Letters To A Stranger
by Momma2fan
Chapter 2
Bella was in her classroom by seven-thirty, with copies of her quiz printed by quarter till and face down on all the desks when students started filing in. As the final bell rang, she closed the door and started her class.
"Bags and books on the floor. There is a quiz on your desks on the material we’ve covered so far this semester. Let's see what you have learned. You may begin." The grumbles and shuffling of papers greeted her, "Quietly, please."
She sat behind her desk and massaged her temples. She hadn't slept well, nightmares had plagued her. Not hearing from her brother was starting to affect her sleep. She secretly hoped Sgt. Cullen would be able to glean some information for her, but she wasn't going to hold her breath.
With two minutes left in class, Bella looked up at her students, "Time. Please pass your quizzes forward and I’ll have your grades by tomorrow."
The bell rang as she finished collecting the papers and her students quickly filed out of the class. Bella was not so naïve to know that by the time her third period class came in the quiz would still be secret. So she always prepared several different quizzes in case someone decided to cheat and share information. During her free period, she went to the lounge, grabbed a soda from the machine, before heading back to grade her papers and prepare for the next round.
As she was marking qu answers on the quiz papers, Bella heard a buzzing coming from her bag. Pulling out her cell phone she saw it was Rosalie and answered with a smile. "Hey, Rose. How are you?"
"Are you in the middle of class?" Rose asked.
"No, this is my free period. What's up?"
"I just wanted to thank you for not asking any questions last night, Bella. And for dragging Alice out of there before she could."
"Is everything okay, Rose?" Bella asked, concerned.
"It will be. I see a counselor three times a week and having Emmett really helps. That's where I met him. We go to the same therapist. He was suffering from PTSD and then finding out about his girlfriend..." she trailed off. "Anyway, we were both in the waiting room and one day we just started talking. After what he did to me, talking to men has been difficult. With Emmett, it was just easy, you know?"
"Oh, Rose, I’m so happy for you. You deserve to be happy, too. We should get together soon. Maybe you two could come to the house for dinner this weekend. Talk to Emmett and call me. I'll make sure that Jake is around so that it won't be Emmett and a bunch of women. I have to go. Call me soon, okay?"
"I will. Thanks, Bells." Rose hung up and Bella placed her phone back in her bag, just as the bell rang again indicating another class.
Finally, when the last bell rang, the students quickly filed out. Bella organized her things and cleaned up a little, before heading to the parking lot and her car. When she pulled up to her house she noticed Jake's car was there. He wasn't usually off work this early so something must be up. She walked in with a feeling of dread, she really didn't want him to propose.
"Hey, babe," Jake yelled from the kitchen.
"What are you doing here, Jake?" Bella asked as she slipped out of her shoes.
"I got off early and wanted to surprise you." Jake walked around the corner and into the living room. He was still dressed in his work suit. Jake was an accountant and handled several different clients. Although his busiest time of the year was from January until the end of April, he still dealt with those who needed extensions.
"Well, I'm surprised, this isn't your night." Bella was looking forward to some quiet time. She had quizzes to grade and a major assignment to plot out.
"Bells, baby, this once or twice a week stuff is getting old. We’ve been seeing each other for two years, I think we need to take this to the next level. I want something more." Jake sat down and ran his hands through his short black hair.
"I'm sorry, Jake, but this is all I want. I like how our relationship is and I just don’t think I’m ready for a commitment. If you can't deal, then maybe we should see other people or just stop seeing each other altogether."
"Bella, that isn’t what I want. I just think we need to re-examine our relationship and think about the future. If that's not where you see us going, I think I deserve to know." Jake looked at Bella, trying to get her attention. When she didn't look at him he got up and knelt in front of her, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Bella, look at me. Do you want a future with me?"
Bella looked into his eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jake. I care about you, I really do, but I’m not in love with you. I don't think we should see each other anymore." Bella got up and walked into her bedroom. She heard the front door close a minute later and breathed a sigh of relief.
Alice answered the phone on the first ring. She was watching and waiting knowing Bella wasn't as into Jake as he was her. Sure enough, ten minutes after Bella got home he came storming out of the house and peeled away from the curb. Two seconds later Bella was calling. "I'm on my way and I have Ben and Jerry's."
Alice walked in and found Bella sitting on the couch with her glasses on and two wine glasses, already full. She was hastily marking papers with a red pen. "Enough work. Let's get drunk and fat."
