Self Control [Carlisle Cullen]

12

Heather wasn't at school today.

Anna got a text at four in the morning, saying that Heather would be staying at home that day and asked for notes if Anna made some.

Anna missed her friend today, she had so much to tell after yesterday and about what happened at Clearwater's at Friday afternoon.

But Anna didn't get a single chance to call Heather and she didn't dare to text, for some reason. And since Heather was partying every evening, the entire weekend and sleeping in until two, Anna decided she needed to focus on her own healing process.

Anxiously Anna watched how the minutes ticked by, turning into hours and slowly making their way to midday.

Her knee was bouncing from the morning until 1.00 PM, biting her nails and lips, did everything that showed her nervousness. Every time she saw one of the Cullens, she quickly took another turn.

Why she was feeling so nerveus, wasn't very clear to Anna. Bella had been nothing except nice to her, as did Carlisle, even though he was very nervous every time she saw him.

Anna stopped in her tracks when she entered the cafetaria and looked around. The Cullen family was not there yet.

Checking her Instagram DM's, she hoped to see a text that Bella had something more important to do. But there was no message.

"Hey Anna."

Jumping up like someone just screamed, Anna shrieked and turned around quick. Bella was standing there, her hair loose and a shy smile on her face. She wore simple clothes, it had always looked like Bella had been stuck in the 10's.

"Bella, hey," Anna replied a little nervous and smiled awkward. "I didn't bring lunch."

"Me neither," Bella said and nodded towards the food lane. "You wanna grab some? I'm not hungry."

"Uh, yeah, I want to get something." In silent they got into the line and waited until Anna finally got a tray and filled it with food.

"Where is the rest of your family?" asked Anna as soon as she paid and they found an empty table near the window. Today it didn't rain, but it was cloudy.

"Eating out today," Bella said. "I just wanted to meet you. You seem very nice." She gave her a warm smile and Anna felt fluttered, even though she still didn't understand.

"That's nice of you," Anna said. "Why now?" Since you've had the whole year.

"I'm pretty shy." Bella pushed some hair behind her ear. "And I'm always with my family. When they told me they were eating out today, I decided that this was my chance to talk to you."

Anna nodded, accepted her answer. The Cullens had ben eating out more, but maybe she still was too shy. Whatever the reason was, Bella talked to her now and did the effort.

"Well, it's nice to meet you," Anna said and smiled, took a bite from her vegetarian sandwich.

"So Anna, where are you from?" Bella asked interested and Anna opened her bottle of water.

"The Netherlands."

Bella raised her brows high. "The Netherlands? I never met anyone from there. Next to Germany, right?"

"Yes, on the left. It's a tiny country." Bella waited for Anna to swallow her bite.

"So how did you get here?" Bella leaned closer.

"Well, I had one High School year in Canada, twelfth year. It was in a very tiny town, not even 300 hundred people were attending it. I loved my time there. When I returned home, I stayed there for two years before heading back to this side of the sea."

Anna giggled, remembered when she told everyone and got the letter that she was accepted to this study.

Man, did she celebrate. "I've been here for a year now, it's great."

"Me and my family come from Forks," Bella told her and smiled at a memory. "We've finished high school together and stayed in Forks for a little extra while. Then we decided to come here to study."

Anna didn't say that she already knew this after Googling them last night and trying to find out as much as possible.

"Forks?" asked Anna, as if she didn't know. "Where is that?"

Washington, near La Push Beach. "In the middle of nowhere," Bella giggled and Anna joined her. That's how she had thought about it.

"It rains there almost every day," Bella continued. "Forks is the rainiest place in whole of Washington. Maybe even America."

"So moving here wasn't such a big step?" Anna asked and finished up her sandwich.

"Compared to the weather? No, not at all. The big city has been a little hectic, but I'm used to it now." Bella chuckled again at a memory. "It's funny, actually, because I never grew up in Forks."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I grew up with my mom." Bella smiled when she mentioned her mother. "In Phoenix."

"Phoenix? That's really sunny. Don't see that anymore," Anna pointed out her pale, white skin. Bella smiled even brighter now, as if she was happy she was nearly an albino.

"I know," Bella agreed. "I have always been too pale. The sun never affected me." Bella pulled out her phone, the newest iPhone on the market and started swiping.

"This is her." Bella showed a picture of a beautiful woman. She had tanned skin, small wrinkles around her eyes and mouth and she was beaming. She looked a little fussy, but in a good way.

"She looks very kind," Anna said and pulled out her own iPhone. An older version and second handed. "This is my mother."

Bella grinned. "Wow. You really look like her. It's insane."

Anna nodded and looked at her mother. Everyone that met them, most of the time thought they were sisters with a big age gap. Her mom always laughed and never told them otherwise. She liked it when people saw her younger than she actually was. Who didn't?

"So is your mother married to doctor Carlisle?" asked Anna. If they were, then it could explain some things. Maybe not all the the children were adopted in the Cullens family.

"No!" Bella hastily said and nearly laughed. "No, my mother is married to Phil. She lives in Jacksonville now. My father is Charlie, he still lives in Forks."

Anna nodded, tried to knit all the loose ends together in her head. She had said it before, something really suspicious was going on in that family. Something wasn't right and she couldn't realise what.

"But how are you a Cullen then?" Anna tried not to sound too eager.

Bella bit her lip and seemed hesitant. "I married Edward. That's how I got into the family."

"Oh. Right." Anna immediately dropped the subject. Married? How old was Bella? Not older than eighteen, that was certain. Jeez, Anna didn't need to think about marrying someone at this age-it'd be the end of her life.

That was some real strange shit. "So you all wear contact lenses together or what is that deal?"

Bella smiled, the bell rang and she got up. "Thanks for sitting with me, Anna," she said, ignoring her last question. "Wanna do it again some time?"

Too flustered to actually say something, Anna just nodded like an idiot. Shit, what was she getting herself into?