Alright, so here's the next chapter, guys. I have a few things to discuss before we get started, though.
1) There won't be any Jacob in this story, unless I decide to use his name for a character or something. Sorry Team Jacob people!
2) As far as I have researched it, agoraphobia is not limited to a fear of open spaces. Rather, it's a fear of being in situations in which escape is impossible (i.e., there's nowhere to hide, such as a public or outdoor setting). This is why people who have agoraphobia are sometimes trapped within their homes; they want to have control over where they are.
3) Bella's POV will probably end up being shorter than Edward's, due to the fact that Edward visits more places and interacts with more people.
4) I don't claim to be a psychologist or anything, so if anyone has any tips or anything to make this story more accurate and complete, let me know!
Okay, enough of that. Enjoy the rest!
~MissSingItAll
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything.
BPOV:
Monday morning. Even though I didn't actually leave the house to go to school, I still hated Mondays just as much as anybody else. I had woken up and stared out my window, where a semi-permanent gray had settled over everything. Just great.
I slipped out from under the covers and grabbed my bag of toiletries. I started my morning routine and could tell from the silence of the house that Charlie had left for work already. After brushing my teeth, I gave myself a glance over in the mirror.
My skin was very pale; it desperately needed to see the sunlight. My body was very thin and slender, but it wasn't like I had any pleasing curves or anything like that. My eyes were plain, brown, and average, reflecting back at me with an empty stare. My hair was all over the place, so I ran my brush through it a couple of times. After finally getting through the tangles, I left the bathroom and headed downstairs to see what edible food Charlie still had available.
Last night was...interesting. When I told Charlie about the window, he took one look at the hole, sighed, and shook his head. I didn't tell him about the boy coming to the door; I was too ashamed at my reaction. Instead I told him that I had tossed the ball outside without knowing who had done it. He nodded, gave me an awkward pat on the back and told me it wasn't my fault and I had done nothing wrong.
Today, the hole in the window was covered with tape to keep the air out. I looked in the refrigerator only to find a gallon of milk, a carton of eggs, and random takeout leftovers. Shaking my head, I grabbed the milk and looked for a box of cereal. I would have to ask Charlie to go grocery shopping later so that I could cook proper meals.
I moved to the living room and turned on the tv, finding some mindless cartoon to watch. While most kids my age saw never going to school as a godsend, I saw it as isolation and loneliness. For the past two years, I have not socialized with anyone close to my age. I was a little socially inept to begin with, but at least I was still able to talk to people before my agoraphobia made itself known. Now I was always alone, unable to relate to my peers and other people.
I ate my cereal slowly and stared at the tv, letting my mind drift as the colored images danced around on the screen.
EPOV:
After getting home on Sunday, none of us said a word to our parents. Jasper decided to stay for dinner (nothing new to my mother) and play video games with Emmett. It was then that my sister Alice decided to join everybody downstairs. I suspected the little pixie had a thing for Jasper; she was even louder and more excited than normal whenever he was around. Jasper too was a little more nervous anytime Alice entered the room. I was always teasing him about it, saying that someday we were bound to become brothers.
I sat in the next room at my piano, running my fingers lightly over the keys. I had always loved playing, and had taken on every piano lesson as eagerly as I did with baseball. I liked being in control of the music I made. The sound would change however I wanted it to change, and it would say whatever I wanted to within the notes and melodies. It was another form of escape for me.
"Dinner's ready!" My mother called from the kitchen. At that moment the front door opened and my father walked through, right on time. He nodded at me and made his way into the kitchen after hanging his jacket up on the coat rack by the door. I stood as well and followed the delicious scents coming from the kitchen.
Alice and Jasper were already at the table. Emmett and Dad were bringing other dishes to the table along with my mother. She grinned at all of us once we were seated.
"Well, Jasper, I see that you've decided to join us, yet again," Dad said jokingly, grabbing the bowl of salad. Jasper shrugged.
"You guys definitely have better food," he said. Everyone chuckled, and my mother gave him a thankful look. She turned to Dad and he began to tell her about his day at the hospital where he worked as a doctor. I looked to Emmett, who was busy trying to stuff as much food as he could in the fastest amount of time. Jasper and Alice were trying to have a discreet conversation at the end of the table.
"So there's this new bakery in Port Angeles, and I heard they have the best cupcakes! We should definitely head up there sometime," Alice suggested quietly. Jasper looked surprised.
"Yeah! Um...sure, okay," he replied, trying to be calm, cool, and collected. I snickered. He turned to me, flipped me off, and then continued the rest of dinner ignoring me and listening to Alice's every word.
