http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5792015/1/Tips_for_Better_Living

Official Description: Edward is a self-centered college drop-out, waiting on tables and living an empty life. Redemeption arrives in the guise of a quirky customer who offers him some much-needed advice for happiness. Does Edward have the character to rise to the challenge?

Don’t miss the Tips Outtake: Conversations in a Diner.

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vanessarae says: I’ll be the first to admit that when I read Twific, I tend to stick with obvious romantically-oriented fics featuring Edward and Bella. It is very rare indeed that I will read a Friendship-categorized story. So, when I say that a Friendship story is good, you better believe it is good. ‘Tips for Better Living’ is that good. Adorablecullens manages to finely toe that line that keeps Bella and Edward apart, without being too contrived or too boring.

Edward is a spoiled college drop-out that has taken up waiting on tables at Poppy’s, a local diner, after getting into a bit of extra-curricular trouble. His work ethic includes showing up, taking orders, and delivering food and a check. No real pleasantries, no effort, no concern for his patrons. All he wants are the meager wage and minimal tips he receives, which he then turns into his father, Carlisle, in an effort to pay back the money that needed to be put up to dig him out of trouble.

One day, he gets a customer, described as such:

The woman was thin and plainly dressed. (Edward prided himself on wearing only the coolest clothes and brands, and this woman definitely wasn’t sharing any of his fashion taste.) Her jeans weren’t a recognizable brand, and she was wearing scuffed, clunky snow boots. The winter jacket hanging over the back of the chair was non-descript. The end of a Burberry scarf poked out of one sleeve – probably fake, he thought with an inner sniff of disdain. Her frizzy brown hair was bundled into a lopsided pony tail that was sprinkled with gray.

As Edward stared off into space beside Table 12, the woman seated there cleared her throat and looked up at him inquiringly. He realized he had been wool-gathering and started guiltily. Then he looked down at her, and his heart gave a sudden, great leap.

Her face was as plain as the rest of her. Pale skin, no make up, a few wrinkles around the eyes. Edward was lousy at guessing ages; all he could tell was that she was older than him and definitely not hot. But her wide brown eyes were deep and intense as she looked at him – looked at him. For the first time since he had started at Poppy’s six weeks ago, Edward felt like someone had actually seen him – not as her personal purveyor of coffee and corned beef sandwiches, but as a human being. The feeling was so unexpected that he jerked backward, slopping coffee on the table in the process.

This of course is Bella, and I have to say that I like that there isn’t an instant attraction between the two. I keep the ‘Friendship/Humor’ genre in the back of my mind while reading this, just so I don’t get it in my head that they are bound for romantical interludes (I have no idea if they are or not, but I’m going on the assumption of ‘no’.)

Bella goes on to surprise Edward in a couple ways:

Ten minutes later, his face red with cold and his reddish brown hair wind-blown, Edward ambled back into the dining area. Table 12 was empty. Probably a dine ‘n dash, he thought. Good thing it was only a coffee.

Glumly, he walked over and picked up the little black tray with the bill in it. A bottomless cup of coffee at Poppy’s cost $1.68 – and there was a stack of coins on top of the bill that totaled exactly $1.68, right to the penny. Peering down, he could see something written on the slip. He picked it up, his lips moving silently as he read to himself.

Tip #1: Never judge a book by its cover.

“Thanks a lot … fucking cheap bitch,” he cursed, tossing the plastic tray back on the table. Coins bounced in all directions, and the invoice slip fluttered off the tray to the floor.

Underneath the slip was a crisp $20 bill.

Edward froze, confused. He picked up the bill slowly, squinting at it. There was something more written on the money.

Tip #2: And never make assumptions either, kiddo.

The story continues in such a fashion, where Bella leaves a big tip and an actual ‘tip’ each time she comes to the diner, and Edward slowly starts to learn lessons. Slowly. This isn’t a wham-bam, thank you ma’am type of story that moves so quick it makes your head spin. It has a good pace, you learn bits and pieces slowly, as Edward does (since it is all EPOV), and you really find yourself starting to care about Edward and his self-awakening.

To make a short story long, even if you don’t normally read ‘Friendship’ genre stories, give this one a chance. If you aren’t hooked by the second or third chapter, feel free to harass me on Twitter.

MF’er says: Are any of us really surprised that the same author who offered us Behind Enemy Lines and The Mirrors could give us another story that we find ourselves hooked on? Certainly not me.

Yet again, adorablecullens has managed to captivate readers with this story about a selfish young man. One who’s learning how to change not only his life, but himself through the ‘tips’ offered by an unlikely companion.

In this story, we’re introduced to Edward: a self-centered spoiled kid who doesn’t seem happy that he’s been forced to work in order to pay off his debts. After he meets the intriguing stranger–who we come to find out later, is named Bella–he begins to follow her advice and develops a bond with her and her young daughter that is just… adorable.

We get to watch this young man grow into someone more respectable; more likable, and learn that life isn’t all about he wants and needs. There are other people, too.

The story is well written (duh, it’s adorablecullens) and intriguing. You’re left wondering after nearly every chapter just where this young character will end up. What role Bella will play in his future and just how long it will take for his head to be completely removed from his butt.

