Silence Is a Virtue
Should Have Kept Quiet
I waited as the rest of the class slowly filed into the room, holding my breath as I watched.
I wasn't left waiting for too long.
He walked into the room, slowly but with a magical aura almost visibly surrounding him. His eyes scanned the room before they rested on me, and a dazzling smile broke out across his face. I sat up, blushing and beaming at him. He seemed genuinely happy to see me, which thrilled me. He sat beside me and pushed his notepad towards me after a short moment.
Hello Bella. It's nice to see you again.
I flushed, then scolded myself mentally - he was only being polite, Isabella, don't be silly.
Nice to see you too. How are you?
The teacher wandered in after I gave him the message, although it didn't phase me. It wasn't like I'd be paying attention anyway, what with Edward beside me.
He paused, pushing his lips to the side as he thought. It seemed to me that he was thinking about how to phrase his answer. Eventually he began writing.
Very well, although this morning I was in a terrible state.
I frowned. If I'd seen him that morning, I bet I could have cheered him up. I cocked my head to the side at him. He glanced up at me, then continued to write.
To be embarassingly honest, after I saw that you weren't in my first two lessons I lost all hope.
I blushed with delight and my embarassment and shame disappeared.
"Me too." I whispered. His eyes flicked over my face as if he was examining me. I smiled timidly and he smiled in response, his own cheeks darkening. He wrote another message without taking his eyes off me.
What about you, how are you doing?
He pushed the notepad towards me. Something told me, as I read the message, that if he had spoken the words on the page, it would be softly, and in a voice like velvet.
I'm okay. I've been better.
I, like him, had to think about the message before I wrote it. At that second, I was ecstatic, but a nagging part of my brain was telling me that I was going against what Alice asked me to do. Alice very rarely asked for things, she always gave them. Another reason why what I was doing was so wrong.
Edward frowned, a question in his eyes. I began writing again.
Well... My friend, Alice, asked me to do something peculiar today. And I ignored her. I feel awful.
And what did she ask you to do?
I didn't lie to him - he attracted the honest side of me. I wasn't sure I could lie to him even if I tried. The same nagging part of my brain was telling me not to admit the truth to him, to tell him that it was a secret - but Edward's effect on me overruled all common sense.
To avoid you. To not talk to you.
To my surprise, his expression hardened. As he wrote a reply, his knuckles were white and his jaw was tense. He almost threw the pad back to me.
Why am I not surprised?
I frowned, worried. Had I offended him?
What's wrong?
He scoffed, not loudly enough for the teacher to hear, but loud enough to make me jump.
This school is no different to any other. He made to pass me the pad, then changed his mind and continued writing. He was bent down low over the page, and I couldn't see what he was scribbling. I met you and I thought, hey, maybe things will be different. But there's still someone trying to take it away from me because I can't speak. It's not my fault! I'd be normal if I could!
My bottom lip was wobbling and I caught it between my teeth so he wouldn't know he was upsetting me. I wrote slowly, my hand shaking.
Edward, she didn't tell me why she didn't want me to speak to you. She said it was because of a dream she had, and the dream gave her a horrible feeling.
I'm sure. Excuses, nothing but.
A tear slipped down my cheek and I hastily wiped it away.
No, I told her about you yesterday and she was happy, she didn't care that you couldn't speak, honestly!
Of course. Then why would she tell you to avoid me, Bella? I like you, but I'm not going through what I went through in my last school. I've had enough ridicule for a lifetime. Its not even my fault.
He stood up and stormed out of the room, snatching up his notepad as he left. Everyone watched him in silence, and not even the teacher tried to stop him. I couldn't blame him - the anger in Edward's eyes was terrifying. Everyone slowly turned to look at me and I cursed myself for being so pathetic - tears slipped down my cheeks. I buried my face in my hands.
I wasn't left waiting for too long.
He walked into the room, slowly but with a magical aura almost visibly surrounding him. His eyes scanned the room before they rested on me, and a dazzling smile broke out across his face. I sat up, blushing and beaming at him. He seemed genuinely happy to see me, which thrilled me. He sat beside me and pushed his notepad towards me after a short moment.
Hello Bella. It's nice to see you again.
I flushed, then scolded myself mentally - he was only being polite, Isabella, don't be silly.
Nice to see you too. How are you?
The teacher wandered in after I gave him the message, although it didn't phase me. It wasn't like I'd be paying attention anyway, what with Edward beside me.
He paused, pushing his lips to the side as he thought. It seemed to me that he was thinking about how to phrase his answer. Eventually he began writing.
Very well, although this morning I was in a terrible state.
I frowned. If I'd seen him that morning, I bet I could have cheered him up. I cocked my head to the side at him. He glanced up at me, then continued to write.
To be embarassingly honest, after I saw that you weren't in my first two lessons I lost all hope.
I blushed with delight and my embarassment and shame disappeared.
"Me too." I whispered. His eyes flicked over my face as if he was examining me. I smiled timidly and he smiled in response, his own cheeks darkening. He wrote another message without taking his eyes off me.
What about you, how are you doing?
He pushed the notepad towards me. Something told me, as I read the message, that if he had spoken the words on the page, it would be softly, and in a voice like velvet.
I'm okay. I've been better.
I, like him, had to think about the message before I wrote it. At that second, I was ecstatic, but a nagging part of my brain was telling me that I was going against what Alice asked me to do. Alice very rarely asked for things, she always gave them. Another reason why what I was doing was so wrong.
Edward frowned, a question in his eyes. I began writing again.
Well... My friend, Alice, asked me to do something peculiar today. And I ignored her. I feel awful.
And what did she ask you to do?
I didn't lie to him - he attracted the honest side of me. I wasn't sure I could lie to him even if I tried. The same nagging part of my brain was telling me not to admit the truth to him, to tell him that it was a secret - but Edward's effect on me overruled all common sense.
To avoid you. To not talk to you.
To my surprise, his expression hardened. As he wrote a reply, his knuckles were white and his jaw was tense. He almost threw the pad back to me.
Why am I not surprised?
I frowned, worried. Had I offended him?
What's wrong?
He scoffed, not loudly enough for the teacher to hear, but loud enough to make me jump.
This school is no different to any other. He made to pass me the pad, then changed his mind and continued writing. He was bent down low over the page, and I couldn't see what he was scribbling. I met you and I thought, hey, maybe things will be different. But there's still someone trying to take it away from me because I can't speak. It's not my fault! I'd be normal if I could!
My bottom lip was wobbling and I caught it between my teeth so he wouldn't know he was upsetting me. I wrote slowly, my hand shaking.
Edward, she didn't tell me why she didn't want me to speak to you. She said it was because of a dream she had, and the dream gave her a horrible feeling.
I'm sure. Excuses, nothing but.
A tear slipped down my cheek and I hastily wiped it away.
No, I told her about you yesterday and she was happy, she didn't care that you couldn't speak, honestly!
Of course. Then why would she tell you to avoid me, Bella? I like you, but I'm not going through what I went through in my last school. I've had enough ridicule for a lifetime. Its not even my fault.
He stood up and stormed out of the room, snatching up his notepad as he left. Everyone watched him in silence, and not even the teacher tried to stop him. I couldn't blame him - the anger in Edward's eyes was terrifying. Everyone slowly turned to look at me and I cursed myself for being so pathetic - tears slipped down my cheeks. I buried my face in my hands.