Q & A

Bella Swan

I felt like a rag on Friday. The emotional roller-coaster I'd been on the previous day and the restless night had paid off in spades – I barely managed to get myself in gear before school. The only upside was the bright sunshine, but I couldn't even enjoy it properly thanks to Victoria and this whole misery business with Edward. And, as if to make matters worse, Jessica cornered me in Trig, waiting for the juicy gossip regarding yesterday's lunch debacle.

"Ok, spill." She ordered as she sat down. I looked straight ahead. Mr. Varner was still checking the tests.

"About what?" I asked, disinterested.

"You know." Jessica giggled "About you and Edward Cullen. Now that was a verbal foreplay if I ever saw one."

And you must've seen a lot of foreplays, haven't you, Jessica, I thought sarcastically. "I didn't see it as such. He was very aggravating."

"Oh? What did he say?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Nothing extreme… he was just being an arrogant jerk."

"The Cullen's never seemed to notice anybody until you came." Her tone was accusatory now "And he started acting normal when you sat with him in Bio."

I shrugged. "What do you want me to say? He was going off about how I didn't belong where I am, how I was making a mistake… I didn't understand it really." I said.

"Oh…" Jessica lapsed into silence, probably thinking about what he'd said to her when he'd turned her down. "I guess he could be like that. He was really mean with me once too."

There she was again, trying to get me to talk dirt. I could do that, but why give her the satisfaction of seeing me brought down to her level: "I don't mind him being mean. In fact, I hope he tries that trick again on me. I'd dearly love to see how the almighty Cullen will deal with someone who is not willing to kiss his ass." I smirked. Seeing Edward brought down almost gave me physical satisfaction.

Jessica looked baffled. "You want to faze Edward Cullen?" she couldn't believe it "Bella, nobody tries to mess with the Cullen's, in any way."

"Why? Are they dangerous?" I asked, annoyance lacing with my tone. Of course, they were dangerous, you stupid twat, they're vampires.

"Well, no, not really…" she seemed to hesitate "But… I don't know… they always make me wanna turn around and run." Most truthful thing you've ever uttered, my dear. "Anyway, how would you go about messing with Edward?"

"Like I always did." I shrugged "He thinks the world should revolve around him, and I think it's high time someone knocked him off his high horse."

Jessica's expression varied from sheepish idiocy to excitement. She was no doubt thinking about how she had been humiliated, and looked forward to seeing Edward go through that experience. Her face was positively feral, in the end. "Oh, I'm gonna love watching this. He seems to be halfway there anyways – the way he looked at you yesterday, I thought he wanted to eat you up."

Not a comforting thought, but in Jessica's context, perhaps it was a good thing. I just nodded.

As Victoria had said, the Cullen's did not appear today. On Saturday, there was a planned trip to the beach at La Push. I didn't want to go, but every second I spent away from Victoria seemed too precious for me.

I went earlier than the rest, using my job as an excuse. Deliveries were a good thing – they forced me to put up a front, be polite and calm, and it distracted me from my present worries. How Victoria would get Edward to take me to the dance, I had no idea, but I'd have to go with Angela and Jessica to Port Angeles and get a dress. Yuck. Just the thought of shopping made my head spin. Especially shopping for any sort of dance. My economic sensibilities reeled in shock at spending money on a dress, shoes and a bunch of accessories I might never use again. The only time I had allowed such a frivolity was when Renee made me go to the homecoming dance on my sophomore year in Phoenix.

That was just… ugh…

Halfway through my deliveries, something happened to take my mind totally away from handbags and impossible price tags. I was out of Sue Clearwater's house when I saw a bunch of boys standing in front of my truck.

Briefly, I recognized Seth and Jacob Black, Billy's kid, before they noticed me and turned around. They blocked me – a living barrier of russet skin and dark clothes, standing between me and my only means of escape. They didn't seem very threatening, though… ok, maybe just a little.

They looked like a gang. Or… a pack?

"You Bella Swan?" The one in the middle asked as I made my way to them.

"Yes." I replied, feeling that being stupid wouldn't do well around these guys.

"My name is Sam Uley. You will not meet me again unless the circumstances are otherwise." He said curtly.

"Look, I have these deliveries to make, so…"

"We know about you." He cut me off "We know about your siding with that new leech. Why, we know not, but you should know that any transgressions on this tribe will have severe consequences."

Huh? Consequences? "I don't understand."

