Disclaimer: You know who they belong to, I just like having fun with them.
A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews and PM's but i feel i need to clarify some things.
*****Yes this story is B/Jms now but it will be B/E, just not right away... thank you to Kara315 for backing me up.
I like FanFic novels, so my story is going to be a LONG one, and not rushed!
*****It was also asked a few times how the girls never noticed a change in Bella.
Well Alice was focused on the fact Jasper as leaving soon and wasn't paying much attention.
Rosalie figured it was Bella growing up and learning to deal with the attention from guys.
*****For the few James lovers I have, you are going to be so disappointed because he is only going downhill from now on.
*****For my Edward lovers... I have a treat for you... an EPOV chapter will be up soon and hopefully explain a lot about his side of things.
If you are loving it so far, thanks a million for sticking by. If you don't like it... click that little red X on the right hand corner of your screen.
Wallah, problem solved.
Alright with the bitchfest, hope you enjoy the chapter.
BPOV
"…James Carter…"
He looked so handsome up there walking across the stage; it took a lot of restraint to not jump up and scream my love for him. The entire football team hollered, which helped mask my puny yells. I couldn't show too much enthusiasm without bringing attention to us, so I had to hold back my zeal. He looked right at me and smiled when he was handed his diploma, making me instantly want to run over and throw my arms around him. Tonight, wait for tonight.
"…Edward Cullen…"
Alice screamed before they even finished his last name. The football and baseball team hollered like they did for James, but Alice was not to be outshined. She jumped out of her chair and started bouncing up and down, as I sat next to her and let out a whistle as Edward walked off the stage with is diploma.
"…Jasper Hale…"
Again, I sat next to a jumping pixie, waving her arms in the air frantically, being heard over the guys on the football team. I clapped and whistled as I watched Alice cry tears of happiness for her boyfriend. It stung a little knowing that I wasn't able to do the same for James, but there wasn't a doubt in my mind that he knew I wanted to.
"…Rosalie Hale…"
The entire cheerleading squad stood and shouted as we watched Rosalie walk across the stage. Only she had the ability to make a cap and gown come across as high fashion. She looked beautiful, and from the yells of my brother, he thought so too.
"…Emmett Swan…"
When they said his name, I was the one jumping and hollering over the guys. He looked so grown up as he walked towards the podium. It felt like my face would split in two from the strength of my smile. I had never been more proud of my brother. His dimples were on full display as they handed him his diploma, and in true Emmett fashion, he turned to the crowd and flexed his right arm, left arm, then changed his form so it looked as if he was pointing off to the side while simultaneously yelling, "Boom, Bang, Firepower!" The entire gym erupted in laughter as he walked off the stage.
When the final name was called and all the speeches made, balloons dropped and the seniors threw their caps. I ran as fast as I could and jumped into my brother's arms.
"Ahhhh!" I yelled. "I am so freaking proud of you, Em."
He laughed and twirled me around. "Thanks, sis."
"Can I hug my monkey man?" Rosalie asked playfully. I released Emmett and threw my arms around her. "Congratulations, Rose."
I saw Edward walking towards his parents, but I stopped him and hugged him first. "Congratulations, Edward." He hugged me back and lifted me off the ground, bringing me to his level. He kissed my cheek and he set me back down.
"I'm going to go find my mom. I'll be right back," he yelled over his shoulder.
I turned back around and made eye contact with my favorite person. I walked quickly over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck; he picked me up immediately and started to twirl me around.
"I love you, James. I am so proud of you," I said into his ear.
"Thank you, baby."
"I want to kiss you so bad, it's frustrating the crap out of me," I whined.
"I know. Later tonight, I promise." He chuckled and moved to set me down. I held on tighter, not ready to let him go, and brought my mouth down to kiss his cheek before I let him go.
"I'm holding you to it, buddy."
As we walked over to meet up with everyone, I looked around and couldn't see Claire.
"Where's your aunt? I didn't see her during the ceremony."
"She stood near the back and left after my name was called. She doesn't do too good with crowds."
"So she won't be there tonight?" I asked. We had invited her to join us for dinner.
"I don't think so, sweetheart. But don't take it personal. She's not a people person," he said reassuringly.
I glanced over at him and asked timidly, "Are you still going?" I hated that I sounded so weak, but I was really looking forward to spending time with him.
"Of course, I am." He smiled down at me.
