Hey there, peeps. So sorry for the delay, life has been simply CRAZY.
1. I've been in and out of the hospital getting bloodtests and what not cuz i was hit by a car on christmas eve.
2. I had the flu and it was NOT fun. I laid in bed for a week and a half unable to even open my eyes because of my pain. My advice is, if you haven't already, GET A FLU SHOT! SAVE YOURSELF!
So... yeah, complications arose in my life. I've also sort of been on writer's block for this chapter but I have had plenty of time to think about it and I'm pretty sure I have an idea of where this story's going.
FAQ
Q: Why is Jacob so mean?
A: He's not. If you paid close attention to New Moon he was always sort of... sensitive when it came to Bella and the Cullens. Just leave it at this, he deserved it after what he said to her.
Q: Will Bella encounter anyone from her class back in high school?
A: That is still undecided. I mean, when you think about it, it has to happen eventually. She can't just stay in the Cullen's house all day.
Q: If six years ago Carlisle was supposedly in his early thirties, how does he explain his youthful appearance?
A: LMFAO! You'll see...
We might live like never before
When there's nothing to give
Well how can we ask for more?
We might make love in some sacred place
The look on your face is delicate
Delicate- Damien Rice
I sat rigid in my seat as Carlisle continued.
"Edward refused to leave Forks, incase you decided to return. So... naturally we had to improvise an idea on how to cover up our lack of aging." Edward smirked slightly and shook his head. I looked at him curiously.
"I'm not understanding you here." Edward began laughing his musical laughter. Carlisle joined him and I sat there cluelessly. "Yeah, ha-ha-ha, can you tell me what you're laughing at now?" Edward composed himself and coughed.
"Well, Bella," Carlisle said with a large smile on his face. "Our family has become strangely obsessed with plastic surgeory as of five years ago." I let out a snort of laughter.
"Are you serious?" I asked as I giggled. The Cullens. Perfectionally obsessed. I wondered what the town thought of them. Edward nodded. "Who'd a-thunk it?" I remarked.
"Indeed, who could have ever comprehended it. Another thing I would like to mention..." I didn't miss the glance Carlisle sent Edward, or the ever-so-slight nod Edward sent back. "Jacob Black." My stomach clenched. Carlisle leaned back in his seat.
"Edward has informed me that you had a little reunion with him this morning." I growled at the thought. "Some changes regarding him have occured as well. Sam Uley recently passed away, no more than six months ago. I'm not exactly sure how, but Alice said he drowned." I frowned and squinted my eyes in confusion. He nodded. "My thoughts exactly. I have pondered it many times and I have come to the conclusion that the possibility is purely impossible." He sighs. "As it is, Jacob was appointed pack leader and his hate of vampires runs as deep as ever."
"He thinks we killed Sam." Edward said. I nodded slowly. No wonder Jacob was so angry with me. He thinks I'm living with the people who killed his leader. His friend. Carlisle continued.
"As I'm sure you heard last night, two people came into the hostpital last night. Campers, a man and a woman. The woman is in critical condition and the man was screaming wildly. He said giant dogs attacked him and his wife, and that it was more after his wife than him." Edward seemed to shift uncomfortably in his seat. I gave him a questioning glance but he shook his head.
"It's nothing." He muttered. I gave the same look to Carlisle and recieved the same response. There was something in between the lines. I could sense it. I shrugged it off, I'd bug Edward later.
"Is there anything else?" I asked. Carlisle seemed to shift uncomfortably. What more could he possibly tell me?
"There is one more thing." He hesitated. "You see, after you left, it was hard for some people to get over it. Whether you knew it or not, you were a very important person in this community. In fact, there was one person who never quite accepted it." There was a pause of silence.
"Jessica Stanley." Edward said. I turned my head to him and looked at him with wide eyes. "She felt it was her fault. She's never been the same." I felt my eyes brim with tears. Poor Jessica. Why would she...? And then I remembered it. I remembered it so clearly. I put my face in my hands.
"Oh my God." I swore. I looked back up at Carlisle and I felt the tears leak. "Why are you telling me this? You can't possibly mean...?" He nodded.
"I think you should pay her a visit." I gave him an appalled look. He wasn't serious!
"You can't mean that. I mean, six years have passed and all I have to show is a new haircut. I'll send her to the looney-bin!" I hadn't even realized that I was now standing and waving my arms wildly around. Carlisle sat in his desk with his chin perched on his folded hands.
