alrighty chapter 8 pplz...I TRIED TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING! IF I FORGOT SOMETHING, LEMME KNOW AND ILL FIX IT!
btw, i dont be able to update until next weekend, because ive got school. i know, life sucks. and thanks to all of you guys who supported the revised chapter. im really glad that you guys werent pissed or angry that i revised it. THANKS!
but yeah, enjoy it plz!
READ AND REVIEW!!
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CHAPTER 8 – UMM…YEAH
BELLA POV
Alice kissed me on the cheek before getting out of the car. I smiled and stepped out of the car as well.
On the front steps stood Carlisle and Esme, who were giving me small, sad smiles.
"Bella," Esme murmured softly. I smiled at her before hurrying over to both of them and hugging them with all my might.
They were slightly staggered by my action, but eventually they relaxed and wrapped their arms around me.
I pulled back and saw that the both of them were grinning hugely.
Esme took my hand and led me into their home with Carlisle and Alice trailing behind.
Waiting inside the house was Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and Edward. Edward was standing at the way corner of the room, his hands in his pockets and his eyes piercing with sadness and uncertainty, though he tried to cover it with a small smile.
I was pulled out of my observations and into a bone-crushing hug by no one other than Emmett.
"BELLA!" he boomed.
"EMMETT!" I screamed back laughing.
Emmett chuckled and set my feet back onto the ground. Behind Emmett stood Jasper and Rosalie, who were smiling at me. Rosalie looked even more beautiful when she had the dazzling smile on her face.
"Bella," Jasper said kindly with a smile. Then the both of them pulled me into a group hug.
"I've missed you so much, Bella," Rosalie whispered into my ear.
Then they both pulled back and gave me understanding smiles. Edward was standing behind them, his expression unfathomable.
"Bella…" he said, his velvety voice unsure.
I don't know what I was thinking – I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a huge hug.
Edward was caught off guard and fell back a little, but eventually wrapped his arms around my waist. God, he smelled so good!
"I'm sorry, Bella," he whispered, his lips on my hair.
"Me too," I murmured, burying my face in his chest and inhaling his sweet scent.
I don't know how long we stood there in each other's arms, but it was not helping the whole friendship thing I was going for.
We broke apart and Edward smiled crookedly at me. Damn him and his dazzling skills.
"Can we just…be friends…?" I asked him uncertainly. "For now," I added after he didn't answer.
Edward's grin widened. "Sure, Bella," he said brightly. I hadn't even realized that everyone had left the room to give us some privacy.
EDWARD POV
I was so relieved when Bella wasn't mad at me. Sure, friends wasn't exactly what I wanted, but if she wanted it that way, then so be it. I could wait for eternity.
"Woot!" Alice chirped as she came out from the pantry in the kitchen, followed by Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie. How they managed to fit in there…I had no idea. Esme and Carlisle appeared as well.
Alice took Bella's hand and sat her down on the couch in the family room. Alice plopped down beside her and I sat down on her other side. Rosalie took the loveseat with Emmett, Carlisle and Esme sat on the couch across from us, and Jasper leaned against the arm of the couch.
"So, Bella, what have you been doing in the last forty-two years?" I asked her casually, forcing my hands to remain in my pockets while they so desperately wanted to stroke her soft cheeks. After all, we were only friends.
"Well…"
"Start from after we left," Alice said.
Bella sighed. "Well I became closer to Jacob Black –" I growled quietly at the mention of his name, causing a beautiful smile to form on Bella's face.
"- and I finished high school, you know, graduated," Bella said. "Then I went to college in Alaska, and then I got hit by the car and got changed by Edward. I currently live as a lone vegetarian vampire that sings at clubs and dances," Bella said casually.
Even if I hadn't seen her in so long, I could definitely see through her lies. She wasn't telling us something.
Alice could see it too, because she pressed, "So what did you do with Jacob?"
"I…" Bella said nervously.
"Spill," Rosalie ordered playfully.
Bella sighed in defeat as I chuckled. "I rode motorcycles with him," she said smugly. My heart sank.
Carlisle and Esme looked like they just saw her get run over by a truck, and Alice and Rosalie were frozen in place, as was I.
"What? I decided that since Edward here broke his promises, I broke some of mine," Bella stated matter-of-factly.
"Bella…" I said disapprovingly.
She grinned at me. She was so beautiful. "Don't worry, I only went to the hospital once or twice…but it wasn't nearly as bad as the cliff diving," she said. Then her smile wiped off her face and she stared horror-struck at us.
"I…I mean…" she stammered.
BELLA POV
Crap, crap, crap, shit, damn it! They weren't supposed to know any more about that…
"Cliff diving?" Edward asked calmly, though I could tell he was straining to keep his temper under control.
"Well…yes…I mean, I was bored…"
"You were bored…so of all things you do, you jump off a cliff?" Emmett asked incredulously.
"Sure…" I admitted. "But when you put it like that it sounds bad," I added quickly.
Edward sat motionless, still as a statue, beside me, his expression pained.
"And you were human when you did this?" Esme asked softly.
I nodded. "Yep," I said. "But don't worry, Jacob saved me," I added sheepishly.
