2 new moon新月-第2节

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I　skipped　breakfast；　in　a　hurry　to　get　out　of　the　house　as　quickly　as　possible。　I　wasn't　entirely　able　to　
avoid　my　dad；　and　so　I　had　to　spend　a　few　minutes　acting　cheerful。　I　honestly　tried　to　be　excited　about　
the　gifts　I'd　asked　him　not　to　get　me；　but　every　time　I　had　to　smile；　it　felt　like　I　might　start　crying。　

I　struggled　to　get　a　grip　on　myself　as　I　drove　to　school。　The　vision　of　Gran—I　would　not　think　of　it　as　
me—was　hard　to　get　out　of　my　head。　I　couldn't　feel　anything　but　despair　until　I　pulled　into　the　familiar　
parking　lot　behind　Forks　High　School　and　spotted　Edward　leaning　motionlessly　against　his　polished　silver　
Volvo；　like　a　marble　tribute　to　some　forgotten　pagan　god　of　beauty。　The　dream　had　not　done　him　justice。　
And　he　was　waiting　there　for　me；　just　the　same　as　every　other　day。　

Despair　momentarily　vanished；　wonder　took　its　place。　Even　after　half　a　year　with　him；　I　still　couldn't　
believe　that　I　deserved　this　degree　of　good　fortune。　

His　sister　Alice　was　standing　by　his　side；　waiting　for　me；　too。　

Of　course　Edward　and　Alice　weren't　really　related　（in　Forks　the　story　was　that　all　the　Cullen　siblings　
were　adopted　by　Dr。　Carlisle　Culler　and　his　wife；　Esme；　both　plainly　too　young　to　have　teenage　children）；　
but　their　skin　was　precisely　the　same　pale　shade；　their　eyes　had　the　same　strange　golden　tint；　with　the　
same　deep；　bruise…like　shadows　beneath　them。　Her　face；　like　his；　was　also　startlingly　beautiful。　To　
someone　in　the　know—someone　like　me—these　similarities　marked　them　for　what　they　were。　

The　sight　of　Alice　waiting　there—her　tawny　eyes　brilliant　with　excitement；　and　a　small　silver…wrapped　
square　in　her　hands—made　me　frown。　I'd　told　Alice　I　didn't　want　anything；　anything；　not　gifts　or　even　
attention；　for　my　birthday。　Obviously；　my　wishes　were　being　ignored。　

I　slammed　the　door　of　my　'53　Chevy　truck—a　shower　of　rust　specks　fluttered　down　to　the　wet　
blacktop—and　walked　slowly　toward　where　they　waited。　Alice　skipped　forward　to　meet　me；　her　pixie　
face　glowing　under　her　spiky　black　hair。　

〃Happy　birthday；　Bella！〃　

〃Shh！〃　I　hissed；　glancing　around　the　lot　to　make　sure　no　one　had　heard　her。　The　last　thing　I　wanted　was　
some　kind　of　celebration　of　the　black　event。　

She　ignored　me。　〃Do　you　want　to　open　your　present　now　or　later？〃　she　asked　eagerly　as　we　made　our　
way　to　where　Edward　still　waited。　

〃No　presents；〃　I　protested　in　a　mumble。　

She　finally　seemed　to　process　my　mood。　〃Okay…　later；　then。　Did　you　like　the　scrapbook　your　mom　sent　
you？　And　the　camera　from　Charlie？〃　

I　sighed。　Of　course　she　would　know　what　my　birthday　presents　were。　Edward　wasn't　the　only　member　
of　his　family　with　unusual　skills。　Alice　would　have　〃seen〃　what　my　parents　were　planning　as　soon　as　they'd　
decided　that　themselves。　

〃Yeah。　They're　great。〃　

〃I　think　it's　a　nice　idea。　You're　only　a　senior　once。　Might　as　well　document　the　experience。〃　

