One Dozen Roses
Title: One Dozen Roses
Part Three & Four
Summary: Valentine’s Day, Twilight. Three weeks after the Tyler’s Van Incident, Bella finds herself on the radar for many a suitor as Valentine’s Day approaches. Whatever will she do? And who in God’s name is putting roses everywhere? Even in places impossible for a human to be?
Ships: Edward/Bella (But pre-couple)
One Dozen Roses
Part 3: Stalker
Wednesday had been purgatory. Pure Hell in all senses of the word except for the heat that one would normally attribute to it. It was freezing. That didn’t help my mood at all.
I’d hiked out to my truck, half expecting there to be another rose somewhere. No dice. The day passed normally, only my classes had been terrible. Maybe all the teachers got together last night and conspired to pick on me. Without fail, they seemed to always call on me when my hand wasn’t up. And my answers had all been wrong.
I stormed into the cafeteria, ready to deck the next hapless person to cross me today. I patience was running dangerously short.
“Hey, Bella!” Oh, crap. I turned to look as Eric sidled up to me. I tried to smile at his awkwardness.
“Hi Eric,” I said casually, still heading toward the table in the lunchroom. Eric kept pace with me.
“I was wondering what you were doing Friday…” Not this again! Thank goodness for Angela.
“Oh, I’m sorry Eric. I made plans with Angela. We’re having a girls’ night,” I said, trying to smile. Eric’s hopeful face fell. I tried not to let myself be guilt tripped by it, but I couldn’t help it. I patted his shoulder.
“S’okay,” he said. “See ya.” He turned and walked away. I grimaced. I needed to work on this tact thing. I sighed, and looked up at the ceiling. What more could possibly happen to me today?
I turned and headed through the lunch line, choosing a sandwich and an apple with a soda. I made my way through the crowd of people, looking for my lunch group. Then I found them.
I noticed most of our lunch group was sitting down at the table already. Something wasn’t right. Everyone had their heads together, whispering, and on occasion glancing to me. Crap. What had I done now?
Tentatively I approached the table. As I did, their voices quieted completely, and eventually every pair of eyes focused on me expectantly. Angela was averting her eyes, a smile playing at her lips. Jessica looked like she was about to attack me for something. Mike looked upset. Then I saw why.
There was another red rose. It was laying at my place at the table. Jessica was first to break the awkward silence.
“So? Who is he, Bella? I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
“Neither did I,” I muttered.
“Aren’t you going to sit down? You look afraid of it,” Jessica said. In truth, I was, a little bit. But no one here needed to know why. I laughed softly - I think my voice broke - and carefully sat down before picking it up between my fingers carefully.
“So… who put it here?” I said casually, looking around the table, hoping someone would decide to fess up. This was getting tiring.
“That’s just it, though!” Jess exclaimed. “No one here did! It was waiting for you when we all got here.” I set the rose down carefully.
“Then how do you know it was for me, and wasn’t left here?” I asked casually. I didn’t believe my own words - not with two other identical roses sitting in water in my bedroom. The rose was for me. But if it were from Mike, he was playing dumb. Quite well, actually.
“Well, there isn’t anyone in here before us. And if it was left from yesterday, then the janitor would’ve picked it up. Don’t you see, Bella? It’s for you!” She clapped and giggled, clearly pleased with the situation. I felt positively nauseous.
I set the rose down carefully and opened my soda up in an attempt to be casual.
“Did you see who left it?” I said over the top of the can, taking another drink to try and calm the butterflies in my stomach. Jessica just stared at me.
“You mean you don’t know who it’s from?”
I shook my head. “No idea.”
“Bella has a secret admirer!” She cried, even more excited. I choked on my soda. Mike patted my back helpfully. I was too busy glaring at Jessica to pay attention to him.
“That is not funny!”
“Who said anything about being funny? I think it’s fabulous! Just think about it! Somewhere, in these walls, someone is interested in you but is far too shy to tell you. He wanted to show his affection in a sweet, romantic and mysterious way! Isn’t it intriguing?” I just stared at Jessica.
“You’re serious.” It wasn’t a question. She really was more excited about this than me.
“Of course I am! Love conquers all!”
