PARTY
I slammed the door of my '53 Chevy Truck, hoping that this would be the last day I would have to drive that thing. A shower of rust specks fluttered down onto the wet blacktop of Forks High. I could really use a new car, I thought to myself. At that moment I wished that Edward could read my mind. If he knew I desperately needed a new ride, then he would get one for me faster than my old friend Breanna could slip on a pair of skinny jeans and yell, "Yee-haw!" Okay, I'll admit that my old friends in Virginia are strange. My new friends in Forks aren't any better.
"Happy birthday, Bella!"
"Shh!" I hissed, glancing around at the students at their cars. They flirted and listened to iPods, studied and socialized. At the sound of the first bell, the students hurriedly shoved their things into small backpacks and started toward the school entrance.
Alice ignored my bad morning attitude and said, "Do you want to open your present now or later?"
That perked me up. "Present?"
"Yeah! I've already seen you open it and…" Alice faltered. Her happy, excited puppy eyes traveled down to the pavement, looking sadder than I must have looked the moment I saw Edward for the first time. Trust me, looking that depressed isn't easy. "You hate it."
I just stared at her. "Does my present have to do with fashion?"
Alice nodded, looking pitiful. Her eyes never went higher than my New Balance sneakers. "It's a dress. I couldn't resist, Bella," her voice sounded lifeless and pleading. "I thought it would look so perfect on you."
"Alice," I draped my arm across her shoulders. "I thought you knew that I despise fashionable clothing. I wanna be different." I pulled at the bottom of my baggy T-shirt. "I'm not like you."
"I… I'm sorry. But, will you just wear it for one night? Please?" She dragged out the word 'please'.
I sighed heavily. Alice has always tried to turn me over to the dark side with all the rest of the girly girls like her.
"Fine." Before I could let her get too excited, I made one thing clear. "I'll wear it for one night only. Then I am burnin' it."
She gasped. "And can I do your hair and makeup?"
I shrugged my shoulders. It was only for one night. "Sure."
The smile that I was used to seeing came back and spread across her face. "You won't fight back?"
"Nope."
"Tonight?"
"Whatever."
Alice squealed in delight and started jumping up and down. Lord, she changed moods quickly. Jasper must have helped out with that.
"Hey, Alice?" Her jumping didn't cease. I hated being ignored. I screamed her name at the top of my lungs. Finally, she looked over at me and said, "You know, vampires have really good hearing. I think you just ruined-"
I interrupted her by letting my evil laugh loose. You see, I laugh randomly at things that aren't always funny. My laugh sounds kind of like "Mooh-wah-ha-ha" numerous times. These laughing sessions usually last at least two minutes. The few students that were still outside gave me strange looks, but I didn't care.
When I calmed down, I took a deep breath and said, "Makin' your eardrums burst is fun."
"That's great, Bella. Now, what were you going to ask me?"
"You said that I'm wearin' my dress tonight. What's happenin' tonight?" I sneaked a peek at the sky above. Storm clouds covered my view of the sun. It was going to rain soon. I knew because Alice's short, spiky black hair was more puffy from the humidity today.
"You're coming over to our house, whether you like it or not."
I groaned. Would someone please shoot me? I hated parties. "Fine."
"Yay! Ooh, look who's late for school!" She pointed over toward the silver Volvo speeding through the parking lot. My heart skipped a beat. Edward, I thought. Then, my mind took a different route. Gross! It's him!
Time slowed down. His luxury car skidded into the parking space perfectly. The door opened. He stepped out of his car and smiled. His shirt was unbuttoned. I hated when he tried to show off his abs when he didn't even have any. He started toward me, non-sparkling due to the cloud cover. That is, of course, why the Cullens moved here in the first place. I purposely made my mind wander to keep from thinking about him. The meadow… ballet studio… pencil shavings… flamingos in limos made of Popsicle sticks…
"Happy birthday, love." I jumped in surprise. He was standing right in front of me. Had my mind wandered that long? How did he get here so fast? Oh, he has vampire speed, I realized.
"Hello, Edward." I looked up into his light almond eyes and sighed, trying to look like I was truly in love. With an idiot like Edward, I could fool him easily. I'm good at tricking people. That's how I've been getting around the cops for the past few years. "I hear you're havin' a party for me tonight."
"Yes, my darling. All for you." He lifted a finger and poked my nose. Lord, he was so cheesy.
"Will there be lots of presents?"
"Of course." He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his bare chest. I resisted the urge to vomit.
"What time should I come?" I asked, wriggling out of his grasp. I couldn't see Alice over Edward's shoulders, but I was hoping that she wasn't still here to see this.
"Whenever you feel like it, love." Edward grabbed my arms and pulled me closer. His lips met mine. Somehow, I managed to twist his arms behind him and push him away a few feet. I stared at him for a few seconds, my fury building. Then, I let out the longest, loudest, most high pitched scream I could muster.
Before he could respond, I bolted past him and into the forest. My feet pounded against the wet pavement. With my klutziness, it probably wasn't a good idea to be running in such conditions, but I didn't care. Edward was behind me. Far behind. I was safe and concealed in the forest.
Afraid that he would follow me, I kept walking. I must have put a mile between me and the school. Whoa, I thought. I am definitely going to be late. I leaned against a tree and slid down to the ground, happy that I was away from him.
