A/N: Remember the prologue? About Mr. Fate? Just saying, you have to remember it.
Bella: The Fate-Tamperer
Chapter 9, Part 3 of 3 of The Date: "Dating a Promise-Breaking Fool"
Cancelled-Date-so-our-Heroine-is-going-Crazier-than-usual-on-the-Pavement Day: 10:45PM
BPOV
Remember when in the movies there is this slow-motion editing when the character is seconds away from getting hit by a car and then he remembers every important moment he'd had and people he's been with in his life before he, you know, dies or get hit? Well, it turns out that that is a load of bull. In reality, the adrenaline wouldn't make things slow down for you, nor would it make you an instant-photographic memory genius. It wouldn't even make you remember your damn name!
The truth is, all the adrenaline would do is make you insanely focused on the details of your surroundings while your brain works overtime absorbing and cataloging every information that passes through your senses, thus making you all confused.
There is not even a thought, not even a single, "Oh shit, I'm gonna die." Nada.
Kinda makes you think that everyone in the movie industries are bullshitters and kinda makes you want a refund from all their bullshit movies.
So when it was me in that clichéd about-to-get-hit-by-a-car moment, I closed my eyes – which is a dumb thing to do if I wanted to escape death, and believe me even with all the drama I've had for the night, I still wanted to live – because my mind was a soft goo.
And when it registered that I should have took off, I opened my eyes again… and stared right into the big blue eyes of a rugged man.
"Gah!" was my brilliant response as he stared at me like I'm a foreign object.
"Did you think I was gonna kill you? Sorry, didn't intend for that to happen," the fool said without even retracting his face which was only inches away from mine.
"Sorry? That's all you've got to say, sorry? You almost killed me!" I shrieked in mixed freight and anger, 'cause he's all rugged and moustache and beard and smelly and he might be a rapist or a serial killer and I am seriously judgmental.
He still didn't withdraw his face.
"Well what was I supposed to say…? Wait, are you crying just because you thought I was gonna run you over? Hey, don't cry."
"You were running like one-ninety miles per hour, your tires were squeaking, you were not even driving at the proper road, and you almost killed me!"
"Yeah, well, I kinda like to drive fast," was his cavalier answer with a shrug.
"God! Move away from me, you're all smelly!"
"Alright, alright," he whined, and finally, finally retracted, starting to sit beside me instead. "I didn't expect you to be all this dramatic. I thought you were a cool kid."
When his words registered, I whipped my face to my right so fast I was the definition of "whiplash".
"What do you mean you thought I was a cool kid? Do you know me?" I asked while watching him get comfortable beside me on the sidewalk.
"Well, yeah. You're Isabella Marie Swan. You prefer Bella, not because it means beautiful, but because your grandma's name is Isabella and you don't like her. You're seventeen, and have an ugly obsession with the singer Ed Sheeran, which I don't understand 'cause I sing better than the guy. And you've been chasing Edward Cullen ever since you met him, causing all the trouble in the higher ups 'cause that guy is not supposed to be yours."
With all the revelations that guy said about me, my eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets and my mouth was in a big "O" you'd think I was having an orgasm… which, sadly, I never even had before. The pathetic life of a virgin who doesn't use her fingers…
When I recovered, my mind caught up to ask the one thing that any sane person in my shoes would ask at that moment:
"How can you say you sing better than Ed Sheeran? I don't believe you; you have to prove it to me."
Because that shit is important.
"Sure," the fool, who was too full of himself, responded, and then proceeded to clear his throat, readying to sing.
"Darlin' ah, will, be loven' yah, 'til, yahr seventeen.
An bebe ah, will, be on your knees, 'til, it's evergreen.
I'm thinkin' 'bout haaa, people fall in love in mysterious place, like the thrum-beats of the stars…"
I stopped him before he could continue.
"That was horrible."
"Well, I was on a concert yesterday so my voice is all scratchy."
"I doubt that. But to humor you, how many people came in this supposed concert?"
