Hey everyone, just a couple quick announcements.
1. PLEASE VOTE IN THE POLL FOR BOOK FOUR OF THIS SERIES. The poll is located at the top of my profile page. so far, I've received ten votes, but I really really need more, because I know more than ten people read this series. If you want your voice heard, VOTE!
2. feel free to send me any PM's if you want to talk about something in the series. I've had a couple questions, and if you want to know something, just ask. I will not give out any spoilers, though. I am looking for a Beta Reader, and if you're interested, PM me.
3. updating schedule for this series is going to be wonky. (love that word) School and graduation are my top priorities right now, and although I love you all, and thank you so much for following my work, I have to adult first. Right now I'm doing about one chapter every two weeks or so.
Happy Reading!
I was in a bad mood for the rest of the day. School seemed more monotonous than ever. I just wanted to leave and take Vicky out myself, but stayed in class. At lunch I stormed over to the table where Alice and Edward were already waiting for me. If I knew any better, I'd say that they were nervous. Alice was rubbing her head repeatedly. I pulled out a chair violently, making it scrape across the floor. The noise was lost in the commotion of the lunchroom, but it had the effect I wanted-they both flinched slightly.
"So," I said.
Alice sighed and the look on her face told me she was dreading this conversation. "Yes Meda?"
"What the fuck?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
"We're so sorry," Edward started.
"Yeah, you should be," I said. "But you know what? I'm not going to waste time on this shit right now. Because after school, I'm going to your house, and I'm going to yell at all of you at the same time, alright?"
"Would you please let us explain?" Edward said.
I contemplated that for a bit. "Sure, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm going to yell at you all after school. Go right ahead."
"Last week, Alice saw Victoria come back," he started.
"Wait- how did you even know about that in the first place?" I asked. "I never told you."
"I saw it in Alice's mind. Jacob," he said the name like it was a terrible disease, "came to your house when she came back. And you had the fight with him, so Alice's memories showed me all I need to know."
"Alright," I said.
"So we all tracked her," he said, picking up where he left off before I interrupted him.
"Well not all of us," Alice said.
"Is that why you were at my house on Saturday?" I asked. "And on Sunday you left poor Jasper at my house too. You know how awkward it gets."
"Yes that's what happened," Alice said. "And Emmett and Jasper almost had her last night..."
"But she escaped to the Quileute territory," Edward finished. "And Alice couldn't see her anymore, because of the wolves."
Alice's nose wrinkled in annoyance.
"So then what happened?" I asked quietly.
He rolled his eyes. "The big gray one thought Emmett had crossed the line, then Rosalie reacted to that, and then everything fell apart. If it wasn't for Jasper I don't know what would've happened."
"Huh," I said. The bell rang. "I'm still going to yell at you after class," I promised and walked away.
The last half of the day was basically torture. I'd had my pencils in my hands at all times, and for some reason my knee was always bouncing. People gave me some space, and even teachers didn't comment on my lack of note taking. I guess something in my face must've tipped them off.
I followed Alice and Edward back to their house. Unsurprisingly, everyone was already in the main room when I walked in, so I didn't waste time on discussing anything that wasn't Vicky.
"Why didn't any of you tell me?" I asked, dropping my backpack on the floor and glaring at them.
"Meda dear, we didn't want you to worry," Esme said.
I was silent at that. Many sarcastic remarks were on the tip of my tongue, but I didn't say anything. Silence could be very loud, especially if I needed to get information out of someone.
"Aren't you busy enough?" Rosalie said to me in an accusatory tone. "Fighting monsters, saving the world, that sort of thing." She waved her arms at the end, making her little speech something that could set me off if she wasn't careful.
"Don't start anything with me," I warned her.
"But it's true, you're already busy with many things," Esme said, breaking up what could've been a fight. "We didn't want you to worry over something we could do easily."
"Oh," I said, putting my hand over my heart dramatically. "Well if it's so damn easy, why isn't she dead?"
There was silence. Good. I'd shocked them.
"Can't we take care of this one thing though?" Emmett said. "You got James, the wolves got Laurent, can't we get the other one? It's no fair if you do everything." He finished with a grin.
"Well it would've been fair to know a psychotic bitch was coming to kill me," I said. "But obviously a head's up would've been too much to ask."
"And we're sorry," Carlisle said. "You're right."
"Of course I'm right," I said.
He ignored that and went on. "We should've told you. We just thought that with the help of the wolves we could take care of it. We were wrong, and very sorry."
I stayed silent. I mean, I did get their point. They saw how busy and stressed out I was, and just wanted to help. But at the same time I had a right to know. I sighed and made my decision. "Next time she comes back you warn me. She's all yours in the meantime." Then I walked out of the house. Then I turned around and walked back in. they hadn't moved. "If she gets anywhere near Charlie I'm going to kill her myself, and none of you can stop me," I announced. Then I walked back out again.
My mind was going a mile a minute as I started my truck and drove back to town. I needed to talk to Jacob, I knew that. If the wolves and Cullen's were working together I needed to know. I wondered briefly if Alice would try to stop me, but she probably knew better. The drive took about a half hour, during which I cemented my plan.
The roar of my truck probably alerted Jacob that I was coming. He was already outside his house with a confused expression on his face. When I climbed out and locked the door, he was already jogging toward me and smiling.
I glared at him, and he slowed down a few feet away from me.
"Am I not allowed to be glad you're here?" he asked.
"No," I said shortly. "I'm still mad at you."
He grinned. And after a few seconds I smiled back.
There was a clattering noise and Billy pushed his wheelchair up the ramp and to the door. "Welcome back," he said with a small smile.
"Thanks," I said. I moved out of the way to let him pass.