"You know what this redhead, Victoria is." Sam went on "Just as you know what the Cullen's are. And since you're not dead yet, you've obviously done something to make yourself useful to them. What is it? Do they plan on infiltrating the village? Killing us off in our sleep? Are they using you as a scout, knowing that you're not breaking the treaty?"

"You've got it all wrong." I said "This has nothing to do with the tribe. Victoria is trying to get to Edward Cullen, and is using me as bait. Look…"

"And why should we believe that?" another boy, taller and rowdier than Sam, asked. His whole body seemed to be shaking with rage. "I say we lock her up and see what the leeches would do."

"Paul…" Sam silenced him with one look, before turning on me "What proof do you have to back up your accusations?"

"No proof." I said "But you should know; if they wanted to attack you, they would have done it already."

They seemed unconvinced.

"You don't believe me? Victoria is entirely focused on torturing me. She's entered my house countless of times, threatening my father's life unless I do as I am told. Believe me, her business is with Cullen." My heart suddenly started to beat fast "Please, you have to believe me. Is there any way…"

"You will do better if you remain silent." Sam said, his eyes cold "If the leeches want to kill each other, that is fine. I will not mind the demise of any of them. But know this, Bella Swan, if this conflict involves this tribe, you will suffer the consequences, and those leeches as well."

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him that their tribe was already involved, that Victoria had killed Harry Clearwater and was very willing to kill a human boy in Forks, but I realized that it was going to be disastrous. They didn't believe I was dragged into this against my will. And if the Cullen's got attacked… I suddenly wished it wouldn't happen.

I nodded stiffly, and, for a while, the boys eyed me speculatively. Then, as Sam made a sign for them to follow him, they moved away – silent, big and threatening.

My hands shook as I got behind the wheel, and only when I made sure they were away, I allowed myself a few shaky breaths. God! Why was everyone set against me? Why was this whole world set on hating me? I wanted to run, more than I wanted anything in my life, but couldn't. La Push was no paradise, but currently, Victoria couldn't set foot in it, if she didn't want to blow her cover.

Unconsciously, I drove to the Black's house. Billy had asked me to bring some things, and as soon as I saw him, I knew… Jacob must've told him of what the boys had planned to do.

"You know." I said, in lieu of greeting.

"Yes." Billy nodded; hands folded in front of him "You are quite bold to deny it."

"It's the truth." I said, my voice shaking slightly "Please… I know it's hard to believe, but it is true." Tears started to gather in my eyes and I batted them away. "Believe me; I know nothing of why this is happening. She caught me on my way here. She kept me hostage and tortured me and told me all those things. I didn't believe her at first, but then… then…" I broke down. I fell to my knees and cried and cried and then told him everything – how she had kept me tied down, how she had killed in front of me, how she had threatened me, how Edward's rescue had convinced me that it was all real… I told him all, and I begged, I freaking begged him to believe me.

I was a mess. I was such a freaking mess.

Finally, Billy threw me a handkerchief to dry my face and ordered me to get up. I did so without objection. What was the use of hysterics anyway? I got it out, at least. I felt a little calmer now.

Billy had disappeared in the house, allowing me to clean myself up and then bring his groceries in. I expected that he wouldn't want to lay his eyes on me, but he was sitting in the kitchen, waiting for me to come.

"I'm an old man." He began as I set the bags down "And as such, I haven't got much to offer. I've seen a lot, yes, and I'm more willing to believe you than the rest. You should thank the fact that you're Charlie's daughter – otherwise, I'd never extend this courtesy to you." He said, before offering me two long, silvery looking needles.

"What are these?" I asked, as I picked them up.

"They're charmed. Bathed in wolf's blood. They're extremely sharp." He said, as he showed me how to tuck them in my jeans so that they wouldn't show. "If you really want a way out, you must incapacitate the leech before it can do anything and then set it on fire."

"Oh…" I looked at him, eyes wide with wonder.

"Always go for the eyes." Billy went on "I don't know how much time you'll have, but you'll be able to do it if you distract them somehow. The eyes are the most vulnerable – if you manage to it them, you'd knock it out for at least a couple of minutes, enough to cover it with something flammable and setting it on fire. Always carry this with you."

Well, this had been my plan, sort of. But in order for me to get Victoria drenched in fuel or kerosene or whatever, I'd have to get myself covered in it too. I would catch fire as well, but it didn't frighten me as much as it did before.

"I don't know what to say…" I began, but he cut me off

"You're Charlie's daughter. His only treasure. The only thing you could do to thank me is to stay alive… somehow." He added it. "Now go. My son will be back soon and he won't like you being here."