Sunday, May 17, 2009

Chapter Four - Arrivals and Conquests

“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg, even though he knows that you’re slightly cracked.” ~Bernard Meltzer


Chapter Four: Arrivals and Conquests

EPOV


I got off the plane, and sure enough, my car was waiting there at the airport for me. If nothing else, Esme was the epitome of thoroughness and practicality. Not that I would thank her for it or anything. But it was nice to have my Volvo waiting for me. Nicer yet was the fact that neither of my parents were coming with me to help me settle in. I had made it abundantly clear that I would be fine on my own and didn’t require any assistance from either of them. Truth be told, I didn’t want to have either of them hovering over me any longer than necessary. Church had been excruciating to say the least. Esme was near tears the entire service and hardly made it through. It was a disgusting display of her lack of control over her emotions. She fawned over me the entire time, making me feel suffocated and smothered. Then there was brunch. I won’t even go into detail about what a horrendous experience that was. Needless to say, I sat there stoically during the entire meal and did my best to present the illusion of calm. I was proud of myself. I only snapped at Esme once, which of course brought on more waterworks and more dirty looks from Carlisle. But I was through caring about what he thought.

The hardest time was the hour between brunch and our departure to the airport. I made my way back up to the music room, trying to escape them, but of course Esme followed me claiming to want to hear me play one last time before I left. I had to shake my head at the memory of her sitting there with her eyes brimming with tears. She had used that phrase on me constantly throughout the morning. One last time for this and one last time for that, I was tempted to tell her she should have it tattooed on her forehead, but that would have caused an argument that I wanted to avoid. So I just took it in stride. At least now I was free of their ever present desire to dominate me. Now I was finally alone. Free at last, free at last. I chuckled to myself darkly and pondered how appropriate that speech felt to me at the moment. I was free of Carlisle’s tyranny and free of Esme’s useless mothering. Even though I would be a prisoner at Dartmouth, at least I would be on my own. Well, I would have my friends, but I wouldn’t have Esme and Carlisle, and that was what really mattered.

I made my way through the New England countryside, not taking any time to appreciate the scenery that lay before me. I just wanted to get to my room. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about unloading the car or anything. Esme had arranged to have movers take care of all of that for me. All I had to do was show up. It saved me trouble, but whatever. I wanted to get to the school quickly and stake a claim in our room before Jasper and Emmett arrived. We would be rooming in Russell Sage Hall, room 412. The only consolation I could see was that it was a co-ed dorm. Not the rooms of course, because none of the hoity-toity parents wanted their precious children to have the temptation of the opposite sex to distract them in their dorm room, but the floors were co-ed. Maybe I’d find myself a pleasant distraction in the meantime. Maybe I’d get lucky and find some young nubile girl to deflower. The idea had its merit. I’d have to discuss the plan with the boys. Perhaps we could even place a wager on it. Ten points for every girl we bagged, fifty if she was a virgin. Not that there would be an overabundance of virgins at college, especially not with this crowd. All their money and clout couldn’t protect their young debutantes from the lure of carnal pleasure. And most of those young debutantes had made their rounds long before their coming-out. But those aristocrats were so clueless about their daughters’ lack of virtue. No, they were too busy discussing the latest trends in the stock market or political strategy to worry about promiscuity. Lucky for me, shame for them. But I’d be a fool to claim that I hadn’t used those facts to my advantage. Plenty.