My mind wandered again. Could I really put up with him until I was a vampire? That's what I really wanted. I was just using Edward. As soon as I got what I wanted, I would kill him. That was my plan from the beginning. Yet, I had no idea how long it would take to convince him to change me. I needed time to think these things out…
"Hey, Bella. Happy birthday." I didn't even have to look up to see who the speaker was. I recognized his voice.
"Ah! I'm so tired of hearin' those two words! Go away. I'm thinkin'." My eyes stayed glued to the ground.
"Bella? Just so you know, you have a really bad country accent."
"Shut up. I know I do. I'm from Virginia."
"What are you doing out here?"
I looked up this time. I saw Jacob standing before me, with his long black hair, and his muscles bulging all the way down to his abs…
His abs? Great. Another shirtless guy. "Gross," I said, standing.
"What?"
"You. Don't you have a shirt?"
"No. I thought you'd like it if I didn't." He smiled flirtatiously.
"Gross! You make me sick!" I turned my back on him and faced the tree. "I won't look at you unless you put a shirt on."
He laughed, which kind of ticked me off. "Bella…"
"What?"
After a few long seconds, he answered. "Happy birthday."
"Jacob Black! I swear I'm gonna rip off your head and shred your dignity!"
No answer.
"Talk, you retard!" I turned around, only to see that I was yelling at the forest and nothing else. Jacob Black had disappeared. Today was starting out to be the worst birthday ever.
I decided that I could just ditch school, but Edward would just get worried and come look for me. I groaned and turned in the direction of the school.
Crunch. I lifted up my foot. A tiny, squished box wrapped in a tight red bow lay on the ground. I picked it up, knowing that Jacob must have left it. I ripped open the package, letting the wrappings fall to the leafy forest floor. Then an automatic thought crossed my mind. I remembered my old friend, Ann, always picking up litter and lecturing me about the environment. Automatically, I reached down and picked up the paper.
Inside the box was a small dream catcher. Typical. Jacob was descended from an Indian tribe. I stuffed it into my pocket and strode on through the damp forest.
Before I could even step into the Cullen House I heard, "Hey, Bella! Happy-"
"SHUT UP!" I screamed at Emmett. He was shouting from an open window on the second floor, frowning. Seeing his hurt expression, I said, "Sorry. I've just been hearin' those words all day and it's gettin' on my nerves."
"It doesn't take a lot to annoy you, Bella."
"Hey, you come down here so I can punch your face in!"
"Oh, it's on!"
I was about to run upstairs to beat him up, but Alice appeared out of nowhere and stepped in front of me. "Emmett, you stop being such a guy. Bella, well, you too. Come with me." She grabbed my hand and pulled me upstairs into her massive bathroom. She closed the door behind me. Of course, her bathroom was a bright pink, and as big as Charlie's living room. A blue, sparkly dress hung from the shower head. Makeup was laid all over the long countertop, along with hair products and things that made me feel like puking.
"No… no! You're gonna torture me!"
"But you promised! You said you wouldn't fight back!" Dang it. I should have told her off this morning while I still had the chance.
"I lied, okay?"
"No, Bella. You are not leaving this bathroom." An ugly scene followed her words. With her vampire strength and my need for retaliation, things got messy. Eventually, she had to knock me out with a makeup container. I saw nothing but darkness after that…
All I could think about was my head hurting. My hand reached up to find a bump on the very top of my head. But, I felt something different.
My hair was bunched up in a tight bun. Strands of my own hair flowed down onto my face. It felt stiff and sticky. Alice must have put a full can of spray and half a bottle of gel in my hair. I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. Mascara lined my eyelashes. I glanced down at what I was wearing. The blue, ugly dress Alice had got me. It looked like a sea of blue ruffles trailing down to my knees. On my feet… oh, God. High heels! A klutz's nightmare!
"How are you, dearest?" His voice sent shivers down my spine. He was leaning over me, dressed in a tux. What guy wears a tux on his own free will?
"Edward… get outta my sight. You're makin' my headache worse." I tasted lipstick when I talked.
"Oh, yes. I'm so sorry about all of that. Alice told me you were getting quite violent in the bathroom. Alice did what she had to."
"She had to put me out?" When my vision cleared, I looked around the room, which must have been Carlisle's. Then, I realized I was laying on a bed.
With Edward.
Alone.
Before he could get any dirty thoughts, I started a new subject. "Eddie, who are those people in that picture?" I pointed to a painting on the wall of three men in a large throne room.
"Oh, those are the Volturi, love."
"What the heck is a Volturi?"
"The Volturi are the biggest vampires out there." Now I was interested. "They make the laws. They govern us. And… they punish those who disobey the laws."
"What do they do?"
"Well, these vampires hunt humans. As you already know, we are against that."
"Yeah, you told me."
"The Volturi don't mind us hunting animals, but we have to be careful. We have to make sure we are not seen. If our secret gets out, we break the law."
"Do they kill you?"
"Yes."
I looked at the painting long and hard, studying the details. Edward interrupted my thoughts. "You know how I can read people's minds and Alice can see the future? The Volturi try to get vampires with powerful gifts like ours. Jane, for instance, can cause excruciating pain through hitting people with random objects. She's part of the Volturi."
