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Chapter 3
Bella's POV
Eventually, Tara, myself, Seth and Jacob were sprawled around Tara's front room, Romeo and Juliet on the TV, and it was generating a range of responses.
"Is this helping to take your mind off today?" I asked Tara as she emerged from the kitchen, her arms filled with a range of confectionery, she threw packets at each of us.
"Yeah, just what I needed a slushy love story," she collapsed on the floor in a heap her arm falling to her side, she whacked Seth straight in the middle of his stomach, he instinctively recoiled in pain.
"Hurt by a girl," Jacob began to laugh, as Seth pummelled Tara with chips. I had an idea that it wasn't the film that was distracting Tara but Seth instead.
"Why what happened today?" Seth asked holding his arms up to attempt to get peace as Tara aimed a fizzed up pop bottle at him, she was prepared to remove the top and cover him in the contents.
"We both managed to alienate a classmate on our first day," Tara answered grinning sarcastically, placing the pop bottle on the floor, I noticed the way she said it she seemed pleased with herself, but I knew deep down that she felt otherwise.
"Skills," Jacob answered. "Did you threaten to drown them in pop and attack them with chips?"
"Yeah that's usually the way I greet strangers. Is it not common round here?" Tara jokingly asked.
"It's fine with me as long as they're good chips," Jacob joked. "Who was it anyway?"
"It was Jasper Hale and Edward Cullen," I answered a question, "Although they don't seem to socialise that much with the rest of the school, so it doesn't seem to have caused us too many issues,"
"They musn't have liked our chips, huh Bella?" Tara asked.
"Have you seen them in La Push?" I asked, clearly searching for information
"They don't enter La Push," Seth answered mysteriously.
"You've got me intrigued," I answered. I fluttered my eyelids in a desperate attempt to find out more information, flirting was all I could try, Jacob seemed friendly enough, and Seth and Tara wouldn't mind.
"They're not supposed to come into the reservation," Seth answered pouring himself a drink.
"Why?" Tara asked, well almost demanded, she didn't seem to be taking the flirty route.
"I don't think we should-" Seth began.
"We won't tell anyone," Tara interrupted before he could continue, we both smiled at our companions, it seemed she too had now took the flirting route, finally our over friendly nature seemed to erode their resistance.
"How are you for scary stories?" Seth asked building the tension
"I prefer it to that garbage," Tara answered nodding towards the TV.
"I love them," I answered as enthusiastically as possible, I suppose you could say I was trying to look smouldering.
"Do you know anything about the Quileutes?" Jacob asked.
"Nope," Tara rebounded.
"There are loads of legends the Quileutes were supposed to have tied their canoes to the top of the tallest trees during the flood, and survived like Noah."
"I wouldn't have got that," Tara joked, she stopped when Jacob glanced at her.
"Or that we descended from Wolves," Seth added.
"And then there's the cold ones,"Jacob started to explain and naturally the four of us leaned in together as thought sharing our deepest secrets, "According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was made the treaty that meant they have to stay off our land" Jacob added "He was a tribal elder, like my father."
"The cold ones and the wolf, well men who turn into wolves are natural enemies," Seth continued. "A truce was made to prevent the cold ones from hunting off our land, if we promised no to expose them."
"Although they did claim that they're civilised as they don't hunt humans."
"Call me stupid" Tara began "But how does any of this relate to the Cullens?"
"Are they related to the cold ones?" I asked.
"No - they are the same ones, although there are more of them now."
"What are the cold ones?" Tara asked.
"I suppose you know them as vampires," Seth answered, before taking a long drink from his glass.
Both I and Tara jumped as the living room door opened; Seth and Jacob began to laugh as my sister entered the room.
"What have you been watching?" Tara's sister asked moving across the room "You look terrified" she entered the kitchen.
Tara's POV
Neither Edward nor Jasper were in school, Bella gave me a fleeting glance of confusion as we moved across the car park.
It was the same for several days until one lunchtime. I was groaning about my sister spending too much time with her boyfriend whilst Bella, Jessica, Angela, Chloe and Sara made plans for cinemas trips and visits to the beach to help me get out of the house. It was Jessica that noticed him first. "Isn't that Jasper Hale?" my head flipped upwards a little too quickly, Bella raised her eyebrows, she had noticed my quick response to his name so I glanced back down. "He's heading right over here!" Jessica exclaimed expectantly "He doesn't look as in pain as usual" she answered offhandedly. Finally appeared next to our table, I finally lifted my head, but it was ridiculous, he wasn't coming over here to talk to me, was he?
