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[Twilight] Daybreak (Part I)
This was partially inspired by my imagination and partially because as odd and weird as it sounds, I've fallen in love with my interpretation of Twilight. If you want to know how I feel about the series, my personal LJ summed my feelings up well. (I'm not linking to it because my personal journal's friends-only.)
I have split Daybreak (True to the series, I named them after times of day) into two-three parts, depending on my mood.Yes, I should be working on NaNo. But really, this muse was demanding for me to write this. Now. I'll... add the details of this AU later.
Title: Daybreak (Part I)
Fandom: Twilight [AU]
Summary: Bella Swan absolutely hates Edward Masen for being the friendliest kid in school. He's a fly on the wall. But oddly enough, he's growing on her too?
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm borrowing them so that I can hopefully get some closure on this series. =_=
o1.
She was afraid that she was going to have to sit in the cafeteria alone. (Well, not alone, but it felt like it.) Everyone wanted to know the new girl Isabella Swan. She was different and mysterious to the rest of them because she was from Phoenix and her father was the police chief.
But really? She didn't think she was that different, even if the girls here were nicer to her.
"Hello," One boy called to her, walking up to her with a grin.
She blinked. "Hey."
"My name's Edward Masen," He greeted, extending his hand. "And I'm going to be your new best friend. See, my last best friend was tragically eaten by the popular people last autumn. It's a rather sad story, you know."
What the heck? Even if he was kinda cute (there was something about red hair and green eyes that was irresistible), this was... uh. "Uh, okay?"
A blond came up and wrapped his arm around Edward. Bella sighed of relief - this kid was Mike Newton, the person who had given her a tour of the school earlier, and he was more normal than this Edward fellow.
"Oy, Mike," Edward sighed. "Can't the popular children eat you a little longer?"
He laughed. "Nope. They decided I tasted like rotten eggs and threw me out." Turning to Bella, he added, "Hey, come sit at our table. We promise we won't let you sit alone."
She nodded, smiling slightly as she shifted to the new table surrounded by other classmates. Edward was weird. But at least she didn't have to battle high school alone.
o2.
Biology class wasn't going to be bad this year, especially since she dropped from AP to regular (Forks hadn't offered it).
That is, until she saw him sitting next to the only empty spot in the room.
"You again?"
He shrugged, smiling apologetically as he moved his books over. "It's a small school - with even smaller grades."
And that just made it even worse. She was half-hoping for some all-out fight, with him being this crazy, full of life kid that she had to mother. But nope. He was oddly acting nice (probably because Mike had escorted her to her next class - and was visibly disappointed that Edward got the privilege of sitting next to her) for someone who had said she was going to be his new best friend.
"True," She replied, taking the stool next to him as class began. But did it have to be him?
He was so weird. She didn't run away from Phoenix to meet weirdos. It was just something that she couldn't comprehend.
As if he could read her mind, he tilted his head to the side and muttered under his breath, "I'm sorry."
(He just keeps getting weirder by the minute. Was... he even normal?)
o3.
Thankfully, the first day had no other visible problems. She kept getting hurt in PE, but that was nothing new. (Poor Mike - he had to keep blocking her all the time)
And her gas-guzzling truck brought her home safely. She opened the door, fully expecting her father to grill her about her first day of school, only to see a rather young woman sipping tea by the kitchen. She had Edward's red hair and build.
... Really? Edward's mother was here? She knew her face immediately turned sour. She'd had enough of the weirdo. She really didn't want his mother to be acquainted with her too.
The woman smiled at her, motioning for her to sit down. "Sit down," She beamed. "I want to hear all about your first day."
Bella dropped her books down and sat on the stool beside her. "Um, who are you?"
"Ah, excuse me," The woman blushed slightly, laughing like little bells. "I'm Elizabeth Masen - Edward's mother. We just moved here last fall. I have to say, Edward's thrilled about not being the new kid anymore."