It took four vehicles to get everyone to the restaurant in Port Angeles, but we made it. Rosalie and Jasper's parents joined us, and Mr. Hale and Carlisle fought over who would pay for dinner. The Hales won that argument, since The Cullens were hosting the party. It was pretty funny watching the two head males snatching the ticket out of each other's hand each time they explained why they were paying for dinner.
We made it back to the house around nine thirty, and Alice dragged me upstairs to change. I convinced her nothing too flashy and was relieved when she handed me a pair of jeans and a really cute top.
By ten forty-five, the house was packed and we decided to get everything started. Alice and James helped gather everyone into the living room while Edward and I walked over to the piano. Emmett was told by Alice to stand next to Esme and Carlisle, who were up front, and Rosalie and Jasper joined him.
James handed me a microphone, told me good luck, and kissed my cheek lightly before he walked over to the group.
"Hi, everyone… Umm, on behalf of myself and The Cullens, we want to say congratulations to all the graduates…" I smiled and waited as the entire room cheered; I laughed and clapped with them. "We have a fun night of music planned out for everyone, and when we're finished, if anyone feels the need to get up and jam… by all means… in the words of my brother… 'bust a move.'" The entire room laughed and applauded my attempt at humor, which helped erase my nerves. I waited for the noise to die down and hoped to keep the tears away as I continued.
"I promised myself I wasn't going to go all girly tonight and cry, so I'm going to get this out as fast as possible. Two people are missing here tonight, and I felt there was no way we could celebrate without acknowledging them first. They were two of the most amazing people to have ever walked this earth, and there isn't a day that goes by where they are not remembered." I turned to face my brother as I spoke next.
"Emmett, I know if Mom and Dad were here today, they would tell you how proud they are of you, and what an incredible man you turned out to be." I paused briefly as I felt my throat getting tight and knew I was close to tears. I closed my eyes, shook my head, and took a deep breath. My voice was much stronger when I spoke again.
"I know that's what they would say, and because they are not here to say it, I need to. I am so proud of you, Emmett. Even though you've pulled my hair more times than I can count and used to hide my books when you were mad at me, you are and always will be the most amazing man I will ever know." I looked away from him when I saw his eyes tearing up; if I started crying, there was no way I could sing. I turned to Edward and nodded my head for him to start. "I love you so much and congratulations. I wrote this song for you, brother."
When I'm lost in the rain
In your eyes, I know I'll find the light
To light my way, when I'm scared losing ground
When my world is going crazy, you can turn it all around
And when I'm down, you're there, pushing me to the top
You're always there giving me all you've got
For a shield from the storm, for a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm, I turn to you
For the strength to be strong, for the will to carry on
For everything you do, for everything that's true, I turn to you
I smiled over at him and fought hard to keep the tears away as I saw his fall.
When I lose the will to win
I just reach for you and I can reach the sky again
I can do anything 'cause your love is so amazing
'Cause your love inspires me
And when I need a friend, you're always on my side
Giving me faith, taking me through the night
For a shield from the storm, for a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm, I turn to you
For the strength to be strong and for the will to carry on
For everything you do, I turn to you, yeah
For the arms to be my shelter through all the rain
For truth that will never change, for someone to lean on
But for a heart I can rely on through anything
For the one who I can run to, oh, I turn to you
For a shield from the storm, for a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm, I turn to you
For the strength to be strong, for the will to carry on
For everything you do, for everything that's true
For everything you do, for everything that's true, I turn to you
I opened my eyes and stared at my brother who had tears pouring down his face as he held onto a sobbing Esme. "I love you, Emmett." And in an instant, I was in his arms, being crushed by the force of his hug. He swung me around and yelled out to the crowd, "Give it up for my baby sister!"
"I love you, Belly Bear." His sob was drowned out by the room applauding. "That was… I mean… there aren't any words, Bella…. Thank you." He pulled back and we both started to laugh as we wiped each other's faces.
We made it outside after a few moments, and the guys walked to the stage. Edward and Gavin were getting ready to sing one of the songs they chose, and everyone gathered around the stage.
We all laughed during their rendition of Weezer's Teenage Dirtbag"; even Esme and Carlisle thought it was funny. Gavin disguised his voice so he could sing the girl part; it was pretty comical. James went next and sang "Better Together" and made occasional glances my way. I knew he was singing for me, but we couldn't let anyone else know that. When it was my turn, I made eye contact with James for the first line and then closed my eyes for the rest of the song. I didn't want to see anyone else's face as I sang "Bubbly." Those words reflected my feelings about James and me, not anyone else.
