Soothing Cold
Chapter 14
BPOV
Thump. Thump. Thump thump. Thump.
I sigh, letting my hands fall down to my side, and I give Rosalie what I can only guess is a pitiful look.
"Come on Bella," she encourages. "Hit me hard."
"I don't see the point in this," I grumble, crossing my arms self-consciously as other groups wail on their partners, all fists and grunts and sweat dripping onto the mat like it's raining. I wince slightly and shuffle farther away on the edges of the martial arts class.
"The point is," Rose informs me, taking off the pads on her hands and stuffing them under her arms. She steps closer to me and manually lifts my hands back to my cheeks before stuffing her hands back into the mitts and lifting them to eye level. "The point is," she continues, "is that you learn how to throw a punch. That you feel safer."
"Did it help you?" I can't help asking curiously.
"Very much," she nods.
So, with another sigh, I jab my gloved hand out and pathetically hit at the pad. I abruptly stop as the coach's shadow falls over me, and shift uncomfortably at his scrutiny.
"No, keep going," he tells me, and I awkwardly hit the pad again. "Alright," he stops me after a few more hits. "You are just using your arms, you've got no power behind you hits. What you want to do is throw your whole body into the punch, starting with your hips, and try to punch through the target. You want to imagine punching at least six inches past. And give your hips a good twist."
He demonstrates slowly for me, and I take everything in seriously, watching the ease which his body moves. I'm sure I look nothing like that. None of these giant men with huge muscles, or fat soccer moms and couch potato dads, look like that.
Regardless, I try again, attempting to throw my body into the punch like he showed me.
He smiles when I look to him for correction and nods his head.
"Better- keep working on it." And he leaves to correct someone who looks like a weight lifter who is all flailing elbows.
I turn my attention back to Rosalie who is my partner in this, patiently holding the pads.
"You're doing good," she encourages.
I glance towards the bleachers and catch sight of Charlie, who is watching the class intently. He's the one who wanted me to come, but Rosalie is the one to talk me into it. And only because she said that she'd take it with me.
"Whatever," I huff, turning my attention back to the pads and throw more force into my punches.
I'm not afraid of hurting my friend- I don't think anything can physically hurt her. So, I let the rotten feeling in my chest, the one I've always shoved down so far that I'd forgotten it was there, well up and fuel my strikes even though they are awkward and the force jolts all the way to my shoulder. I get so absorbed in that rotten feeling that I startle, panting slightly, when a shrill bell sounds signaling for partners to change roles.
Rosalie gives me a soft smile as she passes over the mitts for me to hold for her while she goes to grab her own newly purchased gloves.
...
A slamming door and voices draw my attention, and Emmett punishes me by brutally murdering my character on screen. He throws his head back laughing, and I groan, nudging his head with my sock-clad foot.
The voices continue, drawing my curiosity once more. Rosalie glances up from her magazine as I gently remove her feet from my lap and amble over to my bedroom window, taking the opportunity to also stretch out my sore thumbs.
I smile, pleasantly surprised to see my woodland brother chatting happily with Charlie and with one hand on his own father's wheelchair.
I turn to see Rosalie staring intently at the window as if she is listening to a conversation she is not happy about.
"Jake is here," I inform them excitedly. "Now he can finally meet you guys." I had been wanting my childhood friend to meet my best friends, but they hadn't been willing to go to the reservation. I hadn't pushed them on it because it was such an odd request to not make them go down there, and they don't ask much of anything from me. "I'll go get him."
I rush from the room, almost falling all the way down the stairs when I accidentally miss the first step, but I catch myself on the handrail.
"Wolf!" I call as the trio enter the house.
"Coon!" He grins. "Fancy ride out front- you steal it or something?"
I snort at his antics. "It's my friends'. Come on up and you can meet them."
"Friends?" He gasps. "You have friends?"
I roll my eyes and start back up the stairs.
"I know. It's a wonder I can make any when taking care of you is a full-time job."
"Awe but, Coon, taking care of me is an adventure all-"
I glance back to see what could have caused him to stop his retort, to see him gaping like a fish. It takes me only a moment to realize that it's Rosalie his eyes are zeroed in on, who looks tense, very on edge, and slightly hostile.
A flash of protectiveness snaps my teeth together and I slug him hard in the shoulder. "Close your mouth and stop drooling, you damn dog," I hiss at him.
