Changing Prejudices, Twilight (tylko EN pow. 100,000 słów)

Storyid: 4526862

FanFiction.net

Name: Changing Prejudices

Author: IHateCleanBreaks

Chapter 1 to 36

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Chapter: 1

A/N: This first chapter is short so that I can see if there is any interest in continuing. This is my first fanfiction, and I actually starting writing it before I learned of this website. I had to change a lot of things to make it fit here, so please forgive me and let me know if you find any mistakes. Thanks for any and all reviews and suggestions.

Chapter 1:

BPOV

I guess I was sort of prejudiced against famous people. Really, it was famous anything, not just people. Anytime something became a big deal to most of the country, I shut down and lost interest. There were few situations I was able to hold on and persevere. I hated for people to think I was just following the crowd. I wanted to prove I was different and I hated it if my interests converged with the interests of the majority of people.

One of the few exceptions was a book and its three sequels. Two of my former co-workers had turned me on to the series. I figured it wasn’t well known because I was really into books and I had never heard of them before. In the first 2 1 weeks I had the three books, I read them three times. I was hooked before I even knew how popular they were. I read them a few more times waiting for the release of the fourth book. And then a few more times before the release of the first movie. I was in too deep before I realized just how popular the books were and how far the obsession went. So I went with it anyway. And I was glad I did.

I worked as the night manager at a small but luxurious hotel near Port Angeles, WA. I had been working there for ten years and had finally worked my way up to manager. I chose the night position because not only did it come with a raise, but it also gave me a few hours of uninterrupted time in which to study. The night shift was from 8pm to 6am. It was hectic for the first few hours and for the last hour. I usually had about seven hours in which to work on the homework for my Master’s Degree.

We were a popular hotel during the big fishing tournaments. The Red Lion Hotel was more expensive and usually filled up years ahead of time. We were usually booked about six months before the tournament. We were close enough for guests to feel okay with driving yet far enough away from all the traffic and crowds. The biggest tournament usually drew fishermen for a total of two weeks.

It was in the middle of the season, during the first week of the tournament time. It was a comparatively slow night, since it was Tuesday and most of our guests had checked in Sunday. It was late, almost 11pm, and most of the guests were already asleep. Ericka, the desk clerk, had let me know that the last guest, a Mr. Richard Masen, would be checking in later than expected. At 11pm, a group of five men and one woman walked in, and the woman approached my desk ahead of them.

I could tell that these people were the type we usually got in the Meadow Hotel and Suites. High fashion clothes, expensive luggage, and an air of money and importance. I hated when these people checked in on my shift. They paid my check, yes, but they were so pompous and arrogant. And they looked down on me like I was dirt or something. The woman looked a few years older than my 26 years. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a French twist.

“Excuse me, Miss. We need to check in.”

“Sure, may I have your names?” I got a good look at the man who stepped up with her. He seemed to be the center of the group, and when I recognized him, I knew I was right.

“The reservation should be for three rooms in the name of Richard Masen,” she said, inclining her head towards the man next to her. “We will be staying for at least three weeks, maybe more.” I knew that was not his name. I was freaking out inside, but kept a professional attitude outside. This was not Richard Masen, who he obviously claimed to be, this was Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen. One of the hottest new actors on screen today. What was he doing in Forks?

“Okay, I need one person from each room to fill out one of these cards, please.” I held the cards in between the two of them, not knowing which one would take them. The woman was obviously a secretary or assistant and the four other males were assistants and body guards of sorts. My voice was calm and steady. Good, no trace of the butterflies in my stomach. “Richard” filled out one of the cards, and when he handed it back his handwriting reminded me of the description of the vampire’s from the books.

“Okay, here are your room keys. 519, 521, and 530. Room 530 is the larger suite.” Our room keys were real keys instead of the computer cards other hotels went for. “Welcome to the Meadow Hotel and Suites, enjoy your stay.” I rang the bell and the bellhop Tommy came from behind me with the trolley. The woman, “Richard”, and one of the men headed towards the elevator. The other three men put the luggage they had on the trolley, and they went out to the car to get the rest. They ended up needing three trolleys total. Every room in the hotel was now booked. I typed in the command to turn on the No Vacancy sign outside. There had been a chance that he wouldn’t show up, so the manager had lit the Vacancy sign.

I tried not to be too interested in the luggage they brought in. I was thankfully distracted from staring by a phone call from one of the rooms.

“Meadow front desk, how may I help you?”

“Yes, Isabella, this is Richard Masen, we just checked in?” I barely registered that he’d noticed my name in the flutter over his English accent. And wishing once again that my manager had listened when I’d asked him to put Bella on my nametag. I blushed, glad that he was not in front of me and that Tommy had gone up the elevators with the guards. “There seems to be a problem with our rooms.”

“I’m sorry, sir, what can I help with?”