She was a lot nicer than Edward was. Sure she was blushing a little, Bella replied, "Are you and Char-- Dad good friends?"
"A little. Your father's helped me establish my business here, and in exchange, Edward's been his surrogate son."
Whoa. Whoa. You're kidding me. Charlie actually liked Edward? As in, treating him like his own son? This was very, very bizarre (and possibly a reason to go grab that Tylenol).
"T-that's..."
The door opened, and Edward walked through. He looked tired - there were beads of sweat on his face - and his basketball uniform looked a little wrinkled. Sighing, the redhead plopped himself onto the couch. "Hey, Bella."
"Don't tell me," Bella sighed, rubbing her temples.
Edward laughed. "Of course not - we don't live here. But we've been hanging out with your father since we moved here. It seems weird not to be here."
Bella inwardly cursed. Of all the people in Forks he could've bonded with... of all the people... he chose Charlie. Why? He was just making her life much, much harder than he was. Stupid Edward Masen.
o4.
School life soon settled into a routine, and Bella found herself adjusting well to the nuisance that was Edward Masen. He only had Biology with her, but he often found excuses to hang out with her and Mike. It... was slowly getting better.
His jokes were rather tame for a teenage boy, and all involving various animals. At times, he'd reference some books he'd brought with him. (Huh. What would he ever need books like that for?) She'd tried to read the covers, but they were covered in intricate flowing designs that really belonged to church books.
Speaking of church, Edward and his mom were really religious. They always went to services on Sunday and sang along to hymns. Bella found herself going to services occasionally, but the only thing that ever really stuck in her head were the hymns.
They were beautiful in that old fashioned way, with everyone singing in harmony and forgetting their worries. Even though she didn't have a religion, she found comfort in going to services with him. Bella may not be religious (or even have a religion), but she liked going places with Edward and his mom. They just made everything feel better.
o5.
Edward was also becoming a comfort to her even outside of services. He gave her rides from school on days that he didn't have basketball practice, and he even shared mixes for her when he was in a good mood.
But Edward wasn't around her when she needed him the most the following Monday. She had to be okay with Jessica by her side as she walked through the cafeteria and caught sight of four teenagers lounging around a nearby table. They were all eerily pale but beautiful, like models straight out of a magazine.
"Who're they," She whispered to Jessica.
Jessica blinked, sitting down at their usual table. She made sure no one else was listening before she replied in hushed tones, "The Cullens. I wouldn't talk to them if I were you."
"Huh? Why not?"
"They never talk to anyone. They're the kings and queens of recluses. Extremely beautiful people, but they won't even think of stooping down to our level."
Ouch, that was harsh. Bella frowned slightly. "You'd think that Edward would have talked to them by now--"
Right on cue, Edward walked over and grinned at the pale blonde. "Hey, Jasper! Remember me? Your new best friend that won't go away?"
Jasper blinked, then sighed as he turned to the brunette beside him. He muttered something intelligible to her; she nodded, then beamed.
"Edward," The girl sang in her high pitched voice. "Could you wait until next week? Jasper's not feeling well today. He's got rather bad allergies."
Edward sighed. "You know I'm just going to keep coming back until you say yes, right?"
"Then we'll always tell you no."
"Fine by me," Edward waved as he walked back to their usual table. "I'll be coming around next week!"
Bella's face met the table. "You're kidding me."
"I wish I was," Jessica giggled. "But Edward really wants to be their friend. He tries at least once a week. I.. don't really know why the Cullens are so antisocial. You'd think that they would like him just like we do."
Bella wanted to protest, to say that Edward was probably the biggest fly she'd ever met, but... when Edward came back, sitting next to Mike, he looked so ordinary. She immediately forgot what she was going to complain about in the first place.
o6.
Everyone liked Edward ("Ed" as half the school lovingly called him). Bella could easily see why: he was kind to everyone he met, he did his work, he tried his hardest at everything, and he could turn anything into a joke. But when you practically lived with someone who was constantly babying you, it was a little more than annoying.