Edward did a solo after me and had all the girls swooning, singing "More Than Words." Gavin went after him and worked the crowd with Justin Timberlake's "Summer Love." That was our rotation until the last song, which was by Gavin. I thought we were all finished until Edward and James stood on stage and asked for the varsity team to come up.
As Jasper went to the stage, Alice walked over to me with a confused look on her face.
"What are they doing?"
"I have no idea," I replied, just as curious.
Gavin approached the microphone and smirked. "We thought we'd end the night with a fun message for all the men who are going to be settling down in the near future." As he started talking, the football team lined themselves into formation, feet apart, hands behind their backs and heads down.
"1, 2, 3, 4…." They started clapping with the beat and bounced their bodies a little to the song, each one bellowing the words to Jimmy Soul.
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So from my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you
Gavin:
A pretty woman makes her husband look small
And very often causes his downfall
As soon as he marries her then she starts
To do the things that will break his heart
Tyler:
But if you make an ugly woman your wife
you'll be happy for the rest of your life
An ugly woman cooks meals on time
And she'll always give you peace of mind
All the guys:
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So from my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry youJasper:
Don't let your friends say you have no taste
Go ahead and marry anyway
Though her face is ugly, her eyes don't match
Take it from me, she's a better catch
All the guys:
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So from my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry youEdward:
Say man!
James:
Hey baby!
Edward:
I saw your wife the other day!
James:
Yeah?
Edward:
Yeah, an' she's ug-leeee!
James:
Yeah, she's ugly, but she sure can cook, baby!
Edward:
Yeah, alright!All the guys:
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So from my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you
Emmett belted his attempt at the bravado and I almost died laughing so hard.
Yeah, yeah… yeah… yea, yeah yeah yeah
All the guys:
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
So from my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you
Everyone in the crowd jumped and screamed during the entire performance. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen. I couldn't believe they pulled it off without anyone, especially Alice, finding out. I saw Esme snap pictures in between her laughter and noticed Carlisle with a video camera. That performance was going to be awesome watching back.
"That was hilarious," I said as the guys approached.
"See, Belly Bear, you're not the only one who can pull off surprises," Emmett gloated.
"Don't flatter yourself, bud." Jasper laughed. "We had to keep it from him until yesterday."
The night turned out to be a blast. People danced and sang, and we laughed a lot when some not so harmonic people decided to perform. People were standing around talking about their plans for college and career choices. I stood by James most of the night, which was easy since our group had been huddled together.
Esme had prepared the house for people to sleep; she brought tents outside for some, arranged the living room for others, and all the guest rooms were doubled up. Usually I would bunk with Alice, but she was sleeping with Jasper; Edward offered to let me sleep in his room, but I declined when I felt James tense up next to me. I told Emmett I wanted to sleep in my own bed; James said he was going to go home and I asked him to drop me off at the house.
We ended up staying at his house, though. I felt bad that his aunt wasn't able to join us for dinner or the party, but I understood about not liking large amounts of people. I wasn't sure how much she knew about James and me, but she never said anything. In fact, she hardly made an appearance when I was around. Almost every time I would come over, she would go to her room. I was thinking maybe James told her that we had to hide our relationship and she felt better by keeping her distance so she wouldn't have to lie. When we did end up in the same room, she was always very nice to me. She and her husband had only been here for a few years before he passed. James said she was moving to Toronto after he left for college. She would have left sooner if James hadn't moved here, but she wanted to help him get away from Marcus Sr.
The rest of June consisted of barbeques and camping trips. We all wanted to spend as much time together as we could before everyone left for school. I worked at the bookstore three days a week, but outside of those hours, I was with my family. Esme hosted a lot of dinner and game nights for us. It was going to be a shock to us all not having the whole gang around.
As much as I would miss him, I tried to get my brother to change his mind about staying in Forks. I wanted him to have the full experience of college life, but he wasn't having it. It made more sense to me to have him live in the dorms instead of driving back and forth every week, but he wouldn't budge. He had online classes, which made things easier; he only had to be on campus on Fridays. He'd drive up Thursday and come back Sunday. Carlisle and Esme said I could stay with them, but I told Emmett I wanted my independence and would be fine alone at the house. Truth be told, James and I planned on him coming down Friday nights and spending the weekend together.
The gang stayed in Seattle 4th of July weekend and watched the fireworks display. The rest of the month, we were mainly at the beach.
