Drumsticks and Penalty Kicks Chapter 2 - Give and Go

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Chapter 2 - Give and Go
EPOV

"Shit, shit, shit," I mutter harshly as I skid to a stop in front of my Econ class.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Cullen," Mr. Knight says pointedly as he stares at me over the top of his glasses. He's holding a stack of brightly-colored paper and watches as I move toward my chair.

I drop into my seat in front of Emmett and give Mr. Knight what I hope is an innocent look. "Sorry, sir, just showing a student to class."

"Hmph." He grunts and goes back to handing out the syllabus.

"Do all new students get a private escort by Vice-President Edward Cullen, or is that just for Bella?" Emmett asks as he jabs me with a pen.

"Shut the fuck up, asshole," I whisper-hiss back at him, though the corners of my mouth lift because holy fucking shit … Bella Day has started out even better than I ever dreamed.

Mr. Knight begins to drone on about what to expect from his class, when we'll have quizzes and exams, and what topics we're going to cover the first six weeks. I try to pay attention, but after about three minutes, I don't even fight the urge to let my mind drift. I'm still having a hard time believing Bella's really here. Well, she's not technically right here, right now, but we're in the same building at least. That means as soon as this class is over, I'll be able to touch her and see her smile up close and personal-like … not to mention getting another hit of that fuckawesome peppermint sugar cookie smell that's all Bella, only Bella.

I groan a little and cough into my hand to cover it up when my mind moves to the way she felt pressed up against me and how it felt to have her mouth on mine. Like fucking heaven, that's for damned sure, and something I plan on enjoying a whole lot. All of it … the kissing, the touching, and everything else if I have anything to say about it. .

I shift and ignore Emmett when he snorts behind me. Asshole. My fingers start drumming on my desk and my knee's bouncing so fast I should probably worry about ligament damage. I wonder how her class is going and if anyone's said anything to her. Fuck, no one better say anything to her. I know everyone's going to though; it's just the way things work when someone new comes to town. My chest gets tight and my fingers take up residence in my hair so often that Emmett reaches up and clamps his hand down on my shoulder.

"Dude."

I turn my head and slide my eyes toward him. I growl. Not intentionally of course, but shit, I'm going out of my damn mind and it's only been … hell, thirty minutes, I notice when I glance down at my watch.

"Chill, Edward. She's fine. I'm pretty sure she's a big girl and can handle going to class by herself," he says quietly.

Mr. Knight is writing some shit down on the board that I'm sure I should pay attention to, but instead I turn sideways in my seat so I can look at Emmett.

"I know, man, but still. She was freaking out before she went into her class. You know how everyone is here; they'll be all over her like flies on shit, asking her questions, about her mom and probably Phil, too. If Jessica or Lauren or hell, fucking Newton is in class with her, I just …"

He chuckles and I swear I want to punch him straight in the throat. "What the fuck are you laughing at?"

"My friend, the only thing that anyone will be asking her is why the hell your tongue was down her throat."

Well now.

Guess I don't mind that so much, but I bet Bella will be embarrassed about our little PDA. I hope not too much though, because damn, it was fucking perfect if you ask me. As soon as I felt her presence and we saw each other, nothing else in the whole world mattered but her.

"You saw?" It's just now managed to infiltrate my Bella-filled mind that while I was consumed with all things Bella, there were still an awful lot of people in that hallway, like the idiot behind me, who witnessed our rather huge moment.

Is it wrong that I kind of want to run around and give everyone high-fives like I just scored the winning touchdown of the Super Bowl?

He smiles so big all his teeth are showing and nods his head. "Me and every other person in that hallway. It was like something out of a movie, man. The girls were all oohing and ahhing and every guy, well besides me and Jas, had their tongues hanging down to the floor."

I'm speechless, at least until he pokes me in the arm with his index finger. "By the way, she's fucking gorgeous. I have no idea how you managed that feat of miraculousness, but good job."

"Shut up, fucker." I can't help but smirk, because well, she is fucking gorgeous.

And mine.

A fact of which I'll be reminding all the other dipshits, like Newton, specifically, as soon as this class is over.
Thankfully, by the time Mr. Knight finishes writing some stuff on the board telling us what to read for class tomorrow, it's time for first period to be over. I shove all my papers in my backpack and push my way out the door, ignoring Emmett's voice behind me as he tells me to wait for him. Yeah … no. Does he not realize that I've had to spend almost sixty minutes away from Bella?