He wasn't beautiful like the Cullens. Immediately, some little part of her got annoyed. 'Do you really not like Edward because he's not gorgeous? Really? You're selfish, Bella,' The voice of reason rang in her head. Bella frowned, always trying to shut it up by muttering, "That's not it. He's just weird. I don't like his personality."
But deep down inside, she knew it was true. Edward and Mike could've been twin brothers - they acted that much alike. And Bella just wasn't attracted to either of them physically.
It was a shame. She really needed to get over this selfish streak of hers so that she could concentrate. But concentrate on what? Going out to the mall with Jessica and Lauren? (This triple date smelled fishy in more ways than one, but Bella wasn't really in the mood to count them all.)
She studied herself over in the mirror one last time to see if everything was in place, smiled to tie that last ribbon in her hair, and then ran downstairs to meet her friends.
They all looked nice, yet... it was Edward that stood out the most. He wore blue jeans that covered his feet (that were going to be dirty within a few minutes), a loose creme and cerulean striped dress shirt and a sweeping graphic t-shirt underneath. He had added a cross necklace and a loose chain belt to complete the look. For someone who was annoying and not normal, he looked amazing.
He beamed at her. "Ready to go?"
She solemnly nodded, taking his hand as they walked out into the stars.
o7.
They drove into Olympia for the evening, declaring that they needed to get some real shopping done. Bella was fine with this, because it meant that the group was going to stick together. She wouldn't need alone time with her nuisance.
Unfortunately, Jessica and Lauren ravenously descended upon Sephora and declared that they would spend another hour within the store. Bella groaned. She hated, hated, hated make-up stores and would've rather been anywhere else. Edward immediately squeezed her hand and pointed to some other stores.
"Hey," He called to the delighted girls (and disgruntled boys). "Bella and I want to see another store. Please call us when you're ready to leave, alright?"
They nodded, staring as the two left for another part of the mall. As they kept walking, Bella flashed him a grateful smile. "Thank you."
He beamed. "You're welcome---"
Bella immediately collided with another shopper, finding herself almost sliding into the glass wall of the next store. She blinked.
There was no glass window. She still had her hand in Edward's and they were calmly standing near a bench.
What... just... happened? She was so sure she was going to cause that window to break.
"Jeez," She could hear Edward mutter under his breath as he took a deep breath. "She's more danger-prone than I thought."
She opened her mouth to protest, but the shock was too strong. She stood there in silence for a few minutes before squeezing his hand even tigher and pointing towards an ice cream stand. "... Can we please go there?"
He obediently nodded and led her over to the stand with oddly watching eyes.
o8.
Vanilla ice cream felt amazing after that near injury. Bella closed her eyes, trying to savor every bite of her favorite dessert. She definitely hated the cold (no wonder she was wearing a parka now), but there was something about ice cream that made everything feel better.
Edward hovered over her as he licked his mint chocolate chip ice cream. He shivered, stepping back as he inspected the ice cream. "It's cold."
She giggled. "But it's ice cream."
"Yeah," He admitted, taking another lick. "But it's still cold. Give me my hot chocolate any day."
"... Edward?"
He blinked, tilting his head to the side. "What is it?"
"Didn't you see me nearly crash into that store window?"
He paused for a moment, his face paling. (So he had seen it!) "... Yes," He finally responded. "But you miraculously avoided it and I took you back to the bench to rest."
"Miraculously... avoided it?"
"Yeah," He said, grinning. "It's like you have a guardian angel or something."
A guardian angel. She couldn't help grinning as she took her last bite out of her ice cream. That thought sounded lovely. No wonder she wasn't getting hurt when she was injured. She had a savior from the heavens who helped her through everything.
She definitely had to look up the legends now. A guardian angel... wow. Just wow.
"Bella? You're kinda creeping me out with all that grinning."
