Solas2
Several students were openly sobbing in the front row and I thought they were pathetic. Didn't any of them read the source material?
Mr. Krat had called it one of the great tragedies after all, that should have clued them in, that this story did not contain a happy ending. Edward made a snorting noise next to me and I turned toward him.
"I've never had much patience with Romeo, mistake after mistake could he have destroyed his own happiness anymore?" said Edward
I nodded yes in response.
"He could have insisted on cremation" I responded
Edward gave me an incredulous and horrified look, which a couple of students mirrored.
"it's so romantic" one of the other students murmured from the front row.
I wanted to yell at her that no it wasn't.
"No its not" I said softly instead
Edward was the only one who heard me.
"You don't think forbidden love is romantic?" said Edward
His lips curling in amusement.
"Not when it leads to stupidity" I responded.
Edward nodded in understanding
"It's so easy for a human, a little poison, a dagger through the heart…"said Edward
"Getting hit by a truck, falling down a flight of stairs" I finished Edward frowned at me and I almost laughed at him.
"They were fifteen, they had barely begun to live and I doubt they really knew what love was, let alone felt it that deeply" I said
Edward was still frowning at me.
"What makes you say that?" said Edward
I snorted at him and shook my head, for an undead monster my boyfriend sure had some foolishly romantic notions.
"Come on Edward they talked maybe three times and from that he was madly in love with her. It takes more than a few encounters to form a bond like that" I said
Edward looked vaguely disappointed to me, sorry buddy but your gonna have to work harder than that.
"So there is nothing you like about the story?" said Edward
I shook my head no and laughed, unfortunately it was just as Juliet plunged a dagger into her heart on screen. Several classmates looked at me like I was mental and I inwardly groaned.
"The poetry" I said softly
He raised one elegant eyebrow at me, so I spun out one of my favorite quotes.
"These violent delights have violent ends and in this triumph die, like fire and powder when as they kiss consume" I said
The look Edward gave me was unreadable but I could guess the direction of his thoughts. Once again he was feeling guilty for the James incident, man this guy was so emo.
Once again I wished Carlisle had been able to wait before changing Edward. At least until he was a little bit more mature. "I hate being celebrated" I said
He leaned in so only I could hear him.
"Come on Bella the last time we celebrated a birthday was when Bing Crosby was topping the charts" said Edward
The lights came back on and I groaned like everyone else because I was momentarily blinded by the change of light. Mr. Krat was going down the row between the desks and laying a sheet of paper on each occupied desk.
I groaned along with the rest, when I realized it was a pop quiz on the movie we had just watched. He set one in front of me then in front of Edward before going down the next row. Once they were all passed out Mr. Krat gave the signal to begin and I flipped over the page. It was absurdly easy until it hit the essay section. I ended up filling the box and the other side of the page before I turned it in.
The bell rang and Edward walked me to my next class, ceramics. Alice was there already and Jasper was kissing her in the doorway as we approached. Jasper pulled back and smirked at me.
"Bella" said Jasper
He nodded in my direction so I nodded back and moved past them into the room. Edward gave me a disappointed look when I wouldn't allow him a kiss goodbye as well. I had been limiting our physical contact lately, because both Anais and Monticello said the glamour was increased by physical contact, and he clearly had it bad enough.
My only concern was how badly I had affected the rest of the clan as well, because so far I had yet to break the connection and it was starting to scare me. Edward would never be able to survive in the court and I wasn't about to back away from my obligations to my house, not unless I wanted to die a very painful death.
Anais simply would not take the rejection well and she could very well end up killing everyone who had ever come in contact with me for the insult, there was a rumor that she had done so before, even going so far as to kill everyone who had been alongside the person in the hospital nursery. It made me shudder just to think about it.
I took my seat and set up my supplies maybe this time it would actually look like a vase instead of a lump that looks like a five year old was attempting to make a cup. Alice was sitting next to her and already what she was working on looked the way it should. For a second I thought about drying out the clay Alice was working with, then I shoved the jealousy aside. Alice was my pseudo sister and she couldn't help being perfect it was what vampires did after all. Alice kept glancing at her as she worked and it was beginning to get irritating.
"You're wrong" said Alice
I gave her a confused look because she had essentially lost me. "Huh?" was my brilliant answer
She shook her head and said softly at vampire speed
"You'll see" said Alice
I frowned and added more water to my clay only to discover I had added too much and my project was now mud. I groaned and scraped off the wheel to start over and the bell rang. I swore softly and cleaned up my mess.
I had lunch next so I was in no hurry to join the others. I had just finished shoving my things back into the bins and turned around. Jasper was already there and Alice was hugging him closely, as if she was afraid to lose him for some reason.
Jasper was frowning because he must be picking up some serious angst and had no idea why. I gathered my things, ignored jaspers pleading look and walked out of the door. I knew what Alice was seeing but there was no way I could do as she asked.
I needed to know if what Edward was feeling was love or something else. She had obviously focused on that part of the vision and I was secretly glad I had chosen to consult a seer of my own.
