Disclaimer: the usual… I own nothing but my own characters!

Thanks for reading my story and reviewing it! Sorry for the delay, though!

Hope you'll enjoy reading this one!

****************************************************

Chapter 10: Red-handed

Two weeks after this new incident, it was the start of a new school year. Going to school, me? No, I had already finished high school and even if the idea of seeing new faces did not annoyed me, I was supposed to be dead... Then I was confined here in this house that no longer seemed so huge than that. With Josh in the vicinity, there was always a Cullen remaining here: they skipped class or called in sick, Carlisle even sometimes accepted not to go to the hospital.

Josh... Josh was disconcerting: he would not bear to have even a single moment of weakness, then no need to find out why he was grumpy for these last two weeks. He refused now that I approach him within less than 3 meters! But how was Bella doing? How did she manage to convince Edward to approach her?

The phone rang suddenly, cutting short my reflections. I was alone: Jasper was out hunting with Josh. The fact that he did not need more than only one acolyte to hunt was for me a great sign of progress. For him, on the contrary, it meant that he still needed to be accompanied... But where was my eternal optimist?

Nevertheless, the phone was ringing: I decided to get up and pick it up. However, I checked the number before answering: people do not expect to talk to a dead woman on the phone!


Hey, it's Bella...

"Hello, Bella? Hi, we haven't talked to each other for ages! "

"Hi Lena, how are you?" She appeared in a hurry, nervous.

"Good. If you wanted to talk to Edward, he has not yet returned from school..." But she should know it since she went to the same high school.

"Yes, I know. In fact, it was not him who I wanted to talk. "She was definitely nervous about this.

"Oh yeah?" I said, curious.

"You are the one I wanted to talk to. Would you like me to come and have a little chat, between girls?" She said at full speed.

"Bella, why are you too nervous?"

"You want me to come, yes or no?"

"Yes, yes, I would be happy to see you... but I don't understand: you're not supposed to be at school right now?"

"I am exempted of gym. Well, you're alone here?"

"Yes, but I think that Edwards will tear me into pieces if he learns that I have invited you to come..."

"I know, I thought of it, then here's what you gonna do: take Alice's car, she always leaves her keys on the contact, and follow the highway towards the south..." She gave me the information at high speed, it was difficult to follow!

"Bella, you need to explain: why are you in such a hurry?"

"Because now that I've decided to invite you, Alice is going to turn up at any time at home, or worse, Edward. So hurry up! "And she hung up quickly.

I was puzzled at the initiative of Bella: I had seen her as a nice good girl, obedient to Edward as for not to approach the house, and there she was, urging me to steal a car and to leave my gilded cage back to the civilization! I had a brief hesitation though: what if someone recognized me in town? But I quickly swept this possibility out of my mind: the prospect of a runaway was too tempting! And then Bella would certainly be of very good advice for my situation...

Without a second's hesitation, I grabbed my jacket and rushed towards the garage. When entering there, I realized that it was one of the few parts of the house in which I had not yet entered: the lair of the dragon, well, of Rosalie...

It was a large room, almost bigger than the living room and could accommodate at least three cars. The lighting, the layout of shelves and tools was of a very high-tech style, very different from the rest of the house. There were two cars: one was a huge jeep, I was praying that this was not Alice's because I couldn't see myself at the wheel of such a vehicle! But I blow a sigh of relief when realizing that there was no key in the ignition. The second car was neither more nor less than a canary yellow Ferrari! As for the discretion, we'll pass... Well, I had no choice. I was a little nervous at the start: I had never driven such a car and I did not even dare to imagine the reaction of Alice if she found out that I had bashed up her little gem! So it was by driving to a very moderate speed (I did not exceed 30 km/h!) that I finally arrived at Bella's house. She was waiting for me on the porch and relaxed as soon as she saw me: we had done it!

I was very excited to see her: we both wondered why we did not have this idea earlier as it was so much easy!

"The trick is to decide at the last moment, to leave on a whim, in order to be sure that Alice would not have time to react if she sees anything!"

"You seem to have thought it a lot: it sounds like you are speaking from experience!"

