Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:16:47 -0500 From: Lucky Venym Subject: Blood Moon Chapter 2 Disclaimer: All characters of the Twilight series are property of the author Stephanie Meyers. I only use them to tell a further story and respectfully thank her for spinning such a wonderful story. All characters in the story are fictitious. Thus this is a fan's work and feel free to email comments or suggestions. This piece takes place after Breaking Dawn. If you were looking for a spank bank story you might want to keep going. It probably won't get interesting until several chapters in and if that's your goal let me save you some time. Secondly, this story deals with homosexual relations between men above the age of 18. Thus if such material is deemed unlawful in your area, you might want to switch to a different story. If you're under 18, same advice. Lastly, I have no idea if the actors/ actresses of Twilight are gay. Quite frankly they are not the point of this story. Thus I make no assessment of their sexuality. Blood Moon Chapter 2 -- Flirting with the Reaper This week was going to be something less than pleasant. I had broken up with Jake, Nick -- the ol' roommate- was getting on my last nerve and I was getting a new student. Granted the last item was not as big of a deal but when you're already overloaded... The week started off well enough -- Jake waking up and offering to cook breakfast. I asked him what he was going to make and he replied whatever I wanted. This lead to the same argument we've had a thousand times: we are two people not one. He saw it as sweet; I saw it as he wasn't confident enough to have an opinion. And thus another fruitless relationship died. At least this one I could say hello to. I probably should have been more upset than I was. Nick stumbled out of his room and grinned as he heard the front door. "So another one bites the dust eh Terminator?" he poked. "Leave it be if you know what's good for you" I growled, knowing full well he wouldn't. "Yeah we know how that'll work for you. You owe me $5 for calling this one. I said he was too much of a pussy and you couldn't get past his `beautiful eyes'..." Nick droned on in his condescending tone. I could've killed the asshole for gloating. So I figured I'd just have to settle for cutting off his balls on a metaphoric level. "Well at least I know how to get a date. How many nights has it been since you've been with someone who is something more than a one night trick?" I rebutted. Nick scowled and yelled "Fuck you!" More than anything Nick wanted to settle down and raise a family -- sans the kids. So my comment was a little below the belt. `Fuck it' I thought. I figured if I made dinner and gave him a chance to calm down all would be well later. Hell if I do the dishes he'll be thrilled. I hopped in the truck and ran down to pick up some supplies for the week. Luckily I know where to get slides, bromphenol blue stain, and kelp on a Sunday. Nothing like starting a unit on Microbiology without supplies. So after an hour and a half of purchasing supplies only a teacher would get, I made my way to the local coffee house. "The usual Scott?" Nancy asked from behind the counter. One of the few good things about living in a small town is never having to say more than you want to. I nodded and sat down at a small table near the counter and unpacked my supplies to start writing my lessons for the week. Over my shoulder I heard some of the local high school girls giggling and casting sideway glances at me. In the small town of Port Jeddo I was something of an anomaly -- a single attractive male in his mid-twenties who was apparently not dating anyone. Most people grew bored of the small town and looked at sex as its most interesting attraction. So I was generally viewed as the new ride about to open. I glanced up at Nancy who wore a knowing grin. "You know you could just tell them and put them out of their misery." Nancy teased. "But what's the fun in that?" I bantered. "You worried about holding onto your title as the most eligible bachelor in town? Gladys sold the old Sharpe place on the lake. Said there were some real lookers in the family. Something about a large extended family and some foster kids." "Yeah I know the family has a daughter in my class. She's supposed to be brilliant. God I hope that's the case because I couldn't deal with another rich little prima donna." I said while sipping on my coffee. By now the girls had noticed that I was talking with Nancy and had scooted closer to hear what we were talking about. "I don't know how you do it. Work, work, work and only the