A/N: Chapter Ten!! Someone, mainly Beautiful Dead, mentioned to me that I've written a lot of chapters in three days. Hahaha! You've got that right! Well, readers, relish the moment, because my semester break's nearly over, and I still have to finish this science project of mine. I doubt I'll have to time to write anymore, let alone eat, sleep and think. All my time will be utilized for my project. Please, save me!
Disclaimer: I's not owning nothing. I's only own my mind, which I's lost, apparently.
Two Worlds: Exposed – Chapter Ten
"So class, I want you all to look at page three hundred and ninety four…" the teacher droned on in his deep, monotone voice. I honestly swear he's doing this on purpose. I think he wants to fail everyone. I mean, who could take notes when you're half asleep?
'A vampire could…sleep isn't an option.'
Oh yes, I've seemed to have developed this personality in my head. It likes to make my life miserable. I groaned quietly. I think I need to see a psychiatrist. If only they have one here in Forks…
The bell rang, successfully ending the boring History class. I was thankful for its timing but not its volume. I was about to talk myself into seeing a shrink. I don't think it's normal. I shouldered my bag and hurried out of the building. The faster I get away from there, the sooner I won't drop dead on the cold, hard cement.
"Hey, Bella! Wait up!"
I looked behind me and saw Angela scurrying through the crowd, trying to get to me. I smiled at her efforts, and so I slowed down so that she could catch up.
"Hold up there, cowboy," I said in a bad Southern accent. We've been discussing the South's part in this civil war in History. "What's got you in a hurry?"
"Bella," Angela nudged me lightly with her elbow, "don't use that accent again." She shook her head, allowing the cold winter's air hit her face, thus waking her up some more. I knew I wasn't the only one sleeping in class. "I just wanted to ask you if you got notes for this lesson. I don't think mine will get me through this class."
She took a piece of paper from her bag and handed it to me. I laughed out loud once I saw it. It was empty, apart from the topic of discussion, the name of the teacher, the date and Angela's name.
"Wow, Angie," I said through rapid giggles, "this is some note taking. Are you sure you're hand isn't cramping right now? You should get to the nurse now before English starts, 'coz I'm afraid it might fall off during a seatwork."
"Oh, ha, ha, ha," she took the paper from me and shoved it unceremoniously in her bag. "You've got a nice sense of humor, haven't you, Bella. I'm serious here." She stood in front of me, hindering me from walking any further. "I can't fail any of my classes, or else I'll get grounded. So please," she jutted her lower lip out and made her eyes go bigger. Man, I groaned, she's doing the hurt puppy look. "Help?"
I sighed and walked around her, stepped into the English building. "I'm sorry, Angela, but I can't help you."
"Why?"
Laughing, I said, "You weren't the only one asleep during the lesson. If you want to have proper notes, then why don't you ask Eric?" My smile disappeared, instantaneously realizing what I just said. Angela and Eric were having some trouble in couples' paradise, much like he and I are. "Oh, I'm sorry for bringing him up, Ange," I hugged Angela lightly, careful of her injury, "I didn't realize. I've recently acquired this disease," I sent her a joking smile. "It's called the foot in mouth syndrome. I'm taking pills for it. I really am sorry."
"Funny," Angela said, a watery smile on her face, "its okay. I'll just ask the teacher after school, maybe at lunchtime if I have time."
Our conversation ended when we both sat down in our seats as the teacher called the class into order. Suddenly, I felt like I was in a trial in California or something. I smirked; did I do something wrong, Judge Judy?
When lunchtime rolled around, I saw that Angela was still troubled. I couldn't help but feel guilty about that, so I led her away from her table and sat her down at where the Cullens used to sit. It's useless now, I guess, now that they're gone, so what's stopping use for putting it back to use? Angela was confused at first as to why I led her to the table, but she didn't ask about it. We ate our lunch in silence, with her deep in her thoughts, and me in mine. I was busy working on another new song.
By the time the end of the day rolled around, I was finished with the song. I had taken to call it 'Drew', a random guy's name I've pulled out of the imaginary hat in my head and used it in the song. I didn't think the title will sell though, so I've decided on another one, just in case. Hey, there's nothing wrong with having a back-up title, I think.
