Chapter 12- Ordinary People
Edward was waiting for me when we got back.
"You're late." He accused.
"You're early," I shot back playfully.
"You told me five."
"I said around five. No one expects anyone to show up exactly on time!"
"It's been half an hour."
"Well, we're back." And I'm in one piece.
"Good."
"Since you're here, why don't you help us carry this stuff inside?" Charlie hollered from the house. Edward winced and I snickered. My hearing wasn't as sharp as Jason's but that had to hurt.
"Sure, Chief." Edward offered.
We made short work of the rest of the fishing gear and I hugged my dad.
"I'll see you later."
"You're going to meet Edward's mom, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"Have fun, kiddo. They're good people.
"Thanks, dad. Make sure you eat." Charlie laughed and I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious! And you have to go to sleep too! No watching TV at 5 in the morning!"
"Alright, Bells. I'll see you later." That was when I realized that I didn't have to take care of Charlie like I did Renee. It was… nice, I guess.
Apparently they were using the kitchen for the first time. I could tell by all the nervous hustling around my ears picked up, the hushed whispers. They were nervous. That was weird. They were nervous, but I wasn't.
"Hi, guys. What're you doing?"
"Esme wanted to welcome you in with food but it didn't go as planned." Emmett announced.
"You call your mother by her first name?"
"When we're not in trouble."
"That's funny. The only people I call by their first names are Jason and Renee, but then again, she's not my mother and I never know what to call him, so I just call him by his name."
Esme looked like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. I could tell she was Esme because I'd seen everyone else before. She was just as beautiful as the rest of them, but in the way that my own mother was beautiful. I admired Leah's courage and the way she wasn't afraid of much. Esme seemed like one of those awesome moms.
"Hi, Esme. Nice to finally meet you." I blurted out. Aw great!
I mean honestly, can I think about what I'm going to say before the words leave my mouth? Please? Please?!
"Um…"
"I said that aloud, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did." Jasper smirked.
"Shut it, Scarface. You are not allowed to laugh at me!" I snapped.
"Whatever you say."
"I'll be right back with the food. I tried to get the kids to help but they were all weird about it. Like they've never been taught how to treat a guest."
"Everyone knows that if you meet someone new, you bribe them with food. Food makes the world go round. Our next world war will be fought over food and here ya'll are wasting it! You're all terrible friends!" I mock scoffed.
"I deeply apologize, Milady." Edward murmured lowly. I knew he was laughing on the inside as he played along. "Have some eggplant parmesan?"
"See? This is a guy who knows how to treat a lady." I snickered. Emmett barked a laugh and Edward glared at his brother.
"Take as much as you like, Bella." Esme offered. For all my jokes about food and treating guests, they were just that. Granted we didn't have limits on what I could and couldn't have with Jason and Leah, there was still that urge to keep track of whatever there was, to conserve it for another meal. That hadn't let me go, and I don't think it was going to anytime soon. I automatically looked to Carlisle, whose eyes widened with realization.
"Esme was right when she said you could take as much as you wanted."
I gave the dish an appreciative glance.
"Would you like to know what was in it?"
"Just give me a moment?"
"Take all the time you need."
It took five seconds of confirmation to break my trance and start scarfing down the food. It was delicious!
Esme's face morphed into one of concern, which told me that Carlisle had kept his word. "Please don't choke, dear, or burn yourself. That wouldn't be very good for anyone." She fretted.
Charlie was right. They were good people at heart. Not ordinary people, but I was among friends.
"Want to see the rest of the house?"
The others had vanished, presumably to go about their business. I was okay with that. They didn't have to look after me. Now if only Edward would get that I won't break if something bad happens…
"Sure," I've only been in five houses before. Renee's, Jason's, Andrew's, Charlie's, and Leah's (in Forks). Now I had this one to add to my list.
"Come on up, the others won't bite."
"I hope not." I muttered seriously. "You'd die."
Edward raised an eyebrow.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just try and resist whatever it is normal vampires find so appealing." My lip curled around the word and I quickly shook myself out. I couldn't afford another flashback. Not here, not when they'd actually been nice to me, had allowed me into their house and fed me.
She's alive, of course she is. I assured myself as Edward led me up the stairs.
"Nice color scheme," I offered weakly, motioning to the rows of graduation caps.
"We matriculate a lot."
"I'm not going to ask why you'd bother."
His music collection was awesome. He had a bit of everything, though he mainly stuck to classical, and I was surprised to find that he had several albums by Linkin Park. I loved Linkin Park.
"Can I-?" I motioned to the music station and he nodded.
"You don't have to ask me for that."
"It's just that It's your stuff and-."
"It's okay." He assured me.
I plugged in the Ipod Jason had gotten me for Christmas and shuffled all my Linkin Park songs. In the End flowed through the speakers.