"Wow."
We stared at the painting in silence. Without thinking, I asked the first question that popped into my mind. "You know… you can't read my thoughts, right?"
"I have never been able to."
"Well, if I were a vampire," He groaned at the thought of me as a vampire. I ignored him. "I might have the special power of… I don't know. A way to keep people out of my mind…" I cut off when I heard someone coming up the stairs. Someone knocked on the door respectfully then opened it.
Alice stood in the doorway, wearing a short purple dress with leggings. "Hey, sleeping beauty! It's time! It's time!" She started jumping up and down, like she usually does when she gets wound up.
I stood up, a little wobbly, and went downstairs with her. Edward followed behind. While I was upstairs, Alice must have decorated. She must have covered every flat surface with pink candles and dozens of crystal bowls filled with pink roses. There was a table with a white cloth draped over it next to Edward's grand piano that held a pink birthday cake, more roses, and a stack of silver-wrapped presents.
It was a thousand times worse than I imagined.
Edward, sensing my distress, wrapped an arm around my waist and planted a kiss on the top of my head, which hurt. Alice must have hit me there.
Every couple in the Cullen family was standing next to each other. Alice and Jasper, Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rosalie.
Everyone came forward and hugged me one at a time and said stuff like "Happy birthday" and "You look beautiful." I hated that.
Finally, Jasper came forward and gave me a nice, firm handshake. I knew he could smell my blood and all, but he was just acting awkward. And they think I'm rude!
"Bella," Emmett said impatiently. "Presents."
"Okay!" I smiled and skipped over to the present table. My cake said "Happy birthday, Bella!" in cursive letters. I overlooked it and reached for the present on top. I grabbed it expecting it to be heavy, but I was wrong. To my surprise, it was very light. I ripped off the silver paper and looked inside.
Of course. The Cullen's first present was a box with nothing in it.
"Already installed it in your truck." Emmett chuckled.
"Installed what?" I asked.
"An awesome sound system!" he partially yelled in joy.
"Um, okay." I reached for another present.
"Bella?" Edward whispered into my ear.
"What do you want?"
"Have you forgotten your manners?"
"Oh! Thanks, Emmett." I quickly turned back to my next gift. The next one was very small. I snatched it up and fiddled with the wrapping paper. "This one's bein' difficult…"
"Want me to go get some scissors, Bella?" kind Esme asked from across the room.
"Nah. I'll get it. OW!" The half-opened gift fell to the floor. I looked down at my bloody finger. "Paper cut," I said simply. But, at that moment, I had no idea what was about to happen in a matter of milliseconds.
BLOOD
I saw Jasper whimpering in the corner of my eye. Oh no, I thought. Jasper had smelled it. Alice stepped in front of him, trying to keep him calm. "Jas! It's just a drop of… blood." She slowly turned around, sniffing the air. "I… I'm sorry." She ran from the room.
Emmett and Carlisle stood in front of Jasper, restraining him. But, the new vegetarian vampire couldn't take it. He pushed them away, running toward me at vampire speed. Edward stepped forward and pushed me into his grand piano.
Time slowed. I hate it when that happens. I was flying through the air (which was actually kind of fun!) toward the piano. Emmett tried to grab his brother, but Jasper ducked and kept speeding toward me. Edward slammed his whole body against him, which slowed Jasper down.
Then, I fell.
The expensive piano crushed beneath me. I landed on the arm that I got a paper cut. Piano keys and bits dark wood flew everywhere. In the chaos of everything that was going on, I couldn't think. I lay there in a puddle of my own blood. I tried to get up, but I gasped in pain and decided that maybe just sitting there would be a better idea.
Edward held Jasper by the shoulders, talking to him and coaxing him into the kitchen. Jasper wildly glanced around the room. Finally, he made his way into the kitchen, breathing heavily.
"YOU IDIOT! YOU ABSOLUTE RETARD!" my angry voice carried echoed in the large room after Edward. "WHY DID YOU PUSH ME INTO THE PIANO? YOU MADE IT WORSE! LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY-" I made the mistake of looking down. A long, bloody gash stretched from my right wrist to my elbow. Blood was gushing out of my arm faster than Niagara Falls in a rainy season. My vision went blurry, and all of a sudden, I felt very dizzy.
Carlisle ran over to me. "Too much blood loss," he said, leaning over me. "She may pass out…"
And for the second time in one day, I was out cold.
I woke up groaning. I was lying on the floor of the living room. The entire room was pitch black, except for a single glowing candle on the white table above me. The white carpet was splotched with my own blood. I tried to sit up, but a strong hand forcefully pushed me back on the floor.
I let myself relax until my vision became normal again. I could feel my right arm screaming in pain. I looked down. The dress Alice gave me was completely soaked in my blood. Well, at least she could never make me wear it again. I looked into the face of the person sitting next to me.
"Carlisle?" He looked down. Now, I could see that he was taking bits of glass out of my arm.
"Yes, Bella?"
I sighed. "How do you do it? Everyone else had to leave."
"I'm a doctor, Bella. I do this every day." He picked another glass shard out of my flesh.
"I know. But, how do you do this when you know there's an easier way? You could just kill me now." In my opinion, vamps should hunt humans, not animals. When I was a vampire, that's what I was planning on feeding from.