"Hundreds of thousands of people…" At my look, he squirmed. "Alright, alright, just one, very drunk person. Geez, you're worse than a cop in an interrogation room, and I had experience being interrogated by the toughest cop in the world."
Oh, the bravado…
"Yeah, well, my father's a cop. I was raised to interrogate intensely"
"Oh that's right, but nothing good it did him I heard, 'cause you get your way anyway."
"Well, he's never really one for rules… he does have rules, but he lets me bend them all the time so they're moot."
"Very Chief Charlie. Always caves on his only daughter. That's what we need for a tough police chief."
"He mostly handles animal attack so anyone can do his job."
"Well, that's true."
"Wait," I then asked, remembering how shady he seemed when he told me all about myself… "I don't want to put a damper on our conversation because we really seemed to be hitting it off…"
"Right…"
"…but how come you know who I am?"
At this, he started picking on his nose, which is not at all gross.
"Because I was supposed to know who you are."
"And why is that? Are you an unwanted fairy god-father or something?" Seriously, if that's true, that this is who the 'higher-ups' designated to me: A bearded hobo who claims to sing better than Ed Sheeran but sounds more like his grandpa when he's a thousand years old, then I gotta have to give them a piece of my mind and some other piece as well…
"Nah, god-fathers are so, like, eighteenth century. We're on the twenty-first now, so we're all upgraded."
Because that is the most normal thing to hear.
"So, what are you then?"
"I'm Mr. Fate."
Okay.
"Right, so what are you?"
He looked at me like I was the one insane here.
"YOU DON'T GET IT? I'm the coolest creature ever! I'm Mr. Fate!"
"Faith… like you go to the church and pray…"
"NO! Jesus, I can't believe you don't know how awesome we are."
"Your kind's not really not that popular…"
"Listen," he interrupted, looking decisively at me and holding my shoulders like what he was to convey would make or break the survival of humanity, "I am Mr. Fate. First name Leonard – 'cause we were given different first names – but last name Fate. Your Mr. Fate. I make sure you get what you're destined for and push you towards the right direction. If you decide to bomb a high school gym, I have to whisper in your ear and tell you to make fireworks instead. If you decide to murder your school teacher, I'd have to get you all confused so that you'll just irritate him instead. I am in charge with your destiny."
I was horrified.
"So you're to blame why Mr. Banner is still alive!"
"You've made my head ache countless of times with your ridiculous and absurd decisions; I'd have to always make sure you only impact minimal damages to people."
I was kind of speechless.
But do I believe him?
It's like asking if Ramsay Boltron was a good kid in Game of Chrones.
The answer is of course, yes.
"Aren't I the coolest?" He asked with a beaming smile; his beard kinda makes him look like a thin Santa Claus.
"I feel like I got the short end of the stick."
"Awesome!" he exclaimed, not understanding the meaning of what I said.
"So, why have you suddenly decided to show yourself to me today? Aren't people like you supposed to be all mysterious?"
"You were crying like crazy. I had to intervene."
At the mention of my tears, I remembered what happened with Rose and Edtard and I started bawling my eyes out.
"See? I had to calm you down. You're making me look bad in the higher ups," he said, gesturing upwards.
"And all along I was wondering if you're a pedophile!" I cried.
"Please, I'm like gorgeous and forty – I can get any Ms. Fate I wanted," he said all arrogantly, wiping the finger he used on his nose on his shirt. "So, you were crying about this Edward?"
"My Edtard."
"Right."
"He didn't want to see me again!" I cried.
"He wasn't fated for you anyway."
"WHAT?!"
He rolled his eyes, like him declaring the love of my existence wasn't fated for me is just the same as him saying it always rains in Forks – it's just how things are.
"Please, spare me the theatrics."
"But you're talking about my whole life here!"
"He was supposed to be with this blond girl…"
"TANYA?! THAT BITCH!"
"Not her."
Then who?