She laughed, apologetically shrugging as she finished off her waffle cone. "Sorry. It just seemed... kind of amazing. I love the idea of having a guardian angel."
"Mm," Edward nodded in agreement. Spotting a group from nearby, he waved to them energetically. Turning to Bella, he shrugged. "Sorry. Seems our solo date's come to an end."
As the others rushed to them, she shook her head as she kept her gaze on him. "Don't apologize. You did absolutely nothing wrong."
He blushed, letting himself be enveloped into the warm shell that was their friends. Their solo date (Bella's first) had finally come to a close.
o9.
It was funny how friends made everything - even the cold weather Bella dreaded so much - feel better. Honestly, without them, she wondered how she would've been able to keep going in school. Charlie felt a little uneasy about her changing attitude ("You're turning into a Masen!"), but Bella didn't really mind.
Elizabeth was like a second mother to her, especially when they were grocery shopping together. Bella paused as they perused the cereal aisle, watching as Elizabeth studied the rack and picked the one she wanted with ease.
"Miss Elizabeth," She said.
Elizabeth put the cereal into the cart. "Hm?"
"Has... Edward always been like this?"
Elizabeth thought about it for a moment, letting Bella steer the cart as they walked from aisle to aisle. "He's been happier since he moved to Forks," She admitted with a slight smile. "You and the other kids have made him happier about leaving his father and Chicago."
Wait, Edward had a father? And he'd lived in Chicago before coming here? Bella pouted slightly. "You mean to say that Edward has a father?"
"All children do," Elizabeth explained in a matter-of-fact tone. "Edward's father's job prevented him from moving out here, so Ed doesn't get to see him often. The poor boy really missed him at first."
Bella nodded. "So... what do you do, exactly?"
"I'm a massage therapist," Elizabeth smiled. "Edward and I moved here to see if there's a market in small towns. If it is, then we'll move back to Chicago - where our business is based - and send a few girls here to start a franchise."
This... was odd, her prompt and matter-of-fact responses for everything. But the only thing Bella could think of at the moment was, "You mean, Cha-- Dad became friends with you just because you're a massage therapist?"
"I'm afraid so. He wanted free massages."
Bella groaned into her arms. There went her good mood for the rest of the afternoon.
I have split Daybreak (True to the series, I named them after times of day) into two-three parts, depending on my mood.
Title: Daybreak (Part I)
Fandom: Twilight [AU]
Summary: Bella Swan absolutely hates Edward Masen for being the friendliest kid in school. He's a fly on the wall. But oddly enough, he's growing on her too?
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm borrowing them so that I can hopefully get some closure on this series. =_=
o1.
She was afraid that she was going to have to sit in the cafeteria alone. (Well, not alone, but it felt like it.) Everyone wanted to know the new girl Isabella Swan. She was different and mysterious to the rest of them because she was from Phoenix and her father was the police chief.
But really? She didn't think she was that different, even if the girls here were nicer to her.
"Hello," One boy called to her, walking up to her with a grin.
She blinked. "Hey."
"My name's Edward Masen," He greeted, extending his hand. "And I'm going to be your new best friend. See, my last best friend was tragically eaten by the popular people last autumn. It's a rather sad story, you know."
What the heck? Even if he was kinda cute (there was something about red hair and green eyes that was irresistible), this was... uh. "Uh, okay?"
A blond came up and wrapped his arm around Edward. Bella sighed of relief - this kid was Mike Newton, the person who had given her a tour of the school earlier, and he was more normal than this Edward fellow.
"Oy, Mike," Edward sighed. "Can't the popular children eat you a little longer?"
He laughed. "Nope. They decided I tasted like rotten eggs and threw me out." Turning to Bella, he added, "Hey, come sit at our table. We promise we won't let you sit alone."
She nodded, smiling slightly as she shifted to the new table surrounded by other classmates. Edward was weird. But at least she didn't have to battle high school alone.
o2.
Biology class wasn't going to be bad this year, especially since she dropped from AP to regular (Forks hadn't offered it).
