TWILIGHT AND MIDNIGHT SUN
For your reading enjoyment I have created a complete chapter-by-chapter summary of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" with cross-references to page numbers in "Midnight Sun" throughout so you can do a quick and dirty read of BOTH books at the same time! You're welcome.
Now, go get your copy of "Midnight Sun" and let's dive in!
Book Series: Twilight
Title: Twilight
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publishing date: 2005
Pages: 498
Number of Chapters: 24
This volume spans about four months Jan-April or whenever Forks High School holds Prom!
Preface
Only half a page long, the narrator speculates on how death
might come; the decision to go to Forks where a very pleasant looking Hunter smiles
as he saunters forward to kill the speaker, almost as if he had been expecting
this person to come.
Chapter 1 First
Sight
27 pages long!
Mom drove
this first-person-narrative-speaker to the airport. Bella is the heroine of
this story. Her dad is Charlie, her mom is recently remarried Renée who is
staying behind in Phoenix to travel with Phil, her new husband. As a result, Bella
has decided to go live with her biological father in Forks, Washington. A tiny
community (population 3,000) located on the Olympic Peninsula, across Puget
Sound and several miles west from Seattle. Compared to the harsh desert of
Arizona, this place is too green, an alien planet.
Bella
describes herself as ivory skinned, slender, long straight dark hair but also a
social recluse, an introvert who doesn’t relate well to people her age. She is
not looking forward to being the new girl in town tomorrow. Charlie is the
local sheriff, well known and respected in the community. Charlie and Renée practically
eloped and got married in Vegas only to split and get divorced just after she
was born. Now her flaky, airhead mom is free to spend more time with her new husband
on his minor league baseball travels. Not that she and Renee were never close,
they always had a good mother-daughter relationship. Bella practically took
care of her mom, always reminding her to buy groceries and pay bills. Her full
name is Isabella Swan as she informs the school secretary on her first day at
Forks High School BUT as she corrects everyone during this entire first day; she
prefers to be called Bella.
A gangly
boy with skin problems and hair as black as coal oil introduces himself as Eric
and is the first boy to try and chat Bella up. Offers to show her where her
first class is. We meet Jessica who is tiny and cute and even shorter than
Bella’s own 5’4” frame. Jessica has wild curly dark hair and prattles on about
teachers and classes as she leads Bella to a lunch table and introduces her to
her crowd.
This is when Bella first sights THEM! Jessica gives her the dirt on all the Cullens. The boy with reddish brown hair is VERY single but don’t waste your time on him, he doesn’t date. Angela, the quiet one in Jessica’s group, offers to walk Bella to biology since that’s her next class too. EDWARD!!! is there and since he is her table partner, Bella can’t help but notice the glare in his black eyes-if looks could kill. He scoots as far away from her as possible and keeps his head down. To her dismay, not a word is exchanged between them during the entire lecture and when the bell rings, he bolts.
("Midnight Sun" p. 10-16, that's right we have to slog through SIX pages of Edward the Martyr's silent, excessively wordy narrative as he struggles to reign in his inner monster so Bella can live to see another day.)
Bella wants to cry at such blatant
rejection. What is wrong with her? But baby-faced Mike with his blonde spikes doesn’t
think she smells bad and walks her to gym-her last class of the day. He
sympathizes with her over Edward’s rude behavior. The Cullen clan are a weird
bunch, they mostly keep to themselves. He, on the other hand would love to talk
more with her sometime. Bella smiles at him again and enters the girl’s locker
room.
Excused
from participating in volleyball, since it’s her first day, as soon as the bell
rings, Bella can go straight to the office to turn in her attendance slip only
to find EDWARD!!! is there. Again, he is not happy at her entrance, shooting
daggers at her before turning back in attempt to talk the secretary into letting
him change biology class times. Denied, he gives Bella “The Look” again and
leaves the office in a huff. Bella drives her new/rebooted truck home. It was a
gift from Charlie since there are no school buses but Bella is fighting back
tears. Every boy in school likes her-except the one that matters most!
Chapter 2 Open Book
Apparently
Charlie has been fending for himself these last seventeen years surviving on
Top Ramen, cold cereal, and eggs which simply won’t do. Bella volunteers to
take over the kitchen duties and goes grocery shopping buying steak and
potatoes and everything else they need to eat better. She emails her mom and that
evening Charlie compliments her on her cooking. She also takes the opportunity
at dinner to get more info on the Cullens from her father, who knows everybody
and would prefer Bella not hang out with them but Mike Newton is approved.
Bella cleans up the kitchen (no dishwasher) and does her homework.
The rest of the week is uneventful. Mike continues to plan the upcoming party. The weekend comes and goes. Bella does more deep cleaning and laundry and finishes all her homework. Monday morning she wakes up feeling more refreshed than she’s felt since her arrival-growing more comfortable at her new school and it is snowing today, (it IS January) not much but enough to make it seem festive.
At lunchtime Bella freezes when she sees
Edward is back and sitting with his “siblings” at their usual table. (What's he been up to this last week? See "Midnight Sun" pgs. 23-35) Too sick
to her stomach at the sight of him to eat, her friends show mild concern but
are too distracted by the snow. Others have snuck some in and even the Cullens
are throwing it at each other and laughing. She sneaks a glance and sees that
Edward is not glaring but looking at her curiously. This is not lost on Jessica
who giggles. Bella admits she doesn’t think Edward Cullen likes her and, still
feeling queasy, she lays her head down on her arms.
In biology,
Bella arrives first and Edward actually says hello to her as he arrives and
takes his seat. Even MORE astonishing, he proceeds to formally introduce
himself. She notices right away that he calls her by her nickname-how did he
know? He shrugs it off as class begins.
Today’s
assignment, they are to work with their partners identifying the phases of
mitosis. Bella has already done this lab and knows almost all the answers. She
and Edward occasionally bump hands. His skin is ice cold but to Bella it feels
like an electric current just ran through her. They finish first, Bella notices
his eyes and blurts out, “Did you get contacts?” his eyes are more ocher (a
golden color) than black today. He dismisses it and changes the subject to the
weather. He observes she doesn’t like the cold. She explains her parent’s
divorce, growing up in Arizona and why she chose to move here. Edward guesses she’s
still not happy. Bella retorts: Why should HE care and why all these questions?
Edward informs her he finds her very hard to read which is strange as Bella
shoots back her mom calls her an open book and can always tell what her
daughter is thinking and feeling.
The bell rings and Edward rushes
away leaving Mike the lucky gentleman to walk Bella to gym again and stand by
her in volleyball so she doesn’t have to make a spectacle of herself with her
lack of athletic ability. Gym is Bella’s worst subject but she is happy as she
slides into her truck to drive home until she sees Edward in the parking lot
and is so distracted by his hotness she nearly backs into another car. She
looks over and could almost swear Edward is laughing-at HER. (He is, see
“Midnight Sun” p. 49)
Chapter 3 Phenomenon
Edward saves her, superman-style, (Not her!!!! "Midnight Sun p. 57) and she argues with him about how he did it and what just happened. One minute
a dark blue van was coming right at her, the next someone had shoved her down
to the pavement, stopped the car with his bare hands leaving a large dent and
protected her from the shattered glass that landed in the exact spot she
would’ve been in had her rescuer not moved her away in time.
It was Edward who saved her, Bella KNOWS
this but since this phenomenon all happened too fast for witnesses to see; only Bella can
whisper furiously at Edward to explain himself. Edward denies everything,
declares loud enough for everyone to hear that Bella probably has a concussion,
as an ambulance arrives on the scene and all injured parties are taken to the
hospital.
At the hospital, we meet Carlisle (Doctor Cullen in this chapter until we get to know him better in chapter 16) who signs Bella’s chart so she can go and Charlie is already here to take her home. Bella is fine, just a few cuts and scratches, no stitches needed. The driver of the other car has a bad head injury but he’ll be fine. (For Edward’s perspective on the hospital scenes and his entertaining conversations with Carlisle see “Midnight Sun” pgs 63-72)
It was quite an event
and is all the talk at the school for days afterwards as everyone wants to know
how Bella survived. Since Edward pleaded with her, promising to explain his
actions later, Bella honors his request, giving him a very minor part in her story-he
pushed her out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed to death between
the two vehicles. Her truck didn’t even get damaged. It’s built Ford tough, you
know (except it’s a Chevy!). Bella calls her mom to tell her what happened. That
night, she dreams about Edward for the first time. (Edward has yet to sneak into her room to watch her sleep-that's NEXT chapter!)
One month
passes during which Edward is back to giving Bella the silent treatment but
Mike talks to her every day before biology class starts while Tyler (the boy
who was driving the van and another of Bella’s many male admirers in the “Bella
Fan Club”) wants to make it up to Bella for nearly killing her by letting him
be her date to an upcoming girl’s choice dance but Bella turns him down. Mike
and Eric also vie to be picked by Bella as her possible date. She tells
everyone, for the last time, she is NOT GOING to this dance and is NOT
interested in dating anyone (except Edward).