occasional bout of fun. I'd go crazy if Chris wasn't in the picture. Why haven't you found that special someone yet?" Nancy asked. "You could have anyone in this town and yet you rarely date. You know I just want you happy but..." I interjected before she could get much further in her typical motherly role "You know that I'm waiting on you Nancy." Flirting was a specialty of mine. She smirked appreciating the attention, but knew what I was doing and gave me the benefit of silence. I gave her my mug and bid her adieu. As I was walking out of the door, I abruptly changed course and approached the gaggle of girls. "Hey ladies far be it from me to meddle in your affairs, but you might want to go talk to the gentleman in the corner over there. He's been coyly looking over your way -- I think he may be interested. Go make the first move." The group blushed and I quickly excused myself. As I got in the truck I noticed one of the girls leave the group and approach the young man in the corner. Once I got home I was greeted by Nick scowling at his computer. I'm sure he was less than pleased with my behavior, but he needed to learn to suck it up if he was going to poke the sleeping bear at the zoo. "Hey how does manicotti sound?" I asked. "Sure" Nick snipped. Hmm this was going to be trickier than anticipated. I began preheating the oven and putting away dishes from the washer. I couldn't help but notice he was on a dating site again. Nick was attractive enough; he just had some serious personality issues that made him dating impaired. Some previous examples included; refusing to talk with someone after they said they didn't care for his glasses, finding out someone had kissed an ex of his prior to them dating, and my personal favorite- not having enough life goals. He's a wonderful guy he just needs to get the stick out of his ass. "Any preference for sides? Corn, asparagus, broccoli?" I asked. "No" refusing to give more than one word answers is his way of saying `I'm still pissed'. Time to pull out the big guns. "Nancy said something about a new guy coming into the shop this week. He was asking about Finders." Finders was the local gay bar, and Nick took to fresh meat like a shark to blood. "Really what does he look like?" He asked turning away from his computer. His interest was fully piqued and I was now totally forgiven. "Nancy said he was a looker and he mentioned living out by the old farm off Quaker Hill. Definitely family I believe was her comment." I continued. With Nick reeled in I continued with the idle chatter while cooking dinner. By the time I was melting cheese Nick had himself married to the imaginary stranger. I merely snickered and nodded as he laid out his ceremony plans, and inwardly smirked at his predictability. Nick decided to go out on his blind date he had lined up for the evening, just in case it was the hottie. I cleaned up the dishes and enjoyed the quiet. Since I had all of my work done, I decided to make the most of the cool crisp fall afternoon and go for a stroll on the beach before it freezes. The jog was peaceful to say the least. The lake zephyrs swept the sand into beautiful patterns. The water broke on the beach and occasionally was picked up by the wind, adding a moist scent to the air. I stopped at one point on the beach and crouched down enjoying the beauty of the sunset. How often are people completely at peace? Does it happen sporadically and people are just unaware, or is in these few precious moments life becomes clear? As the last magenta hue winked out of the night sky, I brushed myself off and began the lazy walk home. Hmm lights are on at the old Sharpe estate. I wonder who bought it. Upon arriving home I noticed two cars in the drive; neither of which were Nick's. Shaking my head I knew it would be an interesting morning. I went to bed laughing at the racket going on in his room. Nick would be sore in the morning. I arrived at school the next day at 6AM, bailing on my workout. I figured I could make it up after school and I had too much to get done before school to worry about it. The custodian smiled and held the door for me as I hauled my stuff in. I set his coffee that I had picked up on his desk and was on my merry way. It pays to bribe secretaries, custodians and any other support staff -- schools are no exception. Since I am a less than tidy teacher they never complain about how messy the room might be. As I took off my jacket I notices the white glare of a CA60 sitting on my desk. CA's are the omen that a new student is arriving that day. Lovely, the new student is from out of state judging by the lack of info. Her name is