"Go"
"No, you go"
"Are you sure this is her house?"
"Yes, I am"
"How do you not know where Chief Swan stays, Lauren?"
"What? It's not like I ever got arrested"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'm just saying, the only people who know where Chief Swan stays are people like your cousin, who want to egg his house because he arrested them for breaking curfew in May, Jessica!"
"Hey, your cousin was right along with mine. So, I'm not the only one with bad apples in the family"
"You're a bad apple"
"You look like an apple"
"No, I don't"
"Yes, you do. Look in the mirror. Your face is all red"
"It's from the cold! It's freezing out here! Do we have to do this? I want to go back and wait in the car. This was only your idea, Angela"
"Guys, please. Let's just check on her, ok?"
Three young women stand outside of the Swan's house. Jessica Stanley, Lauren Mallory, and Angela Weber.
Jessica has on her North Face jacket, zipped up tight. Her curly, brown hair whips around her face despite being held down by a nurse's cap on her head. And she can't help but wish she'd pulled it back into a pony tail. But lopsided pony tail didn't really go well when she had been trying to look sexy in her nurse costume for Brad Andrews party, which she, Angela, and Lauren had just come from thirty minutes ago.
Angela was dressed a little more modestly, as a mouse. Which seemed to fit her quiet personality. On her head was a headband of little brown ears, and Lauren had drew the whiskers that framed each side of her nose with a eyebrow pencil that took forever because she wasn't sure if she had gotten it just right. Angela had on her glasses, still however. Totally killing any kind of sexy look she could have pulled off. Not that she needed it since she was already dating Ben, who probably wouldn't leave her even if she still had on her braces from sixth grade. In her hands was a small gift bag of candy that everyone had received at the end of the party. Angela had insisted on grabbing an extra bag before they left. Jessica thought it was just because she was being uncharacteristically greedy. But when Angela ushered Jessica and Lauren out the party an hour and thirty minutes before curfew, Jessica assumed she was just being her normal, overly cautious Angela self. Jessica never in a million years would have believed that Angela had only grabbed an extra bag of candy and made them leave way too early in order to go visit Isabella Swan.
"Why am I even here?" Lauren groans as the girls make their way towards the Swan's house. The house is simple, white paneled with a green garage door and green porch steps, flocked with an area of some small woods and other houses on each side. In the driveway sits Chief Swan's police cruiser and Bella Swan's red truck. Which neither of the girls have heard it's roar in quite some time as it normally rolled into their school parking lot. The sun is just setting, and the girls see lingering stragglers of trick or treaters and their parents, who wave as they walk by. Angela and Jessica smile and wave back politely. But Lauren still sulks as they walk up the driveway.
"I dressed as a sexy angel for nothing. Tyler didn't even notice me," She fumes with her arms crossed around her white, puffer coat that covers her costume from the cold. But her white blonde hair still has the small halo sticking out from the crown she put on earlier in the day.
"Did you ever think that maybe you were his 'angel in disguise' this year?" Jessica quips.
Angela gives Jessica a smile, but Lauren doesn't find it funny.
"Ha. Ha," Lauren replies sarcastically and rolls her eyes. As they pass Bella's truck, Lauren can't help but make a hurling noise. She pretends to stick her finger down her throat.
"I don't understand how she can ride that thing to school everyday," She says as the other two girls pause to wait for her to finish her dramatics so they can knock on the front door.
"Lauren," Angela whispers testily.
"What? I'm just telling the truth," Lauren says.
"Yep," Jessica proclaims, "You're no angel. You're definitely a devil this year who's dressed like an angel"
Lauren gives her a smirk.
"At least I'm honest," She says.
Jessica laughs. "Let's just get this over with," She says, "We'll check on her for you Angela, see if she's ok and why she hasn't been back to school since the 'Prince and his royal family' left, and then we'll be out of here. Ok, Ang? No more. No less. Come on"
She bounds up the front porch steps and Angela follows her.
"Thanks, Jessica. I've just been really worried about her," Angela says.