I sighed as I settled by a wooden table and took out my load of homework, waiting for my dad. 'Teardrops on my Guitar', I think it has a ring to it.
I think an hour passed by with me just working alone. Angela and the rest went home as soon as they could, and though Angela wanted to keep me company, I told her it wasn't necessary. I was used to the quiet sounds of the surrounding forest and the wind in the distance, so when my dad entered the parking lot beeping the horn like there was no tomorrow, I jumped. It was a simple, human reaction.
"Hurry up, princess!" my dad called from the driver's seat. I cringed at his use of my nickname, and was very, very, very thankful that besides the two of us, there's no one left in the area. Except perhaps the teachers, but let's be honest here. I don't really care if they find out my nickname. "They're heating up the fire now!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I shouted back, laughing slightly. I grabbed all my stuff, threw them haphazardly in my bag, and ran over to take the shotgun seat in the car. I wouldn't want to sit in the back seat of a police cruiser. The windows weren't tainted, so people might get the wrong idea. It didn't matter if my father was the Chief of Police, because as long as someone sees me in the back of the car, words will be swapped in this sleepy town.
"How was school today?" my dad asked, making small talk.
"Oh, it was fine. Just like any other day." I sent him a small smile and he returned it.
"I see you're wearing white."
I looked down at my long sleeved shirt. It was indeed white, wearing an 'I 3 FL' shirt, to be precise, the same shirts I've bought my girls for souvenir. Thank you, Dad; you are now the captain of the Obvious ship. I poked my tongue out in reply, and my dad just laughed. The ride was quiet from then on, so I decided to turn the music, not to mention the heat, on. Who knew it would be this cold inside a police cruiser?
The moment I pressed the play button, music resounded from the speakers situated around the interior of the car. I was shocked, to say the least, when I recognized the music to be by Jason Mraz. I'd never thought I'd catch my dad listening to his music. He just wasn't the type.
"Dad?" I shot him an incredulous look. "You listen to this stuff?" I twisted the knob to turn the music down.
"Why are you complaining?" he asked, eyebrows raised and eyes searching. "You're listening to it, I got it from your iPod, and so what's stopping me from listening to it as well?"
"Well," I laughed, pushing the buttons rapidly to change the music, only to be bombarded by the Jonas Brother's 'That's Just The Way We Roll'. I turned the music off immediately after that. I can't believe my dad listens to this stuff. "Dad, I think what's stopping you is your age. You're well into your late thirties; I don't think you should be listening to the Jonas Brothers, not that I'm dissing their work or anything," I rushed to say, "I think their songs are okay."
"So let me get this straight," Charlie said as we rounded a corner, off the road and into the beach. "I'm allowed to listen to all the Yasmin songs, but I'm not allowed to listen to the Jonas Brothers."
"And Jason Mraz," I added, opening the door and stepping out. The salty air hit my face and I breathed in. It's been way too long since I've been at the beach; I don't know why I never went when I was in Florida.
"And Jason Mraz…" I followed my dad as he wandered around the sand. He was walking towards a group of people, and I hazarded a guess that this must be Billy's friends and family. "Are you sure you're not just jealous?" I stopped mid-walk, totally surprised.
"What?" I whisper-shrieked. "Is that question supposed to mean anything, Dad?"
"Just admit it, Bells," he shot me a huge grin, "you're just jealous that your old man's listening to competition."
"Competition?" I asked in the same tone as before. "What do you mean by that? There's no competition. I don't know why you're even considering them as competition, Dad. Because clearly, there's no competition, not when we're talking about Yasmin –"
"Ah, ah, ah," Charlie raised his hands, telling me to stop, "no need to explain." I crossed my arms and pressed my lips into a hard, thin line. From the way his eyes twinkled at my reaction, I'm saying he's having too much fun teasing me. "Now come on, I want you to meet Billy and his children, Rachel and Jacob. Too bad Rebecca isn't here to meet you."
"Great," I muttered loud enough for Charlie to hear, "I can't wait."
