seem to fit in really well at school." Charlie surprised me by looking angry.
"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here," he continued, getting louder. "We're lucky to have him-lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in a couple of years back, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature- I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should- camping trips every weekend... just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."
It was the longest speech I'd ever heard Charlie make. He must feel strongly about whatever people were saying. I backpedaled. "They seemed nice enough to me. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't getting myself into any trouble when I accepted a date invite from Edward yesterday. He's really attractive." I added, trying to be more complimentary.
"You should see the doctor," Charlie said, laughing. "It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around. And I'm sure his boy is just as gentlemanly as he is." Charlie added with a nod.
We lapsed back into silence as we waited for dinner. The family ate in silence. I was too giddy, too excited for my date that night that I didn't sleep. I stared at my ceiling. I waited, for hours upon hours, for sleep to take me. It finally came around three in the morning, and then I hadn't woken up until noon.
I spent an hour trying to find something decent to wear. God, how I had wished Alice was MY sister. She could come to make sense of my mismatched bootcut jeans and penny tees. Eventually, I settled on an oversized pink cropped sweater and grey leggings. Hey, he had to of thought I was cute, even without being dressed nicely. Upon coming down the stairs I noticed Alvin, mom, Charlie, but no Dahlia.
Before I had the opportunity to ask, Mom, clarified. "Jacob came and picked up Dahlia early this morning. He said that you had something going on today though." I nodded.
"Yeah, Edward Cullen is taking me up to Port Angeles... I need some better rain clothes. Mom gasped.
"Oh honey, I met his dad yesterday at Alvin's ear appointment! He is gorgeous!" Mom giggled, Charlie rolled his eyes.
"Well, do you want me to meet him at the door with the shotgun?" Charlie asked, a hint of humor on the corners of his mouth. I thought for a moment. The stoic, gentlemanly demeanor of Edward didn't seem befitting pissing his pants, but it did make me laugh.
"Sure Charlie, get the whole dad experience." I joked, and he chortled.
It was Alvin who answered the door, swinging it wide open for Edward, who stood in shock. His brow furrowed for a fraction of a second before he bent down, a boyish grin on his face.
"Well hello sir, is Callie around?" He politely asked, speaking to my three-year-old brother like he was a grown man in the time of corsets and carriages. My brother grinned back up at him.
"Wite this way suh." He tried his best to imitate the cantor, but his lisp interfered. Upon arriving in the family room, a feat of only a few seconds, Edward bowed quickly.
"Mr. and Mrs. Swan, I would like to take your daughter out on a date tonight, We will be going to Port Angeles for book shopping and perhaps an Icecream." The way he spoke was too tight, too formal, but I knew that it was only to impress my parents.
He didn't know that he didn't need to. Mom's opinion never mattered to me, and Charlie wasn't my real dad. Despite the joking earlier, Charlie held no weapon, only a confused smile, like he often held whenever he was forced to socialize.
My mother smirked, nodding. "You three have fun." she waved. I could feel the vein threatening to pop in my forehead.
"What?" I feigned confusion, and kept my smile, though now strained.
"Oh did I forget to tell you? Charlie and I are going to a hangout on the reservation with Billy, and there's probably going to be lots of drinking, so..." I couldn't believe it. My first ever date... With a boy I really liked... who was WAY out of my league... and she wanted to stick me with Babysitting duty.
"mother-" I began, fully prepared to use suggestion on her, but Edward cut me off.
"Sounds great, where is his car seat? I'd like to make sure it was situated properly before the drive. Though we may want to change plans darling, an hour drive is a little long for such a small boy, especially after a thirty-hour drive just this week." Edward noted, hoisting the small boy up onto his shoulders as if he was made of air.
"I'll go get the seat." I chirped, all feelings of rage slowly dissipating at Edward's words. How in the world was he so perfect?
After getting Alvin's seat situated, we sat in the car and thought to brainstorm what to do, and after a minute, Edward suggested we go to his house for his brother's extensive indoor arcade.
Emmet was, apparently, a huge fan of skeeball, and Pac-man. I secretly relished in the knowledge that I was probably better than even the perfect Edward Cullen at Pac-man. The drive was significantly shorter than the hour and a half I had anticipated, but the twenty minutes still felt like hours listening to Alvin try to converse with Edward. Edward, to my surprise, was great with kids. Patient, kind, and genuinely a good conversationalist.
'Holy shit, these people are loaded.' I thought as Edward pulled up to his family home.
A tall, bright house with wall to wall windows and natural greenery surrounding. Like Charlie's house, the forest seemed ever-encroaching. He all but sped to the passenger side, opening the car door for me and then my brother.
Again, he lifted Alvin above his shoulders. Edward simply opened the front door, I guess in a town like this no locks are needed... no matter how much you flaunt your wealth. The inside was just as opulent, and somehow still warm and inviting. Edward set Alvin down on the marble floor, and he immediately ran off and panic filled me.
"Careful! You might break something!" I went to follow after him, but Edward's arm snaked around my shoulders.
"Don't worry about it, if Emmett hasn't broken it, your forty-pound brother won't be able to." he chuckled. He led me down the hallway, toward the Arcade.
As expected, I did beat Edward at Pac-man, but not as much as I thought I would. He had the speed, but not the skill. When the game prompted me to enter a name, I found myself taken aback at the amount of EMM's and the single EAC. I ranked only fifth. Edward suddenly stiffened beside me.
"They shouldn't be back so soon..." He murmured. Emmett suddenly appeared in the doorway.
"Hey, Andrews!" He grinned, peeking over my shoulder. "Holy SHIT" he shouted, pointing at the glowing white AND. "How'd you get so good at this?!" Emmet's voice boomed with excitement, and I grinned with a shrug.
"Oh, you know, Lots of pennies at the penny arcade."
"You gotta teach me your moves." Emmett grinned and suddenly turned. "Hey uh... Ed... why is there a kid in here?" He asked, and sure enough, in walks Rosalie, effortlessly carrying my baby brother, for the first time, I saw her smile. A genuine, joyous, happy smile. And dear lord was she devastating. Gorgeous. Ethereal. If she wasn't dating Emmett... I shake that thought away.
"That's my little brother. Alvin." I introduced. Rosalie smiled even wider.
"Alvin!" she sang, rocking him.
"You really like kids huh?" I asked, her joy was contagious.
"Oh, Rose loves kids," Emmett spoke, though he didn't seem to really be paying attention, as he worked at beating my score. Rosalie and Alvin flitted about the Arcade room, playing happily on the games for a while. Rosalie was so gentle, but there was no patience, she simply seemed to genuinely enjoy interacting with him. At some point, Emmett pulled out a board game, Candy Land.
"Prepare to get your butts kicked." He declared.
We let Alvin win.
Rosalie offered to drive us home, and I gratefully accepted, hopping into her cherry red convertible. Rosalie installed the car seat, and noted that she would need to buy her own.
"Hey Rose, is there any way I could hire you as a babysitter? I was thinking about getting a job to help pay for college and it's usually my responsibility." Her eyes lit up like embers.
"I would LOVE to hang out with Alvin. No payment needed!" Rosalie offered.
"That would be amazing!"