The Cullen

Edward did not bring me home, even though that is where I wanted to be, but I was supposed to be with Alice, sleeping over. I did not wait for him to put the car in park, I jumped out and ran for Alice. She was sitting on the bottom step in the living room. She looked at me confusingly as I ran up to her in tears. She took me in her arms and let me cry in her lap. Edward walked in after; Alice gave him a questioningly look. He just shook his head. I guess he was going to let me tell what had happened. I sat there at the bottom of the stairs with Alice for a long time. I just blubbered. I didn’t know what else to do. She tried to comfort me with no avail. I finally stopped and just laid there in her lap.

My mind did not want to grasp what I faced tonight. I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to. I just replayed tonight’s conversations over and over again. The pain I felt each time I listened to my conversations did not lessen, nor did it greaten. I raised my head and was in Alice’s room. I had not remembered anyone bringing me in here. I must have fallen asleep during one of the times I cried. Alice was staring at me, confused and worried.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” she asked with concern filling every word.

I shrugged. I whimpered, “ I don’t know.” I just sat there for a while trying to think of what to say; where to begin.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

We sat there in complete silence for a while. I didn’t keep up the time. I would talk to myself, trying to figure everything out. Why did this man who is my father want to know me now? What did he have to tell me? Why had Edward called me Bella? I would ask myself why aloud. As I did, Alice would rub my back. She tried her hardest to comfort me.

I sighed. I decided it was time to tell her what had happened. I did not know where to start. I decided the beginning would be best. “ All was going well until my mom called with her news. She was letting me know my father was coming to see me. He’ll be here tomorrow.” I wanted to cry again as I called the man I never met my father.

“How is that bad news?’

“The man coming to see me is someone I have never met. The guy I once called my father is not my biological father.”

“Oh,” she said in shock.

“Yeah. He’s supposed to be here mid morning my mom said. How could she keep this from me? Why does this man want to know me now? Why did he leave? What does he want?” I ranted. I growl ripped through my teeth. I retreated from myself in shock. Alice looked at me in the same manner.

“What just came from your mouth? She asked with frightened astonishment.

“I…I don’t know,” I admitted with confusion.

Alice stared at me in wonder. She called for Carlisle. He was up here in no time, with Edward behind him. “Carlisle,” she said in disbelief, “she growled at me. Well, not at me but she did. He can hurt Edward; I can’t see her in my visions; Edward can’t read her mind. She-”

I caught her off, “The worst part is that Edward called me Bella.” I started to sob again.

Carlisle and Alice gasped. “Edward!” Alice was the first to cry. “What is wrong with you?”

“I… I didn’t mean to; it just slipped. She’s so much like Bella. For once she looked like she needed me; the same way Bella would look…” he trailed off.

“I can’t believe you, Edward,” she hissed.

I sat on her bed in the fetal position. I started to bite my thumb nail; the same way I always did when I was upset or something was bothering me. I thought if I should meet this man who is not my father in all pretenses. Maybe he could explain what is happening to me. What did he want? Why now? Am I about to inherit some large sum of money I did not know about? Maybe some old, precious family belongings? Did he want to get to know me after all these years? I sat upright as I analyzed these questions. In a low whisper I proclaimed, “I want to meet him.”

They all looked at me with suspicion and worry. “Are you sure?” Edward asked first.

I nodded.

He came to put his arms around me or maybe a comforting hand, but I cringed away before he could touch me. I caused him pain by this infantile move. I saw the pain that was there form earlier and the pain from just now. I moved back to his hand that was still left out towards me. I took and sat him next to me. I put my head on his shoulder. I remembered my dream when I touched his skin and realized that his skin was not very cold to me, though it should be. I looked up at him in confusion.

“What?” he asked.

“I just realized something,” I answered. I heard hope in my voice.

“What is that?”

“You’re not very cold to me.”

“What made you think about that?”

“The dream I had the other night. The one that had me screaming. When I leaned on your shoulder, I remembered how you felt in the dream. You were neutral. You were not cold, nor were you hot.’

“Hmmm,” he sighed.

Carlisle looked at me with fear in his eyes. Edward’s head snapped up.

“No, how can she be?’’

Carlisle seemed to be startled, not realizing that Edward had read his thoughts. “I don’t know. I might just be jumping to conclusions. We’ll find out the answer when her… father arrives,” he was just as hesitant to use the word father as I was.

“What is he talking about?” I asked

Edward ignored my question. “Get some sleep, please. You’ll need it for tomorrow.’

I nodded. I did not realize how tired I was until he mentioned the word sleep. I fell asleep in Alice’s room, but woke up in Edward’s. The sun was trying to peep from behind the clouds. The clouds, though, would not allow it. It was if the clouds were hiding something form the sun. The clouds won. I laid there perfectly still as I thought about what is going to happen today. Edward distracted me with his laughter.

“What?’’

“Nothing,” he laughed. “I just never noticed that you bite on your thumb when you think.”

“Oh, yeah. I have always done that. Why is that funny?”

“It is not very funny but amusing.”

“We better get to the airport soon.”

“Okay.” I got up and headed for the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and found a raggedy looking girl. Her hair was frizzy and was pointing in all different areas. This is what Edward had to be laughing at. Makeup was dried on her cheeks. She stepped into the shower. She put it as hot as she can stand. I did not realize that the Raggedy Ann life size model was me, until I slipped on the soap. I chuckled at myself. When I walked out, there was a duffle bag on the bed with some of my clothing. Alice must have gotten for me while I slept. When I opened the bag and found things I normally wore- comfortable jeans and a dark blue long sleeve shirt- I realized that Edward packed my clothes. Alice would not let me wear something this comfortable and plain. I giggled out loud. I quickly changed and blow dried my hair. I put up hair and went downstairs. Edward, along with the rest of his family, were waiting for me downstairs.

“Ready?” he asked.

I felt butterflies in my stomach. I nervously answered, “Yes.”

It did not take long to reach the airport. Edward took his car, while the rest piled into Carlisle’s. Edward kept his hand in mind the entire ride. He almost did not let go when we needed to get out of the car. He took it back instantly once I got out of the car. It was obvious that he still felt bad about calling me Bella. I had forgiven him already, but he had not forgiven himself.

We went to the third floor where this stranger’s flight would be let out. We stood for fifteen minutes before a flight had arrived. The flight came from England. If this man was English, this would explain my British accent when I got mad. Many men got off the plane but none stood out to me. It wasn’t until the last man walked out the door ,that we all gasped.

This man was tall. There was no doubt that I got my height form him. His skin was white but beautiful. He was every bit as gorgeous as Edward. We shared the same circular-square shaped face. My eyes took the shape of his: wide but diamond shaped. I could tell that my eye color came from him as well, even though his eyes were marred by dark blue-green contact lenses covering red. A little red formed on the outside of his irises where the contacts failed to stretch. He recognized me instantly; the same way I noticed him. He strode toward us. Everyone of the Cullen family had tensed up behind me. They knew what he was. I knew what he was. The last thing I remember before my head found the tile floor was his hands stretching out to catch me.