Renesme Cullens. It seemed a bit strange that she lacked info in her file even if she was out of state, judging by the amount of money her family had. Typically the rich had their poop in a group before they moved. This must have been a rush to get out of Dodge. "Screw it" I mumbled and began to hunt down books, supplies and a copy of the class handbook for the new student. After getting her desk all set I began rearranging the desks to figure out where the new girl was going. I loved my kids this year, but the girls were somewhat predatory. They have a clique mentality that teachers don't usually see until middle school. Let's say that I finally hit my limit when I went through seven boxes of tissue because the girls thought they weren't big enough. I have broken the majority of them but there were two remaining strong holds, Bri and Madi, who remained warring factions. My class hardly made it through a day without one of them being a conniving bitch. God just give me boys -- they beat the crap out of each other and it's done and dealt with. So after negotiating the desks like a game of chess, I placed the new student between a brighter student and a student who might need some help. Either way she could get some help or give some help and bond with the class. I also placed a bunch of social children around her as new kids in the G&T program tend to be a bit introverted. Pleased with the placements I began to get ready for the day. Monday mornings are typically a cattle call. About 15 minutes of chaos surrounded by calm on either side. When the bell rings 550+ students with parents, siblings, and others in tow descend upon the building. Each has bags, coats and heaven knows what else. Now throw on top of this they have 10 minutes to get to class before the tardy bell rings. So needless to say I was shocked when the bell rang and all I heard was a hushed whisper in the hall. Sensing a childish conspiracy running amok, I went out into the hall to see what was going on. I was greeted by what could only be described as a bizarre biblical tale. Yet Moses didn't look that good parting the Red Sea, and the sea surely wasn't comprised of little kids backing away in awe. So these must be the Cullens. All six of them? Must be a tight knit family. Usually one or both of the parents drops off the kid on the first day, not the entire cavalry. The spokeswoman of the group stepped forward and began. "Hello you must be Mr. McLain. I believe that you have my foster daughter Renesme joining your class. My name is Esme and this is my husband Carlisle." "Pleased to meet you both" I reached out to shake hands but was given a withering look by the father. Ahh lovely a condescending asshole. Well I guess I'm gonna leave my hand hanging out and make this even more awkward. I'm a person, he's a person... "Oh forgive us we don't shake hands. We're more of a hugging family." Esme quickly embraced me. Carlisle broke out into a big grin and hugged me as well. Well thankfully I was wrong, they seemed friendly enough. "And this is Edward and Jacob, Nessie's foster brothers." "So you two must be getting ready to check out the high school." I ventured. "We thought we'd check on Nessie's safety before we went to school." Edward said with something shy of a growl. He seemed even more protective of Nessie than Carlisle. Maybe the two were related. "I'm sure Mr. McLain will watch out for Nessie at school." Jacob nudged. Lord, I'm in the middle of a subtle pissing match. Obviously the girl has two adoring brothers. "She'll be like new when you get to see her at the end of the day. You're more than welcome to join us at 12:30 for lunch if you have the day off." I proposed hoping to diffuse the situation. Edward looked pleasantly surprised. "Let's make it a date; Jacob will bring lunch for you." Edward pushed Jacob forward with a shoulder shove. Shit not another one. "Well how about I bring my own lunch and we get to know each other." I smiled. "Oh I almost forgot these are Nessie's older sisters Isabella, or Bella, and Alice." Esme pointed to a beautiful brunette and a small wispy girl. Maybe I can charm them out the door so I can get back to teaching. "Beauty is said to be the art of angels." I said with a quick bow. Jacob smirked, Edward grimaced, Alice glared and Bella spoke. "Misquoted Thomas Carlyle quotes do make for beautiful introductions, however I think we should let the man get back to his job. A pleasure to meet you." Bella shook my hand and I couldn't help but notice the shocking coolness of her skin. Alice continued to glare at me as if she was trying to see what was on the inside of my