Like he could read my mind, he answered my unspoken question with, "A new girl will come along. He was supposed to be with her. You, on the other hand, was supposed to die alone, and a virgin."
No scarier words were said.
I cried louder. "B-but what can I d-do? I want-wanted him!"
He shrugged. "Just do whatever you always do."
"Which is?"
"Tamper with your fate."
"Wha-"
Before I could question him further on what he meant by that, a sudden noise from afar – like the siren of a police car – made him suddenly stand up, all alert and frantic.
"Oh shit! I have to go!"
"But I haven't asked…"
"Give me your phone!"
"This?" I asked, showing him my phone I was holding. He immediately snatched it. "What are you gonna do with it?"
"Thanks for this," he said, not answering my question.
It took him only a few seconds before he was on his car, and next thing I knew, his car was skidding away from me.
"Wait, I haven't asked you yet how to tamper with my fate…!"
But he was already gone.
Only a few seconds later, several police cars stopped on where I was. I recognized Deputy Mark driving one of said cars when he rolled his window down.
"Bella?" he asked, surprised upon seeing me.
"Deputy Mark!"
"What are you…?" But then he shook his head. "Never mind. Have you seen a guy driving a red pick-up pass you by? You'd notice him immediately even if it's dark; his window is not tinted, and he sports a huge beard and moustache."
Beard. Moustache. "You mean Mr. Fate? Leonard?"
"Him! That's him! Where did he go?"
"He took a turn to the right," I directed, gesturing with my hand at the fork of the road ahead of us.
Next thing I knew, Deputy Mark was relaying my information in the walkie-talkie thingy they use in the police force to alert his teammates, and the other police cars were heading that way.
When he was done, he started leaving as he said, "Thanks Bella. Really appreciate it."
"Wait!" I stopped him before he could start driving away. "Why were you chasing after him? What has he done?"
He looked at me with a huge warning like the warning should be screaming from his face. "Bella, that guy is a thief. He stole something precious from the White House."
"He stole something from Oh-bama?"
"No, from Tramp. You know, knew President and all. It was something really important." I wonder what that is, 'cause it's Tramp, and I didn't see girls in his car…
"Wait! He stole my phone!" I remembered in shock.
"Oh fuck," the decent police cursed. "He really works fast."
"Wait," I said for the third time, remembering something very important. "He told him he was Mr. Fate! Like he was in charge of my destiny? Like he was not from this world."
"And you believed him?" Whatever he found on my face made him sigh like he was a tired, old man. "Bella, that guy is a habitual liar. He lied about so many things to so many people. He even once told a girl he was one of the princes of England, and that girl found herself on his bed, willingly naked, the next day. Although she did not complain, says he was really good at the sack." He shook his head at the end as though he could not believe the girl.
"But he knows so much about me!"
"He's been here at Forks for days now. It's not hard to gain info about the chief and his family. Especially about you, with all the things you do to liven up this small town…" at my confused look, he stopped himself like he has said more than what he intended. "Look, Bella, do not believe a word that guy has said. He lies for a living."
At that, he finally left me at the sidewalk, still all shocked about what just happened.
Who'd have thought Mr. Fate was actually telling the truth?
You know, when he said he was used to being interrogated by the toughest cop…
Cancelled-Date-because-of-our-Stupid-Moronic-Damning-undeserving-of-the-title-Hero Day: 10:30 PM
EPOV
I was used to telling the truth about Esme without any inhibitions. Granted, I might get embarrassed sometimes because Esme always almost have no filter so she asks the most cringe-worthy things, but I do tell her things without too many complications.
This is one of those things that fall on the complications.
"…She has calmed down for now, mom. When I reminded her that Seth and Jacob are here, and she shouldn't show them stuff like that, she was immediately contrite. But should we… should we…" it took me few calming breaths to get the words out. "Should we call Child Services?"
I could hear a sigh from the other line; the almost-quiet purring of her car hardly noticeable in the background.
