The Halloween Fair: Part One

Warnings/Notes/Introduction

Next

---

---

Part One

---

I couldn't believe that I had agreed to go to the fair. It was probably forty degrees outside, and my layers of clothing didn't seem like enough. But it was perhaps the better choice. Alice made me pick between dressing up and going to a Halloween party or going to the State Fair. Knowing Alice, the costume that she would have bought for me would have been too far over the top to be seen out in public. I tried to argue against the fair, because of the price of the tickets, but of course, she won that.  

“Don't worry about that,” Alice dismissively stated over the phone. 

“I'm not a Cullen. I don't have millions of dollars to blow on nothing, thank you very much,” I replied in a sarcastic tone. I was sure that if we were together, she would have slapped the back of my head. It wouldn’t be the first or the last.  

“Bella, my dad gets tons of those 'all-you-can-ride' passes for free from the hospital. They sponsor some sort of kiddie health thing. See? It doesn't cost me a dime for you to come along. Come on! It'll be awesome! We can hang out at the fair all night and eat greasy food. And then you can spend the night after.” 

“I don't know, Alice... Who else is going?” 

“Just the gang. Please, please, please?” I could practically see her pouting over the phone. I sighed, knowing that she had won. 

“Fine,” I mumbled sourly. I hated the cold. And wet. And it was both. 

“Awesome! Why don't you come over around four? Then we'll head out together after that,” she bouncily insisted. I knew that she was hopping up and down. I wondered how many cups of coffee she had that day already. Too many, probably. 

So, there I was, standing at the front door. It was surprising that Alice wasn't waiting for me outside, but I was fifteen minutes early. I brought a backpack full of stuff, wrapping in as many layers as I could. I felt like a snow beast in all the fluff, and I knew that the cold wouldn't bother them at all. Phoenix had made me soft.  

Knocking on the door rhythmically, I rocked back and forth on my heels while I waited for someone to answer. I could see Rose's car out front, so I knew that the twins were already here. Jasper and Rosalie were also southern born, but they had been in Washington a lot longer than I had. I was the newest to the group, just moving there the year before. Alice had taken me under her well-dressed wing towards the end of the school year, and we had been friends ever since. 

When the door opened, I almost choked on my own spit. Standing before me was one of the most beautiful people that I had ever seen. It was a face that I knew all too well. It was Edward, Alice's older brother. I sat next to him in advanced Biology the year before, and I had a massive crush on him since. I don't think that he had even noticed me, though. It had been since he left for Washington State the previous summer that I had seen him last.  

“Hello?” He said after a moment. I must have been gaping like an idiot. 

I cleared my throat and spoke slowly. “Is Alice here?”

“Oh, yeah. She's still in her cave getting ready. Come on in,” he answered with a smirk. I couldn't help but snicker. How accurate were those words? I had been a victim of her fashion cave one too many times already. 

“Thanks,” I mumbled as I rushed past him. I set my stuff on the floor by the door to put in Alice's room later. I was worried if I went inside that she would try to redress me.

Walking towards the living room, I found Jasper, Emmett, and Rose sitting around the television. Rosalie was flipping through a fashion magazine, and the boys were playing a video game. I plopped down on the loveseat. 

“Hey Bells,” Emmett muttered, not even looking up from the screen. 

“Hey... Who's winning?”

“I am!” Jasper thundered, bashing into Emmett's shoulder. Em cursed loudly and started mashing buttons.  

I laughed at their silly display. “I've got the winner.”

Edward came into the room after a moment and sat at the far end of the couch, which was closest to me. He gazed at me for a long minute, like he was trying to remember something on the edge of his tongue. Finally, he brought out his hand for me to shake. “Um, I'm Edward, by the way. Alice's brother.”

“She knows who you are, dumbass. You sat next to Bella in AB last year,” Emmett stated in a biting tone, continuing to smash buttons. He had been in the class as well. Apparently, something went wrong because he threw his controller down. “Dammit!” 

“Oh...” He murmured distantly. His cheeks flushed a bright red, and I felt bad for him. It sucked that he didn't know me, but honestly, who would? I wasn't much to look at. There was nothing about me that was truly memorable. We never even spoke.  

“Come on, Bells. It's you and me.” Jasper began in a thick southern drawl.  

“You're just going to have to play her later. I'm ready to go.” Alice announced, bouncing into the room. 

“Well, now that the princess is ready, we can go,” Edward grumbled as he rolled his eyes and stood. 

Alice, in the most ladylike way possible, flipped him off. Her nails were painted perfectly to match her outfit. “Come on. Let's head out.”

Before we could walk outside, I pulled her back. “You didn't tell me that Edward was going to be here.”

“I didn't? It must have slipped my mind. It's a good thing, though. Now no one is the odd man out,” she smiled brightly as she walked out onto the front porch. She knew how I felt about him. I seriously considered banging my head against the door.  