"How predictable," I snickered.
"Why?"
"This is one of Linkin Park's most popular songs. Even if you don't listen to the band that much you can still recognize it."
Time is a valuable thing; watch it flock by as the pendulum swings.
Watch it count down to the end of the day the clock ticks life away. It's so unreal…
I kept nodding to the song, singly softly with my head pressed against the cool surface of his desk.
In spite of the way you were mocking me, acting like I was part of your property…
Stupid vampires and their stupid red eyes and their stupid arrogance and their stupid diets that tend to, oh I don't know, ruin people's lives! I mean honestly, is it too much to ask the idiots to show some restrainst?! Then again… I guess I shouldn't have run away. Goodness, when did my life become a soap opera?
Edward looked horrified and I sighed.
"I said all that aloud, didn't I?"
He nodded.
"Didn't know you felt that way." He offered.
"It's not toward you all personally. I just don't like arrogant idiots who think they're higher than me just because I'm technically their food. Oh, and don't try and drink my blood. I'll burn you from the inside out, just like Leah did to the last one who tried."
"I wasn't planning on it."
"Good." I growled. "Keep it that way."
He looked so lost…
"I'm sorry, okay? I just had bad memorials. This doesn't happen all that much and I don't think it should be a thing just because I'm here. I hope I didn't ruin your day."
"We'll be fine, Bella. Want to watch TV or something?"
"Actually, I have an idea."
I hesitated outside Dr. Cullen's study, as Esme kindly pointed me toward it. I knew he knew I was there, but he kept at whatever he was doing, obviously trying to let me make the first move. I needed him to do that though, and he knew it.
"What can I do for you, Bella?"
"Is it okay if I go for a run?"
"Certainly. Would you like one of us to come with you?"
"I was wondering if you and Edward would mind."
"I don't and I'm pretty sure Edward won't."
"Thanks. I want to show you all something."
The day was perfect for what I planned to do. For once, I was glad Mom wasn't here because she would drag me down kicking and screaming. I would try and claw my way back up while she complained that there was too much of Jason in me and it wasn't safe up there. Now that I think about it, Esme reminds me of Mom sometimes. Maybe it's because they both have kids to look after…
I took a deep breath and shook myself out. I would not freeze up.
"It's my favorite way to travel in a forest. Whenever there are really tall trees around, Jason would let me climb on his back and he'd jump from branch to branch. I don't know if you'd be able to do it. It took me a while but you are vampires. I know the wolves wouldn't be able to do it. They can't climb if their lives depended on it. Stupid dogs." I snorted.
I closed my eyes and focused. The tree was extremely tall, but the branches acted like a ladder if I looked hard enough. A mismatched ladder, but a useful one.
I scaled the first few feet with ease and lunged for the thickest branch.
"What are you doing?!" Edward demanded as he hoisted himself up to join me.
"If you wanted a ride you could have just asked!"
"I can do it myself!" I snapped. "I'm not five anymore!"
I heard Carlisle's voice in the background and watched as Edward sailed to the ground.
"Be careful, Isabella, the last thing I need is for your mother to kill me!" The doctor yowled. I nodded and focused on keeping my balance. I didn't even have my tail to help me! I let out a low growl and leapt for the next branch. My fingers barely managed to scrape it before I fell with a completely undignified yelp.
"Bella!" Edward started for me but was held back by Jasper, of all people.
"Let her finish what she started. She's not hurt yet."
"She just fell from a branch that's like 30 feet in the air!"
"Onto another branch that's 25. Calm down. Edward. You're not helping."
I nodded my thanks and swung one of my legs up toward the branch I was swinging from. It took a few tries but I finally managed to balance myself so that I could crawl toward the trunk.
I decided to try something different though. I'd only seen Jason do it twice before, but he'd always landed perfectly fine. I figured I could at least land on my hands and knees.
A feeling of exhilaration coursed through me as I lunged for the ground.
"NO!"
The giant grey form sailed through the air; eyes pinned on the falling girl. That falling girl being me and that giant grey form being my mother. I latched my arms around her neck on instinct more than anything else and the Cullens gaped as she landed a few feet away from them. I hopped down and the she-wolf wheeled off for the forest. I tilted my head to the side. She hadn't gone very far by vampire standards but the sentiment was the same. They knew not to look.
The she-wolf was replaced by a shivering girl in jeans and a dark sweater.
"Isabella Marie Swan, you better have a good explanation for this!" She snapped. I ducked my head in embarrassment.
"I wanted to show them what I could do."
"You're still healing, Bells. You know Jason wouldn't let you go up like that. Especially not as high as you were."
"You wouldn't let me go up at all. Jason would at least give me pointers."
"He would say that you aren't ready." Leah countered.
"I was okay!"
