"Bells, will you talk to me." Raymond pleaded to his best friend. They'd been driving for over five minutes and the entire time Bella had made a point to not look in his direction, even going as far as refusing to ask for direction to the restaurant they were meeting their dads at and instead choosing to get lost. Raymond had been so infuriated the first minute he hadn't noticed until her small hand was turning a bright ride from its intense hold on the wheel. He'd pleaded a few times before this, only this time it had come out actually sincere.
Bella glanced over at him when his tone changed, lips pursed together as she debated it before rejecting and turning back to the front. With an exasperated sigh Raymond turned his body, "I'm not sorry about confronting him, he shouldn't treat you like that but I am sorry if I scared you. I know you don't like when I'm like that, but I can't help it alright. You're my little sister and anyone who tries to harm you I will swing first and ask questions later."
A small smile fought it was to Bella's lips, and with a reluctant sigh she gave in, "alright fine, I'm not pissed. It's just—Ray you can't lost your temper like that, not here."
Bella was right, she was always right, he thought to himself and after a moment of reluctance a shit eating grin appeared on his face. His dimples were so deep Bella flashed back to their childhood, back when Renee had taken her to New York for Spring Break and she really began to bond with him. He was missing a few teeth back then, but still his dimples never ceased to amaze her, as she came back to the present Bella knew that any ill feelings she had harbored previously were gone and her lips were pressing into a smile of her own.
"Okay Goose, I promise to keep my shit together. And take the next exit, we're already late as is." He replied, leaving her to drive the rest of the way into the small town.
They pulled into the diner shortly after, both teenagers getting out of the car with a slow pace. The female looking over to her friend, "so how did your day going beside that?"
"Well it was going great, although I might have shot that straight to hell with the Edward thing." He mumbled, remembering study hall and Rosalie piercing eyes on him as he threatened her younger brother.
"Oh," Bella questioned, pursing her lips as she anticipated more.
"I have study hall with Rosalie and Jasper, they were both the complete opposite of Edward and Rosalie even offered to tutor me." He offers up after a pause of deliberation, nerves seemed to bundle up in his stomach and throats when he spoke of the blonde. It was the first time this had occurred, how many girls had he spoken to Bella about? How many times had he told her what it was like to fall in love and then out of it? How many female names had passed through his lips and yet this was the only one to cause such a severe reaction. Rosalie was like an allergy to his lips, but in the best way possible.
"Oh," Bella said differently, wagging her eyebrows. "I see now."
He scoffed at her, "you see what?"
"Nothing, nothing, I'll just wait for you to figure it out first." She hums as they get out and lock both doors.
Raymond raises his eyebrows, sticking his pockets into his jacket and turning back to her before they pass the threshold of the diner. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to be direct with me."
"Maybe later," she replies, stepping closer to him as she shivers into the jacket. "For now, I think we ought to not bring this up."
Raymond seems to notice how pink her cheeks have gotten and even the tip of her nose, considering he hadn't said anything funny yet he realizes how unaccustomed Bella is to this weather. His gloved hand reaches out to pull the latch of the door, holding it out for her. "Get inside before you freeze Bells."
Bella almost slips, completely forgetting the small stream of icy water just at the tip of the entrance fortunately Raymond catches her in time. His hand extends, holding onto her thin arm and then eyeing her, "carefully, for the love of god."
Bella rolls her eyes but obeys, making deliberate slow steps until she's finally inside. Raymond follows behind her, both teenagers looking around until they find their dads in a corner booth. Both men waved them over, nodding goodbye to the waitress who smiled proudly at both kids before walking into the kitchen. Charlie and Marcus were regulars at the diner, they knew every face that worked and had eaten their late night dinners in every booth or stool of the place. Most of Forks knew their name, they were more then locals here, they were protectors. Despite its very old tradition and appearance the residents were more then courteous when both men came out.
When they arrive to the table they both smile at their parents, Charlie setting down the menu when Marcus elbows him.
"Bella, Ray, how was school?" Marcus is the first to speak as his husband nods at both children.
"Ehh," both kids mutter in response.
"Hey, words," Charlie retorted to them, narrowing his guys like when they were little and needed to be taught a lesson.
Ray rolls his eyes while Bella straightens up and resists the urge to laugh, her dad was the least menacing person in the world. Charlie and Marcus were very laid back for a pair of cops, their parenting method were never too serious but even so both kids knew when to respect them.
The female was the first to speak, "it was... exhausting, Forks must not get that many new kids."