Now all I had to do was either avoid my birthday party or face down a room full of hungry vampires. I glance back at Alice and Jasper, maybe a room full of hungry vampires wouldn't be so bad. Who knows if one of them managed to succeed getting through my shield maybe I would get what I really wanted for my birthday, to be changed, I could always help mitigate the damage later.
I stopped in the doorway.
"You guys coming?" I said
Alice looked up from jaspers shirt and nodded yes, at jaspers worried look she smiled in what was supposed to be a reassuring manner and followed me out. I could hear him asking what was wrong and her answer at vampire speed, but I couldn't respond without giving away that I could hear them.
My next class had Emmett and jasper in it and the last one had Edward in it again then I was free for the rest of the day since I had an abbreviated schedule for my senior year thanks to phoenix having different graduation requirements.
I had already met some of my credit requirements. Edward and the others were still stuck with a full schedule which meant I could leave campus before they did. I was hoping today it gave me enough of a head start to avoid the Cullen's and whatever party plans Alice had concocted.
Jasper walked in followed by Emmett and they sat down near me.
"Bella, why is my …Alice so upset?" said Jasper
I frowned and wished I could tell him now that I didn't blame him or that I forgave him but that would only confuse him. In the end I decided to give him a small tidbit of information.
The other students were filing in so I answered him as best I could, without giving away what she could do.
"Alice found out about an upcoming trip and is upset that I'm going, without Edward" I said.
"Why would you go without Edward?" said Emmett
He gave me a goofy grin as if he thought the idea was silly.
"Later" I said.
He gave me a confused look but neither of them could really question me further because Jessica was taking her seat right in front of us. I knew I was going to have to explain that but I was hoping if the events of the party did not happen then her vision would hopefully change.
"I see" Jasper responded
Which meant he understood that was all I was able to give him right now. I was able to stave off any further questions until later that night because even I had no idea what Alice was seeing, so I was going off what my seer had said.
I faked my way through the last few classes trying hard to not give my apprehension away lest Jasper or Alice pick up on it. As I walked toward my truck I was in high spirits thinking I had finally beat the pixie at her own game. That was until I saw the package sitting in the driver's seat.
I groaned out loud and pulled open my door. I didn't bother opening it because I could guess it was clothes. I quickly started my truck and headed back to my house. If I showered and dressed quickly enough I could be out at La Push before they were out of class.
I parked my truck in the driveway, left the bag on the seat and rushed for my front door. I was in the house and up the stairs at twice my normal speed. I grabbed my shower bag and rushed for the shower.
I washed quickly and pulled my clothes back on while I was still wet. I scribbled a note for Charlie on the post it pad and rushed for my truck. I found Alice waiting in my driveway for me.
"Alice what are you..."I said
"Nice try Bella but it's not like this is the first time I've ditched class" said Alice
She gave me a level look and grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards her car.
"Alice what are you doing we have four hours before the party" I said
Hoping she would relent long enough to slip free of her grasp. She smirked and I knew I was doomed.
"Great that gives me time to do your makeup and tame this hair" said Alice
I groaned and looked around for another Cullen in a mute appeal for help. Alice chuckled and started walking up my front walk, so reluctantly I followed her. I wondered why she was here alone and could only guess that she wanted to talk about what she envisioned. I wasn't sure if I should reassure her or tell her to brace for the worst. I stepped through the front door and frowned, where did Alice go?
"Alice?" I said
"Up here silly" said Alice
I sighed and climbed the stairs Alice was digging through my hair supplies.
"Aargh don't you have anything that doesn't look like it belongs to a little girl or a Goth kid?" said Alice
I frowned at the back of her head. I bit back the urge to defend my style and instead addressed why she was here ahead of everyone else.
"What did you see?" I said
Alice froze mid dig in a basket full of hair ties and clips I kept on my dresser.
"You, walking away and how devastating it was to my brother" said Alice
She turned to look at me with a pleading look.
"I think of you as a sister already Bella. what you have with Edward is meant to be, he loves you I know he does and so do you. Please do not do that to him, to us" said Alice
I met her eyes and saw the fear reflected there as well as the realization that she couldn't really stop this from happening. I sighed and looked at my feet.
"Alice I can't really promise that, because yeah I do have my doubts, but I can promise you that whatever actions I take it is, because I do love you all" I said in my most sincere tone.
She stopped what she was doing tilted her head sideways and stared at me. A second later I was wrapped in a bone crushing hug that left me gasping for air.
"Oh Bella I'm sorry I ever doubted you, we love you too sweetheart, now let's tame that hair of yours" said Alice
She must have looked ahead just a little bit and whatever it showed her convinced her that Edward and I would be fine. I just hoped I had fooled her enough to stop looking. I hadn't really been lying to her, everything I intended to do would be because I cared about them. I just hoped one day they would understand and hopefully forgive me. For the next few hours I endured Alice's beauty treatments as she pulled sprayed and used various hot devices on my poor hair. I sat quietly allowing her to do what she wanted for once. I was too focused on what was coming to care.
