Senses

Ch. 6

Everyone was bugging me the next day. Mike wanted to carry my books, Eric wanted to carry my backpack, everyone kept asking if I was alright. The cherry on top? These damned crutches Mama made me use kept getting in the way. I fell at least seven times before I even made it to lunch. "Do you want to sit with us?" Jessica asked. "I can go get your tray for you," Bella offered. I shook the brown paper bag that I had in a death grip with the bar of my right crutch. "I've got my own lunch, and I appreciate it but no thanks. I'll just sit on my own," I said, faking a cheerful smile. "No you won't," Jessica sang, pointing to my unofficially reserved table. Edward was sitting there with a lopsided smile. He raised one finger and motioned for me to come over. Entranced, I hobbled forward. I set my stuff down and laid the crutches under the table before sitting down carefully. "Hi," I mumbled. "Hello," he greeted me happily. "Are you-"

"Don't. Ask. If. I'm. Okay," I cut him off, glaring at him. He chuckled and my gaze softened. Who could be angry at such a beautiful sound? "Having a rough day?" he asked. "I hate all of this attention," I groaned, unrolling the paper sack and pouring my lunch out onto the table. A pack of Nutter Butters, a bag of gummy worms, a 20 oz. bottle of Dr. Pepper, and a bag of Funyuns. A meal for champions. "That doesn't look very healthy," Edward commented, staring warily at my food. "Says the boy who never eats," I snorted, ripping open the bag of candy and popping a handful into my mouth. He gave me a devilish smirk and reached into the bag, grabbing about three or four of them and biting into them viciously. Poor worms. I couldn't help but laugh as he sat back with a smug look on his face. "That still doesn't seem healthy," he sighed. I popped a Nutter Butter in my mouth and took a giant gulp of my drink. "It's not, but I make sure to stay fit so that I may indulge in these things," I said, meeting his expression with a smirk of my own. "What do you like to do?" he asked out of the blue. "Dance. I love to dance," I replied without hesitation. He flashed me a lopsided grin, and seeing his smile-- his real, fully sincere smile-- up close for the first time, I realized that I was right! I went into a fit of giggles while he just cocked a brow and looked at me in bewilderment. "What's so funny?" he asked. "Nothing, you'll think it's silly," I gasped between bouts of laughter. He crossed his arms and looked me up and down for a moment before shaking his head. "No I won't. Go ahead, tell me," he urged. It took a few more seconds to finally stop laughing, and that's when I felt the blush creeping to my cheeks. "Well, um, when I first saw you, you looked kinda baby faced and you-- I mean I-- I thought to myself, 'I bet he has dimples when he smiles.' And...and I was right," I murmured. It sounded less amusing when I spoke the words. In fact, I just felt downright stupid for saying it. I pulled my gaze from the table to look at him, and his smile had grown even wider. "That's not silly. It's actually quite sweet...cute, even," he teased. I covered my hands with my face. "Ugh, you make it so hard to be around you!" I complained. He looked taken aback for a moment, then he went to grab his backpack. "I can leave you alone..."

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that!" I sighed, dropping my hands to reveal a very embarrassed and very desperate expression. "It's really easy to talk to you, sometimes too easy. It's like, I can't control what I say when I talk to you. It all comes out as word vomit." His look softened and he mumbled, "I feel the same way." I rolled my eyes and went back to eating. "I find it hard to believe that. I hardly know anything about you," I said. "How about I let you ask all the questions you want?" he suggested. I perked up at the offer, eager to accept. "But, you have to let me ask all the questions I want first," he finished. I deflated a little. There wasn't very much to know about me, so why was he so interested? "Okay," I quietly agreed. The questions started up again, like a game of ping pong; he'd fire off questions, and I'd immediately spit back answers. The bell rang and I jumped in surprise. I had been so wrapped up in his presence that everything else seemed to disappear. He got up smoothly, coming around to my side of the table and offering his hand. "I'll help you up," he murmured. I took his hand, shivering a bit. "Are you always so cold?" I sighed, bending down to grab my crutches and my bag. He took the backpack in his right hand and waited until I had my crutches to let me go. I thought he would get mad about my question, but he just gave me another smirk. "Hold onto that question. I'm not done asking mine," he said as he walked with me to biology. I caught Jessica's look of disbelief and I just smiled and waved. "Do you like it here in Forks?" he asked. "Oh yeah, I love it!" I exclaimed as I hopped along beside him. "Why?" he scoffed, looking confused. I shrugged as I swung my crutches into the classroom and made my way across the floor. "It's so much different than where I lived. I'm used to the beaches and sunshine, but this? This is just as beautiful," I sighed as we took our seats. "So you are a lover of nature?" he murmured, leaning close to me as the bell rang. "Who wouldn't love nature? Mother Earth, raw and untainted by civilization, that is what I love. Something about it is so...magical. It must sound stupid to you," I giggled quietly, looking away as I felt myself blush for what must've been the hundredth time today. "Not at all," he whispered.

Class was over all too soon, and he still had a multitude of questions. "When will it be my turn to interrogate?" I groaned as he walked me to gym. He had just asked what my favorite thing about Florida was, and I told him I couldn't find an answer. That wasn't exactly true; I just didn't want to answer because I didn't want to start crying. My favorite thing about Florida was my family: my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my abuela, and my dad. Here, I didn't really have anyone. I loved Forks, I loved my friends, but...I still felt so alone. "Are you okay?" he asked, stopping outside of the gymnasium and turning me so I had to look at him. "Yeah," I lied smoothly, "I'm just thinking." His brows scrunched up and his eyes darkened. "How I wish I knew what you were thinking," he breathed. My heart began to beat like a drum as he leaned in just inches from my face. Suddenly, he straightened and turned around as he began to walk away. "Hey!" I shouted. "You didn't answer my question!" He waved over his shoulder dismissively and called, "And I won't until you're done answering all of mine." I scowled at his retreating back before heading into the warm gymnasium. "Jackass," I huffed. And although it irritated me, I couldn't hide the smile that crept onto my face.