That is, until she saw him sitting next to the only empty spot in the room.
"You again?"
He shrugged, smiling apologetically as he moved his books over. "It's a small school - with even smaller grades."
And that just made it even worse. She was half-hoping for some all-out fight, with him being this crazy, full of life kid that she had to mother. But nope. He was oddly acting nice (probably because Mike had escorted her to her next class - and was visibly disappointed that Edward got the privilege of sitting next to her) for someone who had said she was going to be his new best friend.
"True," She replied, taking the stool next to him as class began. But did it have to be him?
He was so weird. She didn't run away from Phoenix to meet weirdos. It was just something that she couldn't comprehend.
As if he could read her mind, he tilted his head to the side and muttered under his breath, "I'm sorry."
(He just keeps getting weirder by the minute. Was... he even normal?)
o3.
Thankfully, the first day had no other visible problems. She kept getting hurt in PE, but that was nothing new. (Poor Mike - he had to keep blocking her all the time)
And her gas-guzzling truck brought her home safely. She opened the door, fully expecting her father to grill her about her first day of school, only to see a rather young woman sipping tea by the kitchen. She had Edward's red hair and build.
... Really? Edward's mother was here? She knew her face immediately turned sour. She'd had enough of the weirdo. She really didn't want his mother to be acquainted with her too.
The woman smiled at her, motioning for her to sit down. "Sit down," She beamed. "I want to hear all about your first day."
Bella dropped her books down and sat on the stool beside her. "Um, who are you?"
"Ah, excuse me," The woman blushed slightly, laughing like little bells. "I'm Elizabeth Masen - Edward's mother. We just moved here last fall. I have to say, Edward's thrilled about not being the new kid anymore."
She was a lot nicer than Edward was. Sure she was blushing a little, Bella replied, "Are you and Char-- Dad good friends?"
"A little. Your father's helped me establish my business here, and in exchange, Edward's been his surrogate son."
Whoa. Whoa. You're kidding me. Charlie actually liked Edward? As in, treating him like his own son? This was very, very bizarre (and possibly a reason to go grab that Tylenol).
"T-that's..."
The door opened, and Edward walked through. He looked tired - there were beads of sweat on his face - and his basketball uniform looked a little wrinkled. Sighing, the redhead plopped himself onto the couch. "Hey, Bella."
"Don't tell me," Bella sighed, rubbing her temples.
Edward laughed. "Of course not - we don't live here. But we've been hanging out with your father since we moved here. It seems weird not to be here."
Bella inwardly cursed. Of all the people in Forks he could've bonded with... of all the people... he chose Charlie. Why? He was just making her life much, much harder than he was. Stupid Edward Masen.
o4.
School life soon settled into a routine, and Bella found herself adjusting well to the nuisance that was Edward Masen. He only had Biology with her, but he often found excuses to hang out with her and Mike. It... was slowly getting better.
His jokes were rather tame for a teenage boy, and all involving various animals. At times, he'd reference some books he'd brought with him. (Huh. What would he ever need books like that for?) She'd tried to read the covers, but they were covered in intricate flowing designs that really belonged to church books.
Speaking of church, Edward and his mom were really religious. They always went to services on Sunday and sang along to hymns. Bella found herself going to services occasionally, but the only thing that ever really stuck in her head were the hymns.
They were beautiful in that old fashioned way, with everyone singing in harmony and forgetting their worries. Even though she didn't have a religion, she found comfort in going to services with him. Bella may not be religious (or even have a religion), but she liked going places with Edward and his mom. They just made everything feel better.
o5.
Edward was also becoming a comfort to her even outside of services. He gave her rides from school on days that he didn't have basketball practice, and he even shared mixes for her when he was in a good mood.
But Edward wasn't around her when she needed him the most the following Monday. She had to be okay with Jessica by her side as she walked through the cafeteria and caught sight of four teenagers lounging around a nearby table. They were all eerily pale but beautiful, like models straight out of a magazine.
