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Chapter 9 : Intersection
The drive back to Forks from LaPush was about twenty minutes. I made the vow to stretch it at least a half an hour, regardless of how badly I wanted to get home and clean myself up. There would be more time to talk.
Laurent sat in silence in the passenger seat. His eyes stared at the dashboard, his expression quite unhappy.
I was still waiting for answers.
"Really, I want to know what in God's name just happened back there"
"I assure you God had little to do with it."
I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine! What the hell happened back there?"
"That's more like it." He gave a humorless grin, still not looking at me.
"Well?"
"What do you think happened?"
"Laurent, I have no idea! All I know is that there were suddenly like...eighty huge wolves. You were running faster than anyone should be able to run. While carrying me! Then everyone was throwing insults at each other."
He nodded a single time and sat back more in the seat, closing his eyes now. I wondered if it was coincidence that he relaxed the moment we left the borders of LaPush.
This was harder than pulling teeth! Not that I'd ever done that before.
"Please tell me? Because I'm seriously contemplating my sanity here!"
He laughed, but just like the smile, it was dry.
"I do that every day of my life, anymore."
"That's nice. Can you answer my questions?"
"As long as you ask me direct questions, so I know what I'm answering."
Oh. That seemed fair enough. Where to begin.
"The wolves. Where did they come from?"
He was silence, but I could tell he was thinking. His fingertips began to tap on his knee, while his brow furrowed.
"Did you see those boys toward the end?"
"Yes."
"Did you see where they came from?"
"Well, no." Truthfully, I hadn't.
"So, what? Do you believe those wolves were tame beasts? Pets who belonged to those boys?"
Those wolves had been anything but tame. I glanced over at him again, then back to the road. He obviously wanted me to think about this.
So,
the wolves hadn't belonged to the boys. Circus animals? No, no, that
was just silly. They had talked about killing. Were they some odd
hunting experiment? No, that couldn't be it, either. That one boy, Sam.
I remembered meeting him at the beach party that one year. When my
mother had asked who all was there, I told her about him. She'd said he
was sort of a goody-goody. All the adults in the town thought he was
grand. I was out of theories.
"I have...no idea."
"They are those boys, Jessica."
I blinked and looked over at him again, searching for any hint of jest. His face was serious; too serious to be playing games.
"What?"
He sighed, but it wasn't frustrated, thankfully.
"You mean...?"
I thought some more, searching. Those boys had been in that circle. Some of those wolves were gone after that.
'They weren't really gone. They were the boys. Sam...and the others'
The look on my face must have mirrored my realization.
"Many of the youth from that reservation were there."
"Like...werewolves?" My voice cracked as I said the word.
"Correct."
I
stared ahead for a bit. This had to be some joke. It couldn't be a
joke, though. I was there. It was real. A glimpse over at the shredded
sleeves of Laurent's shirt proved it. There were monsters living here,
close to Forks, to my home. A thousand questions jumbled in my mind,
but one in particular stood out.
"So why did they call you a monster?"
This
must have been the part of the conversation he wasn't looking forward
to the most, because he shifted in his seat again and looked out the
window.
"I am not exactly human, myself."
'Of course you aren't. You're my angel'
Cute references aside, I frowned.
"What do you mean? Are you one of them, too?"
"No," he answered quickly. "Not one of them."
"Then what?"
"Do you..." His voice was soft and quiet. "Do you believe in supernatural things, Jessica?"
Really,
I hadn't before. Not until I met Laurent and started thinking about the
impossible. Tonight has swayed that even more. Some small bit of me was
being strong, keeping me from freaking out about all of it. Whatever
that bit was, made me nod.
"I...guess so?"
"And things such as werewolves and vampires?"
Werewolves, I hadn't been given a choice with. Vampires, though, I rolled my eyes.
"Well, no."
We
stopped at one of the only traffic lights we'd encountered so far and I
looked over at him. He was gazing at me with an expression that seemed
sad and...very tired. Then it occurred to me.
"Wait. Are you saying that...you...?"
He raised his brows a little, urging me to continue.
"...are...a vampire?"
"I am."
Whatever the bit was from before that was keeping me sane snapped. I couldn't move while I gawked at him. I tried to keep what he had said in mind. Vampires...were usually beautiful. I had seen the movies. The actors were always beautiful. If this was true, then it made sense. Laurent was by far more beautiful than them, because no human could ever hope to be so. The circles under his eyes...were those because it was daytime? Did he sleep in a coffin somewhere? Why was his skin so cold? Was that because he was...dead?
"Jessica, the light is green now."
"Oh!" I slammed my foot on the gas pedal and flew forward through the intersection, looking at the light.
I felt like that traffic light right now. There was this huge intersection on top of. Everything was meeting and somehow I was in the middle of it.
