Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.
V
The School for Scandal
Looking down actually helped. No-one at school noticed that there was something wrong with me. Not even my friends. Not even Eric who is something like my best friend. – Not that a good friend after all. I mean, how could he or anyone else not notice? When I looked like that? With this terrible mask that was so much like the exact opposite of my real handsome face? And then me, the most positive person in the world, gazing constantly to my feet? How could they not notice? God, these people are so self-absorbed, never paying attention to anyone else but themselves.
Luckily my teachers did not pick on me or anything. Grown-ups generally like me – my own mom being the only exception.
It was lunchtime when I suddenly realized that my looking down and depressed attitude had deprived me of a chance to deepen my relationship to the sweet Alice. Dammit. Why did my face have to look like that? Why did I have all those nightmares? Damn Cullen.
So I was sitting again at a table with my so-called friends and not with the girl of my dreams. – No not dreams. I don't want any dreams any more – ever!
I still felt sick. I was not hungry. Well, actually I was quite hungry but I couldn't eat more than a few morsels. I was certainly sick. I might even pass out due to this weakness – if that wasn't too girlish a thing to do. I thought about skipping PE. I didn't need another lesson with stupid perfect Cullen, sitting over there with his family. He didn't even talk to them it seemed. He was indeed kind of anti-social. Grumpy Cullen with his untidy hair. Does he ever comb it? Oh, I have to ask my Alice when I talk to her again why he's such a loser when the rest of his family, well, the girls at least, seem to be pretty cool. And hot. Especially the blonde one. Her top is almost see-through. God, she's super hot. Yet, I fear she's entertaining a rather unhealthy relationship with her bulky brother. –Wait, did Cullen just grin?His teeth are so perfect, so white. I wonder if he bleaches them. – Suddenly the blonde supermodel looked at our table. I quickly lowered my gaze and focused on the plate in front of me. Don't want her to see me like this when I'm less than my perfect self.
"Did you know that? – Mike? Mike?"
"Huh?" I looked up. Jessica was addressing me, probably talking to me all the time.
"Yeah, sure I did." I had no freaking idea what she was talking about. And I had no intention to find out. God, she's so annoying. Hearing her there's-no-adjective-strong-enough-to-describe-the-level-of-annoyance voice babbling on and on just makes me mad. And then in such a speed. I always wonder how girls can talk in that pace and never need to breathe. And what she says. Only the most boring and annoying things. She would make me yawn whenever she opens her mouth, if she wasn't that damn annoying. She's probably the most irritating girl on the planet.
Where was I? Her annoying chatter had disturbed my precious thoughts. Oh, yes. I thought about skipping PE. Yet, where should I go when skipping classes? This was Forks after all. Forks isn't the best place to hang around anyway. And wherever I go, people will recognize me, because I'm Mike Newton. Usually gorgeous Mike Newton, today ghostlike pale and red-eyed Mike Newton. Obviously, I could not go home as my dad is virtually always at home. And he, if no-one else, would ask what was wrong. And he wouldn't stop asking and annoying me till I finally would break out into tears. And he would try to comfort me. Parents can be so annoying sometimes.
I sighed.
Of course no-one reacted to that. Self-centered teens.
I raised my head again and looked at my so-called friends. Angela blinked at me shyly before nodding again at whatever Jessica was telling her and everyone else. Angela was certainly a very nice girl, not as annoying as Jessica, for sure. Yet, she was too tall and not pretty at all. I could only pity her. Jessica was certainly much better looking. But she was just so annoying. If ever I have a date with her, just shoot me. And then Eric. He is such a geek. He is plain ugly, I may say that, because I'm his best friend. Oh, he was actually talking to me again. About some crappy Sci-Fi TV show I guess. He's such a loser. – Does Edward Cullen watch Sci-Fi Channel? – Even with my horror mask I looked so much better than Eric. And as a matter of fact, I looked a lot better than Tyler Crowley. Crowley was sitting at our table, too, with some of his friends. Sportspeople. He was very popular with them. Yet, everyone knows that sporty people are shallow and dumb.
Then it dawned on me that I was so much better than all of them. In so many ways. I was superior to these self-centered, shallow, annoying, plain or even ugly teens. Then I looked around and noticed that the cafeteria was full of these annoying, self-centered beings. Then I knew I was above them and I knew which table was destined for me. I only had to swap places with Cullen… Edward Cullen…
"You're not eating your pizza? – May I?" Eric said and grabbed the slice from my plate with his Yorkie-fingers before I even could open my mouth.
"Huh?"
And why were Jessica and Angela suddenly giggling? And Crowley and his brain-dead friends laughed and glared at me.
"Dude, you got something, there, in your face," Tyler smirked and pointed at the edge of his mouth.
I swiftly wiped my mouth with my sleeve. Was that drool on it? My face burnt.
God, I hate high school. Why is everyone constantly watching you?
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I hate Saturdays. No, actually, I love Saturdays, yet from that Saturday on I was going to hate Saturdays for the rest of my life.