"I want to help people."
I gasped quickly at the pain pumping through my body. We both stayed in silence for a while.
"Okay, it looks like I've gotten it all out."
"Now what?" I asked. It didn't hurt as much, now. I think I was starting to get numb.
"We sew you up." Great. More pain.
He reached in his medical bag and pulled out thread. I winced at the entry of a sharp needle. I needed something to take my mind off the pain. "Carlisle?"
He didn't look up from his work. "Hmm?"
"Why won't Edward change me?"
This time, he did look up, staring at me with golden eyes. "He's worried about you."
"What the… I can take care of myself! Why would he be-"
"Your soul, Bella. I never wanted this life. I didn't change by choice. This is not a life you want." He continued working.
"Yes, it is. I want this. I want to be with him… forever." I clenched my teeth at the sound of my own lies.
"Don't choose this life, Bella. You don't want this." I decided I didn't want to argue anymore. Silence consumed us. I closed my eyes, thinking about my birthday. Well, I saw two guys shirtless, I have been unconscious twice, I got attacked by bloodthirsty vampires, and now I'll have to explain why I needed stitches when I got home to Charlie.
All because of some bad luck, a smart attitude, and a paper cut.
GONE
Days passed. Edward wasn't at school. Neither were the rest of the Cullens. I thought about calling him, but then I decided against it. He was going to call me first.
Finally, he came to school. I was in Mrs. Tyree's math class, when he walked in. He handed the teacher a tardy slip and sat down next to me.
Edward looked depressed. There were bags under his eyes and he smelled like a hobo. I know that when this happens, something is troubling him. He slouched in his chair and fiddled with his pencil eraser.
"Edward? Where the heck have you been? You'd better explain this to me right now or I'll-"
"Miss Swan? Do you have something you would like to share with the class?" Dang it. Caught by a teacher.
"No, Mrs. Tyree." I looked over at Edward and gave him my best I-Hate-You-And-I-Am-Going-To-Kill-You stare. He didn't even look over to me.
When Mrs. Tyree started talking again, I whispered, "What the heck is your problem?"
He heaved a sigh and pulled out a sheet of paper. He scribbled a note and handed it over to me. I snatched it out of his hand.
Meet me in the meadow. 4:00.
"Um, okay." I stuffed his note into my binder and pretended to listen to the math lesson while I really was thinking about Edward. What could this mean?
Edward was already there when I arrived at four fifteen. He looked at me with cold, black eyes that meant he hadn't fed in a while.
"Now will you tell me what your problem is?" I demanded.
"Bella…" I could tell he was trying to choose his words carefully. He shifted his weight upon the soft meadow grass. Birds chirped. The sky wasn't exactly overcast today, just a little cloudy. The sun shone down on his pale white skin, making him sparkle. "I don't want you anymore."
That took me by surprise. "You… you're dumpin' me? How can you dump a girl like me?"
"No, Bella. I don't want you. We are leaving here. I don't want what happened last night…"
"Look," I said trying to reason with him. "If this is about what happened with Jasper, it's… nothin'." Then I realized what he was trying to say.
He was leaving. I would never have to see his ugly face ever again. Gone forever. Out of my life for good. No Edward. I was starting to like this idea. "You… you're leavin'? For good?"
"Yes. Forget you ever saw me. Goodbye, Bella."
I couldn't believe it. I was so happy! He was leaving! I started laughing out loud so much, I didn't realize he had vanished. I was alone in the meadow. I lay down and curled into a ball, laughing my guts out. He's gone. The words rung in my head like church bells. "HE'S GONE!" I screamed merrily, over and over again. "HE'S GONE! HE'S GONE!" I danced, sang, and rejoiced for the next hour. Then, I made my way back home, smiling all the way.
He left something for me that I found the day he left. It was parked in my driveway when I got home. A shiny red Porsche! I screamed in happiness. And grabbed the car keys that were dangling from the windshield wipers, along with a note.
Don't do anything dangerous, Bella. For instance, don't drive this car off a cliff. I was going to give it to you for your birthday, but you know what happened. Love, Edward.
I shrieked and started jumping up and down, much like Alice used to do. A new Porsche! For me! I yanked open the gleaming, shiny door and hopped into the driver's seat. I shoved the keys into the ignition and grinned when I hear the engine start up. I took it for a joy ride about seventy miles and hour, which was pretty fast on the street I lived on. Unfortunately, it ran out of gas, and I had no money to pay for more. When I got home, I literally hugged the steering wheel and went inside, wishing I could drive that thing longer.
Over the next few months, I spent my days doing what I normally did before Edward came into my life. I beat up little kids, annoyed Charlie, and forced Jessica to go to zombie movies with me. My life was perfect again.
The Cullen House wasn't sold. It just sat there in the middle of the woods. Barren. Desolate. Unoccupied. Every once in a while, I took a hike up to it and paced around the house. I had to admit, without the Cullens, my life seemed more boring. I thought about Edward. I was glad he was gone.
I started hanging out with Jacob more. When he had his shirt on (which I made sure he did when I was around) he was a pretty okay guy. One day, I was standing in the doorway of his shed watching him fix a car. Normally, I like coming over to see him, but not to see him doing stuff like this. Boring! I decided to take it to the extreme. "Let's get motorcycles!"