The last week of August, reality started to kick in. Everyone had to be checked into their rooms before September 1st, and they had been so busy messing around, no one was packed. We all jumped from house to house and helped load things into boxes. It only took two days to get them packed and loaded, but they were very long days.
Mrs. Hale drove Esme, Alice, Rosalie and me in her SUV. Mr. Hale and Carlisle rode together in the U-Haul, and Emmett, Edward, Jasper and James drove up in the truck which was also packed full of stuff.
Alice and I helped carry things to Rosalie's dorm and ended up staying until her last box was unpacked. When it was time to go, everyone was in tears. Rosalie and Emmett were off to the side whispering to each other; I saw my brother repeatedly wipe her cheeks.
Alice was a blubbering mess, hugging Jasper like she'd never see him again. Esme was doing the same thing to Edward. I wasn't any better when James and I snuck off to the library.
"I'm going to miss you so much, James," I sobbed into his shoulder.
"It'll be alright, baby." His words tried to soothe me. "I'm going to miss you too, but I'll be there every weekend and you can call me anytime."
"It's not the same," I cried. "We've been together almost every day for close to a year. How am I supposed to function without you being around?"
He continued to hold me tight and lay kisses on top of my head.
"I love you and I'll call you every day."
"I love you, too."
"Come on, babe." He kissed my lips. "We need to get back."
School started for me and Alice a week later, which helped pass the time. We had a lot of classes together, which was great. She and I decided not to do cheerleading this year; it wasn't the same without Rosalie. Alice took art classes after school, and I helped Mrs. Anderson.
The weekend of my birthday, everyone had come back down to celebrate. I convinced Alice and Esme that I only wanted family around. Emmett took me down to the DMV first thing and smiled proudly as I was handed my license. Alice was a little upset because she didn't pass her test last month.
She had been so excited and practiced driving as much as possible, but when she and the instructor pulled back up, the look on her face let us know she didn't pass. She hadn't cried like I would have expected. Instead, she walked right by us on her way to schedule another appointment, muttering, "Stupid three second rule… who counts to three at each stop sign?" She helped me out for my test, though; I made sure to count.
I drove the Jeep over to Alice's, and because I was so excited about my license, I hadn't complained once while she Barbied me up in the outfit she bought for my present. It was a really pretty, form-fitting tan dress shirt, with an off-white skirt that stopped above the knees and flared mid-thigh, matched with knee high suede wedge boots. She kept my make-up simple and left my hair to fall down my back in its natural waves. I really liked it.
Truth be told, ever since I'd been with James, it hadn't bothered me that much when Alice dressed me up. I wanted to look good for him; even though he always told me I was beautiful no matter what, I wanted to put the extra effort in it for him.
After I showed everyone my license, Alice sat in the middle of the living room and had me open my gifts. Esme and Carlisle bought me a new laptop, which basically came equipped with a home studio.
"Thank you so much!" I screamed and flung my arms around both of them; they laughed and hugged me back. After Emmett told me he liked my song, I'd wanted to buy a program that I'd be able to record my music on. I wasn't sure how they found out about it, but I was grateful. The laptop came with everything I would need to create a CD of my music.
I got a very cute jacket and diamond earrings from Rose and Emmett, an iPod from Edward, a $100 iTunes card from Jasper and personalized sheet music from James.
"Thank you so much, everybody." I beamed.
I wanted to thank James properly, and when everyone seemed to be preoccupied with college topics, I excused myself and stealthily motioned for James to follow me. I heard him get up and put an extra swing in my hips when I saw him behind me.
I opened the door to the laundry room, and my chest was immediately pressed against the dryer.
"Are you trying to kill me, Bella?" he asked, his rough whisper shooting right to my center. Suddenly, the oppressive heat from the dryer in the room was nothing compared to the fire burning inside me. "You were teasing me," he accused seductively and backed away. "That's a very dangerous game."
"I'm not worried," I said smugly.
"You're not, huh," he growled out.
I listened and felt the heat roll off his body as he came and stood behind me. One of his hands slid down to my thigh and began inching up the fabric of my skirt. "Then you're inviting this?"
I put a hand over his and felt his body stiffen; he thought I was going to stop him. But after only a few seconds hesitation, I guided his hand beneath the hem of my skirt and showed him exactly what I was inviting him to do.
"Jesus," he breathed, as I coaxed his slender fingers into my dampened center.
I was not prepared for my own reaction, the tightening in my belly at the touch of his hand, the sharp gasp or the shudder. And when he started to work his fingers back and forth through the slickened layers of my sex, my knees went weak, and it was only the presence of the dryer and James' firm grip around my middle that kept me from collapsing in a boneless heap upon the floor.