It is now
the first Tuesday in March. Renée has called a few times; she picked up on
Bella’s mild depression from her emails. Bella insists she’s just a little
homesick, but has been making friends (just not Edward). As the girl’s choice
dance looms, Jessica wants to ask Mike who turned her down still hoping for a chance
with Bella who encourages Jessica to talk to Mike again.
Meanwhile,
Bella has caught Edward shaking with silent laughter as she has to beat almost
every boy in school off with a stick because every single one wants to be her date to the dance. That night,
Jessica calls. Mike changed his mind and said yes thanks to Bella’s
matchmaking. Bella fixes chicken enchiladas for dinner and is pleased when
Charlie asks for seconds but is not pleased when he also pesters her about
asking a boy to the dance.
Next day at school, Edward is suddenly there by her truck
(he drives a very classy Volvo but, according to “Midnight Sun” he actually didn’t drive today. LAST NIGHT was his very first creepy-stalker-watch-Bella-while-she-sleeps night p. 105 then he went home to change and ran to school)
Bella is irritated and tries to walk away but
Edward is offering to drive her to Seattle, since she is not going to the
dance. Bella wonders why he even cares. He tells her he’s tired of making
himself NOT join her fan club, BUT, for her own good, she really SHOULD stay
away from him. His hotness is still so overwhelming that when he presses the
invite to drive her to Seattle, she can only nod her agreement to the date. With
that he turns and leaves.
As they enter the cafeteria, Bella stops in her tracks. Edward is sitting alone at a table for two and motioning for Bella to come over and join him. Jessica can only stare in shocked silence as Bella shrugs and goes over to see what he wants. As she sits down, he implies again that, while this is all “against his better judgement,”
(he doesn't actually say this but I can't resist quoting my and Bella's ["Midnight Sun" p. 269] favorite Pride and Prejudice movie)
he wants to initiate a friendship except doing so would also prove very
dangerous. He asks her what she’s thinking. In her head, Bella wants to ask him
about radioactive spiders and Kryptonite. She opts instead to ask him why he
saved her life last month then proceeded to ignore her? Edward dodges the
question. He spins the cap from Bella’s drink instead. (Then proceeds to pocket
it, “Midnight Sun” p. 125 which is kinda cute.)
And just like that, lunchtime is over. Bella didn’t have much appetite anyway and only bought herself a bottle of lemonade which she hardly touched as they talked about this new development in their “relationship.” As Bella enters biology, she suddenly understands Edward's quip about ditching class and why he didn’t offer to walk her there for they are doing blood tests so everyone can find out their blood type. Just the sight of blood makes Bella pass out. Mike practically carries her to the nurse but Bella has to stop and put her head between her knees again.
Edward suddenly appears, ("Midnight Sun" p. 125) scooping her up,
dismissing Mike, and presents Bella at the office where he stays with her. Mike
comes in later supporting another fainter (male) and Bella agrees with Edward
they should leave now so other students can have the sick bed. Bella admits she
can smell blood and it makes her sick (so you don’t want to see her on her
period???) As they are leaving, Mike hurries out of the office after them and
totally ignores Edward to ask Bella if she’s still on for going to the beach
this weekend? She says yes and Mike skips off to gym which Edward already got
Bella excused from then insists on
driving her home in his car-literally dragging her by her coat over to the
vehicle with him. Alice will bring Bella’s truck to the house after school so
Charlie will never know. ("Midnight Sun" p. 141 Edward very smoothly picked the key from Bella's pocket just before they parted)
Exasperated, full of hurt pride,
Bella gets in the Volvo where Edward is streaming “Clair de Lune” by Debussy
and is surprised that Bella recognizes it, she admits her mom exposed her to a
lot of classical music growing up. Edward asks her age. Seventeen (going on
thirty-five) he asks after her mom’s new husband, Phil, and it is Bella’s turn
to be surprised-recalling such details after a nearly two month old
conversation. She wants to know more about HIS family but Edward is already
pulling up the driveway of the house. Rain is beating down on the car. Before Bella
shuts the car door, Edward makes her promise to be extra careful at the beach
party this weekend. Tomorrow is Friday but Edward won’t be in school, he’s
going “camping” with his family. Bella glares at his astute observation about her tendency
to be accident prone but Edward just drives away, still smirking.
(What do vampires do in their spare time when they're not stalking humans? "Midnight Sun" p. 145: playing chess, pouring over blueprints for the next home design project, fashion design, and-for Edward-some dabbling at the piano! Edward then goes hunting with Emmett.)
Next day is
the long anticipated beach trip. The party includes: Mike, Tyler, Eric, Jessica,
Angela, Lauren (with her blonde cornsilk hair) and two new boys-Ben and Conner
along with three other girls from school who sometimes hang with Mike and his
crowd. These are the ones who give Bella scornful looks. Bella doesn’t score
any points with them when Mike offers Bella shotgun in his suburban and is
almost giddy with happiness when she accepts. The “anti-Bellas” ride in the
minivan. To spare herself the pain of Jessica’s wrath, Bella suggests she ride
next to Mike in the large front seat of the suburban while Bella takes the
window. Now everyone is happy. At the beach, Mike builds a driftwood fire and
Bella admires the blue flames.
She joins one group in exploring
the nearby tide pools, if only to get away from those still giving her dirty
looks. She thinks about Edward on the hike as she admires the beauty of the
pools. Back at the beach campfire, they find Jacob Black and other Quileute Indian
boys who came over to say hi. Unlike the movie, this is our first introduction to
Bella’s “future Boyfriend B” who waits until after lunch (sandwiches and sodas)
when the others have broken off into small groups for more hiking and
socializing, to approach Bella and introduce himself as the son of the previous
owner of her truck, his dad, Billy Black.
Bella barely remembers Jacob (who
has not yet hit puberty at fifteen) or his now wheelchair-bound father from her
few childhood visits to the area. They catch up and Bella finds Jacob very easy
to talk to. Lauren suddenly interrupts asking rather incredulously, “You two know each other?” and brings up the
Cullens again. Except, “The Cullens don’t come here,” says the oldest boy,
practically a young man at nineteen and the leader of the group (This is Sam. We will know him better in "New Moon") but the comment
gives Bella an idea. She asks Jacob to go for a stroll down the beach with her
so she can get Jacob to tell her more about his tribe’s “legend” that may or
may not involve the Cullens and may or may not involve his people’s belief in a
race of blood-sucking people who have been their common enemy for centuries. To
combat this enemy, his people may or may not be able to turn into wolves to
defend themselves.
Bella doesn’t find this story scary
at all, she is fascinated and her mind is spinning with all kinds of new ideas
about the brooding “Mr. Darcy” who has so perfectly captured her interest. They
return to the main camp where Mike, looking worried, seeing Bella pairing off
with yet another competitor, along with Jessica-also weary of the competition-agrees
that it’s time to go.
It is 5:30am. She showers and goes online to spend the majority of her Sunday researching Google for all things vampire. Troubled, she goes for a walk, thinking hard. COULD the Cullens really be…vampires? Should she take Edward’s advice and not be his friend? The thought horrifies her. To never see him again brings pain and despair. She will keep this secret to herself and continue on as if she never made this discovery. Returning home, she starts her English paper feeling clear and at peace. Charlie returns from his Sunday fishing.
No disturbing
dreams that night. Monday, Bella wakes up refreshed and even opens her bedroom
window to breathe in the fresh, sunny air. The window opened easily and she is
surprised but doesn’t give it much thought. (Because Edward “Midnight Sun”
p.155 snuck in again last night for the SECOND time to creepy-stalker-watch-Bella-while-she-sleeps and fixed the squeaky
window!)
She arrives at school early and
chats with Mike as they sit in the feeble sunshine, most likely the first
they’ve had in many days. He asks what she did over the weekend. Bella got a
good start on her English paper and shares her thesis: “Is Shakespeare’s
Treatment of Female Characters Misogynistic.” Mike wants to ask her out but she
reminds him of his “commitment” to Jessica as her date to the upcoming dance
and besides, it’s time for class. Bella talks to Jessica who invites her to
come dress shopping tonight with her and Angela. Lunchtime arrives and Bella is
deflated to see NO CULLENS and when Jessica urges her again to come shopping in
Port Angeles with them, only 56 miles away and the closest town with any good stores,
she accepts out of misery.
After what feels like the longest Monday of her life, Bella comes home only to get a phone call (landline) from Jessica. Mike asked her out on a date tonight so the dress shopping trip is being postponed. Bella sends her mom another email and goes outside to lie on a quilt and read in the sun but falls asleep instead to be awakened by Charlie coming home. She has an eerie feeling, as she scoops up her blanket and runs inside, that she wasn’t alone out there. (She’s right, see “Midnight sun” p. 161)
They eat dinner as Bella hurriedly prepared some of the fish Charlie
caught yesterday. The next day is the same, no Cullens, (Edward returned that
night to watch her sleep again p.165) but the shopping trip to Port Angeles is
back on for tonight. Jessica follows Bella home (Bella already warned Charlie
last night she was doing this) so Bella can leave her truck and they can all go
in Jessica’s car, picking up Angela on their way out of town.
