Chapter 21
- Life Starts Now
Authors Note:
The Twilight Series, and any related characters, do not belong to me.
Authors Note 2:
I didn't realize until far too late that the grass in the meadow wasn't high-grass. Since I've moved it far from its original location, why not imagine tall grass and wildflowers? Heh, oops.
Authors Note 3:
Sorry for the brief switching of POV's. I originally wrote this in Bella's perspective, and I didn't want to lose it entirely. I tried to only use the portion that wouldn't detract from Edward's POV. I didn't want her to take over, just add to what was there. Meh, all comments are appreciated.
Playlist
Short Skirt, Long Jacket- CAKE
Life Starts Now- Three Days Grace
Paradise Lost- Hollywood Undead
Walk- Pantera
Indestructible- Disturbed
Edward's Point of View
I might love Bella Swan a little. Call me fickle, but what I was feeling seemed pretty damn concrete. She lusted over Adam Lambert, performed a sexy floorshow to Lady Gaga, screamed Slipknot with intensity and aggression, used stripper moves for Buckcherry. There were so many fucking aspects to her, and the more I found out, the more interested I was in learning more.
It had really, really fucking bothered me, the thought of her stripping for money. The drug carting was one thing, but taking off her clothes for other men? For money? Fuck that shit. She had seemed so okay with it, I wondered if her friend Rose was in the business. It had been Rosalie who had signed them up for classes, if I remembered correctly. Of course, though, Bella had called that shit. She fucking nailed it, 'The thought of me having to strip for money bothered you rather than me having the knowledge.'
Fuck me, yes. Insightful, intuitive, fucking incredible, that had been the first time I thought… love. I needed to talk to Alice.
The second time, in one motherfucking night, was when Bella sang the, hands down,-of all time,-best fucking pissed-off song ever, with every bit of intensity that I felt. When she screamed 'Yes' I knew she had felt it at some point. Her aggression and hostility spurred mine. If I hadn't been an idiot to trade my bike for Jasper's truck, I'd have fucking pulled over. I couldn't return his vehicle smelling of sex, of Bella. Any of his past exploits aside, if anyone were to be taken in his truck, it'd be Alice.
I wasn't prudish. Alice was my sister, but sex had always been a rather open topic for us. She asked me all of the questions her parents should have answered. Fuck it. I had been the one, two years ago, that drove her to buy 'toys.' I hadn't gone in with her, but I knew what was in the brown paper bag.
She wasn't left in the dark when it came to my sex-partners, and some of her disgusted reactions aside, she had never passed judgment. That was part of the reason I couldn't have any problem with Jasper. He knew bikes and cars, Alice was safe with him, I had found the gun he kept under his driver's seat. I had felt him out, sized him up, if I thought there was any chance of him turning the gun on Alice, I'd have incapacitated him during our fight.
Alice and Bella had gone to girl-talk, or whatever they were doing off together, away from us. After a few seconds of awkward silence, I had asked Jasper about motorcycle and car mechanics. I'd seen him eyeing some of the tools in my garage. He looked over both my car and the bike with a critical eye. Turns out, he had assembled his old truck by hand. He asked if my bike reached its rumored potential, I asked about his new truck. Instant trade. I preferred that Bella not be exposed to the, now colder, wind. Jasper's winter coat engulfed all of Alice, I only had my leather jacket.
Not to mention, it took fucking forever to get Bella to wear my jacket. She used every excuse in the book. 'She wasn't cold,' 'It was too big for her,' 'She didn't want to, inadvertently, end up holding it hostage.'
Fucking christ! I knew, for a fact, that she was cold. That it was big worked in her favor, she'd retain body heat if she zipped it with her arms inside, and she could fucking have it so long as I wasn't standing there, watching her shiver. I wanted her hot, shaking, shuddering- not shivering.
That had been the third time. The dance, the pot, my first time fighting in a really long fucking time, having Bella on my bed; one of those had to be a cause for the love word to be dancing around in my head. 'You're mine,' I remembered growling the phrase against her skin. Fuck me if I hadn't wanted it to be true. So far as that phrase went, I couldn't picture anyone else being the cause. I wanted her to be… mine, in the same dark, slightly twisted, all-consuming way I had said it.
