Hey everyone!
I think this is the shortest chapter I've written thus far, which makes me sad. However, this week has just been chaotic. From the hospital, to school, looking for a job, graduation coming soon and back to the hospital, it's just been crazy. I didn't want to leave you all hang so I decided to write a quick chapter. Now I kind of hate that it's so short because this is the chapter that gets the story going, but on the other hand I like that it's short because it gives me room to add more things with the next chapters.
Also, remember that Twilight was published in 2005 so as of now, the story is in 2005.
SEPICAL THANKS TO:
Denpa-chu: Thank you so much! I hope you like this chapter.
LegandsOfTime: That chapter is coming sooner than you think.
Blacklab369: I loved writing that scene so I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Vikihungerrgame1: Of course I was worried that the aliens got you! You always make my day better so I had to make sure that I didn't need to phone ET to get you back. OMFG...we just got finished reading The Great Gatsby and I wanted to tear my eyes out every page. I hated that book so much mainly because of the sexism and racism. I mean, I know it was written in an time when it was socially acceptable, but when you're someone of color or of a different race you just can't help take offense, ya know? Sorry I ruined the ending for you, though. And I hate people who ask who wears the pants when it's a same sex couple. It annoys me to nooooooo end. Again, thank you so much!
Guest: Thank you!
Guest: When Kody becomes a vampire (Is that a spoiler? I don't feel like it is) she'll be about 19 or 20 so she really won't be a teen vampire. Bella will not be getting a spine and Tanya will not be her mate, I'm sticking to the books with this one. I do have a Bella/Tanya story brewing somewhere on my computer and Bella does have a spine in that one. I'll upload that one day.
Guest: Vampire Goddess? Me? Awe, thanks! I'll let you suck my blood anytime (Because we all know that vampires like those in True Blood are the best kind of vampire). Did that sound as creepy as it did in my head? I'm so glad you like my story and I know! I'm bisexual, but I tend to always go for the girls more so than guys so I can understand the struggle of looking for a good femmeslash story. Although I feel like this is going to open a door I do NOT wanna go down, be as creepy as you like. I'm an oddball and I enjoy meeting other people like me, too.
dstowe123: Thank you!
HeartlessVampireGirl: Thank you so much, that meant the world to me.
Guest: Thank you!
Warning: This story does involve female on female action and romance. To simply put it, this is a lesbian love story. So if that's not your kind of thing, or it goes against anything you believe, please leave now. Any comments that I think are rude will be deleted and you will be reported.
-I own nothing and no one except for Kody and her family.
-This chapter had no beta overlook it, so I apologize for any mistakes.
-Enjoy!
Chapter 7: Tremors and the Truth
It was yesterday when Kody wasn't feeling well, but she ignored it and continued on with her drawing even though her hand was shaking something awful.
It was Saturday now and Kody woke up with a headache. Of course it was grey outside, but she got out of bed anyway. She untangled herself from her blankets and jumped to her feet, but felt the world tilt on its axis.
Not today, Kody pleaded with her body. Please, just not today.
She felt weightless as she made her way over to take a shower. She noticed the slight shake in her hands whenever she held something. It took her twenty minutes longer to finish washing up than she usually would, but she chose to ignore that. She needed to think positively; it was the weekend for God's sake! She should've been happy and energetic.
Wrapping her fluffy towel around her body, Kody looked in the mirror and stared at herself. She always did like when her hair looked wet, but since it puffed up so easily she usually kept it tame. She could make out the faint freckles scattered across the area near her nose and thought they were so cute. Her stormy grey eyes reminded her of steel, looking hard and cold. She almost missed her head moving in a "no-no" motion, but she caught it and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. She had to stay calm. Letting her emotions get out of control wasn't going to help her.
Throwing on whatever comfortable clothes she could find, Kody walked down the stairs gingerly. She held onto the railings until her knuckles were white, but once her foot touched the landing she took another deep breath and tried to act normal around her parents. She didn't need to worry them.
"Morning, dad."
Looking up from the newspaper, Eddie smiled at his daughter. "Morning, moonlight."
Noticing that there was no breakfast cooking or even made, Kody looked around, but turned to her father when she didn't find what she was looking for. "Where's mum?"
