high school is kind of boring really

[self_composed]

School plods along. Bella is native-quality fluent in Spanish, professor-level at math, well and thoroughly versed in the workings of the United States government, capable of doing actual independent research projects in biology, and she's been speaking English since she was one. Alas, these skills only make classes easier for a short time. After the novelty wears off they're just tedious. Bella winds up squaring her homework done more often than not so she can work out the kinks in her design for telekinesis, or play music, or attend soccer practice, or write little computer games, or read, or just fly around. This works out fine. Magic is pretty good at homework.

She winds up not attending most of the dances, but she does want to go to the end of year one, as she will be leaving Forks High School forever and it has some good points. Alice promised her a dress...

Comments

[self_composed]

"Well, all right," snorts Charlie.

"I promise not to make you a grandfather until I am at least twenty-two and probably quite a bit older," Bella says.

Come to think of it, given the propensity of things to happen without her explicitly planning them... Pentagon proves able to suppressibly sterilize her. She can undo that at will, as with the regeneration, without even expending another wish. Splendid.

"That's good," Charlie says. "Not the only thing that can happen, though -"

"Dad. Do you desperately want to add this conversation to your life? Because I don't, and I promise it is not required for my well-being now or in the future, cross my heart."

"All right, Bells," Charlie says, after a long pause. "Let's go get some pie."

Tegu is a one-person vehicle; they take the cruiser.

[edgeofyourseat]

When they arrive, Alice is there to open the door.

"Hi guys! Pie's not ready yet," he says, and considers hugging Bella.

[self_composed]

Bella hugs him first. It is a friendly-hug, but still a hug. [Charlie now knows that we are maybe-sorta-dating-or-something-it's-complicated,] she tells Alice.

[edgeofyourseat]

[Okay,] Alice says cheerfully, and idly wonders if this will result in Charlie threatening him with violence.

[self_composed]

Well, it doesn't immediately, anyway. Charlie comes in and greets Hilary and sniffs the air. "What kind of pie?" Bella asks.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Apple-pear-caramel!" says Alice.

"I believe in ambitious pie," says Hilary.

[self_composed]

"That sounds divine," Bella sighs, and Charlie nods in agreement.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Smells even better," Alice says happily, and indeed it does.

[self_composed]

In due course: pie!

Nom.

[edgeofyourseat]

Piiiie.

Alice enjoys the pie very much. It is excellent pie.

[self_composed]

"So did you enjoy Europe, too?" Charlie asks Alice, slowly.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yep!" says Alice. "It was fun!"

"Hah," says Hilary.

"You were in Europe?" says Judith.

Alice laughs.

[self_composed]

"Got off my plane, and there he was," Bella says.

Technically true.

[edgeofyourseat]

"I can't decide whether that's adorable or creepy," says Hilary.

"I think that's Bella's call," Alice says cheerfully.

[self_composed]

"I was happy to see him," Bella says contently.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice beams.

Hilary looks between them.

"Adorable it is," she concludes, and glances at Charlie for his take.

[self_composed]

Charlie's expression is neutral, and he's mostly looking at Alice, occasionally flicking his eyes over to Bella. He doesn't say anything.

"Do I taste nutmeg?" Bella asks.

[edgeofyourseat]

"You do!" Hilary confirms.

[self_composed]

After pie has been consumed, Charlie wishes to go put in a half-day at work. On his way out, he catches Alice's eye. Too quietly for anyone else to hear, he says, "As long as Bella's happy, so'm I. You make her unhappy, and you will be too. Clear?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yep," says Alice. And does not point out that Bella being unhappy is itself worse than any threat Charlie could possibly make, except maybe breaking his dad out of prison.

[self_composed]

"Right now I bet you care a lot about keeping Bella happy. But you're eighteen, and you might stop even if it seems like you never could. I'm her father, and I'm not going to," Charlie says.

And with that he leaves to catch up with his daughter and drive her home.

[edgeofyourseat]

Well, that just happened.

He doesn't really get it. Well, he gets that Charlie is threatening him to protect someone he cares about, and he gets that Charlie would be particularly inclined to give advice about falling out of love; what he doesn't get is what he is supposed to do if he ever, somehow, inconceivably, stops loving Bella. He cannot plan for that. He has no idea how or why he ever would. But he is pretty sure, regardless, that Charlie Swan's vague threats would continue to mean nothing to him.

[self_composed]

[He doesn't know that you have magic powers - or at least has no details,] Bella says. [The fact that he can't really do anything to you isn't something that occurred to him. I think what you're supposed to do if you fall out of love with me - according to him - is let me down easy.]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Yeah, I wouldn't really care if I didn't have magic powers, either,] says Alice. [What's he gonna do, shoot me?] Which Charlie probably wouldn't do, and which Alice does not find to be a motivating factor even if he would. [Bust my dad out of prison?] That, he'd care about, but he still doesn't think Charlie would do it. [Anyway, it's not gonna happen, and if it does you'll have way bigger problems than my feelings.]

Problems like rains of jelly beans and things being on fire that probably shouldn't.

[self_composed]

[No, he wouldn't shoot you. More like watch you and be sure to catch you if you do something illegal. I know you don't drive, at the moment, but if a cop wants to pull a driver over, they have to follow the average person for two minutes before a genuine traffic violation will appear. There are probably similar things in other domains. He might look into the prostitution accustaion,] she adds thoughtfully. [If he were really pissed off.]

Pause.

[I'm not going to tell you my plan for what happens if you go rogue.]