I pulled into the parking lot and looked around. I didn’t see Emmett’s beloved Jeep anywhere. Good. That meant Jasper and Emmett didn’t beat me here. It also meant that I’d be the first to check out the lay of the land and also check out the lovely women we would set to seduce first. I would claim first dibs, and there was nothing they could do. My spirits were soaring by the time I made it to my room. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all. The room was nice, but that was to be expected here. Everything was already unpacked, and the only thing I had to do was pick my bed and make it up. I stood back with my hand to my chin and examined each bed. I walked around the room, checking each one from different angles. I had to make sure that the bed I picked was just right for me. The one up against the window was tempting, if only for the view alone, but then I had to consider that the early morning light might bother me. The one closest to the door was my next consideration, but that meant anytime someone came and went into the room I would be disturbed. That only left the one against the far wall. It was far enough from the window that I wouldn’t be woken by the morning sun, and far enough from the door that I could easily ignore any comings and goings. Happy to have made my decision, I took my linens and quickly made the bed. Neither of the guys would be pleased with the other two options, but it wasn’t my fault they had chosen the later flight. They would be here in a few hours, so I had a breather before chaos ensued.

Since I had free time before they arrived, I decided to check out the campus some in the meantime. The changing leaves didn’t even catch my notice. If they had, I might have taken the time to appreciate the beauty of the scene they created. Well manicured lawns were ignored as well as the aesthetic beauty of the campus. Those things were beneath my notice. What I did notice were the girls. I strolled around campus making a mental note on which girl I’d try my luck with first. And there was such a wonderful selection to choose from, each one different and glorious in her own right. Their legs were showcased nicely in little summer shorts, their cheeks flushed from excitement, their curvy bodies silhouetted in the afternoon sun, and their lips all pouting in such a magnificent way. It seemed that this year’s freshman class was a superb representation of the female form. As far as I could see, the only downside was going to be which of them to pick first. Pleased with myself and my discovery I made my way back to my dorm. When I walked up, I was shocked and appalled to find a rusted bucket of a truck sitting next to my Volvo. I sneered in disgust and immediately checked my car over for any dings or scratches to the exterior. A vehicle like that didn’t belong on this campus. It was an atrocity that should be put out of its misery. It was obvious that the owner wasn’t from the upper crust of society. Probably a scholarship student that thought they would be able to blend in here. Yeah, right. Just like that truck, people like them didn’t belong here. At least they had the sense to not fuck with my car.

I saw a ragged looking man come out of the building right about then. He was disheveled and had a forlorn look about him. His clothes were most definitely not designer and he looked shabby and worn out. Must be the owner of the truck. He eyed me warily as he made his way to the back to grab the last of the boxes in the rear. He nodded politely in my direction but his eyes were anything but. I rolled my eyes and made my way past him into the dorm. When I got up to my room, I found that the guys had arrived in my absence. Jasper had chosen the bed by the window since he was an early riser anyway and left Emmett to the bed by the door. Emmett complained about the idea, but when we argued that his hulking form would wake either of us and the fact that he slept like a log, he grudgingly accepted. When everything was settled, we sat back and I decided it was time to share my discoveries with them.

“So I did some scoping out while you ladies were making your way here. I think you’ll be pleased with what I found.” Both of their gazes shifted to me and their eyebrows winged up in curiosity.

“Oh yeah? And what is it that you discovered, Eddie?” One of these days I was going to kick his ass. I just had to come up with a solid plan first to surprise him.

“Emmett…” I growled at him. I knew he did it to goad me, but that didn’t change the fact that I absolutely despised that name.

“What?” He tried to feign innocence. It might have actually worked, if I wasn’t privy to his act. It never ceased to amaze me how many people fell for his naive act.

“Don’t ‘what’ me like that. I know better than to think you’re completely clueless.” He roared with laughter. Just like every other time we had this discussion. Yep, I was totally going to kick his ass one day. “Anyway, like I was saying before dunderhead decided to interrupt. I was noticing the incoming female population here. There are some prime pickings here.” That got both of their undivided attention.

“Really?” They said in unison.

“Oh, yes. Most definitely. Very nice pickings indeed.”

“So, what? Now we divide and conquer?” Emmett was always up for getting some action.

“Actually, I was thinking some kind of wager. With a point system, if you will.”

“Do tell, dear friend of mine. This sounds like my kind of game.”

“How about ten points for each girl we bag, and fifty if she’s a virgin.”

“Yeah, like you’re gonna find any virgins on a college campus. But what the hell, I’m in!” Of course Emmett would be in.

