“Alice,” Edward said, trying to get a word in while she just went on and on about how we had to go try out a new coffee shop she had heard about, and how it had the best coffee and the atmosphere was perfect for studying. She just kept rambling like the never-ending speaker box.
“ALICE!” he finally yelled, laughing as there was finally silence on the other end of the line.
“What, Ed-ward?” Alice huffed.
“I’ll go. I’ve been trying to tell you that since you first asked me,” Edward said, chuckling. He stood up from his spot in the student commons, slipped the strap of his messenger bag over his shoulder and headed out toward the car. Edward caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and he knew after all these years, it was Ben and Mike, his bodyguards that he’s had since he was old enough to attend school.
“Edward… Earth to Edward… Come in… Your sister, the Princess, is demanding your attention,” Alice stated, giggling as he heard ruffling over the earpiece.
“I’m here, Alice. I was moving out of the commons, and you know how Ben and Mike get when I leave without giving a signal,” Edward said, chuckling as he waited for his bodyguards to make sure things were clear for him to move. Shaking his head, he watched Mike wave his fingers at him to go ahead, and he finally started out to my waiting car.
“Oh. I don’t know how you put up with them. They’re so old, Eddie. You need younger, hipper body boys.
Anyway, as I was saying, I think we should go on Friday after your last class so we have time to just hang out like we used to. I miss my older brother,” Alice pouted and he heard more ruffling over the phone.
“Alice, what are you doing?”
“Uh, me? Nothing, Edward. Why?” Alice responded out of breath and more rustling could be heard.
“What was that noise?” Edward asked as he climbed into his waiting car and felt it speed off toward his home. Well, his home while he was in school. Technically, the palace was his home, but while he was here in Mardville for school, he stayed at the family’s estate. It was safer according to the head of security than staying in a dorm room with a roommate and two bodyguards.
“It… was nothing, Edward. Anywho, gotta go. I’ll talk to you on Thursday,” Alice said hurriedly and hung up.
Staring at the phone, Edward let out a laugh and shook his head as he ended the call with Alice. His sister was a bundle of energy and the abrupt disconnect was no surprise to him; she did it constantly to him.
“We’re here, your Highness,” Edward’s driver, Sam, said as he pulled up in front of the house. He watched Sam get out of the front and open the car door for Edward. He climbed out and shook the driver’s hand, clapping him on the shoulder.
“An excellent ride as usual, Sam. I won’t need you until Monday. You have a good weekend, alright? Give my best to Emily and your daughter, Claire,” Edward said, smiling as he hitched his bag up on his shoulder.
“I will, sir. And thank you,” Sam said with a large smile on his face and gave a slight bow to Edward.
Nodding at the driver, Edward gazed at his place of residence. He sighed as he looked up the stairs; his house was a seven bedroom estate of his mother’s. He personally thought it was too large for just himself, but when his mother said she felt uneasy about him staying unprotected at the dorms, Edward caved and moved into the giant house.
Shaking his head as he recalled his mother’s plea, he made his way into the house with Ben and Mike following behind him. He placed his bag on the chair in the entryway before walking into the kitchen to grab a apple. Polishing the apple on his shirt before taking a bite, he walked upstairs to the one room that he was able to relax in – his music room.
Standing in the doorway, his eyes traveled over the baby Grand that sat in the corner, his guitar in its stand and out of the corner of his eye, he saw his violin case. Grinning, he walked over, set his apple next to the case and opened it. Edward pulled out his violin and its bow, and drew it slowly across the strings as his fingers aptly moved to create notes that bounced from one wall to another.
Edward closed his eyes as he moved his body with the music that was quickly forming across the strings. Visions of the new girl danced behind his eyes, her smile as she thanked him for returning her purse, and how she had said his name. A smile broke his serious look as he opened his eyes and he drew his bow over the strings a final time, sliding his finger back and forth over the string to hold out the note.
Letting out a sigh, Edward set his violin back in his case and sat down on the nearby chair. Staring out of the window across the room, Edward couldn’t get Izzy out of his head. She consumed his thoughts, and he had no idea why.
It was only one meeting. One small, but hypnotic meeting. What was it about her that had him so hooked? Edward was confused and in awe that the new girl had such an effect on him from just the first meeting. No one had ever had an effect on him like that. No one. But she drew him with those few words, and he desperately wanted to see her again and talk to her.
Hell, I’m all right with just being in her presence.
Deciding he needed to get his mind off the beauty that he had met a couple days ago, Edward grabbed his bag and took it to his room where he started up his computer only to sit and stare at a the blinking cursor. Slowly, he typed out the one question that had been swirling in his mind all weekend:
Why can’t I get you off my mind, Izzy?
~*TA*~
Alice grinned at her two new friends, jumping onto the bed that housed both Kate and Bella.