"She's in the hospital dying of Hashimoto's Disease." I stopped and my arms fell to my sides. I could already feel the familiar feeling of the world crashing down on me as it creeped up.
"...What?" My voice cracked as I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat. Goose-bumps came up all over my body as my mind conjured up images of her laying helplessly in that hospital bed. I shoook my head of them. Think positive, I told myself.
"She's in the hospital dying, or rather waiting to die. After you dissappeared, she became extremely depressed. I don't know what went on between you two, but it impacted her severely. She didn't eat, she didn't sleep, she just stared at a wall. Every now-and-then she would pass out from lack of sleep, but other than that she suffered from chronic insomnia. About three months later, she was rushed to the hospital and treated for malnourishment. I don't know how she lasted that long but my only conclusion is that she ate at some point in time.
"After that, she spent quite a while under medical observation, in other words she didn't leave the hospital. We managed to get her eating again but..." He trailed off. I felt tears building in my eyes again and I bit my lip so as not to shed them. I felt Edward grip my hand in an attempt to comfort me and I truly wished it worked. "You have to understand, Bella, this isn't your fault. There is the possibility that she genetically inherited it. There was truly nothing we could do for her. I perscribed her medicine to help it, but it spread to her thyroid, which regulates all things in your health. It attacked her body and completely desecrated her immune system." I felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me. Like someone had just kicked me in the chest.
"Carlisle said she's in the hospital waiting to die," Edward said. "But if you ask me, she died a while ago. Her empty shell isn't awaiting death, it's awaiting it's removal from the planet. From existance."
"I think her seeing you would help her move on. It would enable her to let go." My vision blurred again and I chewed my lip. The sight of my reflection took two years to get used to, how would Jessica take it?
"Okay." I said slowly. I felt Edward's hand on my shoulder. "But, not today. Besides," I smiled brightly. "We've got a baseball game to play, don't we?" Carlisle smiled back at me.
"Of course, and this time you can join us!" I laughed and Edward hugged me from behind. I closed my eyes and relinquished the feeling of his arms around me.
"Come on," he whispered in my ear. "Let's go." I hadn't even noticed that rain had steadily began to pour down outside.
Two hours later we stampeded into the house sopping wet and with the intense flow of adrenaline pumping through my veins like never before.
"We so won that game!" Emmett gloated.
"Yeah right, everyone knows we kicked your sorry butts!" Jasper argued back.
"Dude, we won by like a landslide, there's no way you won."
"Esme," Jasper called. "Who won?"
"It was a tie." Everyone besides Jasper and Emmett answered. They both continued to argue.
"Hey, Edward, I'll be right back. I'm going to change." He nodded and gave me a peck on the lips. I darted upstairs and closed the door. I leaned against it for a moment and listened to the infinite silence. All there was was the sound of the raindrops tapping the window speadily, but if I listened carefully, I could hear the pattern.
Tap, tap.
Tap, tap.
Tap, tap.
I smiled and closed my eyes. I listened to the steady beats and, for a moment, could hear the heart that no longer beat within me.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
I place my hand over my chest and focused on trying to feel it. Hoping that for one second I could feel my motionless heart beat only once. I concentrated.
It was no use. My skin was cold and my heart was dead. I was dead. I raked my hands through my dripping hair and slowly peeled my wet clothes from my body. I folded them neatly and dropped them into the hamper. I laughed at myself for for folding the clothes and then tossing them in the basket. It was truly pointless and a waist of good time. I sighed at that word. Time. Who was I kidding? I had more than enough time. Hell, I had all the time in the world. I'll fold all my clothes before putting them in the hamper because it's impossible for me to waste time.
I laughed humorlessly.
I had time wrapped around my pale, skinny finger. Life should be good.
The sounds of the Television drifted up from downstairs.
Nevermind that-- life is good. Life is wonderful. Life is...
There was a knock at the door.
"Bella? Did you die?" Alice's voice spoke through the door. She giggled at her own joke. I shook my head and tugged a sweat shirt and pants on.
"No, a tad bit late for that." I opened the door and was shocked to see Alice standing terribly still with a frightened look on her face. I wrinkled my brow in worry. "What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost." She gulped.
"Not seen," she said "Smelled." Next I remember was Edward at my side.
"Are you okay?" He asked Alice. Alice looked at him with wide eyes but didn't respond. "You smelled it too...?" I looked at him in confusion.
"Smelled what? A ghost?" He opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by the door bell. A growl rumbled in his throat.