"She's getting dressed," Eddie said flatly. "You better eat before she gets on your case."
Kody just then noticed that her father was dressed up in a pair of black slacks and a button down shirt, neatly tucked into his pants. He looked fresh and handsome, like usual.
"Where are you going?"
"To a party."
Kody pouted. "Why wasn't I invited?"
"It's a garden party."
"Ew," Kody said. She scrunched up her nose.
Kody went on tiptoe to rummage through a cupboard. Finding a box of Frosted Flakes, she thrust a hand in and delicately pulled out a handful of flakes. She ate it dry, but she normally ate her cereal like that. She hated milk, too.
Much like Kody, Eddie wasn't a talker so the father and daughter sat in silence, listening to Debbie cuss up a storm when she couldn't find something. Eddie flipped through the pages of the newspaper, not even acknowledging his daughter, but Kody was off in her own world, softly singing out loud.
Eddie, who still had his head in the newspaper, was oblivious to Kody's growing discomfort. She was sitting on the counter top, her legs perfectly still until she felt the first tremor go up her leg. It started in the left one and then made its way over to the right one until both of them were shaking. Kody almost dropped the box of cereal, but the tremors stopped as soon as they started.
"Where are you going?" Eddie asked when he saw Kody hop off the counter.
"To go get some medicine for my headache," Kody lied. It was much easier to lie to her father.
"You better eat more than just cereal."
Kody, rounding the corner, almost ran into her mother. Dressed in a forest green dress, Debbie put her curly hair up and lined her brown eyes with a soft eye shadow. Her mother's elegant tan legs ran for miles in those black high heels and there was an air of effortless efficiency to her.
"Wow, mum, you look amazing," Kody said quickly before she tried to move around her mother. "Sorry — morning, by the way!"
"Wait a minute," Debbie said, grabbing a hold of the back of Kody's shirt. "Has everyone had breakfast?" When Eddie nodded his head, Debbie turned to look at Kody. "What about you, young lady?"
Kody pointed to the cereal box sitting out.
Debbie grimaced. "At least put milk in it."
"I don't like milk."
"Too bad, milk's good for you." Debbie's pushed Kody towards the refrigerator.
Kody rolled her eyes. "What-whatever." She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes.
Debbie stopped rummaging through her purse and looked over at her daughter. "Are you OK, Kody?"
"Yeah, mum, I'm fine!"
Was that too much enthusiasm? I think it was.
Debbie didn't look convinced, but she let it go. She eyed her daughter like she was going to fall over, though. "Alright, you're father and I should be back a little after noon. Call us if you need anything."
"Whose house are you going to?" It was better to focus on something other than her shaking hands.
"Shannon Jordan is throwing the party, but I heard others were coming, too. I think Carlisle and his wife will be there."
Kody, who was standing in front of the opened fridge, looked horrified. "Mum, please don't."
Debbie batted her lashes and smiled too sweetly. "What?"
"You know what."
"I don't know what," Eddie cleared his throat. He put the paper down and looked between his wife and daughter. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Kody said quickly, cutting her mother off.
"Oh, Dakota, you're overreacting." Debbie rolled her eyes and turned to face Eddie. "Our daughter has a little crush on a certain blonde."
"I don't have a little crush," Kody scoffed.
"Did I say little? I meant big. She has a big crush on a certain blonde."
"Please tell me it isn't Mike Newton." Eddie grimaced.
Kody made a face like she smelt something bad. "No, he's dating Jessica Stanley."
"Their poor kids," Eddie mumbled to himself. "So who's this blonde you like?"
Kody looked down at her feet, suddenly interested in her fuzzy black socks. "Rosalie," she said begrudgingly.
"Who?"
"Rosalie," Kody said louder.
"Rosalie," Eddie echoed. "Rosalie Hale?"
Kody flushed, rolling her eyes. "What other Rosalie Hale do you know?"
Ignoring the sarcasm in his daughter's voice, Eddie mulled over the thought in his head. "She's very smart and polite. You could've done worse," he admitted. He smiled at his blushing daughter. "I never expected you to like a girl, though. You were always flirting with the boys."
Debbie nodded her head and laughed. "Remember Clark Patch? That poor boy didn't know what hit him."
Kody, fighting the tremor in her voice, said, "God forbid I have one fling."
