A Cake We Can't Eat

Chapter 1

The school year came and went. I graduated Junior high. No big deal. Ed took Bella to prom. I hung out with Stella over the summer and it was great. High school had started up and it was first semester. I waited with Ed for Bella to come to school. I was thrilled to be in high school, well sort of, one can only be in so many high schools. I was thrilled because I wasn't alone this year. I was with Ed, Alice, and Bella. Not that I didn't have any friends from my old school. Stella had joyfully followed me into high school along with several other girls. I just liked being with my family. This year was amazing, friends, family, amazing hunting and no tummy turning Dog-Breath Clearwater.

Bella drove up in her awesome truck and was ambushed by Alice as soon as she got out. They walked over to Ed and I. Ed squeezed her hand lovingly. Ed asked her if he still wasn't aloud to wish her a happy birthday?

"Of course not!" She remarked.

"Happy Birthday Bella!" I blurted out really fast under my breath.

"That doesn't give you any right to say it either!" She said sarcastically at me.

"Say what?" I made myself look like I had no idea what the heck she was talking about. I looked at Alice, Ed, then back to her. "I have been quiet this whole time!"

"Your gift is lying Tabitha, what does that tell us about you?" She laughed.

I just gave her a slight smirk.

I walked over into French and took my seat next to Stella. It was the one class we shared. I wasn't best friends with her, but she was my closest human friend. She still did smell amazing. I just liked hanging with her, not because she smelt good, but because she was a sweet and kind girl.

While, our teacher, Mr. Collins, droned on about French conversation. Stella started talking to me about a dance coming up for the fall. I didn't think I was going, but may as well hear about her date. Jason Yorkie had asked her and she was thrilled.

Mr. Collins then perked up and made an announcement to the class. "Alright kids, I am going to let you talk to a partner for the rest of the class, but in French to test your conversation skills!"

I smiled at Stella as she continued on in the conversation good thing I speak French. I had been tutoring her for a little while.

"Ouais, Jason qui aime vraiment moi. J'aime lui c'est formidable!" I translated in my head that he liked her and she liked him. She thought it was great! "Daoce allex-vous à la danse ?" She said a few words wrong but I made out that she was asking me if I was going to the dance?

No, I didn't have a date or a reason, but I just mentioned the date part. "Non, je n'ai pas de date!"

"Ok, bien il serait agréable si vous êtes vraiment venus à au moins une danse bientôt. Promettez-moi vous irez faire!" She told me it would be nice if I did come to at least one dance soon. I had to promise her that I would. I told her I was proud that she could say all the words perfectly. Class ended all too quickly. I just had to get to through the rest of the day until tonight.

"Happy Birthday!" We all yelled as Bella walked in the door. The room was overly decorated. We had tried to make Alice see sense that it was a bit much for poor Bella. She seemed a little overly surprised. Mainly by the cake in which we couldn't eat. Her heart race picked up a little. She came in and greeted Carlisle and Esme first. Emmet and Rosie was next. After a cold greeting from Rosie and a smiling Emmet who eventually ran out to work on a surprise for Bella. Bella came to me in line next to Rosie.

"Hi Tabitha!" She said with an awkwardness that surrounded her.

"Happy Birthday Bella!" I said trying to hide the awkwardness that I felt as well. I played with the present in my pocket. I hadn't shown Alice it yet so she wouldn't make a fuss over it, she knew I had it though.

Alice flew at Bella again just like in the morning announcing to her, "It's time for presents."

Bella tried to protest, but Alice replaced the small camera with a silver package from Jasper, Emmet, and Rosie. It was a car stereo. Emmet was installing it in her trunk so she wouldn't protest.

"Taby's next!" Alice grabbed my other present from the table and handed it to Bella.

Bella opened the package and looked surprised in a weird way. "An "Acting for Dummies" book, wow, interesting!"

"You're a bad liar Bella!" I pulled out the package. "Here is your other real package!"

"Thanks!" She opened the present to find a book filled with every Shakespeare play known in existence, I knew she liked that type stuff.

"Jasper, Emmet, and I have one other for you yet."

"Not till she opens the ones from Edward and myself." Alice protested.

Bella made sure Ed hadn't spent anything on her then reluctantly took the present. She ripped the paper. The room then filled with an intoxicating smell. The most floral and almost fruity redolence I could have imagined. I opened my eyes to see a solitary drop of blood usher from Bella's finger. Hold it in Tabitha. I looked over to see Jasper rushing for Bella. Everything acted in slow motion. Ed slammed Bella into a glass table behind her. Her arm bled more than ever. The smell became better and better. I watched as Emmet held Jasper back running from the room, Rosie following. I ran from the room. I gasped for air. Restraining myself from going back and fulfilling my lust for the blood which could not be taken. It was another cake we couldn't eat.