The halls are packed, which really only happens the first few days until everyone gets into the swing of things. I hear people call my name, but I keep going. The only thing I'm focused on is getting to Bella. My whole body feels like it's pumped full of adrenaline; I can feel it thrumming everywhere.

I slip between a group of underclassmen who look like fish out of water and then freeze. People keep bumping into me. I hear a few grunts and growls, but they just float away when I see Bella standing there.

Mike, Eric, and Garrett are all smiling at her. Alice and Rose are on either side of her. Jasper's approaching from the left and out of the corner of my eye I can see Ben and Angela as well. I'm sure if I tried to listen, I'd more than likely hear Jessica's whiny voice or Heidi's nasally one, but honestly, the only thing I can focus on is my girl.

My girl, damn it.

Garrett takes a step forward and I hear, "So, Bella, where've you been hiding your pretty little self all summer, hmmm?"

Oh, hell no.

I stalk toward Bella and my heart stutter steps when she notices me and gives me my smile. Garrett, the asshat, thinks it's for him because he leans closer to her, but before he can say anything, I'm next to Bella with my arm firmly, possessively around her waist.

Caveman behavior much? Perhaps. But I've waited three damn months for her and no one is getting in the way of that … teammate or not.

"Hey, baby, how was your first class?" I ask while I brush my lips across her cheek.

"It was fine, about what I expected." Her voice is a little shaky and she's so tense as she stands beside me. Her eyes are darting in every direction, skipping from one person to the next as everyone starts talking at once.

"Cullen, what the hell?"

"How do you two know each other?"

"Fast work there, Edward."

"Bella, is Edward your boyfriend?"

"Didn't I hear your dad is some sort of famous dude?"

"Where'd you come from?"

Comments are flying fast and furious. These are my friends, and I know they're excited about meeting someone new, some more than others given the way Garrett and Mike keep looking at Bella's ass, but Christ they're like a bunch of damn locusts. Jessica, Heidi, and Lauren are just yapping away, the guys keep throwing stupid ass questions out, and no one can get a word in at all. Bella turns her head toward my chest, and when I hear her take a gulp of air, I know she's had enough. I curl my fingers around her waist and try to ignore the fact that my index finger has slid beneath her shirt and is touching actual skin. Warm, silky soft, probably sugar cookie-scented skin.

Alice is on the other side of her, standing close and ready to pounce if anyone says one wrong thing to Bella. I can tell because she keeps looking from person to person as if she's trying to decide who she might have to take out first. Emmett's joined the group and has his arm draped over Rose's shoulders and he looks all happy-go-lucky, but he's ready jump in if need be and Jasper … I give him a look and tip my chin. Before anyone really knows what's happening, he's steered most of the crowd away.

Thank fuck.

"Phew, they're kind of um … overwhelming," Bella says once it's just Em, Rose, Alice, Ben, and Angela.
"They're idiots," Emmett quips before he takes two steps forward and grabs Bella by the waist and picks her up, way up, so that her head's above his and her feet are dangling in the air. "Bella, girl, it's nice to fucking finally meet you. If anyone gives you trouble, you just tell little old me and I'll take care of any of these yahoos for you … that includes Eddie, too, just so you know."

"Ahhhh, you must be Emmett." Bella giggles as she looks down at him. Her smile is genuine and though I know she's still apprehensive about today, no one else but me would be able to notice.

Because, well, I'm pretty sure I'd notice if she got a papercut on the tip of her finger.

"So, he's told you all about me, huh?" He winks at her as he sets her down on the ground. "I am a legend in these here parts, so I'm not surprised."

"Stop being such a jackass, jackass," Rose says as she jabs him with her elbow and rolls her eyes simultaneously. When she turns to look at Bella, her eyes are glassy and her smile is warm and welcoming.
Just like I knew she would be.

I'm sure Bella will get along with most of the girls, maybe not Lauren and Heidi so much, but I have a feeling it's going to be Rose she'll become the closest to. I love Alice to death, Angela, too, but ever since I told Rose about Bella, I've known that she's going to be just what Bella needs.

