Chapter 21:

Fuel

NPOV

I met up with everyone in the parking lot. I got in and avoided eye contact with all of them on the way home.

"Nessie" They would call at regular intervals but I refused to look at them. Eventually, they got more pleading.

"Nessie, we're sorry but we had to, please look at us" Sophie called.

I just glared out the window. Suddenly I felt a tingling sensation at my sides. Then, a pair of hands grabbed my ribs and shook violently. I turned to the culprit.

"WILL!!! Stop" giggle, giggle "! Come on I" laugh, laugh "Please stop!!!" giggle, laugh, cry " I couldn't move my arms to stop him.

"Ah, ticklish are we" he said in a jeering tone as he vibrated harder.

I could hear everyone laughing at me.

"Will, she needs to breathe" Melinda said.

Tears were falling down like crazy as I laughed uncontrollably.

"Surrender" he said.

"NO!" laugh, giggle "Never!" laugh, giggle, laugh "Will" laugh, giggle, "Come on" laugh, giggle, laugh "I" laugh, laugh, laugh "Will!" laugh, giggle, laugh, giggle "Fine" laugh, laugh "I surrender" I tried to say between laughs.

I was trying heartlessly to breath between all my laughter. Finally, Will let go. I gasped for air and was still a bit jittery.

"Are we forgiven" Alex asked as he helped Sophie out for we had arrived.

"Well . . . ok, yeah. I was just upset at being taken against my will" I complained lightly.

"Nessie, do you even feel anything?" Will asked behind me. I jumped and scooted away from him. Actually, I didn't. That's a new one.

"Maybe" I joked as I walked in the house. Mom was right there. She looked a lot better.

"Mom!" I yelled as I ran to her. I tried to give her a hug with the casts. It was weird but I succeeded.

"Hey honey, hey guys, how was school" She asked worry in her voice while she ruffled my hair.

"Bells, you look a lot better" Alex said avoiding the point.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I broke down on you guys, I'm supposed to be the strong one" she said as she chuckled.

"It's okay to be the one in need of comforting sometimes. You can't always be Superman, err, woman" he joked.

Her brows furrowed but she shook her head. "Come on, I have questions" she said as she ushered us to the living room.

Stay cool. Sophie mouthed to me. Ironic, the controller of emotions is telling me to stay cool.

We all sat down. Less than 24 hours ago, the Cullens had been here in the same spot, instead, it was us and we were being interrogated.

"Wait mom, before you begin, I want to know 1 thing. What did you do today?"

She twitched nervously. "Nothing really, just hung around the house, cleaned it up a bit and went for a hunt a little bit ago" she said.

I turned to inconspicuously to Sophie next to her. She straightened her palm and shook it side to side. Half and half. Maybe she was hiding something. Whatever.

"Okay first, Nessie, what do you need to forgive them for?" Great. Just perfect.

"Nothing, just that I tripped and scraped my shoulders and they made me go, against my will, to the nurse. Crazy" I muttered for support.

"Honey, are you okay" she said as she got up.

"Mom, I'm fine, chill" I said as she sat back down.

"Okay, so how was your day with the Cullens" she said.

"Mom, were you composing?" I distracted her as I saw blank music sheets scattered across the piano.

"Yes, a little, now, what happened? Was it that bad?" She asked getting worried.

"No mom. They played a bit rough and teased and pranked us" It was really the other way around. "by reading our thoughts and seeing our futures and all. I actually want to go hunting"

"Oh, okay"

"Can you put up a shield. In case I bump into them" I begged.

"Okay" she finally said.

"We'll go with her" Mel and Will said as they got up.

"Great, I'll drop my stuff off and be right back" I said as I headed up.

I dropped my bag in my room and walked toward the end of the hallway. I wanted to see something at the windows at the end. I was hoping to get a view of the Cullens house. That's when I noticed the supplies scattered outside some of the doors. I opened one and screamed.

"OH. MY. GOSH!!! Mom!" I screamed.

The first guest room had been totally transformed into a huge game room. It had a bunch of 3-D games and a HUGE plasma screen and tons of game consoles. It was awesome.

Everyone ran up. "Oh! Wow" Melinda said.

"Bells, where did this come from" Will asked.

"Cool!!" Alex yelled as we started playing Dance Dance Revolution.

"Amazing" Sophie said.

"Well, all our old stuff finally arrived today so I thought I should set it up" she explained.

"Wait! Does that mean" Sophie said as she and Alex ran to the next door and opened it. The both screamed. This was their old building room. On one side, there was all of Sophie's car stuff and a tube in the wall to bring cars from. On the other side was Alex's building pieces. All his blueprints were scattered and his 3-D building was hovering over the design table.

"Thank you Bells" They said in unison as they attacked her in hugs.

"You're welcome" she said.

"Wait mom, what's in the last room?"

"Oh, that's our arena/exercise room" she said.

No way. That was too perfect. I ran to the room and opened it. Inside was all our camping props, a bunch of exercise equipment and all our old game equipment. This included BB guns, paint ball guns, water guns, water balloons, paint balloons, paint guns, lasers and so on.

"Cool" I said thought I could barely contain my excitement. We didn't actually hurt each other deliberately. It was part of games. Normally tag or hide n' seek or any other game but with a small twist. I mean, we might as well make it fun. This totally fueled my plan.

"Awesome!" Will said as he ran in, grabbed a paintball gun and pointed it at mom.

"Will, don't. You. Dare" she threatened.

"Oh come on, please Bells" he whined. What?! I don't want him to shoot mom but who asks permission to shoot someday else? Of course that person will say no.

"Well. . ." she started. What! " . . . wait! No to shooting me but we can play paintball tag. Or we could play laser tag at night.

"PAINTBALL TAG!!" we all yelled. It was more fun. Laser tag could wait for a colder night and until we got our laser tag arena set up.

"Ok" she chuckled. "Paintball tag it is. I'm going to be reading downstairs" she said as she left.

Everyone was checking out the rooms but I was getting equipped.

"Nessie" came a voice behind me making me jump and whirl, putting the gun behind my back. There was Melinda and Will staring at me.

"Hi" I said weakly as I blushed.

"Nessie . . . are you actually going hunting" Mel asked.

"Yeah, I was hoping to try a new method"

"Uhuh, right" they said not one ounce of belief in their eyes.

"Okay, so maybe I intended to hunt something else" I admitted.

"Come on" Will said as he quickly strapped a BB gun to my back and attached ammo and paintballs to my waist.

I looked at him incredulous.

"Hey, I want to have fun" he said as he geared up. I grabbed the paintball gun in my hand. Melinda smiled and geared up as well. We were about to leave when we heard gasps behind us.

We all whirled to see Sophie and Alex staring at us. Well, it's better than mom.

"We're testing the equipment" I said calmly.

"Liars" she said as she danced to the cabinet and pulled out her stuff. "I want to go" she said as she geared up.

"Wait! Where are we going?" Alex asked confused.

I walked to him and showed him the Cullen house. His eyes sparkled.

"Oh, totally, count me in" he said as he strapped up.

"Hey Bells, do you mind if we go hunting with Mel and Nessie and Will" Alex yelled downstairs.

"No, not if Nessie doesn't mind. I'll shield all of you but keep it close to your bodies so you can hunt" she said quietly.