Adolescence

"I'm...here to pick Jessica up," Ed said smoothly.

"She's on the couch," Billie said not taking his eyes off of him. I grabbed my bag and walked to the door and Ed tucked me under his arm.

"Did you have fun?" Ed asked.

"Yes. Lots." I turned back to the tiny house to see Billie still standing in the doorway. "Bye Billie." He waved and shut the door and I got in Ed's car.

"So what did you want to do?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Earlier. You said you wanted to do something afterwards."

"Oh, right. Um...I don't know." Anywhere as long as I'm with you. He became quiet. Not like he was mad or anything, but as if to think.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah a little bit." I wasn't used to being fed, but Ed didn't have to know that. He drove about an hour to the next biggest town because there's barely anything in the town of Sharon, Massachusetts. "Ed, where are we going?" He didn't answer, but instead, he smiled that heart-breaking smile to me.

"Just be patient, Jess."

****

"No, no Ed, turn around."

"Why? You said you were hungry."

"Yes, but, Ed, I couldn't ask you for anything like this." The nicest restaurant basically in the United States. Out of 5 stars, it was a 7.

"Please, for me?" His eyes were so beautiful I could have melted.

"You're begging me to eat here?" I asked. He merely nodded and got out of the car and I thought I opened my door, but Ed was already there, opening it for me. "Ed, you're too fast."

"So I've been told." He grabbed my hand we walked into the restaurant.

"You know, I'm really not dressed right for a place like this."

"You look beautiful," he said adjusting his arm from my hand to around my waist. "Do you mind?" he asked, referring to his arm.

"No, it's fine."

"Hello, welcome to La Villa Amor. I'm Whitney. Table for 2?"

"Yes." She took us to the crowded area of people and suggested a table in the middle of it all. "Can we have something a little more private?" Ed suggested.

"Of course." She took us to the other side of the restaurant where no one was and stopped at another table. "Is this more to your liking, sir?" she asked.

"Yes it's perfect." We sat down at the table.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked Ed. He looked at me.

"Water," I said.

"Two waters."

"Of course," Whitney smiled and left to the kitchen. Ed smiled to me.

"Aren't you going to look at the menu?" he asked.

"Oh right." He laughed and shoved his menu to the edge of the table. "Aren't you?" I mocked, gesturing to his menu.

"I'm not hungry."

"Oh, come on Ed. You drive all the way out here for water?"

"No, I have to have the best for you." He stared at me, waiting for me to run away.

"Ed, you're too good to me."

"I admit I am pretty cheesy. But I'm only trained to smile. Still working on the talking part."

"Well, still. How many other girls have you said all this stuff to?" I joked.

"Okay, here's you drinks," Whitney said and placed down the glasses. "Can I take your order?" she, once again, asked Ed.

"Nothing for me," he said and looked at me.

"Uh...I'll have macaroni and cheese," I said. I fold well under pressure. [like a lawn chair]

"Okay. Let me know if you change your mind," she said to Ed.

"God that girl is a slut. Can she not see I'm with you?" I teased. He smirked.

"I'm used to it. Besides, girls like that only look for two things. Looks. Once she sees someone is gorgeous, she then looks for a wedding ring. She's completely oblivious to you."

"Well, thanks for the anatomy. It was very amusing." I took a drink of my water while he watched my every movement. "Find something interesting there, Ed?"

"Everything," is what I thought I heard, but he said it so low I don't know what to think. He waited a second before saying something. "None," he said.

"Huh?"

"You asked how many girls I've said these things to. None, except for you of course."

"Well, you may not have said those things, but how many girlfriends have you had?"

"One."

"One? Just one?" I said non-believing. "Who?"

"You, silly." I thought he should have felt embarrassed because he hadn't had another girlfriend, but he wasn't. He was as content as ever. "How many boyfriends have you had?" he asked.

"Just one's all I need."

"I only need one for the rest of my life. Sorry for the cheesiness again." I laughed.

"Oh Ed..."

"Here's your macaroni. Did you change your mind, sir?" Whitney asked.

"No, thank you though."

"Come here, Ed. I need some more cheese on the macaroni," I laughed.