"You mean, you almost drowned?!" Edward said exasperatedly, breaking out of his motionless state and glowering at me.
"Well, yeah, I mean, the currents were pretty strong, but I didn't really care at the moment…my mind was sort of…preoccupied," I admitted.
"What could possibly distract you from strong water currents at the bottom of the cliff edge where you were standing?" Jasper asked dubiously.
I sighed in defeat, and decided to tell them the truth. I was already admitting, so I might as well continue.
"After you guys left I started hearing voices, well his voice –" I shook my head in Edward's direction " – in particular. Whenever I did something stupid, I'd hear his voice when it was angry, and so it kind of drove me to break promises and all that. So that's sort of why I rode motorcycles…and jumped off cliffs…and almost illegally walked into a bar because of four men who looked an awful lot like the guys I saw from Port Angeles." I said the Port Angeles part very quickly, though with vampire hearing, it was clear they'd caught everything I'd said. As I spoke about the voices, it took me a moment to realize how idiotic it sounded.
They all looked at me, their faces aghast. Alice, though, frowned.
"That's odd. I would have seen you jump off the cliff…or land in the water…or something…" Alice murmured, her expression screwed up in concentration.
I suddenly felt nervous and Jasper turned to look at me suspiciously. Darn it.
"What's got you feeling nervous, Bella?" Jasper asked slyly as a smile spread across his face.
"Nothing," I muttered. Now all the Cullens were staring at me, and I knew I would cave in.
"Please tell us, Bella," Alice said. Then she gave me an irresistible puppy dog face.
"Jacob…he…he might have been in a pack…" I muttered, staring at my feet.
"A pack…" Emmett asked, waiting for me to finish the sentence.
"Of werewolves," I mumbled.
A tense silence filled the room, until Alice and Edward started yelling simultaneously.
"WHAT THE HELL, BELLA? YOU HUNG OUT WITH A PACK OF WEREWOLVES?!" –Alice.
"YOU WERE WITH A WEREWOLF? HOW OLD? HE COULD HAVE CRUSHED YOU ON THE SPOT! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD LET YOUR- ACTUALLY I CAN BELIEVE!" – Edward.
"BUT WEREWOLVES BELLA! I CAN'T SEE THEIR FUTURES AND OH MY GOODNESS YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED!" – Alice.
"HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A STUPID THING! A PACK?! THAT'S HORRIFYING!" – Edward.
"Whoa!" I shouted, holding my hands up, palms forward. It was as if a volcano erupted, but lava didn't come out of it, Alice and Edward's voices did. "Danger magnet, remember?" I said, pointing at my chest.
"Our leaving did not make things any better," Rosalie said calmly, shaking her head.
"No," Jasper agreed. Then I felt waves of calmness come over the room.
"Our family is better than a soap opera," Emmett muttered.
"The La Push pack," I stated after a few minutes of silence.
Carlisle, Esme, and Edward stared at me.
"You mean…the Blacks and Quiluete tribe and all that?" Edward asked disgustedly.
I nodded my head. "Yeah, Jacob was part of the pack," I said calmly, no hint of fear in my voice. "He was a young werewolf when I knew him."
Edward was about to protest, but I cut him short.
"It's alright you know," I reassured him. "He and the pack saved me from getting murdered by Laurent, so I think you should give them a little credit," I said with a grin. "Jacob even saved me from Victoria, that's twice!"
A snarl erupted from Emmett and Edward's chest at the mention of Victoria.
"How did you run into Victoria?" Esme asked.
"Well, when I fell – okay jumped – into the water, err…Victoria was in the water too, about three feet away…"
All of the Cullens stared at me wide-eyed.
"Danger magnet," I repeated.
"How…how could you not be scared?" Alice squeaked.
I shrugged. "I wasn't scared of a little itty vampire," I teased as she giggled.
"Though Laurent did scare the hell out of me," I muttered.
"Where did he find you?" Carlisle asked.
"The meadow," I replied sadly. I felt Edward immediately stiffen. "He was hunting…and you know…my blood was delicious," I murmured.
"Damn!" Emmett said as he began punching the wall beside him, causing fist-sized holes to form.
"Emmett!" Esme hissed.
"Sorry Mom," Emmett muttered and instantly stopped. "I wish I could murder every bad guy who dares to hurt my little sis," he said angrily, cracking his knuckles.
"Well, at least you don't have to kill Laurent! The wolves did that for ya!" I joked as everyone giggled.
"But anyway, Jacob told me everything about werewolves. Like the transformation, the communication, oh and about the treaty you guys made…"
Alice stopped laughing and a terrified expression fell upon her face.
"Bella?" she croaked after a few minutes.
"What is it, Alice?" I asked apprehensively. Her expression was worried and hopeful at the same time.
I sensed Edward gasp as he read Alice's thoughts.
"Were the wolves in the forest of Forks the…the La Push werewolves? The ones that were thought to be killing people?" Alice whispered, worry conspicuous on her face.
"Yeah, but it wasn't them killing people. It was actually a vampire army," I said from my memory. "Why?"
Alice looked extremely scared. But all she said was, "We framed them, we framed the La Push pack."
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