1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

22.

Bambi stands at her locker, she holds her lock in one hand, and frowns at it. She's currently having trouble remembering the combination.

"Bambi" Edward whispers reaching her side, he holds out her bag and her violin case towards her. "Are you okay?" she looks to him and then to her things, she takes them from her.

"I'm fine" she whispers and looks back to her locker.

"Do you believe me?" he asks. "About the voices?"

"I don't know" she tells him. "Mind reading, that is some weird comic book superhero....sci-fi style stuff....real people don't have these kinds of.....abilities?" she sighs and then laughs a little. "You claim I am some mind reader....but I can't even remember my locker combination" she looks to him, he smiles and then laughs with her. He reaches up and turns the lock a few turns and it clicks open, she hangs her head and sighs.

"FYI" he whispers. "It's etched onto the locker" she looks up and to where he's pointing, her five numbered locker combination is there. She groans.

"I guess it's one of those days" she grumbles and opens the locker to set her things into it, Edward looks to the bottle of antipsychotic pills that sits in her locker. Humans. They see a problem and try to fix it with medication.

"Do they work?" he asks her, she looks to him and then to the pills.

"Some days" she answers with a shrug. "Most days I guess....." he looks to her as she pulls her history text book out of her locker.

"What happens if you don't take them?" he asks.

"I spend the day with a headache, with an overlapping symphony of voices....." she looks to him. "Thoughts...." She corrects. "In my head, so loud that I can't even pinpoint my own thoughts...." he looks to her sadly, that's how it had been when he first turned, when his telepathy appeared, one thought on top of another on top of another, till he learnt to block them out, to focus on one or another or none at all. "It makes me feel like I am going mad" she sighs and closes her locker. "So I take the pills" she tells him. "To be normal"

"But...you're extraordinary" he tells her. "Why would you want to be normal?" she smiles and shakes her head.

"So I can function" she tells him. "So I'm not sat in a corner, crying and pulling at my hair to make it all go away......"

"Bambi" he whispers.

"I'm not like you, Edward" she tells him. "I'm not...." she shakes her head.

"You're not what?" he asks.

"I don't walk around without a care in the world, I don't have people looking at me like I'm perfect, I don't have perfect grades, or the perfect family, or hair" she tells him.

"Is that what you think of me?" he asks. "That I don't have a care in the world?" she shrugs. "Well I do" he corrects. "And my family is far from perfect....." she looks to him as he touches her hand. "And you're wrong....about the way people look at you" they both just stare at one another, close, perhaps too close, her brown doe eyes staring up into his gold ones, her pupil constricting and dilating, he frowns.

"I can't hear you" she tells him, his frown deepens.

"What do you mean?"

"Your....thoughts....there is no...you voice" she answers. "I can't....hear you....I never noticed before....but..." she shakes her head. "Never mind" she sighs. "I should get to class" she steps away from him and then walks away, Edward frowns at her back. She can't read him just like he can't read her. There has to be something there. He looks to Connor who appears at his side.

"You're giving in" Edwards teases.

"Yeah, well....getting on with the Swan girl is working for you" Connor teases back, Edward shoots him a look. "You smile now" Edward smirks and nudges him, Connor smiles and nudges him back.

.........................

Bambi sets her bag on top of her car as she fishes around into it for her keys, Bella leans against the car at her side watching Connor talking to Edward across the parking lot.

"He spoke to me today" Bella states, Bambi looks to her twin.

"Who did?" she asks back. Bella shoots her a look.

"Connor"

"Who?" Bambi asks, Bella sighs.

"You know who" Bambi chuckles and grabs her keys.

"Yeah, and, what did he say? Sorry?" Bella shrugs. "So he didn't? Want me to punch him again?" Bella nudges her.

"No, no more punching" Bella looks to Bambi's hand. "We have to protect those hands" Bambi laughs. "One day you'll be this...world renowned violinist, with hands insured for millions" Bambi laughs and presses her head to the side of Bella's.

"Okay" Bambi nods. "No more punching, now what did he say?"

"He just....commented on the weather, asked a few questions about me....you, mom and Phil....like he was actually interested"

"Maybe my punch knocked some manners and sense into him" Bambi teases, Bella laughs and smiles at her twin.

"Maybe it did...." Bella suddenly remembers something and turns to Bambi. "Hey, it's your first race tomorrow.....did you talk to Charlie about it?"

"He's working" Bambi answers. "I didn't have the heart to ask him to come....It's fine....I'll just get Jake to tape it...."

"So they're coming? Jake and Cal?"

"Well I'm racing their the reservation team....and they're both all for team pride and all that....you better be there" Bambi warns. "With a big banner with my name on it" Bella laughs.

"I will be track side...as always" they share a warm look. "And I don't know about a banner...but I do still have my Bambi flag"

"No" Bambi faux gasps. "You don't?"

"I do....it's lucky" Bambi smiles and hugs her sister, Bella hugs her back.

"That is why I love you" Bambi tells her. Bella smiles and rubs her back.