Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns her characters of her Twilight series, I'm just playing with them.
Chapter 12: DROPPED CALLS
Bella Crossbones
I sat at my desk with the lights out and just the moonlight streaming through the curtains while I played with a pencil rolling up and down my desk. I made a game of it—roll the pencil across one side of the desk, catch it with one hand, roll it across the other side of the desk, catch it with the other hand. It was all I could do. I was entirely not tired. Hell, why would I be? I only slept the entire day—for the second time in row!
The pencil slid off the edge of the desk and onto the carpet. I didn't move to pick it up. I sat, thinking, about everything. Previous foster homes, why my parents had thrown me away in the first place, why I even cared—
I slammed my hands down on the desk as hard as I could, rattling the jar of pencils so that they toppled over and spilled across my desk. Somehow I had a handful in my hand instantly, and chucked them at the far wall as hard as I could, the little pitiful scraping sounds irritating me more than anything. I stood quickly, the chair behind me falling backwards, and then I grabbed the laptop and held it above my head, threatening the audience I didn't have that I wasn't messing around.
It never got farther than the bed though, as I lightly chucked it onto the mattress, it not even bouncing off and breaking. I was a coward, it was a gift—like everything in the room. Not me though. I was a package no one wanted, and I finally knew why—I was messed up.
I yanked the roots of my hair, scratching my scalp for the answers to my fucked up situation. I was a walking zombie—a nightmare—and I hadn't even been dumped by my foster parent yet—sorry, foster person. And for some damn reason, I felt the pressure of the sky even more than ever in a house where I knew I didn't belong. It was easier to sit in a den that stank and eat chips out of the bag for supper because that was me, whereas here, I doubt Charlie even knew what the stench of dirty laundry or dirty dishes piled to the ceiling smelled like. Living under a roof with thick supports meant it expected something from me. There were expectations from me, and Charlie had laid them out so clearly that tonight it became apparent that he wasn't just some foster parent who had to say stuff to get the check. He meant it. Hello, he was a military man for Christ sake. Back in the day his intimidation factor was probably attractive. Now it was threatening.
I dropped down onto my bed, lying on my stomach with my arms outstretched in 'face-planting' style. The moon was still casting its light on my face, beckoning me to come outside. I closed my eyes to force myself to look away, all the while chanting in my head 'don't even think about it!' over and over again. Was it stupid that I still wanted to go outside? After everything I have been through tonight and the past couple days—the blackouts, the biker gang, the red eyes—I still wanted to sneak down the hall, creep down the stairs, and run out the door, just to see if I could get away with it. I actually felt like I could too, if I was quiet enough—how stupid is that?
But even as I tell myself how fucked up everything is, I can't help but look at my bedroom door and know how easy it is to turn the handle and flee. I'm not being forced against my will to stay in my room. I could travel around a little, try some food out in the kitchen, maybe take a look around—liar! You just want to find your bike again! It's true though. Excuses are just excuses, and as long as I keep running and lying, I'll forever continue to see red eyes and black holes.
I need to get my life in order.
-x-
I didn't sneak out again. But I didn't sleep either for the rest of the night. My stomach kept me awake—I was finally starving for food, but I was too scared to get up in case Charlie thought I was planning on going for a little 'runsie' again. Instead, I stayed on my back listening to the gurgles and groans of my gut to get the fuck up and eat something, which I ignored until 9am. By that time, I couldn't take it any longer, and I moved like a sloth downstairs to the kitchen, and found the fridge after my turtle pace.
"Morning."
My heart flew up into my neck and choked me before I saw that Charlie was in the kitchen. He was sitting on a stool, sipping hot coffee and reading the newspaper, acting like nothing had occurred last night.
He took a sip of his coffee and raised his eyebrows at me. "Nervous Nancy aren't yah," he asked, but not really asking me.
I turned my back and opened the fridge, shrugging to give an answer but not really giving one. He didn't comment any further, nor did I. I just stared into the cold, hoping something interesting would pop out at me. I had never been a morning eater, but today, I felt like I could eat everything in an anorexic's nightmare.
"We've got bread in the bread box and fruit in the fruit bowl," Charlie offered behind me.
I chuckled. "No kidding." Who would have thought, right? "But I'm too hungry for boring food, though. I want to feast like no other."
"Well, take what you like, but eat what you take."
