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You ever just lay in bed before it's time to get ready for school and just contemplate life? I think it's become one of my new favorite hobbies because I find myself doing it a lot lately.
Today is no different. I'm currently in bed lying down on my side, thinking about everything that's happened recently. I'm still mesmerized by the events that took place yesterday. Thoughts of Edward continue to swirl in my mind.
I yawn as I sit up in bed, realizing that I need to start getting dressed for school soon. With my hand, I massage the back of my head. My hand running through my hair reminds me of yesterday, when Edward and I laid back in the grass. I smile to myself, soaking up the memory. It causes shivers to run down my spine.
Beep! Beep!
My mind snaps to attention. A car horn just honked outside. I don't think anything of it as I approach my bedroom window. I suspect that it's just one of the neighbors up and at um early this morning. I curiously open the curtains and gaze out the window. It's dark and dreary outside as usual.
I look farther down, and my eyes widen at the sight of Edward. He has his car parked in front of the house. He's leaning comfortably against his car, obviously waiting for me to come out the front door.
I shake my head and quickly close the curtains in embarrassment. My cheeks turn pink. I've never had a boy pick me up and take me to school before. That's usually reserved for couples only.
Is that what we are? A couple? I haven't thought about it until now. No, we're not an official couple yet. We haven't really talked about it. The conversations that I had with him yesterday were mostly just us getting to know each other better.
I shake my head again. It still is really sweet of Edward to come pick me up for school. A new thought occurs to me. How does Edward know where I live? I never told him, and he's never been here before. Unless, unless he has . . . and those hallucinations I had of him were actually real . . . I'll have to ask him about it later. I just found out he was a vampire yesterday, so there's no doubt more information about him that I need to confirm and find out.
I shake with excitement. I can't wait to spend more time with him today. Now that I know his secret, and he's opened apart of his life to me, my life here in Forks is never going to be dull again.
*Time Skip*
Edward opens the car door for me. I hop out of the car and put my backpack on, blushing the entire time.
"Thank you," I say with slight embarrassment. I step out of the way while he closes the door.
Today, Edward is wearing his usual choice of clothes, a coat of course. But he's also wearing dark sunglasses, making him look ten times cooler than he already is. His bronze hair is extra messy today which only adds to the look.
He smiles at me like he just won a thousand dollars. As we begin to walk towards the school, he licks his bottom lip. I find it extremely cute.
That's when I notice everyone in the parking lot is staring at us. I grow extremely uncomfortable and stick close to Edward's side.
A guilty part of me feels prideful. I'm the first girl at this school that Edward has ever shown any interest in, much less driven to school in his own car. Lots of girls around us must be seething with jealousy right now. I hate to admit it, but I'm loving the attention. I'm so glad that Edward can't read my mind, or else he would probably disapprove. Then again, from the look on his face, he's probably enjoying the attention and jealous looks as much as I am.
I shove my hands into my hoodie pockets as we pass a larger crowd of students. I recognize Eric among them. They all stare at me and Edward in bewilderment. I look down at the ground. Oh, so now I get their attentions.
"This feels so weird," I mumble.
"Not everybody's staring," Edward counters, "like that guy." Edward gestures to some random boy.
The second he says that, the boy turns his head and gawks at us.
"No, he just looked," Edward changes his mind.
I stifle a giggle. "You know, you're hard to miss," I say.
"I did know that," Edward grins proudly. "I'm breaking all the rules now anyway." Edward rests his arm around my shoulder, signaling to the crowd that I'm his. The sudden contact takes me by surprise. "Since I'm going to hell." Edward's grin grows wider.
*Time Skip*
It's after school, and Edward and I are out taking a walk by a lake. The two of us are stepping around on large rocks along the bank.
If Edward were any other person, I would never have the guts to ask him such personal questions. But with Edward I feel comfortable. I feel like I can talk to him about anything.
"So, are there other vampires out there?" I ask curiously, "other than you and your family?"