Content to
sit and observe the shopping and modeling of dresses, Bella admits she never
had a boyfriend and never dated-none of her male classmates back in Phoenix
ever asked her out. Jessica points out-rather obviously-the boys here at Forks High School certainly
aren’t shy about asking her out, yet she turns them all down. Soft spoken
Angela reports that Tyler’s been telling everyone that Bella is going to prom
with him, the realization of which makes Jessica giggle. So that’s why Lauren doesn’t like Bella!
Bella rolls her eyes.
Jessica and Angela pick out their shoes and accessories while Bella excuses herself to find a bookstore, promising to meet them later at the restaurant where they planned to get dinner before heading home. Failing to find a normal bookstore that doesn’t carry hippy new-age items such as dreamcatchers and books about spirituality and self-healing, Bella suddenly discovers she is lost.
She sees a silver Volvo (Is it Edward's? Why, yes it is! "Midnight Sun" p. 171) and remembers again what Angela said about the Cullens often skipping school to go packpacking which makes her mad. She really REALLY wanted to see Edward again today. She literally CAN’T stop thinking about him.
So lost in thought is Bella, she
didn’t realize not only is she lost she also managed to attract a gang of
sleazy looking men following her, calling out to her, like she was a street
walking prostitute. She outpaces them, can hear them laughing as she rounds
another corner only to find a dead end, trapped. Two of the men she passed
earlier are now in front of her, waiting expectantly, the other two behind closing
in. Bella warns them all to stay away and is about to take a stance in
self-defense when a car suddenly squeals to a stop next to her, the door opens
and Batman Edward’s deep, furious voice commands, “Get in!”
Bella obeys
and Edward drives. The tension is thick, he is NOT happy with either Bella or
those men. Edward declares he wants nothing more right now than to turn around
and go back and take care of them, but he won’t do it. Is she okay? Bella is
fine but realizes it is now 6:30pm and the girls are probably wondering what
happened to her. He speeds over to La Bella Italia (how did he KNOW?) and
announces he is taking her to dinner then escorting her home, so kindly go stop
Jessica and Angela who are just exiting the restaurant and tell them there’s
been a change of plans.
The female hostess openly flirts with Edward and totally ignores Bella who scolds him about dazzling people like that. Their female server also chats up Edward while barely taking Bella’s order for mushroom ravioli. Edward orders a Coke for her and watches her down it. When she shivers, he offers his jacket which smells amazing, not cologne or Axe Body Spray but something else equally seductive. He compliments the blue blouse she’s wearing-how it sets off her skin.
Bella nibbles a breadstick and asks him why he’s even here, in town. He refuses to answer.
(For little does Bella know, she just stepped into classic Greek mythology: Edward is Hades and Bella is Persephone who Hades kidnapped and took to the underworld in order to make her his wife. Desperate to escape, Persephone ate the seeds of a pomegranate so she could enjoy some freedom above ground and that's why we have six months of summer and winter, "Midnight Sun" p. 187 and thx Google!)
Ok, she will make a few suggestions and he can say yay or nay: what if Edward can read minds? What if that’s how he knew where to find her? And, by the way (she touches his cold hand and feels a thrill of pure sexual attraction) thanks for saving my life back there…again! He moves his hand away and admits he followed those scumbags because he wanted to make sure Bella was safe. Eager to hear more, Bella starts shoving ravioli into her mouth to keep Edward talking (he eats nothing, won’t even sip his water but is insistent Bella eat). Edward explains: her theory is correct, he CAN hear what others are thinking and when he realized Bella was no longer with the other girls, he got anxious and when he heard what those men were thinking…Edward growls remembering. That’s why he’s sitting here now, else he’d be tracking them down as a public vigilante, and then he’d be wanted for murder and he promised Carlisle he wouldn’t do that stuff anymore.
And just
like that, he asks for the check and they leave. (For Edward's perspective on this conversation see "Midnight Sun" p. 190-195)
Everyone but HER.
Bella worries SHE might be the freak and Edward looks at her
incredulously before smirking at her with another of his humorless chuckles.
Bella glances over at the speedometer and practically screams at him to slow
down! Not to worry, Bella, Edward reminds her, tapping his forehead, he has a built
in police scanner, remember? He’s a bit snappish throughout this entire
conversation but gently coaxes it out of her to tell him exactly WHAT she
thinks he is.
She recounts Jacob’s scary story…about vampires…and how she had to use her feminine wiles to get it out of him. Edward finds that very amusing. But when she tells him about doing the internet research and deciding-to heck with it, she doesn’t care WHAT he is-Edward gets angry.
Bella asks him how old he is. Seventeen. How long? Awhile, he admits. Can he
come out in the daytime? He laughs. Coffins? Myth and myth then counters if
she’s curious about his DIET? She tells him what Jacob told her, his kind only
hunt animals. Edward tells her they have their own inside private “vegetarian”
joke in their family. Their way of life is very difficult and she’s very
observant. The reason they are always gone is because they hunt. There’s
another reason too that has to do with the sunlight which he promises to show
her sometime.
Bella
chastises him for not telling her all of this before as SHE was just as anxious
as he was earlier this evening-not knowing where he was. Having to go so many
days without seeing him is really affecting her mental health. Again, she
doesn’t care WHAT he is, she is attracted to him and that’s all there is to it.
(He is attracted to her too, he LOVES her but we won’t learn this until
“Midnight Sun” p. 110 when he observed her sleeping for the first time. Why he
doesn’t reveal this rather critical info HERE only Stephanie Meyer knows. See "Midnight Sun" p. 204 He DOES love her!)
Edward
groans. This all WRONG. He’s dangerous, not good for her. Bella starts to cry
and Edward is even more appalled. He apologizes. Asks her, what was she about
to do before those scumbags had their way with her, before he came to her rescue?
She was prepared to fight them, of course. He shakes his head. Keeping her
alive is going to be more trouble than he thought.
He promises she’ll see him tomorrow
and, like waking from a dream, Bella realizes they are parked in her driveway and
it’s time for her to go inside to Charlie but Bella has to return Edward's jacket so
Charlie won’t ask questions. Edward advises her not to ever go into the woods
alone. She agrees. He tells her to sleep well and she stumbles to the front
door as he drives away.
She calls Jessica to tell her she left her jacket in her car and promises to tell her EVERYTHING about her “date” with Edward tomorrow. Takes a hot shower but can’t relax, curls into a ball in bed, thoughts swirling dizzily. Just before she falls asleep, Bella lets us know-She’s in LOVE!!! “Unconditionally and irrevocably”
(Naturally Edward returned tonight. “Midnight Sun” p. 217 and in a very romantic
gesture, Edward covered her with an extra blanket he snuck from the upstairs
hall cupboard then settled in the rocking chair to watch her sleep. Bella never
suspected a thing!)
They reach the school and Bella comments on his “sister” Rosalie’s ostentatious red convertible. He explains to her they had to take it to give Edward some privacy. Jessica is waiting to hand over Bella’s jacket and Edward warns her Jessica is going to interrogate her in Trig later today-she still wants to know EVERYTHING.
Bella reassures him she’ll be
prepared but Jessica is, indeed, merciless: “What happened? Are you going out
again? Has he KISSED you?!” Bella tells her how the waitress flirted more with
Edward than she did but there’s more to him than just his gorgeous looks
and…yes, she likes him. How much? Too much, she promises Jessica, MORE than he
likes her. (This will also bother Edward later “Midnight Sun” p. 232)
Once again,
Edward is waiting in the cafeteria to eat lunch with her and everyone stares as
they sit down together at their own private table. He paid for her tray of food,
which he picked out. Eats a bite of pizza just to show he CAN eat if he has to,
you know, fit in. They lean closer to each other. She with her hand cupping her
own neck as Edward murmurs she was wrong telling Jessica she likes him
more-it’s the other way around. Bella has to remember how to breathe. She
reminds him she’s just an ordinary nobody. Edward confides she didn’t know what
every single boy in school was thinking on her first day here.
Bella confesses she is MORE afraid
he will leave. He tells her if he left, he would be doing it for HER (how
chivalrous) so she wouldn’t have to make that choice. He suggests, if she
really is determined not to go to the dance this Saturday he would like to take
her on a hike up into the mountains to show her something and, by the way,
would she have asked HIM to be her date to the dance if she had the chance? No.
Bella tells him she doesn’t do dances, he’s never seen her in gym, and (HECK
YES!!) she would love to spend all day Saturday with him.
Edward tells her more about how
they hunt. Bella would like to see that sometime but Edward is adamant.
Absolutely NOT. What Bella needs is a good dose of fear but before he can
explain that contradicting statement further, lunchtime is over and Edward gets
up and leaves the table.