"Who're they," She whispered to Jessica.
Jessica blinked, sitting down at their usual table. She made sure no one else was listening before she replied in hushed tones, "The Cullens. I wouldn't talk to them if I were you."
"Huh? Why not?"
"They never talk to anyone. They're the kings and queens of recluses. Extremely beautiful people, but they won't even think of stooping down to our level."
Ouch, that was harsh. Bella frowned slightly. "You'd think that Edward would have talked to them by now--"
Right on cue, Edward walked over and grinned at the pale blonde. "Hey, Jasper! Remember me? Your new best friend that won't go away?"
Jasper blinked, then sighed as he turned to the brunette beside him. He muttered something intelligible to her; she nodded, then beamed.
"Edward," The girl sang in her high pitched voice. "Could you wait until next week? Jasper's not feeling well today. He's got rather bad allergies."
Edward sighed. "You know I'm just going to keep coming back until you say yes, right?"
"Then we'll always tell you no."
"Fine by me," Edward waved as he walked back to their usual table. "I'll be coming around next week!"
Bella's face met the table. "You're kidding me."
"I wish I was," Jessica giggled. "But Edward really wants to be their friend. He tries at least once a week. I.. don't really know why the Cullens are so antisocial. You'd think that they would like him just like we do."
Bella wanted to protest, to say that Edward was probably the biggest fly she'd ever met, but... when Edward came back, sitting next to Mike, he looked so ordinary. She immediately forgot what she was going to complain about in the first place.
o6.
Everyone liked Edward ("Ed" as half the school lovingly called him). Bella could easily see why: he was kind to everyone he met, he did his work, he tried his hardest at everything, and he could turn anything into a joke. But when you practically lived with someone who was constantly babying you, it was a little more than annoying.
He wasn't beautiful like the Cullens. Immediately, some little part of her got annoyed. 'Do you really not like Edward because he's not gorgeous? Really? You're selfish, Bella,' The voice of reason rang in her head. Bella frowned, always trying to shut it up by muttering, "That's not it. He's just weird. I don't like his personality."
But deep down inside, she knew it was true. Edward and Mike could've been twin brothers - they acted that much alike. And Bella just wasn't attracted to either of them physically.
It was a shame. She really needed to get over this selfish streak of hers so that she could concentrate. But concentrate on what? Going out to the mall with Jessica and Lauren? (This triple date smelled fishy in more ways than one, but Bella wasn't really in the mood to count them all.)
She studied herself over in the mirror one last time to see if everything was in place, smiled to tie that last ribbon in her hair, and then ran downstairs to meet her friends.
They all looked nice, yet... it was Edward that stood out the most. He wore blue jeans that covered his feet (that were going to be dirty within a few minutes), a loose creme and cerulean striped dress shirt and a sweeping graphic t-shirt underneath. He had added a cross necklace and a loose chain belt to complete the look. For someone who was annoying and not normal, he looked amazing.
He beamed at her. "Ready to go?"
She solemnly nodded, taking his hand as they walked out into the stars.
o7.
They drove into Olympia for the evening, declaring that they needed to get some real shopping done. Bella was fine with this, because it meant that the group was going to stick together. She wouldn't need alone time with her nuisance.
Unfortunately, Jessica and Lauren ravenously descended upon Sephora and declared that they would spend another hour within the store. Bella groaned. She hated, hated, hated make-up stores and would've rather been anywhere else. Edward immediately squeezed her hand and pointed to some other stores.
"Hey," He called to the delighted girls (and disgruntled boys). "Bella and I want to see another store. Please call us when you're ready to leave, alright?"
They nodded, staring as the two left for another part of the mall. As they kept walking, Bella flashed him a grateful smile. "Thank you."
He beamed. "You're welcome---"
Bella immediately collided with another shopper, finding herself almost sliding into the glass wall of the next store. She blinked.