Bella laughed, and the two women sat down and enjoyed an evening of men bashing.
~~LTaS~~
Alice rolled off the couch when she heard Bella's alarm on Friday morning. She stumbled into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She wasn't sure how many bottles of wine they had consumed, but she was grateful she ran her own business and could open when she damn well felt like it.
"You know what I just realized?" Alice yelped, hearing Bella's voice behind her.
"What's that?"
"I didn't even get a 'don't leave me' fuck. Do you know how long it’s going to be until I find someone I want to go on a date with, let alone have sex with?"
Alice laughed until she was crying and hung onto the counter for support. "Oh, Bella. You shouldn't do that to me this early in the fucking morning. That is an image that I don't need. ‘Oh, baby, please don't leave me’,” she mocked with a grunt and groan.
"Well, now we’re going to gang up on poor Emmett. I invited him and Rosalie for dinner tomorrow night and I promised Jake would be here. Poor guy, he’ll be surrounded by women. Oh, well. Ali, will you be my date?"
"Sure, but I'm not sleeping with you afterwards. I don't put out on the first date," she joked, as she walked out the door toward her own home.
~~LTaS~~
Bella handed the graded papers back to her students. She was impressed by how many of them had retained the information they had already gone over. She’d also thrown in a question or two on material they hadn't covered yet, and there were only a few who hadn't known the answers. The one thing she liked about her students was even if they didn't know the answer they didn't leave a question blank, they at least attempted to answer. After the final bell, Bella rushed to her car and made it to the army recruiting station in minutes.
Sgt. Emmett Cullen sat behind his desk holding a report in his hands that contained the whereabouts of one Cpl. Jasper Swan. Without his family's knowledge he had joined Special Forces and was in deep cover. He was still receiving his mail, but could have no contact until his assignment was complete. Special Forces are trained to perform high-risk, dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform. These soldiers need to be physically and mentally robust and have the confidence, courage, and skill to operate individually or in small teams, often in isolation and in a hostile environment. Emmett only hoped that Jasper was up to the challenge.
He looked up as the bell chimed, letting him know that someone had walked in. Putting the papers away in a drawer, he smiled when he saw Bella. "Good afternoon, Miss Swan. How are we doing today?"
"We are fine. How are you?” She strolled into the office and took a seat on the other side of his desk. “Also, I think since you’re dating one of my best friends you should call me Bella."
"Very well then, Bella, you can call me Emmett. So Rose tells me that we are having dinner tomorrow.” When she nodded, he continued. “Well then, I hope you can cook and that you make plenty of food. My parents and Rose are constantly telling me that I’m a bottomless pit."
Bella laughed, "I’m sure there will be plenty. So, what have you got for me?"
"Okay, well, I've gotten you the address to where one company is stationed. You said you have about seventy-five students, correct?"
"Yes."
"Okay, well generally a company consists of anywhere between 60 to 200 soldiers. So I don't think there will be a shortage of people to write to." Emmett pushed a sheet of paper across his desk toward her.
"Well, I don't want to leave anyone out. Is there a way to make sure the ones who get the letters are people who don't normally receive packages or mail?"
"Trust me, Bella, no one will feel left out. But if you want to make sure that happens just make sure you tell the commanding officer in your letter to make sure the forgotten soldiers are the ones who get them first. Although, no soldier is forgotten."
"Okay, thanks, Emmett. I’ll be assigning this on Monday so I should be able to get them in the mail by next Friday.” Bella stood, collected her purse and the address Emmett had handed her. “I’ll see you and Rose tomorrow evening. Thanks again."
"No problem, Bella. See you tomorrow."
Bella couldn't wait to get home and start writing her letter. First, she had to stop by the store and get the ingredients for lasagna and tiramisu. Once she had collected everything she needed, she went home and started a pot of coffee. She went into her room and changed into a pair of yoga pants and a tank. After walking into the kitchen and pulling out a bowl, she started to assemble the sweet treat. She soaked the ladyfingers in the coffee and layered them in a pan. After putting a layer of the cream filling in, she added more ladyfingers. She did this until all layers were formed and then placed it in the fridge until tomorrow evening. With that chilling, she poured herself a glass of wine and walked to her office.
She turned on the stereo to some soft piano strains and opened her laptop. She started with the instructions each student would receive, outlining her expectations, and what she would be grading them on. She also added in a warning that explicit material would receive a failing grade. She was extremely excited about this project and hoped some of her students continued writing. Once that was complete, she opened a new page and started her letter.