He walks her to gym, brushes her face with his icy finger. Mike doesn’t like it, “He looks at you like you’re something to EAT.” Bella can hardly contain her hysteria, choking back a giggle as she walks away.
(While Bella has gym, Edward has Spanish
class and on page 251 of “Midnight Sun” we get one of my favorite Edward POV when
he’s not currently with Bella. Today, he has Emmett play along in a
matchmaking scheme for Angela and Ben-he wants to do something nice for Angela
which the leaked 2008 version also hinted at and I couldn’t wait to read the entire
story. It did not disappoint-very entertaining!)
She meets Edward after school and he drives her home. They talk about the upcoming date this Saturday. Bella insists on driving, (Edward’s driving scares her which is hilarious) Edward compromises that if Bella really insists on driving them in her poor excuse for a truck, then tomorrow it is HIS turn to ask the questions. Bella is glad to hear this because it means she will definitely be seeing him tomorrow.
That night,
Edward stars in her dreams again but her sleep is restless and she wakes
feeling tired. (And yes, Edward did observe all of this on p. 265 in
“Midnight Sun” keeping himself in the furthest, darkest corner of her bedroom
where she never suspected a thing, even when she got up for a drink of water)
At breakfast, Charlie asks her if
she’s SURE she doesn’t want to take some nice boy in town to the dance? Bella
is sure. Charlie leaves for work and Edward is waiting outside in his car. He
comments on how exhausted Bella looks. She tells him she couldn’t sleep.
“Neither could I,” Edward deadpans. And then the questions begin: her favorite
color, music, movies, rock bands, gemstones, flowers. (For answers to these
questions see “Midnight Sun” p. 268) He meets her between every single class so
he can continue to fling questions at her as they walk.
No questions in biology as they
watch part II of the boring movie and no questions as he walks her to
gym stopping again to stroke the length of her face, from temple to jaw, with an icy finger. Because of
this, Mike pouts during the entire class unable to accept that Bella finally
paired off with someone-not him.
On the drive home, Edward’s
questions get more complicated: what does she miss most about home? Why? He
wants specifics. They sit in Charlie’s driveway for the next three hours as
rain drums on the roof of the Volvo until both realize it is Twilight!! Edward promises there will be
more questions tomorrow but as Bella gets out of the car she sees Jacob has
been waiting for her which explains Edward’s hasty exit. Charlie’s police
cruiser pulls up. Billy is in the other car that Jacob just got out of. They
both saw her with Edward. Bella is worried she may be in trouble…
Chapter 12 Balancing
Next day is
Friday and Bella wakes up happy. Edward is waiting to drive her to school. He
tells her he also had a pleasant night (“Midnight Sun” p. 292 like he said, a
pleasant night and for once, the reader is spared countless pages of Edward’s
stream of consciousness narrative!) before launching into MORE questions. Now
he wants to know all about her family: Renée, the one grandmother she
remembers. Like Jessica, Edward is surprised at Bella’s ZERO lack of any past romantic
history/dating relationships.
At lunch he informs her he is
leaving to go on a quick hunting trip in preparation for tomorrow’s date. This
gives Bella pause. Wait a minute, if Edward is leaving school right now, how
will she get home? No worries, Edward assures her, Alice will bring her truck
here to school so she can drive it home. Bella asks why Alice is the only
Cullen who appears willing to assist her brother in this Romeo and Juliet
relationship. Alice is the most supportive, he tells her.
Right on cue, Alice dances across the
lunchroom to their table so Edward can formally introduce them and she leaves just
as quickly. Edward makes Bella promise to stay safe the rest of the day. Bella
jokes she only has plans to do the laundry after school tonight, “That ought to
be fraught with peril!” He touches her face and is gone.
She lies to
Mike about her weekend plans-she is doing laundry and her homework and will NOT
be seeing Edward, he’s going away for the weekend, in fact he just left and NO
she is not going to the dance, not even stag. She is astonished to find her
truck in the school parking lot just as Edward said it would be along with a Be
safe love note written in
elegant, old fashioned script. Aw.
Once safely
home, she calls Jessica to wish her luck at the dance and tells Charlie over
dinner that she has decided to stay home this weekend and keep busy with chores
and homework and grocery shopping. He buys it.
Bella tells us she dried her clean hair and fussed over what she would wear for tomorrow's first date.
(because little does she know, in
“Midnight Sun” p. 318, Edward is lurking outside the house in his usual tree
eavesdropping on the activity and any conversations that might be taking place inside, pampering his ego in his surprise that
Bella would bother blow drying her already perfect hair-for HIM!).
Too anxious to sleep, Bella takes
cold medicine, even though she’s not sick and plays some Chopin nocturnes on her
CD player/stereo with volume turned very low and tries to relax-one body part
at a time starting with her toes. She falls into a dreamless sleep.
(Once again, Edward DID sneak in, p.
319, to watch her again but spends many pages remembering his first Christmas
with Carlisle. He has no idea Bella drugged herself tonight, just glad his
Bella is, for once, sleeping tranquil and peaceful which makes him feel the
same)
All
apprehension Bella was feeling last night dissolves instantly when she opens
the door next morning and sees HIM!!! As they drive in her truck, he directs
her to take the 101 north and then right on the 110, “until you run out of
pavement.”
(Stephenie Meyer should’ve checked
her GoogleMaps. There’s some continuity issues here, the 101 runs north/south
DIRECTLY through Forks. So, if Bella lives in the south end of town and the 110
breaks away from the 101 just north of town and runs directly WEST ending at La
Push and First Beach then it is impossible for Bella to make a right turn, she
can only turn LEFT and they won’t find much hiking at their destination! Not to
mention Edward is coming VERY close to breaking the treaty! These directions
don’t make any sense but whatever. She doesn’t correct it in “Midnight Sun”
either p. 332)
He’s angry when she tells him
nobody, not even Charlie, knows she is spending the entire day alone with him.
Is she suicidal? She parks her truck, they get out, and he leads her into the forest on a deer path. He has
a few last questions for her: birthdays, her most memorable elementary school
teachers and childhood pets (so he can eat them?) They come to an opening in
the trees and Bella steps into a lovely meadow, straight out of a fairy tale.
It is perfectly round. She turns and sees Edward still lingering in the
shadows. Remembering he promised to show her something, she smiles and beckons.
He takes a deep breath and steps into the brightness…
Edward’s skin sparkles in the sunlight! Bella still can’t get over it, even after two hours of just hanging out with him in this beautiful place. Edward lay in the grass, shirt open, eyes closed, singing to himself in a voice too low for Bella to hear clearly as she sits next to him, chin on knees, content to just watch him. Hesitantly, she strokes the back of his glittering hand and he sighs. Asks her, again, what she’s thinking? She wants to believe he’s real and that she wasn’t afraid. Of what? Instead of answering, Bella is distracted by the cool airflow coming from his mouth. She can smell his breath. Intoxicating!
Suddenly, he bolts. Then returns
slowly. Confession time: He’s the world’s greatest predator; he tells her and
laughs bitterly. Nothing can outrun him. Violently rips a tree branch and says,
(less violent) nobody could ever fight him and win. Now, where were we? Apologizes
for his rude behavior (he’s a monster AND a gentleman!). Bella admits she is
afraid of him, not because she fears for her life but because she knows they can’t really BE together like a human boy
and girl and she WANTS to be with him in that way. He admits wanting the same
but it’s more dangerous for HER as she is like an addiction for him. His own
special brand of heroin. That class full of children on her first day at school
all gawking at her, lusting after her-except him-HA! She must have thought him
possessed.
In a way, he was, for it took every
effort of self-control Carlisle had taught them not to kill her right then and
there in biology class or speak the hypnotic words that would’ve drawn her to
him so he could get her alone for the murder.
Next morning, he was in Alaska but
two days later he was so disgusted with himself letting “an insignificant
little girl” keep him from his family, from living the life he preferred, he
came back and tried to treat her like any other human…until the day she was nearly
killed in the school parking lot. All he could think of was Not her and not wanting to have her
blood all over the pavement, risking both himself and his family’s exposure.
The other Cullens were divided over
what he did that day-for and against saving the life of a human. It was agreed
nothing would be done. Edward argued Bella would keep their secret. He admits,
he was shocked she kept her word, didn’t tell anyone what really happened. All
the while her scent, the temptation
to kill her and drink her blood has always been there.
Now, alone in these woods with no
witnesses…he calls her Isabella for the first time, ruffles her hair. Edward is
practically declaring himself to be in love with her but he doesn’t say it,
only that he KNOWS this now-he could never live with himself if ANYTHING were to
happen to her. She has now become the most important thing to him. Bella tells
him she would rather die than never see him again. What idiots they are! They
both laugh at the irony. So, the lion fell in love with the lamb.
Bella wants to know how she can
make this easier for him-no throat exposure? He laughs in delight. She has a
lovely blush. He takes her face in his hands, places his head on her chest and
listens to her heart for the longest time. Enjoys the feel of her warm skin.