“Jess. If anything, it’s probably a prank,” I explained, even though I was starting to doubt that myself. Only Lauren would hate me enough to do something like that… my stomach twisted. She just might.
“Hardly,” Jess said. I picked up the rose and looked at it quietly, then waved the blood-red blossom at her, then at each person at the table.
“So honestly, on pain of death, no one here has any idea who left this?” As I pointed the rose at each person, they each shook their head. Except Angela. She shook her head, but she was smiling faintly. I wondered if she knew something. I’d ask her later. After all, I had all Friday with her.
I set the rose down delicately. So it wasn’t Mike Newton. It couldn’t be. He would’ve jumped at the chance to claim the roses for himself. My heart stammered slightly. The Edward possibility was still appealing to my masochistic heart. I sighed softly.
After staring at me for a little while, everyone returned to their food, still musing about whom my ‘secret admirer’ could be. I fumed. I realized I was annoyed at whoever it was because it was throwing me in the spotlight. I glared at my sandwich, my butterfly-filled stomach suddenly not hungry anymore. I sipped my soda thoughtfully.
Quietly, Angela leaned over to me and whispered into my ear.
“Alice Cullen is staring at you.” I blinked. Alice? Jessica had told me Edward had been staring the first day I was here. And then the van incident and he hadn’t looked at me since.
Casually I looked over to the Cullens’ table, trying to remember which one was Alice. The tiny, dark-haired pixie girl was staring at me. That one must be Alice. It was neither friendly nor unfriendly, but startling. None of the others had ever paid attention to me.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. My heart stuttered faintly as she turned to face her table. It almost looked like a faint smile was playing at her lips. I glanced over all the others. Edward’s head was down, but his shoulders were shaking, like he was laughing. The tall blond one was looking perplexed, but unmoving. The beautiful blonde girl looked perpetually angry, and the big brawny one was staring at Alice. Without warning, he swiveled his gaze to lock on mine.
I’ll admit, I was terrified. My heart spluttered. He raised an eyebrow, and for the first time, his lips cracked into a half smile. Quickly, he turned back to Alice and his lips moved quickly as if he were speaking something.
I looked back to the table and swallowed heavily. Were they talking about me? I was blushing bright red. Maybe one of them really did have something to do with the roses. Or maybe I was just paranoid. My heart was racing so fast that even the soda didn’t seem appetizing anymore. Quietly, I pushed it away.
“Not eating?” I looked up at Jessica. She was studying my flushed expression, wild, panicked eyes and untouched food.
“No, not hungry,” I mumbled. Angela smiled reassuringly at me. Lunch was almost over and I stood up. Numbly, I walked to the trashcan and dumped my remaining food. I headed back to the table and paused, looking at Angela. I smiled weakly.
“I’m gonna go to class now, see ya,” I said, shouldering my bad and turning away.
“Wait! Don’t forget the rose,” Angela called. I turned to face her. She held out the rose to me. After a moment of hesitance, I took the flower from her and smiled.
“Thanks,” I said. She nodded again and waved.
It was the first time I’d beaten Edward to biology in a long time. I settled into my chair comfortably, set the rose out of the way on the desk and took out my notebook.
I heard the chair move next to me and the sound of a book being placed on the table. I didn’t need to look up to know Edward Cullen had decided to join the class.
Neither of us spoke. I didn’t even bother to look up until Mr. Banner walked into the class.
He said nothing to me the entire hour, though when I looked up at him once, I caught him staring at the rose on my desk. He quickly looked away. The bell rang, he gathered his things and slipped quickly from the classroom as usual.
I made my way to gym class, Mike tagging along beside me the whole way there, glaring jealously at the rose.
“So are roses your favorite then?” He asked. I sighed.
“I don’t know, I suppose it depends,” I responded. Different flowers were perfect at different times. Mike didn’t seem to understand. He shrugged indifferently and we walked quietly to gym.
Gym has been just as terrible as everything else. I managed to escape the tetherballs unscathed, but I injured two others.