"Hello Tara" he began, maybe he was here for me then, I found his eyes were addictive, and that broke the trance I would end up collapsed on the floor, that would certainly spoil the moment
"Hi" I responded trying to sound as natural as possible
"Hello," Jessica giggled beside me, I glanced at her curiously but I was saved as Bella began a conversation which involved everyone except me.
"You have a free period next right?" he asked looking solely at me
"Err, yes, I do believe that's right," I answered.
"I wondered if you would like to head to the library and work on our history project."
"But I e-mailed you my half last night," I was confused.
"Yes, I mean you don't have to come if you don't want to" he rambled "I've wrote my own half to join yours, I thought we could just work together to make the whole project work, otherwise it my be a bit segmented."
"Sure, now?" I asked, he looked taken aback at my eagerness.
"No time like the present," he answered. I grabbed my bag and glanced upwards, someone else had joined him, someone who was humongous and very muscular, his presence was certainly noticeable.
"Hi," he raised his hand.
"This is my brother Emmett, Tara, Emmett, Emmett, Tara," he quickly introduced us.
"I'm joining you in the library, I have my own independent research to do" he answered smiling warmly, I calmed a little, I was beginning to think perhaps he was a gentle giant.
The walk to the library was a little quiet, we conversed simply about what we'd both wrote and came up with an idea of how we could merge them together, as we entered the library, I felt heads motioning our direction, shock consumed their faces when they saw who accompanied Jasper and Emmett. As we approached a small alcove surrounded by bookcases Jasper pulled out a chair for me, blushing as I sat down, one word couldn't help but enter my head, vampire. I could have kicked myself, I watched Emmett head further along from us, grabbing a book out of his bag he sat down, I couldn't help but smile, he didn't suit a library, it wasn't an imagine I could have generated before now.
"How come you moved to Forks?" Jasper asked retrieving his folder out of his bag, taken aback I paused before I answered.
"Long depressing version, or short edited version?" I asked, he looked confused and answered
"Long depressing version, lets delay the work as long as possible," he smiled, he turned to face me and placed his hands together.
I paused took a deep breath and began.
"Last year my parents died, it was in a car crash and my sister was also in the car" oddly I felt calm around Jasper talking about these matters, so I continued "My sister was lost, for a few weeks, a month even, she was in this zombie state, the Doctors said it was survivors guilt, her mourning was extreme, by helping her I was dealing with my mourning" Jasper looked concerned, like he was feeling my pain as I revealed the tale which had led to me being here "Eventually I intervened, two years ago my sister met a guy from Forks, they had stayed in touch, so I came up with the idea to move here" he nodded showing that he understood "It had worked, it has healed her, she's happy here with her life, with him close, so I am happy here" I finished, somehow with a smile
"You suggested moving here? Not her?" Jasper queried
"Entirely my idea, I have kind of taken the parenting role, someone had to," I answered.
"Naturally," he paused looking at my for a short while as though contemplating something, I finally felt awkward and reached for my bag to retrieve my papers.
"And you?" I asked "How about your family?" I was desperate for the attention to be moved from me and also curious, perhaps I could find out something to eradicate the vampire theory.
"Long story" he answered before proceeding to explain, as he explained all the details, it was plausible, I eradicated the vampire theory and instead embraced my company, well not literary, but I joined in enthusiastically and felt happy that he didn't hate me after all.
A short while later
"Not much work has happened here" Emmett boomed, I consequently heard the librarians lame attempt at quietening us, he motioned towards our papers which we had laid out but then not moved since, too engrossed in our conversation.
"Oppps," I placed my hand over my mouth sarcastically.
"Don't" Emmett started "Jasper takes his grades very seriously" Jasper punched his brother jokingly on the arm, I grinned at the brotherly interaction as the bell rung.
Next morning
"So do you think they'll be the same today?" Bella asked as we stood next to the truck,
"No idea" I span gracefully on the spot, the ice helping me do it quicker
"Will you quit doing that!" Bella demanded placing her arms on my shoulder to ground me, "They're watching" she was referring to the Cullen's.
"Just jealous of my grace and dancing skills" I answered leaping and dancing away, as I span I looked at who she had referred to, they were indeed all watching us. It was then when it happened all too quickly, I was too far away, all I heard was the screech of brakes, Tyler's van.
"BELLA!" I screamed.