The same way she had said it. Screamed it, actually, as I made her come. Her eyes had met mine, I saw no barriers. Bella felt it, she wanted the same thing- for me to be hers, as she was mine- no matter what bad might be lurking around the corner.
It had only been ten minutes since she had left to shower. Waking with her curled around me, the scent of sex in the air; I'd have taken her right then if she hadn't called for a 'girl moment.' I assume her hasty retreat to the bathroom had to do with my coming inside of her.
I was so fucked.
She was the first person I had trusted enough to do that with. I might prefer bareback to using a condom, but I always pulled out after the girl had gotten off. My standards were pretty fucking high. If I went bareback, I needed to be fucking convinced they wouldn't be sharing anything that'd linger. Fucking always. All I needed, in addition, was to have some chick pretend to have taken precautions. I wasn't, in any way, prepared to raise a kid.
People assumed that, because I choose to sleep around, I didn't fully comprehend the possible consequences of such behavior. I had enough in my account to pay for an abortion, or help raise the fucking kid if the chick decided to keep it. My last medical test, which had not been conducted by Carlisle or Esme, had come back clean. There was no need to go back in for another STD test, Bella had been the only one I slept with since.
We had never held 'the conversation', but I knew that Bella wasn't the type to rush into early pregnancy. I didn't really want to talk with her about it. The thought of her having to go through an abortion, making the choice… If I weren't such a horny bastard, if my first reaction to her hadn't been to fucking claim her, we'd still be waiting.
Everything mattered with her. In the past, the thought of a chick wanting to keep something spawned by me, well, it wouldn't have been an option. I thought I had understood the consequences of having sexual interaction, but it was nothing compared to the things I'd thought about recently.
If I were wrong, I knew I wasn't, but if I were to be proven wrong and Bella happened to get pregnant, and, long-shot of a chance, but if she wanted to keep it? Him or her, not it, I mentally reminded myself. Carlisle had asked me repeatedly not to call newborns 'it' or 'things.' ... I don't know what I'd do. Her happiness meant a lot to me. A real fucking lot, to the point where I placed her needs and wants above my own. If, I felt resignation curl inside of me, she wanted to try the whole- no, fuck that.
My rational side mentally slapped the shit out of me.
Bella wouldn't want to try. She had a future ahead of her, as did I. Much as Carlisle and Esme talk about wanting grandchildren, I knew they weren't ready to accept the role just yet. High-schoolers- sans the few, mature, exceptions I knew of- did not good parents make. I wouldn't be a good parent. With my drinking and hiding drugs, not that I'd ever stop, but I hoped to have an entire house of my own in which to conceal them.
Speaking of, I needed to talk with Newton soon. My stash was running dangerously low, especially now that Jasper might be joining us. Jay had been just as enthusiastic about staging a fight. Both of us knew it would progress to something more than play-fighting. I had been itching to challenge him since I'd met him, at least this way we'd end as friends rather than just with him bleeding.
He fought well, I could credit him that much. His moves had been improvisational, he was a wiry fuck and used it to his advantage. His way of fighting was different than mine. If I hadn't trusted him before, I did now. Rather than focusing on my hands, the way I moved, a lot of his focus had been on my face.
Wherever the fuck he was from, people fought with some kind of honor. I could see it in the way he reacted to women, when he stood every time Bella and Alice would enter or leave a room. Who the fuck did that? Really? It had been a little off-setting. I was used to watching for quick arm gestures. Would they pull a knife, did they have a gun somewhere? Feeling his eyes on my face the whole time had been really fucking strange. I had expected him to be using that as a distraction, getting me off-guard. No, he never went for a knee-cap hit. There was a chance for him to have dislocated my shoulder, he didn't. We had both scored a few good punches, were moving in for the take-down when Alice intervened.
For the third time in my life, I had fought someone without pulling dirty fucking moves. The other two times had been with Alice. I couldn't help but like him, and, also, worry a little more for Alice.
There had been a series of black and white television shows that they allowed us to watch in one of the group homes. One of the series was Western based; cowboys dueling one another, fighting over women, it had been interesting. Jasper fought like them.
