Running Away

Part of this chapter was originally in the chapter previous however I wasn't happy with it so I have changed it up! Enjoy!

Bella's POV –

Waking up in the mornings felt like a chore, part of me wished I'd wake up in my old room and that all of this will have been a dream. That maybe all of this was just a terrible nightmare, like if I pinch myself hard enough it'll just fade away. Or maybe if I hold my breath long enough, I could just fade away. But life isn't just one big analogy or a book I can change and edit; it's just something we've got to do. Grabbing my things I got ready for school, from the direction of the conversations I heard downstairs I chose to once again to leave through the window. Despite my clumsiness, it was a better option to attempt to successfully scale down the tree or subsequently fail than have to face what I could meet downstairs.

Reaching out to grab onto the trusty tree branch I contemplated the risk of certain death as I jumped in hopes of landing myself on a branch. As I took off from my window ledge however my foot slipped and not in like a cute little clumsy way, slipped in a way it threw my whole body off balance and there was no hope of catching myself. Closing my eyes and waiting for the fall I clenched every muscle in my body. But when I stopped moving I didn't land on the ground. There was something hard keeping me steady but it was two strong arms. Looking up I was met with two amber coloured eyes, beautiful soft blonde hair and a crooked smile.

"You should really watch your step," His voice was so wonderful, so deep and melodic with a southern accent of some kind.

"We really need to stop meeting like this."

"Maybe next time you should just use the door, like a normal person."

"Do I honestly strike you as a normal person?" I asked earnestly,

"No, not really." He replied a laugh just wanting to escape his lips. He put me on my feet but his hands didn't leave my arms and I couldn't help but being transfixed in his eyes. "You really are very prone to danger," I wanted to reply I just couldn't bring the words to my lips. My hands moved from my side and made there way up to his shoulders, I couldn't help but feel the cold radiating off him but it wasn't unpleasant.
"How did you get to me in time?"
"This time or the time before?"
"Both"

"5% challenge, 10% luck, 15% skill and 20% concentrated power of will."
"What about the other 50%?"
"Well I can't tell you all of my secrets at once can I?"

"I guess that defeats the mystery man persona you've got going on, but I don't mind." Before he could open his mouth to either agree or disagree a loud yell from Phil broke the silence of the morning. "Shit, I've got to go."

"I've got you,"
"I don't think you can handle him."
"Oh, I think I can handle that."

"Whether you can or you can't doesn't matter, I'm late for school and I do not want to face that before my day."

"Don't be scared, I'll keep you safe, you can trust me."

"No, I can't." I pulled myself away and ran to my car, quickly getting it started and away from Phil. I don't know what caused his rage this morning but I was not sticking around to find out. Looking in my rear vision mirror I saw him standing there one moment and then before my eyes he just blurred and disappeared. Great another thing to send my mind spinning with how weird the Cullen family really was. Reaching to pick up Jaspers phone from the seat of my car my hand only found thin air. He must have gotten into my car before he rescued me again this morning. Now I had no way to talk to him unless he came to my window again.

Walking to class I couldn't help but pick up the chatter of the students around me. "Gosh they're back." "Why did they go in the first place?" "That didn't last very long" I had no idea who they were all talking about but as I got into my first class Angela greeted me at the door. "You know how you had questions about the Cullen's, well you're going to get all your answers, they're back. Obviously home schooling didn't work out as well as they had hoped." I nodded not really knowing what to do with this information. Yesterday Blondie was telling me to stay away and now they are back, what gives? This was all so confusing, maybe answers is not what I was needing right now, maybe an invisibility cloak would suit me better. "Are you okay? It's like you've seen a ghost."
"Yeah I'm fine, just not feeling too well." I replied heading to my seat not wanting to talk anymore. I don't know what my teacher said, or what any teachers had said all morning, my brain was just ticking over with information.

There was just so much going on, I knew something was off with the Cullen's but it's like everyone else in this town is blinded by them, all except that Jacob guy. His number burned a hole in my bag, I wanted answers, but I didn't want them from him. I wanted Jasper to tell me. But at the same time, he was making my head spin, he saves my life, twice. The first time he is gone like a ghost and the second time I couldn't seem to get him to go. He was protective but I didn't know him from a bar of soap, well in social interactions, reading his writings here and there show me he's a deep soulful kind of guy. But that's not enough, he disappeared like Houdini before and nothing will stop him from running again. Even more so, he seemed like he wanted to be my white knight this morning and as much as I'd like to see someone rearrange Phil's face a few times, I wasn't that person. The real truth is that I didn't need anyone right now, I really can't cope with letting someone in, there is just too much going on, to much vulnerability in my life. Me, my whole life, was spiralling out of control and I knew at some point gravity will pull me down to Earth and smash me into a million pieces and I can't bring anyone down with me. Before Phil life was better but it wasn't easy, I had survived a lot, this would be not different. That's all I needed to do, survive. Distractions, friends, boyfriends especially don't fit into that plan. One day I know I will have all of those things, but at the moment I am content with loneliness, it isn't worth the risk.