It was the first Saturday of the new school year. The Saturday of the first game of the new school year. I still had not figured out which game actually, only that Tyler Crowley was in the team. Yet, in which team was he not? Stupid sportspeople.
I sighed when I reached out for the box of theCrap-I-have-to-remember-the-name-of-these-or-Mom-will-kill-me things on the top shelf. It was Saturday afternoon and I was in my parents' store, helping out. Yuck.Work sucks.
At least I had the night off. Unfortunately I did not have a date because somehow my relationship with Alice had not reached that level, yet. Well, I could always call Katherine Silverman. – Crap, I couldn't. She was a cheerleader and at that game and most certainly at some sportspeople party afterwards. Edward Cullen doesn't seem to be such a sporty. Yet, I'm sure he's at the game anyway. He's certainly desperately trying to belong to them.
"Oh, Dr. Cullen! Nice to meet you," the shrill voice (my mother's of course) and the name it uttered made me startle. I almost dropped the box of those tiny metal things you need to secure the tent with on the ground, hooks, thingies, whatever.
Then I heard a lower voice and again my mom's. And then she was giggling. – Wait, Mom giggling?
I cautiously made my way from the back of store to its front from where the voices and the strange giggling were coming. I kind of walked on the tip of my toes, I know ridiculous, but luckily no-one was watching me, through the aisles, my ear and eye focused on the voices. Work was boring so I was just curious. Very curious indeed to see my mom giggling, I couldn't remember such a sight in my whole life. For sure, she smiled and laughed sometimes, a lot, yet, mostly evilly at me. And then, did she actually say that name?
I almost let out a scream. When I turned around a shelf I bumped intoyes, holy crap!him! Edward Cullen. Actually I only almost bumped into him as he somehow managed to evade the collision in a quick movement. Nonetheless, I stumbled and staggered because of the almost-collision and the unexpected sight and almost fell flat to the ground. Yet, I somehow managed to stand – in a kind of awkward position with one of my hands grabbing at the shelf close to Edward Cullen's left ear, facing him. My face so close to his. Awkward.
Then I wondered why I had not heard the sound of hundreds of metal thingies scattered on the floor as I surely must have dropped that box. And indeed, I did. Only Cullen had caught it in a Spiderman-like movement and was holding it now in his right hand as if it was a tray. So like in the movie. I gulped. He so did not look like Tobey Maguire.
Then I saw his eyes. His face was so close to mine. I swear he kind of hissed when he looked down into my face with his eyes. Gah!His eyes were almost completely black, as if his pupils were widened, only more eerie. And he looked at me as if – as if he wanted to devour me! I swear! I gulped again. Yet, I wasn't able to move away as I feared of losing my balance and falling to the ground.
After a short endless awkward moment he handed me the box and elegantly moved out of this awkward position and turned. I tried to shake off the awkwardness and followed him around the shelf to the front of the store where my mother and someone I did not know were standing.
God, is she flirting with him? Disgusting.
Then she turned and saw me and her flirtatious girlish look changed into that Mike-what-have-you-done-you-worthless-brat glare of hers.
"Oh, there you are. – This is my son Mike, Dr. Cullen. – Mike come here and say hello to Dr. Cullen."
Say hello to Dr. Cullen. – How old am I? Four? Yet, I obeyed and took the hand the man was extending towards me. Well, I tried to do that. Yet, I had still that box in my hand, which I, again, almost dropped when I tried to hold it only with my left arm. Nevertheless, I managed it and shook hands with this man. And shivered. Gosh! His hand was so cold. I wondered if it was already that cold outside.
I looked up at him, after I had managed to secure the box close to my chest. He was smiling. And I gasped. Who was that? He so looked like a movie star, like Paul Walker. I mean for a guy he looked extremely good. Extremely handsome. His blond hair was terrific. – Almost like mine. –Wait, did she call him Dr. Cullen? Was he one of the Cullens then?
"And our sons seem to know each other from school. – Right, Mike?"
Wait. What? Sons? No way is this Cullen's father! He is way too young! – And way too nice.
"So you're planning a camping trip?"
"Yes. My family and I enjoy outdoor trips. And I heard the area around here is excellent for hiking," the handsome nice man with the friendly smile said to my mom whose eyes were glistening eerily as she gaped at him like she was a stupid teenager.
Wait. Camping trips with his family? God, Edward Cullen is even more of a loser than I thought!
A/N Sorry, again, for keeping you wait. Yet, I haven't been lazy. I've updated a few Covenant fics in the meantime. Yep, my obsessions are ever growing. I really hope you still like my story. Though I can fully understand if you're bored or annoyed...
Oh, and I've created the first video dedicated only to Mike Newton on youtube. The link is on my profile page! And there's another new poll for The Covenant.
I really want to thank you all who read this! Of course special thanks to the reviewers! And to those people who put this annoying story on their favorites list and/or on story alert. That's the kind of pressure I need for writing this! LOL
Oh, and sorry to all sporty people. Please remember, these are Mike's thoughts not mine!
The School for Scandal (1777) by Richard Brinsley Sheridan