Lauren doesn't go onto the porch, instead she waits with her arms crossed as Jessica knocks on the door.
"You have a bleeding heart, Ang. I'll give you that," Jessica tells Angela as she throws her arm over Angela's shoulder, "I'm pretty sure Bella's ok"
"What if she left with them?" Lauren says snarkily, "Did you two geniuses think about that?"
"Why would she leave with them? There's no way her parents would let her do that," Jessica says to Lauren incredulously.
"I'm just saying. The way they were, attached to the hip. And how weird he and his family were, especially that sister of his...you never know," Lauren replies with her nose in the air.
"I'm sure Bella would have told us if she was leaving with the Cullens," Angela replies quietly, "She would have wanted to say goodbye...we are her friends"
There is a little moment of silence as each girl let's that last part hang in the air.
"Buttttttt ummmm...are we realllllyyyy her friends?" Jessica asks, stretching out her words.
"Jessica!" Angela squeaks.
"What?" Jessica cries as she throws up her hands in defense, "I'm just saying"
"Of course we are," Angela says, more to convince herself now that they are standing on Bella Swan's porch with a bag of candy hoping to be able to visit her. But now that she's thinking about it, when has she ever been over to Bella's house? Or Bella's to hers? She can't even count how many times she's been over to Jessica's house or Lauren's house. Or how many sleep overs they have had. But for Bella, well this is the first time she's ever visited her house. And it's not even by invitation. She's still not sure what's going to happen or exactly what she's doing. But Bella is her friend...right? Yes. Angela tells herself. Yes. Bella is her friend. And friends check on each other. Besides, she and Bella eat lunch together at school every day and share some classes. Or at least they did when Bella was still going to school. Sure, Bella didn't really say much or talk to her that often. But then again, Angela herself doesn't say much or talk much. So, she can't really judge her. She actually sometimes enjoys the silence that Bella and her have when it is just the two of them together. It's comfortable. As if they don't need to say many words to be in each others company. But maybe that is all in Angela's head. Maybe Bella doesn't actually consider her a friend. Maybe she's just someone Bella goes to school with and that's that. And this is inappropriate to show up at her house unannounced.
"Well, I'm not her friend," Lauren says snootily.
At least one person in their group knows where she stands with Isabella Swan.
Just at the moment the door opens and Chief Swan is before them. His brown eyes look a little shocked to be seeing three teenage girls standing at his door. And suddenly Jessica gets the feeling that he's expecting kids much younger to be knocking at his door this time in the evening.
"Trick or Treat, Chief Swan! But this time around, we're bringing the candy to you! ...Or at least to Bella, that is. We're f-friends of Bella's. I'm Jessica, that's Angela, and Lauren," Jessica says, quick thinkingly in order to cut through the awkwardness, "Is she available?"
His eyes suddenly go from shock to somehow relieved. Although Angela's not sure exactly why. Angela silently thanks Jessica for taking control of the situation. This is the first time any of them have ever formally met Chief Swan.
"Of course. Jessica. Bells mentioned you a few times before," He says, his voice is surprisingly gravelly yet calming oddly enough.
Angela doesn't miss the fact, however, that Chief Swan only seems to know who Jessica is.
"C'mon in," He says as he opens the door wide enough for them to enter.
Jessica and Angela walk through the door and Lauren follows. Angela gives her a quick look to make sure she doesn't look too sour in front of Chief Swan. She doesn't look sour. Just aloof and bored. Which is probably the best Angela can hope for from Lauren.
The house inside is just as white, plain, and simple as the outside. However the girls can't help but look around as if it is a museum as they stand in the entry way.
Chief Swan shuts the door behind them.
"Let me show you up to her room," He says as he waves for them to follow him. He leads them further into the house and to a stair case. Which the girls follow him up. They come to another hallway where at the end is a open door that looks like a bedroom and another at the other end with an open door that looks like a bathroom. The door in the middle is closed, and Chief Swan stops at it. He looks at the girls and gives them a grim look, as if to apologize, but for what none of them are truly sure.