skull. "If you want to know something Alice just ask. It's much easier than trying to burn a hole in my head." I chuckled. "Most people are easy for me to read and you just remind me of a shattered mirror is all. So much is going on but the picture is never clear. I like it." Alice said smiling. "Well thank you, I guess. You must be the poetic one." I replied more confused than not. "Will you just leave already so that I can start school?" Nessie asked rather forcefully. I'd have to give this girl a cookie. Esme quickly apologized for keeping me and Nessie hugged her and Carlisle first, followed by Jacob, Bella and finally Edward. It looked like he was whispering something to Nessie, but it happened so quick it must have been my imagination. Alice quickly waived and almost skipped down the hall. Edward called over his shoulder, "See you at lunch, Jacob can hardly wait." Nessie grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall. "Sorry about him, he's just worried because I've never been to public schools before. He always watches the news and thinks I'll get shot or molested or something." Nessie continued, "I wish he'd stop acting like he's 200 and get a reality check." "Nessie, we don't even joke about shootings or molesting here. Your brother is just worried about you. Is there something wrong with your foster family?" I asked growing more concerned by the minute. "No nothing is wrong at all. Well other than Emmett losing Rosaline. She died suddenly and that's been rough, but we all love each other so it'll be ok." Nessie replied honestly. "OK just relax on the downers ok? The first day can be a bit brutal. Let me know if you need a breather." "Alright, but I think I'll be ok" Nessie said with a quirky smile. I believed her. Admittedly Nessie was a beautiful girl. However I didn't expect the entire class to instantaneously hush as we entered. I winked at Nessie and began "Well if I knew that all I needed to do was bring a new student into the mix and you'd zip your lips I would have done it a while ago. Class please meet Renesme Cullens but she seems to like Nessie. For the record no she doesn't have a brogue." With the brief introduction completed, I began the daily routine. I notice both Madi and Bri appraising her as she stalked to her seat. My kids were amazingly helpful to poor Nessie. I'm not sure if she was ready for the onslaught of kindness. Pencil, paper, rulers, and sharpeners all seemed to appear en mass whenever Nessie asked. To her credit she was always grateful and grew more embarrassed with each incident. By lunch the warring factions because to maneuver towards Nessie with the intent of laying claim to her. "You'll sit by me at lunch, right Nessie?" Madi began. "Well..." "Don't feel bullied Nessie, you can sit wherever you want. My aunt is the principal, so I'm the only one who'll stand up to Madi... You can sit by me if you want." Bri replied. "I don't..." "Why would she want to sit next to a pushy, whiney, spoiled brat Bri?" Madi retorted clearly resorting to a direct insult. "Ladies enough. Both of you will be flipping your discipline cards and apologize not only to each other but to Nessie. You have been a poor example of what our school has to offer and you should be embarrassed by your behavior. I can't think of two young women who I would want to be around less if you continue to act that way. Get your act together immediately or you won't like to consequences. Besides Nessie has lunch plans with her brothers. Hopefully you've both cleaned up your act by recess, so you can get to know her then." I scolded. The girls scowled at each other and apologized through gritted teeth. After I had walked the class down to the cafeteria, I grabbed my lunch and wandered down to the office for lunch. On the way I saw her two brothers in the hallway and they waved. Nessie ran up and hugged Jacob hard. Huh guess he's the favorite. While we went to the office for the boys to sign in Jacob was acting especially weird. Was it too much to ask for one normal lunch without anyone trying to get into my pants? Edward chuckled quietly to himself and blushed when I looked his direction. Once the boys were signed in I asked "Cafeteria or picnic tables? Gentlemen's choice." "Jacob likes it in the outdoors." Edward prodded. Jacob cringed. Hmm maybe I read this wrong. Nessie was looking less than pleased with Edward. "Sure let's take it outdoors. It seems fairly pleasant and the leaves are changing colors. So how did registration go at the high school?" I asked walking to the picnic table near the playground. "Fairly well. We're set to start school tomorrow. How is