Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does.
Notes: I know I should be working on Day of the Bloodied Sun (And Then There Was One is on break right now) but I keep getting side-tracked. :(
Enjoy!
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Bella grasped her chest tightly, throwing her head back in a silent cry of anguish. The gaping hole pounded with white-hot pain, sending her whole body into a series of spasms. The edges of the internal wound in her chest burned brightly, sending her spiraling into agony. Squeezing her eyes shut, Bella wrapped both arms around her form, trying to stop the violent shivers that rolled down her spine. Tears slid from behind her closed lids as she pressed her lips tightly together in an attempt to hold in the cries of misery.
After a few minutes of quiet sobs and strangled whimpers, Bella fell back into her pillows, muffling her pained noises with the feathery protectors who endured her tears every night.
Wiping away the extra tears with the back of her hand, she sat up, wincing as a dull thudding echoed in her chest. Sighing softly, Bella stood, walking into the the bathroom that was connected to her small bedroom.
She turned the sink on, watching silently as a few stray drops splattered the mirror. When the water was cold enough for her taste, Bella ducked her hands under the stream until her palms were filled with the crystal liquid.
Staring at the person who was shown to her in the rippling water, Bella frowned, before closing her brown eyes and splashing the handful of liquid onto her face. She gasped at the icy shock the water created when it connected with her skin, but it felt delightful.
Bella wiped away the droplets that dripped slowly from her lashes with the back of her hand. Blinking a few times to clear her slightly spotted vision, she grabbed the white towel off the small rack behind her to dry her face.
The Terry cloth was rough, grinding into her sensitive flesh and turning it a vivid pink. Bella didn't mind, though; the stinging pain took her mind off the horror of yet another nightmare that had occured.
The terrifying dreams had been coming every night since he had left her stranded in the cold woods in the eerie darkness of the night. Even after she had met Jacob, the nightmares were still persistent. Bella wished she could be like those lucky people who had dreamless, oblivious sleep.
Grumbling quietly to herself, Bella looked up into the mirror - and fell quiet. The image that was reflected back to her seemed like a different person than happy, cheerful Bella. The reflection's eyes were red and swollen, the pure white streaked with veiny red from being bloodshot. There were shadowy circles under her eyes, caused by night-after-night of sleepless crying. Hair was disheveled; sticking up at odd ends and greasy.
Bella glanced from the scary image down to her own hands and found, with a bit of surprise, that they were still trembling. The irrational fear of her nightmare had subsided, but there was still a kind of. . . persistency beating somewhere in the back of her brain.
Shaking off the odd premonition, Bella sauntered back into her room. Her eyes were immediately cast to the window, expecting something she never actually saw. She touched her fingers to the icy glass, reveling in the shudder that rolled through her hand and up into her arm.
Flopping onto her bed with a sigh that was muted by the pillows, Bella closed her eyes and drifted into an almost peaceful sleep, occupied by a single tall, russet boy who had a gorgeous smile and a booming laugh...
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
"Bella!"
Bella cringed away from the yell that echoed around the lunch room walls. A tall blonde boy was hurrying towards her, one arm raised high in a frantic wave.
"Hey, Mike," she mumbled, glancing back down to her untouched tray as he skidded to a halt next to her, grinning and panting.
Pulling out the chair beside her, Mike plopped down, lunch tray hitting the round table with a soft thud.
Bella looked up at exactly the same moment Jessica, who was seated to her left, blushed and turned her gaze away from Mike. Bella couldn't hide her wide smile.
Mike was picking at his food now, trying to identify the nameless blob of yellow. "I think it's pudding. . ." he murmered with a comical expression, eyebrows raised and mouth forming a closed 'o'.
"No way, man! That has to be soup," Tyler argued from across the table.
"Yeah, right!" Mike yelled back. The boys were soon lost in a fight about whether the jiggly substance was pudding or soup, or even a mutated banana, thanks to Eric.
Bella, Jessica, and Angela all shook their heads, quite stumped as to why the boys all thought arguing about a shapeless mound of something was entertaining.
Angela had leaned closer to the other two females, discussing a Biology exam they had that counted for half their grade, when Eric wrapped an arm around her shoulders for no apparent reason, still arguing with Tyler and Mike.