“I don’t know…” and like usual, Jasper seemed wary of that kind of plan. He liked to spout on about emotional attachments and developing a relationship before taking things to the next level.

“Oh come on Jas. Seriously, you have to get over your feminine side.” Emmett was always the first to pick on Jasper for his need for commitment.

“There is nothing wrong with wanting some level of commitment before allowing a relationship to progress to a level of intimacy.” Emmett just roared with laughter again. “Besides, there are plenty of studies that talk about the emotional ramifications of using a person for sex alone. I propose a different type of plan altogether.”

Now he had my interest. The point system was an old game for us. Well, for Emmett and me anyway. I wanted a new diversion, something that would challenge me a bit more than just seducing a woman. “Alright Jasper, what do you have in mind?”

“I propose instead of just seducing many women, we try and seduce just one woman.”

“One?!?! Why do you do this to us Jas? Just one?” Emmett never wanted to settle for less. He wanted hoards of women, all at the same time if he could get them, but taking them on one by one never bothered him either.

“No Em. Not just any one. The one.” I must admit. I was a little confused as to what he was trying to say. It must have shown on my face because he continued. “I mean, what if we tried to find a girl that’s immune to our charms. One that you could see yourself spending more than just one week with, or in your case Emmett, one night. Try and find a girl that you could see yourself caring for.”

“I still think you need to get over your fear of casual sex,” Emmett grumbled. He was never one to want to do something in a small way.

“Emmett, in today’s age, there’s nothing wrong with being a little scared of casual sex. What with STDs and unwanted pregnancies, I don’t see why you can’t understand that.”

“So just find one girl that you could see yourself forming a relationship with?” I had to admit, the idea was intriguing, but I was never one to try and form emotional bonds. In fact, I usually tried to avoid them at all costs, but with a prime example of a relationship gone bad at home, who could blame me.

“Exactly. Someone you could even fall in love with.” Jasper really was such a girl sometimes. Of all of us, he was the one that looked forward to starting a family most. But his parents had a healthy relationship and they genuinely cared about him as well as one another. Emmett’s parents cared for him, and while they portrayed a loving and caring relationship with each other, it was a well known fact that his father had a mistress. Or two.

“I don’t know Jasper. I’m not sure I’m comfortable trying to get close to someone.”

“You aren’t your parents Edward. Just because you come from a dysfunctional family doesn’t automatically mean you would have one of your own. There are plenty of people that come from less than admirable families that go on to form healthy, loving relationships with someone else and can show that love and care to their children as well.”

“I get it Jasper. You can stop the lecture.” I had to laugh though. Every chance he got he would go into lecture mode. He was truly following his calling by going into psychology. Emotions and the human mind fascinated him and he loved trying to pick them apart piece by piece to get to the bottom.

“But that’s not why I came here.” Emmett, being Emmett, started whining immediately. He really was an overgrown two year old.

“No. You came here for an education.” Jasper shot back.

“Hey! Before we get into this argument, why don’t we just grab something to eat. You guys are giving me a headache already.” I laughed again though. My friends would never change. Emmett would always be a baby about everything and Jasper would always analyze. I wasn’t really sure where I fit into the equation, but I was too hungry and tired to explore the possibilities. After discussing what our options were, we headed out to my Volvo. On our way down there, I realized I had forgotten my wallet in the room, so while they were bickering over who would ride shotgun, I ran back upstairs.

As I was coming back down, I was going over the idea of finding someone I could love in my head. While I had never really desired connections like that, it didn’t seem like an entirely bad idea. I didn’t have anyone else who really cared about me, my parents certainly didn’t. At least not in the way a child deserved. Instead I was always reminded of the family name and the obligation I had for being born a Cullen, like I had asked for that. My mood started getting darker and darker the more I thought about it and I wasn’t really paying attention to my surroundings as I came around a corner at a landing. My thoughts stopped abruptly when something, or rather someone plowed straight into me.