your first day going Nessie?" Edward asked. "Pretty good. I like it. Except these two girls fight too much. I wish they would just kill each other and be done with it." Nessie shrugged. "Nessie! That seems a bit extreme don't you think?" I admonished. "It's true enough. Bri hates Madi because she's pretty and popular. Madi hates Bri because she's clever and has power in the school. The worse part is they are so ruthless that they drag other kids into the mix, when they want no part of it. So if they are going to act that way get it over with." Nessie shrugged. "Fair enough. I wish I could disagree but you're pretty astute." I reluctantly agreed. For some odd reason Edward smiled while I was speaking. I think he was a bit relieved that I wasn't a teacher who pretended all was well when it wasn't. He must have dealt with some pretty jaded teachers in the past who would flat out lie about a situation rather than deal with it. "So how long have you been with the Cullens?" I ventured into small talk to see if I could steer the chatter a bit. "Longer than I can remember. The Cullens have always been my family. Dr. Cullens took me in after my mother died." Edward answered dead pan. "I'm sorry for your loss. What about you Jacob?" hoping to change the subject quickly. "I'm a fairly recent addition." Jacob responded between his bites of sandwich. "Yeah Nessie found the stray and brought him home." Edward teased and messed Jacob's hair. Jacob scowled and lunged at Edward. Nessie groaned and I laughed. For whatever reason it struck me as odd that these two exceptionally mature teens behaved like actual teens once in awhile. Jacob jolted by the sudden noise of my laughter turned and politely apologized. Well that explains the rivalry, Edward was old school big brother and Jacob is new kid on the block. It explains everything except the similarities between Edward and Nessie's looks. While I was looking at Edward trying to figure out the similarities he spoke quickly, "I believe it was you who told Alice that it was easier to ask questions than to burn holes in the back of my head. Take your own advice." Edward smirked. "Well I have quite a few questions but polite company keeps certain questions to themselves." I replied knowingly. If he wants to play this game, make the first move. "Humor the new kid. No faux pas will be acknowledged." Jacob chuckled. Nessie smacked her forehead embarrassed by her brother's behavior. Obviously I was wading into water that frequently was left to sit still. Oh this should be fun. "Considering we only have a few minutes remaining," glancing at my watch I continued "I'll limit it to one simple question Edward. How is it you have no shame attempting to set up a high school student with your sister's teacher, all while attempting to embarrass your sibling?" I asked staring him down. This should be at least interesting to watch. "Well isn't it a bit presumptuous to think that I was setting you up with Jacob?" Edward rebutted awkwardly. Ahh an offensive gambit stabbing at my ego. This should be easy enough to squash and establish a quick victory. "I was talking about Alice but if you want to own up to Jacob, the question is still valid. Yeah Jacob is attractive enough but I'd never date ANY student. Now I think this conversation is ended before it becomes any more inappropriate. It was a pleasure to meeting you both." I quickly said "Nessie grab your stuff we've only got a minute." Nessie blushed a bright crimson, hugged her brother and followed me. Jacob was still laughing as we entered the building. "You know Jacob already has somebody already right?" Nessie stated more than questioned. "I assumed as much. But when you don't stand up to people who make fun of other people it only makes things worse." I answered. I had no clue about Jacob but it sounded good. Nessie seemed unusually quiet as we approached the class. She gave me an enormous hug that almost hurt right before she scooted to her seat. I smiled at the little girl whose simplicity amazed me. The day continued as normal, well as normal as could be expected. Nessie continued her brilliant streak through out the day. Her only flaw seemed to be her writing which was only slightly below par. Most of the kids were enthralled with her. Not only was she beautiful and intelligent; but also kind, humble and caring. Tyler, a kid who was more than scattered, began to pull his usual garbage. Nessie walked over to his desk shortly after he began tapping his fingers, and quietly said "You know you seem like a very intelligent kid. So why are you banging on your desk while other kids are trying to work? Are