Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Forks High looked exactly like it always did under an overcast sky; washed-out colors, damp pavement, and a low blanket of gray clouds hanging so close it felt like you could reach up and smudge them with your fingers.
A fine mist clung to the air, not quite rain, just enough to bead on windshields and darken jackets. Students drifted across the parking lot in small clusters, shoulders hunched, backpacks slung low, voices muffled by hoodies and the hum of engines cooling down.
That's when I spotted the unmistakable flash of orange.
Bella's truck coughed, sputtered, and finally gave up as she turned the key off. She climbed out like she always did; careful, slightly awkward, like gravity had a personal vendetta against her. She shut the door with both hands, adjusted her jacket, and immediately got distracted trying to fix a strand of hair that the mist had plastered to her cheek.
I didn't bother calling out.
I crossed the space between us in long strides and caught her completely off guard, slipping an arm around her waist and lifting her clean off the ground.
"Happy birthday!" I announced loudly, spinning her around once, twice. "Finally eighteen! Welcome to the legal club."
Bella let out a strangled, very un-Bella-like squeal, hands flying instinctively to grip my shoulders.
"Mike!" she gasped. "Oh my god!"
I grinned, undeterred, and gave her another twirl as her boots swung uselessly a few inches above the wet asphalt.
"Still no drinking for you though," I added cheerfully. "Sorry. Tragic, I know."
"Put… put me down!" she hissed, mortified.
I felt her tense when she realized she wasn't invisible.
Which, unfortunately for her, she very much was not.
I caught movement out of the corner of my eye; heads turning, people slowing, a couple of juniors outright stopping to stare. Someone laughed. Someone else muttered something I didn't catch. I was pretty sure Jessica had already noticed from halfway across the lot.
Bella noticed too.
"Not here," she pleaded quietly, face flushing as she tried, and failed, to hide behind her hair. "Mike, people are looking."
I pretended to consider it, still holding her firmly. "They're just jealous."
"I'm serious," she said, voice strained. "Please. You can't just, you can't do this here."
She squirmed, which only made me tighten my grip slightly to keep her from slipping. Given her track record, I wasn't about to let gravity win on her birthday.
"Oh, relax," I said, clearly enjoying myself. "It's a milestone. Eighteen's important."
She opened her mouth to argue again, then shut it, probably realizing I had absolutely no intention of putting her down anytime soon.
So I gave her one last, exaggerated spin.
"Okay, okay," I said finally, laughing. "I'll behave."
I lowered her back onto her feet, but the moment her boots hit the ground, she wobbled.
"Whoa…"
I reacted instantly, hands tightening at her arms to steady her as she pitched forward slightly.
She blinked a few times, clearly dizzy, then let out a breath. "You spun me too much."
"Hey," I said lightly, keeping my hands there until I was sure she wasn't going to faceplant. "That one's on you. You're the one who gets dizzy."
She shot me a look that was half glare, half resigned acceptance.
"I hate you," she muttered.
I smiled back, completely unapologetic. "You're welcome."
Around us, the parking lot had resumed its usual flow, people moving again, conversations restarting, but I could still feel a few curious glances lingering our way.
Bella tugged at her jacket sleeves, trying to reclaim some dignity. "You're so annoying."
"True," I said. "But now you're officially an adult. You'll get used to it."
She sighed, shaking her head, and started toward the school entrance, careful with every step like she was walking on ice.
I fell into step beside her, still smiling.
Eighteen.
And somehow, knowing Bella, I had the uneasy feeling that just meant gravity and bad luck were about to level up too.
…
We walked into the school together, the warmth of the building hitting us immediately; wet jackets, floor cleaner, cheap cologne, and cafeteria food that was way too early in the day to be smelling like mystery meat.
The halls were already alive. Lockers slammed open and shut in uneven rhythms, voices echoed off the tile, laughter bounced from group to group. Forks High waking up for another gray Tuesday.
Bella slowed as we reached her locker, shoulders already tense like she was bracing herself for something. I stayed just to her side, watching with mild curiosity.
She spun the dial, tugged the handle… and chaos nearly spilled out.
A cluster of balloons in every color imaginable surged forward like they'd been waiting their whole lives for this moment. Red, blue, yellow, green, strings tangling and bobbing, one of them squeaking loudly against the locker door.
Right behind them, taped neatly to the inside, was a card in bold, cheerful letters:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA!
Bella froze.
For half a second, she just stared, eyes wide, mortified silence stretching as a few nearby students slowed, curiosity immediately piqued.
Then she lunged.
"No-no, no!" she hissed, shoving the balloons back inside with both hands, elbows flailing as one tried to escape anyway.
A girl walking past snorted. Someone else whispered.
Bella slammed the locker shut and spun on me, eyes blazing.
I raised both hands instantly, palms out. "Hey, this time it wasn't me."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
I nodded toward the decorations. "That has Alice written all over it."
As if summoned by name, I caught movement down the hall.