"W-what?! Ow!" His cheeks flush as Emmett guffaws. "Sorry, Blonde, I just didn't expect you to look so ho-, um, beautiful- ow! Stop punching me!"
"Stop hitting on my friend!"
"It was a compliment!"
"It's creepy!"
"Fine, fine- I'll stop," he pouts, rubbing at his arm where I had hit him twice already. "Just don't hit me again."
Emmett's full on belly laugh brings our attention back around. Rosalie still looks on edge, but she's more amused now than anything.
I sigh, exasperated. "Jake, this is Rosalie and the oaf is Emmett. Guys, this is my brother, Jake."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Rosalie says, while Emmett attempts to rein in his laughter.
"Yeah, good to meet you, Wolfie. I have to say, I've never seen this version of Bella-Bear before and it is hilarious. You've gotta get angry more often, Boo, it's great entertainment."
"I'd punch you too, but I think I'll settle for clobbering you this next round. Somehow, I think it will hurt more," I growl playfully, climbing back up onto the bed and pulling Rosalie's feet back into my lap as I snatch up the controller.
"Oh, the Care Bear is trying to trash talk now. Grab a controller, Wolfie; the gauntlet has just been thrown."
Jake awkwardly catches the controller tossed at him and slides down onto the floor.
"Since when did you get a TV in your room?" He questions. His character dies quickly on the screen as he tries to figure out the controls and buttons. "X is jump, right?"
"Yeah," I grunt, muscles tensing as I dodge a fireball aimed at me. "It was Emmett's. He got a bigger one for his room, so he gave this one to me. He just brought the game with him for us to play."
"Sweet."
After a while, I get tired of playing and abandon the game to the boys while Rose maneuvers behind me and starts braiding my hair.
"I'm sorry about him," I mumble as she sweeps the strands behind my ear.
She chuckles. "It's fine; I'm used to it."
"Well, you are beautiful... people just need to appreciate it without being crass."
She hums appreciatively. "You are very sweet."
I shrug awkwardly, trying not to rip my hair out of her gentle grip.
...
It's well after dark when Charlie comes knocking on the door, poking his head in and smiling slightly at our sprawled forms.
"Jake, I'm taking your dad home. He said you can drive back on your own when you are ready. Though, I am still pretending that I don't know how old you are."
"Yes Sir," He solutes, making Charlie chuckle as he leaves.
Rosalie and Emmett exchange looks before he rises from the ground.
"Well, we better go ahead home too, Rosie," he says cheerfully. "I'll pick up my Xbox tomorrow, Bella Bear, so you and the dog can keep playing if you want."
He ruffles my hair before skipping out the door.
Rosalie slowly untangles herself from me, pressing a kiss to my cheek in farewell. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bella. Try to get some sleep tonight."
"I will; bye."
They manage to leave just shortly after Charlie and Billy.
"So..." Jacob drawls, crawling onto my bed beside me and offering a controller. "Are you and Rosalie, like, a thing?"
"What?" I startle, almost dropping it. "No, of course not."
"You and Emmett, then?"
I gag, nausea rolling in my stomach. "Gross, no- don't make me imagine him like that."
His grin turns sly as he presses start on the game.
"I find it funny how you didn't react near as grossed out when it was Blonde I was asking about."
My character immediately dies on screen.
I turn and glare at my child hood friend, trying desperately not to think about my burning cheeks, but he just continues grinning cheekily without taking his eyes off the tv screen.
"You are an ass," I tell him, then focus all my attention on obliterating him in the game.
A/N: Right then, here's another chapter. So the friends meet the brother; what do you think? There was not any hostility because Jacob isn't wolf yet and doesn't know that the legends are real. He just sees a very pretty blond. Billy didn't throw a fit because all Bella said was her "friends" were upstairs. He doesn't know that they are the Cullens.
Anyway, what do you think? Bella acts just a little bit more different in this chapter, but I feel like it's about time to start giving her a little bit of character back. Emmett even mentions that he'd never seen her act that way before- but that was kind of how she acted before Phil.
Our dear Rosie is helping her heal while Jacob is helping to bring the backbone back. I hope I made that clear enough.
Well, this A/N has been way to long so I'm going to just leave you with my normal request of please review!
~Silver~