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The weekend ended uneventfully. Nate spent Sunday relaxing, casually flipping through a couple of old books that had belonged to his mother. Although he'd promised himself he'd go through the belongings both parents had left behind, he wasn't in any hurry. His mind was still replaying the events of the previous day.
The prom was still a long way off, but he'd somehow found a date, and that felt strange. After hearing how Bella felt about her parents, he'd promised himself he'd do his best to make that night a pleasant experience: no pressure, no awkwardness. Just something worth remembering.
Monday arrived shrouded in gray skies, as usual in Forks. Nate kept to his routine: he got up before dawn, went for a run through the damp streets of the neighborhood, and returned with the cool air reviving his senses. When he arrived home, his grandmother greeted him from the kitchen with a distracted smile as she tried to teach her elderly cat to sit on command. The cat, of course, didn't seem very impressed.
"Maybe in your next life," Nate muttered as he poured himself some coffee.
Half an hour later, he was on his way to school. The overcast sky didn't provoke any reaction: that's how Forks was, and he'd already adapted. However, when he arrived at his first class of the day, he noticed something out of the ordinary.
Eric, who usually greeted him enthusiastically as soon as he sat down, seemed to deliberately avoid him. He stood two pews away, staring toward the window with an expression somewhere between annoyed and hurt.
Nate watched him out of the corner of his eye, confused. He tried to remember. Had he said something out of place? Made a slip of the tongue? The only possibility he could think of was that Eric had heard that Bella was going to the dance with him. But that was impossible. They'd only just agreed to it on Saturday. How could he find out so quickly? Still, Eric's expression seemed to make it clear.
It wasn't that Nate felt guilty about it. He liked Eric, but he didn't consider him particularly close. And, if he had to be honest, the idea of someone getting upset about something they couldn't control seemed a little immature. He hadn't "taken" anything away from anyone. He'd just asked Bella, and she'd decided for herself.
It was during government class that Nate finally focused again. The classroom was already half full when he walked in, and when he saw his seat occupied by Edward Cullen, he couldn't help but smile.
At last, he thought. At least that seemed like a step forward.
He approached without hesitation and sat down next to him. Edward noticed but didn't turn his head completely. His gaze remained fixed straight ahead, tense. Nate waited a few seconds before speaking, testing the waters.
"Hi. Nice to have you back in class, Edward," he said with a pleasant smile.
But Edward remained silent, as if ignoring him was the wisest thing to do.
Nate cringed inwardly. It didn't surprise him too much. It made sense for Edward to try to keep his distance if he considered him a threat to whatever he was hiding. He thought to himself with a mixture of humor and strategy:
It seems he's decided that to avoid giving himself away, it's best not to talk to me. That's okay. He's not the only Cullen I can find out something about. Personally, I enjoy talking to Alice... but Emmett seems like he can't keep a secret. Maybe if I focus on him...
He didn't finish that thought when Edward let out an audible sigh and turned slightly towards him.
"I'm sorry. I've had a bad day. I didn't mean to be rude. How are you?"
Nate detected the effort behind those words, but he didn't take it personally. If he'd learned anything from watching him, it was that Edward Cullen rarely did anything without careful thought.
"No problem. I just thought today would be a good day to not talk to walls," he replied with a half smile, while in his mind he began to calculate how to find out something today.
Edward was silent for a few seconds before responding with another forced smile.
"I think the walls would be better company than me right now," he replied with a low laugh that, to anyone's eyes, would seem fake, as if Edward weren't used to chatting.
Nate noticed again what he'd noticed before: that moment when Edward seemed to disconnect from the present. A pause, brief but strangely precise, as if his attention had drifted elsewhere. As if… he were listening to something else.
"I'm sorry," Edward finally said, his jaw tensing. "This class... I'm having a hard time concentrating. Maybe we can talk another time."
Nate nodded. He didn't press the issue further. But now that Edward had uttered longer sentences, he detected something new. His way of speaking was unusually formal. Archaic, even. As if each sentence was measured and considered. It wasn't just that Edward was reserved. It was as if his vocabulary came from another era.
Nate watched him with renewed interest. I have all the time in the world to find out what they're hiding, he thought. He smiled at him kindly.
"I hope we'll be friends," he said with measured sincerity.
Edward gave him a tight smile. "Me too."
But just as the conversation seemed to be dying, Nate noticed Edward's gaze slid to someone behind him. His face hardened, his lips forming a tight line. Nate discreetly turned and saw Tyler Crowley, another of the Forks students who seemed as interested in Bella as a wolf in a piece of meat, sitting a few benches back.
He seemed to be frowning at Nate. Something in his gaze reminded him of Eric's expression, only tinged with more resentment. When he noticed them both looking at him, Tyler looked away and pretended to pay attention to the class.
Nate dismissed it as just someone else who had somehow found out about Bella. So, without paying any further attention, he turned his gaze to Edward, who continued to watch Tyler as if he could read something beyond the visible.
Edward realized too late that Nate was watching him. He tried to compose himself and opened his mouth with some reluctance before speaking.
"Uh... hey, Nate," he suddenly stammered. "You and Bella Swan..."
He stopped as if the question stung his throat. Finally, with a rueful expression, he looked back ahead, clearly deciding not to continue.
Nate stared at him for a moment, a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment. Before he could say anything, the teacher called on him to answer a question about the class.
But deep down, the real question of the day had been left hanging in the air.
Author's Notes:Don't forget the Powerstones! :)