The young girl yelped slightly and blushed, looking away from Eric when he began to twirl a strand of her dark hair absently.
Jessica giggled and Bella grinned. Angela could only smile weakly back, her head rested against the shoulder of Eric's shirt.
When the bell that signaled the next period finally rang, Bella dumped her un-eaten food into the trash can.
Mike was already running to her side, yelling over his shoulder to his 'rivals.' "This will continue tomorrow!"
When he turned back to Bella, his blue eyes were shining gleefully. "What do you think it was, Bella?" he asked, grinning down at her.
She thought for a moment, before shrugging. "I'm really not sure. . ."
"Oh," Mike mumbled, looking around the crowd of people who lagged behind slowly.
He was silent until they reached class. He followed Bella to her seat, then sauntered to his own chair with a mutter of, "I still think it was pudding."
Bella laughed brightly for the first time in a while.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
When school was over, Bella leaped into her truck with an enthusiam that made her whole body seem to hum with electricity.
Turning the key in the ignition, the engine roared to life with a violent bang!
As she peeled out of the high school parking lot with a squeal of protest from her truck, Bella saw Jessica, Angela, and Mike waving at her from the school entrance. She waved back cheerfully, a big grin plastered her face as she disappeared into the pouring rain and to La Push.
Thunder boomed in the distance, followed by a sharp flash of lightning, which lit up the deep purple sky like gold.
Bella stared at the sight through her rain-blurred windshield, marveling at how she had never noticed the beauty of a storm before.
The road to La Push was slick, and her truck tires squealed lightly as the speed was pushed to its limit. Bella had never been more excited in her life before. Of course she loved Jacob Black like a brother, but she had recently felt a pang of vibrant true love in her chest when she pictured his smiling face.
When the little red house came into view, Bella almost cried out in joy. The truck screeched to a halt in front of the home, the engine cutting off abruptly as Bella leapt out of the truck.
She grabbed a small black bag out of the bed of the truck, before hurrying into the shelter of the porch.
"Come in, Bella!" Billy called before she even had a chance to knock. She opened the door of the house, already shivering in her wet clothes.
"Hey, Billy," she greeted, smiling as her teeth chattered. He grinned warmly, inviting her into the living room with a gesture of his hand.
"I'll get Jake," he announced, rolling into the kitchen where there was the muffled sound of chatting voices.
Bella stood awkwardly, not wanting to ruin Billy's couch by sitting, but not wanting to look like a dork just standing there.
She chose being a dork.
Jacob was in the room a few seconds later, grinning broadly at her. "Bella!" he cried brightly, wrapping her in a hug despite her protests about him getting wet.
When he pulled away, teeth flashing brilliantly against his dark skin in a wide smile, he laughed. "You got me all wet!" A water mark that was the exact shape of Bella's body was pressed into his shirt and jeans.
"That's what I tried to tell you," Bella mumbled, rolling her eyes despite her smile. "Moron."
Jake acted offended. He pushed him lower lip out and widened his dark eyes. Bella knew that, if he was a wolf right now, his ears would be pressed back against his skull.
She giggled.
"So," Billy started casually, "Why are you here? Charlie finally decide to throw you out?"
Jacob frowned at him, but the girl in question only smiled wider. "No. Charlie has to go on a stake-out with some other police officers tonight. So. . . I was wondering if I could stay?" The last part came out as a nervous squeak, the fear of rejection boiling in her veins.
"Do you really think you have to ask?" Jacob laughed his deep laugh, pulling an arm around Bella and guiding her up the stairs. "You can stay in my room," he informed her.
Bella frowned for the first time since she arrived. "Where will you sleep?" she asked, turning her head to look up at him.
Jacob shrugged noncohalantly. "Probably just on the couch."
Bella seemed horrified. "Jacob, I am not going to make you sleep on the couch in your house!" she screeched.
Jake laughed. "Well, then. . ." he paused, turning to her with a sly grin. "Maybe we can sleep together." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"In your dreams!" Bella laughed, punching his arm playfully.
Although she didn't see him nod silently in answer to her statement.
Just another little story. This will probably be two - three chapters at the most.
If you like, please comment and tell me what you think! Critique will be dully noted and flames will be ignored completely.
-Megan