"Bella, oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're here! I've been waiting for this for months!" Rose squeals in the most un-Rose like way. She wraps her arms around a stunned Bella who gently pats her on the back while staring at me with her big, gorgeous brown eyes over Rose's shoulder.

I can't help but chuckle, nor can I help the way my insides feel like they're lit up brighter than a Christmas tree as I watch Bella being passed around. Apparently Alice and Ben were in Bella's first class with her and Angela has Pre-Calc with her next. I don't get to see Bella until third period when we have Spanish together, then again at lunch. We have English together in the afternoon, too, so all in all it's not too bad. Hopefully she'll have someone she knows in every class.

I glance down at my watch and realize there are only a few minutes until the next bell. I want some alone time with her, just long enough to touch her and look at her, and not have everyone staring at us.

I pull my arm from around her waist but slide my fingers between hers. She sighs, soft and dreamy-like when I squeeze and not gonna lie, I could eat that shit up with a spoon twenty-four-seven. I love, fucking love, knowing that it's me, only me, that has that effect on her, that can make her calm and feel safe and secure, even in the midst of all the chaos.

I tug on her hand to lead her away, but she gets passed around between the girls. Alice waves goodbye before she goes to catch up to Jasper saying she'll see us at lunch. Angela lets Bella know she'll save her a seat in Pre-Calc, and Emmett and Ben both tell her they'll see her later and walk off, leaving us alone.

Finally.

"That was …" she starts then blows out a gust of breath, looking as adorable as all get-out.

"How are you? Is this too much? No one said anything to you during first period did they? Were Garrett and Mike in your class? If they said anything to make you uncomfortable, I'll kick their asses, I swear I will. Or I'll make them run laps at practice. I'm the captain; I can do that. Fuck, Bella, they did say something …" and then my words are muffled because her hand is over my mouth.

"You are going to give yourself a heart attack if you don't calm down, Edward. I'm fine, I promise," she tells me. Her eyes are sparkly and the end of her nose is squished because she's giggling and I realize in that instant that there are hundreds, thousands, of little things that I'm going to learn about her every day now that I can see her and touch her anytime I want.

Like the fact that she has more freckles on the right side of her nose than the left. And the way she tucks her hair behind her left ear but bites the thumbnail on her right hand. Or that there's a scar on the right side of her face, right where her jaw meets her ear. Each new discovery makes me fall just a tiny bit more in love with her. The way I feel about her is scary and confusing but so damned exciting, too, that all I really want to do is lock ourselves away someplace and stay there for a very long time.

And to be completely, one hundred percent honest, it'd give me plenty of time to do all the bad things I want to do to her. The good bad things that make my jeans too tight, and make my palms sweat just thinking about them, but that I want to do really fucking badly.

"Hey," she says as she jiggles our hands.

I shake my head and concentrate on her. "So you're good?" I question again, because I can't help myself.

She rolls her eyes and huffs … a combination move I have a feeling she will become an expert at executing.

"Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore." We're almost to her classroom and I'm about to have to leave her again. I lift our hands and kiss the back of hers, and I sigh. "Fuck, Bella, it's almost unbelievable that I can kiss you whenever I want now."

"I wouldn't say whenever," she says sassily and I smirk.

Oh, baby … just no.

Poor girl, so deluded.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, princess." I jump back when she playfully, or at least I hope it's playfully, tries to smack my chest.

"Watch it, mister." She growls but the corners of her mouth lift so I know she's trying like hell not to smile at me.

"Do you really think," I begin and lower my voice as I force her backward against the wall, "that after all this time, I'm going to let one opportunity to kiss you go by? I think not, Bella."

I nudge her cheek with my nose and I hear her suck in a quick breath. She smells so fucking good … so, so good. I let my lips brush along her jaw and then I flick my tongue out at a spot behind her ear. When she squeezes my hand so tightly I'm not sure it'll get feeling back in it before I have to use it again, I make sure to add kissing her behind her ear to the never-ending list of things I need to be sure to do to her repeatedly.

"See you next period, baby," I whisper and then peck her on the lips real quick, silently giving myself a big old pat on the back for the dazed look in her eyes.

I watch her walk into the classroom. Actually, I stare at her ass as she walks inside. Mmmm, my girl.

It's going to be a good year … a very, very good year.
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