Well, hello! Hope you all enjoyed New Moon, had a Merry Christmas and a great New Year! I would give you my excuses but you're all pretty bored of them right now and just want to read the chapter! A few dedications first.
We hit the 100 review mark! Thank you for everyone who reviewed, there are too many to name! I think the top ones will go to xomusiclover93ox and mno44 who really inspired me. Thanks for the love.
The Buffy references are dedicated to my best friend pumpkinborg who has some amazing stories that you should read on her profile. She'll probably find something wrong with them… so sorry in advance, R!
And of course, to the author of my 101st review, Lyxa, for all the support she has given me and spotting those careless mistakes. You are an amazing beta, who's story The Scale is back! If you haven't already, go check it out!
Well that's me done! Go on and enjoy this long overdue chapter!
Oh, and Twilight's not mine. Just to let you know.
No copyright infringement is intended. Go on then. Enjoy!
Bella was lucky; Mr Banner was yet to arrive when she walked into her Biology class. She had moved at such a speed that if she was human she would have been out of breath. Instead, Bella walked to her- well, their- table and started to take out her books, ignoring the obvious confusion surrounding her. It was understandable; no one had ever seen Edward Cullen take an interest in anyone before. In fact, one of the first things Bella was told when she came to Forks was that Edward was probably gay.
Bella snorted lightly. She had had a peak into Edward's mind and he definitely was not gay.
Reading Edward's thoughts was not even intentional anymore. Bella would feel an instant connection whenever he was close and the rush of his thoughts would soon follow. It was the curiosity that pulled her in. Edward was cryptic even in his thoughts; sometimes Bella would feel he cared for her but his main focus seemed to be on figuring out "the mystery". Too frightened to find out the truth, Bella did not venture any further in his mind.
Running her fingers through her hair, Bella thought back to their conversation at lunch. They had flirted- no doubt about that- and their usual electricity had surrounded them. At one point, Edward had been so close, his butterscotch eyes burning with intensity, that Bella almost spontaneously combusted before his very eyes.
That would have been dangerous… but what a way to go. Bella giggled at her own thoughts and turned her attention to Mr Banner, who had just walked in the room.
"Settle down; settle down…," the teacher murmured at the chatting classroom. "Today will not be a normal lesson, so you may all pack your books away."
Bella frowned but did as she was told. She hadn't fully taken in what Edward had said. His mind was in such a state of shock after their last conversation that she couldn't get anything from him. It was unlike him to skip a lesson…
"Now," Mr Banner's voice broke Bella's train of thought, "If Mr Newton could pass these around…" Mike stood and started to place small cardboard boxes Bella had not noticed on the desks, causing Bella's confusion to grow.
"You may have heard that the Red Cross is setting up a blood drive this weekend at Port Angeles. So, I thought everyone should know their blood types."
With a satisfied smile, Mr Banner pulled his rubber gloves on, the sharp snap causing Bella to stiffen.
As her teacher continued to describe how the lesson was going to work, Bella went into a state of panic. Why didn't she question Edward fully? She could have prevented this situation, which had placed her in a room with 20 bleeding teenagers. Grabbing hold of the desk, Bella closed her eyes, trying to calm down, when she smelt that familiar salty smell in the air. She opened her eyes quickly, to find blood sliding down Mike Newton's finger… Blood. Mine.
As the squeals and complaints started around Bella, the smell of blood increased. And Bella started to realise just how hungry she was. Shutting her air supply did not help and Bella couldn't stop her eyes from staying on Mike's finger. It would be very easy to lure him away from the classroom, she thought as her eyes darkened. A simple smile and a flattering comment would find him in a deserted corridor. She could make it painless, as it wasn't his fault he was in that situation. Just one snap of the neck…
And then Edward's face appeared.
Her hallucination of him grew stronger and her plans of killing Mike slowly started to fade away. She realised it was her vision of him in the meadow, the one she occasionally relished in when daydreaming. The sparkles in his skin almost blinded her and the golden swirls in his eyes were brighter than ever. His eyes held no judgement for her plans, no disgust. He understood. And then he faded away.
Gasping out loud, Bella found that she was still in the classroom and Mr Banner was fast approaching. If he tried to draw blood with the barb and it snapped due to her skin's strength, her façade of playing the human would be over.
The answer suddenly was staring right in Bella's face. Play the human.
Drawing blood away from her cheeks, Bella swayed from side to side for dramatic effect. She placed her cheek on the cool desk and groaned softly, allowing a slight crease to form in her forehead.
"Isabella? Isabella, are you alright?" Mr Banner's voice was close to her head, filled with worry.
"I-I already know my blood type, Mr Banner," Bella murmured, mentally praising herself as she sensed the panic around her.
