Silence Is a Virtue
The Beginning
I woke up to the sound of my big brother singing loudly in the bathroom next door. I grinned without opening my eyes, pushing the duvet off and shivering slightly as the cold air met my bare arms. I blinked sleepily and sat up, sliding my legs over the side of the bed. As I stood up, I accidentally knocked over my bedside lamp. Emmett's singing paused.
"Oh, morning Bells!" he yelled, much louder than necessary. I rolled my eyes, smirking.
"Go back to your singing, Em." I called. He laughed exuberently, and continued to sing.
I got dressed slowly and sleepily, then grabbed my school bag and proceeded to kick Emmett out of the bathroom. He scowled as I stole the bathroom off him, but as he passed me he pinched my leg teasingly and burst into song once more. I rolled my eyes. He was always in a good mood.
Once I had washed and brushed my teeth, I bounded down the stairs, unable to stay solemn with my big brother's horrible singing voice drifting from the kitchen. I could smell bacon, too - and that was always welcome.
I entered the kitchen and dropped my bag beside the door, sitting down heavily at the kitchen table and resting my feet up on the table surface.
"Where's Dad?" I asked Em, who was currently moonwalking across the linoleum floor in his socks towards the sizzling pan of bacon.
"Gone to work early, I think." he said calmly, stabbing the bacon with a fork and throwing them onto two plates. He presented me with one grandly, winking at me as I took it from him.
"God, what's got you so cheerful?" I smiled, sipping a cup of coffee that had appeared infront of me.
"Nice day! Birds are shining, the sun is singing..." he roared with laughter at his joke and I couldn't help but giggle.
We finished up and left the house. Emmett was lying - it was another overcast day in Forks. It was stupid of me to expect anything different, having lived here all my life. I climbed into Emmett's jeep as he jumped in beside me, still humming. He started the car and turned on the radio, turning the volume up to a ridiculous level. He had Nirvana on, and it was hurting my ears. I complained, though he couldn't hear me, and turned it down just a little.
As we drove to school, Emmett singing out of his open window and me hoping no one would recognise me in the car beside my lunatic of a sibling, I got a text message on my phone.
Heard the news yet? NEW KID!! A xx
It was a message from my enthusiastic best friend, Alice, who seemed to hear about the news before everyone else in the entire school. If I didn't know any better, I'd accuse her of being able to see into the future.
I quickly replied to her message, assuring her that she could tell me all about it at school.
As we arrived, I spotted my three best friends, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, who were waiting at their car beside our usual parking space. We pulled up and Alice rapped her dainty little hand on my window, bouncing up and down with anticipation. I opened the door and stepped out, unable to conceal my amusement, and allowed her to pull me to the pavement. Her boyfriend, Jasper, slowly loped after us, with a long-suffering grin.
"Bella, there's a new boy coming to our school! I'm not sure if he's here yet but- oh I've heard he's gorgeous- he's a real eccentric, you know- and he- from Alaska, can you believe it?" she squealed. I watched her exasperatedly. "What if we all make friends with him? Oh- what if he's clever? What if he's really sporty? Will he like me? Will he like me, Jazz?" she turned to her boyfriend and he raised his eyebrows, taking her tiny hands.
"Shut up." he said slowly, smiling down at her. She scowled but leant against him, clinging to his long fingers.
"But Alice is right, what if he joins our little group? What if he's the missing piece, the boy for Bella?" Rosalie said dreamily, cocking her head to the side and smiling. Emmett put is arm around her and kissed her cheek, grinning.
"Yeah, because I hate being around you guys and having to watch you be happy without me." I rolled my eyes, smirking at my big brother and his beautiful blonde girlfriend. Rosalie grinned and winked.
"It's about time we could watch you be happy, Bell." she smiled kindly. I flushed slightly at the simple sentiment.
Alice's slender fingers tugged on my dark hair and as I turned to face her she linked her arm through mine.