“God, that was close. Remind me not to talk to Edward when I’m trying to go through clothes,” Alice stated, giggling.
Kate giggled along with Alice as Bella just sat there shaking her head.
“So do you think you can help Bella, Alice?” Kate asked.
“Sure. Has he even seen you yet?” Alice asked, looking over at Edward’s betrothed.
“Yeah. Once. I forgot my purse in the classroom and he found me outside to give it back to me. I’ve been able to avoid him since then,” Bella explained, biting nervously on her thumb.
“So tell me what you were wearing because obviously, we can’t have you looking the same as your Princess get-up,” Alice said, eyeing Bella before continuing, “I don’t know how much King Aro told you, but I’m the one who came up with the idea. I told my dad, King Carlisle, that while Edward may want to do this all on his own, there’s no reason he could be helped along.”
Bella just sat there staring at Alice as she processed what was just explained to her. Looking over at Kate and then back to Alice, Bella started laughing.
“You’re kidding, right? What if he doesn’t go for me? What if he has no interest in me? What, then?” Bella asked, shaking her head. “What if I can’t do this? What if I’m not enough?”
Alice looked at Bella like she was crazy before shifting to face her, resting her hands on Bella’s knees.
“Bella. Trust me, he noticed you. I know my brother. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have bothered returning your purse. Anything else happen?” Alice asked.
“The only thing that stands out is that he remembered my name from class,” Bella offered, looking at Alice curiously.
Alice’s face lit up like Time Square on New Year’s Eve as she started bouncing up and down on the bed squealing.
“He did? Now that’s huge. He doesn’t remember any girl’s name unless she’s related,” Alice said, laughing. Bella pulled her arms down so that she would stop bouncing and the bed instantly stilled.
She moved and curled up at the head of the bed, tucking her feet under her and let out a sigh as the Princess looked at Alice and Kate, who had just came back in the room with three cups of coffee. Taking one from her, Bella took a sip before staring out the window. Alice and Kate had gone to their happy place and were discussing ways for Edward and Bella to meet up.
“What if she tripped into him at school? Or have them meet outside of school?” Kate offered, her forehead creased in thought.
“Well, they’ve technically already met. Remember? The purse thing? We’ve got to put them in a situation that requires them to be together for a longer period of time,” Alice explained as she tapped her chin thinking.
“Why not just have her ask him to lunch or something?”
“Do you have a list of Bella’s classes? Maybe there’s something in there?” Alice asked. Kate scrambled off the bed to grab her planner and pulled out Bella’s class list and handed it to Alice. Scanning through the names, Alice’s eyes lit up, jabbing the paper as she tapped over one of the classes.
“This will be perfect…”Alice trailed off as she dropped her voice and began whispering her idea to Kate. Glancing at Bella who had turned from them toward the window, Alice grinned as Kate nodded in agreement to Alice’s plan.
“But will she go for it? Bella isn’t very good at playing coy or hard to get,” Kate stated, knowing full well that while Bella came across shy, she was anything but that once a person could get her to open up.
Alice watched Bella closely, wondering if the Princess was up for the challenge because it was going to be one for her. Alice’s brother didn’t fall for girls easily. He was a one-date-only type of guy, so it was important that Bella played her cards just right.
Bella turned away from the other two girls as they began whispering and stealing glances at her, but she kept her eyes on the trees as the wind whipped through them, and let her thoughts drifted back to Edward. Everyone made him sound like he was very self-centered, but Bella couldn’t believe that. There’s no way her father would approve a match like that, especially if her happiness was at stake. At least, she hoped not.
Looking back at Kate and Alice, Bella couldn’t help but switch her thoughts over to whether she had what it sounded like it would take to make this Prince fall for her.
She was normally very sure of herself, but she was so far out of her element here that she couldn’t help but be concerned. Bella never really thought of herself as pretty, not like her sister, Rose, but she knew she wasn’t ugly either. She had plenty of men asking her father to date her, but of course, he wouldn’t allow it. But after seeing Edward, Bella knew she was no match for him. He was gorgeous. The way the copper, brown, and blond danced across his hair as the sunlight hit it, and his green eyes; they weren’t sparkling bright like she had imagined, but reminded her of the color of the sea. It was a mixture of green and blue, and that day after class, it was more green than blue. Bella sighed as she dreamily thought about her betrothed and had the sudden conviction that she needed to this; she needed Edward to fall for her, but not for the sake of the agreement between her father and King Carlisle. She needed this because she knew their connection was deeper than paper. With her resolve set, Bella crawled to the foot of the bed and sat between Alice and Kate.
“So tell me what you two have cooked up for me. I’m ready to win my Prince,” Bella said, grinning as her eyes sparkled with eagerness and excitement.