"It wasn't a fling to him," Debbie said, laughing.
Eddie nodded his head in agreement. "That lad was head over heels for you."
During the summer of her tenth grade year, Kody started dating Clark a few weeks later, a nice guy who dressed to impressed. Clark was in love with her and Kody was just looking for a way to pass the summer without it getting boring. There were countless days of smoking weed, talking to each other, going to the mall and fucking. Of course any girl was lucky enough to be with Clark. He was funny, loyal, always there when you needed him and he made Kody feel good about herself, but Kody knew that she didn't deserve someone like that. She felt bad for using him in the beginning, but after awhile she stopped giving a damn. She had given him plenty of chances to break it off, but he never did. Maybe he thought he could make Kody fall in love with him before the end of the break, but atlas, Kody remained detached and hard headed. She had let him down easy, though, not wanting to break his heart. She really did like Clark, but as a friend. Kody was actually surprised that he took the breakup so well. He first ex-boyfriend, Henry Addams, had gone around the school spreading rumors when they had broken up.
"Whatever," Kody grumbled. "Is it alright if I go to the mall with Alice and Rosalie later on today?"
"I don't see why not," Debbie said. "Maybe you should invite Bella Swan, too."
Kody and Eddie stared at Debbie like she had grown a second head. It was Debbie who told Kody to stay away from the Swan girl and now all of a sudden she wanted Kody to invite her to go out with her.
"Do you honestly think that's a good idea, darling?" Eddie asked.
"Yes, I do," Debbie said soberly. "It'd be a good way to put the past behind the two of you."
Kody licked the chocolate icing she had gotten into off of her fingers, stalling for a more suitable response. "So you want me to play nice with Bella."
"You two need to start getting along — kiss and makeup. Didn't you say that she and Edward Cullen were pretty close? What happens if they start going out? You can't be a bitch to her forever."
"Trust me, mum; I've been nicer to her." That wasn't a complete lie. There had been plenty of times when Kody could've struck and killed Swan, but she restrained herself. Besides, Kody got a feeling that if she "attacked" Bella again there was going to be problems between Edward and Rosalie.
"Try harder at least," Debbie said, scolding her daughter. "You're a nice girl, Kody, and I don't want one incident to ruin the rest of your high school experience."
It was time to change the subject. "Hey, aren't you guys going to be late?"
Eddie's eyes stretched when he caught on. "Yes, we are." He grabbed Debbie by the hand and pulled her towards the door, kissing Kody on the way out. "Be safe and have fun."
Kody nodded her head and hugged her mother goodbye. Debbie didn't say anything else, but she did give her daughter a pointed look before she had disappeared around the corner.
-Page Break-
During the early afternoon, Kody lounged on the couch as she finished eating her bagel to the sounds of the housewives fighting, interjecting a few mumbled comments or "ohhhh's'" whenever someone began to verbally fight. She was preoccupied with the shaking of her hands, legs and head, debating whether or not to get up and make the journey upstairs to get her medicine. The more she thought about it, the lazier she became. The symptoms usually lasted for a day, never really giving her any trouble. And by the way her legs were shaking it would've been a hassle to climb the stairs. She knew her mother would flip out if she figured out that Kody hadn't told her and that she didn't take her medication, but she didn't fancy a broken neck from falling down the stairs.
She would, however, need to go upstairs to change her clothes if she was going out with Alice and Rosalie in a few hours. She'd take her medication then she dedicated.
Her cell phone rang and Alicia's face showed on the caller ID.
"Are you doing anything today?" Alicia asked as she munched away on ice cream. It was a wonder how Alicia didn't way over a thousand pounds since all she seemed to eat was ice cream.
Kody prayed to God that Alicia wouldn't freak out when she told her what she had planned today. Once she told Alicia, there was no going back.
"I'm going out with Alice and Rosalie today."
"Who's Alice?"
"Rosalie's adopted sister."
"So you're roping in the sister," Alicia said half-jokingly, half-serious. "That's a good plan."
"I'm not roping in anyone," Kody said. "She invited me."
"That's good," Alicia exclaimed. "You have to tell me how your little date went later!"
Kody rolled her eyes. She wasn't even going to try to tell Alicia that it wasn't a date.
