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

[edgeofyourseat]

[No good reason,] he says with a slight shrug. [They're probably not.]

...Has Bella's mom noticed that they are having a totally silent conversation while eating their food?

[self_composed]

No, Renée has been making intermittent remarks about a television show she picked up in the middle and does not understand. She expects no participation from either.

[edgeofyourseat]

Okay, cool.

[self_composed]

"But anyway," Renée shrugs, "all I'm saying is that if the character is so important they could have reminded the audience who he was - oh, are we ready for dessert?"

"Popsicles?" guesses Bella.

"Right in one," replies Renée, heading for the freezer. "I know Bella wants grape; what about you, Alice?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Dunno," he says. "What kinds are there?"

[self_composed]

"Let's see... lime, blue raspberry, cherry, orange, and lemon," Renée says. "And grape." She tosses Bella a wrapped purple popsicle and Bella unwraps it.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Lime!" he decides.

[self_composed]

He gets a green one. Renée takes a red one. Soon they are all enjoying some popsicles, which are pleasant in the heat.

[edgeofyourseat]

Yes. Alice is definitely enjoying his popsicle.

The particular way in which he is enjoying his popsicle is perhaps not wholly family-friendly, but it is probably difficult to pick up on that unless you happen to be reading his mind.

[self_composed]

Bella sighs, very quietly.

[edgeofyourseat]

[...What? C'mon, like you've never thought that. Doesn't everybody?]

[self_composed]

[It's never occurred to me at random, but now that you mention it I suppose it's a staple of popular culture.]

"You two must be so close," Renée says happily. "It's like you're having entire conversations, just looking at each other."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yeah," Alice agrees, and gives Bella that unrepentantly adoring grin of his.

[self_composed]

"He's got an awfully expressive face," Bella points out.

"I suppose," laughs Renée. "Who wants to go see a movie? I wonder what's playing..." She hunts for her newspaper to look at the listings.

[edgeofyourseat]

"That sounds fun!" says Alice.

[self_composed]

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is still out. With Johnny Depp," muses Renée. "Phil didn't want to see it so I haven't yet..."

"Sounds good to me," Bella says.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Me too," says Alice.

[self_composed]

And so: they go watch Johnny Depp be a chocolate-manufacturing manchild and various odious children meet cartoonishly grisly fates.

[edgeofyourseat]

Johnny Depp is a pretty, pretty man. Alice appreciates that about him.

He also thinks the horrible things happening to the kiddies are hilarious.

[Who the hell thought this shit up? It's amazing.]

[self_composed]

[Roald Dahl,] Bella supplies. [He wrote kids' books. Ostensibly. They're worth reading and my copies should be here, since I didn't bring them to Forks; wanna borrow some?]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Love to!]

[self_composed]

So after the credits (which Renée insists on sitting through - she has plenty of short-term patience), they go back to the house, and Bella digs through boxes of books and eventually finds a few Roald Dahl ones: she has Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Witches and James & The Giant Peach and The BFG and Danny, the Champion of the World.

"It should have occurred to me before that this would be the sort of thing that would appeal to you," she says, handing over the stack.

[edgeofyourseat]

"If they're all like that movie, I am gonna fucking love 'em," he asserts.

[self_composed]

"Of these, Danny is least similar," Bella shrugs. "But I liked it. I wasn't born reading Austen and Shakespeare and stuff."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Weren't you?" he teases.