My alarm screams, snapping me awake out of a dead sleep at 5am. Tempted to hit the snooze button and slip back into blissful sleep, I shove my head under my pillow and try to stifle the noise. Then, even over the wailing of my alarm, I hear Sylus crying in the next room. So much for going back to sleep. I roll out of bed, shut off my alarm and grab some clean clothes. I toss them on the bathroom counter on my way into Sy's room.
He is sitting up in his crib with his blanket tangled around his legs. When he sees me he holds out his chubby hands and demands to be picked up. Laughing, I slide my hands under his arms and lift him out of his bed, cradling him against my shoulder. He buries his face in my hair and I kiss the top of his soft, curly auburn hair. I grab him some clothes and get him ready for the day. Now its my turn. I hurry downstairs and hand Sy off to my grandma so she can feed him and then head up for a shower. Once I am clean, I pull on a red, long sleeve, v-neck with a black cami underneath and some dark jeans. I rub some gel through my hair and leave it down.
Back in the kitchen, my grandma has Sylus in his high chair eating fruit puffs and cheerios. I plop down in a chair and she hands me a waffle and some orange juice. For the first time this morning I flip open my cell phone. I have 8 texts and 2 missed calls, all from my boyfriend Cal. Crap, he is going to be pissed.
Deciding to get the worst over with as soon as possible, I down my juice, grab my bag, kiss Sylus one more time and head out into the garage. I pull on my leather jacket and helmet and then pull the cover off my baby, a black 2008 Yamaha YZF-R6. I swing my leg over and it hums to life under me. The ride to school is over too quickly and after I park and pull off my helmet, I spot Cal leaning against his car, staring at me. I take a deep breath and walk over.
"You ignored me this morning," he says with absolutely no inflection.
"I was busy," I tell him and his gray eyes flash. His hand whips out and he grabs my wrist, yanking me roughly against him. His fingers dig into the skin of my wrist and I am afraid the bones may snap.
"How long does it take to send a text?" he snaps.
"Cal, let go, please. You're hurting me," I beg trying to pull my hand away with no success whatsoever.
"Answer me," he demands. I know when he finally does let me go, I am going to be left with another black and blue token of his love.
"I had to get Sylus ready, please, I'm sorry," I apologize and he finally loosens his grip. He winds his other arm around my waist and brings my throbbing wrist up to his lips and kisses the red skin.
"I'm sorry baby, just answer me next time. Will you forgive me?" he whispers, looking down at me through those steely gray eyes that used to take my breath away.
"Again?" I point out and though his gaze darkens, he reigns in his anger.
"You know I am trying. I just cant stand the thought of losing you. Please, I love you so much. I promise I wont hurt you again," he pleads.
"Come on Cal, we need to get to class." I dodge his statement. He has promised the same thing too many times before.
While avoiding eye contact with Cal as we are walking towards our first class, science, my gaze falls on a silver Volvo pulling up and parking a few spots away. Then five of the most beautiful people I have ever seen emerge. There is a huge boy with short dark hair. He has his arm around a girl with blonde hair who could be on the cover of any magazine she wants. Next comes a blonde boy with his jaw clenched and who looks quite foreboding. He is walking next to a pixie-like girl with short black hair. All of them are so different and yet they all have the same inhuman grace and perfect pale skin. But none of them hold my gaze like the last of them. It is a bronze haired boy with the same unearthly beauty as the rest. But there was something in his face, something different. Though he looks as bored as the others, there is something behind it. His face is full of an ancient sadness that makes my heart ache. Reality returns in the form of a sharp jerk from Cal around my waist.
"Stop staring at those freaks. How do you think it makes me look when you cant stop drooling over them? What do I need to do to get your attention?" It is impossible to miss the threat in his voice. But though Cal's voice is barely more than a whisper, both the pixie-like girl and the bronze haired boy look over at us. The boys eyes widen and his dark brows furrow as he stares. Reluctantly, I drop my gaze and let Cal drag me to science.
Through my morning classes, I notice that I have at least one class with each of the new kids, except the bronze haired boy. Finally it is lunch time and I follow Cal into the cafeteria. I eat quickly and stand.
"Where are you going?" asks Cal suspiciously.
"I talked to Mrs. Carlin. She is letting me use the piano during lunch to get in some extra practice," I explain, leaning in to give him a kiss.
"You already play for the choir during third period and you have lessons after school at your house, not that you need them. Piano is taking up your entire life. You need to spend more time with me," says Cal.
"Look Cal, I have an audition with Julliard in the spring and I have to be ready. Please understand," I beg though I know it wont help in the least.
"We already talked about Julliard. You aren't going to New York City for school. You are going to The University of Washington with me," says Cal.
"I'm not going to talk about this now. I am going to practice, I'll see you after school," I say and quickly step away from him before he can snag me.
The music room is dark and quiet. I don't bother to turn on the overhead light as I close the door behind me and make my way to the piano that is in the center of the room. As soon as my fingers hit the keys and music begins to swirl around me, Cal and the pain and everything else wrong with the world disappears. The complex melody swirls through the air and then blends with the multiple harmonies that I weave through it. I am so immersed that I don't even hear the door open and close. I don't even realize that I am no longer alone until he speaks right behind me.
"You play beautifully." His voice is even more musical than my song and cuts right through me, making my heart stutter and then speed up. I spin and the room goes silent. All I can do is stare.
"I didn't mean to startle you. I am new here. My name is Edward Cullen."
YOU ARE READING
Darkest Light
FanfictionMel's life is no good and doesn't seem to be going anywhere but down. Her boyfriend, Cal, is abusive and possessive. Her parents are gone and she has to care for her baby brother whenever she isn't in school. But when a family of strangers moves int...
