Yay! I can finally update this is so exiting! As some of you may know, my computer has been broken;( But I'm currently using the library's and will continue to do so as often as I can:) Thanks so much for waiting around guys! Enjoy the long awaited #4
Blind Bella Chapter Four:
"So what did Edward Cullen want yesterday?" Jessica asked the next day in Trigonometry. I didn't realize she had seen our conversation in the library, but then again, Jessica knew everything about everyone.
"Uh..." I stuttered. We were discussing what kind of supernatural creature he was?
"Come on! It's so weird; he's barley even talked to anyone outside his family. Did he ask you to the dance?" Her voice grew squeaky with impatience.
"No. He offered to drive me to Seattle the weekend of, actually." I told her simply.
"It must suck- you know, being blind. You can't drive yourself or anything. It's like being crippled or something." Jessica pointed out. She said this with the brutal honesty, like a child pointing out that you have a 'booger' hanging out your nose. I've heard the term cripple too many times for it to sting anymore.
"Yes. It does suck." I whispered. I sighed. "It really sucks."
Even though I knew Edward wouldn't be in biology today, I still hoped. Fortunately, we just had a lecture today, and I took notes on my typewriter. For the rest of the day people discussed the upcoming beach trip. It was looking promising. The temperature seemed to be in the high fifties today. Maybe it wouldn't be a totally horrible weekend.
That night at dinner, Charlie seemed enthusiastic about my trip to La Push in the morning, even though he'd have to drop me off at the Newton family store. He was close friends with Billy Black [took out Burke], one of the Quileute tribal elders. I wondered if he would approve of my Seattle trip with Edward Cullen. Not that I'll tell him.
"Do you know of a place called Goat's rocks? Some kids are going hiking there." I asked him. He swallowed noisily and metal clanked against ceramic.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't go there- too many wild animals." He sounded surprised that people were going there. I shrugged. If there were so many dangerous animals there, why would the Cullens be going?
Early the next morning Charlie dropped me off at Newton's Outfitters. Angela greeted me right away.
"You came!" She cheered. I really liked Angela, she was genuinely kind. "If you want to know, it's sunny and beautiful today." She told me. I smiled, feeling the warmth on my face. I quickly closed my eyelids- no need to scorch my already scarred retinas.
After waiting for several more people, the entire party climbed in several cars. Folding my cane in my lap, I sat between Mike and Angela. It took about fifteen minutes [took out minuets] to drive to the reservation. When we got there everyone piled onto the beach. I stood there awkwardly for a moment, tracing patterns with my shoes in the course
sand.
"Um, Jessica? What do we do?" I asked stupidly.
"We sit here and look hot." She replied and pulled me to sit on a piece of driftwood. Jessica and some other girls started talking about clothes and hair. I barley bothered to listen. If I've told you once, then I've told you twice; I don't connect well with people my age. Or regular humans. And I don't think Edward Cullen is a regular human, so I can relate to him to a degree.
I listened to the sound of the waves for a long time. The sound was familiar, in my memories I could see children laughing and playing in the water. Young lives without troubles or cares.
"So why aren't the Cullens here?" Jessica asked curiously, and I'm sure a bit suggestively. I think she noticed my fascination with Edward and his family.
"The Cullens don't come here." A deep man's voice answered from behind us. I jumped; it was so easy for people to surprise me. His tone had ended the subject before it started, and there was a silence for a minute. Gradually the others resumed their chatter. I silently wondered why the Cullens weren't welcome.
"Bella!" Another boy yelled in a pleasant, husky voice. I turned and looked at the source. "Oh, I heard what happened, I'm sorry! Do you remember me? It's Jake."
"Jacob!" I grinned. I remembered him as my childhood friend from my summer visits to Forks. He was Billy Black's son.
"Come on!" He pulled me to my feet with his hand. It was large and the same temperature as mine. I stumbled, scraping the palms of my hands. "Oh sorry! Can you walk? Billy only told me you were blind..." Jacob rambled. I had to laugh- my terrible sense of equilibrium had nothing to do with my vision problems.
"No, I'm quite fine, thank you. Just let me hold your elbow and we can walk." I offered. He accepted and we strolled along the beach for a bit.
"So you're what, sixteen now?" I asked conversationally.
"Nope. Fifteen. Why'd you think that?" He seemed to puff himself up proudly.