She, in turn, explores his face with her hand while he sits perfectly still,
eyes closed. He’s not sure how to be close to her, follow his deeply buried
human instincts. Maybe another day they can explore this further. For now, the
sun is receding behind the trees and it is time to go back.
He runs with her on his back and
Bella just about passes out. He laughs in triumph because he can now,
officially, resist her. He passed the test! He doesn’t want to kill her
anymore. Bella is besotted by his presence. He brushes his lips along her
jawline but before they get into her truck there’s something he wants to try.
Edward takes her face in his hands
and leans in very close to place a very soft kiss on her lips. Bella’s
passionate reaction takes them both by surprise! She is much more affected than
him and it annoys Bella. Since she can hardly walk a straight line, Edward
insists on driving. Bella tosses him the key.
(Bella still has a ton of questions but while Edward provides more insight/info dumping in "Midnight Sun" pgs 383-392 he keeps a lot of this to himself)
Bella’s
stomach growls and Edward apologizes for forgetting she has human needs. She
invites him into the house. As lasagna rotates in the microwave, He admits he’s
been spying on her, (since Chapter 4) sneaking in through her bedroom window
almost every night while she slept to hear her talk in her sleep. Bella is very
embarrassed as she can just imagine what he most likely HEARD. Like his name!
He hugs her, tells her not to be ashamed.
Headlights
flash. Charlie’s home. Edward quite literally disappears as Charlie comes in,
eats the same leftovers that Bella heats up for him. Notices she’s awfully
keyed up this evening. Bella insists she’s actually very tired and will be
going to bed early. No, she has no dates or any further plans this weekend.
Mike Newton is too immature for her. (But never mind that, EDWARD!!! is
actually waiting upstairs in her room for her-squeeee!!!)
She hurries to shower, wash her hair, (again) brush her teeth, wishes she brought that Victoria’s Secret nightshirt her mother gave her two years ago for her birthday.
(While Bella showers, to pass the time, Edward found one of Bella's books Tooth and Claw p. 410, and started reading, a genre which, after her disappointing bookstore search in Port Angeles, I have hard time believing Bella would like but whatever)
Edward kisses
and caresses her everywhere but her lips and she struggles to remain calm and
composed. She WANTS HIM!!! He admits his surprise how easy it is for him now to
just be with her like this. He laughs again. He was so jealous of all of them,
Mike Newton especially, and all the others because they are human and weak and
not a constant threat to her life.
Bella still can’t believe he would be attracted
to her physically. Compared to their
glamour, especially Rosalie, she’s the ugliest creature on God’s earth. Edward
reassures her she is plenty and after 90 years of being asexual, he can’t
believe he finally had his awakening. Now he won’t be the odd vampire out in
his family. Now he has someone. He strokes her wet hair from the top of her
head to her waist. For him it is just mind over matter. He can do it. Bella
wants him to never leave her side, for the rest of eternity. He confesses, that
first night he snuck in to watch her sleep (not creepy at all) and heard her
say his name, well, that was it.
Suddenly, Charlie peeks in to check on his daughter, They duck just in time (thanks to Edward’s warning) and as soon as the door closes, Edward’s cool arm is around Bella again under the covers and they snuggle some more.
(“Midnight Sun” p. 409 …as
if it were a perfectly routine thing for me to lie with her this way. Oh
no, Stephenie, this isn’t creepy or unhealthy AT ALL!!!)
He starts humming again, offers to
sing her to sleep. She would rather know more about vampire life and what the
other Cullens’ “gifts” are which Edward lists for her: Carlisle’s compassion,
Esme can love passionately (how useful is that?) Emmett has incredible
strength, Rosalie has…tenacity (or she’s just really really HOT) Jasper can
manipulate the emotions in a room or in a crowd of people-make them as calm or as
really worked up as he wants and, like he mentioned earlier today, in this chapter, Alice can foresee future
events.
Before she falls asleep, Bella has
just one more question-what about a vampire’s sexuality? If a male and female
vampire can get “married” in the human sense, as Rosealie and Jasper will do,
again, for the sake of keeping up appearances-what about her and Edward? Does
HE want a relationship with her, the way a human man might desire with a woman?
Edward assures her beneath all this immortality and superhero comic book powers,
he is still a man. But he has to be VERY CAREFUL with her. One careless caress
and she might just shatter to pieces in his arms-he’s that powerful, that
strong. Bella isn’t worried. She drifts off to sleep as Edward starts humming
again.
(“Midnight Sun” p. 418 Edward DID make a quick trip home where Roselie is ready to eat him alive for his pitiful romantic fling with a human who, she believes, should stay that way. Edward begs her to be nice to Bella. Rose is making no promises. He goes inside to change into fresh clothes and comes out to have a brief chat with Alice who can’t wait for the formal introductions she already foresaw will take place later today.)
Ecstatic to see him, Bella flies to his lap for a hug. Charlie
already left for his usual Sunday routine of spending time in the great outdoors,
fishing and whatever. Edward heard/saw him leave. With the coast clear, Bella
excuses herself to brush her teeth, fix her hair and make herself more
presentable before running back to Edward’s arms because he’s not going
anywhere. He rocks her as if she were a child. Bella declares her love. He only
replies, “You are my life now,” and they spend the next hour or so cuddling in
the rocking chair until Edward playfully throws her over his shoulder and carries
her downstairs so the human can eat her usual bowl of cereal.
It is
established that Edward is now Bella’s “vampire boyfriend” and to make it
official, he’d like to take her home today so she can meet his vampire family.
Oh, and they should probably let Charlie know they are officially “in a
relationship” now (that they’ve practically eloped behind his back!). Bella
changes into a long khaki skirt, the same dark blue blouse she wore for their
“first date,” pulls her impossibly messy hair into a ponytail and skips back
downstairs where Edward shows his approval by kissing her for the second time
in the story.
This time Bella passes out! She
blames it on nerves-not that her life might be in danger but over her apprehension in
meeting his family. That’s why she passed out. She just KNOWS these
model-perfect Cullens won’t approve of her homely appearance. They are SO COOL
while she is so…ordinary. Edward rolls his eyes and tells her she’s being
ridiculous.
The Cullen
residence is located several miles north of town as Edward drives her truck
along the 101 over the only bridge in the area spanning the Calawah River. He
turns onto a private road and drives several more miles through dense forest
until they arrive. It is large and modern (or just a really good remodeling job
but I always pictured it like in the movie) with the entire back wall of the
living area that faces the Sol Duc River made entirely of glass. There’s a
raised section where a grand piano rests. Carlisle and Esme are standing in
this living area waiting like a couple in a magazine, perfectly coiffed and
dressed to the nines, ready to welcome Bella to their home.
Alice and Jasper enter. Alice also
comments on Bella’s inviting scent. Bella gazes at the instrument dominating
the Great Room. She had no idea Edward could play, as Esme informs her. Bella
certainly has no musical talent (which is too bad, it might give them something MORE in common than just lust!). Edward seats himself at the piano, urging Bella to sit beside him.
He plays “Bella’s Lullaby” and Bella nearly swoons. Like everything he does,
Edward excels at tickling the ivories. It makes Bella teary eyed. Noticing her
tender emotions, Edward touches her wet eye and tastes one of her tears. Alice had
a vision of future visitors but, never fear, Edward is determined to keep her
safe. Everyone has left the room by now to give them some privacy. Bella never
got to meet Emmett or Rosalie and tries very hard not to mind. Edward assures
her Emmett has no problem with her, Rosalie will come around.
Upstairs, a large wooden cross is hanging in the hallway. It belongs to Carlisle. His father, an Anglican minister, carved it back in the 1600’s and it hung in the vicarage where he preached. Carlisle just celebrated his 362nd birthday! His father was passionate about snuffing out witchcraft…and vampires. His son followed in his footsteps but was slower to accuse and burn those who might be innocent-until he DID discover a coven of true vampires. He was 23 at the time. He was attacked but not killed. He hid himself in an abandoned cellar for three days until he realized what he’d become…and wished for death.
(Compare this version
with Edward’s in “Midnight Sun” starting on p. 446. He left out all the good
stuff! Such as exactly WHERE Carlisle was bitten-his hand and forearm-and that
he’d done a poor job creating Edward by repeating the same puncture wounds to
inflict the venom. He knows better now!)
Knowing he could never face his
father again, Carlisle ran away, swimming the English channel (vampires do it
all the time!) and wandering like Cain or Bigfoot, avoiding any contact with
humans while battling his thirst for human blood. He hated every minute of it.
Tried numerous times to take his own life, but it was impossible. Carlisle has
never killed anyone, which has always astonished Edward as well as holding his
adopted father in the highest respect.
After a very long time, Carlisle
became so weak that one night, when a herd of deer passed his hiding place in a
lonely forest; he attacked and made an amazing discovery. Animal blood could be
used as a substitute! Feeling reborn, he began building his new life.
