Okay, sorry it has been a while since my last update. My imagination sort of ran out and then stress from work was really keeping my imagination from flowing. This chapter, woo boy, it took a while to write. I kept re-writing it and re-writing it and finally discovered what was wrong -- We are getting to the end of this story (yep we are) and once I realized this I needed to sort of speed up the pace. This next chapter takes place where the other chapter left off, so I suggest you re-read that if you can't remember what has happened. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
I could barely sleep, but I finally fell asleep around 3 AM. I promptly awoke at 6:30; the house completely quiet. Being a Saturday everyone was still sleeping. I took a shower as quickly and silently as I could; when I got back to my room the clock read 6:40.
"HA! I knew I didn't take that long in the shower!" I said to myself, remembering the numerous complaints from Rosalie about how long I took to shower. I picked out clothes that would be suitable to wear outdoors for a long period of time, and once I finished dressing it was only 6:45. I walked to my clock and turned it the other way; I knew my constant clock watching was going to make the time go slower.
My stomach grumbled and I decided to have a light breakfast. As I walked to my door, I saw my cell phone lightly spinning on the desk ringing on vibrate. I got to the phone and the caller ID read; "Bella" and her picture was above her name.
"Weird, I didn't take her picture?" I said before I opened the phone and clicked "accept call."
"Hello?" I said quickly.
"I hope I didn't wake you Green Eyes, but a little change in plans. Can you come to my house instead of me picking you up?" her voice light and musical.
"You didn't wake me, and yeah I can pick you up,"
"Great! Well, see you soon!"
Before I could answer I heard the "end call" signal beep and then flipped my phone closed. My stomach growled again, and I continued my quest for food. I didn't really think twice about her changing the plans, in fact I was happier she wasn't coming here; it meant I could get out of the house without the third degree.
The kitchen was eerily calm, since there was no hustle and bustle to get out the door. I went to the freezer and found the box of toaster waffles with two waffles inside. I placed them into the toaster and continued gathering the necessary waffle toppings: maple syrup and chocolate chips. I smiled to myself a little remembering my mother making me homemade waffles and saying with a warm smile: "Chocolate is always needed!" and she giggled before saying, "and besides, who said you can't have a treat with breakfast?!"
Even though it had been ten years since my parents' deaths, their faces, their voices, were still burned into my memory that I could recall them with no trouble. I remembered my father laughing his deep from the stomach laugh when I had complained that my mother didn't give me enough chocolate; I then remembered the last time I saw them alive, and I could swear the feeling of my mother's kiss on my forehead, the only spot on my face that I allowed her to still kiss, lasted all these years.
The waffles popped out of the toaster, ending the memory of them walking out the front door for the final time. I quickly put them on a plate and spread a handful of the chocolate chips around them. I put on a little maple syrup and then poured a glass of orange juice. I ate quickly, but still slowly enough to enjoy them. When I finished I rinsed the plate off, and placed it into the dishwasher along with the empty cup.
I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and the clock read 7:10. I sighed and shoved the phone back into my pocket. "It already feels like I should be leaving! How in the world is it only 7:10!? Did I really eat that fast?" I muttered to myself as I climbed the stairs to my room.
I puttered around. I picked up dirty clothes and threw them into my laundry basket, and figured I might as well actually do the laundry when I had a huge mound of clothes. I picked up the basket went back down the stairs and into the laundry room. "Okay," I said setting the basket down at the washer. Esme had put a little chart on the washer stating which settings to use for the different fabrics and colors. I not really caring about how my clothes got washed; I threw them all into the washer. "If my whites turn a different color, oh well. The dyes from the darks should have already come out," I said to myself as I turned on the water and added the detergent. I closed the lid, put my laundry basket on top of the dryer and left the room to go back up stairs.
I went back to puttering around when I got back to my room. I made my bed, straightened the books on my shelf, moved some papers off my desk, and opened the window blinds. The sky was its usual grey and I sighed as I turned to my clock. I turned it around and it read 7:35. I decided that I should leave a note for Carlisle and Esme, and make my way to Bella's house.
I found the notepad of paper on the refrigerator and quickly wrote: "Hanging out with a friend. Can someone please put my clothes into the dryer and then into my room? Thanks. – Edward." I put the time that I wrote it in the upper corner and then used a magnet to hold it in place.
I got to the highway and my foot became heavy on the gas pedal. I past the school at 7:50 and I knew I was only minutes from Bella's house. I was suddenly overcome with excitement again; my heart was pounding and my hands began to shake on the steering wheel.
"Calm yourself down buddy," I said to myself quietly as I pulled in front of her house and noticing only her truck in the driveway. Phew no Charlie I thought as I put the car into park.
The curtains and front door were open and I hesitated as I climbed the steps. Before I got to the top she was already holding the screen door open and was talking on the phone. She smiled and waved me in with her free hand.
"Uh I can't come down today I already have plans, but how about tomorrow?" she asked to the phone.
She pointed to the living room and then to the phone and rolled her eyes and turned to the kitchen. I took a seat on the couch and listened to her "uh huh" and "mm hmm". She walked back into the living room the phone still to her ear but she cupped the mouth piece and said, "Can I get you anything to drink or eat?"
"Nope I'm fine thanks," I replied.