I was moaning now as James started nibbling on my ear; his hot tongue traced wet patterns and toyed with the stud in my lobe. The simultaneous stimulation from both his hand, rubbing harder and faster at my center, and his mouth, sucking and licking, breathing heavy into my ear, had me completely undone... I was lost in the heat of passion, unable to reason my way out; my only thoughts were of pleasure and seeking release.
My hips rolled with the movements of his hand, and James rocked his body into me, pressing his erection against the small of my back. God, I wanted him so much, wanted to feel him deep inside... wanted him to fill me, surround me, envelope me, own me. I tried to tell him, but the words came out breathless and broken. "James... please, please... need you inside."
He let me go, and when I turned to face him, he was loosening his pants. My heartbeat quickened in anticipation. A second later, his pants fell around his ankles and his boxers quickly followed. I bit my lip when I saw his erection, thick and ready for our awaiting dance. He reached over for the condom and slid it on quickly.
He pulled me to him and kissed me, an open-mouthed assault so unbelievably thorough, I was left dizzy from the rush. I put my arms around his neck, and he lifted me up as I wrapped my legs about his narrow hips. James put my back against the wall, and while he held my stare, he positioned himself at my entrance and slowly began to push his way inside. When I cried out from the pleasure of having him inside me, he was quick to cover my mouth with his hand, his eyes offering an unspoken apology.
"Shh," he whispered, and it's not until that moment that I realized exactly what it was we were doing... or rather where it was that we were doing it. "Gotta be quiet. Don't want them to hear us and come back here to see what's going on."
I couldn't believe we were doing it here. It would be okay. We just had to be quiet. Not a sound.
A nod from me, and James removed his hand immediately. He continued to push his way into my body, stretching me very slowly, very gently, to accommodate his generous size. When my eyes snapped shut, a slight wince pinched my face as I tried to keep myself silent; he froze in place.
"Too much?" The strain was evident in his voice.
Forcing my eyes open, I shook my head to reassure him that I was fine. I wanted this; it just took a second for my body to adjust to him. I did not want him to stop. Wrapping my arms more tightly around his neck, I buried my face against his.
"Do it, James," I commanded softly into his ear. I focused on my breathing, concentrating on each deliberately even breath. James resumed pressing, pushing, forcing his way deep, and then deeper, until he was completely buried within me.
"Bella, look at me." I did, offering him a smile, and he returned my happiness with a devilish grin of his own and then whirled us ninety degrees to the right and put my back up against the hard steel clothes rack. "Hold onto the bars up there, baby," he ordered.
Oh. My. God.
I grabbed a metal pole on either side of my head and James began thrusting into me. I stayed with him, giving back as much as he gave, both of us pounding harder and faster. Couldn't get enough, never enough of...
Our voices were silent; there was nothing but the sound of our bodies slamming together in the empty laundry room.
Synapses created tiny explosions everywhere on my body. I surrounded him like a tight, wet vice, squeezing and pulling him into my body. Every time with him felt like the first. I was always so tight.
His first few strokes were long and lingering, which allowed me to adjust to his size and allowed him to regain some composure, but that lasted about all but a few seconds. His hips involuntarily started to pump faster, pressing me harder against the wall. My only response was his name leaving my lips in choked gasps and muffled moans.
My breathing quickened, bursting from me in short pants. The harder he thrusted, the rougher the timbre of my moans became. I was close. It was a damn good thing, because he was about to reach that point of no return himself. He thrusted faster, deeper, kissing any part of me he could reach, nipping and sucking at my soft skin. I could feel myself contracting around him, and within seconds, my sharp teeth bit into his shoulder and a muffled scream vibrated against his skin.
The bite finished him off. One long, deep pump of his hips and he was soaring, pure ecstasy flowing through his veins and into my body. He pulsed inside me, feeling my contracting muscles milking and draining him, extending his pleasure.
His lower body collapsed with mine, but he still had enough strength to keep his upper body supporting me in his arms. He opened his eyes to find my flushed creamy skin glistening with sweat, my piercing brown eyes staring lovingly at him. My lips parted and a moist pink tongue darted out. He couldn't resist dipping his mouth to mine and retrieving my tongue with his teeth, pulling it between his lips. I laughed from the feeling of his teeth on my tongue and pulled away.
"That tickles," I said between breaths.