“Well, none of our rooms has a Jacuzzi and I was really looking forward to a relaxing bath after my long day of travel.” I blushed again at that thought, but kept my voice steady and professional. I was such an idiot.

“I’m sorry sir, but those are our most requested rooms and we have so few that you have to ask for one.”

“I did ask for one, but there’s no harm done. We have not unpacked yet, we can just move rooms.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Masen, but we have no other empty rooms. We’re booked solid.”

“But surely there has to be a room somewhere in here where the guests have not yet checked in. Move us to one of those rooms with a Jacuzzi and give our rooms to them.”

“I’m terribly sorry, but these are the busiest two weeks of the season for us and all of our guests are checked in. You took the last three empty rooms.”

“But we asked for a Jacuzzi and we did not get one. Could you not call one of the others and see if they would switch with me? Even if I have to be on another floor, I’d be okay.” His voice was tinted with a bit of sarcasm and rudeness.

“Mr. Masen, you did not ask for a Jacuzzi.”

“Yes I did, besides if it isn’t in the computer, how would you know?”

“No sir, a Jacuzzi was not requested. I am now looking at your account and I know that no Jacuzzi was requested.” I struggled to keep my voice polite.

“Are you saying I am a liar? That is not customer service, Miss. I say I did ask for one, and how would you know I did not?”

“Mr. Masen, I know because when , um, a Miss Jessica Stanley,” I read off the computer, “called to reserve the room, I was the one who answered the phone and set up the reservation. There was no mention at all about a Jacuzzi.” He was silent as he processed the information.

“Oh,” was all he said before hanging up on me. I was instantly over the butterflies. He’d reminded me that I didn’t like things or people that were too famous. Celebrities never seemed like real people to me. They were always fake and snobs to me. I wasn’t one of the beautiful people, so of course they seemed that way.

I was very plain in comparison. About 5’5”, brown hair, boring brown eyes, and very pale skin. Not one of the beautiful people. Now, for those of you reading this who may be saying ‘Outside isn’t everything. The personality is better’, I will say that I didn’t think I was a dog or anything. I didn’t have bad skin, and my hair was beautiful when it behaved. Twenty-six years of experience had taught me, however, that I wasn’t beautiful on the outside.

Edward Cullen, aka “Richard Masen”, was beautiful. He’d been in several extremely successful movies in the past few years. Most of his movies were based off books. I hadn’t been very impressed with his character in his first movie. Whether that was Edward’s fault or not, I didn’t know. I vaguely remembered not liking the character in the books, in spite of him supposedly being very nice and handsome. Then, Edward’s next movie floored me. He’d played my favorite character from my favorite book and he actually matched my mental image of him fairly well. Beautiful, with a very nice British accent. And only three years younger than me.

I would add that last part to myself sometimes, imagining that I’d like to get to know the person behind the celebrity. But now I knew he was just like every other stereotypical movie star. Rude and demanding, expecting everything to be rearranged to fulfill his every whim. I was so furious with him that I had to calm down before I could go back to reading my book. My fun book at that time was the book whose movie version had changed my opinion of Edward. That connection was probably another reason I couldn’t just go back to reading. He had been too convincing in the movie. He was the male lead to me now. Crap.

After I calmed down, the night passed fairly quickly. I did not get too upset after that, even though our newest guests kept the night shift hoping with the requests we could fulfill. Mr. “Masen” did not call again, but his secretary did. They finally turned off their lights in all three rooms at 3:15am.

Chapter: 2

A/N: I know, I know, you want to get to the good stuff with Bella and Edward. Sorry, but I needed to set things up a bit. I am going to try to get them together more next chapter.

I do need to know something, though. I don’t know how long I should make these chapters. I personally hate to have to wait on new chapters for stories I’m reading, but sometimes don’t have enough time to finish reading the long ones all in one sitting.

You probably get asked this a lot, but do you want longer chapters or shorter ones? Either way won’t affect update times right now, because I have a lot of the story already written.

Disclaimer: Meyer owns them, I do not. The characters, that is. At least most of them.

Chapter 2

BPOV

I sighed in relief as the day manager came through the door at 6am. I’d never been so happy to see him before. I gave him the information about Mr. Masen and company and warned him of the difficult time they’d given us. I headed to the hotel gym and spa to work out. That day I had a lot of stress to get out so I could have relaxed enough to sleep. It was a fairly new routine, chosen to relieve the stresses of a manager dealing with demanding guests. “Richard” wasn’t the first guest to make such demands, and I spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out why he bothered me so much. I finally guessed that it was because he was linked in my head with my favorite character and he’d shown himself as obviously not as unselfish as said fictional character.