Dear First Sergeant, Company #106,
My name is Isabella Swan and I’m a teacher at San Bernardino High School in California. As a class project, I have decided that my students will write to a soldier and tell him or her a little about their life and what it's like to be a freshman in an advanced English class. I suppose I could show a good example and tell you about myself. Before I do, I have one request. I know there are some young men and women currently serving who have no one back home to miss or write to them. I’m asking that you please give these people the letters first, so they can at least make the choice to write back. I'm not saying this will be expected, as I certainly am not going to ask that you write me back.
Okay so...a little about me. Hmm...Well, I’m 25. I have long brown hair, brown eyes, and am about five-foot-five flat footed. (Do you really care about that?) My friends tell me I’m a happy person and I try to be. I do have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind and I don't possess a filter outside of the classroom. I’m capable of using language which would make a sailor blush, especially when I’m watching football. I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, but am a die hard Cheese head. Go Packers! (I hope that doesn't offend you.) The Superbowl last year was the best.
I wasn't sure how to go about this project so I went down to the local recruiting office and met a very nice man who offered to help me. Do you know Sgt. Emmett Cullen? He was very helpful and gave me the address for your company. It was funny because I ran into him later that evening while he was on a date. Turns out his date was one of my best friends from college. I had no idea she was back in town and yet there she was. Small world, huh?
On a final note, I wanted to do this project because my brother is serving in Afghanistan and I haven't heard from him in three months. His name is Cpl. Jasper Swan and I miss him so much. My parents won't talk about him with me. All I know is they haven't heard from him and haven't had any official visits, I pray that continues. I’ll add you and your company to my prayer list and hope that God keeps you safe.
Thank you for your service...God Bless!
Isabella Swan
Bella printed the letter as well as the assignment notes for her students and closed her laptop. She hoped this project would be successful and maybe she could gain a friend and some insight into her brother's whereabouts. She turned off all the lights and went to bed, curling up with her pillow and saying a prayer for Jasper and all the servicemen and women.
Across an ocean on a distant shore, as the sun rose, a man rose with it. Not knowing that his life would soon change.
Bella was in her classroom by seven-thirty, with copies of her quiz printed by quarter till and face down on all the desks when students started filing in. As the final bell rang, she closed the door and started her class.
"Bags and books on the floor. There is a quiz on your desks on the material we’ve covered so far this semester. Let's see what you have learned. You may begin." The grumbles and shuffling of papers greeted her, "Quietly, please."
She sat behind her desk and massaged her temples. She hadn't slept well, nightmares had plagued her. Not hearing from her brother was starting to affect her sleep. She secretly hoped Sgt. Cullen would be able to glean some information for her, but she wasn't going to hold her breath.
With two minutes left in class, Bella looked up at her students, "Time. Please pass your quizzes forward and I’ll have your grades by tomorrow."
The bell rang as she finished collecting the papers and her students quickly filed out of the class. Bella was not so naïve to know that by the time her third period class came in the quiz would still be secret. So she always prepared several different quizzes in case someone decided to cheat and share information. During her free period, she went to the lounge, grabbed a soda from the machine, before heading back to grade her papers and prepare for the next round.
As she was marking qu answers on the quiz papers, Bella heard a buzzing coming from her bag. Pulling out her cell phone she saw it was Rosalie and answered with a smile. "Hey, Rose. How are you?"
"Are you in the middle of class?" Rose asked.
"No, this is my free period. What's up?"
"I just wanted to thank you for not asking any questions last night, Bella. And for dragging Alice out of there before she could."
"Is everything okay, Rose?" Bella asked, concerned.
"It will be. I see a counselor three times a week and having Emmett really helps. That's where I met him. We go to the same therapist. He was suffering from PTSD and then finding out about his girlfriend..." she trailed off. "Anyway, we were both in the waiting room and one day we just started talking. After what he did to me, talking to men has been difficult. With Emmett, it was just easy, you know?"
"Oh, Rose, I’m so happy for you. You deserve to be happy, too. We should get together soon. Maybe you two could come to the house for dinner this weekend. Talk to Emmett and call me. I'll make sure that Jake is around so that it won't be Emmett and a bunch of women. I have to go. Call me soon, okay?"