"Lose the attitude, Bells," Dad warned, "it doesn't suit you."
"Sorry," I muttered, feeling totally bad. I rarely talk back to my dad, and when I do, he always tells me to lose the attitude and then I'll feel bad afterwards. It's the only way he keeps me in check. 'Lose the attitude, Bells'. If he shouts, then I'll just shout back. Like I said, it's the only way he keeps me in check. If he tried any other way, it just won't work.
We approached the small party, which seemed to be gathered around a large campfire.
"Billy!" my dad went over to a man in a wheelchair and slapped said man in the back. It must be their way of showing how much they missed each other. I sighed. Men… I strolled around and found a log to sit on. It was wet, but it was also nighttime, so no one can see my pants wet, if it does get wet. It might just be the cold…
"You must be Charlie's daughter." The voice seemingly came from the shadows, so I couldn't help but jump. Of course, his following laughter made me regret my actions. This annoyed me so much that I took my annoyance out on the person by hitting him. He didn't even flinch.
"Who are you, how did you know who I am and why did you scare me?" I asked the guy as took the seat – well, if you could call it a seat; it was a log – beside me. When I saw his face, I did a double take. He looked familiar, like I've seen him somewhere before.
"The name's Jacob," he offered his hand for me to shake. I didn't. He let his hand fall down into his lap awkwardly. Jacob? I reviewed some more my memories of my past, like around when I was twelve, thirteen. Nope, I don't remember meeting any Jacobs, but this Jacob looks so familiar…
"I'm Billy's son and I talked to your dad a couple of times."
I nodded in understanding. So this must be the infamous Jacob Black. I looked around, trying to see if his sister, Rachel, was here as well. I gave up as soon as I tried. I didn't even know the girl, so I doubt I'd find her in this flock of people. Besides, they all look the same to me, especially since it's nighttime and there's no light to shed on the topic. I cracked a smile at my joke. It dropped immediately. It wasn't event that funny.
"You must be Isabella," the guy, Jacob, said.
"It's Bella," I corrected him. "It's nice to meet you, though. My dad's all but sung praises about you." Okay, so I was exaggerating a little bit. My dad only mentioned him once, and that was just this morning, but I can't just say that. From what I can tell, Dad's been telling the Blacks all about me, something I'm sure I'll regret later on. What kind of stuff does this guy know? I hope Dad didn't relate to him stories of when I was learning how to walk…
"He did?" Jacob's eyebrows rose to meet his black hairline. It suits him, I mean, Jacob Black having black hair. It's like meeting someone with the last name Green, and it just so happens that that person's favorite color was green. It's funny when stuff happens like that. Life was awesome that way.
"Yeah," I nodded, focusing back at the conversation at hand. "And from what I hear, he's been telling a lot of stuff about me as well," I said, changing the course of the conversation. Jacob smiled, almost winningly, at me. I felt confused. Did I say something?
"Actually," Jacob stood up and motioned for me to follow him. I did. "You're dad told a lot of stories about you, most of them when you were just a kid, so I pretty much feel like I've known you since you were in diapers."
I blushed bright red at that. So he there's a ninety-nine percent chance of him knowing the time I learned how to walk… How could my own father do this to me? Embarrass me by telling stories about me to a random stranger? Okay, so what if Jacob's not really a stranger, nor is he randomly picked off the streets, but still. This was so embarrassing…
Jacob and I walked over to the barbecue stand, where a guy was tending to it. The guy was tall, though not taller than Jacob, who seems to be a giant in human form. The guy smiled warmly at me as he offered me a chicken leg on a stick. I took it, thanked him, and then turned to Jacob. He was busy breathing in the many chicken body parts on his sticks.
"Wow…" I said, feeling my eyebrows rise and my mouth drop open slightly. I closed it back up with a snap.
"Don't mind him," the guy who offered me barbecue said, "he takes his food seriously so don't be offended. The name's Sam Uley, by the way."
"Bella Swan," I looked at Sam fleetingly and then looked back at Jacob. He was nearly half done. I looked down at my chicken leg. I haven't even had a chance to take a bite yet. "Where does he put all that stuff?" I asked Sam. Sam only laughed.