"Ha ha very funny." Ed said, laughed and rolled his eyes. "You should do stand up." I looked down to my macaroni, still smiling and looked back up to Ed, but his attention was at a painting on the wall. I got a perfect view of his perfectly sculpted jaw line. Then it flexed and his nostrils flared. "No! No! We have to leave," he said looking at me.

"What? Why?"

"We just have to leave," he said like he was in pain. He left a 20 on the table and grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"Hey! What's with the pushiness?" Ed looked around the divider in the middle of the restaurant and then pulled back again.

"Please, Jessica. Just please be quiet and don't attract attention to yourself, I or the both of us."

"Tell me what's going on!" I whispered loudly. Ed peaked back over then looked at me again.

"Jessica, I swear to God I will explain later. Just right now, we have to leave." Ed pulled me along slyly and without notice. That is until we got to the entrance.

"Hello Edward," said a strange voice. We'd been crouching and we looked up at the some time to see an ugly, old man.

"Hi Baxter. I was just leaving," there was a bit of edginess in his voice.

"Why the sidden rush? We just got here," the man said and gestured to his posse.

"That's okay, but we're really late for a party," Ed said. The old guy looked past him at me and looked concerned.

"Who's the girl?" his nose was in a funny position like he smelt something bad.

"My girlfriend and don't you dare threaten her like I know you will."

"Girlfriend, eh?" he smiled. "Edward, you know what happens when you tell someone about us." He smiled even wider.

"Yeah, I know. But I haven't told her anything."

"Ed, I love how you're talking like I'm not here," I said sarcastically.

He turned to me. "Jess, remember what I said."

"What did you say to her, Ed? I'd be delighted to hear."

He closed his eyes and signed in defeat. He looked up under his lashes like he was transformed into something evil. "Nothing that concerns you, Bax." Baxter was now mad and Ed and I escaped out the door and to his car.

"What the hell was all that?" I shrieked. Ed was resting his head back on the seat and closed his eyes. He started the car and got on the highway until he spoke.

"I did some bad things, Jessica. Before I came here."

"What kind of bad things?"

He hesitated. "You could call it 'deal with the Devil' to measure up how bad it was."

"What did you do?" I was facing him, leaning against the door.

"I was stupid, very stupid. But back in Tulsa, I wanted some things I didn't have."

"You what, stole things?"

"You could say that to put it in like terms. I met those guys and they said they'd help me out. I was 9 at the time, but, I wanted everything."

"What'd you do, Ed?" I said, afraid of the truth.

"Well, when I met those guys, they told me they'd give me what I want. As long as I...got the money for them." I went rigid in my seat.

"Pull over," I said.

"No it's okay. I've as you can say, 'sobered up'."

"Well what happened?" I asked.

"I robbed a guy. I didn't like it. The guys said I was one of them now and I could never get out. I went crazy, I didn't get what I wanted; I'd been set up for the worst."

"So what was that whole thing back there? A reunion?" I asked.

"No. That's the least of it. They'd been stalking me, wherever I went, they followed. I told them to fuck off and asked if there was anything I could do to get out of their gang."

"Well is there? Do it, Ed!"

"It's not that simple. It pains me. They told me to break someone's heart. Emotionally and physically." My heart sank. My stomach dropped.

"And that had to be me, Ed? I should have known something fishy was written all over this relationship."

"No, Jess. I'd never do that to you. Or anyone else. So I asked if there was anything else. Baxter said 'Outlive all 5 of us' which should be fairly simple for me, since I am the youngest." I gulped. I couldn't believe I was a part of this cult. I couldn't believe I was hearing what I was hearing. I couldn't believe I didn't want to be near Ed. I let this sink in, then remembered something.

"Wait, what happens now? What happens to me since I've heard the story?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." He paused. "Do you still want to be my girlfriend or do you want to get out of the car screaming and I'll move away again?"

"Don't leave," I cried and wiped a fake tear. "I'll still be with you, Ed."

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you how sorry I am for all of this."

"Do you still want to be my boyfriend?" I asked. "So you can find another bitch and break her heart and then come back to me?"

"That sounds like a good idea, but I will never leave you. I'd rather just out live the others." I slid over to the middle of the seat and hugged him around his waist and he put one arm around me. I wanted to stay there forever. And I was going to.