Was it Texas? Were all Texans so… chivalrously edgy? Jasper had been enthusiastic about fighting me, but he trusted me not to send him to the ER. I'd never be able to relax that much around someone I was going to throw down with. I wouldn't wait for the bell to sound, for the flag to be waved. I'd shoot before, while the other bastard waited. Dishonorable, maybe, but it'd be me to walk the fuck away, alive. Now that I was actually enjoying life, was looking forward to finishing the year, if not the rest of my life, I'd be less honorable than before. Alice would be thrilled.
Seeing as Bella taunted me into fighting someone, I didn't think she'd really give a fuck about my morals. I knew she had been kidding, but part of me wanted to prove it. If not to her, to myself. I was capable of protecting her, of taking on anyone who threatened her, us.
I might not know all of the boyfriend-crap that Jasper did easily, but I could make Bella scream with pleasure. She'd feel fucking safe with me sleeping next to her. I kept a knife under my pillow, next to the door, under the carpet closest to me. There was a steel bat in the corner of my room, an unloaded gun in my closet.
I had stopped lining three coin-filled cans, with two cans on top of them, in front of my door. It had become a pain in the ass every time Alice barged in, or when Esme came to check on us. I had started associating the metallic clinking as warning that Alice was going to pounce on top of me with news. At least five times a week, I'd be shocked awake by her jumping onto my stomach. Strangely, once I had stopped using them, she stopped pouncing. Go figure. She had persisted, however, to the point where I no longer pinned her in a death-grip when she woke me. Good training, I guess, for sleeping next to someone else. I didn't really relish the thought of throttling Bella because she had moved in her sleep.
I had still awoken a few times to make sure everything was still, nervous habit I haven't lost yet, but other than that, I slept fucking well.
"Any regrets?" Steam poured out of the bathroom. No wonder she had taken so fucking long, I hadn't heard the shower start. Fuck. I would have joined her.
"No, none. You?"
"Nope," she smiled. "I would have asked you to come in, but, uh, I needed a few more 'girl moments.' Then I was, y'know, done. So… here I am?"
"I'm not going to have any shirts if you keep stealing them." She was wearing another of my band-shirts, the towel was wrapped around her waist. Her wet hair was tied back in a ponytail, eyes bright and happy.
"I know," she smiled. "That's my ulterior motive."
My door banged open. Bella immediately got to one knee, reached for her calf before realizing she wasn't wearing shoes, or her knife.
"Morning!" Alice bounded in and stopped dead. Yeah, I could empathize with the way she felt. What the fuck? It took Bella a second or two, but she focused on Alice's face and managed a sheepish smile.
"Morning," she replied while gripping the towel to make sure it stayed closed.
"You," I pointed at Jasper. "Out for a minute." I could swear he flushed as the door closed. Damned if I knew why he should be embarrassed. I was covered, Bella was in a towel. That didn't mean I wanted him coming in here if she accidentally dropped it.
"Um…"
"We're going shooting!" Alice grinned. "You guys are coming."
"Shooting?" Bella asked.
"You're doing what?" I inquired.
Crisis averted. Bella laughed, rose gracefully. The towel was safe. I still didn't want Jasper in here, he could wait a fucking minute.
"Not with real guns, silly people. Sticky guns, Jasper said he had a few extras, and Velcro armor, too. It sounds like fun, don't you want to try?"
"Um?"
"We don't have any plans…" Bella answered looking to me.
"Great," Alice opened the door. "See ya in twenty!"
"Wait," Bella used the door to cover her lower half. "Do you have pants or a skirt I could borrow? Shoes, too, maybe? Not a huge deal, I can wear what I did last night."
"All in white?" Alice looked doubtful. "Traipsing around in the meadow, mud and dirt, I don't think so. Give me two minutes."
My door had opened and closed three times thus far. Thank fuck I had stopped using the cans. We'd all have massive headaches, though I wouldn't mind spending the rest of the day in bed with Bella.
"Sorry," she apologized. "I wanted to have time to take care of… you, but she'll be back."
"Take care of me?"
"Wake you up properly," she clarified.
Oh. Oh shit. No fucking way. Her expression held the answer.
"Are you okay with whatever Alice has planned?"
It took me a moment, all of the blood had rushed to my cock. Beyond my reaction to the graphic images she'd given me, I was fucking floored. That she had planned ahead, wanted, to wake me up with a blowjob.
