Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
A/N: Sorry for the whole discontinuation. I don't expect a lot of readers or reviews. For those of you who stuck through the wait, you guys are amazing.
I did lose my original outline for this, so, I pretty much reworked it from memory and then added what came to mind. It was easier to write it than I thought it would be. :]
Sorry for the bit of the wait too, since the A/N.
Massacre
Chapter Twelve
The next day at school, Jessica met up with Bella and Angela in the parking lot. Bella's car was still broken down, so Angela gave her a ride. Jessica took her credit card back without a word. Bella wondered if Mike, Angela, or maybe even the credit card company had told her anything. After a moment, she decided that Jessica didn't know. The silence wasn't rude or malicious, just…silence. Not comfortable, but not awkward.
However, when Jessica got a good look at Bella, she realized Bella didn't have a new hair cut.
"Bellaaaa!" Jessica whined. "I told you to get a new haircut!"
"Shopping ran a little long and we decided it was time to head home, instead." Bella explained, hoping Jessica wouldn't push for details.
Jessica sighed, "Fine. At least you shopped. But you're coming with me tonight. I still want to buy you a dress, and I want to be with you when you get your hair cut." Jessica turned to Angela, "Can you make it?"
"Can't. Me and Ben are going to watch a couple movies tonight." Angela shrugged, blushing.
"Ben?" Jessica almost screeched. Angela slapped her shoulder, hissing at her to quiet down. "Aw! That's so cute!"
"We're not dating," Angela said bashfully. "We're just friends."
Bella smirked, "Sure." She turned towards Jessica, changing the subject for Angela's benefit. "So…why do I need a dress?"
Angela nodded her thanks as Jessica started talking about the dance that she'd heard rumors of.
"Plus, it's always good to have a couple dresses. For last-minute events. I think, for you, we'll go with a little black dress." Jessica grinned, "It'll look good against your skin, as like a contrast or something. Plus, then you can use it again and again for different events."
"Okay." Bella consented, seeing the logic.
Jessica grinned at Bella's acceptance, "And please let me buy you shoes and accessories for it."
"Fine." Bella rolled her eyes, tiring of fighting with Jessica about spending money. If it's what made Jessica happy, then Bella would just have to deal with it.
The girls had long since stopped on their way to the school's front doors. Out of the corner of her eye, Bella spotted Mike across the parking lot. He almost looked like he wanted to come over here, but was restraining himself. Well, at least he had some common sense. She really wasn't in the mood for him to do something to get her in trouble.
"You guys," Bella started, "We should probably get to homeroom."
"Oh, yeah." Angela laughed. "I didn't even notice the time."
"Ugh," Jessica groaned. "Why do we have to go to school?"
Bella shook her head, smiling.
The school day passed without conflict, though Bella sensed some tension between Jessica and Lauren for some reason. Probably just more drama, going around.
At the end of school, Bella went with Jessica instead of Angela. The car ride was distinctly different. Angela usually let soft music fill the car, with some chatter here and there. Jessica didn't put any music on, and talked the entire car ride to the salon. Not to say that Bella minded, she didn't. She just wasn't used to such a lack of silence. Usually her life was always composed of just that: silence. Especially now. She'd always been used to and comfortable with silence. It was like a security blanket.
The salon was small and quaint, the opposite of what Bella had predicted. But then again, they hadn't left Forks, which also surprised Bella. It was next to a small coffee shop. Forks had a coffee shop?
"I know it's an in-town salon, but give it a chance. The women here have real talent with hair. I'd rather come here than waste gas to go to some over-priced, over-done salon. I'll ask the woman who does my hair to do yours, she's so sweet." Jessica explained.
"Alright." Bella said, accompanied with a nod. Just a nod wasn't really enough for Jessica.
"Heeey!" Jessica greeted as she walked in.
A chorus of greetings followed, all chipper and warm. Inside the salon, the walls were a lavender color, with pictures adorning walls. The pictures weren't just abstract portraits of "perfect" women, but family pictures, and some art. The chairs looked comfortable, and there were flowers everywhere. It was a relatively small space, but seemed very open.
"This is Bella." Jessica said, waving her hands to Bella.
"Hi." Bella greeted shyly.
"She wants a new look. Like, completely new. But, not like, drastic or anything." Jessica said vaguely. "I was hoping Veronique could do her hair?"
A woman reading a magazine in a chair across the room got up with a smile. Apparently this was Veronique. Complimenting her name, she looked very French. Her hair was braided on both sides of her delicate face. She was short, so Bella suspected she was closer to her age than to that of the other hairdressers.
Veronique led Jessica and Bella to the sinks, where she washed Bella's hair.
"You have really nice, soft, thick hair." Veronique complimented. "It's really pretty. You take good care of it, no?"
"Yes, I do. Um, thank you." Bella said, feeling a slight blush.
"So, what are you looking to do today?"
Bella let Jessica answer for her.
"Well I think she'd look nice with some wispy, side bangs. And maybe some layers? I love the length, so don't cut the long layer, leave it as is. Cut the other layers to compliment it." Jessica dictated.
"Alright." Veronique nodded, "I'll do what I can. No color?"