“I don't think that everyone is going to fit into the jeep,” Edward pointed out the obvious. I couldn't help but stare at him. I felt like a silly, overly infatuated teenager. Well, I was a teenager, but I normally wasn't like this. He just looked so breathtaking in his leather jacket and gloves. With his coppery hair hanging in front of his beautiful green eyes like that. The few red freckles that were dashed over his perfectly shaped nose simply made me melt. I didn't realize that I was staring so hard, but apparently, he did. He smiled a little and looked down. 

“Let's take two cars then. Rose, Jasper, Em and me in the jeep and you and Bella can ride in your car. What do you think?” Alice pondered brightly. I really wanted to turn around and kick her in the backside, hard. 

“Sounds good to me,” he agreed right away, shrugging his flawlessly muscled shoulders. My eyes got wide with horror.  

“I'm going to kill you,” I grunted in Alice's ear before I marched over to the waiting silver Volvo. Her brother, like the impeccable gentlemen that he was, opened the door for me. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure,” he assured me with his trademark crooked smile making an appearance. 

After he closed it, I let out a ragged breath. It was going to be a very long night. I didn’t know how I was going to handle it. I was clumsy when I wasn't nervous. But when something had me all wound up? I was just plain screwed.  

“Do you mind if I put on some music?” He asked after he climbed inside. 

“No, not at all. Go ahead,” I smiled a bit. Just looking at him made me blush. 

Oh, yeah. It was going to be a very long evening. 

He flicked on the radio. Apparently, something was already playing, because it started in the middle of a song. I instantly knew it. I couldn't help but laugh. It really didn't fit Edward. At all. 

“What?” He questioned, looking at me from the corner of his eye. 

“Bowling for soup?” I inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh! So, you know who they are? I saw them playing on campus earlier this year. Their songs are pretty amusing,” he explained with a smile. It was oddly formal.

I giggled. “Yeah. They are pretty funny.” One of my favorite parts came on, and I couldn't help but sing along. “She's seen all the classics. She knows every line. Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, even St. Elmo's Fire!” It just slipped out before I could stop myself. I even danced a little in my seat. When I realized what I did, I put my hands over my face. “Ugh, I can't believe that I just did that.” 

He laughed softly. “Don't worry. It was cute.” I dropped my hands to look at him, my eyes wide and a sizzling hot blush covering my cheeks. By this time, we were at the fairgrounds. Thankfully. It was only a short trip on the interstate from their home. He came to a stop and turned to look at me. “Don't be embarrassed. It really was adorable.”

“Um, thanks?” I questioned more than said it because I didn't know what else to say. I felt like such a dork. 

When I stepped out of the car, I joined the group that was led by, of course, Alice. She was handing out the passes. “So, what are we going to ride on first?”

That was how my night started. Every ride seemed to need a partner. And since I wasn't coupled up like the rest of them, I had to ride with Edward. The first one we went on, I was practically sitting on his lap. I scooted to the far end of the seat, trying to give him as much space as possible.  

“What's wrong?” He wondered softly as he ducked his head. 

“Nothing.” I looked down at my hands, which were tightly clutching the silver bar. 

“Are you scared?” I shook my head, unable to meet his always intense gaze. Swallowing hard, I gnawed on my bottom lip. “I promise that I don't bite,” he whispered melodiously into my ear. 

I turned sharply to look at him. His face was only a couple of inches away from mine. Edward winked at me playfully, and I opened my mouth to respond, not really sure what to say once more. Luckily the ride started, saving me from myself.  

We rode a few more together, and I was starting to get more comfortable with him. He seemed to be directing most of his attention to me. Perhaps, it was because he didn't have much choice. One of the biggest problems with being a single person in a group full of couples was that they tended to be... attached... to one another while they were together. And, apparently, all the excitement made them in the mood to make out every chance that they got. 

Rose was practically wrapped around Emmett like he was a stripper pole while we waited in line for the small roller coaster. If she shoved her tongue any further down his throat, he would probably accidentally swallow it. Em's hands were glued to her ass. 

“They look like they're having fun,” Edward declared dryly, rolling his eyes as he shook his head slightly.  

“Too much if you ask me,” I whispered back. 

“So, they're making you as uncomfortable as me?” He sheepishly questioned. I could tell that he was a real private kind of guy, and this type of PDA was probably too much from him. It was something that we had in common. Nodding my head, I looked over my shoulder at him. I hadn't realized that he was so close to me. I had to keep myself from jumping. “Do you want to get something to eat after this one then? Let them have their tonsil-hockey time.” 

I giggled. “Yeah, sure. I'm starting to get hungry.”

“You're hungry?” Alice slurred as she pulled away from Jasper, who had a very... happy... look on his face. “Me too. Why don't we all get something after this?”

Edward groaned almost inaudibly for some reason. I didn't ask why. He was probably just sick of all the couples, too. I barely heard it. 

“Want to share a funnel cake with me for dessert?” He asked after we sat down with our food. I got a huge corn dog with ketchup and mustard. He had gotten a slice of pizza. “I can't eat all of it by myself.”

“Sure. That sounds good. I can never finish them either,” I smiled at him. He laughed a little. “What?”