"Yeah," Edward answers. "There are others out there. We run into them from time to time."
My mind thinks back to the recent animal attacks around Forks. I decide to ask about it. "Do you know if it was a vampire that killed Waylon Forge and that security guard?"
"Yeah, it was a group of nomadic vampires that did it. They don't stay in one place for long, so they're probably gone by now."
I take a wobbly step over to the next rock. "Can," I hesitate, "Can all vampires read minds?"
Edward turns and begins walking back towards the woods. "Um, no, that's just me, but Alice," he pauses, "Alice can see the future."
Rain begins to drizzle down on us. Edward leads me to a group of trees.
"That's crazy," I say. "Did she see me coming?"
The two of us sit down beneath a tree to protect ourselves from the rain.
"Alice's visions are subjective," Edward explains. "I mean, the future can always change."
Another question pops into my mind. A question that I feel a bit awkward to ask.
"Why does my blood smell so good to you, compared to other people's blood?" I finally manage to blurt out.
"Um," Edward hesitates. He suddenly finds the ground quite interesting. "I'll try to explain the best I can. You see . . . you're my singer."
"What's that?"
"Every vampire has one. A singer is a human whose blood is especially appealing to a certain vampire, in an extreme way, as if you're singing to us. They're individual, so the blood of a person who sings for one of us won't have the same effect on others." Edward meets my eyes. "The thing is, you're blood somehow appears to be extra appealing. My brother Jasper has told me that some days are difficult for him to control himself around you. I can't explain why that is."
"Oh, I had no idea," I say. I turn away from Edward and put my hand on my other arm. "I'm sorry."
"Don't ever apologize," Edward says immediately. I turn back towards him. "If anyone should apologize, it should be my family. You shouldn't have to live your life in fear all the time."
A silence arises between us. I break it with another question. "How does that work for you? Only drinking animal blood?"
"My family," Edward pauses, "we think of ourselves as vegetarians, right, 'cause we only survive on the blood of animals'." He smiles to himself. "But it's . . . it's like a human only living on tofu. It keeps you strong, but you're never fully satisfied." He looks at me and grins. "It wouldn't be like drinking your blood, for instance," he chuckles lightheartedly.
"Right," I smile back, feeling a bit unnerved at his statement, but I hide it.
Edward looks down at the ground again. He blinks to himself awkwardly, contemplating why he just said that to me of all things.
After the rain stops, Edward and I walk through the woods, taking our time to get back into town.
"Rebecca," Edward starts, "you really shouldn't walk around the woods by yourself anymore, or, at least, not without me."
I shove my hands into my hoodie pockets. "Why? I thought you said nomadic vampires move around a lot. Shouldn't it be safe now?" I question skeptically.
Edward stops walking and I do the same. He takes a hefty breath that he doesn't really need to take since vampires don't need air to survive. "Can you just be more careful, alright?"
I nod my head. "Okay, I will."
With that, we continue walking forward. Being the contemplative person that I am, I don't let the subject drop just yet.
"You know," I begin, "maybe my number was up when that truck almost crushed me. Maybe you're just messing around with fate," I suggest with a shrug.
Edward slows down his walking pace. He's now walking slightly behind me but still so close that he's almost right against me.
"Rebecca, you're number was up the first day I met you," he teases.
I feel a tug on the back of my hoodie. "Woah," I exclaim. Unable to regain my balance, I fall backwards onto the ground. I land right against Edward's side. The sneaky boy had pulled me down onto the ground with him.
I shift on the ground, to where I'm able to face Edward, curious as to why he wanted to take this pit stop. Our faces are so close now. My cheeks flame red as I blush profusely.
Edward eyes my face with an almost mesmerized look. "Have I ever told you you're the most beautiful human I've ever laid eyes on?" he says.
I tear my gaze away from him. My cheeks even redder now. I'm not used to a boy complimenting me like this. When I finally gain the courage to look him in the eyes again, I have the sudden urge to flirt back, or attempt to flirt back I should say.
