1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

20.

Charlie shrugs out of his work jacket before heading into the kitchen where Bambi sits flicking through a fashion magazine as she chews on a strawberry lace, he smiles, just watching her for a few seconds before taking a breath and heading towards her.

"Hey, where's your sister?" he asks, Bambi points upwards.

"Studying" she answers and shrugs. He pulls out the chair across from her and places his hands, clasped on the table. "What's wrong?" she asks with a frown.

"Nothing" he assures her. "But there is a position at the station opening and well...." she frowns.

"Me?" she asks cocking her head. "What about Bells?"

"No offence to her" Charlie starts. "But this job requires people skills" Bambi smirks.

"And Bells has none" Charlie smirks and nods. "What is it?"

"It's just working the reception desk" he answers. "I know it's nothing exciting, and it'll be evening and weekend shifts...."

"It sounds great, Dad" she tells him.

"Alright then" he smiles. "I'll let them know.....have you eaten?" he asks, she waves her strawberry lace at him. He stands and grabs the phone. "I'll call for a pizza then...." Bambi smirks and shakes her head amused.

...................

Bambi swims, white skin aglow, hair floating weightlessly, sensually... suddenly, something blasts past her. She spins. It's gone. Something blasts behind her. She spins again - to find herself face to face with Edward ... Bambi reaches for him, but he abruptly springs backward, just out of reach and she bolts up awake. In that split second, in the darkness, she sees Edward, watching her. She snaps on the light -- the room is empty. Was she dreaming?

.....................

Bambi leans against her car watching Bella, who stands in the exact spot of her accident. There's something go on inside her head, Bambi is sure of it, and Bella's not ready to talk about it yet, and that's fine, Bambi'll wait till she's ready to talk about it. Bambi rubs at her head, she feels today may be a bad day, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before opening them again. There is a niggling sound at the back of her head, whispering, one voice over the top of another, but it's bearable. Behind her on the lawn, several classes congregate, gathering for a field trip. Mr. Molina is in charge.

"Make sure I get your permission slips" he states, Bambi brushes her hair back from her face and sees Edward arrive with Connor, Alice and Jasper. She watches him, barely noticing as Mike trots up to her.

"Hey..Bambi" he states. "I...I well I wanted to ask you - even though it's, like, three months away..." But Bambi's distracted by Edward. Mike's voice dips as she watches Edward, all other sound fading out, even the voices in the back of her head fall silent. Edward, head down, is in quiet conference with Connor, Jasper and Alice. Abruptly, he looks up, as if listening to her and Mike, though he's too far away to hear. Bambi quickly refocuses on Mike. "So what do you think?" she stares at him. "You want to go? To prom. With me"

"Prom?" she asks, she wasn't actually planning on going, it's not really her type of thing. "I, uh - have to go -somewhere. To Jacksonville. Yeah"

"You can't go another weekend?"

"Non-refundable ticket" Bambi looks across the parking lot to Jessica who's watching them. "Maybe you should ask Jessica" Mike follows Bambi's eyes way across the lawn to Jessica. She smiles at them. Suddenly Edward crosses in front of Jessica. He seems to be smirking... Mike looks to Bambi who nods encouragingly. He smiles.

"You think she'll say yes?" Bambi smirks.

"Oh I have no doubt, Mike" she answers.

........................