Alice Cullen practically skipped toward us, bright smile in place, fingers laced tightly with Jasper's hand as she dragged him along like an accessory. Jasper moved easily with her, calm and composed, eyes flicking around the hallway before landing on us.
Alice clapped once. "You found it!"
Bella groaned softly. "Alice…"
Jasper gave me a small nod. "Mike."
I returned it. "Jasper."
Then he turned to Bella, smile gentle, voice smooth and warm with that unmistakable southern drawl. "Happy birthday, Bella."
Her blush deepened. "Thank you."
Alice leaned in close to Bella, hands clasped in excitement. "And that's not all. We're throwing you a party tonight. At our house."
Bella's shoulders stiffened immediately. "You didn't have to…"
"Oh, but I wanted to," Alice interrupted cheerfully. "And you're coming. No arguing."
Bella glanced at me like she was hoping I'd intervene.
I very deliberately did not.
Alice tapped the locker door. "And you have to wear your gift."
Bella frowned. "My… gift?"
Alice nodded eagerly. "It's in there."
Slowly, carefully, like she was disarming a bomb, Bella opened the locker again, just enough to slide her hands inside without letting the balloons escape. One bobbed up, squeaking softly against the metal, but she shoved it back with a frustrated huff.
Her fingers closed around a rectangular box wrapped in glossy, colorful paper.
She pulled it out and shut the locker again with her hip.
A couple of students pretended not to stare.
Bella hesitated, then lifted the lid just enough to peek inside.
I saw it too.
Emerald green fabric, smooth and rich, catching the fluorescent hallway lights even in that tiny glimpse.
Bella inhaled softly, then snapped the lid shut like the box might explode.
She turned to Alice, eyes wide. "Alice… you really didn't have to."
Alice's smile softened, just a little, but her resolve didn't waver. "I wanted to. It's your eighteenth birthday."
Bella looked down at the box, fingers curling around the edges.
For a moment, she seemed overwhelmed, caught between gratitude and her deep, ingrained discomfort with being the center of attention.
She let out a quiet sigh. "Thank you."
Alice beamed like she'd just won something. "You're welcome."
Jasper squeezed Alice's hand, calm as ever, while the hallway continued buzzing around us, lockers slamming, laughter rising, the faint smell of coffee drifting in from somewhere near the teachers' lounge.
Bella tucked the box under her arm, cheeks still pink, and muttered, "I feel like I should apologize in advance."
I smirked. "Get used to it. It's your birthday."
She shot me a look. "You're enjoying this."
"Immensely," I admitted.
And judging by Alice's grin?
This was only just getting started.
Bella hesitated for a second, clutching the box Alice had given her like a shield, then glanced around the hallway, eyes darting.
"Where's Edward?" she asked.
Alice's grin turned downright mischievous. "Turn around."
Bella did.
Edward Cullen was leaning casually against a row of lockers a few feet behind us, like he'd been there the whole time; which, judging by literally everything about him, he probably had.
He was smiling.
Not the tight, polite kind either, but something softer, almost fond, his golden eyes fixed on Bella as if the rest of the hallway didn't exist. He watched her flustered panic with what could only be described as quiet amusement.
I leaned slightly toward Alice and muttered under my breath, "That is definitely not creepy."
Edward's eyes flicked to me without losing the smile. "You knew I was there the entire time."
I snorted. "Still creepy."
He stepped away from the lockers and walked toward Bella, movements smooth and unhurried, like he wasn't navigating a crowded high school hallway full of staring teenagers. The noise around us seemed to dull as he got closer, or maybe that was just Bella zoning out.
Her blush deepened immediately.
"Happy birthday," Edward said softly.
He took her hand gently, fingers fitting around hers with practiced ease, and placed a small box into her palm. It was neatly wrapped, a delicate ribbon tied into a perfect bow on top; subtle, understated, and very Edward.
Bella stared at it like it might dissolve. "You didn't have to…"
"I wanted to," he replied, voice warm, eyes never leaving her face.
She gave a small smile then, and suddenly the hallway didn't matter. The lockers, the noise, the curious glances from passing students all faded into background static as the two of them slipped into their own little bubble.
I cleared my throat loudly, but got no reaction whatsoever.
Alright then.
"Well," I said, stepping back a pace, "that's my cue to retreat before I start feeling like a third wheel in a very intense romance novel."
Alice laughed softly. "Good idea."
She hooked her arm through Jasper's again, already turning away. "We'll give the lovebirds some space."
Jasper inclined his head politely to Bella and Edward, then gave me a knowing look. "See you later, Mike."
"Try not to decorate any more lockers," I said to Alice.
She grinned over her shoulder. "No promises."
I shook my head, smiling despite myself, and headed down the hallway toward my first class, the sounds of Forks High rushing back in around me.
Behind me, Bella and Edward remained where they were, hands still linked, wrapped up in each other like the rest of the world could wait.
Somehow, I had a feeling today was going to be long.
And memorable.
Whether Bella liked it or not.
…
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