"Um… because she's using the meadow," she elaborated.
Right. The meadow. Alice. Open about sex though we all were, I didn't want her flouncing back into the room with me sporting a boner.
"No, there's no problem," I shrugged. "Alice wants to bring Jasper, I already took you there. It's more your meadow than anything else, it borders your property."
"I didn't know it existed," she stated matter-of-factly.
"And now?"
"Thanks for letting me borrow it?"
There was that emotion again. Fucking strange as hell.
"Try these," Alice was back. She had two skirts and three pairs of pants in her arms, which she promptly laid across my bed. Going back to the door, she took, I assume from Jasper, four different pairs of shoes.
"I wasn't sure how you were feeling," she arranged the shoes on top of the pants.
"Alice… wow…"
"Flirty, happy, sexy, sad and unsatisfied?" Alice leveled a warning glare in my direction with the last word. Bella laughed, shook her head no. Time for me to go. Fascinating as this was, I didn't plan on sitting, naked, in bed while they talked about outfits, that were on top of me, for the next half hour.
She ended up wearing a pair of red and black goth-camo pants, my band shirt, and a pair of stocky-heeled boots she had lent Alice. Her eyes were done all in black, Alice had smeared two lines of black across her face for 'extra camouflage.' Whatever made them happy.
Bella did look really fucking hot. She looked especially hot waiting outside for me on my bike. She had been sitting further back on the leather seat with one leg up and bent, the other resting on the ground. Hell fuck yes.
Regardless that we looked like twins, I had worn green and black camo pants. No one was going to see me coming. I also had on a black t-shirt and a similarly colored, though much faded, motorcycle jacket. With black hiking boots, I was ready for anything Jasper and Alice had in mind.
"Okay," Alice clapped her hands, got our attention. "Jasper? Final rules?"
"Main goal in this game is to shoot the other people. Cheap shots, sniping, all of its allowed."
"Sniping," I echoed. "How is that possible?"
The guns he had given us certainly weren't capable of any sniping. I'd be lucky to remain undetected as I took my shot. Alice hadn't been kidding when she said 'sticky guns.' They were like paintball guns, but instead of shooting canisters filled with paint, they shot painful little colored things.
He had given all of us vests, arm protection, goggles, and large strips that went over the legs of our pants. The key was to shoot a person on the targeted area. That consisted, basically, of everywhere but the face. Everything Jasper had given us, minus the goggles, were vulnerable areas. If the colored ball stuck, they scored a point. If it didn't stick, they ran like hell to avoid return fire.
I was fucking impressed. These had never been real guns, I didn't know what their use was before Jasper had 'altered' them. It was a game he said people played when they didn't have enough money for a real paintball gun. Hurt more too, he had laughed, which made the whole game that much more fun.
The armor he had crafted from a Velcro-like fabric. Chances were, if you had been shot, the colored ball would stick. The gun held six rounds. We had been given a choice of eight colors, Jasper was serious as fuck about this. I got red, Bella chose light blue, Alice was purple, and Jas was neon green. Fine by me. Bitch of the situation? Once the hundred sticky balls were gone, you had to find more to use.
"Yeah," Bella agreed. "Unless you're hiding something, there's no way this could be taken as a sniper rifle."
"Ya'll have your secrets, we have ours," Jasper smirked.
"Whoa, whoa," Bella added. "Completely unfair. This isn't a team game. One versus all."
"Who said we were a team?" Jay asked.
There was no question about it. "Whitlock, the moment you didn't need to explain who 'We' were, you became a team."
Alice laughed, but she moved away from him. "Fine, no teams."
"Positions?" Jasper called. Two minutes for hiding, I heard Alice blow the air-horn. The game was on.
I ducked immediately and avoided being shot by millimeters. There was movement to my left. I moved lithely on my knees, the trick was to move slowly and in the direction of the wind. The soil was damp, if I stayed low to the ground, I should be able to be virtually undetectable. I lowered myself flat on the ground and hoped the grass would cover me.
Bella's Point of View
A cluster of hay moved sharply. I saw him. Thankfully his back was to me, it would have been a bitch to sneak up on Edward otherwise. I took a deep breath and gathered my strength. If it were Alice, even Jasper, this might not have been so difficult.