"Sorry about that Bells, it's a small town." Marcus apologizes, leaning over to pat her hand softly, the brunette smiled at him in appreciation as she lifts the menu up to her face and begins to read off the specials while the dads turn to their male son.
Ray sighs, rummaging his head for anything remotely interesting, and although the almost fight with the Cullen brother was present he knew that wasn't an option, they would freak out. He went in circles for a few moments, only coming up with Rosalie as the main attraction to his day but still he didn't want to talk about her to yet, not to them at least. He shrugged his shoulders, "it was long, remembered lots of faces and even met new people but still pretty dull. I don't know how you two manage to live here."
Marcus and Charlie thankfully laughed, eyeing one another for a moment. The Thompson father shook his head at his son in amusement and stated, "you used too love it here, can't believe you think it's boring now."
"I used too think this place was Narnia too," he deadpanned. A soft kick to his foot from Bella reminded him to watch what he said and quickly he backtracked, "but you know it's nice to know I have Bells here with me, plus seeing Mike again was cool."
"Speaking of which," Charlie cut in, not even noticing the interaction between his daughter and stepson. "I talked to Mike's dad the other day, he said he can get us a pretty good deal on boxing equipment if you're up for it? We can move around the stuff in the garage and out a gym in there. Maybe all of us could get a little work out in there once in awhile."
"Ray? What do you think?" Marcus added on, hope bright in his eyes.
The teenager suddenly how everyone's eyes were on him, he swallowed for a moment realizing that they were doing this to make him happy. He appreciated the gesture, his dad's were just trying to make him feel at home but all he wanted was for them to move on. Still, he forced a smile to appear and nodded, "I'd like that. It would be nice to have something to do when it gets to cold to leave the house."
"We can start clearing out the garage this weekend," Marcus nodded.
"I'll help," Bella agreed.
|•|•|•|•|
Fifteen minutes later Raymond had a thick cut steak in front of him, a basket of French fries beside that and a tiny salad that he barely bothered to look at considering the juicy steak tempting him. He licked his lips, not even slightly bothered by the fact Bella had stolen 3 fries from his basket.
"Missed it?" Charlie questioned, watching his stepson's eyes go wide.
Raymond looked up to nod, watching as his both his fathers plates were set down as well, identical to his own. Bella had ordered herself chicken Parmesan and even her plate looked delicious. This had been Raymond's favorite spot to eat when he was younger.
"Definitely," Ray answered him with a sharp nod.
Cora, the waitress, smiled at both teenagers as she set down the last plate. "I just can't get over how grown up you two are. And gorgeous! You two always stuck together, best friends and all!"
The two teenagers smiled sheepishly at the women, Cora had know their parents growing up in Forks and met the kids when they were younger, now she stated deeply at both of them and they could tell how she picked apart their features. Bella always got told she looked like a mix of her mother and father, although her sheer paleness was all maternal. Raymond on the other hand was part Brazilian on his mom's side and he was told all the time how dashing he looked with all these features mixed into his soul.
A man in his late fifties walked over, a smile bright on his lips as the smell of the salty sea and cigars wafted over. The dads nodded at him and Raymond picked apart just who he was, this was Wayland Forge. The man was known all around town, he was happy go lucky kind of guy and everyone loved him for it.
"Wayland!" Raymond declared, standing to shake the man's hand happily.
"Raymond, you've grown up son, used to be a shrimp now look at you." He responded, teasing the kid. His body then turned towards Bella who had stayed silent, for the first time feeling a little left out in the cold as she could not remember who he was. "Member me honey? I was Santa one year."
"Waylon, she hasn't had a Christmas here since she was four." Charlie retorted with amusement.
"Bet I made an impression though, didn't I?" He winked at the girl.
Cora looks at him, "let the kids eat their food Wayland, it's gonna get cold."
He nods, departing after a quick goodbye.
Raymond sits back down, taking a seat next to Bella who eyes him for a second before looked down at her food. For a moment he seems to wonder what that look in her eyes is but decides not to question just then and is interrupted by a pair of voice clearing. Charlie swallows a piece of stake and says, "so did you two meet anyone?"
Raymond is caught wide eyed replaying the last events and deciding yet again not to tell them, although he could not remember anything else so Bella piped up. "A few people, do you know the Cullen's?"
Charlie drops his utensils, sharply looking at both kids. "Are people talking about them again?"
"What?" Both kids answers.
"Charlie—" Marcus warns his husband as the man looks around the diner to see if anyone else was going to speak up.
"Just 'cause they're newcomers. We're lucky to have a surgeon like Dr. Cullen at our podunk hospital. Lucky his wife wanted to live in a small town. Lucky his kids aren't like a lot of the hell-raisers around here." He sharply stated, speaking two decibles too loud as if anyone else was playing attention.