Jessica looked at Bella, then answered, "Nah, her hairs a really pretty color already."
After the haircut was done, Bella was surprised at how much she liked it. She thanked Veronique profusely, and took the salon's card for future reference.
A 'little black dress', a pair of heels (that she would surely break her legs in), and a couple of accessories later, Bella and Jessica were back in the car, on the way home.
When Bella got home, she noticed two things: there were no cars in the driveway, and there was a small, square note on her front door. Careful of the bags in her hands, Bella walked forward as steadily as possible. When she reached the door, she placed all the bags on the small, baby-blue bench on their small porch, and took the note down.
Bella,
Have to take an all-night shift tonight, as well as my shift tomorrow. I'll probably just end up staying at the station. There's food in the house and leftovers in the fridge. Don't waste time worrying about me.
Maybe you should go spend the night at a friends. Y'know, be a teenager for once.
-Charlie.
Bella laughed quietly at how well Charlie knew her. She sat down next her bags on the bench, still holding the note. She read it over again. Crisp and to the point, as Charlie always was. She wasn't really surprised that he had to start taking up more work. Firstly, he was the Chief of the Police. Secondly, they probably had as many of the force there at the station as possible. Bella was sure Charlie wasn't the only one being pulled from his home on a last minute shift.
Bella slipped the note into one of her bags and sat back on the bench. It was getting dark outside, and the sky was a pretty light blue, melting into a darker one. She ran her hand over the rough, chipped paint on the bench. When she was 10, Charlie had built the bench one day while she was at Jacob's. Later that day, she'd come home, saw the brown bench, and claimed it clashed with the chairs Charlie had on the porch. She had him bring her to the nearest store that sold paint, at nearly 9:30 P.M., and picked out a blue she was sure would match. The next day, they painted the bench, and ending up getting more paint on them than anything else. The memory was full of laughter and childhood smiles, and when Bella came back to the present, she found herself smiling as well.
It was so much simpler when Charlie was around more, except only in the summer. Bella knew he picked up as much work possible during the year, since he had no one to come home to. She couldn't imagine how lonely he was. She felt bad about only seeing him during the summers, for short times. She felt even worse at the memory of her throwing a fit when she was 12 because she didn't want to go back to Forks.
Letting out a large sigh, Bella pushed her newly-cut side bangs out of her face and got up. It was getting darker and darker, and knew Charlie wouldn't be happy if he knew she was still inside. She turned slowly, cracking her sore back-muscles with a twist of her body, and reached for her backs. Behind her, she heard rustling. She turned back and faced the nearest forest to her house, exactly to her right. The rustling kept going, not seeming to care that she was now looking and paying more attention. A black form stood up from behind the bush. Overall, it could have been mistaken for a large bear. It was huge, with defined fur that she could even see in the lack of light. Bright, brown eyes stared at her, as if she was familiar.
Bella suddenly realized she was gasping for air in fright, and quickly turned and grabbed her bags. She unlocked the door with her key hastily and ran inside. Once inside, she locked the doors, then turned on the lights in the hallway, kitchen and living room. All of a sudden, she felt undeniably alone, and in danger. She put the bags down and ran up to her room, quickly throwing a bag together. Next she went in the bathroom grabbing all her necessities. After the bag was put together, she grabbed the phone and dialed Angela's number.
"Hey, Bella, how was the haircut?" Angela greeted.
"Um, fine. Hey, is Ben still there?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Oh. Well Charlie's gone for the night and I just feel very…unsafe…in my house right now. I was wondering if I could sleep over, but it's okay if I can't." Bella rushed out, embarrassed.
"Oh, no! Come over! Ben doesn't mind, and my mom said it's fine, too." Angela said after a few minutes.
Bella let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, "Thanks, Ang. Um, no car?"
Angela laughed, "Oh, right. I'll come get you."
"No, don't, not now. I'll feel bad. Finish up with Ben and come get me when you drop him off or something." Bella said.
"You sure? I don't want you to stay there if…"
"I'll be fine." Bella said quickly. Probably too quickly.
"Alright…" Angela said, unconvinced. "Call if you change your mind. I'll probably be there in about an hour…yeah, an hour. See you."
"Bye." Bella said, hanging up the house phone. She wondered if maybe she should talk to Charlie about getting a cell phone. Shrugging, she picked up the bags she'd left and went upstairs. She put away the dress and other things, before grabbing a book to read downstairs until Angela got there.
On her way away from her bookshelf, Bella caught a glance in her window. From this angle, she could see more of the forest. She hesitantly moved forward and looked out, the moon lighting the outside.
Below, in the same place, was that same mass of fur and flesh. Watching. Waiting. Why was it there? What was it, anyway? More rustling happened in the bush it stood behind, as if it wanted her to know it was there. Slowly, it turned it's now clearly wolfish head upward, and howled. It was like a sad shriek. It turned just a bit more, and one, clear, brown eye met hers through her window. It turned toward her completely and watched her for what felt like an eternity. Then, suddenly, it dropped its head…almost sadly? Bella didn't know how to judge that…thing…or its emotions. After a couple of moments, it slowly started walking away, further into the dark forest, further away from where she was still standing, watching it leave.