My father and mother spoke to each other lovingly, with soft voices and gentle touches. They seemed to radiate at the head of the table and bathe us all with their glow, cheesily enough. It was nights like these that truly made me feel at peace. I had family and friends whom I loved and who loved me. My siblings and I were definitely privileged, although we never acted like those trashy teenagers on primetime tv (aside from the occasional drink at a random party). I knew that I was lucky, and I tried as hard as I could not to take it for granted.
School the next day was the same as usual. It was October, and that meant it was the opportune time for pranks and pounds of candy. The sky was a deep gray, and the rain that had poured during the night was still present in puddles that lined the street. I drove my siblings to school, as usual, in my silver Volvo. It was one of my prized possessions, just as the candy red BMW convertible was Rosalie Hale's little baby. She and her brother pulled into the parking space next to mine and met up with us on the front stairs. Rosalie wrapped her arm around Emmett's waist and pecked him on the lips.
Rosalie Hale was beautiful; there was no doubt about that. She had the same golden hair as her twin brother, and stunning blue eyes that lit up her entire face. I guess I wasn't attracted to her due to the facts that a) she was my best friend's sister and b) she is super cocky. Rosalie wasn't exactly the nicest person and really only hung out with Alice. The other girls tended to stay away from Rosalie, which seemed fine by her. She thought all the other girls here were trite and air-headed.
"Are we still meeting up after school?" Rosalie asked.
"Yeah, I just gotta do something first before we head home," Alice replied casually. The first bell rang, our signal to head inside.
The day was mostly uneventful, although people seemed to whisper more than usual. This was a clue that something big had happened. Forks was a small town, and news traveled fast. I couldn't catch what was going on, though, so I let people talk around me and pretty much ignored their conversations.
After school, I waited by my car for the others to show up. Jasper came first, followed by Rosalie and Emmett, and then Alice. Alice had a stack of books and papers in her arms. Jasper took a few from her to help with the load.
"Signed up for extra classes?" I asked. Alice shook her head.
"Can you take me to Chief Swan's place?" she asked, a little breathless.
Jasper, Emmett, and I all looked at each other. We seemed to be thinking the same thing: HELL NO! But, as we hadn't told anyone about the window thing, it seemed like maybe, just maybe we could get away with it. Plus, it's not like we would be getting out of the car or anything. Alice was the only one who would be seen.
"Yeah," I said, and turned around to get in the car. Alice and Jasper slipped in, but Emmett stayed by Rosalie.
"I'll see you guys at Rosalie's," he said nervously. I rolled my eyes. What a baby.
We pulled out of the parking lot and headed for our neighborhood. I looked at Alice out of the corner of my eye.
"What do you need to do at Swan's place?" I questioned.
"I'm dropping off homework," she said, patting the books nestled on her lap.
"What?" Jasper asked. He leaned forward into the space between the passenger and driver seats.
"Chief Swan has a daughter. She moved here a few days ago," Alice said, as if she was a parent explaining something to toddlers. So that was the reason for all the gossiping today. It also explains the girl that answered the door yesterday. "Anyway," she continued, "apparently she has some kind of medical problem that prevents her from going to school. So, Mrs. Cope asked me if I could bring her assignments everyday."
Jasper and I gave her a weird look. "What?" she said. "It'll look good on my college application, and I really don't mind doing it."
"So I'm going to be taking you to her house every afternoon," I said.
"And every morning! I have to pick up her finished homework to turn it in."
"Just great," I grumbled. Jasper just shook his head and leaned back in his seat.
I pulled the car into a stop in front of the Swan house. The window still had the hole in it, but now it covered up with tape. I grimaced at the memory.
"I'll be right back," Alice said, grabbing the rest of the books from Jasper. She walked up to the door, swaying slightly under the weight of the textbooks. She shot one hand out to ring the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened, but I couldn't see who had opened it. Alice stepped inside and was gone for a few minutes. The door still remained open, but all I could see was darkness inside. Alice reemerged then, and shut the door behind her. She skipped down the steps and hopped back into Volvo.
"How'd it go?" Jasper asked as I pulled back onto the road.
"Fine. She's a nice girl," Alice said pleasantly. I knew that both Jasper and I were extremely curious about the newest addition to Forks' population.
"Did she look weird or anything?" Jasper asked bluntly.
"No!" Alice exclaimed, almost offended. "She's perfectly normal, Jasper. How could you say that?"
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. He didn't want to get on her bad side.
"Let's head over to your house, dude," I said, trying to change the awkward atmosphere. Jasper nodded at me thankfully. We made our way down the wet street in silence.
"What's her name?" I asked after a moment, truly curious.
"Isabella," Alice said curtly, still a little mad.
I hmmmed and kept my eyes forward. Now I had a name to pair with that scared-looking face.
A/N: I promise to try to write longer chapters, ha. Don't worry, more is definitely coming up!