"One can say that, yes... let's say that this is not the first time that my movements are monitored by our "favorite vampires"! But don't stay here, we don't want anyone to see you!"

"Your father is not here?"

"No, he is at the police station and won't return for a while."

Seeing my interrogative face, she explained:

"He's the sheriff of the county."

Her house was completely different from the one of the Cullens but it was warm, welcoming, it was sort of... human. We settled in her room, chocolate bars and candy under our arms. Bella was much more relaxed now that I was here.

"So, what's up over there?" she asked.

"The Cullens are very kind and considerate, but I must say that I'm getting bored a bit... I miss not being able to go out, to walk outside elsewhere than this stupid forest, to see people, in short, to have a normal life!"

"That's for sure that normal life with the Cullens doesn't exist! And apart from that, how is it with him?"

She was getting to the heart of the matter here!

"Hmm... it's not obvious... He refuses to get close to me, he's afraid of 'cracking down'."

"So, you don't even talk to each other?"

How could I answer her? Yes, we speak thanks to his telepathic gift? I could not betray his secret and yet, I was well here, I felt I could trust her. After all, Bella was the ideal confidante, the human who had certainly gone through the same situations with Edward... I decided then to let her in the secret, while making her swear not to tell anybody, not even Edward!

"Wow, it's strange that it only works with you... but it's convenient in your situation!"

"That's what I keep telling me, but in fact it's almost more frustrating than anything else. Since we found a safe way to communicate, Josh doesn't want to take additional risk to get closer..."

"Yes, Edward has always been very tense too when there were only the two of us... The trick is to try to forget that you are... to his taste."

"That is to say?"

"Well, for example, you could tie your hair back and avoid being in the open air so that he doesn't smell you."

"Ah yes, those damn drafts..." I sighed.

"And also, try to calm your breathing: he hears the beat of your heart and if it races, it might distract him!"

"Hey, I hadn't thought about it..."

"Besides, beware of their super fine hearing: they will hear you whispering even on the other side of the house!"

"Basically, whatever you do there, everyone is aware of it!"

"Oh yeah..." Bella sighed, before continuing: "But for Josh, be patient, you'll see, he will eventually get used to your smell."

I shrugged, not really convinced. Viewing my despondent air, she changed of subject:

"He hears all your thoughts, like Edward?"

"No, it's as if it is a bond, a communication, and until he breaks it, we can talk as we are doing you and me right now. But I only perceive words, not images."

"It must be very useful..." she said, pensive.

"But thanks to the gift of Edward you should be able to communicate in the same manner? At least in one direction?"

"No, strangely, I am the only mind which Edward doesn't have access to... it's partly why he was interested in me." She was the only one able to keep her thoughts secret, at least our secret would be safe!

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about vampires, her meeting with Edward, her resolution to become one of them as quick as possible. Her determination astonished me: the decision to become a vampire, an immortal blood drinker, was far from trivial! Didn't she want of her human life, her family, the possibility of one day becoming a wife and a mother? Why was I feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden? It was Bella's decision, not mine... but perhaps it was a decision that I would have to take. Until now I had never considered the long-term, what would happen in a year, ten years. At the same time my life had changed so much in the space of one month than contemplating the future seemed in vain!

We were roaring with laughter of one of the many stupid jokes Emmett did when we heard the entrance door opening.

"Bella, you're back?"

"My father..." she whispered, panicked.

I opened my eyes wide:

"What are we going to do? If he sees me here, he will certainly recognize me, given all notices of research published in the newspapers!" I whisper, panicking as well.

"Bella? I saw Alice's car in front of the house, it's been a while I haven't seen her!"

Oh no, yellow Ferrari really don't help for discretion!

"Uh, yes ... but, uh, I'm coming!" And she found nothing better than to fall her full length on the ground, her left foot still in the air, twisted in the bed sheets above.

The noise alerted her father, who began to climb the stairs:

"Bella, what's that noise? Is everything all right? Are you injured?"

We were both petrified, Bella in a position a little more ridiculous. But the comedy of the situation would have been more enjoyable if I would not be recognized by Charlie, or worse, cause him a heart attack!

We were like two kids caught in the act of great stupidity, but I did not even think of childishly hide under the bed when the door handle turned...