"He went to the Clearwater's place," Jacob explained. "They're having a rough time."
"I'm sure they are," was all I offered. "I missed this," I told him after a pause.
"I did too," he said. "Why did you come back?"
I chose my words carefully. "Because you're the one that told me that she came back. I've yelled at them all since then, but right now I'm still mad."
"I didn't know they didn't tell you," he said.
"And, for some weird reason, when I'm here I feel vaguely normal," I finished. And I didn't lie. The Cullen's knew what I was, but to Jake I was still a normal human. And that felt nice. The Cullen's seemed to always be walking on eggshells around me, like they thought I'd snap and kill someone at any minute. Jake didn't think of me like that. When he saw me all he saw was a high school senior, someone with a missing brother, and a friend. He didn't see me as otherworldly or a freak. And I'd missed that more than I could admit.
"So what've you been up to since last time?" he asked. We started walking along the short road and were at the beach in no time.
"Are you sure you wanna know?" I asked him with a grin.
"Absolutely," he said.
So I told him about Edward going to the Volturi, and how everyone except Rosalie brought him back. I even told him about the Volturi coming to Forks, something that made him curse loudly and throw a rock into the ocean. He already knew everything, what was the point in hiding it? I gave him a look and he promised he wouldn't interrupt me again. When I got to the part about finding out about Vicky, though, he laughed when I described Alice.
"That psychic leech can't see us?'" he asked. "Fantastic!"
I gave him a bland look and he quieted down. We moved to a big driftwood tree, the trunk bleached white from the sun. We sat on it, like we used to.
"Sorry," he said.
He looked so forcibly guilty I had to laugh. 'Well that's pretty much it," I told him. "Now, you owe me."
"Owe you what?" he asked.
"So you and the Cullen's are working together?" I asked.
He shuddered at that. "Absolutely not!" he said. He made it sound like even the thought was disgusting. "It was an accident."
"Oh," I said. "Really?"
"Yeah," he said. "I was running patrol with Embry and Quil, when we came across the trail. It was pretty fresh, only…" he trailed off. "I'd say fifteen, twenty minutes old. So Sam wanted us to wait a few minutes, see what happens, but we didn't know if they told you, or if she went after you or not. But she had a head start, and went over the line before we could catch up. So we waited, hoping that she'd come back. Then the Cullen's chased her back here, but they herded her too far north." He said.
"How disappointing," I said, slightly sarcastically.
"It is!" he said. "And she was right on the line, and Sam and Jared caught up before the rest of us did. Then the big one…"
"Do you mean Emmett?" I asked.
'Yeah, him, he tried to tackle her, you know. But she's fast," he said.
I filed that information away; sure I'd need it later. "How fast?" I asked.
"I don't know how fast," he said. "But just, really, really fast. So she got out of the way, and then Emmett," he looked at me for clarification, and I nodded, "crashed into Paul."
I cringed. Paul was easily one of the most unstable of the pack. I still remembered telling him off on the freeway and him turning into a wolf in front of me.
"And then everything fell apart,' he said sadly. "The blonde went to him, and that freaked Quil out, then everyone stopped going after her and she escaped. The thing was, the doctor, tried to get everyone to calm down, but it didn't work until the other blond guy came over," he said.
"The doctor is Carlisle, and the 'other blond guy' is Jasper, you know that, right?" I asked. It would just be so much easier if he just knew everyone's name and I didn't have to guess who he meant.
He rolled his eyes. "Well then Jasper is annoying. I knew about the emotions thing, but it didn't stop me from hating it. But I couldn't get mad until later," he mused. "It's a pretty cool thing though."
I laughed. For some reason the idea of Jake being able to calm people down was funny. He was always so full of life and ready to kill a vampire, the idea of him wanting everyone to be mellowed out was hilarious.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"Just the idea of you being all calm and everything, calming people down and stuff," I said.
He smiled. "Yeah, it would be dumb with me doing it." He paused, looking like he was seriously debating whether to tell me something.
I looked at the sea. It was beautiful, calm, and quiet. I could feel the power, though. "Spit it out, Jake," I told him.
He sighed. "What did he tell you?"
"Basically what you told me," I said. "Less detailed, of course, but that's pretty much it."
"Huh," he said. Well she'll be back soon, and then we'll get another shot at her," he said cheerfully.
But would I really be told next time? I made a mental note to watch Alice's behavior carefully, and for that matter, everyone else's too.
"Do you ever think about what would've happened if you didn't cliff dive?" he asked me.
That was an odd question. "No, why would I?" I asked.
"Well then they wouldn't have come back," he said. "They wouldn't know anything."
I thought about that. "I don't waste time thinking of what ifs, Jake. I'd kill myself if I did. Besides, can't change anything in the past. That's done."
'Yeah,' he said. We were silent for a while.
I realized that the sun had started to set while we were talking. The world was silent except for the chirping of birds and the rushing noise of the ocean.
"You should probably get going, right?" Jake asked. He sounded kind of disappointed. "Or else Charlie will be wondering where you went off too."
I cringed. "And I'm grounded, I forgot," I said.
He looked very surprised. "How did you get grounded?" he asked. "I thought you were one of those 'I can't do anything wrong' sort of kids to him."
"Well, apparently, I can do wrong," I said. "I know, I know, I'm just as surprised as you are," I said sarcastically, drawing a laugh out of him.
He stood up and I realized how tall he'd gotten within the past few months. "Then I should walk you to your truck," he said.
We were silent as we went to the truck. The roar of the engine made me jump a little bit, and then we laughed at the silliness of my reaction together. The last thing I saw before leaving the town was Jacob waving to me in the rearview mirror.