He raises his hand to the door, but seems to hesitate to knock before just going ahead and doing it. When there is no answer, he sighs and then opens the door slowly.
It creaks open and the girls are greeted with the inside of Bella Swan's room. At first, Jessica is surprised with how sparse it is. Brown floorboards, a simple mattress with purple bedding, a outdated computer, and computer desk. And a closet that doesn't look half as full as what Jessica's back at her own house is. Bella can actually close her's. Other than that, the room is somewhat dark, with only the desk lamp light on and a latern that is strung across the bed. There is a window that brings in the dimming light from outside as well, and in front of it is a rocking chair that Jessica at first assumes is empty.
"Where's Bella?" She whispers to Angela who's beside her as the girls hesitate to go any further into the seemingly empty room.
But they don't need to know the answer to that question as Chief Swan goes and kneels beside the rocking chair.
"Bella, your friends are here to see you. Jessica and-" He glances over at them.
"Angela and Lauren," Angela squeaks, helping him. Her hands are sweaty as she clutches the small gift bag of candy. Maybe it was a bad idea to come over to Bella Swan's house. She almost just wants to hand Chief Swan the candy and run.
"Yeah, Angela and Lauren. They want to say, 'Hi'," He continues.
There's no response.
Chief Swan sighs. The girls watch as he stands up and walks back over to them. He gives them that same apologetic look that Angela is now beginning to understand. He lowers his voice and says, "Look, I'm sorry about this. She...She hasn't been feeling herself lately. Not since...he left"
Jessica and Lauren exchange looks with each other.
Angela prays that Chief Swan doesn't notice.
"Maybe you guys should come back some other time," He says.
"Sur-" Jessica begins to say, but Angela finds her voice.
"No!" She squeaks, surprising herself and Chief Swan. He had probably assumed Jessica was the ring leader of the group. But this was Angela's idea. She's not going until she at least talks to Bella.
"I mean, can we at least give her this ourselves?" She asks more quietly, her eyes drifting to the floor as she gets over the shock of her brashness.
Chief Swan looks back at the rocking chair, and then back at Angela's determined face.
"Sure," He concedes.
Angela smiles at him.
"Thank you," She says.
She looks at Jessica who raises her eyebrows. Then she looks at Lauren who narrows her eyes.
"Come on, guys. Let's at least say, 'Hi' to Bella," She tells them.
They begrudgingly follow and Chief Swan watches them as they approach the rocking chair. Lauren stays a foot or so behind Angela and Jessica.
When they finally see Bella, she's sitting in the rocking chair. Her hair looks matted, her eyes have rings under them, her skin is sickeningly paler, and she's in a hoodie and baggy pants. Jessica can't help but think that she looks like a zombie or a vampire. Bella doesn't seem to register them. Instead her eyes are focused on the outside of the window, staring out into the front side of the house. Jessica glances out and realizes that Bella could have possibly heard them earlier when they were being loud outside of her house. She had no idea that the side window was the one in Bella's room. She bites her lip.
"Uh...hey, Bella. It's me Jessica, and Angela, and...Lauren. Like your dad said. We just came over to say, 'Hi' and see what you've been up to since we haven't seen you in school lately," She says quickly and then her eyes dart to Angela as if to say, "This was your idea. You're next".
"Yeah, we brought you some candy from Brad Andrew's party. Jessica called to see if you wanted to come, but your dad said you weren't able to come to the phone," Angela says quietly. Her eyes trying to read Bella's sorrowful expression. She looks at Jessica as if to say, 'Help me'. Jessica just shrugs. So, they both look at Lauren. Although neither of them know why, they are just that out of options.
Lauren looks back at them as if to say, 'What do you want me to do?'.
"Well, we'll just leave this here," Jessica says, thinking on her feet as she takes the bag of candy from Angela's hands and places it on the dresser that is near Bella's window, "We hope your coming back to school soon"
"Yeah, we miss you" Angela adds, "...We want you back"
She isn't so sure how true that is for Jessica and Lauren, but for her at least, it is.