He crawled out from under the car. "What?"
"Are you deaf? I just said-"
"I know what you said, Bella. It's just too crazy."
"Aw, come on, Jacob. It'll be fun!"
"And suicidal." He turned around and started back on his car, shaking his head. I could hear him muttering, "Motorcycles. The girl wants motorcycles?"
I laughed. Jacob was so much more fun that Edward ever was.
His super weird friends came over later, looking for a fight. Quill and Embry were their names, I think. Not that it mattered. They wrestled for a while, until I stepped in. "You think you're big tough men?" They stopped moving. Embry had his arm wrapped around Quill's head. "Let's see you do this!" I jumped high into the air and used both of my feet to kick them in their heads. They flew back onto the floor, grunting in pain. I landed perfectly and put up my fists, ready for more.
"Go, Bella!" Jacob yelled excitedly, clapping his hands and laughing.
I blew my curly hair out of my face and ran toward them screaming, "DIE!"
The two scared full grown seventeen year olds backed off and said "Mercy! Mercy!" I smiled, knowing I had won. They ran away like scared little kids. I unleashed my evil laugh and threw my hands in the air.
"Impressive, Bella. I think you could take me in a fight," Jacob said, still laughing.
I turned to him, now becoming very serious. "You wanna find out, tough guy?"
"No, no. I'm good." I smiled at his obvious fear of me.
"I'll be back tomorrow. Then I'll beat up your sorry little..." I stopped myself from getting too angry. Jacob was my friend. He deserved to live, for now.
"Already? You usually stay until six."
"Well, I have some work to do." I turned around and left. I had to find some motorcycles…
"Oh, Bella. Why did you do this?" Jacob stared at the two motorcycles sitting in the back of my truck the next day. "Where did you get them?"
"I found 'em in the junkyard. They look like they're in good condition. Can you fix 'em up for me? Please, please, please?"
"No, Bella. This is way too crazy."
"Come on, Jake! I had to drive my truck over here 'cause my two-seater Porsche won't hold two motorcycles! I had to drive my truck for nothing?" I scrunched up my nose, squinted my eyes, and prepared myself to start fake-crying. I have found that when I do this, especially with suck-up guys, I get my way. I buried my face in my hands and made sobbing noises.
"Bella?" I didn't look up. "Bells, you are really bad at that. It sounds like you're laughing."
Time for plan B. I lifted my head. With my arms crossed, I pouted, looking straight into his brown eyes.
He couldn't resist. Boys always do what you want if you have the right techniques. "Alright. But no joining motorcycle gangs or anything."
"Thanks, Jacob!" I smiled, congratulating myself on my good acting skills.
SUICIDE
The day we finished with the motorcycles, we set off to a long stretch of dirt road Jacob had found. I had to drive my truck (sadly) in order to bring the motorcycles. I was a little nervous, but excited. Edward never would have let me do this while he was still around.
Edward. Every time that name popped into my mind, I got a sickening feeling. There was something missing. I couldn't figure out what it was. There was something about him being gone that made me feel like now there was nothing to look forward to. Then, I got to thinking, why did I keep him around in the first place? Why did I want him? When I looked for an answer, my mind became blank.
My thoughts were interrupted by a startling sight that looked even more suicidal than what we were doing. "Ohmygoodness!" I yelled, pulling over on the side of the road. "What are they doing? That looks awesome!" I jumped out of the truck, shuddering at the sound of the old car door slamming, metal against metal.
My eyes were glued on a group of about four or five guys on the other side of the mountain, over a straight fifty-foot drop. There were no guard rails. No signs saying "Steep Drop." No warnings. Just a straight rocky drop into icy water. And two of the guys jumped right off.
"They're committing suicide!" I was almost scared for them. Then, I saw one of the guys push one of them off unwillingly. He landed in the water and I couldn't see him. "Jake! They're-"
"-Cliff diving," he finished for me. "Bella, it's okay. It's fun. That's just Quil and Embry and… Sam." I sneer curled across his face. He looked disgusted.
"What's wrong with Sam?" I asked, facing him now.
"I don't know. He acts so big and powerful, like he controls everybody. He has this little… clan that sort-of follows him around. Quil and Embry are with him now. He made them cut their hair and do all sorts of crazy stuff. He took my friends away from me. I just… don't like him."
"Oh, well cliff divin' looks fun. Can we try it sometime?"
Now he looked really uncomfortable. "I don't know, Bella. What we're doing now is dangerous enough. Come on." He turned away and started back toward the truck. I looked back at the three guys in the water, now bobbing up for air and laughing.
I wanted… no, I needed to go cliff diving.
When we got to that dirt road Jacob was talking about, he grabbed the motorcycles and lifted them down to the ground with hardly any effort. I was surprised. I knew he was strong… but it probably would have been almost impossible for a sixteen-year-old to lift a motorcycle. "Impressive," I said. I was just about to reach for the other one when he grabbed it before me. "You've gotten stronger."
He looked at me. "I haven't been working out."
"Weird," I said, not able to say anything else. My mind was set on the thrill the motorcycles were about to give me.
"Okay," he said, with his hands on both handlebars. "This is your brake, and here's how you start the engine…"
"I know how it works! Just let me drive it!" I shouted at him.