"Could someone take Miss Swan to the nurse's office please?" Bella's head shot up a bit too quickly in panic.
"No sir! It's O.K. I can make it there by myself!" Bella whispered, remembering to keep up the sick routine.
"Nonsense, Isabella. You can barely move." Mr Banner dismissed her simply. "Someone, take her please!"
Bella groaned softly and closed her eyes as she saw Mike Newton step forward with a smile of his face. Typical, she thought as she leaned into his body, limping out of the classroom.
Mike's loud footsteps echoed through the empty hallway Bella found herself outside walking past the car park. She exhaled for a moment, then realised that was a bad idea. Mike's salty scent hit her, enraging the monster inside.
"Put your hand in your pocket!" Bella exclaimed while holding her breath.
"Why?"
"Just do it!" Stupid boy. Bella closed her eyes again, trying not to breathe. "Just put me down here. I need to rest."
Mike placed Bella on a small wall and she lay back, ignoring the fact that she could still smell Mike's blood.
"Wow, you look really pale, Bella," Mike muttered unhelpfully.
"Bella?"
Bella's eyes shot open at the beautiful voice that filled the air, and saw Mike's face tense in anger. She took a sigh of relief and did not care that the smell of blood rushed to her nose. Bella would be okay now.
Edward was here.
Edward cursed himself for calling out, as he now had to walk a slow human pace when Bella's life could be hanging in the balance.
A bit melodramatic, Edward. A voice muttered in his head, but he ignored it as he eventually reached her... and Mike.
"What's wrong? Is she O.K.?" Edward frowned at Mike's slow response. Why didn't he answer faster?
"Yeah, she's fine," Mike muttered, slightly wary of Edward's anger. "She just felt faint because of all the blood."
Edward softened his face and bent down to whisper in Bella's ear. "Bella? Bella, can you hear me?" If Newton's done anything, I swear I'll...
Bella's head turned far too quickly for any human to spot. Her brown eyes met Edward's, twinkling with amusement. She placed a slender finger on her lips, and all the colour drained quickly from her cheeks causing Edward to panic. With a small wink, Bella closed her eyes.
"No! Go away!" she groaned, turning her head away.
Edward blinked in shock, and then glanced up at Mike, who was none the wiser. Realisation dawned on him and he chuckled in relief. She was okay.
"I'm supposed to take her to the nurse's office, but she won't go any further," Mike grumbled. Edward rolled his eyes in exasperation. He was surprised the boy wasn't having a temper tantrum like a spoilt two year old.
Edward's eyes trailed over Bella's face and towards her hair, leaving him wondering what it would be like to run his hands through it. His eyes continued to travel across her body- without really meaning to- before returning to her face, which had become a rosy colour again. An idea suddenly popped into his head.
"I'll take her," he declared. "You can go back to class."
Edward turned to give Mike a slightly threatening smile, daring him to challenge him.
"No! I'm supposed to take her!" Mike protested. Edward sighed, noticing the boy was one step away from stomping his foot in protest, and decided to take things into his own hands.
Treating her like the porcelain she truly was, Edward wrapped her arms around Bella's body and lifted her up. Striding past the insolent teenage boy, he was careful not to place her body near his, in fear that she would be worried about his cold skin.
But she could already know what you are, Edward. She's been hinting…
Edward ignored that negative thought as he moved slower down the hallway. He didn't want to think about the past or the future. Just the here and now, with Bella's warmth radiating on him, the smell of freesias tickling his nose.
Heaven.
"What are you doing?"
Edward glanced down to find Bella staring at him, her eyebrows raised.
"Rescuing you from Newton, of course. It was obvious that you didn't want to stay there," Edward explained, putting on his innocent face.
Sighing, Bella offered him a small smile, and looked down.
"Thanks, but you can let me go now. I can walk."
Edward scowled slightly, not liking the talk about letting go.
"Well, if you did, how could we keep up your act of being dizzy?" He smirked, happy with his answer.
Bella rolled her eyes and his smirk grew wider.
"You're a terrible actress, you know," he lied.
The image of her pale and ill-looking was etched into his brain, and he started to feel a bit dizzy himself. He shook himself from it, focusing on the blushing, warm creature in his arms.
"So, you judge me for skipping class, but then pretend to faint in the actual class? Who's the delinquent now?" Edward raised his eyebrows from comical affect, hoping it hid his actual wonder at her behaviour. Bella was so unpredictable.
Bella's eyes were narrowed by the time he was finished and she huffed. "Well, you didn't tell me there was a blood test today, did you?"
Edward blinked. Unpredictable.
"What's wrong with blood tests?" he frowned, wondering what she was getting at. He kept having flashbacks of lunchtime and started to worry. Worry that she would jump from his arms and start running if she knew what he was.
