Quick A/N:
There's a play list here -playlists
section-that goes with this chapter, if you
want to listen to some music while
you read, or want to listen to what I
listened while I was writing.
DISCLAIMER: Some lucky lady named Stephenie
Meyer owns Twilight!I don’t own a thing,
just playing with her Universe.
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Chapter 3: Sparks
"When a heart is on fire, sparks always fly out of the mouth."
Proverb
Alice Cullen walked towards class, annoyed at Edward's attitude. She couldn't understand his aversion to socializing. Why couldn't he be nice and friendly to people? Why did he have to be so difficult? Alice sighed, sure Edward would be a happier person if only he would give himself the chance to open up. Life would be easier if he had someone to talk to, maybe even a girlfriend to spend time with. Alice was sure all Edward needed to stop feeling so edgy were friends. After a few more steps, she came to an abrupt halt. Who was she kidding? Edward was like an oyster. He was clammed shut, never revealing his true inner beauty.
The only person he ever revealed himself to was her. And by shunning him she wasn't going to get anywhere. She needed to be his guide, push him out of his shell. If she gave up, who would he have left? With those thoughts, Alice turned and retraced her steps to where she left Edward. She wasn't going to apologize—not exactly—but she was going to show him that even though he was acting like an ass, being the bigger person was just as easy. She was going to walk with him to class like they did every day and be a good friend. Alice sighed again. Being a nice thoughtful person was such hard work sometimes!
When she stepped outside though, she encountered an unexpected but amusing situation: Edward and an unfamiliar girl, tangled in a heap on the ground. But as both Edward and the girl were completely paralyzed, lost in each other's gaze, a plan began to form in Alice's mind. Um… so he likes this girl? Well, at least enough to ogle her,she thought.
Meanwhile, Bella continued to stare at the unknown boy lying on top of her. Who was he? Why did he look so familiar? His eyes… She had seen those eyes before. Her head started to spin. The smell of this boy was slightly intoxicating and it made her dizzy.
Edward was in a similar condition. The girl lying under him looked so familiar. Her brown eyes were deep, endless pools of chocolate. The feelings brewing in him were startling. A sense of recognition and a strange dull ache in his chest made him feel light-headed. Who are you? he wondered. He was about to ask that question out loud when the sound of a clearing throat made him stop.
"Um…Edward," he heard Alice's voice say. "Could you introduce me to your new friend?" Alice's teasing tone was enough to break the spell. He practically jumped off the girl with the agility of a cat.
How long had he been laying there? It must not have been more than a few seconds, but it seemed much longer.
Bella remained frozen on the wet floor. She couldn't make heads or tails of what had just happened. Why did she stay under this boy without moving a muscle? Who was he? Damn it! This wasn't like her at all! She wasn't one to melt over pretty boys! Wait… Did I just think he was pretty? Bella's jumbled thoughts distracted her enough to almost miss the hand offered by said pretty boy.
"Want help?" Edward said in a trembling voice. He was affected by this unknown girl, and these new feelings had shaken him deeply. He couldn't hide the trepidation in his voice.
In a knee-jerk reaction Bella took the proffered hand, completely entranced by the velvety voice of the boy who had knocked her to the floor. The tone was manly, soft and so incredibly lovely. Just like the rest of him, Bella thought. She immediately berated herself for having such thoughts about a boy she didn't know nor had any interest in knowing for that matter. However, neither Edward nor Bella were prepared for the electrical shock that ran through their bodies as soon as their skins made contact. When it happened, their hands flew apart, sending Bella stumbling back to the ground.
"Ow!" Bella yelped, hitting her head. Alice stifled a giggle. This would be funny if it wasn't so ridiculous, she thought. Alice was quick to help Bella up, asking several times if her head was fine. Whereas Edward stood in complete silence, asking himself what the hell had just happened.
Bella wondered that very same thing as she scrambled to her feet with Alice's help. Alice, on the other hand, was carefully studying Edward and Bella's expressions. Um… this is very interesting, she concluded.
"I'm so sorry," Alice began and then pointed to the motionless boy standing in front of them, "Edward here is known for living inside his head too much, he probably didn't even see you. I hope you didn't hurt yourself? I'm Alice by the way."
Bella blinked her stupor away and attempted to make sense of the girl's words. After a few seconds she was able to form a coherent response. "Yes… yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Alice," she finally replied.
