We were just through the doors as two strong and cold arms embraced me from behind. I instantly knew it was Jasper so I didn't freak out. "Surprised? We came back a minute after you went out. We thought we should check on you and make sure Emmet doesn't bug you too much."
"Hey, I heard that loverboy. Besides, stop the billing and cooing, Bella and I have a date with some paddles. What you two do I don't care a copper but we are going." He fetched me from Jasper and threw me over his shoulder so I wouldn't run back to him. I was laughing the whole way Emmet carried me until we reached the right aisle. We stayed there for nearly three hours and Emmet still wasn't finished with his tests but I got bored. "Emmet, I'm running out of steam. I'm going off alone and explore the Mall for a while, okay? You'll find me anyway if you need me." He just nodded and never left his gaze the game he was now testing on this X-Box thing. I left him there and wandered off alone. I knew Edward must be somewhere in the CD section and Jasper probably gone in one of the bookstores. There were a lot stores for clothing and what else you could think of. There even was one selling only candles and candles alone. On the second floor I found a lot of different restaurants and bars. I was so lost in contemplation I didn't see the person standing in front of me and directly ran into her.
I was about to apologize as I looked him in the face. I knew this person. His name was Michael and I met him once. He called himself a pharmacist. Only people who bought from him knew this and I did buy from him. He was it who gave me all the pills but I didn't pay them. I thought I wouldn't be living anymore when the three days were over and the paying was due so I bilked him. Of he recognized my face right away. He reacted faster than me and grabbed my arm to drag me into a small café. It was hopelessly overcrowded so no one paid us attention as he dragged through the room to the toilets. He made sure no one was in there before I heard the lock click shut. "You know what I want." It wasn't a question it was an order and I obeyed. I fished for the money and even doubled the bill. I thought it would ease his anger but he still raised his hand and slapped me square on the face. I stayed there for a minute longer and calmed down and wash my face. I inspected my cheek. Today you would not see anything but tomorrow it would be swollen I knew it. I knew I needed to tell the others so I went back to go find Emmet, Edward and Jasper.
On my way one of the stores caught my attention. It was a store for art supplies. When I was little Charlie would always portray something for me and teach me to do so as well. It was something I could maintain after he died even in the worst times I found a way to create something little. I was pretty good as much as I can say and it helped to keep me sane. Charlie even had a way to decorate my windows. In daylight it would be translucent and at night it would have a glowing effect.
I went into the shop and even forgot I met Michael five minutes ago. I walked through the aisles and looked at everything. There was this urge in me to paint again. I lost my last pencil two month before I met the Cullens and for me that was a long time to go without the chance to paint. I took some pads with different kind of papers and pencils in all possible colors imaginable. I paid and left the store with a smile on my face. I caught sight of a clock and assessed that it was after one so I went back to find the boys. The timing was perfect as they were just paying for their stuff which would be delivered later to the car. Luckily we took Emmet's Jeep. Jasper was the first one to notice me and came to embrace me in a hug again and kiss me. It felt good to be back together although it was just a day but before we could kiss again my stomach grumbled and that in return made the boys laugh. "Hungry?" As an answer my stomach renewed his grumbling request so we took of finding me a restaurant. While I ate my ravioli Emmet made it his job to watch and study me all the time whereas Edward and Jasper talked about some baseball game.
I finished and we paid. We still had half an hour to get back to the car before everything the boys bought would be delivered to the car so we still had some time to kill as I saw that next to the restaurant was an ice cream parlor. The last time I ate some ice cream was seven years ago and that was stolen ice cream. I went straight to the counter but before I could place my order I was swept of my feet. "What does our little girl want?" Emmet, who had me now sitting on his hip like a little girl, asked me in a voice you usually would use for small children. First I didn't know what I should do next and Jasper and Edward were fighting hard to keep from laughing out loud. Okay, two can play that game. I knew what I had to do to show them not to mess with me. I used the cutest child-like voice I could muster to answer him. "I like the one with strawberry flavor the most. Can I have one of that? Please, Uncle Emmet?" I waited until he was about to order when I spoke again. "But I will only eat one if you will to. All of you." All three of them stopped whatever they were doing and stared at me like I was crazy. "Bella, you can't be serious." Was all Edward got out. I pretended to start to cry like a four year old and of course they didn't want draw all the attention on us so they all bought some ice cream. On the way back to the car I gloated with victory until I saw that Edward's ice was missing. I threw him an evil glare whereupon he claimed to have slugged it down in one.
I didn't buy it for a second so I kept my gaze locked on the floor behind him to catch him in the act when he would drop the ice cream of. The problem was with my face glued to the floor I never realized that the boys weren't in front of me anymore. I looked around but couldn't find them. Perfect, just prefect. The first time I get out and I get lost. I thought it was best to wait at the car. They probably were already there all packed up and waiting for with smug faces but as I arrived I only saw some employees from the store waiting for someone to sign the papers. I did so and sat down on one of the boxes after I bid them goodbye.
It couldn't take them so long to figure out I would be waiting at the car but after I waited for another thirty minutes I started to grow impatient. Suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder. "There you are." The sentence as simple as it was kept repeating itself in my head over and over again. I knew it was Carlisle standing behind me but without knowing it he used the same sentence HE did on my seventeenth birthday before the nightmare begun. I was shivering as I fought hard to hold the memories back and I got them suppressed again after a while so I was now only sobbing. I realized that someone was holding and no matter who it was I just couldn't handle that with my memories near the surface. All I wanted now was to be free so I started to fight the hands of and after a few seconds I got free and pushed whoever it was away. During that process I slipped fell hard on the ground hitting my head on the pavement. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was Carlisle face and the worried and hurt expression in his eyes for shoving away like that.
Okay It took me an hour now to get this down what made it even more unexplainable to me why the 9. Chapter took so long. X~}
Hoping for reviews and of course warm greetings to y'all!