Chapter 9 – war!
I couldn't believe what I was hearing through the thick oak door, I looked up at Edward, he looked apprehensive and I truly felt sorry for him but I couldn't stop the thoughts crashing around in my head, was this what they told you? The future! What is she talking about? How can anyone see the future? No wonder you didn't believe them.
Strangely Edward seemed to understand, he gulped audibly and turned back to his front door, raised his hand and knocked. We heard three distinct gasps come from inside. Then the door opened and the short one with spiky hair stood blinking at us in shock.
She was pale, almost sheet white, and everything about her was sharp, her angular features, her spiky hair, her clothes, the stark contrast between her skin tone and hair colour, even her expression as she narrowed her eyes at me, I could practically feel the waves of hostility rolling off her.
Then, in a very clipped tone, she started to speak, now even her voice was sharp, it seemed to pierce the air like the icy cold blade of a knife, "Edward, what is she doing here?" her tone was menacing, she was so small, smaller than me, but suddenly I believed she could take me no problem, she could probably take me and all my friends put together without breaking a sweat... she had also been the one talking about seeing the future.
"Alice!" a motherly voice chastised, this voice was more melodious, it matched the heart-shaped face that entered my field of vision, everything about her was soft, the way all her features were slightly curved to flow effortlessly into the rest of her skin, the way her caramel hair complemented her skin tone, almost exactly the same shade as Alice's, "I'm sorry about Alice, I'm Esme, you are...?" she asked politely.
"Bella," I timidly held my hand out for her to shake, she smiled warmly and clasped my hand gently in both of hers.
Her icy touch startled me, it was like she had been purposefully freezing her hands just before she had come to the door. I smiled and tried to subtly manoeuvre my hand from between the ice packs clamped around it.
Esme stepped back quickly and smiled to me, "come in," she invited warmly, gesturing to the huge room behind her.
I stepped into the massive space and scanned the room in awe, this was where Edward lived? I took in the pearly walls, and the huge wall of glass across the other side of the room, filtering in olive green light through the trees. Many things caught my eye, the massive plasma screen on the wall to my left, the exquisite grand piano in the corner next to it, the two cream sofas facing each other in the middle of the room...
The tall man stood offering his hand to me, "I'm Carlisle," everything about him was pale, the skin, the hair, the clothes, the eyes... they all had light butterscotch eyes, what was that about?
"Bella," I replied politely as he let go of my hand.
Alice turned to me again, "would you mind staying here while we talk to Edward in private please?" without waiting for a reply, or even to finish her sentence, she grabbed Edward's arm and started towing him towards the grand staircase on the other side of the room.
Edward hissed when she grabbed his arm, I could see she was grabbing tight, my previous conviction about her being able to take care of herself came rushing back warning me not to interfere, even though she was squeezing Edwards arm as if she were trying to prise it from his body and tugging him roughly up the stairs. With apologies on their faces Carlisle and Esme followed Alice upstairs, I heard the banging of a door, then silence.
I strolled apprehensively around to sit on the sofa nearest to me. I was pleasantly surprised when I sank into smooth cottony softness, I felt like I was floating on feathers as I sat there, it helped calm me and I felt oddly at ease in this fluffy white cloud.
I inhaled deeply, and a wonderful scent assailed my senses, it was the same wonderful scent I had noticed when I first thought Edward was my pillow. I inhaled again and found myself unable to resist the hypnotic power of his aroma. I felt my eyelids droop, I hadn't got much sleep last night, my body automatically waking up at seven as if I was going to school – that was why I hated body clocks.
I was literally on cloud nine, I relaxed into the luxurious, cottony haze surrounding me and let Edward's sweet scent lull me into soft, blissful dreams. They were the kind of dreams with honey and ice cream and chocolate – not like Homer Simpson – and green meadows, endless green meadows filled with warm, bronze sunshine...
I was gently shaken awake by Edward, I blinked my eyes open and my brain immediately shorted out, I was back in the warm green meadows and the bronze sunshine. Then I caught a slight movement out of the corner of my eye, and came crashing back down to reality with an almost audible thud.
I blushed bright red as I realised I had just fallen asleep in their house on their sofa, "sorry, I didn't get too much sleep last night," I hurried to explain.
Carlisle and Esme smiled at me, assuring me that it was alright, while Alice stood motionless with her arms crossed in the corner of the room, glaring at me as if I was a dog that wasn't house trained.
"come on, lets go," he murmured to me, I nodded my head and we both headed for the door.
I felt relief wash through me as I felt the cool air hit my face, it refreshed me and I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I couldn't stop the small smile playing at my lips as we strolled leisurely to the end of his drive. When we got to the street I finally turned to him.
"Is everything sorted now? Do you actually have a home to go back to after I leave?" I said.
"Yep," he sighed heavily, he wasn't upset about anything, just not that happy about anything either.
"I'm glad," I said as I stepped in to hug him, god if I slept on cloud nine back in the house, I was in heaven right now.
I grinned into Edward's chest as he wrapped his strong arms around me. I was enveloped in a secure shroud distancing both of us from the rest of the world. I closed my eyes and imagined us lighting up like a candle, only brighter, maybe a spark in the darkness, a single point of light where everything was – or at least felt – good and pure and true. I could feel it, the electric sparks crackled over my skin, wherever he touched my my skin was alive with light and heat and wonder. I could also feel the candle flame beneath my skin, burning strong throughout my body and softening the moment, making it more loving and caring, it was just nice to stand there surrounded by Edward.