After retreating to the shelter of the girls’ locker room, I peeled off my uniform shirt and shorts. Reaching for my jeans, I froze. On top of my folded clothes rested two roses resting in a crossed pattern. Next to the pile was the rose from the lunchroom, right where I’d left it, untouched, like everything else.
“Uh, Bella? You wanna put your pants on?” One of the girls called from across the locker room. Blushing, I casually set the two roses aside and redressed myself. No one asked any questions.
Either a boy had entered the locker room and put the two roses there, or a girl had done it. Now, the real question was, had a boy gone through such trouble for me? Unlikely. Had a girl done it for a guy? Possibly. Someone was in on this. Or, had a girl done this as a joke? It was an elaborate prank if it were. Only Lauren would have that sort of malice to my knowledge. But would she care enough to go this far?
I carried the three roses out to my truck and unlocked the cab, climbing inside. I drove home quietly, thinking about the three roses laying innocently next to me on the seat.
Like lightning, I bounded up the front stairs, inside the house, and up the stairs to my bedroom.
I was going to place the three roses in the glass with the matching two roses. I was, until I saw what the roses were in. They were sitting in an intricate cut-glass vase made for roses.
However, the vase was much too large for two roses. Numbly I set the other three in the beautiful vase. The five of them filled it almost halfway. As I stared at it, it seemed like the vase was a perfect fit for… well, twelve or so.
My heart thudded. Was this not going to end until I had one dozen roses from a very mysterious person? How would I tell Charlie? Maybe Charlie had given me the vase, and simply didn’t know what size to get.
I decided to ask him when I got home. I headed downstairs to start dinner.
I hunted around, looking for the missing juice glass. No dice. Not in the sink. Not on the counter. Finally, I opened a cabinet and saw it sitting with the others.
Charlie might have bought me a vase for my roses. Charlie might have not known what size vase to get. But Charlie would’ve left the glass in the sink. If he had even been home. I had left for school after he left for work, and I had arrived home before he did.
Whoever was giving me roses had given me a vase. He had been in my bedroom. That meant Charlie probably wasn’t involved. It also meant whoever had placed the vase in my room had also placed that second rose on my pillow.
My throat swelled up. It might have been flattering if it weren’t quite so frightening. Someone had been in my bedroom. Twice! Five roses in two days.
What would be next?
Part Four: Petal Shower
I rolled over to look at my alarm. Ugh. I didn’t want to get up and go to school. I wanted to stay in bed and sleep some more. Especially since I heard rain outside. Rain, in February, meant ice. After the Crowley Incident, I didn’t think Cullen would rescue me again. Stupid ice.
I closed my eyes and lied in bed a few more minutes. The rain, however, wouldn’t let me sleep anymore. I was waking up, whether I wanted to or not. The rain was what was waking me up, but it wasn’t what kept me awake. I smelled something.
At first, I thought it was part of my dream. I had been wandering through a field of flowers, looking for something. But I had never found it. When I woke up, though, the scent of the flowers didn’t go away. I smelled roses.
Yeah, you have five of them on your desk. Of course you smell them, I thought. I sighed. I still had to figure that enigma out. The scent was stronger than normal, though. Normally, scent becomes less perceptive the longer it’s around, even if it doesn’t diminish in intensity. It smelled stronger now, even after being around the roses. Weird.
Groggily, I opened my eyes before bolting upright, completely awake.
Around me, red rose petals were sprinkled across my comforter. There were rose petals sprinkled around the floor, along the windowsill, on my desk and on my dresser. I stared. When did this happen?
I got to my feet and walked around the room slowly, looking at all the rose petals. Then I stepped in something cold. Looking down, I saw damp spots leading around the room. After studying them, I realized that whoever had entered my room had crawled in the window. He had also entered before the rain started, when there was only snow on the ground. Snow had stuck to his shoes - I assumed - and as he walked around my room dropping petals, some snow had fallen off, leaving footprints.
However, they were just unshaped blobs of dampness, no distinct shoeprints. I walked to the window and looked out - any footprints in the snow had been washed away with the rain. Damn rain.
I crawled back on my bed and studied the pseudo-footprints closely. It looked as though he had entered through the window, walked first past my bed, then by my desk, dresser and closet before sitting down in the rocking chair.