"Do you, do you really wanna taste?" I ask hesitantly.
"Yeah," Edward answers immediately, amusement filling his tone. A smile pulls at his red lips.
I awkwardly take my right index finger and slide it across Edward's cold lips. He opens his mouth a little, and I stick my finger inside. At first I wonder why the heck I'm doing this. He's a freakin vampire of all things. Then again, we're just playing around. I know he won't actually risk biting me, but he seems to be enjoying himself enough as he licks my finger. Oddly enough, it tickles, and I find myself unable to hold in a few giggles.
Edward finds my reaction endearing. His lips form a smile as he nibbles on my finger. He playfully bites down, not enough to break the skin, but just enough to get a reaction out of me.
"Ow," I laugh, pulling my finger back out of his mouth. I'm not gonna lie. I was afraid there for a second that he was actually about to lose control and bite me.
Edward smiles cheekily. "You're little fragile little human hand," he teases.
My stomach feels warm inside as I smile at Edward uncontrollably. So he does have a playful side to him . . . and more control over his lust for my blood than I thought.
*Time Skip*
I got you, moonlight, you're my starlight
I need you, all night
Come on, dance with me
(I'm levitating)
I pump my arms out in front of me like I'm slowly punching air. I know I'm in my front driveway where any passerbyer can see me dancing like a weirdo, but I really don't care. Washing the family car is boring, so what better way to pump things up a little bit then by listening to some music through my earbuds?
You, moonlight, you're my starlight
I need you, all night
Come on, dance with me
(I'm levitating)
I twirl around with a sponge in my hand, practically oblivious to my surroundings. As far as I'm concerned, the world is just me, the car I'm washing, and the music.
I believe that you're for me, I feel it in our energy
I see us written in the stars
We can go wherever, so let's do it now or never
Baby, nothing's ever, ever too far
Thunk!
I quickly pull out my earbuds, the loud sound having startled me. I look up at the source only to find Edward standing on top of the family car.
"Edward," I gasp.
He hops down off the car and onto the driveway.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, trying to mask my embarrassment. I really hope he hadn't seen me dancing like an idiot.
Edward points his finger at me. "I'm gonna take you to my place tomorrow," he states. It isn't a question or an invitation. It's just a fact.
"Wait, you mean your house?" I question. "Is your family gonna be there?"
Edward leans against the family car. "Yeah," he nods.
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?"
Edward looks away from me. He slides his fingers along the hood of the family car. "You don't have to go if you don't want too."
I juggle the options in my mind. Edward and I are growing closer. It's only right that we take the next step and make the effort to meet each other's families. I guess I'll just have to go first. Besides, he looks so eager for me to finally meet the rest of his family. It should be okay, right? I already met his dad Carlisle, and he seemed nice enough. The others though . . . the only interactions I seem to have with his other siblings are glares and weird stares. It'll be nice to finally be formally introduced to them.
"I'll go," I finally say.
Suddenly, Edward's attention is drawn elsewhere. He turns his head to the left and stares off into the distance.
"What is it?" I ask. I follow his gaze, but all I see is a truck coming down the street. I don't recognize the truck, but it's nothing unusual since vehicles pass through our neighborhood all the time.
Edward turns back to me. "Complication," he says.
I quirk a brow. "Define complication."
"Look, I have to go," Edward insists. He touches me on the shoulder. "I'll pick you up tomorrow."
Before I can remind him that he didn't answer my question, he gets into his Volvo and drives away. I blink in irritation. I'm so tired of Edward keeping secrets from me. I thought that things between us would be different now because I know his secret. But here he is still dodging my questions. It's getting annoying.
I look back at the truck heading down the street. It passes by Edward's car on the way here. For some reason, seeing Edward's car pass by the truck makes me feel weird, but I have no idea why. It's like I can feel the tension radiating off them. But what beef would Edward have with this random truck coming down the road?