"Uh, your presence is, um, big." I told him weakly. I had decided to get information from him, but my buttering-up attempts were failing. Epically.
He laughed freely for a moment. I had always liked Jacob Black; he was like sunshine, always joyous and bright. "You wanna touch the tide pools?" he asked. I nodded quickly. I had loved those when I was little; all the vibrant colors of the corals were my favorite. The water reminded me of Edward's request not to fall in the ocean and kill myself.
"So why can't the Cullens come to First beach?" I asked innocently as we sat down on some more driftwood logs, probably arranged for that purpose.
"Or to La Push." He added cheerfully. I think he was always cheerful.
"Why?" I wondered aloud, dangling my fingers in the cool water. He shifted uncomfortably next to me.
"I'm not really supposed to say anything about that." He admitted.
"Please? I won't say anything." I smiled flirtatiously, hopefully looking alluring.
"Well, okay." He gave in easily, sounding quite charmed. I instantly felt guilty, I was using him. "Do you like scary stories?" he questioned ominously.
"Love them." I assured him, concentrating to keep the burning interest off my features.
"Do you know the elder's stories, the ones of where the Quileutes came from?" He began.
"Not really." I admitted. I should have paid more attention on those horrid fishing trips as a kid.
"Now obviously this isn't true," He reminded me that he believed in none of this. I couldn't be sure. "Legend claims that we descended from wolves, and that they are among us still."
"Then there are the tales of the cold ones." his voiced dropped even lower. I shivered slightly, from his voice, or from the dropping temperatures I do not know.
"The cold ones?" I asked, not able to hide my intrigue anymore.
"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent."
"According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." He snorted suddenly, again displaying that he did not believe the stories.
"Your great-grandfather?" I encouraged.
"Yup. He was a tribal elder, like my dad. Apparently he was a wolf-man, the natural enemy of the cold ones."
"Werewolves have enemies?"
"Only one. The blood drinkers- the Cold ones. Your people would call them vampires." he said darkly. Goosebumps ran up my arm. "Am I that good a storyteller?" Jake chuckled in a normal voice. I nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
"Well anyway, my grandfather ran into some, and wanted them off our land. These cold ones claimed to be different, only drinking animal blood, so they agreed to make a treaty. If they stayed out of our territory, we wouldn't expose them for what they are."
"If they weren't dangerous, then why...?" I struggled not to let him see how seriously I was taking his little ghost story.
"There's always a risk for the humans." he warned. "Even if they are as civilized as this clan was, you never know when they may get to thirsty to resist." The air whooshed as he made a dramatic gesture in the cooling air.
I tried to keep my voice casual. "So how does this fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the ones your ancestors met?"
"No." He paused theatrically. "They are the same ones."
He must have thought the expression on my face was fear inspired by his story. He huffed, pleased, and continued.
"There are more of them now; a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before your people had even arrived."
I stared into the blackness of my world, not sure what my face was exposing. Jacob childishly poked my arm.
"You have the shivers!" he chanted.
"Yeah." I agreed lamely. "You tell the legends wonderfully." I assured him and rose stiffly to my feet. He gently took my arm and we began to make our way back to the main group.
"Pretty nutty stuff though. No wonder my dad doesn't want us to talk about it." he concluded, and that was the end of it.
"Hey Bella, ready to go? Who's that?" Mike called from up ahead.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Jacob asked, alerted by the jealous edge in Mike's voice.
"No, definitely not." I murmured, trying to appease him. I would be eternally grateful for his help. "I'll see you around?"
"I'll come up to Forks as soon as I finish my car." he assured. I remembered that he built cars for a hobby. "Do you know where I can get a 1986 Volkswagen master cylinder?" he asked hopefully.
"I'll keep my eyes peeled." I told him sarcastically.
"I really am sorry 'bout what happened." He whispered. Jake was a nice kid.
"Thanks, but sorry is too late." I reminded him, as well as myself. There's no time for regrets.
I took my cane and felt my way to the van. About ten minutes [took out minuets] later we were all on our way home. I sat amongst the gossiping girls and tried very hard not to think.
But one has to think again eventually, and I soon found myself at home. Alone. With nothing to do. To postpone the inevitable, I decided to immerse myself in cooking for Charlie. But the lasagna was in the oven all too quickly, and it was time to think.
Cold ones, blood drinkers... Vampires? Were the Cullens from the Quileute legends truly the same ones? Were the Cullens- and Edward- Vampires?