"He's got a hollow leg."
"Figures," I muttered sarcastically. Really, I really doubt Jacob has a hollow leg, but he sure does eat a lot. He must work out to burn the calories off. I quickly raked my eyes up and down his body. Right, he does work out. I looked away, not wanting to be caught staring. I mean, there's not much to look at. He's no vampire.
I closed my eyes tight and shook my head. I can't think about that now. Didn't I promise to never speak of them again? I've never broken any promises before, especially promises that I made to myself. I haven't outed the Cullens, have I? Everyone's still oblivious to existence of vampires, aren't they?
I bit my lip. I can't help but think the word 'yet'. I haven't broken a promise yet. I haven't outed the Cullens yet. Everyone's oblivious to the existence of vampires, yet.
"Bella?"
"Hmm?" Jacob was looking at me, concern clear in his dark eyes. "What? Am I missing something?" I looked at Sam. He too, was looking at me in concern, along with the woman by his side. I took a quick intake of breath when I laid eyes on her, and only one question was in my mind: did a vampire do that to her?
I somehow don't doubt that.
Three long scars, starting from the right side of her face and ending on her arms, totally marred this woman's otherwise beautiful face. Her skin was a beautiful shade of copper, and her deep set black eyes and raven black hair framing her face made her look exotic. She was smiling at me, I noticed, but she seems to be frowning as well. One of the scars was making her look like she's frowning… I averted my gaze to Sam, not wanting to be caught staring.
"Sorry," I apologized, though I didn't know to whom it was directed to.
"Bella," Jacob spoke, "this is Emily, Sam's fiancée. I was just telling you about her."
"You were?" I repeated quietly so that Emily wouldn't hear. "Oh right," I plastered a smile on my face. "Emily…!" I reached over the heat of the cooking barbecue and offered my hand. She took it with slight trepidation. "It's so nice to meet you. I'm Bella, Charlie's daughter."
'Just keep on smiling, Bella,' I told myself, 'pretend you don't see the scars. It's rude to stare. It's rude to stare.'
"It's nice to meet you as well, Bella," said Emily. She shared a quick glance at Sam before saying quietly, "It's okay to ask, about the scars, I mean. I didn't mean to scare you. I was kinda sneaking up on you, right? You seemed to far away, and then you come back to earth and then you see my face. I'm sorry, again."
"Don't apologize," I told her in the same tone she was using. I walked around the barbecue stand and stood beside her. "I was the one being rude, staring and reacting like that." I studied her scars once again, debating if I should ask her what happened or not. When I made my decision, I said, "And really," I met her eyes, "you don't have to tell me. I'm not prying."
"So you weren't scared?" Emily asked. "You jumped slightly."
"No," I shook my head, "I wasn't. I was just…" I shrugged, searching for the right word to use. I wouldn't want to offend her. "Shocked; I was shocked and my mind went on overdrive. I have an over imaginative mind, you know, which I totally blame my dad for."
We shared a laugh, as we both looked at Charlie. He was seated beside Billy, and they were both gathered around the campfire, along with other people. Members of the Council, perhaps, or maybe just more of Jacob's friends.
"I see Charlie's having fun," commented Emily. I sighed. At least the conversation's not about her scars anymore.
"Yeah…" He was happily strumming away on an awfully large guitar. When he saw me looking, he grinned and motioned for me to come over. Promising Emily that I will talk to her later, I meandered over the rocks, careful to not trip, and stood behind my dad. I groaned in good humor once I realized what song he was playing.
Laughing, Charlie said, "Come on, princess, join in."
"Well open up your mind, and see like me," he sang, his voice unnaturally high. "Open up your plans and damn, you're free. I'll look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love. Listen to the music of the moment, people dance and sing. We're just one big family…"
Hmmm, maybe I should join in.
A/N: There you go, Jacob fans. There. Simple. I'm not going to babble like last time. Seriously.
=]
PS. To the Harry Potter fans reading this chapter, you have to be blind to not see the connection. Professor Snape, anyone? If you do see it, a chocolate chip cyber cookie for you!