That I had to turn around and face off with. I stared at him momentarily, looking to see if he thought I would like hearing his army cafeteria talk. He wouldn't look up from his paper though, of course, hiding from my mocking smirk.
"That sounds like great advice. Thank you," I told him. It wasn't sincere, of course.
He looked up from his paper finally and looked me over. But instead of forcing the topic on any longer, he took note of my clothes—quite rudely, in fact. "Why do you still have last night's clothes on? They look like they're still damp from the rain. How is that comfortable?"
I grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and walked over to the counter. Before I could start rummaging for a glass in the cupboards, Charlie spoke up. "Closest on your right." For spite, I had the urge to look in the left one first, but I didn't bother. I grabbed a cup out of the right one and poured myself a glass of orange juice.
"Are you not talking today?" he asked.
I decided to answer his previous question, thus answering both. "I don't own twenty pairs of pants like you do—these jeans are all I have, in fact, and this plaid button down may be damp, but it was something I bought with my own money when I was fifteen. I won't disrespect it and throw it away just because it gets a little more use."
Charlie stood up from his stool and folded the paper beneath his arm. "I didn't say to throw away your clothes. What I'm trying to get at is the fact that you don't seem to have many clothes."
I took a huge swig of orange juice and felt it stream down to my stomach before I said anything. "Well," I began. "Welcome to the foster system. I also don't have a lot of people willing to adopt me too, or were you going to point that out as well?"
Without another word, Charlie left the kitchen and I finished off what was in the glass. Strangely enough, I wasn't hungry anymore. Charlie must have taken my appetite with him as he headed to his office. I followed briefly, just until I got to the stairs, and that's when he turned around and handed me a twenty dollar bill.
I made sure to laugh in his face. "No sorry," I said holding up my hands. "I make a point not to take money from people." Charlie tried to hand it to me again, but I stepped up onto one of the stairs to avoid it again. "No seriously, it's my way of life—I don't believe in owing people."
He dropped his arm down to his side, perplexed. "Are you serious? It's for clothes—"
"I have clothes, believe it or not. I may not have fifteen shorts like you do, but I have enough. Enough is enough for me."
He gave up. "Fine." He put the money into his jean pocket and walked away. I could practically see the bruises on his skin from where I was standing—he didn't like being rejected, clearly.
He'd better get used to it—I sure had.
-x-
Edward Cullen
"She took it."
It was already morning. I had come back to the spot where I had picked up Bella only a few hours ago to see if anyone had come back, and of course, a few of the biker kids were back snooping around the area.
I stayed hidden behind the trees, making sure to actually stay beneath the branches this time. The biker gang looked like they expected the bike to still be lying on its side, waiting for them. I shook my head while they stared at the spot with dumbfounded looks on their faces. Even if I hadn't taken the bike home for Bella last night, I'm sure she would have gotten it home herself, so there was no reason for them to think someone wouldn't steal it back.
"I told you Mike! I told you it wasn't smart to leave it here!" Maksim yelled at one of the two boys that were still sitting back on their bikes, engines running. Maksim ripped his helmet off and used it to point an accusation at the boy who had taken his helmet off as well. I recognized him from before I was forced into night school. His name was Mike Newton, and he and I had a gym class together that I never went to because it was absolutely painful for me to play at human speed. I remember him specifically though because he always stared at the girl's bare legs in the gym shorts, and made inappropriate remarks. He was scum, and it didn't surprise me one little bit that he was friends with an ever bigger scumbag, Maksim Smirnov.
"Were we really going to be using it for anything? It was sitting for awhile—"
Maksim cut him off. "I want that damn bike back!"
Surely Charlie had already gotten rid of it. He wouldn't be stupid enough to leave it lying around for Bella to find again…I hoped not, anyway. All it would take is them driving a couple miles down the road and spotting the piece of junk on Charlie's property, and then they'd know where she lived. That would not be good.
"What do you want us to do Maks? It's gone—"
"—and if I don't have it by tonight, shit is going down—"
"OKAY! We'll find it," Mike yelled. "We'll get it back."
Maksim nodded. "Fucking right you will. Now get your boys and find it. I don't want to have to intervene."
I didn't want him to have to intervene either. But I knew there was little I could do on a morning like this. When they sped off on their bikes, I stepped out into the morning sun, which reflected off my skin and showed me what I am. There was no way I would be able to stay in sight today, because the risk of being seen was too high with the clear day.