Edward had so many questions for the mysterious, unknown girl he had accidentally knocked down. What was the source of the current he felt when he touched her? It wasn't normal. He had been shocked by his stereo once; it had left him with an unpleasant tingling sensation. This shock had left his entire skin buzzing, and surprisingly, he liked it. He craved the feeling. He was beyond creeped out by this discovery. What the hell was wrong with him?
His thoughts were cut short by the bell announcing that class was about to start.
Bella hastily said goodbye and ran towards the school building. She was too overwhelmed to be around this boy, and she didn't want to be late on her first day.
"So…" Alice drawled once Bella was out of sight. "It seems you finally met your match."
Edward turned to his cousin and gawked. For some reason Alice's words didn't register. What did she mean? I've met my match? My match in what?
"What?" he asked, dizzy with the feelings of the bizarre experience.
Alice patted his back. "Edward, I've always known you to be sort of dense, especially when it comes to matters of the opposite sex, but this…" she giggled. "This is just too much."
Alice walked towards the building doors. "Are you coming?" she asked her perplexed cousin.
"Yes," he quickly replied, and ran a bit to catch up with her.
-x-x-x-x-
Bella was quick to find her first class of the day. The teacher was already there, but he was sitting at his desk, ignoring the students that were still arriving and settling in their seats. She approached the teacher and introduced herself, handing him the slip she got from Mrs. Cope.
"Okay, Miss Swan, here you go," the teacher said, handing back the slip. "I'm Mr. Banner, and as you can guess I'll be your Biology teacher. This is a fairly easy class, but if you do well in it you will get credits that could help you get into my AP Biology class next year."
Bella nodded silently. She wasn't very interested in Biology. She didn't like the sight of blood and the idea of cutting open any creature, even an ugly frog, wasn't her idea of fun. Besides, she was still very much preoccupied with her recent encounter.
"Very good, now please take that empty seat at the back, the one on the right. It's the only empty seat I'm afraid," Mr. Banner said, signaling a seat at the last table at the very back of the room. He looked almost apologetic. Strange… Bella thought.
Bella walked to her seat and wondered who would be her lab partner. She could only hope it was not a bad-tempered person. She had a temper of her own, and didn't want to get into unnecessary verbal sparring.
Bella started sketching on her notebook while the rest of the students continued to arrive. She was so focused on the drawing—a beautiful meadow full of flowers she had dreamed the first night she spent at the new house—that she didn't hear the person next to her.
"Excuse me?" a now familiar velvety voice said.
"Crap!" Bella whispered as she turned to confirm her suspicions about the owner of the voice.
Just as she suspected, Edward, the boy with the intoxicating scent and electrified touch was going to be her partner. Great! Just freaking fantastic!
"Could you…um…move just a little bit so I can get to my seat?" Edward said in a tentative voice. He knew this was going to be a bad day – after he walked into class to find the usually empty seat next to him occupied by none other than Unknown Brunette – he was convinced of that fact.
"Yes, of course…" Unknown Brunette was quick to respond. But in her haste to get up from her seat and allow him to pass she tripped against the foot of the table and started to fall.
Bella prepared herself for the impending pain from yet another tumble when she felt two strong arms stopping her fall and grabbing her torso delicately but with precision. She was immediately lost in the feelings coursing through her body: warmth, familiarity, nostalgia, even a tinge of sadness. How could she feel so much in a simple innocent touch?
Edward was just as befuddled as Bella, but his annoyance at Unknown Brunette's total lack of coordination was almost winning out over his confusion. Did she have any concern about her well-being at all? Did she enjoy falling to the ground twenty-four-seven? She couldn't seriously be this clumsy! However, Edward couldn't completely deny the sense of rightness that filled his soul as soon as she was in his arms. It was the same feeling of recognition he felt when they stumbled to the floor together a few minutes ago. He felt like he knew her, like he had been waiting to know her his entire life. Which didn't mean he wasn't tempted to drape her in bubble wrap to make sure her clumsiness didn't cost her an eye. Edward righted Bella on her seat as fast as he could. The more time he spent around her, touching her, the more confused he felt. He had enough confusion in his life. He didn't need more.
Bella sighed, almost in relief, as soon as Edward released her and whispered a thank you. She could feel the heat crawling to her cheeks and guessed she was probably puce by now. Suddenly, she heard a sharp intake of breath from Electric Boy. Why was he breathing like that?
