Chapter 10: Bottle
Bella POV
I found Jake's Rabbit in the parking lot, and walked up to it, waiting for him to catch up. He unlocked the doors, and the two of us got in. Before he started the car, he pulled out his cell phone, I groaned, already knowing who he was going to call. "Hi, Esme. It's Jacob." He said. I sighed. Esme. "Yeah, I found her…yes, Esme, she is fine. Still in one piece…of course. We are on our way right now…okay, see you soon." Jake said, and hung up. He smiled a little at me, so I turned away from him, and stared out the window. The ride back was over too quickly. It could have at least lasted longer, but it didn't. We pulled up to the house, and Jake cut the engine. I saw the curtains move. "Come on, Bells." Jake beckoned. I sighed, slung my bag over my shoulder, and walked with him up to the door. "Did I mention how much I hate you right now?" I asked him. Before he had a chance to answer, the door opened, revealing a pissed off, at the same time relieved Alice. "You are in deep shit." She told me, stepping aside, letting us in.
Jake and I walked in, and stopped. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Edward were in the living room. I glanced around looking for Dr. Cullen, or Mrs. Cullen, but didn't see them. "Mom. Dad." Alice called out. Oh. A moment later, both Dr. and Mrs. Cullen emerged from the kitchen. Mrs. Cullen gasped when she saw me, and Dr. Cullen looked more relieved then Alice. Jake had his hand wrapped around my arm and gave it a squeeze, it didn't hurt, if anything it seemed like he was trying to comfort me. I don't need comforting, I need to be left alone, why cant people see that? "Isabella, where were you?" Dr. Cullen asked, in a father like tone. He even called me Isabella, wow, he must be mad. I shrugged. Like I was going to tell him. No one ever called me Isabella, not even my parents, I was always Bella. "She was at the-" Jake began, but I elbowed him hard in the stomach. "Ow." He gasped. "Shut it, Jake." I hissed. I headed for the stairs. "Bella, where do you think you are going?" Dr. Cullen asked. "To the room." I said. It was real quiet then. "Don't worry, I wont jump out the window again." I clarified. Like I would be so stupid as to runaway in broad daylight.
When I got to the bedroom, I shut and locked the door, and threw my back pack at the wall. It landed with a crash on the floor. "Stupid Cullen's. Stupid Jacob. Stupid, stupid me." I groaned, as I started to pace around the room. I looked at the clock, it was only ten in the morning. I was gone for not even twelve hours, and everyone was acting like I was missing for months.
Edward POV
It was exactly nine-thirty when the phone rang. Esme jumped, then recovered and answered. "Hello?" She said, unsteady. "Oh, Jacob. It's you." Esme said, slightly disappointed. Alice rolled her eyes. "Did you find her? Did you find Bella?" Esme asked suddenly. "She is okay right? Nothing happened to her?" She asked, relieved but cautious at the same time. As if she were waiting for the bad news. She must have got her answer, cause she looked unbelievably relieved. "I cant thank you enough Jacob, really. You are bringing her home, right?" Esme asked. I wonder if she knew Bella didn't have to come back here. She was free to go. "See you when you get here. Goodbye Jake." Esme said, she hung up the phone, and smiled. "Well? What happened?" Alice asked. "Jacob found Bella. She is okay, and he is bringing her back here. I have to go and tell Carlisle." Esme said, then hurried into the kitchen.