you bored? If so talk to Mr. McLain and I'm sure he could find something for you to do." Jacob's, and the rest of the classes', jaws dropped open. This simple girl had just stated what the rest of us had all been thinking in an appropriate assertive manner. I outright smiled when she gracefully paced back to her desk. As she continued to work I noticed Jacob pull out a book and read. Bri and Madi were the ones who were the least productive, as the kept badgering Nessie. Several minutes later the kids all lined up for recess. As we went out the door I made a mental note to keep an eye on Nessie. I was sure that I knew what was going to happen, and both queen bees refused to let me down. "Hey you're going to play on the swings with me right?" Bri asked while standing next to Madi. "Why would she hang out with you? She has taste. Come on I'll show you who to talk to and hang out with." Madi said grabbing Nessie's elbow. "Maybe she just wants some quiet..." a small timid girl named Sophie ventured. "Sure Sophie, she wants to be a loser like you. As we can all see she can dress her self unlike you. She can brush her hair unlike you. She also isn't wearing Wal-Mart, unlike you. So exactly how do you think you two are alike again?" Madi had turned to face her victim. Everything about the girl dripped with venom. In a surprise move Nessie turned on Madi. "Well Madi we are alike because I refuse to ridicule people, where as you do. Please stop trying to be my friend, because I have already seen what kind of person you are and I want nothing to o with you." Nessie pulled her elbow from Madi's grip and walked over to Sophie. Bri quietly watched and calculated as the exchange went on. Madi pissed about being upstaged dove at Nessie, intending to launch Nessie in the mud. Luckily Nessie was too fast and moved out of the way. Madi landed face first into the puddle and Nessie kept walking. The girl had spunk I'd give her that. She also knew that her dealing with the situation was FAR more effective than ratting out Madi to me. Madi refusing to give up, pulled herself out of the mud and ran over to me. "Mr. McLain Nessie shoved me in the mud! You know the school's run for hands on, she should be suspended!" Madi cried her crocodile tears. "Well Madi I think that we should go in and call your parents immediately to bring you some new clothes." I began Madi smiled thinking that she had won. I continued "And while they're here we can address the issue of you bullying Sophie. Then we can address the issue of you attacking Nessie. Furthermore we can speak with the principal regarding your suspension for attempting to get into a physical altercation with Nessie. So yes; let's go call your parents." Madi looked as if she just had a bowel movement filled with broken glass. Somewhere between the sorrow of knowing she was busted, and the pain of knowing she was going to get her butt spanked I broke her. Hopefully she was no longer a concern on the evil bitch front. When all was said and done I had a sobbing little girl who realized that she had gotten too big for her britches. On my way back outside I noticed some movement on the edge of the woods bordering the playground. The longer I looked the less movement there seemed to be. Weird. As I called the kids in from recess, I noticed Sophie and Nessie chatting and laughing. Maybe a new girl was exactly what the class needed. A checks and balance of sort. The rest of the day was uneventful. On the way out of the door Nessie cam up and gave me another hip breaker hug. "Thank you for making my first day memorable." For whatever reason I was glad that she didn't say perfect because it was anything but. Something was unique about this girl and I was still figuring it out. I hugged her back and told her I would see her tomorrow. She smiled and got onto the bus. When I returned to the room I began the weekly ritual of updating the class website, correcting papers that had gotten neglected the week before and preparing for the week. Without any interruptions I can go until 6 or 7 ish easily. Kicking up the music to a blaring level I began by kicking off my shoes. Half way into creating slides for the kids to view the organelles of prokaryotic cells the following day, when I noticed two figures come into the room. I glanced up at the clock and saw that it was a bit after 4:30, so it was probably some parent rescuing forgotten homework. As I turned around I was wiping blue stain from my gloves and taking them off. I was greeted by two pixies smirking in the doorway. More specifically Nessie's older sisters -- Alice and Bella. "Hello" Alice said as if I