Bella glanced at her brother, both oddly glancing at one another as if wondering just where they had gone wrong. Marcus flatly stared at his partner for a moment, sighing aloud before turning back to the curious kids. "The Cullen's were viewed as odd when they first showed up here, people talked about them a lot and you know—it brought up some memories for your father and I."
Raymond squeezed his fist, reminded of the torment his father had gone through when they had first come out. Most had been okay with it, but of course there was always the assholes who decided they didn't like the Chief of the town being gay and wanted to kick him out. The town hadn't gone for any those prejudicial remarks and denied those involved any say in the matter but still, it ached to even hear that. If people had a problem with it now though Raymond would more then happily step up to defend.
Bella relaxed her hold on the utensils, although she wasn't as vocal about it she too felt the very angry that coursed through the rest of her family.
"I just don't like narrow mindedness," Charlie concluded and the family decided to leave the situation at that.
|•|•|•|•|
"I'm gonna talk to him... to Edward today." Bella declared as her and Raymond got into the car. After a quiet breakfast on her end, of which the majority she spent with scrunched eyebrows and repeatedly biting into pieces of bacon, she finally spoke just as they entered the car.
"And say what?" Raymond asked, curious about what his best friend was up to. Bella was never one for confrontation, she avoided them as if they were the plague but there was fire in her eyes today. He decided that this Bella was becoming his favorite, the determination in her eyes and need to be at school sent tingles through his stomach, he was excited for her and knew there was no way he would step in.
Bella's eyes briefly flickered his way from the corner of her eyes before concentrating on slippery black tops of the road, it had rained hard last night and now the ground was full of ice. Her fingers squeezed against the steering wheel, releasing after another tense few seconds and saying, "what the hell his problem is? I want to know what I did, and then probably tell him he can screw off or something—I haven't thought that far yet but I want to change lab partners. After we speak I'm gonna talk to Mr. Molina."
Ray smiled at her, proud that she was finally taking a stand for herself. Bella was a pacifist in every definition but even they had a breaking point, "good for you Goose, show that asshole who runs the world. I always knew you were a Thompson at heart."
"Well it's not like I'm punching him but yeah," she answered, reprieved slightly. "So what are you gonna do about the whole Rosalie thing? Do you think she will talk to you?"
"Honestly... I don't know, guess we will see what happens." He hummed back, watching as they pulled into the school parking lot and exited. Bella deliberately parked the car behind the two empty slots at the front of the school, apparently nobody touched them because they were Cullen designated, he wondered just what her intentions were for this.
The two got out, Bella releasing a long exhale before coming to the front, their new group of friends were hanging around Tyler Anderson mini van and although they appeared to be having fun Bella planted herself at the trucks engine. Raymond decided to stick around with her, plugging in his own set of headphone while Bella pulled out a pair and a book.
He casually started to scroll through his fun, humming to himself as he read all the latest posts from his friends in New York and even his cousin Hestia, she was smiling brilliantly in her Instagram post with her mother as they celebrated her acceptance into Oxford. Hestia had always been smart beyond belief almost as much as she was compassionate. If there was anyone as close to him as Bella it was Hestia, he missed her at times like this and made a quick note to call her. He'd texted Hestia right before he got off the flight in Seattle but it was about time he actually called her up and congratulated her.
The sound of a smooth engine pure and a loud muffler interrupted his thoughts, he looked up at the same time Bella did as the shiny silver Volvo Edward owned pulled into the lot, being tailed by his brother Jeep. Bella shut her book, waiting for them to exit the car.
She shifted from one leg to the others as they began to fill out from the silver car.
Alice and Jasper.
That's was it.
Raymond raised a brow, completely intrigued by what had happened and waiting patiently for anyone else to push open the car doors but no one did, Edward hadn't come. He wondered briefly if that was his fault and he had scared the guy away but as he went to turn to say something towards Bella the bombshell blonde from the family turned her attention his way. She could have been staring behind him or even slightly off his direction but he felt in his gut that she was looking at him.
And her honey colored eyes bore into his own for just that tiny second, transmitting words he could not comprehend and phrases he was too inept to follow, even so she must have not cared because her a smile passed her lips.
And Raymond couldn't help but feel just how damned that smile made him, the girl knew nothing about him and even so she deciphered him like he handed away the codes.
"He's not here," Bella whispered.
"I know..."
"He's not here and Rosalie is staring at you like you didn't just threaten her brother a day ago," she rephrased, "what the hell is happening?"