"I will. Thanks, Bells." Rose hung up and Bella placed her phone back in her bag, just as the bell rang again indicating another class.
Finally, when the last bell rang, the students quickly filed out. Bella organized her things and cleaned up a little, before heading to the parking lot and her car. When she pulled up to her house she noticed Jake's car was there. He wasn't usually off work this early so something must be up. She walked in with a feeling of dread, she really didn't want him to propose.
"Hey, babe," Jake yelled from the kitchen.
"What are you doing here, Jake?" Bella asked as she slipped out of her shoes.
"I got off early and wanted to surprise you." Jake walked around the corner and into the living room. He was still dressed in his work suit. Jake was an accountant and handled several different clients. Although his busiest time of the year was from January until the end of April, he still dealt with those who needed extensions.
"Well, I'm surprised, this isn't your night." Bella was looking forward to some quiet time. She had quizzes to grade and a major assignment to plot out.
"Bells, baby, this once or twice a week stuff is getting old. We’ve been seeing each other for two years, I think we need to take this to the next level. I want something more." Jake sat down and ran his hands through his short black hair.
"I'm sorry, Jake, but this is all I want. I like how our relationship is and I just don’t think I’m ready for a commitment. If you can't deal, then maybe we should see other people or just stop seeing each other altogether."
"Bella, that isn’t what I want. I just think we need to re-examine our relationship and think about the future. If that's not where you see us going, I think I deserve to know." Jake looked at Bella, trying to get her attention. When she didn't look at him he got up and knelt in front of her, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Bella, look at me. Do you want a future with me?"
Bella looked into his eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jake. I care about you, I really do, but I’m not in love with you. I don't think we should see each other anymore." Bella got up and walked into her bedroom. She heard the front door close a minute later and breathed a sigh of relief.
Alice answered the phone on the first ring. She was watching and waiting knowing Bella wasn't as into Jake as he was her. Sure enough, ten minutes after Bella got home he came storming out of the house and peeled away from the curb. Two seconds later Bella was calling. "I'm on my way and I have Ben and Jerry's."
Alice walked in and found Bella sitting on the couch with her glasses on and two wine glasses, already full. She was hastily marking papers with a red pen. "Enough work. Let's get drunk and fat."
Bella laughed, and the two women sat down and enjoyed an evening of men bashing.
~~LTaS~~
Alice rolled off the couch when she heard Bella's alarm on Friday morning. She stumbled into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She wasn't sure how many bottles of wine they had consumed, but she was grateful she ran her own business and could open when she damn well felt like it.
"You know what I just realized?" Alice yelped, hearing Bella's voice behind her.
"What's that?"
"I didn't even get a 'don't leave me' fuck. Do you know how long it’s going to be until I find someone I want to go on a date with, let alone have sex with?"
Alice laughed until she was crying and hung onto the counter for support. "Oh, Bella. You shouldn't do that to me this early in the fucking morning. That is an image that I don't need. ‘Oh, baby, please don't leave me’,” she mocked with a grunt and groan.
"Well, now we’re going to gang up on poor Emmett. I invited him and Rosalie for dinner tomorrow night and I promised Jake would be here. Poor guy, he’ll be surrounded by women. Oh, well. Ali, will you be my date?"
"Sure, but I'm not sleeping with you afterwards. I don't put out on the first date," she joked, as she walked out the door toward her own home.
~~LTaS~~
Bella handed the graded papers back to her students. She was impressed by how many of them had retained the information they had already gone over. She’d also thrown in a question or two on material they hadn't covered yet, and there were only a few who hadn't known the answers. The one thing she liked about her students was even if they didn't know the answer they didn't leave a question blank, they at least attempted to answer. After the final bell, Bella rushed to her car and made it to the army recruiting station in minutes.
Sgt. Emmett Cullen sat behind his desk holding a report in his hands that contained the whereabouts of one Cpl. Jasper Swan. Without his family's knowledge he had joined Special Forces and was in deep cover. He was still receiving his mail, but could have no contact until his assignment was complete. Special Forces are trained to perform high-risk, dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform. These soldiers need to be physically and mentally robust and have the confidence, courage, and skill to operate individually or in small teams, often in isolation and in a hostile environment. Emmett only hoped that Jasper was up to the challenge.
He looked up as the bell chimed, letting him know that someone had walked in. Putting the papers away in a drawer, he smiled when he saw Bella. "Good afternoon, Miss Swan. How are we doing today?"