That's why she couldn't know that he was a vampire. She wasn't running.
"Well, you could say… blood doesn't agree with me," Bella mused, pursing her lips.
Edward's frown deepened. Forever cryptic Edward thought, and decided not to question her any further. It would only lead to more confusion.
"So… where are we going?" Bella asked, turning her head away from Edward. Her hair brushed his nose, her floral scent teasing him again.
"Didn't you hear me tell Newton? I'm taking you to the nurse's office. God knows we don't want another fainting spell again." Edward smirked again as they reached their destination.
Bella's head whipped around and Edward saw shock on her face. "That's not necessary. I mean--"
Bella's sentence was cut short when Edward kicked the doors open, unwilling to put her down. Gasps from the nurses flooded the room, causing Edward to roll his eyes.
"She fainted in Biology," he called out to them, while placing Bella on a sick bed. Her eyes were closed again, but she did not look as pale as last time. Edward found himself smiling again; such a complex creature, he mused, who was still beautiful, even when she looked half dead.
An elderly woman pushed past Edward impatiently, walking up to Bella with an ice pack.
"Are you alright, dear?" she muttered softly to Bella. Bella's eyes fluttered open, and a small smile graced her face.
"Yes, it will pass," Bella murmured, lifting herself into a sitting position.
"Here, take this." The woman passed Bella an ice pack, finding herself warming up to the teenager. Bella seemed to remind her of her own daughter when she was young. "Does this happen often?" she asked.
Bella pressed the ice pack onto her forehead.
"Occasionally," she mumbled, a somewhat cold smile passing her face. It was unnatural, Edward thought, and did not suit her face at all.
"Hm…Well, just keep the pack there, dear and it will get better." The woman turned towards Edward, who was now sitting by a plastic chair next to Bella's bed. Her impatience soon returned. "I think you should be in class, young man."
Edward smiled, "I'm supposed to stay with her. Make sure she's alright". He spoke with such authority that the nurse did not question. She pursed her lips and walked out of the room, leaving the two alone.
"Still think I'm a bad actress?" Bella whispered in the silence, before bursting into quiet laughter.
A few minutes later, Bella and Edward were walking towards the car park in the rain. Bella had managed to persuade the nurse that she was still feeling unwell and she should go home as soon as possible. Edward then managed to convince the receptionist, Ms Cope, that Bella needed him in order to get home. Bella was still teasing him outside.
"I mean, the poor woman did not have a chance! She was all; "Yes, Edward. Of course, Edward. Whatever you say, Edward." She's probably still spaced out now!"
Bella erupted into giggles, while Edward scowled at her. He did not like how he had manipulated Ms Cope and his mind reading made the whole thing a terrible experience.
At the same time, he found himself admiring the way Bella laughed and how she didn't mind the rain soaking her hair. Most girls spent massive amounts of their time on their appearance, not realising how unimportant it was. Bella's hair was now dark brown, falling straight down her back. Her giggles died down and Edward found himself staring into her eyes, droplets falling on her eyelashes.
Her lips twisted into a small smile.
"Thanks, anyway. For getting me out of gym, that is. I can't stand that class, let me tell you." Bella rolled her eyes as her smile grew wider. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
Edward blinked and realised he was standing in front of her car and frowned. "I could take you to your house, you know. I did promise."
He smiled, hoping that it masked his curiosity.
Bella shook her head. "No point. I live quite far; you may get lost on the way back. Besides, what about my baby here?" Bella patted her Audi with a smile. "I'm perfectly capable to drive, Edward."
Edward shrugged.
"Worth a shot, I guess," he muttered at a low volume, looking down.
"But thanks for asking."
Edward looked up and nearly gasped at Bella's dazzling smile, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. He smiled back, opening her car door for her.
"Let's get you out of the rain then," he said, holding his hand out.
Almost immediately after he had done so he wished he was wearing gloves. It would be the second time his hands would feel cold to her and didn't want to give Bella any more hints to what he was. But Bella took it and shot him a grateful smile as she sat in her car. The warmth of her hand coursed through Edward's body and straight to his heart. The feeling made him feel more human than he could possibly imagine and rendered him speechless- not for the first time in the presence of the beauty in front of him.
"G-get home safe." he found himself stuttering. He looked into Bella's eyes again and found them almost watering. She murmured a quick thank you before shutting the door and driving smoothly away, leaving Edward standing and staring for what seemed like infinity after she had turned the corner.
An hour later, Edward's siblings filtered into his Volvo, taking in his wet clothes with raised eyebrows. Alice bounced into the front seat, a suspicious grin on her face. It wasn't until Edward was halfway home that they started on him.
"So, Edward…" Alice said in a sing song voice. "Where'd you go in the last hour?"