"You almost fell. And what was that last part?! I've told you time and again not to try everything he does and what do you do? You nearly get yourself killed!" She snapped.
"Mom!" I groaned. "I'm okay, really."
"You say that now," Leah muttered darkly.
"And what exactly were you lot doing? Were you just going to sit there and wait for her to break something?!"
"We would have intervened had you not been there." Jasper offered.
"When?!" She snarled. "After she fell?"
"I didn't fall-."
"You're not ready, Bella! Give it more time before and you'll get there but you didn't walk away from that accident unscathed."
"You weren't even there." I scowled.
"I know that. It doesn't excuse the fact that you're still healing."
"I'm sick of healing! I spent the first year going to whoever Renee could get for them all to say, 'give it more time, she's still healing,' and it's done nothing for me! I don't want to heal." I sneered.
"I know what you want and I don't know when it'll happen but it will. He's not dead but that doesn't mean you get to be reckless."
"I could have done it-."
"At best you would have broken a leg."
"No-."
"And that's considering that you're not fully grown yet. I know you're sick of being cooped up but until he wakes up, you can't do whatever you want."
"You're here though."
"I'm not him. I'm not equipped to handle what he is."
"Fine," I groused. "I could have made it if you hadn't caught me."
"I doubt it, kid, but nice try. Stay on the ground for me, Bella? I can't lose both of you."
"Way to guilt-trip me, mom." I snorted.
"It's not a guilt-trip if it's the truth."
"Are you going back to La Push?"
"Technically I'm trespassing and I'm pretty sure that I've overstayed my welcome."
"I want you to meet Esme." I blurted out." Carlisle laughed and I rolled my eyes.
"Who?"
"Dr. Cullen's wife. Her name is Esme and she's awesome, like you. I think you'd like her."
"Is Esme okay with this?"
"I certainly have no objections." The vampiress offered. "Who am I meeting?"
"Leah Clearwater. I guess you could say Bella adopted me. I've known her since she was in middle school."
"Esme Cullen. My husband is Bella's psychologist and apparently our kids are the best of friends."
"There's something," Leah murmured. "Thank you for watching her, all of you, and I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."
"It's perfectly fine, Leah. If my kid decided to jump out of a tree without any warning, I'd shame them right then and there, vampire or not. Kids these days have no sense of self-preservation at all!"
"Spoken like the truth it is… I like you already."
"We should definitely do this again sometime." Esme offered.
"Hopefully under better circumstances but yes, this is nice."
"I can assure you that Bella will be safe with us."
"I know, thank you." Leah murmured. I knew she meant it. "Maybe I'll see you around?"
"Yes, of course. Stay safe, Leah."
"Sure thing, Mrs. Cullen."
Leah dipped her head and loped into the forest.
"I thought we discussed this," Carlisle seemed exasperated but amusement colored his tone.
"She was here and Esme was here and it sort of… slipped out, I guess. Besides, I was right. They got on just fine."
"It was definitely fun to watch." The doctor offered, which earned him a gentle whack upside the head from his wife. I snickered.
That reminded me of Leah when Jason said something stupid.
"They're awesome." I told him.
"Yes, I know." He purred, flashing an amused glance my way. I rolled my eyes and walked right past him.
"Since that completely failed, can I take you up on your offer of TV? I think Law and Order SVU is on and I don't want to miss it."
"Sure thing, Bella." Great. Now Edward was going to hold this over my head for the rest of my life.
"Maybe not that long, but it is funny." I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure. Laugh it up. The awkward moment was a real crowd-pleaser." I scowled as I stalked toward the house.
"I didn't mean to insult you."
"It's not you." I groused as I searched for the remote.
"You'll get better at it." Alice assured me.
"It's taking forever!" I whined.
"That's to be expected." Rosalie informed me. "After my accident it took forever for me to get used to men. Let alone want to go near the two I lived with. I stuck with Esme for a really long time."
My eyes widened in realization. Rosalie was telling me a piece of her past. An important one judging by the fact that Emmett and Edward had stiffened and Carlisle's gaze had gone sympathetic. It didn't take long for me to figure out what had happened to her, but I wasn't about to embarrass her further. I was glad she'd chosen to share such a vital (albeit gruesome) part of her life with me.
"I don't think I'll be able to go near anything other than my truck for a while," I admitted. "and that's because it's one of those awesome bullet-proof-type ones."
"You're okay with Edward."
"Actually she's ordered me to slow down on several occasions."
Jasper chuckled at the image that was probably forming in his head.
I shook myself out. The last thing I needed was a flashback. I'd avoided them with Edward and I could avoid them now.
"Please not here," I muttered. I didn't want to scare them off in their own house.
"If you fight it your dreams might get worse." Jasper advised.
"If I don't then whoever I'm with would run screaming. It's happened before."
Any Questions? Comments? Favorite songs? Review please!