Tripping The Prom Queen
Chapter 14: Skin
Author's Note: Sorry this took longer than I wanted it to! Jacob was giving me trouble… such a bad boy!
Yay! Reviews! Thanks to cicilove, VampairePrincess, emomusickid, lilo, Mittenzs, SonjaMae98 and EsmeAliceRose. After the lack of response to the last chapter, I was starting to worry… Please keep the comments coming… I'm finishing up Chapter 15 now and… finally, something I think you've all been waiting for!
Chapter 14: Skin
"Unbelievable" Bella muttered, once she reached Alice.
"Yes" Alice replied. She had her own suspicions, but wanted to hear what Bella thought.
"Rosalie actually sounded… nice."
Alice just nodded.
"Emphasis on "sounded."" Bella continued. She knew Rosalie too well.
I'm not falling for her crap! Not anymore!
"I've seen her pull this stuff a million times. Act totally sweet to someone's face… and then, behind her back, destroy her."
"I didn't believe her, either." Alice concurred. "She's definitely planning something. The question is what?"
"I know one thing." Bella proclaimed. "Rosalie would never want to lose that contest. She never wants to lose anything."
Except… it seems… for my friendship! So done!
"So… What are you going to do?"
"Watch my back." Bella replied. "Because I'm not stooping to her level!"
"How low can you go?" Alice quipped, then said seriously. "But it seems there's a much better way to handle this..."
Bella's eyes locked on her friend's. Both burst out simultaneously.
"The Homecoming Contest!"
"It would really piss her off if you won!"
"I told you. That's not going to happen." Bella sighed. "I don't even know how I got nominated."
"Duh! Because the guys think you're hot!" Alice giggled. "Which you so totally are! You heard Eric, Tyler and Mike today."
"The Three Stooges."
"They are rather dorktastic." Alice agreed. "But they will vote for you. And they aren't the only ones!"
"Even if I wanted to, I have no idea how to win a contest like this…"
"You don't need to know anything. Just be yourself… " Alice smiled, then added.
"Although… there's one thing that can't hurt!"
"Wha?"
But before Bella could say a word, let alone ask a question, Alice turned and started gracefully bounding up the stairs towards the second floor art studio.
"Bye!"
Bella didn't see Alice for the remainder of the school day. Even at lunch, she was a no-show. She sat with Angela, hoping for a much needed quiet hour. However, within minutes they were joined by Eric, Mike and Tyler, all talking incessantly, obviously vying for Bella's attention.
I may have to do something about them… This could become a problem!
She excused herself, stepping outside into the cold to call Jacob. She had texted several times already, with no response. This time was no different.
Typical… He's so stubborn! But so thin-skinned! I know he's hurt!
It's better if I go see him in person…
A few hours later, Jacob was at the garage, laboring over a Lexus with a faulty air conditioner. Of course, he knew exactly how to fix it.
Just machine the front routers…
It was hard work, but he welcomed it. The physical labor distracted him and fully occupied his mind.
Until his phone rang.
Again!
Don't answer it!
It's just Bella! And you have nothing to say to her!
Despite himself, he wiped his hands on a rag, before taking the phone from the pocket of his loose dark blue overalls.
Just want to see what she could possibly have to say to me!
Jake… We need to talk! Please?
Yeah! Right!
Disgusted, Jacob replaced the phone in his pocket, before resuming his work on the car. Again, he quickly became engrossed in his task, losing track of time.
"Jacob?"
Just ignore her!
He kept right on working.
"So, that's how it has to be now?" Bella said sadly.
"That's right"
"Jake, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Come on. Please don't make me say it!"
"Sorry that you don't feel the same way I do!" Jacob snorted. "Sorry that you don't really care about me! And that you never have!"
"What?"
"I've never been that important to you!"
"That's not true…"
"Isn't it!" Jacob fumed. "You cut me loose pretty quickly when you started hanging out with "Rat-on-me"!"
"Rosalie?"
"Who else!
And even now… with everything that's happened, you don't even see me! Not when those Cullen boys are around! Especially Edward! That bloodsucker!
"And look where that got you!" Jacob taunted cruelly.
"Jacob, I'm sorry if I hurt you." Bella replied. "I never meant to! But I do want to be your friend…"
"You don't know what you want!" Jacob snorted. "Whatever! I don't need you! I have plenty of better options…"
"You mean Victoria! You don't really want to go there!"
"Jealous?"
"No. She's just… trouble."
"Like I'm going to listen to you!" Jacob laughed. "You gave up any right to decide my sex life! Since you made it clear you weren't going to be a part of it!"
"And this is exactly why!" Bella finally exploded, completely exasperated. "You can be so freaking immature! I can't believe I even felt badly for you!"
"And I can't believe I ever felt anything for you at all!" Jacob spat. "You're so not worth it!"
"Jacob…"
"Just go! Get out! I never want to speak to you again!"
Bella turned and retreated.
Jacob picked up his wrench and threw it across the room. He then took a deep breath, and went to retrieve it, before returning to work. Mere minutes passed before he heard footsteps again.
"Go away, Bella!"
"Not Bella…"
"Hot!" her sultry voice continued. "I like a man who's… good with his hands!"