They are still in the office and
Edward stops in front of another very old, very large, painting-this time by a
real life Baroque artist Solimena who supposedly painted Carlisle and some new
vampire friends he discovered living in Italy. While these three male vampires
did not believe in drinking animal blood, they still lived on a higher level
than the lowlife scum of the sewers who made no attempt to remember the 6th
commandment of their former life. By this time, Carlisle was taking night
school courses at such esteemed universities as the ones these “Nighttime
Patrons of the Arts” supported. Carlisle decided to become a doctor and
dedicate his life to helping humans.
As more centuries passed and
America was discovered, he parted from his friends and decided to try his luck
there. He was growing desperate to find others like himself-civilized vampires
who shared the same standards regarding human life. He’d been toying with the
idea of figuring out how to “create” a companion, though he was unsure how to
do it. He was working nights in a Chicago hospital during the Spanish Flu pandemic
when fate led him to the bedside of one dying orphan boy named Edward…
It took ten years before Edward finally rebelled against this new life he’d been brought into. While he still holds the highest respect for his surrogate father, he wanted to try living on his own for awhile-he would only kill the evil humans-murderers and rapists. It worked for a time but, like Batman, the life of a noble vigilante did not change anything.
(We get another fascinating side story on p. 454 that Edward edited out for his sensitive Bella, the murder that haunted him the most, most likely his last one before…)
He returned and
recommitted himself to Carlisle’s lifestyle, acting as medical assistant. By
this time, Carlisle had found and “turned” Esme. She will recount her story to
Bella in the next chapter.
Edward’s room is equally amazing.
One entire wall contains Edward’s unbelievable CD collection, all lined up on
their shelves by preference. There is no bed, just a black leather sofa for the
occupant to relax on. With all this info-dumping, Bella grins at a rather
uncomfortable looking Edward, guessing correctly he is still amazed she hasn’t
run away screaming by now. As she keeps telling him, eyebrow raised, he’s
really not as formidable as he thinks he is.
With that, Edward growls and
mock-attacks her, crushing her to his chest in the most gentle of iron grips,
just as Alice enters with Jasper. Alice has a very dry sense of humor as she
wondered if Edward was having lunch and would share Bella? She’s just kidding.
Baseball anyone?
(Meanwhile, Edward moves to his usual tree just outside the house so he can eavesdrop on the conversation and repeat it for us, just in case the reader hasn't already read Twilight! "Midnight Sun" p. 466. Once Billy and Jacob leave he will run alongside their car eavesdropping on THEIR conversation, reliving Billy's memory two years ago when Carlisle phoned to inform him he was bringing his family here, p. 470 Then he runs home to borrow Emmett's jeep for the date.)
A light
rain has begun to fall as Bella invites her guests inside. Jacob pushes his
father’s wheelchair then is sent back out to their car on some meaningless
errand so Billy can speak with Bella alone. He follows her into the kitchen,
watches her put the brown paper bag of fish fry in the fridge. All Billy really
has to say is that the word is out among their tribe that she’s been spending a lot of time with the
Cullens. Think about what you’re doing, he advises her, about the danger it
might bring Charlie. Bella stares him down-playing dumb-she has no idea what
Billy is trying to warn her about but there is nothing wrong with the new
friends she is making here in Forks.
Billy and
Jacob leave and Bella goes upstairs to change into a more casual outfit for her
date tonight. The phone rings. It’s Jessica. She had a great time at the dance last night. Mike KISSED her! Sqeeeeee! And,
Charlie’s home. Bella says a quick goodbye and breezily announces to her father
they are having breaded fried fish for dinner, thanks to her earlier company. She
gets to work fixing and serving it. Billy and Jacob say “Hi” and, uh, I guess
you should know I’m going out with Edward Cullen tonight. He’s taking me to
play baseball with his family.
Charlie DROPS HIS FORK and chokes out, "Edwin Cullen?"
No, dad, EDWARD and no he’s not too old for me. We’re the
same age. We’re both juniors.
(Hearing his cue, "Midnight Sun" p. 476) The doorbell rings and Edward enters on his very best
behavior-“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Your daughter will be safe with me, sir.”
Bella nearly dies with embarrassment and both men chuckle.
Bella and
her dad do double takes as they see what’s parked outside. Not Edward’s sleek
Volvo but a truly off-road vehicle. A Hummer/Jeep that Bella couldn’t haul
herself into without Edward’s one handed boost. Rain is now pouring down which
Bella is grateful for as Edward assists her with the complicated seatbelt/restraining
harness. She tries not to hyperventilate at the nearness of Edward’s hands on
her body. He kisses the top of her head when he’s done, commenting on how GOOD
she smells in the rain. Then proceeds to drive.
Edward parks and helps Bella down. Noticing
her apprehension, Edward places both hands on either side of Bella, pinning her
against the large vehicle and starts kissing her-everywhere but her mouth-gently probing. Why is she so afraid of being piggy-backed through the forest
with HIM? Between orgasms, Bella gasps she’s afraid of being sick, hitting a
low tree branch and…um…He takes her face in his hands and she responds by wrapping
her arms around his neck as he is now kissing her in earnest. It is getting
VERY hot in here. Edward suddenly breaks away with the first honest-to-goodness
swear word the author has dropped in her narrative.
Edward says
the D-WORD!!!!
And with that, he swings Bella onto his back and takes off
into the woods.
He’s upset and Bella thinks he’s angry at HER but he’s not.
He laughs at her weak dismount. He’s disgusted with himself, he gently explains
as Bella brushes herself off. He could’ve KILLED her back there with the
passionate kiss they shared. Doesn’t she get it? He LOVES her.
This is the first time he’s said it.
("Midnight Sun" p. 486)
They join the rest of the family in the clearing (NOT the
same one from yesterday). Alice dances over to greet them. Carlisle must be
exempt from a doctor’s regular 12 hour shifts because he’s here too, marking
bases. Esme is very pleased to see Bella again. Rosalie is pouting on the other
side of the field. She has yet to say one word to her adopted brother’s new
girlfriend. Edward ruffles Bella’s hair and runs onto the field. Esme doesn’t really
play, she acts as umpire and keeps Bella company. She lost a child and threw
herself off a cliff when Carlisle rescued her. Now she has the opportunity to
be a surrogate mother and is very satisfied with her new life. She is VERY glad
her “old maid” oldest son finally found someone. She tells Bella it will all
work out…somehow.
The unusual
game begins with Alice pitching, Emmett up to bat and Edward out in the field
to catch. The ball smacks against the bat with such force, Bella understands
why they can only play during thunderstorms. No rain falls on them, thanks to
Alice! Bella is actually enjoying herself as Edward and his siblings get into
another friendly argument over a play.
Just then,
Alice sees three vampires in the area and they are coming to investigate the
pastime activities of other vampires. It is no use trying to hide the human.
Carlisle directs them to continue playing as if nothing was amiss. Edward stands
protectively in front of Bella and tells her to take her hair down from its
ponytail. Alice tells him it does nothing to hide Bella’s scent but again, it
is too late now. Here they come.
The wind picks up again and James suddenly looks at Bella with wicked intentions in his dark eyes. These civilized vampires have a human! Edward makes feral noises Bella has never heard before, they send shivers down her back but she is more terrified by the visitors.
(For Edward's perspective, see “Midnight
Sun” pgs 500-510)
Edward leads Bella away before slinging her onto his back. Bella is
too much in shock to even argue her earlier fear of running through the forest.
They arrive at the car; Bella is strapped in by both Emmett and Alice while
Edward is already peeling away on the uneven dirt road.
Now, it is Bella’s turn to say the
D-word as she demands to know where Edward is taking her? Far away from here. Edward
saw James’ mind. His gift is tracking; the thrill of the hunt and his prize is
Bella. Over Edward’s dead body! So he’s taking her away. Now. Bella protests
loudly and Alice backs her up. They can’t just kidnap Bella and take her to the
farthest ends of the earth. What about Charlie? They can’t just leave him
defenseless.
Edward pulls over in defeat. Bella has a plan: they take her home to Charlie’s just long enough for her to pack some bags and lie to Charlie that she’s going back to Phoenix. Then they can take her any darn (she doesn’t say “darn”) place they want. Even Edward agrees it’s not a bad plan.
He pulls up outside the house and Bella has 15 minutes to
get her things, get in her truck and she’d better be at the designated
rendezvous and Edward can run her out of town. Except, Bella and Alice both point out, Edward can’t go with
Bella. He has to stay in town or Charlie will think
they’ve eloped to Vegas and he’ll try to follow and be in danger all over again
of crossing paths with James. Alice sorts through her visions and finds the best outcome-Bella convinces Edward to give her one week while he and Emmett throw James off her trail, then
he can come meet her in Phoenix where she’ll be hiding out with Alice and
Jasper, somewhere James will never find them. Edward concedes.