"Her twin brother doesn't like me much."
"How can he not like you? You're adorable!"
Kody bit her lip when her arm spasmed and dropped her bagel onto the floor. She waited until her arm stopped shaking before she picked it up. "He doesn't seem that fond of new people."
Alicia made a "pssh" sound. "He'll come around once he gets to know you." There was the sound of metal hitting what Kody guessed to be a bowl in the background and Alicia let out an unladylike burp. "Excuse me."
"Pig," Kody said scrunching up her nose and laughed.
"Robbie loves it."
Kody gagged. "You two are disgusting, perfectly made for each other."
"And you and Rosalie are perfectly made for each other. You're both bitches to that Swan girl. Match made in heaven if you ask me."
Kody rolled her eyes and picked the dust off of her bagel. "No one asked you. Are you doing anything today?"
Alicia shrieked, making Kody pull the phone away from her ear. "Oh, shit! Oh, shit I'm so fucking dead! I just spilled nail polish all over my mum's favorite towel. You know the ones she has out for decoration. I need to clean this up before she gets home or you'll be coming to my funeral."
The line went dead and Kody couldn't help but laugh. Alicia was no painter like Kody, but the girl had so many accidents that they began to call them accidental works of art. Alicia didn't find the name so funny, but it amused the others to no end.
Looking at the clock on her phone, Kody decided she should start getting ready. She was always the slow one getting ready to go. If she had to bet, she'd say that Alice was already pulling Rosalie down the stairs and out the front door. Kody turned off the TV and made her way over to the stairs on shaky legs.
"Why couldn't this have happened yesterday?" Kody mumbled to herself, trying to regain control of her legs, but there was no use. She couldn't feel her legs anymore; they had gone numb from the tremors running through them.
This is gonna be fan-fucking-tastic.
Kody looked at the stairs. They were longer and more intimidating than she ever remembered any stairs ever looking. She swallowed hard but didn't hesitate, and on the second step her leg gave out and she went down to one knee. She wanted to rest but didn't dare take the chance, and when she stood she felt the faintness coming on fast, her mouth going clammy, her damp, shaking palms slipping down the cold handrail. Kody dropped her phone when she started to feel dizzy and then it all happened in a flash. She fell backwards — headfirst down the remainder of the stairs landing in a miserable clump on the cold tile of the landing.
Kody took a deep, shuddering breath in as she closed her eyes and heard the thudding of her body hitting the hardwood floor. When the rolling stopped, she heard her name being called out and saw a flash of blonde.
So this is how I die. How lame, was Kody's last thoughts.
And then her world faded away with blackness.
-Page Break-
Kody was floating.
She sank down lower and lower until it felt like she was drowning.
Water rushed through her lungs and nose. Her heels touched the bottom of the abyss and she felt something tangle around her ankles.
She fought against it.
Her head resurfaced, breaking through the black water to a bright, white light.
A woman had blood on her gloved hands. She pushed a long plastic tube down Kody's throat. Kody tried moving away from her, but there were other people holding her wrist. The more she fought, the more hands grabbed at her. They clutched onto her wrists, ankles, legs and shoulders, holding her down. Kody was attached to machines and wires.
"Dakota! Dakota, you need to relax!"
"Let's give her some Pavulon. Ten milligrams."
Kody's body grew numb and heavy, like deadweight. The shouting soon stopped. Kody's eyes adjusted to the drop-panel ceiling and she felt the world spin again. The lights around her began to flicker and suddenly Kody gave into the darkness again where she slipped into the serenity of nothingness.
She heard murmuring from the darkness.
She recognized her mother's voice, although she was unable to make out what she was saying. Then she heard her dad somewhere in the darkness, too. Kody tried to listen to them, but her ears were still ringing slightly.
She wished that she could see them again.
What felt like hours later, Kody realized that the darkness was only her eyelids.
Kody opened her eyes and tried to sit up. The lack of oxygen made her weak, however. There was a tube down her throat, gagging her every time she tried to breath in air down her lungs. She reached to pull it out, but her parents yelled and grabbed her hands.
"No, Kody, you can't take that out! Its helping you breathe, OK? Just breathe, sweetie, just breathe."