He put his hands in the air, like he was surrendering. "Fine, fine. Just don't kill yourself."
I hopped on, gripping the handlebars and gritting my teeth. I started up the engine, loving the way it hummed loudly in my ears.
I lifted my foot from the ground and released the brake. My foot slammed down on the gas, and the motorcycle exploded forward like a rocket.
I couldn't feel anything but adrenaline pumping through me. Trees whizzed past and dirt flew up into my face. Crap. I forgot to put on a helmet. Something got in my eyes, and I couldn't see. My eyes were instinctively squeezed shut, and when I tried to open them, I could see nothing but blurriness. My eyes were watering from the pain. I couldn't see anything but the giant rock in front of me.
"Bella… don't do thissssssss…" a familiar voice from my right whispered.
"Edward?" I said, trying to blink.
"You promissssssed me nothing dangeroussssss."
"No I didn't, you idiot!"
"Bella…"
Darkness.
I didn't pass out, thankfully. I must have just closed my eyes for a couple of seconds. Jacob was just running over to me, pulling off his shirt as he ran. A shielded my eyes and let him press his shirt to my head, which was resting on a big rock. I knew I was bleeding. I was breathing heavily, too.
"We are not doing that again," he said, looking incredibly worried.
"I want to…"
"No, Bella. Not again. I can't afford to lose you."
Weeks passed, and I didn't see Jacob. I called, but every time I got his dad's voice or an answering machine. I was told that he had mono. After a week, I had had enough.
I picked the lock of his front door and burst in. I ran upstairs, guessing that was where his bedroom would be, and shoved down the door. There he was, sprawled out on the bed and sleeping as hard as a bear in hibernation. I poked him and sighed, seeing no response.
I looked around the room. Of course, it looked like any normal guy's room. It was complete with a normal sleeping-in guy. But, one thing was different.
His hair was short.
Well, at least now he realized he needed to cut his hair like a normal person. I used to think that he thought he was a girl, with such long hair. Now, it was all gone. Like I would care.
My gaze shifted to his window, which was open and very dusty. I stepped over heaps of clothes and magazines to get to it. I peered over the emerald trees and into the forest. Then, I heard something that made me feel like punching someone. "Hey, Quil! Go try that one!" I leaned out the window, trying to determine the speaker.
Of course. Sam. He and his little clique were walking through Jacob's backyard. Sam was pointing to a tree nearby. I saw Quil look at him, then charge one of the trees. He punched it with a single blow, and the tree immediately fell over. Wow. And I thought Jacob was strong. Then I thought, How can this be possible? Outrage filled me as I marched out of his room, down the stairs, through the back door, and right up in Sam's face.
"What the heck are you doin'?" I looked them over. I noticed they all looked really buff, tan, and had shorter hair…
Wait a second.
"You're doin' this to Jake, aren't you?" I demanded. "Why? He doesn't want this! He never did!" Now, I was mad.
Sam held up his hands and laughed. Just laughed. "Bella, I know that you'll understand."
"No!" I was shouting now. Paul, another member of Sam's gang appeared beside Sam, looking like he was ready to back him up. "I can't let you do this!"
Paul started fuming. I mean, he didn't just look angry, he looked furious. I could practically see steam fuming from his ears. His fists were clenched and when he exhaled, it came out in short little puffs. I've never seen anyone so mad.
"Uh, Bella," Sam said, backing up.
"What do you want now, you backstabber?"
Embry smiled and said, "Too late now. I'd run if I were you, Bella." Paul was getting angrier. I could almost see a vein bulging in his forehead. I decided to run.
In middle school, I had been on the track team for three years. On days like that, running experience came in handy. I sprinted across the wet grass, looking over my shoulder. Paul seemed to be lurching over, then growing fur, and baring long fangs like a…
Wolf? No, it couldn't have been. There were no such things as werewolves. Paul the werewolf, or whatever he was, pawed at the ground and leapt forward, charging me.
I screamed and turned my head to face forward to see Jacob jumping over the railing of his back porch. "Jake, run!" I yelled at him, now scared for him, too. But, he just kept running, unlike me. I must have found a root to fit my foot under, because I was on the ground fast. I tried to get back up, but I ducked to avoid being hit by a flying Jacob.
Flying Jacob? Today was just too darn confusing. No, he wasn't flying, he had just leapt over me. No, wait… Jacob didn't, a wolf did. Where did all these wolves keep coming from? I watched the red-colored wolf that jumped over me hit Paul, snarling and growling. Their teeth bared and their claws scratched each other until they rolled in the forest, still fighting like two dogs with rabies.
I turned around to ask Jacob if this was all just a dream when I realized that he wasn't there. Where had he gone? Oh, no, I thought. I have another monster in my life!
CLIFF DIVING
As it turned out, Jacob really was a werewolf. He saved me that day from becoming dog chow. What's weird is that he and Paul were still best buddies again. Boys are so weird.
But, the adrenaline from the werewolf attack or the motorcycles wasn't enough. I wanted something more. The idea popped into my mind…
Cliff diving!
I left the next day without telling Jacob. I didn't even see him since Paul attacked me. If he found out where I was going, he wouldn't let me. He would think it was crazy.
And I didn't realize how crazy it really was until I was standing over the fifty-foot drop.
