Chapter 7: Blackouts
As I sprinted down the hallway, away from the angel behind me, my mind was reeling.
What just happened?
Why had he helped me?
Why had I kissed him?
Why had I enjoyed him kissing me?
Why am I running away from him now, if I maybe like him?
What the hell is happening to me?
I couldn't come up with any answers though, as the questions got longer and more confusing.
When I rounded the corner, looking back to just see the other side of the new hallway that I was in, I began to sprint. Vampire sprint. I reached the bathroom in less than half a second.
I rushed into the bathroom. I turned towards the mirror that hung on the wall opposite me, and rushed over to it to fix my make-up.
Alice would kill me if she saw how I look right now.
I quickly reapplied my mascara, and eyeliner. I put on a thin layer of lip gloss, and then racked a brush through my hair. I washed my hands about 3 times, and then settled the 'wrinkles' in my outfit.
When I looked descent, I walked out of the bathroom, and roamed the halls for the remainder of the 5 minutes that I had until my first period ended.
When I was walking down the hallway I was in not more than 15 minutes before, I saw him again.
He was standing at his locker. He appeared to be sorting through it. He was muttering under his breath. I strained my ears to try to hear what he was saying, but only caught non-sense words such as 'all over the floor' ' wonder what happened' 'who did it?' 'running like me'. It sounded like he was talking about me, but I didn't think so.
I continued to walk down the hallway towards him. When I was about 5 feet from him, he got out his Biology book, slammed his locker door, and spun around.
I stopped dead in my tracks when I found myself not more than 3 feet from a guy that I hardly knew, and had kissed not more than 20 minutes ago.
"Hey, Nessie. You're back" Dominic said, staring into my eyes, searching for something
"Yeah. I just had to go to the bathroom to fix my make-up. My 'sister', Alice would have killed me if she had seen how disoriented and ugly I looked with my make-up all down my face." I just kept rambling. I don't even know why I was telling him all this. It was all just too weird.
"Oh. I thought you looked perfect. You look perfect without make-up."
I felt my face grow hot, and ducked my head down in an attempt to hide my blush.
"Thanks" I mumbled, scuffing my shoe on the laminate hard wood floors.
"Ness-"
But Dominic was cut off when the bell resounded around the school, signaling the end of first period. When the bell finally ended, Dominic had his hand under my chin and was looking me in the eyes.
"Don't be embarrassed by your blush. It's beautiful." He whispered, and then added "What class do you have next, Nessie?"
I looked down at the books in my arms, and checked the timetables I had received earlier.
"Biology." I said, lifting my head again.
"Great. So do I. I'll take you there." He said, offering me his arm, as if we were about to descend a grand staircase, and enter a party house. I hooked my arm through his, and walked down the hall like this. I'm sure I looked like a complete idiot, with my huge grin spread across my face.
As we entered the Biology room, I went over to a table in the center row of the room, and took the table that was the farthest to the right.
Dominic sat down next to me, setting his books on the edge of the table, and turning to look at me.
If looks could kill, I'd be dead by now I thought as his beautiful blue eyes focused on my topaz ones.
"So, are you going to tell me why you were crying this morning? Or keep it a secret?" Dominic asked, unconsciously moving closer to me. He rested his chin on his hand, and continued to stare into my eyes.
At that moment, Jacob decided to come over to our table.
"Hey, Ness. Where were you in Literature? I thought you were coming with Edwa-"
He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the person sitting beside me.
"Ness, who's this?" Jacob asked, pointing to Dominic.
"I'm sorry. How rude of me. I'm Dominic Smith. Nice to meet you...." He trailed off, forgetting that he didn't know Jake's name.
"...Jacob" I heard my boyfriend say shaking the hand that Dominic had extended to him; obviously a little disoriented himself.
"So... Back to what I was saying. Why weren't you in Literature? I thought that you were coming in with Edward after you got your timetable from the front office. And what was he talking to you about when he pulled you over to the side of the building. I couldn't hear, and it kinda made me anxious." Jacob just continued to ramble on and on with questions. He seemed to have forgotten that Dominic must have been completely lost with what we were saying.
"First of all, I was in the hallway all of Literature. Yes, I was supposed to come to Literature with Edward, but I ran from him, after he talked to me against the wall. I'll tell you what Edward told me when we get home. After I go shopping with Alice that is..." I added under my breath, only meaning for Jacob to hear.
"Oh. Okay. I guess I'll see you later?" He sounded a little... out of place. He stepped away from the table we were sitting at, and left to the other side of the room, to a table that was still unoccupied.
"So....Who's this 'Edward' guy? He kinda sounds like he's your boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend if he was the reason you were running and crying." He chuckled a little, but immediately recomposed himself when he saw me staring at him blankly.