"I'll have to remember that," he teased. "We better get back out there before they come looking for you."
James found a garbage can and discarded the condom while I adjusted my clothes and tried to smooth down my hair.
He and I hung out in the kitchen for a few minutes, drank sodas and talked about things we did over the past two weeks. Alice came in and announced we were ready to leave for dinner. Everyone was by the door putting their coats on when I noticed Rosalie wasn't in the room. I didn't have a chance to ask where she was, because my brother walked behind me and covered my eyes.
"Emmett, what are you doing?" I said, a little panicked as he started to walk me.
"I have a surprise for you."
I heard a door open and felt a cold breeze hit my face and realized he took me outside. He helped coax me down the stairs and instructed me not to move. I heard footsteps behind me and the faint sound of people breathing before my brother lifted my hand and placed a small object in my palm. My fingers inspected the metal, and I knew instantly what it was.
"A key?" I asked. "Why'd you give me a key?"
"Open your eyes, Bella," he instructed.
It took a second for my eyes to adjust after they opened, and then I gasped at what was in front of me.
"Happy Birthday!" everyone screamed.
A brand new BMW X5 SUV was parked in front of the house with a huge pink bow on the top of the hood. Rosalie climbed out of the driver's seat and grinned. "Does this mean you like the color I picked out?" she joked.
I threw my arms around my brother and screamed, "This is awesome, Em!"
He lifted me off the ground and spun me around. "Every licensed driver should have a car."
He set me down and I ran to the car, my car, my black new SUV.
"Alice," I hollered after hugging Rosalie. "Get in!"
I could hear my family laughing at my childlike behavior, but I didn't care.
"Wait a second." Rosalie laughed. "You're driving all the girls; the guys are riding in the truck. That way, we don't have to take so many vehicles."
Dinner was great and my smile never left my face, even when they brought out a cake and sang to me. I was incredibly happy; my family had given me an awesome birthday.
The week before Halloween, Alice had passed her driving test and Carlisle bought her a blue 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse with Diablo doors; we alternated days to drive each other to school. We had managed to become even closer now that it was just us in town; Emmett hung out a lot around Carlisle when he wasn't at the hospital. She and I were always together, except on the weekends; she'd go to Seattle and James would come here. The weekend came, and everyone, except Alice and I, was going to a huge Halloween party on campus and wouldn't be down, so she and I made plans to attend Jessica's Halloween party.
Alice went as a sexy pirate princess. Her top had butterfly sleeves and a jacket with buckles in the front, which gave it a corset look. Her black skirt was mid-thigh and had tulle underneath to help poof it out. She wore a hat with a plume and black leather knee-high boots. I went as a sexy baseball player. My top looked just like a uniform, except I wore a skirt with striped knee-high socks and my favorite pair of Converse.
The music was blaring when we walked in and could already see at least half the people drunk. Alice went to talk with some people who were in her art class, and I went and chatted with Angela. She and Ben left about an hour later, leaving me to wander around by myself. I wasn't having too much fun and wanted to go home. I found Alice outside talking to some people and I told her I was going to head home.
"I'll go, too," she said and started to get out of the chair.
"No, no." I stopped her. I didn't want her to leave when she was having fun. I felt bad I couldn't be more social, but that was no reason for her to always miss out on things. "You stay here and have fun. You know these aren't my things," I said, motioning to the house. "I'm going to walk home. You call me tomorrow."
"You can't walk home alone, Bella," she protested. Before I could debate anything, I heard a familiar voice offer to walk with me. I turned around and smiled when I saw his face.
"Hey, Ryan." I grinned. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Bella. Hey, Alice." He leaned to the side to wave at her and then looked back at me. "I can walk you home if you'd like, Bella."
"That would be great, Ryan," Alice squealed to him and then winked at me. "Bella needs a strong man to keep her safe."
"Shut up, Alice," I hissed at her attempt at matchmaker. It really wasn't her fault; as far as she knew, as far as anyone knew, I was single.
"What?" she said, faking innocence. "You don't think Ryan's strong enough for the job?"
"Yea, Bella." Ryan nudged my arm. "You don't think I could protect you?"
"I think he could protect you, Bella. If I didn't have a boyfriend, I just might have him walk me home." She laughed and then looked at me. "You're single right, Ryan?" He nodded. "Hmm… so is Bella."
"OK, Alice." I rolled my eyes at her meddling and then hooked my arm in Ryan's and turned away to avoid anymore of her comments. "Call me tomorrow, Ali."