I rubbed the back of my neck and gritted my teeth together. My sister had said this weekend was going to be clear sunny, I just hadn't thought about what that exactly meant.
There was no one that could chase Bella—Charlie and I were stuck if something came up. And knowing the wild kid, something definitely would, especially with Maksim gunning for her.
-x-
"Let's go camping! We can hunt and actually enjoy ourselves instead of being trapped in this house," Emmett yelled from downstairs. I held the bridge of my nose, concentrating on keeping calm. I didn't want to go anywhere—I wanted to stay close to Charlie's in case anything happened.
My door swung open and my sister, Alice, had her arms crossed, glaring at me. "Don't ruin this for us, Edward," she warned me. "Bella is going to be fine! Stop obsessing—"
"I'm not obsessing. I'm just…concerned for her, because Charlie is concerned too. And quit talking like you know her—you don't, so back off."
She gave me a stupid smirk. You really like her! Edward Cullen likes a girl! She continued this chant in her head until I grabbed a book and threw it at her. She caught it easily and read the title to me. "Romeo and Juliet? How appropriate."
"Knock it off, Alice."
"No, it's adorable, really, it is. And I've had visions of you two—" She began to pay them before I could stop her. Even though I didn't want to see them, I couldn't help but watch them.
Bella is walking across the peak of a rooftop, looking irritated or amused. Then I swoop in and jump in front of her, a grin on my face, causing her to yelp in surprise. She tries to punch me but I catch her fist. She smiles but continues to pull away, until I pull her body into mine, preventing her from moving. Eventually, she lets me wrap my arms around her waist, and drop my face into the crook of her neck, where my lips touch her bare skin—
The vision quickly switches.
Bella is outside my house, throwing rocks at my window. I come out of the woods and sneak up on her, grabbing her around the waist and pushing her up against the side of the house. I look angry, but she doesn't look concerned with anything but the shock of getting caught off-guard.
The vision stops.
I stare at Alice, my mind going a million miles a minute. The thought of being that close to her…for it to be a possibility…I couldn't think straight as my breathing picked up.
"You have nothing to worry about, Edward. You're going to be together. I think she's great. We're all ecstatic." She started jumping up and down like a school girl finding out her crush liked her back. It took everything in me not to punch a hole in a wall. I hated the attention. Instead, I tried to remain calm.
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Esme didn't believe the visions when I told her. You know she hates seeing you so lonely. And Emmett and Jasper think it's about time, too. Rose is well...Rose, but she'll come around, just like Carlisle will. I mean, we all know how great it is to have a mate, and you—"
"Mate? Bella as my mate?" I yelled. Alice was getting ahead of herself. I had never gotten that far. I knew I cared for her, but I didn't think I'd ever be able to stand next to her and claim her as my own. She was too good for me, and her locked mind would never let me know her true feelings. "This is ridiculous, Alice! I've only talked to her once, and she's not even concerned with me!"
Alice disagreed. She shook her head and held onto a smile. "As long as you don't mess it all up with Charlie, then yeah, I can see it happening. She's going to change, and then Charlie won't be able to object to you two being together."
I turned my back to her and pulled my fingers through my hair. I didn't know what to think. Bella had come into my life so quickly that I hadn't even been able to process anything but attraction for her. But to know it was the real thing I was feeling…it was scary.
"I wasn't sure the visions were accurate when I first saw them! I couldn't picture you running after a girl—"
"Woah wait a second!" I yelled, flipping around and holding up my hands to her. "Have you been keeping this from me? Is that why you and Jasper have been hiding?"
Alice tried to block her mind from me, but I glared at her. She gave in. "Yes and no…I mean, we need alone time, like you know…" she said smiling. I groaned internally when she began to picture Jasper. Thankfully, she continued with her previous thought. "I knew you would freak out though if you found out there was a chance that you could have a little happiness in your life."
"You were keeping this from me."
"Edward—"
Emmett was suddenly in my room, grinning widely. "There's our lover boy. When are we going to meet her?"
I glared at Alice. She sank back behind Emmett, trying to hide from my accusing glare. "I don't know what you're taking about."
"Of course not," he said grinning. "But I hear she's hot."
