"Are you going to tell me why you were locked in your room all night?" That came from Bella as she parked the old rust bucket, in what I now assumed would be are assigned parking spot, for the rest of the year. I jumped out of the truck and closed my door with a harsh, annoyed thud.
"I just didn't feel well, I'm sorry, Bella. Would you have preferred that I infect you with whatever twelve hour disease that infested my body?" I ask sweetly and she snorts.
"Oh, please, Raya." She gives me a look and then she frowns at my outfit. I smirk.
"You're going to get dress coded." She said, referring to my high waisted jean shorts and sleeveless white lace, crop top bustier.
"Bella, if you got it, flaunt it." I say and she rolls her eyes.
"Just because you have a gap between your legs, doesn't mean you need to wear things that show it off." She mumbles.
"I think you're just jealous that I can walk around in this outfit and not turn red as a tomato." I say, crossing my arms and she huffs.
"No, I think I'm jealous that you can survive in the cold this well." She says and I nod, because that makes sense. My body heat was beyond that of an average human or of any average warm-blooded organism on the planet. The cold didn't affect me and I usually wore the smallest amount of layers that I could get away with, during the hot days.
"Bella, I'm a one-hundred and fifteen pounds. I don't look racy, I don't understand the problem!" I exclaim and she shrugs.
"I don't know. You ooze confidence, what if some guy takes that as a . . ." She wasn't allowed to finish, because I cut her off.
"As a welcome sign to come and rape me? Oh please, Bella. Do not give me such a motherfucking double standard, first off all, that is sexist and secondly, if a man wants to rape you it doesn't matter what you're wearing. And wearing a pair of shorts and a little make-up, is not an invitation, nor does it mean you deserve it." I say and she gives me a look.
"Wow, okay, I am not your mother and I wasn't even going to say – you know what? Let's just drop the subject. I think - no I know, you're way too sensitive to it." She says and I glare.
"And you're not sensitive to the subject of rape?" I ask and she stares at me for a while.
"I sympathize, everyone sympathizes, Rae, but c'mon. Unless you've experienced it, you don't know. I'm not going to pretend to know how it feels and I'm not going to feel guilty for being naive." She says and then she walks away. Fair enough, sister.
I feel eyes on me and not uncomfortable gazes, just eyes. I turn and I see Emmett. I smile widely and bounce across the parking lot, over to him. "I got new boots!" I squeal and he raises an eyebrow, so does Rosalie.
"They're awesome. But like totally unwearable." I say nodding.
"If they're unwearable, why get them?" Jasper asked and I looked at him, then I rolled my eyes.
"I can wear them, silly. It's just, I can't exactly wear them out . . . casually. Emmett, do you know of any clubs around here?" I ask and he gives me a look.
"It's Forks, you have the diner and that's pretty much it." He says and I huff, resting my chin on my palm.
"Why would anyone live here willingly?" I ask him and a small, nearly sad smile spreads across his face.
"Seattle?" He suggests and I sigh.
"Sure, if you're in the city, but Forks. I'd rather be dead." I say and Jasper chokes, on what? I'm not sure, but he chokes. Then he glares at me and I glare back.
"Do you have a problem?" I ask, still glaring and his glare only hardens, sparks run across my hands and I blink in complete shock. I reel the magic back in, the power and the need to attack. It's never been this palpable before. What the fuck? I blink, again and shake my head.
"Actually, I do have a problem. You bother me." Jasper says and I smile.
"I know, tiger. You don't have to inform me of that." I say and he frowns.
"Do you ever . . . you know, smile? Like, you have the whole emotionless face down pat, then there is the I-Hate-The-World face that you also have down pat. Then there is the whole, Fuck-My-Dreary-Existence face and that one, dude, you deserve a motherfucking medal, but do you ever smile? I mean, like a little, teeny, tiny itty bitty smile. Or a lip twitch. Or something?" I ask and he gives me the whole emotionless face.
"Wow, okay. Whatever." I turn back to Emmett.
"Emmett, you live with psychopaths." I say and then I turn on my heel and walk off. Emmett follows.
"Yes I do, thank you for finally noticing. Save me." he begs and I laugh as he walks in a kneeling position, hands clasped in front of him. He smiles after a moment and stands easily, walking normally. Rosalie was tucked casually under his arm and I smile.
"How long have you two been together?" I ask and they both glance at each other.
"Oh, it seems like decades." He says and I nod.
"A few years." Rose answers, smiling at me. It was small and gone immediately, but I had a feeling it cost her the world, so I gave her my big, bright million-dollar grin and Emmett's face mirrors my own.
•••
"Edward isn't here." Jessica commented at lunch and I roll my eyes, still trying to balance a banana, it wasn't working. I glare as it falls over.
"Perhaps balancing an apple would be easier." I say casually and Bella snorts.
"Well, yeah, because it's round and not bent and it's already balanced naturally." She says and I scoff.
"I know, why can't all fruit be like that?" I ask, annoyed and she chuckles, shaking her head.
"Guys, did you hear me? Edward Cullen isn't here!" Jessica exclaims and I roll my eyes, again, going back to trying to balance the banana. I grin widely, my hands rising in anticipation, but it falls and I immediately slump in disappointment. I sigh and pull my hair into a messy bun on the top of my head. Narrowing my eyes in renewed determination.
"Why isn't he here?" Angela asks and I huff, not able to take any more of this, so I grab my banana and walk over to the Cullen table.
I sit next to Emmett and go back to balancing my banana. I grin widely as it doesn't move, for about a second and then it falls. I stare at it. "It's doing that on purpose." I say, pissed off and Emmett was covering his mouth with both hands. I glance over at him.
"Where is your brother?" I grumble, going back to balancing the damn thing, because I was far too determined.
"You aren't going to be able to balance it." Jasper hisses and I ignore him.
"He's sick." Alice answers and I hum, nodding my head.
"That's sad." I mumble, pouting at my freshly fallen piece of fruit. Then suddenly, Jasper reached over, grabs the banana, breaks it in half with absolutely no trouble and places it on the table. Balanced on the broken circle halves. Jasper slams back into his seat, cursing under his breath.
"There, happy?!" He yells and I stare at him. Emmett was breathing heavily and bent over, clutching his stomach as he tried not to laugh. Rosalie was rubbing his back, smiling at her nails.
"Well, no. You broke my banana. That was rude and inconsiderate. What if I wanted to eat that banana?" I ask and his nostrils flare in exasperation. He moves then, getting into my face.
"Then eat the motherfucking banana." He growls, his cool breath fanning across my face, intoxicating my senses. I blink at him.
"Were you an unhappy child?" I ask, cocking my head to the side. He blinks, taken aback.
"What?" He hisses and I shrug.
"You just seem like a bitter old man and I was just wondering, if you had an unhappy childhood that made you grow up too fast. You know, I wish I was more like you and you're Fuck-The-World attitude, it would make life a lot easier . . . and a lot lonelier." I murmur, picking up my broken banana, before dropping it back onto the table with a disappointed sigh.
Jasper was quiet, sitting back in his chair and staring at me, emotionless mask firmly put into place. I cast him a glance and swallowed, guilt hitting me hard as my eyes flicked over to Alice. Then came the self-hatred. I stood and smiled at Emmett.
"Later, big guy." I say, walking away from the table.