"I wonder where she went." Emmett asked. "Or better yet, how the hell did Jacob find her? I mean, she could have been anywhere." Rose asked. Rose had a point, twelve hours is a long time to be on the run. For all we know, Bella could have gotten on a bus, and be on her way out of state. But no, Jacob miraculously found her, and saved the day. Bravo Jacob, I thought bitterly. I sighed, maybe Alice is right. Bella just needs to know someone cares enough for her to then trust them. If anything, I should be trying to help Bella more. I've been in the system, I know what it's like to have nothing, and then all of a sudden have a family that cares for you, given all your mistakes. It's a big step, a lot of getting used to. About twenty five minutes later, a car pulled in the driveway. Alice stood up and walked to the window. She looked outside, then back to us. "They are here." She announced, and then walked to answer the door. "You are in deep shit." Alice said. I heard Bella and Jacob enter. Emmett, Rose, and Jasper all stood up to walk to the foyer. I followed behind them. Bella stopped when she saw all of us. Then she looked around the house, I wonder what for. "Mom. Dad." Alice called out. Carlisle and Esme both emerged from the kitchen. Esme gasped, either out of relief or shock, when she saw Bella. Carlisle looked relieved I watched as Jacob wrapped a hand around Bella's arm, and squeeze. Thinking that he hurt her, something came over me causing me to step towards them, but when Bella didn't show any sign of pain, I stopped. "Isabella, where were you?" Carlisle asked, in his infamous father tone. Alice got that tone a lot, especially when she was home late with Jasper. Bella looked a little surprised, maybe because he used her full name. She shrugged, staying silent. "She was at the-" Jake answer, but Bella elbowed him in the stomach. "Ow." He gasped. "Shut it, Jake." Bella hissed. Then Bella made her way towards the stairs, she had just gotten to the first step. "Bella, where do you think you are going?" Dr. Cullen asked. "To the room." Bella answered. 'The room', was her way of saying 'my room'. For some reason she never admitted that the room was hers. No one said anything, barely even moved. "Don't worry, I wont jump out the window again." Bella reassured. I smiled, making a note to myself to ask her how she did get down from three floors up.
No one said anything still. Coming from, I think Bella's room, there was a bang and then a crash. It sounded like she threw something against the wall. "Jacob, where did you find her?" Carlisle asked. Jake looked torn. "I don't think Bella wants you guys to know. Actually, I know she doesn't want you to know, or else she wouldn't have elbowed me so hard." Jake said, rubbing his stomach. Emmett chuckled. "Please, Jacob?" Esme asked, pleadingly. Jake sighed, and then glanced up the stairs. "She was at the cemetery." He answered. "The cemetery? Why the hell would Bella be there?" Alice asked. "That's where her parents are buried." Jake said. "They are buried here? In Forks?" Alice questioned. Jake nodded. I thought they died in Arizona. "That wasn't all that I found." Jake admitted. "What do you mean?" Carlisle asked. Jake silently reached into his pocket, and pulled something out. He handed it to Carlisle. His eyes widened, in shock, and soon turned to disappointment. As Carlisle was showing what was in his hand to Esme, I caught a glimpse of it. It was part of a vodka bottle. Hmm, so Bella goes for the hard stuff, interesting. "Oh, dear." Esme muttered. "What? What is it?" Alice asked. "Of all people Alice, you probably don't want to know." I told her. Alice doesn't handle other peoples problems too well.
"Stop being such a smart ass, and tell me what it is." Alice groaned. "It's a vodka bottle." A voice said from the top of the stairs. "Bella?" Jake asked surprised. "What are you doing down here?" Alice asked, embarrassed. "Well, I figured since you guys were all talking about me, I may as well be there to enjoy all the gossip." She said, as she leaned over the railing. "Gossip? Is this gossip?" Carlisle asked, showing her the broken vodka bottle. "What's the point of telling you when you aren't going to believe me anyway?" Bella asked, scrutinizing Carlisle. "What makes you think I wont believe you?" Carlisle asked. "Foster parents, they're all the same." She said. "Don't you think you are judging a book by it's cover?" Esme asked. "No, I'm rejudging a book by it's cover." Bella said. What? "What the hell does that even mean?" Alice groaned, frustrated. "When you look at Dr. Cullen, and his wife, what do you see? On the cover, you see two great parents, with a family to match. You see the perfect couple, who love each other and their family unconditionally. Yeah, well, that's how they all look in the beginning. Then, they change, and orphan Isabella Swan is left at the front door of the foster building. For the third, eleventh, eighteenth time." Bella explained.
We were silent. Alice was staring opened mouth at Bella. And I had no idea what to say to all that. "But you know what? I'll stick around until you decide to get rid of me. Because my parents, would have absolutely loved you." Bella said, and then went back to her room.
Playlist:I'm Still Breathing- Katy Perry
Someone That You're With- Nickleback