“Ooomph!” We fell on the ground in a mess of tangled limbs while I tried desperately not to crush the tiny form beneath me. When I gathered my wits, I realized it was a girl that had run into me. “What the hell?” I was really taken aback. I cursed myself for not paying more attention and was angry at being knocked down.

“My bad,” was the soft reply. “I am so sor…” she trailed off and looked me directly in the eye.

“Hey, you okay?” I panicked for a minute, hoping I hadn’t hurt her. But I couldn’t help but notice the deep chocolate eyes still looking intently into mine.

“Hmm? Oh! Yes, s-sure. I… I’m f-fine,” she stuttered back. I couldn’t seem to tear my gaze from her face. It was heart-shaped and very pale, and she had miles of mahogany hair that flowed around us both. The scent was intoxicating, strawberries and freesia. Her eyes were huge, and they seemed afraid, but I could see a blush stain her flawless complexion.

I shook my head, disgusted with myself for ogling her like that. Instead of being calm, I took my frustrations out on her. “Jesus Christ. Just watch where you’re going, okay?” I pushed myself up and got to my feet, then held out my hand to help her up. She placed her small hand in mine and I gently pulled her up. After all, it wasn’t her fault I wasn’t paying attention, not that I would tell her that. Instead I said, “Next time you’re rounding the corner, you might want to try checking your blind spots before you come barreling around.” I laughed, trying to ease my own guilt for knocking her over and because my hand was tingling where it had made contact with hers. It was disconcerting.

“Yeah sure… of course. Um… well, I’m really sorry. Again. You know.” She started babbling, but her voice was melodious to listen to. It sounded like a chorus of bells. Her blush deepened when she caught herself. “Hmm… I think… know I need to, umm… I have to go.”

I gave her the Cullen smirk, which brought the blush flaring back on her cheeks and watched as she turned and fled. She had been so startled with herself, I wondered if she was always that shy. I watched as she ran up the flight of steps before I turned my attention back and made my way down. Her face came back in my mind, causing my heart to give one hard, violent kick. I rubbed my hand over my chest, still slightly dazed myself. Well, that was certainly interesting.

When I finally made it back down to my car, Jasper was sitting in the front and Emmett was pouting in the back seat. I could hear them still bickering back and forth as I made my way over. “I still don’t see why I have to sit in the back. There’s not enough room back here.” He kicked the back of Jasper’s seat and scowled at him. “The least you could do is move your damn seat forward, you asshole.”

“Don’t kick the seat Emmett! I don’t do shit like that to your car.” His scowl deepened and he turned himself sideways trying to make more room for his enormous frame. His gaze wandered over the that damn truck as I was backing out of the spot and I saw a lightening fast grin cross his face.

“Nice truck, eh?” He snickered. Emmett was always so easily amused.

“Please don’t remind me. I’m still a little horrified that that monstrosity was parked next to my Volvo.” I shook my head again, disgusted that such an appalling vehicle disgraced our parking lot.

“It’s really a shame if you ask me, such a hottie driving something like that.”

“Come again?”

“The driver. It was a girl. And man was she hot.”

“A girl is driving that thing?!?!” I asked incredulously. What kind of girl would drive a behemoth like that? Certainly no kind of girl I had ever come in contact with. This time it was Jasper who answered.

“Yeah, we were crossing the lobby when we saw that thing pull up. We stopped for a minute to see who would be driving it, especially here. Imagine our surprise when she got out.”

“And who is she?”

“No clue. Idiot back there was acting like a fool trying to get her attention when she came in, but she walked right by. Didn’t even look in our direction, looked like she was pretty deep in thought if you ask me. But she was a stunner, that’s for sure. Anyway, what took you so long?”

“Hmmm? Oh, nothing. Just a run-in in the stairwell.” I felt my heart give another hard kick and lost myself to my thoughts. I wonder. Could it be the same girl? If so, I was certainly in for one hell of a surprise.

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