She tentatively turned to steal a glance, using her hair as camouflage, trying to seem interested in what the teacher scribbled on the board. He looked down, seemingly entranced by the table and the doodles students in previous years had left behind. Odd! she thought.
Edward felt a strange compulsion to caress Unknown Brunette'scheeks as they turned that lovely pinkish color. He focused on the table, unsure he would be able to stop himself if he actually looked at her. Really Edward! he scolded himself. You never so much as blink when girls shamelessly flirt with you and this unknown new girl has the power to turn you into a statue! Get yourself together!
The teacher interrupted both teens' reveries by starting the class. Edward groaned in exasperation when Mr. Banner said that they would be assigned as lab partners according to their seating arrangements. Bella wasn't much happier with the news.
Great, just great… I'm so going to screw up and end up touching her and freaking her out, Edward thought.
Oh God! I know that I'll end up tripping and landing on top of him again. Or worse I'll sniff him and he'll think I'm a freak! Bella predicted sadly.
Edward and Bella spent the rest of the period in awkward silence until they were forced to interact due to the day's lab.
"Since it's only the first day," Mr. Banner announced, "I don't want to scare any of you off. So today we'll learn how to use a microscope."
Both Edward and Bella groaned, along with a few other students. This was something they had already covered or seen in other science classes, and the idea of repeating such a mind-numbing lesson wasn't appealing in the slightest.
"As you'll notice," Mr. Banner continued, ignoring the glum faces of the majority of his students, "there are nine main parts in a microscope: the eyepiece, the objective lens, the…"
As Mr. Banner continued with the explanation of how to properly prepare a sample slide and how to observe the slide with the aid of the microscope a student proceeded to distribute prepared slides for the lab.
When the blonde-haired student reached Bella and Edward's table Bella immediately recognized him as the Newton kid. What was his name? It started with M… Matthew, Marcus, Malcolm? Bella inwardly shrugged, not really caring about the name of the annoying boy. She had no interest in being his friend. He, however, smiled broadly at Bella and handed her the slides making his hand linger in hers just a moment too long.
Edward had to suppress the urge to growl at Mike Newton. He never liked the guy, and now for some reason he couldn't bear his presence. He realized he felt oddly protective of Bella and knowing Newton's reputation he knew he was bad company for such a timid girl.
"Thank you." Bella flushed furiously. She was embarrassed and irritated by the Newton boy's attentions. What the hell is his problem?
Edward felt a frisson of anger when Mike's smile broadened at Bella's involuntary reaction. He could clearly see she was annoyed by his presence. Why couldn't Newton see it, too?
"Thank you, Newton. Now get lost," Edward barked.
Mike glared at Edward but didn't hesitate to return to his seat at the front of the class. He didn't want to get in trouble.
Bella turned and glowered at Edward. She didn't like Newton but that was no way to treat a person.
"What?" Edward asked. He had never been intimidated by anyone but Alice, but this girl's glare was equally if not more powerful than his cousin's.
"I don't know," Bella began, "maybe the fact that you almost chewed his head off? What did he ever do to you?"
"Oh come on! You were bothered by him just as much as I was!" Edward retorted. He wasn't going to back down, even though he knew it wasn't right to treat Mike as he did.
Bella huffed and turned back to the slides. She knew he was right, but was stubborn enough not to agree or thank him for his intervention. Besides, she couldn't look at him for long. He made her want to blush, and stutter, like an infatuated fan-girl. God, she hated that feeling.
"Okay, kids, I want you to put each slide on the microscope stage, in the very center under the stage's glass circle..." Mr. Banner continued with his instructions.
Bella took a peek at the slide first since she was the closest to the microscope. It was the wing of a butterfly and she immediately recognized it. She wrote it down on her lab sheet and pushed the microscope towards Edward without looking at him.
Edward felt a bit hurt by his mysterious lab partner's indifference, but he couldn't quite comprehend why. He didn't even know her name, how could he feel hurt by her coldness? He pretended not to care. After all, if there was one thing all the years of hiding his nightmares from his parents had taught him it was to mask his feelings flawlessly.
He too took a peek at the slide under the microscope, and rapidly realized he was looking at a butterfly's wings. For some reason, before he could stop himself, he said aloud a favorite quote, "I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man."
Bella blinked, shocked at Edward's words. She didn't know many fifteen-year olds that could quote Eastern philosophy. Like Edward, she said the name of the author before she could stop herself. "Chuang Tzu."