knew they were coming. "What did that sister of yours forget?" I asked without really thinking about it. "Oh she forgot her friend's phone number in her desk. She texted us to see if we could pick it up on our way home." Bella replied. She had the grace of the ballet dancer when she walked over to her sister's desk. After opening it she pulled a small yellow note from right on top of the pile of books. "Also Edward asked if we could act as ambassadors, and if we could relay his apology for his behavior this afternoon. He's suspicious of anyone new and thus the setup and examination of how you'd react. By all accounts -- Edward, Jake and Nessie - you passed with flying colors." "I'm not sure if I should be flattered that I've been through this barrage of inappropriate situations or insulted because they were initiated by a bunch of high schoolers." I remarked more to myself than anyone in particular. Alice smirked." You know anyone who puts Edward in his place when he's being a prick is ok with me. Oh by the way be nice to Edward when you see him in a minute and when you meet Emmett." "What?" I asked more confused than ever. Does this girl ever string together coherent thoughts? "Emmett went a little off the deep end when Nessie got home from school today." Bella began. "Ahh if this is about Madi, don't worry she's out for a day and I spoke with her parents. I highly doubt she'll give Nessie any problems after today." I said. Being diplomatic was always the hardest thing about teaching. What I wanted to say was I punted the brat out for a day and she'll get punished because she embarrassed her family. But I can't say that because I have to be a polite teacher... Ugh I hate PC. "We know that Em is a bit overprotective because he just lost Rosie unexpectedly." "I heard, my condolences." I knowingly nodded. I wondered what kind of crazy brother had landed in my lap when I saw him barreling through my door with Edward on his heels. If looks could kill I'd be in the IC unit. The entire Cullen's brood seemed to be blessed with good looks. However Emmett took the cake. He stood like a god among mortals. Broad shoulders, muscular definition, and a smoldering face with extremely dark eyes. He stood a little over my 6'1" and looked to be a little over 200 lbs of solid muscle. His tussled curly black hair seemed wilder than the playful cut suggested. His stare and smirk smoldered with something shy of passion and more than hunger. I instinctively gasped when he turned his gaze on my eyes. His eyes weren't merely dark they were pitching black. Not a dark brown. Not grey. Black. Before he spoke his nose twitched and he cocked his head to study me. This was something past a rational anger this was unbridled hatred. Hopefully the three of us can calm him down. As he continued to study me his jaw adjusted into what could only be described as a predatory grin. Refusing to be intimidated, or at least acknowledge that I was, I began to work my charms. "Hello you must be Emmett. Nessie spoke very highly of you. Oh I apologize my manners seemed to have temporarily taken a vacation." I extended my hand to Emmett. "I'm Scott McLain Nessie's teacher." Emmett took a step forward and Bella quickly placed herself between us. "We were just talking about the incident today with Mr. McLain. He assures us that violence is not tolerated in the school by anyone. The young lady in question has received a suspension and is out of the school tomorrow. As you can see we have a handle on this." Bella said recapped. I think it was more for my welfare than for Emmett's. Emmett continued to stare at me in silence until he quietly growled "As long as it's been dealt with. I hope I'll be seeing you around town." "I'm sure you will and please feel free to say hello." I felt like a middle school girl. Alice titled her head askew and smiled broadly. "You wouldn't happen to know where we could get a decent cup of coffee around here? I hate McDonald's and Emmett is pretty much a snob when it comes to drink choices." Alice prodded. Emmett positioned himself closer to my desk. If I read the body language correctly he was definitely drawn to me. I just couldn't figure out if this was good thing or not. Bella was definitely on the `it's a bad thing side'. As soon as Emmett moved so did she, blocking a direct route between the two of us. Edward quizzically looked over at me and joined her side. If I didn't know better I would say that they were scared for me. "Well you could hit Moosetrax on 24th. They have an amazing selection and impeccable service. I need to run a couple of errands after I finish up here. I don't mean