Bella Goes Grocery Shopping, Chapter 2

Chapter Two: TEDIOUS

Fifteen minutes later I was pushing the shiny metal cart down the bread aisle. Wheat, whole wheat, butter-top, potato...what did it matter? Wasn't all bread really the same? I sighed heavily and thought of Edward as I picked up a loaf of honey wheat. Honey. The color of his eyes. I stared at that loaf of bread for a long moment, trying to see his face in the cheap plastic bag. If I squinted and turned my head just right I could almost imagine his face.

I sighed heavily and tossed the bread into the basket. I continued down the aisle in search of oatmeal, and glanced up at the florescent lights, thinking of how superhumanly attractive Edward always looked beneath them.

I stood in front of all the oatmeal varieties. Did Charlie like apple cinnamon or was it peaches and cream? It was hard to remember facts not related to Edward. In the end I picked bananas and cream. Surely Charlie liked bananas since he had painted my room yellow all those years ago.

The work of grocery shopping alone was torture. Finally, next to the spaghetti-o's I almost fell to my knees and sobbed as my loneliness threatened to engulf me in sorrow. I gripped the red plastic handlebar of the cart, willing myself to stay conscious. Soon I would be with Edward again, soon I would bask in his glorious beauty and stroke his perfect hair--

Suddenly I heard a voice behind me say my name. It wasn't the voice I longed to hear but I looked up anyway. "Are you okay?" I looked up to see Jacob--tall, strong, masculine Jacob with his shiny black hair and russet skin.

Everything fell apart when I saw him, and I nearly threw myself at him in relief. "Jake!" I whispered hoarsely as I clung to him. "I can't believe you're here, just when I needed someone!"

"Woah, Bells," he said, sounding surprised. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Jacob," I sniffed. "I was shopping and I...I just...I couldn't deal with it. Edward is--is--" I caught Jacob's hopeful expression and said, "He's not here!"

"Jerk," he said scathingly. "He should know better than to leave you on your own. I'm glad I needed some more hot dogs."

I hugged him tightly, appreciating his muscular shoulders as I did so--in a purely friend kind of way, of course, since Jacob and I would never be more than that. Still, I told myself, I would be a poor friend indeed if I couldn't appreciate his good build.

I took several deep breaths and tried to collect myself. "Will you help me finish the shopping, Jake?" I asked tentatively. "I just...I don't think I could do it alone. Not tonight."

"Sure, sure," he said, throwing a pack of hot dogs into the basket. Suddenly everything was all right. I had Jacob--my Jacob--to help me through the rest of the grocery shopping. We spent the next hour laughing about cow tongues, store-brand cereal and a display of Butterfingers. Before I knew it, the groceries were loaded into the truck.