"Come on, I want a coffee before school." she said, taking Jasper's hand. Emmett put his arm around my shoulders and his other arm around Rose's waist, and we wandered lazily and dizzily into the school.
"Oh, morning Bells!" he yelled, much louder than necessary. I rolled my eyes, smirking.
"Go back to your singing, Em." I called. He laughed exuberently, and continued to sing.
I got dressed slowly and sleepily, then grabbed my school bag and proceeded to kick Emmett out of the bathroom. He scowled as I stole the bathroom off him, but as he passed me he pinched my leg teasingly and burst into song once more. I rolled my eyes. He was always in a good mood.
Once I had washed and brushed my teeth, I bounded down the stairs, unable to stay solemn with my big brother's horrible singing voice drifting from the kitchen. I could smell bacon, too - and that was always welcome.
I entered the kitchen and dropped my bag beside the door, sitting down heavily at the kitchen table and resting my feet up on the table surface.
"Where's Dad?" I asked Em, who was currently moonwalking across the linoleum floor in his socks towards the sizzling pan of bacon.
"Gone to work early, I think." he said calmly, stabbing the bacon with a fork and throwing them onto two plates. He presented me with one grandly, winking at me as I took it from him.
"God, what's got you so cheerful?" I smiled, sipping a cup of coffee that had appeared infront of me.
"Nice day! Birds are shining, the sun is singing..." he roared with laughter at his joke and I couldn't help but giggle.
We finished up and left the house. Emmett was lying - it was another overcast day in Forks. It was stupid of me to expect anything different, having lived here all my life. I climbed into Emmett's jeep as he jumped in beside me, still humming. He started the car and turned on the radio, turning the volume up to a ridiculous level. He had Nirvana on, and it was hurting my ears. I complained, though he couldn't hear me, and turned it down just a little.
As we drove to school, Emmett singing out of his open window and me hoping no one would recognise me in the car beside my lunatic of a sibling, I got a text message on my phone.
Heard the news yet? NEW KID!! A xx
It was a message from my enthusiastic best friend, Alice, who seemed to hear about the news before everyone else in the entire school. If I didn't know any better, I'd accuse her of being able to see into the future.
I quickly replied to her message, assuring her that she could tell me all about it at school.
As we arrived, I spotted my three best friends, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, who were waiting at their car beside our usual parking space. We pulled up and Alice rapped her dainty little hand on my window, bouncing up and down with anticipation. I opened the door and stepped out, unable to conceal my amusement, and allowed her to pull me to the pavement. Her boyfriend, Jasper, slowly loped after us, with a long-suffering grin.
"Bella, there's a new boy coming to our school! I'm not sure if he's here yet but- oh I've heard he's gorgeous- he's a real eccentric, you know- and he- from Alaska, can you believe it?" she squealed. I watched her exasperatedly. "What if we all make friends with him? Oh- what if he's clever? What if he's really sporty? Will he like me? Will he like me, Jazz?" she turned to her boyfriend and he raised his eyebrows, taking her tiny hands.
"Shut up." he said slowly, smiling down at her. She scowled but leant against him, clinging to his long fingers.
"But Alice is right, what if he joins our little group? What if he's the missing piece, the boy for Bella?" Rosalie said dreamily, cocking her head to the side and smiling. Emmett put is arm around her and kissed her cheek, grinning.
"Yeah, because I hate being around you guys and having to watch you be happy without me." I rolled my eyes, smirking at my big brother and his beautiful blonde girlfriend. Rosalie grinned and winked.
"It's about time we could watch you be happy, Bell." she smiled kindly. I flushed slightly at the simple sentiment.
Alice's slender fingers tugged on my dark hair and as I turned to face her she linked her arm through mine.
"Come on, I want a coffee before school." she said, taking Jasper's hand. Emmett put his arm around my shoulders and his other arm around Rose's waist, and we wandered lazily and dizzily into the school.