"That is the right thing to do, but I'm afraid if we do that, she'll get worse. Regardless of how she conducted herself today, she's always been a good mother to them, and I feel like she doesn't deserve that. I'll see what I can do when I get there."
I sighed, just immensely… tired.
"How did Jacob and Seth react about what she's done?"
"Seth was in the other room, so he didn't know what happened. It was only Jake who saw her with a knife on her wrist. I explained to him that his mother was just going through something but she still loves him, and that although what he saw was no normal behavior, she would never do that to them. And that if she has done that before, he should tell me.
"He says Elizabeth has not done any stunt like that before – not while they were present anyway – and he had more questions about what happened, but I told him you'll answer them for him the next day. I didn't know how else to explain. I asked him to go to bed after that."
"You did great telling him the truth, but not enough to paint a bad picture of his mother or make him aware just how much grave it was for his mother to do that. Jacob's still ten – he was not supposed to shoulder his mother's problems."
"This is the worst I've seen Elizabeth act like this so far. She must really be in love with Stefan."
"More like desperate about normality of a relationship. Love alone cannot make you suicidal Edward, no matter what the movies make you think or the books try to tell you. Love, plus a combination of other deadly, intense feelings like desperation, does."
"So you're saying she has an unhealthy mind."
Another sigh. "I have to talk to her when I get there. I'm near, just give me five minutes."
"Okay. Love you."
"Love you too, honey. Bye."
When I went back to the living room to sit beside my mother, Elizabeth's puffy eyes, messy hair and red nose made me immediately feel sorry towards her. Despite how she has conducted herself this evening, I was sure that the Elizabeth who I have grown up knowing is not this woman; rather, this is just a shadow of who she really is.
Elizabeth is tough, strict, but kind and rational.
This woman is not.
"Is-is Jacob asleep," she asked carefully, as though she was afraid I was angry at her for what she has done.
"He is. He's concerned, but I told him Esme's gonna answer all his questions tomorrow… though I want you to do that instead. I think it'll be better if he hears the explanation from you."
She took a few gulps of water from her glass; from all the crying she's done today, I'm sure she's spent and dehydrated.
"I'm really sorry Edward."
I sighed again for the umpteenth time. "I wanted to easily forgive you, but this is too much. Jacob and Seth do not deserve that."
"No," she shook her head. "Though I am sorry about that as well. Too sorry, really. But I didn't mean that."
"Then what did you mean?"
"I did something." If only there are tears left, she would have been crying again by now.
"What?" I was starting to get worried.
"I did something to…" she gulped. "To your Bella… I texted her."
"To Bella? What about?" Oh no. "And how did you manage to do that? My phone's not working."
It feels like all the blood was drained from my face.
"It is working now… I sent her a text message through your phone, pretending to be you. It was opened to her contact information, and I was just so upset because you were spending every moment thinking about her like I was not even here…"
"Wa-wa-wait, hold on," I stopped her, the blood that got figuratively drained from my face suddenly coming back alarmingly fast. "My phone worked and you texted her?!"
She looked like she was off to the gallows when she nodded.
"What did you text her about." It was like the calm before the storm – I could not even put an intonation to my voice.
She gulped – rightly so.
"I told her your date with her is cancelled…"
"What else."
I just knew there was more.
"And that you couldn't reciprocate her feelings."
At that, it was like a new person possessed me. I just erupted.
"Why would you do that?! You have no right to tell her anything – no right – and yet you go around telling her I don't love her? How could you? Are you not human? And you call yourself my mother? WHY WOULD YOU HURT HER LIKE THAT?!"
"Edward I'm so sorry! When I realized what I did – that it was wrong – it was too late, and you came out of Jacob's room… I just wasn't able to take it back…"
Whatever else she was saying could not reach through me. I just blacked her out, retrieving my now working phone from the table near her to open it.
I started dialing Bella's name frantically, and it was like I was starting to get crazy when I couldn't reach her.