We left Forks that week. I was truly upset. Ed stayed behind to say goodbye to Bella goodbye. I was trying not to be overly upset when we left. The day we left I said my goodbye to Stella. I would miss my first friend in years. She had spoken to me when no one else would. Now, I would be off to a new junior high, fun.

I worried about Ed and Bella. I hoped she wouldn't freak out. I already knew Ed was beating himself up about it all.

The months passed slowly. Traveling to Ithaca. The family almost was in a daze. Ed left the family. He needed time. He had to hurt Bella to make it easy. He loved her, he had broken his own heart.

Rosie and Emmet got married (again, and guess who was the flower girl? Emmet has sick ideas of jokes.) and went on another honeymoon they needed to get away from the bleakness of the family. I at one time wished that I could have escaped the unavoidable dread of the home. Jasper and Alice had stayed with us to study classes at the university that Carlisle now taught night classes at. Alice was busy discovering things about her past. Even though they are living with us, we barely ever see them. Esme had me helping her with the restoration of an old 17th century home. I was the only one not perusing anything. I was being home schooled, we were doing nothing that involved school at home, but I am not complaining.

The time was ok, but it was like an endless night with no day break in sight. I knew that our sudden busyness was the result of leaving Forks, and poor Bella. We worried about her constantly. The only contact I had with anyone in Forks, was a month after we left. I had called Stella on a pre-paid phone for an hour. I had no contact with anyone after that. It had been too hard to listen to the place that I missed so dearly. Hearing about how the dance was great, she had been in a lovely dress, and her date was really nice. She told me she had seen some kids from the last year. Seth was among them. He had gotten a date, Mary Anne. Good for him. Good thing she can't smell. After that phone call, I went back to not speaking, even to my own family.

Christmas was something that stood out to me. Ed still wasn't around. Emmet and Rosie were at least back from their Honeymoon to make it a little more of a family. Of course Alice decorated, but there was so much missing in our lives, it felt empty. I sat in the new "family room" right beside the tree hiding. It was a huge tree. It was bigger than Emmet. I was reading A Christmas Carol when I looked up to see Esme and Carlisle kissing under the mistletoe.

"Tabitha!" Alice made me jump as I looked up at her. "I saw you under the mistletoe waiting for someone. Not saying anyone comes, but just know you might not always be alone."

I didn't want to be under the mistletoe with anyone. I wanted to be left alone. I got up and made my way to my bedroom.

Christmas came and went. Spring break came and we were up in Alaska with Tanya's family. It was nice to see our friends. Only problem was, Kate had taken a liking to me and always made me feel so immature. The good thing about our relationship was, she spoiled me rotten. Every time I would see her, she always had a new dress for me or something that she thought I would love.

As soon as we had arrived there, after all the hugs she took me under her wing. She told me she was taking Alice and I shopping. Carlisle and Esme were going hunting so they didn't mind at all.

We walked in the expensive department store. Alice decided to try on some clothes. Kate and I waited outside the dressing room. I had picked up a magazine to read about the really silly and stupid celebrities of the world. Kate kept looking over at the formal dresses. She soon remarked to me.

"Tabitha, have you ever gone to a dance before?"

I shook my head. What was she doing?

She went silent for a moment. "I just saw this dress I thought would be perfect for you!"

Alice stepped out in a beautiful sundress. "Come on Taby, just humor Kate! If you do, we won't pressure you anymore!"

I had forgotten that she could hear us through the dressing room. "Ok, I will try on that dress!"

Kate grabbed up the dress she had been thinking of. It was cream colored with a detachable ribbon around the waist. The top of the bodice was a wrapped look. It was strapless and knee length. One dress to keep them off me for the rest of my life. I was doing it.

I slipped into the dress. It fit like a glove. It looked unusual with my braids and Red's hat. I walked out and what does Alice do, the inevitable. She pulled out my braids and took off my hat. She convinced me into heels and pushed me in front of a mirror. I didn't believe my reflection. I looked older. My hair fell in kinks at my shoulders. I looked taller too.

"Oh Tabitha!" Kate exclaimed with joy. "you look amazing!"

Alice was booming with joy. "I need to get Carlisle and Edward to stop calling you little." Her face went blank. "Bella, she is dead!" Kate and I stared at her with serendipitous fear.

"What?" I asked putting my hand on her shoulder.

She just trembled the words out. "Bella is dead, she jumped off a cliff."