After my work out, I was very physically exhausted. I went home, showered, and went to bed. I got home at 9, later than usual because I’d had so much to work out. During the week I didn’t do much other than work and school. I usually got home at 8am and slept until 5 or 5:30. I fixed some dinner, spent some time with my roommate Alice, and got to work at 8pm. There wasn’t a lot of time during the week to spend with my friends. Alice and I worked out together and she usually got home about the time I woke up. I hung out on Friday and Saturday nights when I was off. My life was full. I loved it. Not a lot of time to sit and think.

“Isabella. Isabella. Wake up sleepy head.” I thought I heard Alice’s voice but it wasn’t enough to pull me awake. “C’mon, Isabella. You’re cutting into our roommate time!” It still wasn’t working, so she hit below the belt. “Isabella Marie Swan, wake up now!”

“Alright, alright. You didn’t have to bring up my middle name, Mary Alice Brandon.” She giggled as I rolled over on my back. She smacked my leg and walked out of the room. I groaned as I headed towards my bathroom, and I heard her laugh again. Day people. Alice was one of those constantly perky people that got on normal people’s nerves. I had known her most of our lives so I was used to her by now. I just couldn’t stand it when she used her energy to wake me up.

I’d forgotten all about Edward Cullen until we were seated on our couch watching tv, waiting for the lasagna in the oven.

“Bella, you seem tense. Bad night?” I described for her the night, leaving out the details that would identify the guest. We weren’t allowed to give out specifics and Alice was just as obsessed with Edward Cullen as most girls were. She would have freaked out if she knew Edward was staying at the hotel.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Maybe things won't be so bad today. Maybe he'll get over himself and leave you alone. How far did you get in your book?”

“Not very far. I’m just now halfway through. I kept getting interrupted and it was time to switch to homework before I got very far.”

“How long is that guest planning to stay?”

“At least three weeks, maybe more.” Alice groaned with me and changed the subject. She really liked a guy at work named Jasper and he made her happy today. That’s all she talked about the rest of the time. The lasagna was done and I got to eat this time. Usually we were both talking so much that I had to take most of my dinner with me to finish at work.

Alice was a paralegal and was taking online classes to be a lawyer. My online classes were for a Master’s degree in English. She was still talking as I got ready for work. She followed me around our small apartment, talking a mile a minute. So much had happened that day and she wanted to talk over it all and dissect it. She didn’t even notice my distraction.

I knew that as far as check in and out was concerned work would not be busy. Seven pm is about the time that the fishermen are returning from the water and are leaving to get dinner. The hotel usually calms down again by 10pm. As the two weeks drag on, they settle down earlier and earlier as they soak up more sun and feel the drag of the tournament.

I had no clue why “Richard” would be in Forks, WA, but I doubted it was the fishing. He hadn’t had any fishing tackle with him. It bothered me that I was still thinking about him. I just didn’t know what to expect from the fourteen hours I’d been off. Would he have left? Did any other desk clerk meet him yet? Had he been discovered, or did he have some kind of disguise?

“Bella.” I heard my name called before I even got to the front desk. I guessed it would be bad. Ericka was waiting for me. Oh crap.

“Hey Ericka. What’s up?” She was looking very frazzled. The day manager and the head manager usually left at five, leaving Ericka or whoever else on their own until I showed up at eight. Neither of us liked it, because that was a busy time of the day and a time when a lot of mishaps occur. She wasn’t alone, but there were still things happening that needed a manager. But of course you couldn’t tell them that.

“The plumbing went out in five rooms today. Thankfully most of the guests were out, but we’ve only just got it fixed. We left messages on their cells, but there is still the possibility that you will have to deal with telling them. Sorry to leave you hanging with this. Lauren called in sick so I’ve been dealing with this all by myself. Mr. Morgan authorized a free week for each room. Here.” She handed me the already signed vouchers.

“Oh, one more thing. Mr. Varner in 500 had a family emergency and had to check out early. So I was able to get Richard Masen his Jacuzzi.” I rolled my eyes. She winked at me, letting me know she knew who he was.

“He was really nice. I didn’t get one demand from him today. He’d probably just had a long, hard day and got just a little testy with you. Okay, see you tomorrow, bye!” She already had all her stuff collected and she left at that. I doubted that Ericka would have noticed even if “Richard” had been a jerk. She was a sucker for a pretty face, even if that guy wasn’t a well-known celebrity.

The guests with the plumbing problems were all taken care of by about 9:30. They were all very calm and only one family accepted the free week. No damage had been done in any room and the one family seemed the type who’d spent their month’s pay so the dad could spend two week’s vacation fishing. I was always glad when someone like that got a chance to stay at our hotel. I hated that that kind of luxury was only for the rich.

I was finished with all my regular duties by 11 and was pretty much free until about 4am. I settled in for a few hours with my book—the short amount I would have until I would have to switch to homework. I was interrupted a few minutes later by a group of teenaged girls approaching my desk. I could hear them giggling all the way from the front door.