I then burst out in loud rolls of laughter. I was holding my sides, I was laughing so hard.
"Edward....My boyfriend......Impossible....." I said in between rolls of laughter, as I shook my head.
I immediately caught my composer again when I saw the confusion plain on his face.
"Edward isn't my boyfriend. Never has been, and never will be. He has a girlfriend. And, plus, he's my 'brother'. The Cullen's adopted me along with my sister Bella. Our parents died in a car accident about 5 years ago. I've been with them ever since. Bella and Edward are a couple now." I left out the part of Jacob and I being a couple. For some unknown reason, I didn't want Dominic to know that I was taken, because I'm sure that pretty soon, I wouldn't be.
"I'm so sorry to hear about that. I had no idea." Dominic tried to apologize. He truly did seem sorry for bringing back 'bad memories'.
"It's okay. Carlisle and Esme Cullen are my parents now, and I don't mind it either. I love them as I would my real parents. They are my real parents. They really are the only parents I ever had. My biological ones were never home. Always out." I said placing my hand over his.
When our skin touched though, I felt like there had been an electric shock that ran through my hand. I instantaneously pulled my hand back. Dominic did the same, looking a little shocked as well.
"Sorry" He mumbled, laying his hand back down on the table.
At that moment the teacher walked in the classroom, and asked for silence.
"Now, we have two new students today, and I just wanted to go over a little review for them, just so they can catch up." My Biology teacher stated. He wrote his name up on the board in a very neat handwriting.
Mr. Mackawitze
Dominic tore out a piece of paper out of his notebook, scrawled across the top of it, and then passed it across the table to where I could easily see it.
How come you were running down the hall then, if Edward's only your brother, and he obviously didn't break up with you?
I reached over to where the note sat, and wrote across it, explaining to him why I had been crying.
'Why do you even give so much trust to him, when you just met him?'
A part of me screamed. I honestly didn't even know the answer. I just felt...safe around him.
Because he told me that I couldn't/shouldn't be seeing my boyfriend anymore, because he can tell, from the way he acts around me, that he wants to have sex with me, when Carlisle and Esme would never allow it.
More like Edward would never allow it. I'm sure Carlisle and Esme could care less, just as long as I'm happy. That's all they really seem to care about. Especially since I'm the only one in the whole family that can still be alive after living with bloodthirsty vampire for 5 years, and never getting myself killed. I'm also the 'miracle child' considering Bella really shouldn't have even been pregnant with me in the first place.
I was roughly yanked out of my thoughts when I felt a hand on my upper thigh. I gasped, and looked down to see Dominic's hand there. He immediately took his hand away, obviously just doing that to get my attention. He nodded towards the note that was now in front of me with about a paragraph written on the small sheet of paper.
Is that other guy...Jacob... your boyfriend? He did seem kinda worried about what went on with you and Edward. I'm sorry it seems that all that dog can think about when around you is how good you might in bed with him.
Nessie. Please tell me what you're thinking about.
I stared blankly at the note, as if it should be on fire in front of me, instead of just sitting innocently in front of me.
Dominic cares about me.
NO! He's just observant
But then how else would you explain that he thinks that Jake should be better to me?
He's just saying what he sees
But what he sees is right
So what?
He might care about me
Or, he might just be more observant than you think
My brain just kept shooting things back and forth. I couldn't take it. I laid my head on the table, and breathed in a ragged breath, trying to settle myself.
"Excuse me, Mr. Mackawitze? I don't think Renesmee looks well. I think she should go see the school nurse."
"You are absolutely correct, Mr. Smith. Ms. Cullen does not look well at all. Yes, go right ahead, and take her to the nurse."
I felt Dominic's cool hands lift me up slowly, and took me to the door of the classroom. As we left the classroom, I couldn't help but hear a low whimper coming from where Jacob was sitting. I twisted my head slightly in his direction, and saw that his eyes held pain in them. He wanted to know why I was acting so weird.
So do I. I wish I knew what was wrong, but I don't. Dammit.
As soon as we were out the door, and it was closed safely behind us, he scooped me up in his arms, and carried me to the nurse. He walked swiftly and fluidly down the hallway, towards the nurses.
When we came around a corner of the school, he stopped. Dominic slowly sank to the floor, set me down on the ground, and placed his hand over my forehead.
His hand felt warm. It felt very uninviting. I groaned, as he pressed his hand harder on my head.
"Dammit" He mumbled under his breath.
'Dammit'. He sounded as if something was wrong. As if I had a fever or something. That's weird though. I felt fine. Well, sort of. My stomach is seriously acting up, and I feel kinda dizzy. But that's about it...
A few seconds after I thought these words, Edward was hovering over me, inspecting my limbs.
"What happened?" I heard Edward say with clenched teeth.
