Return Of The Century.
Chapter Four - It Begins ...
I woke up the next morning, my bed minus one. I rolled over to the spot where Edward should have been and was met with an empty space, slightly ruffled from where he had been lying. I sighed and reluctantly pulled myself up and out of bed. My hair was like a bird-nest, bits of hair poked out in every direction. In summary I looked like an escaped convicted. I didn't normally look like this in the morning, but I guess I must have had a rough night.
I dragged my feet to the bathroom and did the necessaries. Then made my way back to my bedroom and pulled on my clothes for the day. It took slightly longer doing my hair than I had hoped but by the time I was done, I looked ... Okay. I could smile the mouth-watering scents of the Mom's morning breakfast and broke into a sprint down the stairs and into the kitchen.
I must have looked wild, because when Susan turned around her eyes grew to the size of sauce pans. The plate in her hand waved slightly, it looked as if she might have dropped it if I hadn't relieved her of it.
" Honey, are you feeling okay ? " She uttered startled.
" I'm feeling hungry as hell, but otherwise... Yeah mom I'm feeling good. " I eyed the crispy bacon and dived at the frying pan, scooping up several slices. Turning around I saw a stack of freshly cooked pancakes and scooped up a few of them as well.
" Are you sure ? You don't normally have much of an appitite in the mornings. " I was scaring her, that was clear. She hadn't moved from the spot I had first seen her in on entering the kitchen.
I smiled as reassuringly as phsyically possible and sat down at the kitchen table next to my little brother Charlie, who grinned at me with a chocolate munchy cereal grin. " Morning... " He mumbled as he threw in another massive spoonful.
That was about the brunt of the conversation I got off of him in the morning. Rolling my eyes, I turned my full attention onto breakfast. It steamed softly. My fork dug into the spongy softness of the pancakes first, pulling apart a rather large peice. I shoved it into my mouth anyway and chewed ferosciously. The flavours seemed like pure even.... Until they suddenly changed. The spongy goodness of my half chewed pancake turned into, what could only be described as dirt. It tasted foul. I spat the chewy mess back onto my plate and stared at it, expecting it to morph into some hidious create. But it didn't it was just pancake.
I tried again this time with a piece of bacon. But as soon as the meat touched my tongue, the same foul taste erupted my taste buds.
" Mom, did you goose up the cooking ? " I asked cautiously. Susan was very proud of her cooking. It had won her compititions in the past.
" What !? No, its done the same was everyday. Don't tell me you don't like the pancakes. They used to be your favorite. Try some bacon. " She said mostly to reassure herself, than me.
" I did. It taste rotten too. Maybe the store you got it from had out of date stock. Did you check its lable ? " I was border line hysterical by the time Susan had opened the fridge door and read the lable aloud.
" No, it's fine. Baby, are you coming down with something ? " She placed the bacon packet on the table and placed a warm hand on my forehead. God she was burning. " God, Bella your freezing. " Her hands moved down to my cheeks as she cupped my face to look at her. " Your not going to school today. Clothes off, PJ's on and bed. "
" What ! No, i have a biology test today ! " Of all the times she decided to let me skip school it had to be today. In all honesty she felt fine. That was no lie. She didn't feel sick, just starving. To her, her temperature was perfectly normal, it was her mother's temperature that was strangly high.
" I don't want you going to school today, Bella.... Please. "
Before, I even got the chance at arguing back the front doorbell jingled lightly signaling that we had a visitor. " Better get that. " Charlie boomed as he jumped off his seat and raced to the front door. He returned moments later with Edward, his tiny fingers wrapped around his right jean leg. " Look who I found. Bella's boyfriend. "
Susan's eyes flickered towards Edward in alarm. " Charlie. Don't say things like that. " She was embarassed and alarmed, great mix. I looked around nervously for a second then noisly scrapped back my chair, making Susan jerk round to look at me. " Well here's my ride. Bye Mom. " I shot out of reach of her extended arm and into Edward's side, grabbing his arm and hauling him away and out to his car. Susan watched us all the way a disaproving look on her face.
" The new Volvo ? Wow you must be rich. " I joked as he opened the door to let me in. The seats were like feathers. I sunk straight into them, my head dipping to rest on the glass window. Edward hopped in next to me and sped off before anyone could stop us.
" How are you today, Bella ? " He asked politely. God... She loved that.
" Starving. " I said simply. My stomach growled in response.
" You should eat something then. " He shot back a crooked smile playing on his lips.... Man, did she love that too. Straight smiles were over-rated.
" Tried, But its like my body's not letting me. Everything tastes like dirt. " I paused for a few seconds wondering if i should continue. After all, he was the sort of guy who would turn the car around and drive straight back if he thought it was necessary. " Susan thinks I'm coming down with something. She says my temperature is way down too. " I risked a glance at Edward after speaking, too see he was mulling it all over. He then reached out and touched my hand. The sensation was wonderful, he was a lot cooler than Susan had been. " You feel nice. " I blurted out before I could stop myself. That was a bit embarrassing. But Edward didn't seem to have noticed. He was too busy switching worried glances from my hand to the road.