Poor, stunned Charlie can only
watch helplessly as Bella hurriedly locks herself in her room, packs a bag, (Edward
is already there, handing her stuff) storms back downstairs and outside to her
truck. She yells over her shoulder to Charlie that she’ll call him tomorrow and
he lets her go, looking very dejected.
Tears pour down Bella’s cheeks as she tries to focus on the road. Edward is already in the truck with her of course and since she’s obviously much too upset to drive (she’d never find her way to the Cullen house by herself anyway) he slides her over his lap very efficiently taking over the driving without missing a beat. James arrived at Charlie’s just in time to hear the end of Bella’s drama. He’s running behind them now, following the truck but Alice is also following them in the jeep. Emmett jumps onto the back of the moving truck and Bella lets out a bloodcurdling scream before Edward corrects her. He is still good with this plan. Bella, on the other hand is already kicking herself for coming up with it. She can’t be without her Edward for that many days!!!
Edward tells her the only way this “game” will end is by
killing James. Ripping off his limbs one by one, then his head, and then
burning all the pieces. Carlisle won’t like that, but Edward tells her, after
all the thoughts he heard and saw in James’ mind back at the makeshift baseball
field, they have no choice. Bella is very troubled that there is a way vampires can be killed. She doesn't want that to happen to her Edward who basically tells her she's being an idiot-which she is. ("Midnight Sun" p. 534)
Edward
pulls up to the house where Emmett takes Bella and bodily carries her inside,
just in case James decides to attack. Everyone, even Laurent, is already inside
the Great Room with its white wall-to-wall carpeting and expensive furniture.
Laurent is sorry to hear of James’ plan but there’s not much he can do. These
three bad vampires haven’t been together very long and James is actually, if
you can believe it, their unofficial “leader” James and Victoria are probably meeting up right now to begin the hunt and Laurent is not about to get
in the middle of this so…Carlisle tells him to go in peace, no hard feelings.
They will deal with James. Laurent warns them to be careful. James is very VERY
good at what he does in his spare time.
Edward orders Rosalie to take Bella
upstairs so they can change clothes. Rosalie just glares at both of them and
speaks for the first time in Bella’s hearing-no dice. Esme swings Bella up into
her arms instead and carries her upstairs. A very weak attempt to try and throw
off James but they are taking no chances. Esme and Rosalie will be Bella’s
decoy, taking her truck. Alice knows James will follow the boys and Victoria
the girls while nobody will care where the Mercedes with Alice, Bella and
Jasper is going.
Edward gives Bella one last quick
kiss and the groups separate with Edward, Carlisle and Emmett as the hunting party.
Alice, Jasper and Bella are the last to leave the house. As Alice goes out to
the detached (renovated building) garage to bring the Mercedes around, Jasper
very kindly informs Bella he can pick up her emotions and she’s wrong. She IS
worth it. Alice reappears and is the VERY FIRST vampire to actually ask Bella’s
permission before she lifts Bella into her own arms and carries her out to the waiting
car, you know, just in case James is waiting to pounce.
It is pitch dark outside. She lets
the heavy, static curtain fall back, goes into the other room of the suite and
stays up with Alice and Jasper who are sitting like statues in front of the blaring TV.
She picks at the food Alice ordered for her and sits and waits like they are
doing.
The tiny,
silver cell phone on Alice’s bag never rings. It is a very long Tuesday and by
the afternoon, Bella is going stir-crazy. Alice follows her into the bedroom.
Bella wants to know how one becomes
a vampire. Alice tells her about the venom, another laughably unneeded weapon,
how it burns through the victim, changing and improving. Suddenly, she has a
vision, describing aloud a “mirror room” where she sees James intent on a TV
screen which is playing a video on the VCR. The room is dark and Alice has no
idea where this room is.
Just then Alice’s cell phone rings. Jasper already heard all the details of the vision. It’s Carlisle. Alice holds out the phone so Bella can speak to Edward who tells her they tracked James as far as Vancouver, Canada before he disappeared.
(The entire adventure is recounted in “Midnight Sun” pgs 544-553.) They think he got on a plane (they found a large shed in a very remote area where James obviously kept his own private bi-plane p. 552).
They figure James is most likely going back to Forks to pick up the
trail and rendezvous with Victoria. Charlie is safe. Victoria WAS prowling the
area but she’s gone now and her trail went cold (after she jumped into Puget Sound
just outside Port Angeles see “Midnight Sun” p.555 making it impossible to
track her any further.)
Bella tells Edward she loves him
and he says the same. All this time, Alice has been sketching the room she saw.
Bella recognizes it as the childhood ballet studio where she took dance lessons
for a short time. Knowing her Mom is due back here in Phoenix (Charlie told her this just before Bella got in her truck and drove away) she calls her mom and leaves a message on the house phone,
not giving away any important information only instructing Renée to call her at
the number which Alice writes down for her as she’s talking. The three continue
to sit and ruminate until Bella finally falls asleep with her last conscious
thought of Alice’s cold, hard arms-carrying her to bed.
From Alice's end, it’s Renée
and she sounds panicked. Alice hands Bella the phone and Bella talks soothingly before she is interrupted.
The tenor voice of James very pleasantly instructs her if she ever wants to see
Mom alive again, she is to lie to her vampire friends, get away from them as
soon as she can and come to where he is holding her mom hostage. Following the
terrifying instructions, Bella turns and walks into the other room, pretending
to talk to Renée, reassuring her everything is okay directing her to stay where
she is in Florida.
She is James’ helpless puppet,
repeating everything he is telling her to say. She asks after Phil but James
dismisses her question, sternly reminding her to stick to HIS script. She will
ditch her friends at the airport and go to her mother’s house where there will
be a number by the phone for her to call. Choking on sobs Bella obediently
repeats loud enough for Alice in the other room to hear, “Good bye Mom, I love
you I’ll see you soon,” and hangs up fully believing her mother’s life is in
danger if she doesn’t do exactly as James said. Alice has yet to see the outcome of this, therefore-no visions.
Just in case anybody worries, Bella writes Edward a stupid letter, apologizing again and again for what she is about to do. Her handwriting isn’t very legible either, the font the editors chose-what were they thinking?! Bella is such an idiot.
How many times have the Cullens told Bella-over and over since chapter 18-Bella has NOTHING to worry about or fear that anything bad will happen to them. Their lives are NOT in danger (They have no life! They are the undead!) but Bella continues to believe these vampires with their superhero powers and gifts and indestructible bodies are just as weak and helpless as she is. And now we will appreciate just how talented Bella is with her acting skills as she returns to the other room calm, almost zombie-like, to inform Alice everything is perfectly okay. She talked her mom into staying in Florida.
She showers, packs up and they all
check out. Alice has had another vision but won’t share. Jasper’s gift is
currently keeping everybody feeling calm and peaceful, including Bella who
keeps her plans to herself. They suspect nothing.
Lucky for Bella, she knows this
airport very well. There’s a large bathroom with TWO exits not far from the
gate where Edward and Carlisle’s plane will be landing in ten minutes. But
Bella won’t be reuniting with Edward. Excusing herself from Alice and Jasper,
she enters the ladies room only to slip out the other side and downstairs to
the main entrance. She finds a cab and throws some money at the driver as a
bribe to take her to her subdivision, her old house, twenty minutes away which feels like
another lifetime ago. Why are we not surprised when Bella, after letting
herself in with the key under the mat and calls the number, she hears James’ easy,
pleasant voice instructing her to come to the ballet studio? Bella isn’t surprised.
Alice foresaw it after all.
You idiot Bella, IT’S A TRAP.
Sure enough, when Bella enters the dark, deserted but air
conditioned (Thanks James!) building she can hear her mother’s panicked voice
again, saying her name. She runs into the east studio only to find the TV
showing an old home movie James’ had been manipulating. It’s just him and
Bella. But instead of pouncing right away and tearing her to pieces, James STARTS
MONOLOGUING!!!
He goes on and on about how
Victoria was his eyes and ears back in Forks so she could pass on all the
information to him while he, in turn, led Edward and Carlisle on the wild goose
chase up to Canada. How easy it was to play his bluff and trick Bella into
coming here where he has a video camera all set up to record the wonderfully
evil tortures he’s about to inflict on his human victim. He certainly hopes her
boyfriend, (Edward isn’t it?) will come avenge her. He’s counting on it, in
fact.
Oh, and her little visionary
friend, Alice. He has a history with her, you see. Found her as a human, locked
away in the basement of an asylum but some old vampire (not Carlisle) changed
her to save her life from James. Vampires like the Cullens have been
interfering with his favorite pastime for too long now. Since he was unable to
have Alice for himself, this should even things up, to satisfy a hundred year
old grudge. They can keep Alice and he gets Bella in exchange. It seems only
fair, does it not? But enough of this talk. The irresistible, floral scent of
her blood is driving him mad. Human Alice smelled the same way and it just
wasn’t FAIR…
Bella tries
to run for the exit but James is much much quicker. He attacks and Bella is
flung across the room, headfirst into the wall of mirrors which
shatter upon impact. He then proceeds to stomp on her leg, pretty much snapping
it. Bella hears a terrible scream and realizes it’s HER just before she passes
out.