I stood up and walked over to the old chair and brushed my fingers across the wood. It was a strange feeling to know that the person who left me roses had been sitting in the chair last. My fingertips tingled slightly after touching it.
I turned and looked around the room in a trance-like state. Then my eyes fell on the clock.
“Shoot!” I was going to be late for school. Quickly, I threw off my pajamas and pulled on some jeans and a long sleeved shirt. After using the proper hygiene products, I ran a brush through my hair and bounded downstairs. Grabbing a piece of toast, I ran for the truck.
If I wasn’t awake before, the cold, icy rain did the job. It startled me and I went slipping across the driveway. I threw myself into the truck and started it, then headed to school.
I guess I was more skittish than normal, Mike asked me if I were okay twice. Angela gave me a knowing look. I hardly paid attention in English - it was a good thing I was familiar with the book. I was able to answer the questions. Everything else breezed by. For every time one of my teachers had called on me yesterday, they decided to ignore me today. Fine with me. It left me time to think.
I sat down at the lunch table with my apple and soda. Again, I wasn’t feeling too hungry. Angela sat on my right, Jessica on my left, Mike next to her. I nibbled on the apple tentatively.
Angela leaned in and whispered in my ear. “Edward Cullen just got up and left the table.” Before I could stop myself, my head shot up and looked over at the Cullen’s table. Angela giggled at my side. “You really like him, don’t you?” She asked. I sighed. There was no point in answering Angela - she was too perceptive. She already knew the answer.
I just sighed, and looked over at the vacant table. “I wonder where he went, though,” she murmured softly. I shrugged. My heart was fluttering in my chest with the anticipation of sitting next to him in Biology, but outwardly I remained cool. Angela nibbled on her sandwich.
I checked the clock again, waiting for a time in which it would be acceptable to go to class. I didn’t want to go rushing in like an idiot way too early. Finally, half the cafeteria had started to leave for their class and I thought that time was suitable to leave.
I got up and tossed my half-eaten apple into the trash and finished my soda, dropping the can in the trash as well. I shouldered my bag and headed to Biology. I expected Edward to be sitting in his seat. He wasn’t.
When he had left the cafeteria, I had assumed he had gone to class. A bit disappointed, I approached the table. There, sitting at my place, was a box of chocolates and another rose. Next to it was a folded piece of paper.
Carefully, I set my backpack down and eased into the chair. I felt like I was in slow motion. My hands shook as I lifted up the folded piece of paper. My heart raced. Was it a note? I’d be able to identify who my mystery person was. Quivering with anticipation, I unfolded the note. Finally, I would be a little bit closer to figuring out who was-
One Dozen Roses
Timeless perfection at its best
That naked Serenity hath undressed
A promise infolded in velvet prose,
The supple petal of the crimson rose
But a single stem alone is but a dream
As ephemeral as its very petals may deem
But roses in number far more than sole
Equate to meaning vastly untold
Each with a unique symbol true,
Not one less than ten and two.
One stands for brazen, bolded wit,
For which the norm is unequipped.
Another, a token of sweet virtue,
Blushing red for blushing true.
A third, a token of beauty divine,
Like the blazing stars do shine.
Compassion resonates within stem four,
And warmth the fifth does implore.
The sixth holds the modesty allure,
Charming chastity to be sure.
I cursed softly under my breath. It was typed. I had no clue who had written it. The poem was pretty, although a bit enigmatic. It seemed as though part of it were missing. The title talked about twelve roses. The poem only talked about six of them. I glanced down to the rose on the desk. Now I have six, I thought. Maybe the poem was unfinished.
Then… I was right? When I guessed twelve roses based on the size of the vase? My heart was racing and my hands were trembling. Maybe I would take Charlie up on that fingerprinting thing. This was starting to get ridiculous.
“Bella? Is there something you would like to share?” Mr. Banner had walked into the room, started class, noticed my confusion and walked over to my desk without my knowledge. I had been too absorbed in my mystery note, rose and box of chocolates, I hadn’t noticed him standing over me, nor had I noticed when Edward had taken his seat next to mine.