The icy water was starting to look very unappealing. It seemed so far to the water. But for some reason, I needed to do this. So, before I could give it much more thought, I jumped off the ledge.
I felt my hair fly upward like a torch. The air was sucked out of me as a scream came out of my mouth. Before I knew it, the blue water was speeding toward me, a blue blanket of suffocation. I hit the water, feeling the coldness on my skin. It felt like a thousand needles piercing me everywhere. Then, I realized I had forgotten to take a deep breath.
Still submerged, I struggled to get to the surface. My arms were flailing and my feet were kicking. When I broke the surface, another wave caught me and pushed me back under. I could feel the dizziness from not breathing. Everything started to go black.
"Bella… you promisssssed." That voice!
I forced myself to focus. Then, I saw him.
Edward! Floating in the water with me. He looked as depressed as he did that day in math class. He opened his eyes wider, killing me with his cold stare. His eyes were black. His skin was pale. His fangs were visible.
What an idiot I was! It all came back to me in a flash, why I had kept Edward with me. Vampire… The single word echoed in my mind. That was why I used him. I desired the immortality and power. But, now I wouldn't get it. Edward was gone.
Before I could think about this any longer, a strong hand snatched the sleeve of my shirt and pulled me to the surface.
"Jacob…" I moaned as I was dragged across the sandy beach. Then, I started coughing for a long time. "I could've handled it. I was fine." I started coughing again, gasping for air.
"Bella, why did you do that?" He was leaning over me, looking worried. "And don't tell me you just fell off."
Maybe I could get away with it. "Well, it's a habit of mine, falling off of stuff."
"Bella, I know that's not the truth." Darn it. Foiled again. "You did that on purpose! Why?"
"I… don't know." I really didn't. I couldn't remember why.
He lifted me in his arms. I was about to reach up and slap him, but it felt better to have someone carry me. Walking was just too much work.
"Get your hands off me, you filthy dog," I said teasingly. But he just smiled and kept walking.
That night, I gave this vampire matter a lot of thought. How could I become a vampire without one to change me? How?
Flashback! Edward and I were sitting in a bedroom, talking about a picture. That must have been at least two months ago. "What the heck is a Volturi?" I asked curiously.
"The Volturi are the biggest vampires out there," Edward explained.
I could go to them! Surely, they'd change me. I already knew too much about vampires anyway. And if they tried to kill me, I'd put up a good fight. Plus, I could threaten to unleash to the world that vampires existed.
But where were they? I needed to find them. Joy overwhelmed me as I opened my laptop and went to Google. After I found what I was looking for, I got packed and got a flight ticket to Italy.
I even made up a song about it. "I'm goin' to Italy!" I sang. "I'm gonna be a bloodsucker!" I danced around the room, throwing clothes into my suitcase and laughing evilly.
"I'm goin' to Italy!"
ITALY
I hopped into the seat of my Porsche, loving the feel of the slick steering wheel in my grip. I was just about to speed off to the airport when I heard my name.
"Bella?" Oh, no. Jacob.
"What do you want? I'm gonna miss my flight." Oops.
"What flight?" By this time, I was ready to leave. I started rolling up the window, but he grabbed the glass and shoved it back down.
"I'm going to… Virginia!" That was the first thing that popped into my mind. "Yeah, I'm missin' my arguments with Monica. You see, we used to argue all the time." I didn't realize until later that I was talking very fast, and I was being a horrible liar. "And I miss her blue hair!"
"Bella, I can see through your lies. You're not going back to Virginia. What's really going on?"
"I want to be a vampire, Jake. I'm goin' to Italy to some royal vamps that'll change me."
He looked shocked. "What?"
"Jacob, the next time you see me, I'll be a vampire." I tried to roll up the window again, trying to escape the awkwardness between us.
"Bella, don't do this. I can't live without you. Especially if you are a vampire. You can't join them! Stay with me!" He got down on his knees. "I love you!"
"Jacob Black, I'm goin' to Italy. So you best get outta my way before I run you over!" I rolled up the window and sped away, leaving him collapsed on the pavement in denial. He would just have to get over it. I had made up my mind.
When my flight landed in Italy, I went where MapQuest told me to go. Some kind of big royal castle. I took a taxi there and noticed that everyone was wearing red. There were red decorations everywhere, too.
Then, I saw it. The castle was huge and made of old stone. Ruby red flags hung from the sides. Thousands of people were out front in the marketplace, buying and selling red items. I made my way through the crowd, trying to find an entrance. When I came to a wide wooden door, a slammed my palms against it and walked in.
I could hear the sound of me feet against the stone floor. The room was so huge, it echoed. "ECHO!" I yelled in amusement.
"ECHO!" I almost thought the voice was my own traveling back to me, but it was a man's voice.
"Hello? Can you show me to the Volturi?" I asked the voice. Then, the speaker appeared from behind a stone door.
"I am part of the Volturi." He walked toward me. He had blond hair that fell over his eyes. I also noticed that his eyes were blood red. "And you are human."
"Not for long. So, where's your leader?"
"Isabella Swan?"
"Um, yes, that's my name. Show me your leader."
"Yes," he said, smirking. We have been waiting for you… Isabella." He turned abruptly and walked up a grand stone staircase.