Bella seems to register their presence after Angela says that last part. She looks at Angela's face, and into her eyes. Which kind of shocks the girls and startles them. Although what else were they expecting her to do? Continue to ignore them, actually.
"What did you say?" She asks.
The girls look over at Chief Swan, who seems to be just as shocked that Bella is talking as well. But, Jessica thinks to herself, what else were they expecting her to do? Backflips?
"We want you back," Angela says quietly, her eyes earnest now that she's got Bella talking, "We miss you. Mike misses you. Tyler misses you. Ben misses you,-"
She begins to add more names to that list. Mainly people that they all have lunch period with, because those are the only people that Bella most likely knows. The only people she ever hung out with, however were the Cullens after she and Edward hooked up. And Jessica tries not to let herself get too butthurt that all the names Angela is listing is half their male class population or that Mike is in there, too. Who else would miss the fact that Bella Swan wasn't at school? Certainly not the girls she sat with. And certainly not Lauren. But if she was being honest with herself, Jessica didn't like the fact that Bella was out of school either. It felt weird not having her around. Even if all Bella ever did was sit there and get fawned over by every guy in their eleventh grade class, or fawned over when she was with 'the prince'. That and the fact that no girl deserved to look this depressed. She'd been through the ringer with Mike Newton one or too many times, but ten chocolate bars and some really sappy movies were enough to help get her through. Not to mention Angela and Lauren who were always right there to clean her up and do all that sappy crap with her so she didn't feel alone.
Alone.
Man. That's exactly how Bella looks, Jessica thinks. Not like a zombie or a vampire. But rather like she's been left alone for way too long. And suddenly Jessica feels guilty for not coming over sooner when she first noticed Bella wasn't coming to school. Darn Angela for making Jessica feel like she's been a bad, not-really friend to Isabella Swan.
"You..want...me?" Bella whispers.
Angela and Jessica look at each other again. They don't need to say it. They both feel sympathy.
"Of course we want you, Bella," Jessica speaks up, "Who else is going to listen to Newton's stupid stories with us at the lunch table? It's been kind of crazy these past few weeks you haven't been around. You haven't been there to share the burden of torture with us. We've had to pick up your slack"
Bella looks at Jessica as if recognizing her for the first time.
"Jess?" She says, blinking.
"Uhhh, Yeah, it's me, Bella. Jessica. Remember?" She adds which feels weird since it's only been like...well, maybe going on a month now that Jessica thinks about it since they last spoke or saw one another. Darn it. She feels bad once again for not coming over sooner.
"And Angela, and Lauren," Jessica adds.
Bella blinks and sits up in her rocking chair. As if coming out of a trance. She looks between Angela, Jessica, and Lauren.
She buries her face in her hands and runs her fingers through her hair.
She let's out a long sigh.
"Sorry, guys. I've been...kind of out of it for awhile," She says quietly.
"It's understandable," Jessica says.
"I wish you would have called us, we could have been there for you," Angela adds just as quietly as Bella.
Bella looks up at her. They don't need to say anything, but they both know what she's talking about.
"Thanks, Angela. Thanks, Jess. Thanks...Lauren," Bella says as she looks at each girl. She pauses on Lauren, who still has her arms crossed and hasn't said much.
"Yeah, we've been worried," Lauren says, a tad bit unconvincingly, but Angela swears she almost detects a hint of sincerity. Maybe she's just imagining it, though.
"Angela brought you this candy," Lauren adds as she picks up the candy that Jessica put on the dresser.
All of the girls seem to realize that Bella is just now catching up to what's been going on. But they don't say anything aloud.
"Here," Lauren says as she hands it to her.
Bella stares at the gift bag.
"Wow, thanks Ang," She says genuinely and gives Angela a small smile.
Bella looks back down at the wrapping which has little jack-o-laterns all over it, then she looks at Angela's mouse ears, Jessica's nurse's hat, and Lauren's halo.
"Is it-guys, is it Halloween?" She asks incredulously.
"Yep, girl. Where have you been?" Jessica says jokingly.