"Okay, I'll be off in a few minutes – sorry," she returned to the phone conversation with another "mm hmm". She went back into the kitchen and most of what she was saying was quiet although at the end she got louder.
"Listen, Jacob, I have plans to-day, but we can hang out to-morrow! I have to go now, my ride is here – We'll be in Olympia – We aren't going to a movie! Jacob you and I will see the movie to-morrow come on I have to go! – okay bye."
She hung up the phone and glided into the living room. "Sorry about that, my friend forgot that he and I are hanging out tomorrow, and he wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to go see that new zombie movie without him," she sat down on the chair and sighed, "So, what do you want to do today?"
"Well, I thought we were hiking?"
"Oh – um – no 'change in plans' remember" she said frowning just a little bit.
"But I thought that was just for me to come here instead of you coming to my house?"
"Sorry, but what I meant was that all the plans changed," she looked down at the floor.
"Why?"
She sighed, "Because –" she broke off and turned toward the window, "I've heard it's going to rain,"
She can't be serious? I thought to myself before saying, "It rains every day and that doesn't stop people,"
"We can hike another time – just not today!" she said getting to her feet and walking to the kitchen.
And then the phone rang.
She made a loud irritated "grr" sound with the first ring and answered with a stiff, "Hello?"
"Because you've kept me on the phone; keeping me from getting ready! What? Did you think I was really lying to you?" she scoffed and threw her left hand into the air as she spoke. "Good bye Jacob!" and she slammed the receiver back into place, breaking the phone.
"SH—AHHH" she said looking at the broken pieces of the phone on the floor.
Seeing her reaction I had the instinct to freeze and not move a muscle. As I sat frozen on the couch I saw her eyes become very dark as she picked up the pieces, and her face seemed more aggressive. And even though at times I couldn't see her moving, I could hear the slamming of cabinets within the kitchen.
I'm not sure how long it was, but soon I felt her strong hand on my shoulder; I didn't realize that I had closed my eyes.
"I think you should go back home Edward," she said with tension still in her voice.
I looked at her and noticed that her eye color was a muddy brown; not near the light gold it was last night.
"Are you okay? Your eyes..." I stopped before finishing.
"I'm just aggravated and I need to hunt; the blood from the steak didn't really help," she forced me to stand up and started guiding me to the front door.
"Sorry to hear that," I said as gently as I could, "but I would really like to stay here while you hunt,"
"Look, it takes me a while to come back to as normal as I can be after I hunt; if you are still here I could kill you," and with that she pushed me out the door and slammed it shut; I heard the deadbolt lock.
"Call me later...if you want too," I said softly knowing she would hear as I backed toward the steps.
When I got into my Volvo and started the drive home I kept replaying what had happened over and over. She was happy, maybe just a little irritated, but then she turned angry so fast. I should have dropped the whole hiking thing I thought to myself as I passed the school. And I felt like she was lying when she said it took her awhile to become normal after a hunt, she had hunted when I was recovering from my surgery and she seemed perfectly norma. Something is off with her I thought.
I was half way home when suddenly the passenger door of the car opened.
"What the hell are you doing Bella?!" I screamed when I saw it was her.
"Don't go home! Keep driving!" she said fully entering the car and slamming the door shut.
"What?!" I replied with a bit of a shrill in my voice.
"Don't go home!" she replied almost screaming.
"Why?" I replied still confused and shocked by her sudden entrance.
And suddenly she reached her hands out to the steering wheel and forced it hard to the left, causing the car to spin around and face the other direction. I let my hands go of the wheel as she did this, knowing the strength she had would have probably broken my wrists had I tried to stop her. When the car was going straight she released the wheel and I took it back.
"Floor it," she said now suddenly calm.
I pushed the petal down as far as it would go.
"Just what the hell is going on?" I said focusing on the road.
"You were being followed," she said calmly, "There's a car coming up use the left lane and pass it," she said pointing forward.
I saw the car, turned my wheel passed it on the left and noticed in my rear-view mirror the person flipping me off when I got back into the lane.
"Who was following me?" I asked trying to sound calm despite the adrenaline and fast heart beat.
"A member of my kind," she said still scanning the road.
"Why was I being followed?"
"Long story," she said fast, "Brake, there's a cop hiding in the bushes, he hasn't used the radar yet,"
I slammed my foot onto the brake pedal to get the speed to 50mph, two minutes later we passed the cop.
"How did you know there was a cop, and how do you know I was being followed?"
"I heard the radio of the cruiser, and I just know,"
"Should I speed back up?" I asked wondering if I needed to go faster.
"No, but keep it at or above 50; we can run fast, but not that fast," she said still keeping her eyes on the road.
"Where should I drive too?"
"How far can you go on a tank of gas?"
"Just tell me where to go!"
"I'll let you know when to stop," and she turned her face to look out the passenger window.
Cliff hanger! AHHH! There have been many of those. I promise that the next chapter Bella will finally answer Edward's questions, I mean gosh she owes him after forcing her way into his car and making him drive to only I know where...I have a feeling there may only be one or two more chapters remaining of this story line though...hmm (enter Maggie Simpsons "first word" from The Simpsons Movie here)...? As always, I am not Stephenie Meyer, and this is written for fun and for reviews, so if you want me to write the next chapter faster, show me the love and review! Please?