"Bella, pick up. Please, baby, pick up…" I kept muttering, going in circles, and feeling all shades of fucked up.
That was how Esme found Elizabeth and me in the living room when she arrived.
"What's happening?"
Her voice's the only sound that was able to penetrate through me at that time. I scoffed – I couldn't even begin to tell her what my great mother just did to the most important person in my life.
When she realized she couldn't get anything from me, she turned her question to a now slightly quivering Elizabeth.
"What happened Eli?"
"I did something. To Edward's girlfriend, I did something."
"What?!"
If there is another person who is as crazy about Bella as I am, it would be Esme, and this revelation also took her over the edge. "What did you do?"
"Ruined my life, that's what," I muttered, glaring at the evil person who I happen to call my mother Elizabeth.
Ignoring me, a startlingly fuming Esme questioned Elizabeth who was cowering from her.
"What did you do Elizabeth?"
"I texted her – through Edward's phone. Told her th-that their date's cancelled, and that Edward could not love her. I'm so sorry…"
"Elizabeth, why would you do that?!"
Suddenly, Elizabeth started breaking down again.
"I was afraid of her! Of how much she has glued herself to all of you. I was scared of how much hold she have over all of you.
"When I came here, she is all Edward could think of, and all you could talk about when you were trying to calm me down. Even Jacob's started to get curious about her. I was scared everyone's abandoning me! First with Raul, then Felix, and now with Stefan. And to lose you all as well… My family… I just couldn't take it.
"My family abandoned me when I got pregnant with Edward, you all know that. I can't lose you as well."
It was quiet for a moment after that, until Esme started approaching her and sat beside her, hugging her and rubbing her arms soothingly.
"We will never do that, you know that. We are family. You do not abandon family, even if what your experience with yours says otherwise. Us Cullens, we don't do that. And Edward was raised the same way – he was raised to give importance to his family.
"And Elizabeth, you should stop doing this. Not just the dramatics and the attempt at suicide… you should stop badgering Edward with your troubles every time you encounter something difficult in your life. He is your son, not your parent or your friend. He wasn't supposed to handle your problems.
"And what you did tonight, not just with Bella but with your son, Jacob, those were inexcusable. I should be calling the Child Services just for that."
Elizabeth started crying at the prospect of losing her sons.
"But I won't. Not this time, anyway. That is not going to help you with anything. You've never been a bad mother to them, and I know that. And I already told you, we don't abandon families.
"But I won't tolerate what you did. And I can't just sit by and allow you to get away with how you conducted yourself to him and Seth today: with all the scolding, and attempted suicide, and making them feel like it was their fault that you are so miserable."
"It wasn't theirs…" she negated weakly.
"I know. We all know that. But they don't. So what I'm gonna do instead is let them stay with us, just for a couple of days… just until you pull yourself together."
"But how am I gonna do that? I feel like I don't know how to recover from this."
"Your insecurities seem to have rooted far deeper than what just happened with you and Stefan. I am not an expert, but I do feel like you have abandonment issues and it's getting uglier every time you try to bury it deep within you and try to ignore it. Elizabeth, I think you need help."
A few beats, and a tired Elizabeth surrendered by nodding her head.
"I think I really do. Maybe I have to take a break from writing… I'll still be working on the movie, but I'll focus on trying to get better. Stefan and I… I hate to admit it but I feel like it was because of my insecurities that we broke up. I killed our marriage… I'll seek out therapy."
With those words, the heavy tension that was around us all of this time seemed to ease up a little. And for the first time since we welcomed a sobbing Elizabeth in the morning, I felt lighter, calmer, like I could take on the world again.
"Edward," she then softly said, slowly returning back to the mother I was used to seeing. "I'm really sorry about how I used you and made you shoulder my problems. I was abusing you, and I didn't even notice it."
I am not a saint or anything, but just like what Esme said, family is family. I just could never hold a grudge against her.