“Uhm, no, no sorry Mr. Banner,” I murmured, quickly folding the note and stuffing it in my backpack, blushing bright red. I put the rose and chocolates off to the side so they wouldn’t get in the way.
“That’s what I thought,” Mr. Banner said as he turned away, walking back to the middle of the classroom to begin the lecture. The stone wall sitting next to me made a noise and I glanced to him. Edward had been looking at the rose and chocolates, but when I looked at him - glared, really - he looked away quickly, watching Mr. Banner. Studiously, I returned my attention to the front of the classroom as best I could.
Gym had passed easily enough. I had actually managed to not injure myself, nor anyone else. Mike had congratulated me. Then he had asked me about Saturday for dinner and a movie. Why couldn’t he just be friends? Why did he always have to ruin a decent conversation?
After fishtailing all the way home, I was finally climbing up the front stairs carefully, trying not to fall on my butt. Despite the paper I needed to finish, only one thing was on my mind: I had to clean up those petals in my bedroom before Charlie got home. Who knew what he would think.
I picked up a box about a cubic foot in volume and I headed up the stairs, rose, note and box of chocolate in tow. I added the sixth rose to the vase, poured a little more water into it, and set the box down nearby. Then I tossed the cardboard box into the center of the room.
I discovered very quickly that a broom on carpet was absolutely perfect for gathering the petals together. Once I was using the broom, it took me about twenty minutes to gather all the petals and put them in the box. I nudged the box under my bed, unable to throw the petals out just yet. I would keep them at least until I figured out who was sneaking into my bedroom.
Honestly, the idea of someone sneaking into my bedroom at night was scary. Terrifying. At first, anyway. Now it was almost exciting. Like Christmas time all over again. Maybe if I stayed up late like I did when I was six waiting for Santa Clause, I would see who he was. However, I had a feeling that my mystery person - I refused to think he was an admirer. That was just silly. Who would admire me? - would be even more elusive then Santa Clause. And sleep was far too important to wager when I knew the chances were slim to begin with.
I sat on my bed and admired the half dozen roses sitting near my bed. After a moment, I hopped up and headed downstairs into the kitchen to get a drink. I froze. There, on the counter, rested a seventh rose.
I sighed. My heart raced, but I wasn’t afraid. I was excited. Clearly if my mystery man were a psychotic stalker, he’d been in my house at least thrice now. He could’ve easily killed me in my sleep; or worse, I thought. He had never touched me, never disturbed me. I felt surprisingly safe around the man who repeatedly snuck into my house and truck that I had never seen.
I smiled faintly and picked up the seventh rose, twirling it between my fingers lightly.
“How long will this go on?” I mused quietly. After filling up a glass with water, I walked back up the stairs to place the seventh rose in the vase.
I tucked the verdant stem into the gorgeous cut glass vase. As I turned away from it, I laughed. It was a nervous, anxious, excited laugh, not one of joy. On my windowsill was an eighth rose.
I had never received two roses within five minutes of each other. I’d received two at once yesterday, but that was different. He was still here. Or, he was five minutes ago when I’d been cleaning the petals because he had to wait for me to leave the room to plant the second one. Maybe he was still here yet.
“Hello?” I called out, walking out of my room. I stood at the top if the stairs, listening for the slightest sound. There was none. The only sound was the thunderous roar of my heart pounding rapidly in my chest. Then I heard it. It was faint, but I heard it.
A faint whisss sound. By the time I was back in my room, the window stood open, the rose on the sill undisturbed. Peering outside, there was no one. No sound of a body hitting the ground, no sound of anyone running off. No sound at all.
Nothing made sense. He was like a ghost. I exhaled slowly and picked up the rose and set it in the vase with its identical brethren. I couldn’t tell the first rose from the last one. They were all still perfect.
I lay back on my bed and unfolded the typed poem again. As if I could find secrets hidden within it, like it had all the answers. I folded it back up and set it aside, curling up on my bed. I was tired. Sleep was going to overtake me. I just hoped Charlie came to wake me up when he got home so I could start dinner. For now, though, my aching brain wanted a break. I would happily oblige.
I kicked off my shoes and shucked off my pants before wiggling under the blankets. Within minutes, I felt myself nodding off.
.