Eden || Edward Cullen

[5] Sick

The month that followed the accident was uneasy, tense and, for a while, embarrassing. Bella had come to Eden the morning after, relaying the dream she had. A dream, about Edward Cullen. 

To Eden's dismay and Bella's excitement, the former found herself the center of attention. Tyler Crowley had followed both girls around, his mind obsessed with making amends and figuring that helping either of the girls would be enough. Eden had tried to tell him, uncomfortably, that the best way to make up for it would be to simply forget all about it, but he remained insistent. Fortunately, he was too afraid to follow Eden to her lunch table with the Cullens and sat with Bella. The girl had already ranted to Eden about Mike and Eric's distaste for not only each other but to the addition too. 

Eden, and whether it was accidentally or purposefully she would never know, had pricked her ears for thoughts of Edward and his family. He was never surrounded by crowds of bystanders, and not the victim of any extra staring. She wondered why this was, but didn't question it further. It was a good thing that there wasn't attention on him. 

The rest of the Cullens had quickly warmed up to her, too. Even Rosalie, the stubborn vampire that she was, had developed a soft spot for the quiet girl. The weeks passed with little change. While Edward grew closer to Eden, and Bella speculated about things that Eden couldn't have even guessed, the days remained rainy and cool. If there was one thing that Eden could rely on, it was that. She made sure to keep her thoughts neutral with Edward's cool behaviour with Bella. Eden didn't want to pry, as she knew the bloodlust was difficult for him, and instead dodged the questions when Bella asked about him. She knew it made her sad. Mike, however, was pleased by the tension between Bella and Edward. His thoughts had told Eden that Mike had been worried that Edward's rescue might have impressed Bells, but after it was obvious that it had the opposite effect, Mike grew more confident. 

Eden had been transferred to Edward and Bella's biology class for reasons that Eden could only assume was Edward, and although she couldn't sit next to them and could only witness the tension and Mike sitting on the edge of Bella's desk, Eden was glad to be apart of it. 

The snow washed away for good after the accident's day, and while Mike had voiced his disappointment that he'd never gotten to stage a snowball fight, he was pleased that beach trip would soon be possible. The rain continued heavily, though, as the weeks passed. Jessica and Alice had made both girls aware of another looming event on the horizon, and Jessica had called Bella asking for permission to ask Mike to the girls' choice spring dance in two weeks. 

Alice had refused to keep her mind on the future visions around Eden, and she had reverted to singing an old nursery rhyme, like her brother, with a pixie-like grin. Eden herself had found herself in better moods, and she knew it had to do with the Cullens. They were like a second family to her.

"Are you sure you don't mind... you weren't planning to ask him?" Jessica persisted when Bella told her that she didn't mind. Eden sat beside the girls, fiddling with her jacket sleeve on the cool morning.

"No, Jess, we're not going," Bells assured her, and Eden stifled a giggle as she realised why.

Bella's dancing skills, to say the least, were less than average. Eden had already heard the stories of her clumsiness and knew that the last thing the Swan girl wanted would be to fall flat on her face in front of everyone.  

Jessica attempted to convince her half-heartedly. "It will be really fun."

"You have fun with Mike," Bella encouraged, and that seemed enough to satisfy her. 

However, the next day, Eden knew why Jessica wasn't her bright and bubbly self in Bella's classes, Trig and Spanish. Mike had told her that he'd think about going to the dance with her, and Eden's heart sunk for the girl. Eden would be following the same excuse as Bella, that she would be going to Seattle with her cousin the weekend of the dance, but she could feel the second-hand sadness of Jessica.