"I forgive you. And you can come to me for anything. I know it's not my job to do it, but I will take care of you, because I also know that what you've gone through just to make sure I will be alive – even if that means leaving your family for me – you did it because you love me. And I will forgive you because I love you too."
"Thank you so much son," she said, and if she still have enough tears, I feel like she would have been shedding them again. "And about Bella, I don't know if I even have the right to ask but… please forgive me about that."
Told you I'm not a saint.
"That is not mine to give," I blurted out, residual anger still lacing my voice.
"Well, at least, I'd like to meet her… please… someday, if you'll allow me."
Not a saint.
"I'll think about it."
"Which reminds me," Esme then interrupted, as she looked at me with alarm. "Shouldn't you be meeting her at ten?"
Ten…
Oh fuck!
I glanced at my watch and saw that it was quarter to eleven. I was already forty-five minutes late. "Fuck." I muttered, and for once, Esme did not reprimand me.
"I've got to go mom. I've got to go to Bella."
"Wearing that, son?" She gestured at my clothes with incredulity.
I was supposed to wear really cool clothes for our date, be all charming and sweep her off her feet and all that, but right now I was wearing only plain shirt and jeans... and they'll have to do.
I shook my head, needing to leave fast.
"No time to change."
I took my ratty old parka on the couch and was already fishing for my keys when I spoke next. "I have to go mom, mother. Bella must be so worried, especially after receiving that text. I am the world's shittiest boyfriend."
"I'm really sorry about that Edward," a guilty-looking Elizabeth muttered again, and I could not retort with soothing words because as I told her, the forgiveness was not up to me, so instead, I just nodded.
"Bye," I told them as I head outside towards my Volvo.
When I got in my car, my phone rang. Thinking it was Bella, I was fast to look at it, but an unknown number was flashing in my screen.
"Hello, who's this?" I answered, disappointed.
"Edward?" The one on the other line responded. I immediately cataloged the voice.
"Rosalie?"
"Edward, something happened. You have to find Bella."
Not-Really-Cancelled-Date-but-our-Lover-Boy's-finally-Trying-to-do-something-about-it Day: 11:30PM
EPOV
It has been forty-five minutes of torture; forty-five minutes where I felt like I've grown forty-five years old from all the stress I was pumping in my system; forty-five minutes where I frantically, insanely look for Bella on every corner of the street my Volvo passes through.
Still, she's nowhere.
Not even a shadow.
"Bella, come on, show up…" I muttered for the millionth time.
And I think for once I wasn't exaggerating.
Ever since Rosalie called me to inform me the disaster that is her meet-and-greet with the McCarty's, where my girl got humiliated by the McCarty's ass-friends (who are fast becoming the top people on my shit list, otherwise known as the "List Of People I Was Gonna Blow The Brains Off While They Were Sound Asleep"), guilt and anger and worry were all jarring on my insides making me feel all shades of shitty. Rosalie explained that after Bella left, the McCarty's delivered justice to the Sharks by making them leave and telling them to stay on the hotel rooms instead of at their mansion for the night, thus ending their dinner in peace. Rosalie was then welcomed properly to the McCartys where they showed her all the embarrassing pictures of Emmett and told her all the embarrassing stories they'd kept tabs through the years, finally acting how a family should be in meet-and-greet sotuations. When Emmett's parents asked about Bella, that was when Rosalie tried to contact Bella and her parents, but Bella can no longer be contacted and Renee was alone at home so it was difficult to make sense of what she was saying, as usual (or rather, it was difficult for Renee to grasp what Rosalie was saying).
So this is how I found myself now: fast starting to lose my sanity, and feeling like my bronze-hair all turned grey from worrying...
After a few more minutes of this torture, I finally saw someone – a woman – on the pavement, and I pushed the brakes on the foot of my car so fast I was jolted forward.
The woman covered her face when she was hit by the headlights of my car.
I rolled down my windows to talk to her.
"Bella, is that you? I've been looking for you everywhere…"
And then she removed her hands that were covering her face, and my face froze.
