Shine

Being Human, Being Not

On Monday I wore the polka dot tights that had so pained Alice paired with a caterpillar green, fluffy skirt that looked ridiculous when I was sitting, accompanied by blindness-bright pink shoes and a yellow sweater.

You better make sure Alice sees me, I thought to Edward. I did this for her benefit. I imagined my outfit for him so he could see it too and know what his sister was in for.

He texted me back. Are you sure you didn't do this for your own benefit?

I can't honestly say that wasn't a part of it. People giggled or cheered when they saw my outfit today—if I knew them, anyway. Those who didn't know me well just widened their eyes and stared a bit longer than usual.

I noticed someone running through a different hallway because both hallways had windows, and grinned when I recognized the haircut. Alice stopped dead in the middle of the junction where the two halls joined and glowered at me. "You are not my friend anymore," she declared.

"Aw, Alice, you love me!" I shouted down the hall at her. "I just needed to get it out of my system."

She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "I'll not be seen in your vicinity if this is how you choose to behave." Then she spun and flounced away.

"I love you too!" I hollered, making our fellow students titter to themselves.

The Cullens should have gotten themselves at least a few human friends before now. I was so useful. People were now smiling in the presence—or wake—of the Cullens, as opposed to just looking nervously over their shoulders at them.

"Seth, you should come to our volleyball game tonight," Jess said enthusiastically over lunch. "If you're not doing anything, that is."

I shrugged. "Got a little bit of homework, but not much. When's the game?"

"It's from four to six! You'll totally have time to do your homework afterward."

"Is it home or away?"

"It's right here! Mike and Ang are coming."

The other two nodded encouragingly.

You interested in hanging out? I thought to Edward. "Yeah I'll be there! Might need a ride afterward, but I suspect I'll probably still have one."

A text. Oh, why not?

I grinned. You rock.

Please don't make disparaging remarks about my skin.

Tears gathered in my eyes as I laughed.

My friends stared at me. "You okay there, Seth?" Jessica asked.

I wiggled the phone before dropping it back into my lap. "Yeah. I've got funny friends is all."

"Who you talking to?" Mike wanted to know. "This is Forks. If they're your friends chances are they're our friends too. Invite them over."

"Oh, I'm talking to Edward." I lifted my phone again. "I'll call him over." Come and sit with us for a bit. Be human.

"Oh uh...."

I suppressed a snicker at the stunned faces they made, and did my sidewinder wheel thing to make room between me and Angela, making the executive decision not to make room for Edward to pull up a chair next to Mike. It would be harder for Mike to pretend Edward was an animal at the zoo if they were sitting together, after all.

Edward was smiling when he brought his tray of uneaten but poked and prodded and rearranged food over to our table and drew a table smoothly into the space I'd made for them. "Hey," he greeted, glancing throughout our small group.