"Don't have too much fun!" she yelled as we rounded the corner.
I released my arm from his and had to laugh at how blatantly obvious Alice was. "Sorry about that."
"No worries."
"You never did answer my question," I told him as we slowly walked down the dark street.
"I dropped my cousins off and saw you through the window and thought I'd come say hi."
"Oh." I didn't really know what else to say. "Umm… well thanks for wanting to walk with me."
"It's my pleasure." He glanced over and winked. Being the girl that I am, I blushed and let out a soft giggle. "I love it when you blush," he whispered. I wasn't sure how to respond except to blush deeper. Besides James, Ryan had been the only one to openly flirt with me. It wasn't that awkward walking with him; I knew he liked me, but I was with James and I'd never cheat on him.
Of course, Ryan was gorgeous; a person would have to be blind not to see it. He was also nice and funny; I felt comfortable around him. Maybe if I wasn't with James and my brother wouldn't blow a gasket, I would actually go on a date with him. But I couldn't even imagine not being with James; he had become my whole world. I hated every second we were apart, and I craved for the days we spent together.
Ryan and I were quiet as we walked down the street, until I was hit with that eerie feeling of being followed. I felt a presence behind me; all the blood rushed to my face and my arms stiffened. A chill went up my spine and I felt the little hairs on my arm and neck stand. My head whipped around, expecting someone to be there, but I was met with nothing… only a dark street and an empty neighborhood. I checked again and then back to my side and saw nothing.
"Hey." Ryan's voice was concerned. "What's wrong?"
I shook my head. "Nothing, nothing." The last thing I needed was for him to think I was a psycho.
"Bella, you're shaking," he pointed out.
"I'm OK," I breathed. "I spook myself out sometimes."
"What's the matter? Did you see something?" I heard the concern in his voice and immediately felt bad. He obviously noticed the change in my behavior and started to worry.
"Have you ever had that feeling that someone was watching you?" I asked quietly and was a little relieved when he nodded his head.
"Well," I said nervously, "I keep getting the feeling that someone is following me, too."
"Seriously?"
"Yea."
"Have you noticed anyone new hanging around you lately?" His voice was laced with worry. "Like when you look up, do you see someone staring at you?"
"No… I mean, whenever I look around, I don't see anyone. It's just this feeling I get, like I know someone's there; I keep waiting for them to jump out and scare me, but nothing happens. Then I'm left feeling anxious."
I saw him look over his shoulder and move closer to me. "Is that what happened a minute ago?"
"Yea," I said quietly. His hand gripped my arm and moved me to the other side, away from the road. His arm wrapped tightly around my shoulder and he pulled me into his side. He didn't ask, he just took charge; and because I was scared, I let him do it.
"Make sure you tell Emmett when we get to your house, Bella," he instructed and walked with more vigor in his strides.
"Em's in Seattle."
I heard him growl and felt his fingers press down on my arm. "You can not stay alone after what you told me."
"I'll be fine," I tried to reassure him. "I just spook myself out sometimes."
"What if it's not your imagination?" he accused. "You want to take that chance?" I knew that was a rhetorical question and I stayed quiet. "You can stay over at my place or I could take you to Alice's, but you are not going to stay alone."
"That's not necessary, Ryan," I whined. "I'm fine. I stay here alone all the time."
"Well, not tonight," he deadpanned. "If you want to go home so bad, then I'm staying there too."
"Don't be ridiculous, Ryan, you do…." I tried to object, but he interrupted.
"I'm staying, and that's the end of it, Bella. What do you think your brother would do to me if I let you stay here alone after what you told me?"
"No," I begged. "Please don't tell Emmett. He worries enough about me. If he finds out I think I'm being followed, he'll never leave town. He needs a break too… he needs to be able to get away and spend time with Rosalie and have fun with his friends. Please don't tell him, Ryan. You can stay. I'm being paranoid, don't ruin th…"
"Shh, Bella," he soothed. "I'm not going to tell him." He stopped in front of my front door and pulled me in for a hug. "I just want to make sure you're safe." I breathed a sigh of relief and let us inside.
It was still kind of early, so I suggested we watch a movie.
"Do you want popcorn or anything?" I asked on my way to get us drinks.
"Yea, that sounds good."
We settled into the couch, watching movies and talking. He was a very interesting person. He told me about his trip to Europe over the summer, all the places he went and sites he saw. He and a few of his friends took a year off college so they could travel and hang out; he said after four years of mandatory attendance, they needed a break.
