Esme put her hand on Emmett's strong shoulder, stepping beside him looking out toward the woods. "We don't have to stay, my dear. We can always relocate, start fresh."
It wasn't the first time she had suggested this. It wasn't the first time any of his family had suggested this. Even Bella had said she was ready, she would leave. She couldn't bare to be without Edward, and she had every excuse under the sun, ready to tell Charlie she was leaving.
He wished Rosalie had the same pull.
Thinking of her wasn't as painful as it was several months ago, right after she had left. She cited so many reasons, how Edward's relationship with Bella would be disruptive to her and the family. Especially after they all had to leave, and Edward nearly killing himself after Bella.
But one question she didn't answer is why he couldn't leave with her? She didn't want to disrupt his life, take him away from his family. She was the one who brought him into the family. But one night, while they were all hunting, Rosalie ran. So lost into the hunt it wasn't until they came back that Alice had a vision of Rosalie deciding to keep running. I would have run after her if it wasn't for the note she left. A huge slap in the face to our relationship.
My love for her had started to turn into rage. Anger. Wasn't that the second step in grief? Or perhaps the third, he couldn't remember.
"I'll be fine, Esme." The sun was coming up, and they would soon start their senior year. The rumor had already spread through town that Rosalie had found a long lost cousin, and left everyone to go find him. It would no doubt be the center of gossip tomorrow. The elusive Rosalie Cullen, leaving them to go live with her real family. Some thought it was mean of her, others thought she had every right to go.
Humans were so fucking naive.
"I'm gonna go, pick up Bella. I know Charlie will probably have a few concerns." Edward quietly left the house. Alice and Jasper were in his room, whispering to each other how much they loved and cared for one another. Forever together.
If only they knew how temporary forever was.
"I'll wait for you both in the car." Emmett said, Alice and Jasper quieting down. He quickly changed, and waited in the car. He sit still, as still as a vampire could. He traded in his old jeep for a biggest Range Rover he could find. A fresh start he claimed. He didn't mention how many times him and Rosalie had made love in that car, somewhere deep in the middle of the forest.
"I must admit, I'm really loving this car Emmett. It's much more you." Alice appeared in the passenger seat, Jasper sitting in the back.
"Hmm." Was all he responded.
They reached Forks High School in the nick of time, as they always did, ready to go to class.
"What do you have first?" Alice asked.
"As if you don't already know." Emmett said, getting out of the car.
"Humor me, please." Alice said behind him, Jasper by her side. It killed him to see so many of them happy, and now Emmett is Edward's position. Even worse, since Edward found his one true mate. Emmett already had his. Or so he thought.
"American History." He sighed, grabbing his books. He never used a backpack, there was no use.
"That should be fun. Let me know if you have questions." Jasper smirked.
"Don't hold your breath." Emmett responded. "I'll see you all later." He quickly turned to his class, sitting near the back of the class. He kept his head down, headphones in.
"Welcome, everyone! To yet another exciting year. I'm passing around the class syllabus." Mr. Tyson started the class, Emmett forced to pay attention. Or at least seem to. The last thing he needed was to bring any attention to the Cullens in any way.
God, no wonder Rose left.
"Now, I would like the first and third row to look to your left. Congratulations, that is your new partner for your semester long project." The whole class groaned. Emmett his in, knowing it would overpower the whole class as a growl. Beside him sat someone who he didn't know by name, but recognized around school. He had noticed her scent before. It was different, not good or bad, just different. She flipped her incredibly long, dark blonde hair away from her face.
"Emmett, right? I'm Shai." She extended her hand for him to shake. He grabbed it momentarily. He looked for a flicker of curiosity on her face, as to why he was so cold, but it never came.
"I'll pass around the directions for your first assignment at the end of class, for now, attention please! This will be fun, I promise..." Mr. Tyson went on to start teaching about the colonization of America, and Christopher Columbus. The typical start point for every history class he's ever taken.
Emmett was able to zone out for the class, an hour and a half seeming nothing in his long life. The bell rang, the end of the first class of his senior year. This time around.
"Please grab your first assignment on your way out! It's simple, and due by Wednesday." He said, handing everyone a sheet of paper.
Trig went by quickly, Emmett particularly gifted in math. Who wasn't when they had so much time to practice?
"I would like a run down of everyone's day!" Alice said.
"Don't you already know?" Bella said, the only one to sit down and actually eat her food.
"Why don't anyone play along with me today?" She sighed.
"Well, Edward just so happens to be in every single one of my classes." She smiled into her food, tucking a piece of her dark brown hair behind her ear.
"I wonder how that happened." Edward chuckled, holding her closer. Emmett rolled his eyes. How much longer could he take of all the love around him? If it wasn't for Carlisle, the guilt, he would have gone rogue weeks ago.
"Hmm..." Alice said under her breath.
"Hey, Emmett." Shai approached the table. "Hey." She smiled at everyone, friendly that reached her eyes.
"Hi! I'm Alice." She just couldn't help herself, Emmett thought to herself.
"I'm Shai. Emmett and I are partner's for our history project, but I really have no idea who is doing what."
"I'll do the first half, you do the second. We can meet up before class and put it together." He shrugged.
"Why doesn't Shai come over? I know Bella and I have some homework to do, it would be nice to have some company." Edward suggested.
"I'm super busy, but maybe for the next assignment? I can tell this is only going to get more involved as time goes on." She waved everyone goodbye, taking a turn to sit outside even though there was no sun out today.
"She's cute." Alice winked.
"Shai's a really cool gal. She knows a lot about random stuff." Bella said.
"Like what?" Edward asked.
"Like, crystals and herbs and stuff. She's super into naturey stuff. I'm surprised we've managed to have any form on conversation, our interests are way off. But whenever we chat I feel like she's really listening to me, you know? It's nice."
"Sounds like someone has a crush." Edward played, Bella shaking her head.
"I think she's single,actually..." Emmett couldn't help but see the glance Bella threw his way.
"Ooh..." Alice tried nonchalantly.
"Good to know." Emmett stood up, not wanting to hear his family try and force the first girl that happened to come along down his throat. He threw out his lunch, making his way to Advanced Chemistry. He needed this day to be over, to hunt. He wasn't particularly thirsty, but he was angry, and he knew a nice irritated grizzly would be the cure.