〃How　many　times　have　you　been　a　senior？〃　

〃That's　different。〃　

We　reached　Edward　then；　and　he　held　out　his　hand　for　mine。　I　took　it　eagerly；　forgetting；　for　a　moment；　
my　glum　mood。　His　skin　was；　as　always；　smooth；　hard；　and　very　cold。　He　gave　my　fingers　a　gentle　
squeeze。　I　looked　into　his　liquid　topa2　eyes；　and　my　heart　gave　a　not…quite…so…gentle　squeeze　of　its　own。　
Hearing　the　stutter　in　my　heartbeats；　he　smiled　again。　

He　lifted　his　free　hand　and　traced　one　cool　fingertip　around　the　outside　of　my　lips　as　he　spoke。　〃So；　as　
discussed；　I　am　not　allowed　to　wish　you　a　happy　birthday；　is　that　correct？〃　

〃Yes。　That　is　correct。〃　I　could　never　quite　mimic　the　flow　of　his　perfect；　formal　articulation。　It　was　
something　that　could　only　be　picked　up　in　an　earlier　century。　

〃Just　checking。〃　He　ran　his　hand　through　his　tousled　bronze　hair。　〃You　might　have　changed　your　mind。　
Most　people　seem　to　enjoy　things　like　birthdays　and　gifts。〃　

Alice　laughed；　and　the　sound　was　all　silver；　a　wind　chime。　〃Of　course　you'll　enjoy　it。　Everyone　is　
supposed　to　be　nice　to　you　today　and　give　you　your　way；　Bella。　What's　the　worst　that　could　happen？〃　
She　meant　it　as　a　rhetorical　question。　

〃Getting　older；〃　I　answered　anyway；　and　my　voice　was　not　as　steady　as　I　wanted　it　to　be。　

Beside　me；　Edward's　smile　tightened　into　a　hard　line。　

〃Eighteen　isn't　very　old；〃　Alice　said。　〃Don't　women　usually　wait　till　they're　twenty…nine　to　get　upset　over　
birthdays？〃　

〃It's　older　than　Edward；〃　I　mumbled。　

He　sighed。　

〃Technically；〃　she　said；　keeping　her　tone　light。　〃Just　by　one　little　year；　though。〃　

And　I　supposed…　if　I　could　be　sure　of　the　future　I　wanted；　sure　that　I　would　get　to　spend　forever　with　
Edward；　and　Alice　and　the　rest　of　the　Cullens　（preferably　not　as　a　wrinkled　little　old　lady）…　then　a　year　
or　two　one　direction　or　the　other　wouldn't　matter　to　me　so　much。　But　Edward　was　dead　set　against　any　
future　that　changed　me。　Any　future　that　made　me　like　him—that　made　me　immortal；　too。　

An　impasse；　he　called　it。　

I　couldn't　really　see　Edward's　point；　to　be　honest。　What　was　so　great　about　mortality？　Being　a　vampire　
didn't　look　like　such　a　terrible　thing—not　the　way　the　Cullens　did　it；　anyway。　

〃What　time　will　you　be　at　the　house？〃　Alice　continued；　changing　the　subject。　From　her　expression；　she　
was　up　to　exactly　the　kind　of　thing　I'd　been　hoping　to　avoid。　

〃I　didn't　know　I　had　plans　to　be　there。〃　

〃Oh；　be　fair；　Bella！〃　she　complained。　〃You　aren't　going　to　ruin　all　our　fun　like　that；　are　you？〃　

〃I　thought　my　birthday　was　about　what　I　want。〃　

〃I'll　get　her　from　Charlie's　right　after　school；〃　Edward　told　her；　ignoring　me　altogether。　

〃I　have　to　work；〃　I　protested。　

〃You　don't；　actually；〃　Alice　told　me　smugly。　〃I　already　spoke　to　Mrs。　Newton　about　it。　She's　trading　your　
shifts。　She　said　to　tell　you　'Happy　Birthday。'〃　

〃I—I　still　can't　come　over；〃　I　stammered；　scrambling　for　an　excuse。　〃I；　well；　I　haven't　watched　Romeo　
and　Juliet　yet　for　English。〃　

Alice　snorted。　〃You　have　Romeo　and　Juliet　memorized。〃　

〃But　Mr。　Berty　said　we　needed　to　see　it　performed　to　fully　appreciate　it—that's　how　Shakespeare　
intended　it　to　be　presented。〃　