Following Angela to lunch I sat down with the group again, their conversation was surrounding the Cullen's return just like the rest of the school. Uthe constant droning questions of why? surrounded every topic of conversation. Why did they come back? Why did they leave in the first place? I didn't listen, I just couldn't get over the way Blondie was shooting arrows in my direction. I couldn't work it out, yesterday I was told to stay away from the Cullen's by her and now I literally couldn't. They were so twisted. More so I was told to leave Jasper alone but there he was outside of my window, another reason why he is just a stupid impossibility in my life. I couldn't help looking back at the Cullen's and how they without even trying they caused a stir, how could they have stayed hidden? Maybe that's why Blondie was so upset, not one had the guts to find the truth until me, but still, I didn't know who or more accurately what they were. I felt like I was going to suffocate, the air was just to thick and I had way to many thoughts running laps through my brain. Escaping to the library seemed like the only logical action for me to take; Going through the cafeteria doors I was greeted with a blast of cold air which went straight to my bones. But nothing was going to stop me, I wanted to get away and I had gotten good over the past year of running away when situations called for it. Just as I was rounding the corner of the quad I felt myself smack into another cool body. I didn't have a chance to catch myself in time, waiting for my head to smack the concrete two hands like steel gripped my shoulders keeping me steady, opening my eyes I found Jasper's eyes looking back at me. I realised I hadn't noticed his absence from his family until now.

"You're right, we do need to stop meeting like this."

"Sooner or later I am going to get a concussion."

"We wouldn't want that."

"Could have fooled me."

"I'm sorry, I should watch where I am going before walking around a corner."

"No it's fine, so you're family is back."

"You've noticed that huh?"

"Well I really should say thank you to you all seeing I've happily become invisible again, it's nice to be off the gossip circuit for awhile. Anyway I have to go."

"Shouldn't you be in the cafeteria for lunch?"

"I could ask you the same thing, but it's a bit too crowed for me."

"Well do you want some company where you are going?"

"No thank you."

"Bella, stop running away from me."

"Oh that's rich coming from you."

"Look, you're family keeps giving me whiplash, you most of all. You here one week and then just before I arrive you disappear, you come out of nowhere and literally sweep me off my feet to go again and then materialise always at the nick of time. You sister tells me I need to stay away from you and now your whole family is back."

"That's my family. Not me."

"Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Excuse me?"

"You saved my life and then completely disappear, your cronie then comes in guns a blazing giving me a tongue lashing and going through my personal life. Then you have the audacity to send me cryptic text messages and then absolute silence. Finally turn up at my window, save me again and try to be a hero against my step dad. I don't know whether it's you and not me, who is the one with the hero complex or maybe you are just delusional. Or maybe you are a complete Narcissist. Personally I don't want to be anywhere near a person who has those sort of tendencies."

"Narcissist, I haven't been called that in a long time."

"Well you obviously needed the reminder, now if you'll excuse me, I have a family of freaks to avoid." Pushing past him I moved towards the library, his hand clasped around mine pulling me back, his reflexes as fast as lightening.

"Let me explain."

"You know what Jasper, I don't want to know. If I wanted to I could have simply asked that Jacob guy."

"You need to stay away from him."

"What makes you think you or any of your family have any right to tell who I can or cannot see. Let go of me."

"Bella, I wasn't kidding when I said you are a danger magnet."

"And I wasn't kidding when I said let go of me." His hand loosened and I pulled my fingers from his grip. The library wasn't going to cut it anymore, heading across the quad I made a beeline to my car. I didn't care where I was going as I turn my keys in the ignition but I wanted to be a million miles away from this town. Tearing off through the streets I found myself following the signs to Port Angela's and then further onto Tacoma but as day started turning to night I stopped at Kingston. The small sailing town drowned in the smell of salt was just what I needed. Walking past the boutique stores with the throws of tourists it was nice to blend in and not stick out like a sore thumb. As the crowds began to disperse I found myself in a little cafe near the fire station. Oak Table Cafe reminded me of a little place my mom and I used to go to before Phil threw out the balance of my world; it was quiet and everyone was welcoming. But despite the warmth of the room I couldn't help the cold chill that wrapped its way around my spin. I felt like I was being watched, my ears were burning and I had no explanation for my feelings. There was nothing, no one, in my vicinity I knew or even saw me.

After eating my creme cheese bagel and finishing off my latte I made my way back to my car, my phone in my back pocket vibrated but I didn't want to stop to look at it; the same set of footsteps hadn't stopped following me since the cafe. The cold feeling only increased and my body was gearing up to enter fight or flight mode. As I placed my keys in to unlock my car a hand clasped over my shoulder as a set of lips went to my ear. "You, young girl, look very lost." Turning around I thrust my fist straight up into the guys chin, followed by another fist to his cheek. If I was going down tonight I wasn't going down without a fight.

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