“May I help you?” I asked, already knowing what they wanted. It was a small town and I thought I recognized some of the girls, but didn't know any by name. Did they come from Port Angeles, or something? How could they know Edward was here? Did someone leak the story?

“Yes, we were wondering if you would tell us if a certain person were staying here?”

“I’m sorry but we cannot give out any information about our guests.”

“Oh, come on, we won’t tell anyone.”

“I’m sorry but we cannot give out any information about our guests.”

“But it’s Edward Cullen! We heard he was staying here! He’s famous and hot and has been in so many movies!” She gushed.

“I’m sorry but we cannot give out any information about our guests.” I repeated for the third time. I kept hoping that maybe they’d get the hint and leave me alone. I had to wrack my brains for something that would keep from giving him away. As mad as he’d made me, I believed that celebrities should be treated as regular people and as such they deserved privacy if they wanted it.

“Ugly,” one of the girls whispered behind her hand. I held onto my temper.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“You can answer my question. It’s just a simple yes or no. Is Edward Cullen staying here or not?” The girl that seemed like the leader was model blonde and thin. She spoke very slowly, enunciating every word as if I were ignorant or deaf. I tried not to stereotype her but it was difficult. After all, she couldn’t help being born with a silver spoon in her mouth and blonde hair on her head.

“I’m sorry but we cannot give out any information about our guests,” I said, speaking slowly myself, wondering if she were ignorant or deaf.

“What are you, some kind of parrot, or can’t you think of anything original to say?” A small little brunette with red highlights said.

“Alright then. I will not give out any information about my guests.” They stared me down, all five of them, little hands on their hips, fully expecting to get their way in this as in all other things.

“Fine. We’ll just sit here and wait. If he’s here, he’ll have to come or go sometime.” They made to sit in the chairs and couches across the way from my desk.

“Sure, however, this sign here says that anyone who sleeps here must pay at least 125 dollars a night per room. My managers love to take people’s money. However, we do have the right to kick people off our property.”

“Aren’t you a manager? Your only reason for not telling us is that you can’t tell us. That doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t.”

“Ah, but I have bosses.” We stared each other down again.

“Fine, we’ll just have to find another way to find out.” She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and the group walked out, cussing and insulting me the whole way. I smiled and went back to my book. I pushed my worry aside that someone had spilled Edward's whereabouts. It was not my job to investigate.

I tend to get very absorbed in books when I read, however I try not to get in too deep when at work. I must have got in deeper than I thought in my book, because before I even heard a squeak on the floor, someone stood over my desk, clearing their throat.

The front desk is a long counter with two levels. The upper level was for customers to lean and write on and the lower level was where our computers and such were. That lower counter was low enough to sit at, but also high enough for us to comfortably stand up and type on the computer. We weren’t allowed to sit down with people at our desk. I was sitting, my head down focused on my book when the guest cleared his throat. I looked straight up into Edward Cullen’s beautiful green eyes.

“May I help you?” I asked, closing my book quickly. The good mood I’d had left me. He glanced down at my book, the cover was up. A smirk crossed his face, but then he stifled it. I thought I knew what he was thinking. He was probably wondering if I’d seen the movies and if I’d recognized him, but also thinking that if I had, I would have treated him much different than I had. He might even think I was rude because I was trying to hide how flustered I was by him. Jerk.

“I want to apologize for last night. I was tired and rude. I am used to Jacuzzis in hotel rooms, because I can afford to stay in the kind of hotels that would. However, there is no excuse for my rude behavior. I am sorry.” He smiled and held out his hand. Oh my god was his crooked smile gorgeous. I grasped at my irritation to put some sound into my breathless voice.

“Apology accepted.” I didn’t shake his hand. “But there’s really no need. We try to make our guests as comfortable as possible, whatever the request. It is my job.”

“I am sure, but I am wanting to let you know that I am normally not like that,” he said, frowning deepera little irritated. He still stood there, so I didn’t feel released to turn back to my book, but I didn’t have anything else to say. I just nodded and waited. He went down another path.

“So, reading, huh?” I nodded again, looking down at my book and moving my hands that futilely tried to hide the cover. “I’ve already read all five in the series myself. I liked them a lot. Do you like them?” I nodded again and looked back at him. He still had a stupid smirk on his perfect face.

“They were good books, which one is your favorite?”He’d asked a question I couldn’t answer with just a nod. I had to speak. He was still smiling, and I couldn’t quite think clearly. I looked down again, but I still couldn’t figure out which one was my favorite. I liked them all. He took my silence as something else and went on himself.

“I personally liked that one the best. I liked reading the story from his viewpoint.” I had a habit of speaking before thinking, and my words slipped out before I thought, especially since I was mad.

...

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Changing Prejudices

Changing Prejudices, Twilight (tylko EN pow. 100,000 słów)

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