"Don't call me that!" I called after him, after reluctantly following.
"Bella! My darling!"
"Oh, no! Not him!" I yelled in terror. Somehow, Edward was here! He ran up to me and wrapped me in a hug. I was still stunned. How did he get here?
"Bella, why have you come?" a deeper voice asked from across the room. I looked over. He was sitting on a red throne, along with two other guys. They looked old, but I could tell that they were vampires because their eyes were blood red. They weren't the only ones in the room. A young blond girl was standing next to the blond guy that let me in. I was guessing that she was Jane.
"Bella," Edward said into my ear. "Don't answer. We can go home. Let's just go home."
"No," I said, pushing him away. "You didn't give me what I wanted. You left me. They'll give me what I want!" I pointed across the room to the vampire that spoke to me. I walked up to him.
"And what exactly do you want, human?" he asked me.
"I want to be a vampire."
That's when the chaos started.
"Bella! You can't do this!"
"Bella, we won't allow it!"
"She should be killed!" I ignored the other speakers, except for the one who wanted me dead. I looked over at Jane. "I can do it," she stated, not looking at me. "Aro, she knows too much."
"You are right, Jane," Aro said. "She must be killed."
"No!" I yelled. "I came here to become a vampire! And I will be!" I looked around the room, daring anyone to challenge me.
"She will not cooperate," Jane said, insisting that I was the bad guy. "I can get rid of her."
"Not without a fight," I said, suddenly feeling brave. I didn't come here to be killed.
Aro looked back and forth between us. "Go ahead, Jane."
"No!" Edward and I both yelled at the same time. But, Jane was too quick. She ran with vampire speed toward a broom just resting against the wall. She lifted it and ran over to me. I didn't even have time to put my hands up to knock away the broom as it flew toward my head. I closed my eyes, waiting for the excruciating pain to begin.
But nothing happened. I slowly opened my eyes to see Jane getting angrier by the second. She threw the broom behind her and flung it forward, aiming for my head. I didn't feel anything. The broom just bounced off an invisible barrier that surrounded me. "Huh?" I asked. She looked as confused as I was.
Another flashback! The same night when Edward and I were talking about the Volturi came back to me. "Well, if I were a vampire, I might have the special power of… I don't know. A way to keep people out of my mind…"
Then, it hit me. I was a shield! Vampires' powers didn't work on me. At least, that's what I figured.
When Jane got tired, she sighed and backed away, staring at me with true hatred. Aro spoke up again. "Jane, your powers are ineffective?" Jane nodded. "Interesting. Let's see if mine work." He rose from his throne, walking toward me.
Edward said from across the room, "He can see someone's life story by just one touch."
"Give me your hands, Bella." Reluctantly, I lifted my hands into his. He gripped them tightly, his eyes staring straight ahead. "Nothing," he said, dropping his hands.
"Curious," one of the other guys said. He was sitting on his throne, staring at me. "Edward, can you read her mind?"
Edward answered immediately. "No. I never have been able to."
The third guy spoke. "We could just rip off her head." I gasped.
"Marcus, Marcus. This girl has an extraordinary power. We could use her." Aro looked at Marcus, then back to me.
"No!" a timid female voice said from behind me.
"Alice!" I exclaimed, actually happy to see her.
"Aro," she said respectfully. "I have seen the future of Bella. She'll be a vampire, but it will happen while she's with us."
"Oh, really?" Aro asked, turning to Alice. He grabbed her hands. "Yes, it is true. We must let the girl go."
I was about to protest, but I guess I thought I could deal with Edward a little longer.
"One thing first," Jane said, from the corner of the room. She walked over to Edward and slammed him in the head with her broom. He screamed in pain and collapsed. I laughed at him and gave Jane a high-five. Aro dismissed us, and we all went home.
DECISION
"Bella, I need to talk to you," Edward said over the phone. "Meet me in the meadow."
I laughed. "The first time you told me that, I found out you were a vampire. The second time, you left me. What's next? You ask me to marry you?"
"Uh, you'll find out." He hung up. Doesn't anyone say 'goodbye' anymore?
About a half an hour later, we were standing in the meadow alone. Or, that's what I thought for the first few minutes I was there.
"Ew, what is he doing here?" I could recognize that voice anywhere.
"Jacob, leave us alone." He landed behind me. He must have been listening to our conversation from the trees.
"No, Bella. I need to talk to you, too. Don't choose him over me."
"I'm not choosin' anyone yet!"
"Yes, you are."
"You know what? I hate both of you! Jacob, you were a good friend and now you're just a jerk. Edward, I swear I'll march right back to the Volturi and get them to change me!"
Jacob got mad at my words. He started looking like Paul the day he attacked me. The seconds before he changed into a…
Whoa. Before I could blink, Jacob was in full werewolf form. And he was charging Edward.
"STOP IT!" I ran between the two of them. "Jacob back off!" I wasn't afraid to fight him…
Until he looked at me with those big brown eyes of his. "Jake, I'm sorry. We can still be friends if you stop bein' a big jealous jerk!" He backed off. Then, with a whimper, he ran back into the forest.
I turned back to Edward. "Why do I have to choose between you now?"
He looked at me long and hard. "Bella," he said, kneeling. "Will you marry me?"