I gritted my teeth. "Five seconds, and if you're not out of my room—"
"I can't picture you even kissing a girl, let alone having a mate. That's going to be interesting—"
I lunged for him but he ducked out of my room and ran down the hall. Alice followed along, skipping like a fairy. I slammed my door, but that didn't block their voices. "We're leaving around lunchtime!" Alice yelled. "And there's no point staying back sulking in your room! It's going to be sunny all weekend!"
I groaned. It looked like I would be going along reluctantly anyway. But before I made any decisions to join my family on the weekend hunt, I pulled out my phone and called Charlie's house. It took a few moments for an answer, but eventually, someone did.
"Welcome to hell, Bella speaking," the voice said on the other line.
I lost my voice, choking from hearing hers.
"Hello?" she asked again, trying to beckon me to talk. I couldn't though. Her voice had shocked me, so much so that I could have sworn my heart had taken a single beat.
There was a rumble on the other line, and then I could hear Charlie asking her for the phone. It sounded like she dropped it on the floor from the noise, but after a second, Charlie said "Hello? Charlie Swan speaking."
"Hi it's Edward Cullen." He didn't respond, so I continued to talk. "Listen I know I'm not supposed to be talking to her or anything, but I just want to let you know that Maksim and his little gang bangers are looking for that bike Bella stole. You might want to do something with it—"
He cut me off. "Not that it's any of your business, but it's being taken care of."
"Okay." I got the last word in though before he hung up on me. I stared down at my cell phone, trying not to crush it in my hands. Instead, I turned my phone completely off.
If he didn't want to talk to me, I didn't want to talk to him.
I joined my family downstairs and ignored their staring eyes and Carlisle's warning look. His mind was warning me of the repercussions of getting close to the chief of police's kid, but I gave him a glare back, which was enough for him to drop it.
A hunting trip really was what I needed to relax, I decided, and that's why I jumped into Emmett's jeep without any more reluctance, and let them take me away.
That didn't mean I wouldn't be thinking about her the entire time.
-x-
Bella Crossbones
"That was incredibly rude, Bella," Charlie said after hanging up the phone. Now we stood awkwardly in the sitting room, where he had taken the phone from me in the first place.
I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "That's quite an accusation coming from the guy who thinks I look like shit."
"Watch your language. I've been pretty slack with you so far in that area, but you should know enough by now that your mouth should be as clean as your surroundings."
"Maybe that's why my room's such a mess."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh nothing."
"You better be respecting the roof that's over your head—"
"—God forbid I don't," I said dramatically. "Who knew someone could do so many things wrong? First I forget to come home—"
"—you just don't forget to come home—"
"—and then I answer the phone wrong—"
"—which is right. It's either Swan residence or a simple hello."
I stared blankly at him. "Swan residence?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"But I live here too. Is that something that doesn't matter to you?"
He stared just as blankly back.
"I am not a Swan, nor do I ever intend to be—"
"I don't intend for you to be either—"
"Oh great! Well why don't we just shake on it!" I yelled, barging out of the room like a little girl on a teen flick show. I marched into the kitchen and grabbed the handle to the sliding doors.
Charlie stopped near the entrance of the kitchen, just on the edge of the shadows that disappeared into the sunlight streaming through the kitchen windows.
"You're not allowed to leave the house this weekend because you're grounded, remember!" he warned me when my fingers wrapped around the metal of the door handle.
"Well, why don't you come and stop me?" I asked, squinting at him through the light pouring through the glass.
He stared at me with an anxious, nervous look, like he had been caught bluffing. Maybe he had. I decided to test him.
I pulled the door to the right, letting the air come into the house. Charlie straightened up, his face turning to a glare. "What was that now Charlie?" I asked even though I knew better.
I didn't feel like myself in that moment. It was as if another dimension had come into my body and gave me the courage to forget that there were consequences to actions. I just stepped out onto the deck like a girl without any thoughts, and ignored Charlie's voice that no longer sounded threatening to me.
I felt great. It was like I had taken the biggest drink of water, and now I could run forty kilomitres without getting tired, or I could scale a building without falling to my death—
My eyes caught the side of the house, and what would act as my ladder, even before the thought could complete. Wooden beams, criss-crossing for five feet wide and forty feet tall, were attached to the brick, allowing the vines that were planted below in the garden to travel all the way up the beams until they nearly touched the roof. I looked up and saw Charlie watching me, but before I could second guess my decision, I climbed over the railing, grabbed onto the beams, and climbed down to the ground.
I was free, and for once, no one was chasing me.
-x-
