Yet another chapter. It's been a good few days, creatively speaking, for me. How long until it vanishes? O_O
Anywho, I hope you like it and a big thank you to all of the reviews, likes, and follows ^-^ love ya.
-Cass
Bella Swan—18 Years Old
I had gotten my wish. I didn't see Alice, or any of the other Cullens, the rest of that week that I had told Alice to leave me alone. Not even at school. Although, for whatever reason Alice and her family hadn't changed all of these years, I'm sure they could afford to miss a few days of school. If my thoughts are a little bitter, I don't notice.
Now that it's Wednesday, it has been an entire week since I've last seen any Cullen and the school is simply buzzing with what could have happened. Things ranging from murder to Mrs. Cullen having an affair that had simply torn the family apart beyond repair. Ridiculous, all of it. At the same time, however, it seemed a little…conceited to think that maybe they didn't show up because of me. I had just asked Alice to leave me alone, not vanish off of the face of the planet. Which was why at lunch, the whispers of the Cullens being back didn't catch my attention, especially since Jasper wasn't in calc.
"Good afternoon, Bella." A warm voice says beside me and I startle slightly. I glance warily at the owner.
"Hello, Edward. Nice to see your family back at school. I hope everything is alright." Edward smiles, truly smiles, and nods his head.
"Things are going just fine, excellent you could say, actually."
"Well…uhm…good. I'm happy to hear it. I'm just gonna…" I gesture awkwardly behind me and Edward simply smiles again and bows his head.
"Enjoy your lunch, Bella." I toss a 'you, too' over my shoulder as I nearly sprint to the table, open mouths from Lauren, Jessica, and Mike greeting me. Angela offers me a small smile and a nudge in the shoulder.
"What was that?" Lauren demands.
"What was what?" I ask, ripping my plasticware open with more force than necessary.
"You. And Edward."
"It was nothing, he said hello, I said hello, and we wished each other a good lunch."
"No one smiles like that over pleasantries, Bella."
"Look, Lauren, I don't know. It was weird and he was smiling the entire time, it was kinda creepy. Next time, you talk to him." I say stabbing my mushy green beans and shoving them into my mouth, ignoring the laughter coming from the large one at the Cullens table. I had made a point not to glance in their direction at all.
"If only, none of the Cullens talk to anyone." Lauren pouts and I roll my eyes.
"If he heads my way again, I'll point him in your direction." The look Lauren shoots me is most definitely unimpressed and the laughter from across the cafeteria gets louder.
"Edward isn't the only one paying you attention." Angela whispers in my ear and I swallow my vegetable mush.
"What do you mean? Mike is always drooling over everyone."
"No, not Mike. You seem to have caught the attention of the entire Cullen bunch. More than once, I've caught them looking over here at you. Alice especially." Excitement and anger bubble through me and I fight the urge to look at the smallest of the Cullens.
"Yeah, well, I don't know why, there isn't anything to look at. They should waste their time on someone else." Angela looks at me worriedly.
"Didn't Alice and Edward—"
"Yes, and I'm grateful but they can stop pretending like they care." Shattering glass draws my attention towards the Forbidden Table where I see the blonde one, Rosalie, staring daggers at me and covered in water. Feeling brave, I glare right back until something spoken from the large one, Emmett I think, draws her attention away. Appetite lost, I pick up my lunch and chuck it before leaving to wander the building.
"Heya short stack." I groan internally and turn towards Emmett, who is wearing an easygoing smile.
"Just because you're freakishly large doesn't mean the rest of us are short." I say flatly and a bark of laughter escapes him.
"So I've been told. Shouldn't you be eating?"
"Says you, don't you have a fridge to raid or anything?" The easygoing smile never leaves.
"Nah, big breakfast. I just wanted to introduce myself since you've already met Alice, Eddy Boy, and Jasper." He steps forward and extends his giant hand. I roll my eyes and take his hand.
"Bella, but you already know that." Surprise flits across his features, "everyone knows who I am, no such thing as anonymity here." Emmett chuckles and takes his hand back. "Look, I don't know what's going on, if Alice put you up to this, but just don't. Please." Emmett's smile slides to something more protective than easygoing.
"Alice didn't ask me to talk to you. She'd be mad if she knew I was. I'm here to ask you to give her another chance. She knows she messed up and she wants to make it right." I feel a pressure behind my eyes and I reach up to pinch the bridge of my nose.
"Emmett, please. Just…drop it. If she wanted to talk, she would talk. Not that I really want to hear what she has to say." I mumble the last part and turn away but a cool hand stops me.
"You will this time, Bella, I promise. Please hear her out." I shake off his hand.
"Maybe. Oh, and tell your girlfriend that I don't know what I did but she can stop glaring at me."
"Rose is just protective is all, and she's worried that Alice will get hurt." I whirl around.
"Is she now? That's fucking nice for her. I haven't done a damn thing to Alice except for ask for the truth and been denied that. And since that is too hard I asked her to not come around anymore, to save me or otherwise. I'm done thinking that I'm maybe insane for seeing my childhood imaginary friend every time I'm in trouble. So you tell Rosalie that I haven't done a damn thing to Alice." I finish my rant, hands balled in anger and jaw clenched.
"You're right, you haven't."
"Fucking fantastic, truly. Excellent planning Emmett, well done." I say, turning my anger towards the new member of this oh-so-fantastic conversation.
"Emmett isn't why I'm here, Bella." Alice says quietly.
"And stalling me enough for you to come and talk to me was a mere coincidence, then? My luck continues I see."
"Emmett, please." Emmett puts his hands up and walks back towards the cafeteria. "Bella, can we talk?"
"I sure we could, but I don't want to. But thank you for asking." I walk away, not quite with a direction in mind other than away from Alice.
"I meant what I said." I freeze but don't turn around.
"You mean you meant what you don't remember saying, according to last Tuesday." There's a pause before I hear her step closer to me.
"I knew what you meant then…I just, I don't know Bella, it's all very complicated and I want to talk to you about it, but after your wreck didn't seem like a good time. But," she pauses and I can feel her behind me, a slight chill coming from her skin, "I meant what I said. I won't leave you, not again. Never, and if you'll give me some time to explain why…" she gently takes my right wrist in her cool hand and I gasp at the contact. Turning to her, I study her. There's something in her golden eyes, and her expression is hopeful. I open my mouth to speak but the bell signaling the end of lunch sounds. Alice's face falls and her shoulders drop. She releases my wrist and turns away from me.
"After school. You should come over, or ride home with me, something. Then we can talk in private." Alice's face lights up and a wide smile splits her face. "But, Alice, this is your last chance. After this, I'm done."
"Oh, sweetheart, I know and, I promise, I'll answer all your questions!" She bounces forward and kisses my cheek. "I can't wait!" As Alice Cullen seemingly dances away, I stare, open-mouthed, with my hand on my cheek feeling like I had made the best decision of my life.
Verdict my peeps?