Bella laughs. Angela and Jessica join in. Behind them, they don't notice it, but Chief Swan watches them with true amazement at this scene that is in front of him.
"Yeah, I've really been out of it," Bella says with a shake of her head.
She seems to notice her reflection in the small mirror that's on her dresser.
"Whoah, is that my hair?" She asks, "Guys, I'm so sorry you had to see me like this"
She lifts up her hoodie and smells it.
"Or smell me like this," She says.
"I wasn't going to say anything," Lauren says.
"Lauren!" Angela squeaks.
"What?" Lauren says.
But Bella just looks at her, then laughs. Then they all look at one another and laugh again. Lauren even joins in this time.
"How about this? You go take a shower, and you can spend the night at my house tonight. We're going to have a scary movie marathon. Only if you want to, of course," Angela suggests, "And if it's ok with Chief Swan"
The girls look over at Chief Swan, who raises his eyebrows. He's been enjoying this little episode of Bella actually being animated again way more than he ever thought possible. Of course, her laugh isn't all the way there. But she's moving again. And talking again. That's better than nothing.
Bella looks over her shoulder of the rocking chair and seems to notice her dad for the first time.
"...Dad?" She says hesitantly.
"That's fine, that's fine with me," Charlie says a little too quickly, "If you want to Bells"
Bella turns to look at the girls.
"We can find you a Halloween costume to at least take pictures in. Lauren can do your hair and make up, she did ours," Jessica adds.
Angela looks at Lauren, who surprisingly doesn't protest.
"Yeah, I can," She says and Angela is shocked at how...polite she sounds.
But they all hold their breath to see what Bella will say.
Bella looks down at the plastic gift bag of candy and then back up at the girls.
"Yeah, I would like that," She says.
"Ok, well hurry up and get in the shower so we can get going," Jessica says as she flops down on Bella's bed, "Do you have any nail polish here?"
Simultaneously, Lauren asks, "Does your computer work?" as she sits down in the chair that's near the computer desk,"I want to check my emails"
"Jess! Lauren!" Angela says, exasperated at how quickly they are making themselves at home in Bella's room. She sits down quietly on the edge of the bed next to Jessica's sprawled out body.
Bella laughs.
"Yeah, I think I have some in a shoe box under the bed. My mom sent me some, but I haven't been able to use it," Bella answers Jessica as she stands up from the rocking chair.
"Sweet," Jessica says as she flips her head under the bed, her nurse cap falling on the floor and her curly brown hair spilling out all over the floor boards, "That's going to change tonight"
"Yeah, it works. Here, let me start it up for you," Bella answers Lauren as she comes over to the computer. She leans over Lauren to turn on the computer. And Angela notices with a tinge of happiness that there is a silent, unspoken, new comfortability between the two that is exuded on both their parts instead of just Bella's.
Jessica pops her head back up with the shoebox of nail polish Bella spoke about in her hands and sets it on the bed. As well as scooping up her cap and putting it back on her head.
"Lauren just wants to see if her modeling agency has wrote her back or not," Jessica sing songs as she flips open the shoe box. She starts to go through the colors of nail polish. And Angela slowly joins in with her.
"Modelling angency?" Bella asks and looks at Lauren.
Lauren rolls her eyes as if to say, 'Don't listen to her'.
"Yep"
"No"
"Yes, you are"
"No, I'm not"
"Stay here and watch, Bella. She's going to check for this modeling agency that "scouted" her when we were in Port Angeles and promised to get back with her if she sent them $250 for headshots"
"Shut up, Jessica. You're just jealous that they chose me"
"Bwahhahahaha! I'm not jealous! I didn't get scammed"
"It's not a scam!"
"Is, too!"
"Is not!"
"Guys," Angela says quietly but with a secret smile on her lips at the banter. She gives Bella a look as if to say, "Expect a lot of this". And Bella returns the secret smile as well.
Chief Swan, who is seemingly unnoticed at this point, just shakes his head with his own smile on his face.
He quietly leaves.
And closes the door.