" Bella, how long have you been feeling like this ? " Crap. He was worried about this too.
" Look, Edward i really do feel fine. Its nothing. Really. " He was taking that. The car pulled off the road harshly and rolled to a stop.
" Bella, Answer the question. " His eyes were hard and his jaw was set in the way boys normally do when they are angry. She was shocked to say the least, this was a side she had never seen before.
" I- well, Just since i woke up. " She stuttered and closed her mouth. This seemed to spur Edward into action as his eyes softened... Only slightly and he lent forward and kissed my forehead. I could have fainted. But to Edward it looked as if I had just transformed into a werewolf of something. He looked down right terrified... Worried.... Surprised ? The car pulled out of the lay by fast than it had gone in, since Edward had literally put his foot down. She held onto the side of the car as her eyes struggled to keep up with the rapidly passing landscape. One things for sure, they weren't heading in the school's direction. In fact they were going the totally opposite way. The car whirled and zoomed back down the road and up a side turn directly into a wood covered lane. When the Volvo eventually did stop she was looking up at the largest house she had ever seen. Around here anyway...
" Why are we here, Edward ? " I couldn't pull my eyes away from the house.
" This is my house, Bella. I think it's time you saw it and met my parents properly. You have never met Esme. " He exited the car before a could disagree with him. That was annoying, he may have saved me from Susan but who was going to save me from himself ? He gently pulled me from the car and maneuvered me towards the front door of his house. My heart raced with anticipation of seeing the inside of the house but also with fear of meeting Esme. She wanted to make a good impression of Edward's Mother as she hoped she did with his Father. First impressions were always the ones that matter after all, to a parent.
The door creaked open and a burst of vanilla and lavender hit my senses. I inhaled deeply and savored it for a second before pushing on through-out the rest of the house and towards a large living room. Everyone sat around a wide-screen television set, watching what seemed to be CNN on comfy cream sofa's. A look of confusion passed through everyone's expressions but as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared and a look of happiness and comfort replaced it. Alice went a step further and bounced from the embrace of Jasper directly over to her.
" Bella !! " She squeaked and bear hugged the life out of her.
" Need... To... Breathe. " Alice let go looking slightly startled but otherwise as hyper as a kid in a candy store.
" Its nice to see you again, Bella ! " She finished and took my hand to pull me over to the empty seat next to her and Jasper. The pulling thing must be a normal thing within the Cullen household. Jasper look perplexed and watched her the whole way.
" Emse, " Edward called to a beautiful women sitting next to Carlisle. " This is Bella, Bella this is Esme. " Esme got up and made her way over, hugging me with the warm only a mother could muster. She was so much like Susan.
" Welcome Bella. " Her voice was as soft and smooth as silk. " Your welcome here anytime. " That was nice. She had just met the women and already she was welcoming her to come back. That was a very, very good sign.
" Carlisle, may I talk to you in the other room for a moment ? " Carlisle nodded and sweeped into the Kitchen with Edward. I couldn't even hear them speaking. I strained my ears to listen... Nothing.
" So Bella. How are you enjoying the snow ? " Renesmee inserted stragetically. She must have noticed.
" I'm not really one for it. Any cold, wet thing.... I don't- " She shivered and made a face to convey her point. Renesmee laughed and nodded,
" I used to know someone like that. " She smiled and looked down almost sadly. Carlisle took that moment to re-enter the living room, everyone's eyes fell on him.
" Bella may I see you upstairs ? I just want to do a quick check-up, if you would allow me ? " Edward had told him about my not-illness. Why was everyone making such a big deal out of it ? It wasn't like she was dying or anything. It was just some freak thing that affected her appiteite and in Susan's opinion, her temperature, though Bella suspected that Susan had been the one who was ill. She was freakishly warm and that was not the normal.
" Edward told you. " It wasn't a question, it was a statement but Carlisle nodded anyway. " I really am fine. " I added in my last attempt to waver him.
" Humor me. "
So I did. He checked my temperature... several times, and noted them down in a plain black notebook. He then proceeded to test my blood pressure and somethings, I wasn't even sure about. In the end he gave me an apple, " Edward told me you were hungry. " He extended the apple towards me and my stomach rolled. I was hungry, that was a certainty. It was getting to the point of pain, in fact. But the apple held no allure for me.
" No, that you Dr Cullen. " He smiled slightly for the first time since the tests began.
" Call me Carlisle. " He paused. " Eat Bella, Doctors orders. "
Gingerly, I reached for the apple and took a small bit. The same scenario as breakfast, reenacted. I spat the apple back out into my hand and studied it. " I'm sorry Dr... Carlisle but i can't eat this. " I got up from the chair I had been previously sitting in and pushed the half chewed pieces into the small bucket and then dropped the apple on top of it. I felt embarrassed. He looked concerned.
" Wait here for a moment. " And then he was gone, returning with Edward. " Bella... There is something you need to know. "