He grabbed a napkin and wiped the corner of my mouth. There was a massive glob of ketchup on my cheek. I blushed furiously. Looking away, I pushed my lips together in embarrassment. 

“Hey, Bella, do I have anything on my face?” He spoke in an overly cheerful voice. 

When I turned to look at him, his entire upper lip was covered in sauce. I laughed lightly. I knew that he was just trying to make me feel better, and it was working. It was a very sweet gesture. Like he had done for me, I leaned forward and cleaned his face. “You're too much, you know that?” 

He impishly winked at me again as he smiled. He really was just like his sister. “I'm going to get that funnel cake. Want anything special on it?”

“Just powder sugar.” 

“Perfect. Just the way that I like it,” he replied, turning on his heels to get the dessert. 

Alice slid closer to me, leaning her head against my shoulder. “Having a good time?”

“Yes,” I hissed through clenched teeth. I was still mad at her for not at least warning me first. Though, if she had, I probably would have turned down the night completely. And she knew that. 

She bumped her arm into mine. “You're going to have to tell me about it later.”

“Tell you about what?”

She winked at me, scooting back over to her man. I wondered what was with the Cullens and winking. They always seemed to know something that I didn't. Edward took her spot, sitting on the same side instead of across from me. “You have to try this. It's perfect,” he moaned as he pulled a piece off for me. He held it close to my lips, looking at me expectantly.

I leaned forward and took it from his fingertips. It was mixed with the salty-sweet taste of his fingers, which were now bare because he took his gloves off to eat. I hummed in pleasure, but not at the flavor of the cheap fair food. “This is yummy.”

When I looked up, Edward was biting his bottom lip and blushing a little. He looked down quickly, clearing his throat. The action reminds me... of myself. He grabbed his soda from across the table and took a large gulp. I wanted to ask him what made him so nervous all of a sudden, but I didn't have the courage to do so. 

We sat in silence after that. I didn't really know what to say. We finished the funnel cake and waited for everyone else, which seemed to take forever.

“What do you want to ride now?” Alice prompted the group as she threw her cup away. 

“I don't think that riding anything would be a good idea right now,” Rose started as she rubbed her flat stomach. “I don't want to get sick on my Gucci. Why don't we play some games or something?”

I really didn't have the money to play anything, so I stood back to watch. Edward seemed to linger back as well, letting the rest of them have their fun. “Don't like carnival games?” He wondered.  

Shaking my head, I shrugged. “I do. It's just that I don't have a lot of cash to waste on this,” I admitted with a blush. “I would never win anything anyway.”

He pursed his lips in thought for a moment. Edward looked around quickly, his eyes searching for something. He apparently found it because he grabbed my arm and tugged me along. We were standing in front of a game, the one where you throw the softball to knock over the three milk jugs. It had huge prizes hanging around it, showing that it was one of the hardest games to win. He pulled out three dollars, the price of one throw, and handed it to the man. He turned to me with a sly smile. “Pick out which one you like.”

“What?” I blurted out in confusion. Before I could get an answer, he wound his arm back and threw the ball with all his strength. The metal milk jugs clattered to the ground loudly.  

“We have a winner!” The operator of the game shouted. “What would you like?”

“Whatever the pretty lady wants,” he answered the man with a big smile as he looked at me. Edward was peering at me from underneath his long eyelashes. I felt hypnotized by him. “What do you want, Bella?”

I had to keep myself from squawking 'you, Edward. I want you!' It wasn't wise, or possible, so I wasn't going to ruin a perfectly good evening. “How about the purple teddy bear?”

The man pulled it down and handed it to me. I clutched it to my chest, hugging it tightly. “Why don't you try to win another?” He offered, always trying to make another sale. “It needs a friend.” 

“No, this is enough,” I declared quickly, pulling him away from the game. We had kind of lost track of the others. 

“Do you like it?” He asked when we were a safe distance from all the game callers. 

I pushed my face into the toy. “I love it. Thank you. But you didn't have to do that.” 
“I wanted to. Every girl deserves to have a stuffed animal won for her at the fair,” he flirted, that smile reappearing again. I felt my knees go a little weak, and it took everything that I had not to drop to the ground. He was so charming, and he wasn't even trying.  

We were looking directly into each other's eyes, the silence deafening. He started to lean in slowly. His lips were not more than a few inches away from mine. I began to close my eyes, praying that what I hoped was about to happen, was. His lips were literally a breath away when I felt something short and annoying tug on my arm. 

“Come on! We're going to the haunted house!” Alice stated excitedly. She had the worst timing sometimes. I really wanted to punch her at that moment. 

“I don't like haunted houses,” I complained as she pulled me along. 

“Well, I'll protect you if you want me to, Bella,” Edward promised from beside me. His hand touched my lower back, making my heart flutter loudly in my chest. I was surprised that he couldn't hear it. 

“Okay...” I trailed off a bit breathlessly. 

Who could refuse an offer like that?

---

Warning/Summary/Notes

Next

---

Click to download the epub of this part!!

Click to download the pdf of this part!!