"I really don't know. She was fine one second, and the next, her head was on the table, and her breathing was extremely shallow. I got worried, and asked to take her to the nurse. I checked, or at least tried to, her forehead for a fever. She felt a little warm, but that was to be expected." He added, brushing his fingers over my cheek.
When Edward saw that I had nothing bruised or broken, he lifted me from the ground, and turned towards the school parking lot.
Dominic!!!! Dad, we can't leave Dominic!!
"You best come along with us, Dominic." Edward said, turning his head slightly to the left. Dominic was quickly beside us, keeping pace with Edward as he took me to the Volvo.
When we got outside, it was drizzling. He started jogging to the Volvo, not wanting me to get even the slightest bit wet. Dominic hopped into the front seat with Edward, and not long after, we were speeding towards the hospital.
I had started slipping in and out of consciousness as we got closer to the hospital. Edward obviously wanted to bring me to Carlisle, for he was bypassing about 3 other hospitals.
As the haze that had settled over my mind began to lift again, I heard someone typing quickly on a keyboard.
"I need to speak to Carlisle Cullen, immediately." I heard Edward nearly growl to the receptionist.
"Dominic, go find a wheelchair that I can put Ness in." Edward seemed to be going out of control.
A wheelchair? I can walk perfectly fine, Dad. I don't need you and Dominic to hover over me.
"Humor me, Nessie" Edward replied to my thoughts, setting me in the wheelchair that Dominic had brought over.
When Dominic thought that Edward wasn't looking, he swept a light kiss over my cheek. He recomposed himself when he heard a pair of urgent footsteps coming down the hallway.
"Edward." Carlisle said, pain and confusion sweeping over his face
"Carlisle, I need help. Something's wrong with Nessie. I can't tell if she has a fever or not. According to Dominic," He nodded his head in Dominic's direction. "She passed out in the middle of Biology."
"Was today blood-typing?" Carlisle asked nonchalantly.
"No." Was Dominic's answer, and worry was laced through all his movements.
How softly he stroked my hair. How lightly he swept away the little beads of sweat that had begun to build up at the nape of my neck.
"Alright, Edward. Come, and bring her on back. Let's just check to see if everything's alright with you." Carlisle said, slightly relieved that it was something like this, instead of me being drugged or something like that.
Dominic wheeled me behind Edward, who was up with Carlisle, talking in low urgent voices.
As we turned a corner, Dominic almost ran into a nurse. He swerved out of the way just in time, and I was jostled everywhere.
My head hit the wall that was right next to us at the time, and tears welled up in my eyes. Edward stopped dead in his tracks, and ran back to where I was holding back my tears and clutching at my head.
"Shhhh. Calm down Ness. It's alright. You're alright." Edward cooed to me, rubbing soothing circles in my back, and he pressed me close to his body.
When I was being lifted up, my vision was hazing over. I didn't know where we were, whether or not we were still in the hallway, or if Carlisle had brought us to one of the rooms.
When I felt the slightest presser on my head, I blanked out completely.
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"Nessie. Nessie. Nessie? Can you hear me?" I heard Dominic trying to tell me something, some time later.
Yes, I can hear you! Where the hell am I?" I wanted so badly to say.
The haze was starting to lift further, and I could hear my heart monitor speed up slightly as my breathing came faster. My eyes slowly fluttered open, and I saw Dominic.
I could get used to waking up like this.
I heard Edward give a low chuckle to my thought.
When Dominic finally saw that I was, again, conscious, a large grin spread across his face.
"Oh, thank goodness you're alright, Nessie!" Dominic said, sweeping his lips lightly over my cheek.
When he recomposed himself, Carlisle walked in, a small file in his hand, and a bright smile on his face.
"Well, Nessie. Everything seems fine. You just need to be getting more sleep, and eating more regularly. Take more vitamins in the morning, that way you don't loose those that are important." Carlisle handed me a small sheet of paper, and it must have had my prescription on it. I held it in front of me, and read it.
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Obviously, Carlisle didn't think that I was getting enough nutrition.
"Well, now that you're up, and can comprehend everything that is going on around you, you are free to go whenever you please. I'll see you at home tonight, alright?" Carlisle added, his friendly, fatherly voice coming back, and overtaking his professional, business voice.
"Of course, Dad." I said, getting up from the bed I was lying on, and went over to give Carlisle a hug.
Dominic wrapped his arm around my waist, directing me through the hospital, slightly behind Edward.
When we stepped out of the hospital, it was just beginning to pour, and so we had to run (at a human pace) to the Volvo that was parked near the entrance.
When we all were inside the shelter of the silver 2008 Volvo, Edward cranked up the heat, just to keep me warm.
He pulled out of the parking lot, and was speeding his way back to the school.
All was silent on the drive back to the school. It took not much more than 30 minutes to get back to the school, even with Edward speeding at 105mph.
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