Ryan turned out to be very smart; we talked a lot about our love for books. He and I seemed to have the same taste in literature. It surprised me when he began quoting poetry. He knew his stuff and I felt his passion behind the words. I apologized to him when he noticed the look on my face, because he didn't strike me as someone who wanted to major in English. I completely stereotyped him as being another baseball jock, just wanting to party it up and living carefree. That was not the case at all; he was ambitious and smart, full of goals.
Around two, I got him some blankets and a pillow for the couch and I went to bed. I checked my phone and was surprised I still hadn't heard from James; he usually called or texted before the night was finished. I climbed under the covers and started to doze off when I heard a noise outside my window.
I was hit with a feeling of panic and froze to listen closer. I waited and waited, breathing as quietly as I could, and tried to focus on the sounds outside. I heard the buzz from the power lines, the soft rustling of the leaves on the tree and the few cars that were driving on the road, but nothing else. My body started to relax and my breathing calmed down. I snuggled into the blankets, ready for sleep to overtake me, when I heard it again.
Realization hit me and a feeling of dread washed through my veins; I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming out. My heart was beating quickly and violently; my body started to sweat and the tiny hairs that covered my arms stood erect. I pulled the covers up to my chin and closed my eyes. I counted to ten in my head and opened my eyes, hoping that whatever I heard was just my mind playing tricks on me.
Scratch, scratch, scratch
I was not imagining anything; there was a noise, and it was coming from outside of my room. I lifted my head and looked towards the window, hoping to see a bird or tree branch. The blood quickly left my body, and I felt my breath follow suit. I was looking at a dark silhouette staring inside my window.
"Ryan!" I screamed and rushed downstairs, taking two at a time, trying to create as much distance from myself and my window as fast as I could.
"What?" He shot off the couch and ran over to the stairs, catching me as I launched myself in to his arms.
"There's someone outside my window!" I cried.
"Are you sure?" he demanded.
"Yes. I heard a noise and when I looked at the window, I saw someone there," I sobbed.
My fingers twisted in his shirt when I felt him pulling away, and I panicked. "No, don't leave, please," I begged.
"Bella, I need to go check it out," he explained. "You stay right here by the door. Don't move."
"No, don't leave me here!" I cried. "I can't be alone."
"Alright, but you stay right by me and don't make a sound, OK?"
I nodded and we walked outside together. My heart felt like it was pounding against my ribcage; my breathing was so fast I thought I might hyperventilate. We stepped onto the grass and slowly walked around the house toward my bedroom window. As we turned the corner, I screamed as loud as I could, which caused Ryan to jump back; and we watched three kids, dressed in costumes, running away and laughing out loud.
I grabbed my chest and felt my muscles unclench themselves, relieved that I wasn't dead. It took a few moments for me to control my breathing and then I lifted my head to look at Ryan. He had his head slightly turned away and I noticed his body was shaking. I instantly felt bad for scaring him and went to tell him I was sorry, but I saw that his lips were pressed together in a way to keep sound out and knew he wasn't scared at all.
The asshole was trying to stop laughing. He noticed me looking at him and straightened up right away, wiping all traces of humor from his face.
"Are you alright?" His voice was forced to stay even. I rolled my eyes.
"You can go ahead and laugh, jerk," I teased. And he did, very loudly, I might add. But it was infectious, and soon I was laughing too. We were still laughing as we walked back inside and shut the door.
"Shut up," I choked out. "You try waking up to a face outside your window."
"I know, I know." He laughed. "It's just… I mean…. your face…. Fucking punk kids, huh?" He snorted.
"Whatever." I chuckled. "Thanks for rescuing me. I'm going back to bed."
He said good night, and I again climbed the stairs to my room. I stopped in the bathroom first to wash my face and shook my head at the hilarity of the situation. It was funny; I let my mind get so carried away, I thought someone was coming to kill me. I shut the lights off and crawled back under my covers. As I was closing my eyes, I heard my phone buzz, indicating I had a text. I read the message from James, somewhat curious as to why he would send this to me now at three in the morning.
Sleep tight.
I texted him back, telling him I loved him and good night, before I fell asleep… still feeling a little odd about those two words.
A/N: Good? Bad?... let me know.
I listened to Christina Aquilara - I turn to you, a couple times while writing this.
Cried a few times. She really loves her brohter.
The other song i recommend listening to while reading it... I laughed my ass off
Jimmy Soul - If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life...
See ya in a few days.
