Chapter 7 - Explanations

No POV

'In. I'm in'

Bella knew, with a feeling of wild exhilaration, that nothing would ever be the same again.

"Bella."

Angela was unclasping the silver necklace she was wearing. Bella's eyes were drawn to the pendant. It had a triple moon, the waxing, full and waning one and a drop of amethyst had from the full moon that was covered with a yellow butterfly. The full moon part of it was identical to the one on the diadem (sans the butterfly), Bella realized-and like Lucas' tattoo.

"This is a token of your membership in the Circle."

Angela said, fastening the chain around Bella's neck and then she hugged Bella. It wasn't a spontaneous gesture; it had more the feeling of a ritual. Next she turned Bella around to face the others and cut the cord from her hands, saying

"The Powers have accepted her. I've accepted her. Now each of you has to."

Ariel was the first to step up. Her face was serious, but there was a genuine warmth and friendliness in the depths of her light grey eyes. She hugged Bella and then kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"I'm glad you're one of us,"

She whispered, and stepped back, her long, light-brown hair with the happy pink strands fluttering slightly in the breeze.

"Thanks,"

Tom hurried up, looking eager. His hug was a little too long and too close for Bella's taste, and she ended up having to extricate herself. His eyes were fixed on her nightgown in a way that made Bella wish it were flannel instead of light cotton.

"Glad you're in"

"Real glad"

His twin, Jerry copied him with his hands sliding a little to the curve of her butt and only pulling away at Bella's cough.

"I can tell,"

She said under her breath as he stepped back, and Angela, standing beside her, had to bite her lip.

And then it was Lucas' turn.

Bella felt something inside her tighten. It wasn't that she was attracted to him, exactly, but... she couldn't help feeling a slight inner tremor when she looked up at him. He was so handsome, and the coldness that surrounded him like a thin layer of dark ice seemed only to enhance his looks. He'd challenged her with such fire in his eyes that came to a complete turn to his current detachment, as if he was a different person now and none of it affected him one way or another. Even his embrace was noncommittal. Sexless. As if he was merely going through the motions while thinking of something else.

"All right,"

Angela said quietly.

"That's it for the initiation ritual. I think we should formally dispel the Circle, but go on and have a regular meeting. That way we can get Bella caught up on what she needs to know."

Bella took the quiet moment to turn to the twins

"If either of you two ever comes into my bedroom again when I'm sleeping, I'll hand you both from the ceiling fan by your nose hair and set it really, really fast. Understood?"

The twins' eyes widened comically and they nodded fiercely as if they were copying bobble heads.

Angela smiled to herself at the leader tone of Bella's voice. Her soft smile turned to rueful when she realized the dulcet tones it suddenly had. The girl in the nightgown was their natural leader and it was her job to help her prepare for it.

Mechanically she picked up a handful of sand and poured it over the line drawn on the beach. The others followed suit, each pouring a handful and smoothing it down so that the circle's outline was blurred, erased. Then they distributed themselves among the still-lighted candles, some sitting on the sand, others on out-thrusts of rock. Lucas remained standing, a cigarette in his mouth.

Angela waited until everyone was quiet, looking at her, then she turned to Bella. Her face was grave and her black eyes were earnest.

"Now that you're one of us, I think it's time to tell you what we are."

Bella's breath caught. So many bizarre things had happened to her since she'd come to Forks, and now she was about to hear the explanation. But strangely, she wasn't sure she needed to be told. Ever since they'd brought her here tonight, all sorts of things had been arranging themselves in her mind. A hundred little oddities that she'd noticed about Forks, both now and while growing up, in the summers she visited her dad. A hundred little mysteries that she'd been unable to solve. Somehow, her brain had begun putting them together, and now...

She looked at the faces around her, lit by moonlight and flickering candlelight.

"I think that I already know. Some of it, at least."

"Oh, yes? Why don't you tell us, then?"

Lucas watched her carefully. Bella looked at Diana, who nodded.

"Well, for one thing, I know you're not the Mickey Mouse Club."

she started off, opting for humor instead of one of the deepest feelings in her. Everyone chuckled.

"I know... I know that you can light fires without matches. And that feverfew and witch hazel isn't used in salads"

She said lowly playing with her long nails while playing images in her head. Lucas starting a small fire in science class, the soggy leaves she had on her earlier and the club mentioning their salads during lunch.

Lucas scratched the back of his neck nervous; Tom did his best to appear innocent while Jerry chuckled under his breath.

"I know that you can make things move when they're not alive."

She looked Ariel in the eyes remembering a dead goldfish move on its own to the dumpster.

Ariel smiled back friendly, looking unapologetic. Angela murmured,

"Sssssss..."

"I know you're untouchable at school and that everyone stopped talking to me when I said we live in the same road"

Angela cleared her throat amazed.

"You're right. You've learned a lot from just watching-and we've been a little lax with security. But I think you should hear the entire story from the beginning."