Kody inhaled through her nose, realizing it was much easier to do. There was a soft, automatic click in the corner where cold air filled her lungs. Fog rolled through the tube anytime she exhaled.
"There you go, sweetie. You're fine. Just breathe."
Her parents squeezed her hand and rubbed her head. Kody leaned her head back, letting the oxygen flood her lungs. Although the light hurt her eyes, it was so good to see something other than blackness.
She looked around the hospital room. This was the first time she had ever been in one in America. Her parents had bags under their eyes, but they shined with happiness and tears. She didn't know how she had gotten to the hospital, though. She had been home alone. Outside the window behind her, Kody could tell that the sun was either rising or setting due to the different colors settling around the room. Kody didn't even know how long she had been out. Had it only been a day, a couple of hours, or had it been weeks?
She tried to ask questions, but the tube down her throat prevented her from doing so. It gagged her each time she coughed and tried to talk. She pointed to it.
"It's a ventilator," Debbie explained. "It's helping you breathe. You were out cold from landing on your head and the doctors thought you weren't going to make it. They put you on a ventilator to protect your airway." She kissed Kody's forehead and Kody felt tears hit her face. Debbie pulled away and brushed some hair out of her face. "You're fine, though. You're fine."
Kody believed her, but Debbie kept repeating it, like she wasn't just reassuring Kody, but herself as well.
I better be fine, Kody thought, her head still spinning slightly. I read that patients at England's hospitals are 45% more likely to die compared to those in the US. So the US better pull through and save my ass.
Eddie left to find the nurse, but Debbie didn't bother with waiting. She checked Kody's pupils quickly, asking, "Can you write?"
Kody nodded. Debbie handed her a notepad and pen from her purse and then she quizzed her.
"Who's the president?"
George W. Bush.
"What's your address?"
777 K St, Forks, WA.
"What's two times two?"
4.
Kody was still doped up on painkillers which made it harder to focus and her writing look like chicken scratch, but she convinced Debbie that she didn't have brain damage.
"Do you remember what happened?"
Kody touched the side of her head, feeling the stitches holding the skin closed. She remembered her legs shaking. She remembered not taking her medication. She remembered the pain that had exploded behind her eyes when her head hit the floor. She remembered someone calling her name. She remembered seeing a flash of blonde.
Kody shook her head, though, not knowing that her parents knew.
"You had one of you tremor attacks. Your legs must've given out and you fell. The doctors also said that there wasn't any propranolol in your system."
Looking away from her mother's accusing gaze, Kody turned to a clean page in the notepad. How did I get here?
"Rosalie had to force her way into the house when you didn't answer the door. Thank God you girls had decided to go out sooner."
What?
"You don't remember? Rosalie and Alice said that you had texted them saying you wanted to go out earlier."
That wasn't right at all. Kody had only talked to Alicia. She remembered everything before the fall and she knew that she hadn't contacted Rosalie or Alice.
Kody's eyes widened and she quickly wrote on the notepad. Alicia?!
Debbie patted Kody's hand and nodded. "We contacted her as soon as we knew you were alright. She's upset with you, too, Dakota."
Kody knew that once she was better her parents and Alicia were going to give her a lecture that would probably last two hours. She knew that she should have taken her medicine, but she had got lazy. Besides, her condition had never gotten that out of control before. She had never hurt herself because of the tremor disease.
Kody nodded her head and laid her head back on the pillow. The pain didn't subdue, but the downing sensation had softened a little.
-Page Break-
When the doctor who had performed the surgery on Kody came in, Kody was surprised to see Carlisle Cullen. He explained to her that not only was he her family's primary Doctor, but a surgeon, too. He didn't have much to do except repeat what Debbie had told her before.
It was just past eleven, the night after her accident. Kody had almost died from blood loss and a collapsed lung, which in turn had made her almost drown in her own blood, too. The surgery team had to vacuum a couple hundred milliliter of it out of her lungs. Her body had also sustained a good amount of bruising and a fractured arm. She was also under critical care because there was still the possibility of her having a fractured spine since she fell on her back. She was also still at risk for chemical pneumonia. So for a couple of days she'd be breathing through a tube and second one fed her grey, high-calorie sludge and a third pumped steroids and antibiotics into her arm. Everyone reminded Kody that she was young and healthy. Flesh would grow back, infections could be treated and she'd be standing on her feet in no time.