He lifted his head slowly, confirming who it was. Then, he returned to his task.
"Aren't you happy to see me?"
"Should I be?"
"I should think so. We did spend the night together."
"Victoria…"
"You never call me." she purred, reaching over and stroking his chest with one impeccably manicured, pointy-nailed, finger.
"I got the impression you didn't want me to." Jacob replied tersely.
And I didn't want to piss off Bella… But I guess those rules are off now! So off! In fact…
Why not? If she's pissed, good!
"My bad…" Victoria cooed seductively. "You are the hottest guy I've met since I've moved here…"
"I… am?"
"Yes. I've missed you…" she purred, the words shooting straight to his groin.
"Wanna get together some time? Like… tonight?"
While Victoria propositioned Jacob, Bella perched anxiously in the bleachers, waiting for the Spartan's practice to end. Emmett saw her, and blew her a kiss. She just smiled back and he immediately returned to his workout.
Bella sighed.
This… is boring. I'm just not into sports. As a player… or even as a spectator.
That's another reason why Emmett and I aren't right for each other.
I'm here to talk to him. As soon as he finishes.
But until then…
Bella removed a dog-eared paperback from her purse and began to read, losing herself completely in the compelling story.
"Bella"
She jumped, dropping the book.
"Didn't mean to scare you." Edward said, grinning down at her.
"You didn't…" Bella said, as he handed her the fallen volume, before sitting down besides her. "I didn't see you coming."
"Bella… It's not my fault if you were completely unobservant."
"Starlight?" he asked, looking at the book's cover. "Didn't know that vampire novels were your thing?"
"Yes." Bella replied, blushing. "I love them. They can get really intense. And romantic."
Intense… And romantic… Just like… You.
"What are you doing here?" she asked quickly. "Shouldn't you be practicing?"
"Not today" Edward smiled mysteriously. "I had something else to do."
"Something good." Bella knew instantly, seeing the excitement dancing in his emerald eyes.
"I think so…" he replied. "Twilight just got its first paying gig!"
"That's great! When? Where?"
"Friday night. Club Volturi."
"I've never heard of it?"
"It's a new place that just opened in Seattle. Near the university." Edward clarified. "I'd really like you to come."
"Of course I will." Bella breathed.
"We'll be playing the song you and I wrote. Plus, there's another one I'd really like you to hear." he continued, thinking.
Because… It's about you.
"I wouldn't miss this for anything"
"Great" Edward said, taking a deep breath and asking.
"I know it's a long drive… So, if you want… I could give you a ride? Don't know if your truck could make it otherwise!"
"Don't hate my truck!" Bella admonished him, smiling.
"So, that would be a…."
"Bella!"
Alice rushed over to them.
"I need to talk to you! Right now!"
"Oh…" she apologized, seeing Edward next to Bella. "Bad timing?"
"Yes!" Edward said flatly.
"I'm so sorry! But this can't wait!"
"Something's wrong." he knew, instinctively moving closer to Bella.
"Something unbelievably awful." Alice confirmed, whipping out her IPAD and angling the screen so they all could view it.
"A Web page." Bella said. "Vote For Your Homecoming Queen"
"It's more than that…" the smaller girl replied, scrolling down the page.
Bella looked at the screen. There were pictures of Rosalie, taken at different ages, from when she was a baby to some from the present. In all of them, Rose looked beautiful and flawless.
Her own shots were markedly different.
"Oh, no!"
Bella took in the skinny, poorly dressed little girl with large glasses and braces.
"I never wore glasses... The braces were real, though…"
"That's not the worst of it…"
A naked female body now filled the screen. The body had Bella's face atop it.
"No" Bella gasped in horror. "That's not me!"
"No" Alice whispered. That much was obvious. The pictures became increasing lewd and graphic.
"That's disgusting…"
"Someone's got a filthy mind!" Edward said angrily.
"And a subscription to plenty of Internet porn sites." Alice snorted. "That's where they got this stuff. Clearly, it's not real."
"Like that matters!" Bella screamed. She knew her classmates only too well.
"They'll still think it's me. Or imagine it is!"
"Which is even worse" Alice finished for her.
"I can't come back here!" Bella panicked. "I'll need to be homeschooled."
"Bella…" Alice's voice drifted off. She had no idea what to say.
"We'll find out who did this!"
"How?"
"We'll find someone who knows about this kind of stuff!"
"And then what?"
"Kick some ass!"
"It doesn't matter!" Bella moaned. "It will be too late. By then, everyone will have already seen the pictures."
"We've got to do something now!" Alice exploded. "What?"
Edward just stood there, white-faced, and completely silent, rage burning through every inch of his taut body. His muscles clenched as the fury consumed him.
Suddenly, he knew.
I'm going to take care of this!
"Edward?" Bella called out after him.
He was already running away.
Author's Note 2: Ok, seriously… I don't know what's more disgusting here… this website, or Jacob hooking up with Victoria, again! Sorry to put you all through the pain! But the next chapter will hopefully make up for some of that...
Ok, time to place your bets… What is Edward going to do? And what is going to happen in the next chapter (hint… as I said, it's something many of you have been waiting for!)