Raymond only shrugged in response, because he didn't want to know, he just wanted to go along.
|•|•|•|•|
Raymond had been anxiously anticipating his ending class, barley paying attention to the world around him as he awaited the moment to come. He couldn't deny himself, it'd been one day since he had met the blonde and yet somehow he couldn't keep from thinking of her so as he walked Bella to her last class and waved goodbye he couldn't help but pick up the pace.
As soon as he had walked into the library and scribbled his name down on the white sheet he looked up to find only Jasper Hale waiting for him. The blonde twin was sitting at Raymond table from yesterday instead of the corner one he had previously occupied.
His shoulders deflated, having been awaiting the angelic blonde and instead met with her brother. Apart of him expected this, of course no brother would want his sister to be apart of someone menacing like him, no matter what the circumstances had been yesterday.
Jasper smiled at the male as he walked over, looking over his black backpack and relatively neutral attire. Since yesterday and the accumulating evidence against Raymond Thompson he has convinced Rosalie to give him the period to find out if the man was lethal or not, it was his job to defend his family and as much as Rosalie irritated him to no end they were still siblings, he would protect her. Alice of course had assured him that Raymond was in comet despite the previous day's occurrence but still he would take no chances.
The male set his backpack down, dimpled smile a greeting as he spoke, "Jasper, hey."
The curly haired blonde nodded his head, "Raymond, how's your second day?"
"Wet, cold," he answered back. He liked Jasper and it seemed that the Hale sibling didn't look angry at him so he decided to sit down and hope the situation didn't come up. "It's like New York without the excitement."
"Small towns aren't your thing then?" Jasper said, his lip twitching to smile.
"Not at all," Ray deadpanned, pulling out a textbook and his journal where he had written down his assignment. He needed to summarize one of the battles fought in the civil war. "Where's Rosalie?"
Jasper dropped the pen he had been holding, of all the men he had met and those he had deemed lethal or not Raymond was currently at the very bottom. Alice had been right, there was no need to worry about Raymond. Sure, there were things that certain raised questions but as of right now he could not detect even an emotion out of place. "Said she had a stomach ache, went home with Esme, our aunt."
Ray nodded, scrunching his brows together and quickly stating, "let her know I hope she feels better." Once he realized just how desperate that actually made him sound his eyes flickered back to the page full of notes, swallowing thickly and looking down to his assignments, "so what are you doing?"
"I'll tell her," Jasper assured the male, knowing Rosalie was likely somewhere in the car hearing this conversation go down, either that or she had tricked Emmett into helping her snoop right outside the library walls which was more then likely the option. She was pretty pissed he hadn't let her into the library but even so she had not left, and although everyone knew what was going Rosalie seemed in complete denial. In sort, Jasper was doing this for her benefit and not the whole family. After so many years and so many experiences Rosalie deserved to be happy, he wanted this for his sister. "And calculus, its pretty boring I'll finish later. What are you up to, and what does it seem like you'd rather run around this place naked then do it?"
Raymond laughed, attempting to keep it at a relatively low level before the librarian come over to yell. Jasper too laughed but more so from the laugh Raymond seemed to release, it was so carefree he didn't think the boy could smile that much.
"Funny, but also true not even gonna lie." Ray finally admitted. "It's the damn civil war."
"I'll help you out," Jasper offered, shutting his book and pressing closer to get a look of the assignment. He silently thanked Ray once more for not smelling at all like blood.
"You don't have to—" Ray started off although he was desperately in need of the help.
Jasper waved him off, grasping the journal and sliding it his way to read over the assignment, "it's no big deal history is kind of my thing."
"Even the Civil War?"
Jasper tried not to crack a smile, "especially the civil war."
"This is it you know." Raymond seriously stated, startling Jasper slightly who looked up at him with confusion. "You're my best friend now, you can take Bella's spot."
It was Jasper's turn to laugh, even slightly snorting, "I though Rose was gonna take that spot."
"If she can help me pass English she will certainly be in the running." He joked back.
The two teenagers laughed softly, letting it die out before Raymond found himself thinking. He suddenly wanted to apologize to Jasper and the rest of his siblings minus Edward, they had not seen him at his best light.
He tightened his lips, waiting for Jasper to look up before speaking, "hey man, I wanted to say sorry about yesterday. I wasn't trying to be an asshole—well I was but you know my sister was hurt."
Jasper nodded, "it's alright, you're a good guy Raymond and I know what you did was justified. My brothers had a bad time recently and he just needed to get away."
Raymond nodded, attempting not to question about Rosalie or why the Cullen's just seemed so vague.