"We are fine. How are you?” She strolled into the office and took a seat on the other side of his desk. “Also, I think since you’re dating one of my best friends you should call me Bella."
"Very well then, Bella, you can call me Emmett. So Rose tells me that we are having dinner tomorrow.” When she nodded, he continued. “Well then, I hope you can cook and that you make plenty of food. My parents and Rose are constantly telling me that I’m a bottomless pit."
Bella laughed, "I’m sure there will be plenty. So, what have you got for me?"
"Okay, well, I've gotten you the address to where one company is stationed. You said you have about seventy-five students, correct?"
"Yes."
"Okay, well generally a company consists of anywhere between 60 to 200 soldiers. So I don't think there will be a shortage of people to write to." Emmett pushed a sheet of paper across his desk toward her.
"Well, I don't want to leave anyone out. Is there a way to make sure the ones who get the letters are people who don't normally receive packages or mail?"
"Trust me, Bella, no one will feel left out. But if you want to make sure that happens just make sure you tell the commanding officer in your letter to make sure the forgotten soldiers are the ones who get them first. Although, no soldier is forgotten."
"Okay, thanks, Emmett. I’ll be assigning this on Monday so I should be able to get them in the mail by next Friday.” Bella stood, collected her purse and the address Emmett had handed her. “I’ll see you and Rose tomorrow evening. Thanks again."
"No problem, Bella. See you tomorrow."
Bella couldn't wait to get home and start writing her letter. First, she had to stop by the store and get the ingredients for lasagna and tiramisu. Once she had collected everything she needed, she went home and started a pot of coffee. She went into her room and changed into a pair of yoga pants and a tank. After walking into the kitchen and pulling out a bowl, she started to assemble the sweet treat. She soaked the ladyfingers in the coffee and layered them in a pan. After putting a layer of the cream filling in, she added more ladyfingers. She did this until all layers were formed and then placed it in the fridge until tomorrow evening. With that chilling, she poured herself a glass of wine and walked to her office.
She turned on the stereo to some soft piano strains and opened her laptop. She started with the instructions each student would receive, outlining her expectations, and what she would be grading them on. She also added in a warning that explicit material would receive a failing grade. She was extremely excited about this project and hoped some of her students continued writing. Once that was complete, she opened a new page and started her letter.
Dear First Sergeant, Company #106,
My name is Isabella Swan and I’m a teacher at San Bernardino High School in California. As a class project, I have decided that my students will write to a soldier and tell him or her a little about their life and what it's like to be a freshman in an advanced English class. I suppose I could show a good example and tell you about myself. Before I do, I have one request. I know there are some young men and women currently serving who have no one back home to miss or write to them. I’m asking that you please give these people the letters first, so they can at least make the choice to write back. I'm not saying this will be expected, as I certainly am not going to ask that you write me back.
Okay so...a little about me. Hmm...Well, I’m 25. I have long brown hair, brown eyes, and am about five-foot-five flat footed. (Do you really care about that?) My friends tell me I’m a happy person and I try to be. I do have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind and I don't possess a filter outside of the classroom. I’m capable of using language which would make a sailor blush, especially when I’m watching football. I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, but am a die hard Cheese head. Go Packers! (I hope that doesn't offend you.) The Superbowl last year was the best.
I wasn't sure how to go about this project so I went down to the local recruiting office and met a very nice man who offered to help me. Do you know Sgt. Emmett Cullen? He was very helpful and gave me the address for your company. It was funny because I ran into him later that evening while he was on a date. Turns out his date was one of my best friends from college. I had no idea she was back in town and yet there she was. Small world, huh?
On a final note, I wanted to do this project because my brother is serving in Afghanistan and I haven't heard from him in three months. His name is Cpl. Jasper Swan and I miss him so much. My parents won't talk about him with me. All I know is they haven't heard from him and haven't had any official visits, I pray that continues. I’ll add you and your company to my prayer list and hope that God keeps you safe.
Thank you for your service...God Bless!
Isabella Swan
Bella printed the letter as well as the assignment notes for her students and closed her laptop. She hoped this project would be successful and maybe she could gain a friend and some insight into her brother's whereabouts. She turned off all the lights and went to bed, curling up with her pillow and saying a prayer for Jasper and all the servicemen and women.
Across an ocean on a distant shore, as the sun rose, a man rose with it. Not knowing that his life would soon change.