There was no glass window. She still had her hand in Edward's and they were calmly standing near a bench.
What... just... happened? She was so sure she was going to cause that window to break.
"Jeez," She could hear Edward mutter under his breath as he took a deep breath. "She's more danger-prone than I thought."
She opened her mouth to protest, but the shock was too strong. She stood there in silence for a few minutes before squeezing his hand even tigher and pointing towards an ice cream stand. "... Can we please go there?"
He obediently nodded and led her over to the stand with oddly watching eyes.
o8.
Vanilla ice cream felt amazing after that near injury. Bella closed her eyes, trying to savor every bite of her favorite dessert. She definitely hated the cold (no wonder she was wearing a parka now), but there was something about ice cream that made everything feel better.
Edward hovered over her as he licked his mint chocolate chip ice cream. He shivered, stepping back as he inspected the ice cream. "It's cold."
She giggled. "But it's ice cream."
"Yeah," He admitted, taking another lick. "But it's still cold. Give me my hot chocolate any day."
"... Edward?"
He blinked, tilting his head to the side. "What is it?"
"Didn't you see me nearly crash into that store window?"
He paused for a moment, his face paling. (So he had seen it!) "... Yes," He finally responded. "But you miraculously avoided it and I took you back to the bench to rest."
"Miraculously... avoided it?"
"Yeah," He said, grinning. "It's like you have a guardian angel or something."
A guardian angel. She couldn't help grinning as she took her last bite out of her ice cream. That thought sounded lovely. No wonder she wasn't getting hurt when she was injured. She had a savior from the heavens who helped her through everything.
She definitely had to look up the legends now. A guardian angel... wow. Just wow.
"Bella? You're kinda creeping me out with all that grinning."
She laughed, apologetically shrugging as she finished off her waffle cone. "Sorry. It just seemed... kind of amazing. I love the idea of having a guardian angel."
"Mm," Edward nodded in agreement. Spotting a group from nearby, he waved to them energetically. Turning to Bella, he shrugged. "Sorry. Seems our solo date's come to an end."
As the others rushed to them, she shook her head as she kept her gaze on him. "Don't apologize. You did absolutely nothing wrong."
He blushed, letting himself be enveloped into the warm shell that was their friends. Their solo date (Bella's first) had finally come to a close.
o9.
It was funny how friends made everything - even the cold weather Bella dreaded so much - feel better. Honestly, without them, she wondered how she would've been able to keep going in school. Charlie felt a little uneasy about her changing attitude ("You're turning into a Masen!"), but Bella didn't really mind.
Elizabeth was like a second mother to her, especially when they were grocery shopping together. Bella paused as they perused the cereal aisle, watching as Elizabeth studied the rack and picked the one she wanted with ease.
"Miss Elizabeth," She said.
Elizabeth put the cereal into the cart. "Hm?"
"Has... Edward always been like this?"
Elizabeth thought about it for a moment, letting Bella steer the cart as they walked from aisle to aisle. "He's been happier since he moved to Forks," She admitted with a slight smile. "You and the other kids have made him happier about leaving his father and Chicago."
Wait, Edward had a father? And he'd lived in Chicago before coming here? Bella pouted slightly. "You mean to say that Edward has a father?"
"All children do," Elizabeth explained in a matter-of-fact tone. "Edward's father's job prevented him from moving out here, so Ed doesn't get to see him often. The poor boy really missed him at first."
Bella nodded. "So... what do you do, exactly?"
"I'm a massage therapist," Elizabeth smiled. "Edward and I moved here to see if there's a market in small towns. If it is, then we'll move back to Chicago - where our business is based - and send a few girls here to start a franchise."
This... was odd, her prompt and matter-of-fact responses for everything. But the only thing Bella could think of at the moment was, "You mean, Cha-- Dad became friends with you just because you're a massage therapist?"
"I'm afraid so. He wanted free massages."
Bella groaned into her arms. There went her good mood for the rest of the afternoon.