Edward　rolled　his　eyes。　

〃You've　already　seen　the　movie；〃　Alice　accused。　

〃But　not　the　nineteen…sixties　version。　Mr。　Berty　said　it　was　the　best。〃　

Finally；　Alice　lost　the　smug　smile　and　glared　at　me。　〃This　can　be　easy；　or　this　can　be　hard；　Bella；　but　one　
way　or　the　other—〃　

Edward　interrupted　her　threat。　〃Relax；　Alice。　If　Bella　wants　to　watch　a　movie；　then　she　can。　It's　her　
birthday。〃　

〃So　there；〃　I　added。　

〃I'll　bring　her　over　around　seven；〃　he　continued。　〃That　will　give　you　more　time　to　set　up。〃　

Alice's　laughter　chimed　again。　〃Sounds　good。　See　you　tonight；　Bella！　It'll　be　fun；　you'll　see。〃　She　
grinned—the　wide　smile　exposed　all　her　perfect；　glistening　teeth—then　pecked　me　on　the　cheek　and　
danced　off　toward　her　first　class　before　I　could　respond。　

〃Edward；　please—〃　I　started　to　beg；　but　he　pressed　one　cool　finger　to　my　lips。　

〃Let's　discuss　it　later。　We're　going　to　be　late　for　class。〃　

No　one　bothered　to　stare　at　us　as　we　took　our　usual　seats　in　the　back　of　the　classroom　（we　had　almost　
every　class　together　now—it　was　amazing　the　favors　Edward　could　get　the　female　administrators　to　do　
for　him）。　Edward　and　I　had　been　together　too　long　now　to　be　an　object　of　gossip　anymore。　Even　Mike　
Newton　didn't　bother　to　give　me　the　glum　stare　that　used　to　make　me　feel　a　little　guilty。　He　smiled　now　
instead；　and　I　was　glad　he　seemed　to　have　accepted　that　we　could　only　be　friends。　Mike　had　changed　
over　the　summer—his　face　had　lost　some　of　the　roundness；　making　his　cheekbones　more　prominent；　and　
he　was　wearing　his　pale　blond　hair　a　new　way；　instead　of　bristly；　it　was　longer　and　gelled　into　a　carefully　
casual　disarray。　It　was　easy　to　see　where　his　inspiration　came　from—but　Edward's　look　wasn't　
something　that　could　be　achieved　through　imitation。　

As　the　day　progressed；　I　considered　ways　to　get　out　of　whatever　was　going　down　at　the　Cullen　house　
tonight。　It　would　be　bad　enough　to　have　to　celebrate　when　I　was　in　the　mood　to　mourn。　But；　worse　than　
that；　this　was　sure　to　involve　attention　and　gifts。　

Attention　is　never　a　good　thing；　as　any　other　accident…prone　klutz　would　agree。　No　one　wants　a　spotlight　
when　they're　likely　to　fall　on　their　face。　

And　I'd　very　pointedly　asked—well；　ordered　really—that　no　one　give　me　any　presents　this　year。　It　
looked　like　Charlie　and　Renee　weren't　the　only　ones　who　had　decided　to　overlook　that。　

I'd　never　had　much　money；　and　that　had　never　bothered　me。　Renee　had　raised　me　on　a　kindergarten　
teacher's　salary。　Charlie　wasn't　getting　rich　at　his　job；　either—he　was　the　police　chief　here　in　the　tiny　town　
of　Forks。　My　only　personal　income　came　from　the　three　days　a　week　I　worked　at　the　local　sporting　
goods　store。　In　a　town　this　small；　I　was　lucky　to　have　a　job。　Every　penny　I　made　went　into　my　
microscopic　college　fund。　（College　was　Plan　B。　I　was　still　hoping　for　Plan　A；　but　Edward　was　just　so　
stubborn　about　leaving　me　human…）　

Edward　had　a　lot　of　money—I　didn't　even　want　to　think　about　how　much。　Money　meant　next　to　nothing　
to　Edward　or　the　rest　of　the　C