"You should be good as new for school next week," Carlisle said.
Kody nodded, trying to smile around the tubes.
He gave her hair a playful rub. "Goodness, your mom's been telling us stories about you for hours now. I feel like I've known you my entire life."
Kody's parents laughed, but Kody didn't hear him. Through the room's glass window, she saw Rosalie walking lightly up the hall with the elegance all of the Cullens possessed. Stopping at the door, she peered in at Kody with her parents.
"Rosalie! Come in, come in," Debbie said, coaxing the blonde in and gave her a hug. They must've had an enough time to officially meet while Kody had been unconscious. Kody didn't even want to think of all the embarrassing things her mother probably had said. "Where's your brother and…?"
"Alice? They went to go eat lunch with Esme." Rosalie motioned towards the family room. "She came up to see how everyone was doing."
"Bless that woman's soul," Debbie said sincerely.
"Rosalie's the one who saved you," Eddie said, repeating what Debbie had told Kody earlier. "You remember that at all?"
Rosalie dropped her eyes to the floor, but Kody nodded. That flash of blonde made a lot more sense now. How did she know that Kody needed help, though?
Carlisle had left and after a few minutes, Kody's parents decided to grab dinner from the cafeteria before it closed. Her dad leaned down and kissed her forehead. He whispered, "I love you so much, moonlight."
Debbie choked on her sobs and gingerly hugged Kody. After the door shut behind them, Rosalie was still looking down at her expensive heels.
"Your parents are really nice."
Kody nodded. They usually were. She began to write. How are you?
Rosalie scoffed. "You're the one in the hospital bed with a tube down your throat and you're asking me how I am? You're unbelievable, you know that —"
Kody shook her head. It must've been exhausting to go from your place to mine and then to the hospital. Especially when you were supposed to pick me up at 3. There was no way Rosalie could've known that Kody was hurt and could get to her place in that amount of time. Rosalie noticed the accusation in Kody's writing, too.
"Yeah, you had me scared. So how do you feel?"
Like I fell from Mount Olympus.
"Or maybe you fell from a flight of stairs?"
Don't be so over dramatic.
That finally got a grin out of Rosalie, which made Kody laugh, sending choppy puffs of air through the ventilator in weird little hoots, which made Rosalie rush to Kody's side, trying to stop her laughing. Kody only laughed harder and that made Rosalie laugh, too. The humorous cycle had them trapped until Kody's chest began to burn. She forced her breathing to slow down.
Thank you.
"Don't thank me." Rosalie squirmed under the gaze of Kody's grey eyes. "I'm just glad you're better."
You know that I need answers, right? It was getting harder to write legibly. I wasn't lying when I said that I was willing to wait, but after today I can't.
Rosalie gave her a small, sad smile and said, "I know. I was hoping to tell you in the summer so we'd have more time to explain, but that's not going to happen now."
Kody sighed and started scribbling again. I'm not going to run away.
"You should." Rosalie sat down in one of the chairs by Kody's bed. "I've been doing a lot of thinking today, though, and I've realized that I'm ready to tell you. I'm scared, though, because what if you do runway? I've been thinking about how to tell you, but there just doesn't seem to be a right way to do it."
Something on the monitor beeped. It mustn't have been important because none of the nurses came rushing in. Wow. It's that bad?
"No, not bad," Rosalie said, hardly trying to smile. "They don't give you a handbook on how to introduce people to what I am — my life. It's basically a fairytale, you know? But trust me, what I am, I'm very much real."
What are you?
"Oh, God." Rosalie leaned her head back and clutched onto Kody's hand. "Please don't leave me."
They had their first real conversation surrounding the guessing game all over again. Except this time, neither of them was making ridiculous questions or answers.
FUN FACT(S):
1. Essential Tremor (also known as: Kinetic Tremor): a nervous system disorder that causes rhythmic shaking. Most commonly known as Tremor Disease.
2. Propranolol: It's a beta blocker. It treats a variety of things, but it can also treat tremors. Common brands are: Inderal, Hemangeol and Innopran.
If you liked this chapter, please favorite this story and review! It would be very helpful to get the next chapter started.
Until next time! xoxo