Edward frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Alice became slightly concerned when you disappeared from her visions after lunch," Jasper clarified, suppressing Edward's worry a little.
"One moment you were sitting in your car brooding," Alice mused, "the next, you were standing in the rain brooding. It was completely blurred in the middle. How did Bella end up in your future?"
The whole car had abruptly become silent to hear Edward's story. Sighing heavily, Edward explained what had happened in that hour, skipping over the part where he had carried Bella. He knew that wouldn't end well. The silence that followed made Edward smile. Bella tended to have that effect on everyone.
"So… blood doesn't agree withher…" Alice muttered, her pixie face set into a frown.
"Are we sure she's not a vampire?" Emmett shouted from the back of the car. Edward rolled his eyes.
"I'm just saying. Or…." Emmett paused for dramatic effect.
Here he goes….
"…She could be a vampire slayer! Like Buffy! It would explain her speed and strength, ya know."
"Uh huh." Everyone in the car muttered.
"A vampire slayer who isfriends with vampires?" Alice called out. "A bit unlikely, Emmett."
"What about Angel, Alice? Trust me it happens."
"Emmett, stop relating everything to Buffy. In case you haven't noticed, those vampires are kind of fake," Alice chided.
"There's no stake through the heart, no portal to hell," Jasper chimed in.
"Exactly. We're already there," Edward muttered.
They had reached their house by the end of this discussion and started to leave the Volvo. Edward stepped out of his seat, only to be confronted by a smirking Rosalie.
"So, you escorted her to the nurse's office, did you Edward?" Rosalie cocked an eyebrow. Edward was suddenly hit with an image of him carrying Bella past a window.
"What do you mean, Rose?" Edward heard Alice ask in the background. He was still staring at Rosalie, whose smirk grew. Watching her open her mouth, he shook his head violently, but she still spoke.
"I'm talking about Romeo here carrying Bella past my Geography window," Rosalie declared, watching her siblings mouths drop open. She turned back to Edward. "You're lucky the class was watching some mundane film that seemed to interest them or they all would have seen you."
"Edward…." Alice whispered.
Jasper simply shook his head.
"Oh, you've got it bad," Emmett chuckled.
Edward lowered his head, embarrassment flooding through him.
You do, don't you?
Edward looked up into Rosalie's cool blue eyes as they softened slightly.
Love her that is.
Edward frowned and Rosalie rolled her eyes.
I don't know why you're lying to yourself, it's clear as day. She thought with a small smile. Edward looked at her in surprised and found himself blurting out the truth.
"I'm not worthy." he muttered softly. "I'm not worthy of love."
Out of the corner of his eye, Edward saw Emmett open his mouth, probably to insist that they had their conversation out loud, but Jasper and Alice both shook their heads.
Don't think like that. Rosalie demanded in her thoughts. I know I've been stubborn about her, but she's changed you in ways I couldn't imagine. Her smile grew a bit as she pictured Edward's face as he carried Bella once more.
Edward was confused. "But, you don't like her. She's different—"
That was before. Besides, who am I to talk about unconventional love choice? An image of a near dead Emmett, scarred with bear claws crossed her mind. What you and Carlisle did not matter to me, so this shouldn't matter to you.
Shock had fully crossed Edward's features and Rosalie's short laugh broke through the silence. I didn't say I like the situation but, if this is what you've been waiting for, you have my blessing. With that, Rosalie sauntered into Emmett's arms, permanent confusion on his face.
"So… Edward?" Jasper moved in Edward's vision and smiled. Edward realised that Jasper had known what he had been struggling to accept for a long time.
Despite everything; her anonymity, his blatant lies, his permanent hell, he couldn't deny it anymore.
"I-I love her." Edward muttered, in almost disbelief. Disbelief, he discovered that it took him so long to say it.
Cheering surrounded him and Edward had all the energy squeezed out of him when four vampires ran to hug him.
"Well, it's about damn time!" Emmett shouted. Laughter followed, causing Edward to feel almost giddy.
He wondered how he could tell her, let her know how he felt. Bella, his Bella, full of innocence, beauty and confidence. He could see her tomorrow, talk more at lunch about her as a person and ask her what she was doing in the weekend…
"Oh, Edward!" Alice exclaimed, her eyes clouded from her vision. "I'm so sorry. I completely forgot. It's going to be sunny tomorrow."
Of course it is… Edward thought with a sigh. Typical.
O.K., as I always say, I cannot promise a quick chapter. But I can promise that the plot will speed up in the next couple of chapters as I have a firm idea of what is going on in the world of Illusions... so there's something to look forward to! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and you know how to show you love! I promise you, I read and answer them all!
Press the green button! Pleeease...