Edward was just as amazed to discover that his new lab partner wasn't another vapid teenage girl with a head full of celebrity gossip or the latest episode of one of MTV's reality shows. This girl was deep. Edward liked that very much and he smiled a lopsided grin, happy to learn a new piece of information about the mysterious girl who had stirred so much confusion within him.
Edward's smirk had an unexpected effect. Bella was completely blown away by it to the point that, in hindsight, she would swear her brain stopped working altogether. After a few moments of stunned silence, Bella had enough presence of mind to utter a word and break away from her shameless gawking at Edward's hypnotizing grin.
"Um… how did you know that quote?" she asked shyly.
Bella's nervous voice had a similar effect on Edward. It's so sweet and soft, Edward thought, I like it when she uses that tone with me.
"Er…" Edward cleared his throat before responding, "I like reading a lot, especially Philosophy and poetry." He was a bit scared this might put his lab partner off, but didn't understand why he even cared if she thought he was weird for liking books so much.
"If I commit suicide, it will not be to destroy myself but to put myself back together again," Bella blurted at Edward's confession, again without giving much thought to what she quoted before it came out of her lips. She seemed to lose her brain-to-mouth filter around this boy – a situation she found unsettling and liberating. She was about to apologize, because taken out of context that phrase made her sound suicidal, when Edward interrupted.
"Antonin Artaud." Edward immediately recognized the author much to Bella's surprise. "So you prefer western authors with a twist of madness?" Edward inquired.
"Artaud wasn't mad! He was just more lucid than the authorities at the time!" Bella defended.
"Okay, okay… I happen to agree," Edward was quick to add. "I was just teasing."
Bella sighed heavily, annoyed that she was so easy to rile. Finally, she calmed herself and giggled at the ludicrous conversation they were having without even introducing themselves properly. Their earlier disastrous encounter did not count.
"I'm Bella Swan," she said, extending her hand in greeting.
"Edward Cullen," Edward replied with a smile, happy to put a name to his mysterious new lab partner. He swiftly extended his hand and took Bella's.
They were both zapped as soon as their skins touched. They had forgotten the effect that came about with such contact. They hastily took their hands back and smiled sheepishly, embarrassed.
Will I always feel that tingling current when we touch? Bella wondered.
"Nice to meet you," Bella said.
"Likewise," Edward agreed.
The class continued with shy looks and passing comments as two old souls, trapped inside two very young bodies, came to know each other as much as Mr. Banner's first period Biology class allowed.
All in Forks followed its usual course. The rain carried on its mating dance with the Olympic greenery, the skies remained as grey and dark as they always were, and the waves of the Pacific kissed the La Push shores as they have done since the dawn of time.
But the world had changed for Edward and Bella, and they weren't even aware of what fate had in store for them.
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A/N I have to say YAY! *fistpump* this update almost didn't happen, but against all odds, against lost luggage, against Thunder storms, it did happen.
I have to thank Dante Levine who in the middle of her business trip, and having lost her luggage still Beta'd for me. Monamour, because her computer died, and she went to work on a Sunday to send me her corrections. Rhian0000, who I kept awake until a few minutes ago, she lives in Europe so she was up pretty late for me. And last but not least, lemonmartinis, for being an amazing person and the best pre-reader an author could ask for. *sniffles*
I know I have been #ReviewReplyFail this week, but it has been a hectic week, and I thought you'd prefer an update ;)
I hope I wasn't wrong. Thank you so much for all your reviews, I never thought my story would make it to 100.
A couple of recs, from first time writers...
An Angel Closes Her Eyes by tg10781
Bella moves to a new town, to escape a past filled with immeasurable pain. Edward returns home from Iraq, to step into his position as fulltime single father. Together with his family and friends, can Edward help Bella get past the guilt, and heal? AH
Fill My Little World by Hongkongphooey
Bella Swan is content with her life. With her work, hobby and friends all keeping her busy she has no time for anything else. Until one day she agrees to do a favour for a friend. Her quiet world is about to be turned upon its head. AH set in England
Illumination: Edward's Meadow by Rhian0000
"Today she would see a new side of me; today I would be honest – I owed her that. I would let her see me for what I am, even if it would take her away from me." Twilight's Meadow scene from Edward's point of view. Covering the whole day in three parts.
Thanks for taking the time to read,
((love))
Ange
*Ange runs to watch MTV Movie awards AGAIN*
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