"Does Bella know?" She had been a friend with him, after all.
A corner of his mouth twisted to a weak grin.
"Yes."
How odd. Why hadn't she told me? It wasn't exactly a secret that Laurent and I were spending time together. Why wouldn't she warn me? Maybe it was because he wasn't dangerous. He wasn't a real monster like those things in the woods.
"Alright. So...you're a...vampire."
"Yes." Now he started looking amused at the reclarification.
"And those things were werewolves."
"Again, correct."
"So why did they want to kill you"
'Another difficult question for him to answer,' I thought as I saw him fidget again.
"You see," he began. "I did something that displeased them."
"Like what?"
Another hint of discomfort came from the silence. This was something else he must not of wanted to answer.
"I...was hunting someone that they cared about."
"Hunting?" I looked at him curiously, but it dawned on me. In the movies, vampires drank blood. My eyes widened.
I was sitting here in my car with someone that could kill me. He could bite me. He was...not a monster. No. He couldn't be. He was too nice. Now I just had to keep telling myself that.
"Are you frightened by that?"
"Yes, but I don't think that you'll hurt me," I whispered, hopefully.
I waited for him to agree with me. My heart started to beat rapidly when he said nothing. Was he really going to kill me?
He shifted in his seat again and I somehow managed not to jump. He moved closer to me and I tensed. I was close to screaming, when he leaned in...but he simply laid his head on my shoulder.
"No," he murmured. "I won't hurt you."
I
exhaled, relief flooding over me. I could hear him breathing softly,
just inches from my ear. I thought it strange that a vampire would have
to breath.
"Thank you."
We said nothing more until we entered Forks. I chose to break the silence again.
"So that's why they were mad at you?"
"Somewhat. There was more to it."
More. Just what I needed.
"Like...?"
"They attempted killing me once."
I almost slammed on the breaks then and there.
"What?!"
He sighed and lifted his head.
"Not
that long ago. They chased me from what I had been...hunting. And I'm
quite certain they believed they had destroyed me. Until today, that
is..."
Until today. Had I put him in danger?
"I'm...sorry..."
He looked at me with surprise.
"No, do not be. Never be. None of it is your fault."
Now we were nearly to my house. The sky was starting to grow a bit darker. I didn't want this to be over.
"Would you like to come in for a bit?"
He shook his head and I had to hold back a pout.
"It may not be best for me right now. I think I should be--"
"Jessica?"
My mother cut him off as she came walking around the house. She eyed the car with curiosity, then made her way over. This could get bad. I was covered in mud, still. Both of use were.
"Mother." I smiled and got out of the car. I heard his door shut, telling me that he had done the same.
She looked at me, then at Laurent.
"Mother, this is Laurent. He was here last night, watching a movie with us."
"Hello, Mrs. Stanley," he said politely, with one of those smiles that made my heart stop.
She blinked at him, then back to me, then at our clothes.
"What have you kids been doing?"
"Well..." What could I say?
"We were racing through the forest," he answered for me, chuckling. "I tripped and accidentally took your daughter along with me. None of us were hurt, so we've simply been laughing about it."
"Oh." She gave me a bewildered look. "The forest?"
Now it was my turn.
"Yes. We were studying for my biology test tomorrow, outside, since it hasn't rained yet today. We got bored after a while."
Her look was not convinced. She turned back to Laurent.
"You are in the same biology class as my daughter?"
"Oh, no ma'am," he grinned. "I've been tutoring her for the upcoming test."
She gave a few blinks, then smiled.
"Well! Jessica, you never told me about this. I'm impressed that you took it upon yourself to go that needed step."
"Mother," I groaned.
"Oh come of it. If the young man has been tutoring you, I'm sure he knows what I mean."
They passed a knowing grin and I sighed.
"Will you come in and have dinner with us, Laurent?"
"No, but thank you for the offer." He shook his head, still smiling. "I have plans already, this evening."
"Oh." She looked disappointed. She glanced around, I could tell she was looking for his car.
I couldn't think of an excuse for this one. I couldn't tell her he lived right down the street. I knew he didn't. I knew every home and family within walking distance from here. Maybe if I told her I was only coming home to change my clothes, before...
I heard the sound of a vehicle and turned to see a silver Volvo coming around the corner. I knew that car.
'Cullen...?'
It stopped beside us and the window rolled down. There was Edward Cullen. He looked at Laurent.
"Am I early?"
"No," he looked relieved, then turned back to us. "I'm sure I'll see you both again soon."
My mother gave an "I hope so," and a "drive safely," but I blinked, confused.
"Alright."
He smiled, then got in the car. I watched it drive off. Had he made plans with Edward in advance? It had to be the case, unless Edward somehow knew. That was about the time it struck me...
'The Cullen's.
Laurent.
The similarities.
This was how Bella knew.'