I’m definitely looking forward to the future for these characters and finding out just what adorablecullens has up her sleeve. I highly recommend you join me and everyone else who is enjoying this story.

tampagirl81 says: We’ve all read fic’s where Edward is a jerk, inconsiderate, or incredibly self-involved; I know there are stories out there where Edward is all of those traits, but the one thing that this fic has that I haven’t seen very often is the relationship he has with his family. In other stories, he is always mindful of his family and at least feels a bit of remorse for his actions and how his family has been affected. In Tips For Better Living, Edward doesn’t realize what his family has done for him.

“Why were we being weird at dinner? Bro, you were the only one acting strange. That’s the first time in ages that you’ve asked how anyone else felt. Or talked to Mom or Dad without telling them how much you hate them.” Emmett continued in this vein for a while, but E
dward tuned him out, distracted by how long he could make his cigarette ash before it fell off. Eventually, however, he heard Emmett say something in the background that caught his attention. He jerked his head up, dropping his cigarette altogether.

“Wait a minute. What did you just say?”

“That Mom’s really tired from the weekend shift she’s added to her schedule, and you need to …”

“What weekend shift? Why is Mom working weekends all of a sudden?” Emmett didn’t answer, he just looked at him for a moment with a funny expression on his face. When he spoke again, it was like he was talking to a child.

“Mom took an extra nursing shift in Maternity on the weekends just before Christmas,” he said softly. “It was her contribution toward paying off the family debt.” Edward felt a hot rush of blood come to his face, and he looked away from Emmett, angry and ashamed all at the same time. His brother stood there a moment more, then turned and went back into the house, leaving Edward to his thoughts.

The tips that Edward makes at a local diner also goes towards the family debt, but he begins to look forward to seeing Bella and her daughter for more than the extra money she leaves. What I love more than anything about the story is the pace that it takes. Edward slowly gets to know Bella and starts to take her advice, but the process for him to learn and change is a slow process. In many stories out there, Edward meets Bella and he instantly changes or tries to make the changes to be better for her. In this story the author creates a realistic atmosphere of a self-centered teenager who learns at his own pace.

I absolutely love this story and can’t wait to see how it progresses.

WindyCityWonder says: Oh, Shalloward.

Let me preface this by saying that I was a server for many, many moons. I worked my way through college on the pennies and not-so-crisp bill offerings of America’s diners. And if there is one thing to be said about food service, it’s this: there is no richer ground for observation of human sociology and/or psychology than a restaurant. Really.

AdorableCullens’ Tips for Better Living is a fresh take on our beloved Edward and Bella. Edward, a superficial 20-something with hardly any concern other than the label on his jeans or the gel in his hair, serves at Poppy’s Diner (a character within itself) to slowly replenish the funds he so carelessly drained from his family as a result of his lifestyle of weed, sex, and other choice debaucheries.

Edward is oblivious to those around him, to the existence of anyone outside their physical shell. He spends his days going through the motions of his job, executing a debatable satisfactory performance of the bare minimum, looking without seeing, acting without thinking. That is, until one January day, a mysterious Poppy’s patron strikes a nerve in Edward.

“Ten minutes later, his face red with cold and his reddish brown hair wind-blown, Edward ambled back into the dining area. Table 12 was empty. Probably a dine ‘n dash, he thought. Good thing it was only a coffee.

Glumly, he walked over and picked up the little black tray with the bill in it. A bottomless cup of coffee at Poppy’s cost $1.68 – and there was a stack of coins on top of the bill that totaled exactly $1.68, right to the penny. Peering down, he could see something written on the slip. He picked it up, his lips moving silently as he read to himself.

Tip #1: Never judge a book by its cover.

“Thanks a lot … fucking cheap bitch,” he cursed, tossing the plastic tray back on the table. Coins bounced in all directions, and the invoice slip fluttered off the tray to the floor.

Underneath the slip was a crisp $20 bill.

Edward froze, confused. He picked up the bill slowly, squinting at it. There was something more written on the money.

Tip #2: And never make assumptions either, kiddo.”

The tipper returns with not only more crisp twenties, but more advice. Months pass, beautiful bonds are formed, and dammit again I don’t want to give too much away!

The thing I love so much about this story is AdorableCullens’ talent for keeping it both interesting and mysterious. We’re introduced to an older Bella with an edge to her that is as endearing as it is curious, and it is beyond refreshing to experience such an honest, beautiful connection between two such developed, realistic characters. AdorableCullens has the ability to tell a tale of unexpected friendship, family, growing up, and so much more, in a remarkable fashion that leaves the reader begging for more. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, AC, I’m all in with these two. I’d happily plop down in a booth at Poppy’s, and nestle myself in for a cup of coffee and some fantasssstic people watching. You bring the words, I’ll bring the Jacksons.

Kassiah says: What else can I add to all these great reviews? I love Shalloward. I love that Bella gets to be the “wise” for a change.  I love this Emmett.  I love adorablecullens. Hell, I even love Frankie.  Go read this one, you won’t be disappointed.