Tick Tock ➙ Edward Cullen

Chapter Eight

Melinda had planned on confronting Edward about her discovery of him in a 1958 Forks High School yearbook. However, the pale boy was absent from their English class together and the Cullen table was vacant in the cafeteria during lunch. Melinda walked past a few floor to ceiling length windows and noticed for the first time since she had moved to Forks that the sun was shining brightly down on the school yard without a rain cloud in sight.

The sun smacked Melinda in the face as soon as she was outside, squinting her green eyes against the rays as her vision adjusted to the light. She noticed Bella and Jessica at a nearby picnic table with Jessica sitting on the table soaking up the sun. Bella sat on the bench, twisting an apple in her hand as she looked around the school yard. Melinda couldn't help but wonder if they were trying to spot the same person

"Hey guys, have either of you seen Edward?" Melinda asked after walking over to the two girls at their table.

Bella shook her head in response and Jessica didn't even bother opening her eyes before replying. "He's not here. Whenever the weather's nice, the Cullens disappear."

"What, they just ditch?" Bella asked.

"No, Doctor and Misses Cullen yank 'em out for hiking and camping and stuff. I tried that out on my parents, not even close." Jessica answered just as Angela came running over, a broad grin on her face.

"Guys! I'm going to the prom with Eric. I just asked him, I took control." The raven haired girl stated as she had a moment of celebration with Bella, who had been the one to give her the idea. "Are you sure you have to go out of town?"

"Yeah, it's a family thing." Bella replied, looking slightly uncomfortable with the question. This was the first time Melinda was hearing that she wouldn't be around for prom.

"Where are you going?" The red head asked as she decided to take a seat across the table from Bella.

"Uh, Jacksonville." She stated.

"We should go shopping in Port Angeles before all the good dresses get cleared out." Jessica declared as she changed the subject.

"That sounds like a great idea." Melinda replied as she lightly patted Jessica on her calf. All of a sudden a loud bell rang out over the school yard and three of the four girls stood up. Bella was still seated as she looked up at Jessica, still spinning her apple in between her hands.

"Port Angeles? Mind if I come?" The brunette asked.

"Yeah, I need your opinion. You should come too Melinda!" Angela replied while Bella stood up from her seat. She and Melinda both smiled before all four of the girls made their way across the grass and back inside.

Melinda and Bella sat in a Port Angeles dress shop as they expressed their opinions on the third dresses Jessica and Angela had tried on. Currently, Angela was in a lilac coloured dress with an intricate strap design on the front and Jessica was in a hot pink dress with white gloves. Bella didn't seem all that interested in any of the dresses, stated that they all looked good. Melinda was enjoying seeing all the dresses that her new friends tried on. She found it interesting to see how fancy attire had evolved through the decades.

"Bella, what do you think?" Jessica asked, turning to her friend. The brunette had barely said ten words in a few minutes as she sat with a book in her lap.

"It looks great." Bella replied with a weak smile, glancing at Melinda for some help.

"You said that about the last five dresses." Jessica chuckled nervously as she checked herself out in the mirror to try and make up her mind about if she liked the hot pink dress or not.