"Oh my gosh, you're a hottie!" The woman exclaimed, making my frozen face unfroze so that I could cringe.
"And you are clearly not Bella."
"I can be who you wanted me to be, baby," the woman purred, and it was scary… literally...
'Cause when I saw her face, I realized that she was a ghost.
"No you can't, because you're dead. You need to cross over."
Have I mentioned I can see ghosts? And that I can communicate with them?
"No I wasn't," she claimed, making her melting-face all ghostly and dark and disgusting. "That is the worst pick-up line ever. And you need not do that; you're so handsome I'll willingly go with you."
"Which is what I don't want," I muttered, sighing. "Listen, you're all white and translucent and you look like you've been decades-old dead and you don't have a shadow and you don't have feet. You are clearly a ghost."
She started laughing at what I said – and it was spooky as hell – but when she realized I was serious, she took inventory of herself based from all the indications I ticked off and started freaking out.
"OH MY GOD, NO, NO, NO! It can't be! I can't be dead!"
"Uhm, you kind of are. And I think you need to realize that to finally go to the all glowing light."
"NOOOOOO!"
But whether she liked it or not, when she finally realized that she was dead, said all glowing light suddenly came for her, and even as she wails, she could not do anything as it started absorbing her.
It took her a few wails, and a final look of contentment at the last minute as she descended, and it was over.
"I can't believe I got flirted on by a dead girl," I muttered to myself, shaking my head as I restarted my engine in search of Bella.
A few more frantic searches, a few more worrying, a few more guilt feelings…
A few more minutes later, and I saw another person. I wasn't sure if it was a boy or a girl from afar because he or she was sitting on the pavement with her head bowed on her knees and her arms cupping her head.
I still stopped to make sure.
"Bella…" the words were lost on me as soon as the person looked up.
"Oh, hey there," he said, standing, then swaying to walk near my opened window.
He, as in a guy, so clearly not Bella.
He, as in someone famous.
He, as in Robert Pattynshen famous guy.
It took me a few tries I was so surprised, but after which I was finally successful when I blurted out, "You starred in Twiflight. You're an actor. What are you doing here?"
'Cause that is the definition of cool, Edward.
Real smooth.
He smirked lazily, kind of crooked, and I noticed he smelled strongly of musk and alcohol.
He looked wasted.
"Wow, this is hilarious. My manager sent me a bloody doppel-ganger, it's like I'm looking at myself in the mirror."
"Well, that is if you are in your teens and is clean-shaven and have better abs," I argued, kind of ticked off he thinks he looks like me. He might have all the females in the world lusting over him… as well as the she-males… but I have my Bella, so I win.
"Well, that's true, that's true," he muttered, totally wasted.
"What are you doing here in Forks?" I asked 'cause I know Robert Pattynshen doesn't just suddenly decide to show up in the dark streets of Forks one frantic night.
"I was out in the pub, drinking. I can't drink alcohol on predictable places, else I'll get mugged, so I went here in this town, but I'm not sure, I'm all of a sudden just here on this streets. I was waiting for my manager. He should be arriving here in a few moments."
"Alright, well, I'll have to get moving," I said. "I'm looking for my girl and you are clearly not her."
"Sure, nice talking to you mate."
"You too," I said, and started my engine again to take off, shaking my head the whole time at the ridiculousness of what just happened.
Who'd have thought I'd meet the guy? But I have to thank my lucky stars it was not Ed Sheeran, lest Bella might kill me if she knows I met him ahead of hers… and that is if she won't already kill me about being MIA on our date.
Bella… Just thinking about her brings back all the guilt and insanity I was feeling earlier, mixed with the worry that I might never find her tonight and just continue to randomly bump into people, famous or dead.
What if something happened to her? Something bad, and I was not there?
I would never be able to forgive myself at all if that happened.
What if…?
And that's when I noticed another person, and I pushed the accelerator to reach her as fast as I could.