Much to my surprise, the truck slows to a stop in front of my house. I grow weary of it and scrutinize it for any possible dangers. I watch as someone emerges from the front passenger seat. It's a boy that I vaguely recognize from that time I went to La Push beach. Jacob, I think his name was. I arch my eyebrows, having no idea why he's here.
I watch him move over to the back of the truck. He opens the back and pulls out a folded wheelchair. He unfolds it before setting it on the ground. He then pushes the wheelchair over to the front of the car.
I turn my head to the side in confusion, placing the cleaning sponge on the hood of the family car. I watch as Jacob helps an older man out of the driver's seat and into the wheelchair. The older man looks around the same age as my grandpa.
Jacob pushes the man in the wheelchair up the driveway. I walk up awkwardly to greet them, shoving my hands into my pockets.
"Hey." I nod in greeting. I direct my attention to Jacob. "It's Jacob, right?"
Jacob nods. "Yup," he says. He takes a second to look over my face, probably trying to remember my name. "And you're . . . you're . . . "
"Rebecca," I say.
"Right, Rebecca, sorry," he apologizes.
"No biggie," I mumble shyly. "Um." I bite my lip. "What can I do for you guys?"
The older man in the wheelchair smiles sweetly at me. "We're here to pick up Adam. You must be his lovely daughter. It's nice to meet you. I'm Billy Black." He holds out his hand.
I grasp his hand and shake it. "Nice to meet you." I bite my lip again, harder this time in embarrassment. "Um, actually, I'm not his daughter. I'm his granddaughter. But, I guess, in a way he is basically my dad."
"Well, it's still a pleasure," Billy insists. He crosses his arms. "So, how do you and Jacob know each other?"
I look at Jacob. I don't know if he wants to answer or if he's gonna let me answer. When Jacob doesn't say anything, I decide to take the reins and answer Billy's question.
"We met at La Push beach. My friends and I were going surfing that day, and my friend Bella introduced us."
"Bella, huh." Billy grins, looking up at Jacob suggestively. I'm guessing Billy knows about Jacob's crush on Bella.
Jacob rolls his eyes. "Great, Dad, thanks," he mumbles awkwardly.
"Just keeping it real, son," Billy smirks.
Ohhh, so Billy is Jacob's father. Now it all makes sense. Still, I have no idea how they know my grandpa, and why they're here to pick him up.
At that very moment, my grandpa comes out of the house. He approaches us and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Rebecca, I see you've met Billy Black and Jacob. Thank you for keeping them company for me."
"No problem," I say. I awkwardly turn to Grandpa and whisper in his ear. "How do you know them?"
"Charlie Swan introduced me. Billy's taking me over to Charlie's house. We're all gonna watch the first Mariners game of the season."
"Oh." I nod.
"All ready to go?" Billy asks Grandpa.
"Yup," Grandpa says. He, Billy, and Jacob start to head towards the truck that Billy and Jacob arrived in.
Before Grandpa gets in, he turns back and looks at me. "Hey, you wanna come? Bella'll be there."
I shake my head. "Um, no thanks. I need to get some homework done after I finish washing the car."
"Okay," Grandpa says. "See you later." After he gets in the truck, they drive off.
I pick up the sponge to start scrubbing the family car again when a thought hits me like a freight train. I drop the sponge when the full force of the realization practically slaps me in the face. I'm going to Edward's house tomorrow! Oh, shit.
Author's Note: First off, there are two reasons I chose for this chapter to be named "Hot N Cold." One, because even though Edward is more comfortable around Rebecca, he still has moments where he's closed off with her, like when he didn't answer her question about why the oncoming truck bothered him. And two, I named this chapter "Hot N Cold" because Edward is a vampire, and he's cold skinned while Jacob, who makes an appearance in this chapter, is warm blooded.
And as always, don't be a silent reader! Remember to vote, comment, share, and give me your theories and thoughts! Constructive criticism and any criticism for that matter is always welcome! Know any other Twihards? Let them know about this story!