to be presumptuous, but if you met me back here at 8 I could show you where it is." "I know that tonight wouldn't be the best for Bella, Emmett or I but Alice you are more than welcome to go." Edward looked at Alice almost pleading. "I don't know Edward I think I might be tempted." Emmett interrupted. Bella quickly looked at Emmett. "It sounds good see you back here in a couple." Alice smiled as she glided out the door. Emmett followed behind her and suddenly turned. "So out of curiosity where are you off to?" Emmett asked with an impish smile. "I've got to hit the gym around the corner. I missed my morning workout. See ya in a bit." I replied unable to take my eyes off him. Emmett simply smiled and nodded at me. Edward was looking more upset by the minute. Hmm this could be interesting. I quickly finished up my chores and gathered my stuff before bolting out the door. For some odd reason this 20 something poster boy had gotten to me. Maybe it was the way he was detached. Maybe it was his looks. Who I was I kidding of course it was his looks, but I had seen hot guys before. Furthermore, the mere physical attraction didn't account for the awkwardness I had felt flirting with him. I also was typically into guys a bit older than me. So why was he getting my goat? Not that I'm into creepy older daddies or anything. I'm just over most of the typical 20 year old gay shit. I wonder what he likes. These were the mysteries I pondered when I changed into a jock, shorts and an A frame shirt. I'm not a gym bunny but I definitely have nice definition. I did the mandatory check out before I started the usual circuit. I checked out my large frame while putting in my ear buds and as always my body came under the harsh light of me checking myself out. I suspect the same is true of most gay men -- you are your own worst judge. My difference is I know that my version is skewed. Instead of appreciating my 6 pack abs, I wished I had a solid 8 pack. Instead of seeing what a cute ass I have, I notice the small birthmark located on my right hip. Shaking my head I realized what an idiot I am. I look up and see my best feature looking back at me: my expressive face. Many of my friends have told me that I am a shitty poker player because they know exactly what I'm thinking just by my face. I know this and am grateful. Being able to say whatever I like while being totally silent has served me well. After indulging my narcissistic tendencies for far too long, I began my daily ritual. While on the treadmills "Don't Speak" by No Doubt popped into the mix. I wondered about Jake and how he was doing after the break up. I continued that train of thought to Emmett. I wonder what his preferences are. He's definitely drawn to me, but what does that mean? He was involved with someone named Rosie. Bella and Edward seemed to think that this was not the best idea, judging by their body language. As I hopped off the machine I made my way over to the weights. Usually they were my favorite because there was no room for thinking. Only counting and lifting to the beats of music. Today something was different. I kept picturing Emmett in my head. Dammitt why did he keep showing up there? The weight suddenly dropped out of my hand and hit the mat hard. I got a death glare from a personal trainer working on the floor. I didn't care because I had realized that I was smitten with Emmett. Shit. I was in a daze as I stripped out of my clothes. I left them sitting on the bench and walked over the showers. Dammitt how could this happen? Weren't straight guy crushes suppose to happen to middle school boys and high school boys? I need to get over this I'm 4 years his senior and I don't even know if he's friendly. I quickly washed up and dried off. As I was shaving I noticed that my clothes had been dumped on the floor. I quickly ran over and found my wallet, iPod, shorts, socks, and shirt all intact. I was about to return to the mirror what I noticed my jock missing. Fuck. Now some creep has my jock and is prolly getting off to it. Awesome. Aside from being a little creeped out that some perve had my used jock, I went back to shaving and got ready for my trip to the coffee house. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OK so I hope that you all enjoyed the next chapter. It's definitely a long one. I should be posting at a regular interval of one per week. Thanks to all of the people who have responded thus far. I'm also batting around whether or not I want to alternate between Emmett and Scott telling the story, or if I want to turn it into two separate stories. Opinions are encouraged. Thanks again for reading.