("Midnight Sun" pgs 562-573. In the ensuing chase to save Bella, the Cullens embark on quite the crime spree which, in creative writing, requires a lot of "willing suspension of disbelief" that is-providing enough information to make your reader believe an event is taking place. Under Alice's direction and Edward's driving they first: steal a souped up WRX Subaru from the airport parking garage only to pull over and overturn it on the freeway causing a 27 car pile-up [Alice saw zero fatalities-really?!] so they can commandeer an innocent woman's Cayenne [AFTER Carlisle sedates her, leaving her unconscious form right there on the freeway!] which they drive to the ballet studio where Alice is already channeling horrific visions of Bella screaming in agony with blood splattered everywhere. Edward is, of course, trying not to freak out as he maneuvers the Porsche through the neighborhoods, blowing through stop signs and traffic lights so he can come crashing through the door of the studio ala Vincent from the "Beauty and the Beast" 1987 TV show coming to Catherine's rescue. In this case Bella's.)
She complains again of the terrible
pain in her hand. Hears Carlisle and Alice urging Edward to hurry and suck the
venom out before it changes Bella who can only plead weakly for Edward to never
leave her side again, that’s all she cares about.
The deed is
done. Edward did it! The pain dissipates (Carlisle administered morphine) and
just before Bella slips back into unconsciousness, she finds an awful lot of
info dumping to say: first she and Edward exchange “I love yous” then she tells
Edward about James’ brilliant plan which almost worked. Her mother is fine by
the way. Bella even finds enough breath to inform Alice that James knew who she
was. Then, after Edward calls her “sweetheart” (the very first time in the book
he’s called her by any term of endearment!) like an angel from another world, he carefully lifts Bella and carries her away to safety. Bella obeys his last tender words to her, falling into a peaceful, drug induced
sleep.
(“Midnight Sun” pgs. 573-615 More new content from Edward’s
perspective. First the Cullen family sits in their stolen car while Alice sorts
through her visions for the best cover up plan-arranging Bella's alibi, moving all the cars around, arranging the new transportation, shopping for clothes and luggage so the family can pose as humans not to mention torching the ballet studio to remove all evidence of James. There will be more petty theft
after they arrive at the hospital so Alice can go set up the hotel accident
scene. Carlisle has a good doctor friend to back up their story of how Bella
ended up at this particular hospital without an ambulance, why Edward will be carrying her unconscious body into the ER and Carlisle’s
remarkable skill in patching Bella up until she could be treated properly in
the ICU. It is all accomplished, just as Alice saw it. Edward never leaves Bella's side until Renée arrives and Edward gets to listen to such flaky, superficial thoughts as: He’s SOOO hot, what does he possibly
see in my daughter? which doesn’t impress Edward much-her thoughts
are loud enough to wake the dead, in fact.
And what story did they tell Renée? That Edward came to Phoenix to reconcile; Bella agreed to meet him at his room at the hotel and was just taking the back stairs up to see him when the freak accident occurred. Alice had a little too much fun creating the evidence of a bad fall. Alice knows everything as James was recording his entire monologue and they already played the videotape back and watched it.
(For those readers who assumed maybe Alice and Edward watched the video together, prepare to be disappointed. "Midnight Sun" pgs 604-614 just after meeting Renée but before Bella wakes up, Edward tears himself away from Bella's bedside, gets the video camera with its tiny playback screen from Alice and secludes himself in the hospital chapel/meditation room to completely immerse himself in masochism. We get to hear James' dedication of this little show to Edward just before Bella comes stumbling into the ballet studio ready to lay down her life for her mother only to realize too late that James is not going to sugar-coat her death for her. Edward is so upset by what he watches, even though we all know how it ends, he curls up in a ball on the chapel floor when it's all over...and prays. To Bella's God, even though we have no evidence of her, or Charlie for that matter, belonging to any specific religion. What he is REALLY doing here in this scene is finding the strength to start making his plans to leave Bella in the next book!)
Edward leans in for a kiss and they have some fun making Bella’s heart
monitor go crazy until Edward perceives they are about to have company.
He moves to the only easy chair in the room and pretends to have fallen into a deep sleep so when Renée peeks in she is very quietly thrilled her daughter regained consciousness. Now they can have a mother/daughter chat.
Bella reassures Renée she’s fine but shocked to learn
today is Friday, she’s been out for almost three whole days. And Edward? Renée asks, How
long has THIS been going on?!! Yes, he’s certainly very good looking but…her
daughter is SO YOUNG and he is obviously head over heels for her. Bella brushes
off their relationship as “just a crush” and lucky for her, Renée is too much
of a flake to press the issue. If Bella really does want to return to Forks,
instead of coming to live with her and Phil in Florida??? She found a great place
by the beach, Bella can have her own bathroom and she’ll love the weather, but
Bella is determined. She’s going back. Charlie needs her. Besides, he can’t
cook to save his life. Renée almost looks relieved as she exits. We won’t see
her again in this book. (Edward mentions her in passing-she left two days before they did-on p. 636 and that's it.)
Edward returns to her bedside and
they talk some more about this new development in their relationship. Edward is
surprised Bella is returning to Forks instead of embracing a new life for
herself in Florida but Bella is all “Don’t you EVER leave me again!” any hint
that Edward doesn’t want to stay by her side 24/7 makes her freak out. The
nurse comes in to check her monitors and tubes again and Bella calms down. They
have reached an impasse. Edward thinks Bella is insane for sort of hoping Edward
had NOT stopped the transformation process (horrifically painful as it was) and
let her become a vampire instead but Edward got that taste of her too. Bella is
also paranoid about getting older
that’s why she wants to be an eternally youthful, glamorous vampire, NOW.
Edward insists she should lead a normal human life as much as she can but Bella
says no way. This is true love, after all. And if Alice foresaw it, she will
have THAT to sustain her (until the fourth book!). Even Edward has to admit
she’s right, for it WILL happen. He doesn’t have to like it but he’ll
compromise with Bella by promising to stay…for now. Then he buzzes the nurse to
give Bella more pain meds to shut her up.
He’s taking her TO THE PROM?!!
The nerve! Edward KNOWS how she feels about social events and dancing in public she can’t believe she didn’t see this coming. Bella is actually crying in disappointment but she gets control of herself as they pull up to the high school where the event is being held in the gym,
(Found another continuity issue!!! Twilight p. 487 oh, yeah, sure the event is being held in the GYM but by the time Edward arrived, “Midnight Sun”
p. 646, prom got moved to the CAFETERIA!!)
all decked out in balloons and crepe paper-a horror
movie waiting to happen. Edwards chuckles for there are certainly enough
vampires here-incognito of course. And it’s true; all the Cullen kids are here
with their respective dates. Edward leads Bella onto the dance floor where
Emmett and Rosalie are already dancing like Fred Astaire and Ginger. All the
Cullen males look like models in their tuxedos and Rosalie’s dress is the envy
of every girl there, Bella included. Edward slides his feet under hers and
Bella doesn’t have to do anything but hold on. She’s actually enjoying herself,
until Edward lets out another of his famous vampire hisses and she sees who just crashed the party.
Jacob Black
is here. He’s also grown several inches since Bella last saw him. He cuts in to
inform Bella his dad paid him $20 bucks to come here tonight and “advise” Bella
to break up with her boyfriend. Sorry, he saved my life. Billy also told Jacob
to pass on a second message: “We’ll be watching” Bella isn’t fazed. Unable to
stand this any longer, Edward steps back in and Jacob gracefully concedes and, with no other reason to be here, makes his exit.
Edward is
annoyed at the interruption as he picks up the dance where he left off,
twirling Bella around on the floor. Bella catches sight of Angela looking
blissfully happy in the arms of Ben Chaney, Jessica is dancing triumphantly
with Mike while Lauren still hasn’t entirely forgiven Bella for making the most
sought-after boy in school fall in love with her. She glares at Bella from over
her date’s shoulder as Edward navigates Bella outside for some air and so they
can talk in private about why Bella got so upset earlier when she learned Edward was dragging her kicking and screaming to a DANCE.
Okay, so he
let Bella have her 15 seconds of fame at prom, she can check that human
rite-of-passage off her list now…but there’s still so much MORE he feels she
needs to experience before crossing over to their world. He hides any outrage
he might be feeling over Bella’s lack of intelligence (and the reader feels the same
way-is Bella really that dense thinking Alice went to all this trouble tonight dressing her up just so she could be
turned into a vampire like them??) Edward starts making out with her, kissing her
neck and jaw ect with his cold lips, asking if she’s ready NOW to cross
over into their dark world of endless night? Um…yes, er, no but…I want to be
with you FOREVER. "You will be," Edward promises her. He’ll stay. Bella tells him
again that she loves him and he kisses her.
THE END
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