After too short a moment, he pulled away, and started walking down the street, he was leaving me? Then it struck me like lightening – sudden and lethal – I was already leaving him! Again I was torn it two, one part of me was desperately screaming at me to stay here, the other – the authoritarian voice, that I had listened to my whole life and that commanded an awful lot of respect – reminded me that I should go back to my mums house in phoenix.
I hadn't really thought before about how me leaving would affect Edward, sure I knew we would miss each other, but I had never really comprehended the acute sensation in my chest that reminded me of being winded. He was ten paces down the street when he abruptly stopped and turned to face me, confusion written all over his face.
"You coming?" he asked, I nodded eagerly and skipped to his side, my hand twisting into his fingers of its own accord, I froze slightly when I noticed what my hand was doing, but immediately relaxed as his fingers willingly intertwined themselves with mine as well.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"I don't know, I haven't been here all that long so I don't really know what there is to do around here."
"Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot, lucky I still know my way around here... ish," we both laughed as I tacked the ish on the end of my sentence.
"Ok, so where would you like to go? And is there food there because its two already and I haven't eaten since breakfast."
"Well, there's bowling... or there's the cinema... or there's the ice rink..." I trailed off letting all the options I could think of hang in the air between us, they didn't hang all that long.
"Bowling sounds good, as long as we eat first!"
I laughed, "ok then, but the bowling alleys are in that direction," I said as I pointed to the left.
We arrived at the bowling alley at half two and Edward led us straight to the café area and ordered us some pizza. I chose Hawaiian – my favourite – while he ordered the meat feast. We ate quickly as we were both ravenous, and then we got a tub of cookie dough ice cream to share.
Half way through the tub, my phone vibrated, I quickly pulled it out, thinking Leah or someone had texted me – probably asking why it was taking so long to drop Edward's clothes off at his house – but as I slid my phone up I realised it was just letting me know it had died, useful.
"Damn, my phone just died," I sighed, as I slid my phone closed and slipped it back in my pocket.
"Oh well, if you need to phone anyone you can use mine," Edward offered.
"Thanks," I replied... then I blobbed ice cream on his nose.
I swear I didn't tell my hand to do that! It was just that he was leaning so far forward... and my spoon was all covered in ice cream... and it really was just a small flick of the wrist... but it was so funny!
"Hey!" he protested as he wiped his nose clean while I giggled.
Then he suddenly got a wicked gleam in his eye, and I was suddenly very nervous. It was the sort of look that said you better watch out 'cause you won't like what I'm planning. Edward leaned forward, and I simultaneously leaned back against my seat, I had no escape, I was trapped.
Then, fast as lightening, he flicked ice cream onto my chin. He smirked as I hurried to wipe it off, ok, this was war! I dug my spoon into the ice cream and scooped a huge chunk of ice cream out.
"Wait, stop!" he said urgently, yet still playfully.
"Why should I?" I asked menacingly.
"Do you remember the last time we got into a war like this? I believe it resulted in me blind folded with my hands tied in your bathroom while you had a shower," he smirked at me as my jaw dropped, he had me there and I blushed furiously at the memory.
"fine," I pouted feeling childish, "you win this time, but you better watch out mister, because you won't be so lucky next time."
He just laughed and we finished out ice cream while picking up the friendly conversation we were having about the best parts of Shaun of the dead. We agreed on the part where they all start beating the zombie in the pub in time with don't stop me now.
At three we made our way to the actual bowling alley and swapped our shoes and started bowling. I had a red bull with me and Edward had a coke but once I persuaded him to try my red bull, his coke was quickly forgotten and we both drank a can of red bull each... which, coupled with the ice cream, was probably a bed idea.
First, because it made us need the toilet loads, and second, it made us really hyper. Sugar and caffeine are a dangerous combination. Laughing the whole time, we made idiots of ourselves as we threw the ball down the lane weirdly, we tried girly throws, macho man throws, trying to throw the heaviest ball down the alley – which ended up being swung with both hands – and we got pretty competitive, both of us telling the other that they were going down.
We finished at four then decided to go to our meadow, it didn't have to be a place we came to just when we were upset and needed peace, it could be a fun place as well. When we were nearly there I pushed him over and ran, I tried to escape up a tree but Edward was right behind me, and I didn't get very far. He pulled me down on top of him... and then started tickling me. It was a whole two minutes of tickling before he got up then ran, now it was my turn to chase him.
I didn't get very far with tickling him, he pinned me down and made me promise not to try anything funny if he let me up. I kept my promise, but I was too hyper to just sit still, I showed him my attempt at a cartwheel, which wasn't that great, but not as bad as him, I actually fell over laughing as he landed in an Edward shaped heap.
He came and stood over me speculating for a moment, my laughter died as I suddenly became nervous. Next thing I knew, I was draped over his shoulder, shrieking at him to put me down.
"You want me to put you down?" he asked as the sound of the little stream at the edge of the meadow suddenly sounded much too close for my liking.
I tried to peek round his side, then saw that he was stood directly in front of the stream, "No!" I screamed, "put me down on dry land! Please!"
He chuckled and turned as I kicked my legs and started hitting his back – not too hard of course, just playfully – and dumped me down on the dry grass.
We started walking back at half five, and it was just gone six when we walked across the park, "Bella," I heard someone call, I turned around and discovered it was Alex.
"Yeah?" I replied.
"Leah's on the warpath, she's been looking for you since five o'clock," he shouted back.
Oh crap!
A/N – sorry for the pitifully late update! I just had no idea how to work this chapter so Bella doesn't find out about vampires yet! So I kinda forgot about it as I wrote for my other stories!! forgive me?
Plz review!!!!