As soon as I hit the brakes, I was opening my window and shouting her name.
"Bella…!"
She looked at me, and muttered a clear, "Oh fuck."
I froze.
Correction, not a she.
A he.
Wrong person. Again.
"I'm sorry I was… Mr. Donald Tramp?" I asked in shock, taking a second when I recognized the person, but it was so hard to realize who he was because he was missing his trademark…
He was missing his hair.
You know, like, he was bald….
Like, he has no hair...
Like, a single strand could not be found on his skull.
How the fuck did I think he was Bella?
"I'm not that guy," he denied, but he was clearly the new president.
"Yes, you are. But just bald. I didn't know you were bald." Wasn't he known for the Simpson-like hairstyle?
"It was all that fool's fault!" He suddenly exploded, making me jolt backwards. "That guy who broke in the tight security of the White House. I was setting up my precious things, and then this hobo stole all my wigs so I couldn't fucking hide my head! This is ridiculous, I need to put this as a national security incident."
"Wouldn't that push things too far…"
"I can't function without my hair!"
The guy's a multi-billionaire; makes me wonder why he'd want to use Simpson wigs for his hair instead of better-looking wigs…
Just then, his phone rang.
"Yes, officer," he answered gruffly with his face all furrowed. "What? He escaped…? Yes… Find him, this is really important… Yes, I'll be on my way." He hanged up.
Then, like a boss, he got into his car and without even any parting word towards me, or even looking at me, he zoomed past ahead the dark streets.
I shook my head.
God, just show me my Bella already!
Not-Really-Canceled-Date-but-it's-already-eleven-fifty-five-in-the-goddamn-night-the-Day's-Almost-Over! Day: 11:55 PM
BPOV
God, just show me the way already!
My night has gone from me wishing to see Edtard, to not wishing to see him at all, to wishing he was dead, and to now, begging all the deties and the higher powers and whoever really controls my fate to just lead me home, with or without my Edtard. I am really not good at directions I know that, and I easily get lost, but this is the worst timing of all!
I'm tired and my feet ache and I have no phone and I just... I just wanted to go home...
And I don't freaking know where I am.
I hated Edtard... Hours ago. Now I just miss him. And I wanted to see him.
Despite everything, I still love him.
If he tells me he doesn't love me at all, I'll just be glad that I get to see him.
Even if he just came by to tell me to get lost, I'll embrace his hash words with a huge smile just so I could see him.
I just... I just really wanted to see him... Smell him... Look at his eyes...
I just...
Just then, a car's headlights made my eyes squint as it stopped before me. And then, a man got off the car, and I tried my best to see who it was...
And then...
"Edtard...?" I whispered.
A/N: Gah! What is this? We're stopping here and there's another cliffy? But... But... It's already part 3! The Date's supposed to be only three parts!
Actually, it was my fault. I'm at seven thousand words already and there was still a lot that had not yet happened. I thought I will be able to fit everything in three parts, but clearly not.
I'm really, really sorry...
But don't worry too much: rest assured tomorrow's gonna be a good chapter. It was the chapter that was the idea behind "Bella: The Fate-Tamperer", so I hope I'll give it justice. It was the plot bunny that made me write this story. (And that did not just put a self-induced pressure on my shoulders... at all. *gulped*)
Also, to make it up to you, please give me less than twenty-four hours to write the next chapter and post it here so that you'll know what will happen right away. (See, that wasn't too long a wait...)
Love you all! Please tell me what you think below.
Next chapter title: The Next Date
Random trivia: I can see ghosts, but not nearly as awesome as when Edward did. The awesomest (- clearly a word) I've seen was when someone in the family was ... you know ... about to go to the all glowing light, and I saw a grim reaper. She was freaking beautiful, and she looked like mixed Asian and European and American... She was in a black cloak, holding a huge, red schythe. She was smiling, but not in a creepy way.
Aside from her, the usual ghosts I see are mostly just transulscent blurbs of white. I can't talk to them.