"I'll get it!" Emmett called, apparently he hadn't caught onto whatever Alice and Edward had.
"No!" Edward and Alice yelled. All three of us jumped down the stairs as he opened it.
"What in the hell...?" Emmett's voice said. I pushed Edward out of the way and gaped. Standing in the doorway, was my old rival Lauren (too lazy to look up her last name). Her once short blonde hair was now long and wavy not to mention platnium. Her eyes, a deep wine color and her skin was chalky white. She smiled.
"Hello there, Bella." She said. "How nice to see you again." Edward yanked me behind him and hissed.
"Why are you here?" He asked. Lauren's eyes never left me. "How are you here?" Something in her eyes made me shiver. Lauren and I had never been close or even friendly, but I knew her well enough to know that she was different. By different I didn't mean older, for she stood befor me, her face and body aged with the six years I should have. I almost felt self-concious-- like a little girl.
"I heard she was back, had to see it for myself." Lauren replis nonchalantly. She took a step towards me and he growled.
"How are you here?" She looked at him, her eyes bright as summer morning.
"You of all people should know that, Edward. You know exactly how I'm here. What you don't know is who is the cause for my prolonged life." Everybody waited in silence for her to speak. "Oh, that I'll never tell you."
"Am I missing something?" I whispered to Edward. Lauren's eyes darted back to me and she smiled again.
"Lauren, here, died a week ago." Emmett spoke. I looked at her in disbelief and it all fell in place. I suddenly felt embarrassed for not noticing her changes in appearance.
"And Emmett, here, is mistaken." She bored into my eyes so deep that I couldn't turn away from her. "I was born a week ago. And only Bella knows who did it." Everyone turned and looked at me. I stared at her incredulously.
"Me?" She pointed her long pale finger at me.
"You." My mouth flapped open and closed like a fish.
"I have no idea who changed you, I wasn't even here a week ago. I was in London. Ask anyone in this room." She let out a small laugh and I stood there flabbergasted.
"That doesn't mean to say you don't know, dear Isabella." She stared expectantly with her red eyes. They gleamed her her sockets like fresh polished rubies. She smiled the sort of smile that made me shiver.
"Leave here." Edward said sharply. Lauren sighed.
"If you insist. But I'll be back."
"It's best if you aren't." Emmet replied, cracking his knuckles. She gave a small laugh and shook her head. Then she was gone.
I stood there, dumbfounded.
"Jeez," I gasped in exhasperation. "What a bitch." Edward laughed and hugged me.
"What a bitch indeed." He kissed the top of my head and stroked the back of my neck with his thumb. He picked me up in his arms and carried me up the stairs. I closed my eyes and, for a moment, almost felt human again. For a moment I could feel the cold seeping through my shirt as though it wasn't my own. For a moment I could inhale his smell as though being near him was the only way to be exposed to it.
He laid me down on his bed and leaned his head in the crook of my neck. I opened my eyes and giggled at the sight of him. He looked like a little child, staring at his mother. He laughed along with me and then his eyes became glued to my neck. I squinted my eyes in confusion.
"Wha--" My question was answered as he ran his finger along a spot on my neck that sent electric shocks all through my body. I stared worriedly at him. His face was emotionless but his jaw was tight and his lips were thin. He had just traced the creasant shaped scar on my neck, the parting gift from Victoria. He leaned his forehead against it.
"I'm sorry." he whispered and his shoulders shook slightly. He was sobbing. "I'm so sorry." I wrapped my arms around him and cradled him like the delicate thing he had temporarily become.
"I don't blame you." I said to him.
"I know," His voice was soft. "But I do." It was my turn to kiss his head. To give him time to feel human.
To the human eye we may seem like super-beings. Like steel-formed persons who can't be hurt. Physically or emotionally. They're wrong. We hurt. We hurt like no human could ever understand. We carry years fold of pain on our shoulders. Most of us may not be able to cry, but the few who can understand how precious that one function is. They don't understand that just beause our hearts are no long working, that doesn't mean they aren't there.
The truth of the matter is, we are really just as human emotionally as the rest of them.
We're as delicate, if not more.
Woah. Done. O.O
This is an epic moment.
Okay, again, i'm sorry for not updating. Life is hectic. Not to mention I have finals next week. B-E-A-Utiful.
So I can't exactly say when the next chapter will be up.
For now, i'm gonna play it safe and say within the next... 2 or 3 weeks.
Sorry .
Praises are adored.
Critisism is valued.
And flames will be used to burn Aro at the stake.
