The Bonds Between Us • E.Cullen x Fem oc x B. Swan

Chapter 4

Cori went to her back desk in her English class, her head down on the wooden desk, a blush still covering her freckled face. She heard the other students come in and set down, thinking it was her lucky day and Alice went home.

Cori jumped as a cold hand touched her shoulder, and her head snapped to none other than Alice Cullen that had a look of surprise on her face. "Are you okay?" Alice asked uncertain. "Oh- uh- yeah, I'm fine. I've got a bit of a head ache but nothing bad." Cori said making up a small lie. "Is that why your face is so red?" Alice asked nonchalantly. At the mention of her flustered state, her blush got deeper.

"Yeah, yeah it is." Cori said trying so hard not to blush harder. "Do you need to go to the nurse?" Alice asked sympathetically. "No I'm fine, I'll take some Tylenol when I get home." Cori said with a small smile at Alice's concern.

" Alright class, we are going to starting a group project. You will be paired with the partner at your table. You will be choosing a book, read it, and make a collection of mini book reports based on each chapter. I have a packet that explains the rules of this project. Please see me for any questions." Mr Barnard said passing out the information packets.

"I have a book we could use." Cori said looking at the packet, then at Alice who was studding the packet. "What's that?" Alice asked. "What about The Great Gatsby?" Cori asked. "That's a great idea! Oh wait it won't work. The Great Gatsby only has nine chapters. The criteria says it has to have a minimum of twelve." Alice said dejected.

"What about Pride and Prejudice?" Alice asked. "That has so many chapters though!" Cori whined and Alice laughed. "We could split it in half, you do half and I do half, we'll kinda, thirty and thirty-one. But under on condition. I'll do the written parts, and you do the drawing parts." Alice said.

"Drawing parts?" Cori asked. "Have you not read the packet? We have to list 10 points we found interesting in each chapter, and draw out what we imagined two different scenes would look like with in that chapter." Alice said and Cori's eyes lit up. "Of course!" Cori said excitedly.

"Did you want to come over and we can try to knock this project out. It's gonna take us a bit, but we can try to get it done." Alice said. "Are you sure your mom wouldn't mind?" Cori asked. "No she loves having people over! Gives her a reason to cook more." Alice said and Cori's light up. "If your mom can cook for you five, I'm sure her cooking is amazing!" Cori said almost drooling at the thought of food. Alice giggled.

"Cori I think you have a little drool there." Alice said pointing to the side of her mouth. Cori wiped her mouth with a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, I just really love food." Cori said with a chuckle. "If you wanna check with your parents, I'll contact mine, and we can meet in the parking lot." Alice said.

"I'm good to go. My dads gone to Seattle again and my mom doesn't get back for another two weeks, so we are golden." Cori said and Alice smiled. "I guess that settles it then, want to follow me back to our house then?" Alice asked. "Actually, can we stop by mine first, I need to pick up some art supplies, then we can head to your house." Cori said and Alice nodded. "Sounds like a plan!" Alice said and soon the bell rang dismissing the class.

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Cori's next class wasn't an actual class, but a study hall, and she always seemed to make her way to the library, aka, her personal safe space. Cordelia loved the library. She loved the way the books allowed her to go where ever she wanted to go when ever she wanted she wanted. She loved the knowledge she soaked up, and the creatures she got to know. She loved the mystery of it all and the adventures she could go on in some other foreign land.

The quiet seemed to rejuvenate her in a way nothing else could leaving her refreshed with a new sense of wonder. So in her spare time that is where you could find her, wether at school or out of the confines of the classes she was forced to endure, she would be reading, or drawing.

Cordelia was a quiet girl by nature, you wouldn't think so but with being an only child to parents that were gone most of the time, she embraced the quite life. She became outwardly focused when she was around her friends and people who amped up her own spirit, though she craved those moments of peace and quiet.

Cori found her hiding spot, a rectangular area where they didn't put books on the bottom shelf in the back most corner of the library. She would plug her headphones into her phone and listen to music and read in her self proclaimed cubby until the bell rang, but today was different.

A new person had joined Cori in the library unbeknownst to her. Edward Cullen also had the same study hall slot and came to the library to get away from all of the other voices of minds through out the school. The librarians, he always found to be nose deep in a book so he could tune them out and finally have a moments rest, but today he found a new wave length of a mind that was familiar to him he just couldn't figure out where.

He heard another heart beat but didn't see anyone. Thinking he was going crazy once and for all, he put his head down and pretended to go to sleep. But his curiosity got the better of him and as he pretended to look for an oh so fascinating book, but was looking for the mysterious heartbeat beholder.

Instead he found a shoe lace belonging to a pair of beat up converse. Bending down to the small hole just small enough for a person he came face to face with none other than Cordelia Austin. He smiled but realized she had not realized he was there.

He waved the same time her eyes flickered over to him and back again as a small scream rose from her chest and she jumped, not having far to go, she smacked her head on the wooden bookcases that were stacked above her.

Placing her bookmark in its spot, and pulling out an ear bud, and smiled at Edward, rubbing her head. "Hey Eddie" she said and he groaned at the nickname. "Hi Cori" he said with a small smile. "How are you doing down there?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Mighty fine, how is it up there with no oxygen?" She sassed back and Edward laughed. "You want some help out of there?" He asked and she shook her head. "This is my hiddy hole, if I leave you may steal it, Eddie" she said looking up at him with her head tilted, a smile plastered to her face and her hair surrounding her. "I don't think I could ever fit." He said poking her nose.

He looked at her, really looked at her, she was beautiful, even if she was cramped up in a box. She was comfortable, and it was completely Cori. Her strawberry blond hair seemed to make a halo around her head her vanilla and cinnamon perfume along with the smell of books seemed to envelop her and Edward couldn't get enough. She was perfect to him quirks and all. "You okay there Eddie?" She asked with a lopsided smile. "Yeah, I um, well I figured if you won't come out, will have to come to you." Edward said dropping down laying his head on his book bag, and looking over at her, sending her a mega watt smile.

A blush covered Cori's face and she turned to look back at her book trying to hide from the copper haired boy. "Don't hide Cordelia." Edward said softly as his finger turned her chin towards him. He brushed his thumb against her bottom lip and she stuttered out a breath. "There you are. Your too pretty to hide." He said and she smiled back at him.

A/N: Okay super cute scene with a bit of an intimate moment. What do we think?