I crouched on one knee and pictured all of my strength in my shoulder. Counting to two, I charged him.
"What the fuck?" He had turned, I tried to pull back but it was too late.
Sticky things came whizzing in our direction. Three of them stung and bounced off my exposed skin, one of them stuck.
"Hang the fuck on!" Edward instinctively moved in front of me and pulled me behind him, his arms spread. He hunched over, "Time out! Cease fucking fire!"
"What?" Jasper stood up with the gun slung over his shoulders.
"We need to clear up some of rules. Bella," he laughed while struggling for breath, "you can't beat the shit out of people for their guns!"
"You said 'All of it's allowed.' So… I figured with two guns, I'd do a lot more damage. And… if I managed to get all of them… I win?"
"Totally not- well, yea, I suppose," Jasper mused. I smiled at Alice, Jasper was saying 'totally' now. It sounded funny with his southern accent.
"No way. I can't go around shanking people for their guns." Edward smirked, "Unless its you, Jay."
"I wasn't suggesting you stab them, Edward. Jesus christ!"
"Who said anything about stabbing?" He looked confused, "You're blood-thirsty as fuck!"
"You mentioned stabbing! That's what shanking is."
"I know what shanking is," he growled after a moment. "It also means, loosely, to take something from someone. That's what I was referring to. Not fucking shoving my knife into their ribs for the win. The word also means, to walk, but I didn't think that applied in this situation."
"Oh," I blushed. "Well excuse me for taking you literally."
"You're excused," he crossed his arms, superior and confident.
"Are they always like this?" Jasper asked.
"Yeah, always," I heard Alice reply.
"A fuckin' word history lesson."
"Yeah," Alice giggled, "you'll learn a lot. Trust me."
"Compared to you two snogging all the time?" Snogging? That was a new one, I'd have to thank Edward later.
"I believe," Jasper rubbed Alice's back, "we were in the middle of a game? Take two, position yourselves, and battle commences."
"You okay?" I asked Edward. I hadn't hit anything major, his kidneys had been safe. I'd lowered my elbow enough that I had avoided jabbing him in the stomach.
"Yeah, you?"
"I'm good," I kissed him hard. "I would have gotten your gun if you hadn't called time out."
"Bella," he pulled me to him and raked his nails across the seam of my pants. "I was still standing after you tackled me."
I moaned, Edward was right. Even though he'd stumbled back one or two steps, he had recovered to the point where he'd shielded me with his body. Mentally, too, he'd called for them to stop before… before they saw our position. It hadn't even occurred to me that all of the shouting would give Jas and Alice an easy win.
"Good luck, babe." He gave me a slow, lingering kiss. And then he was gone.
Fucking tease. I was going to shoot him in the head, zombie style.
Edward's Point of View
Sneaking up on people to get their guns, I should have known she'd see my point about survival over chivalry. She had been so fucking… cute. 'If I manage to get them all, I win?' And she had said it as though she hadn't considered any other way of winning. Fuck yes.
Where would they be hiding? Alice, I had no clue. She could be anywhere. It'd be like her to pop up, shoot, and disappear. Bella? I was watching my back, chances were she'd take the person by surprise, then fire. Jasper. Sniper Jasper, I studied the four hills scattered within the meadow. Any one of them provided ample cover. I'd go with the nearest me and work out from there. If I ran into Bella or Alice on the way, well, I was ready for them.
Instead of kneeling, I stood and immediately threw myself to the right and kept moving. Sure enough, two different colors flew at me. They were somewhere to my right, probably my left now. I heard Bella curse loudly, Alice had crossed her path.
Neon green caught my eye. Tricky bastard, he was behind the largest hill near the perimeter of the meadow. Sniper rifle, indeed, Jasper had kept the big gun for himself. All I had to do was make it that far, I was pretty confident in my stealth abilities. Granted, I had never used them during the day, in an open field, but how difficult could it be?
After about five minutes of creeping through the tall grass, I realized Alice was trying to herd us into Jasper's path. Sneaky as fuck.
'Don't fall for it, Ali and Jas are working together. Don't follow her.' I figured a text was warranted, if they chose to bypass the rules, so could I.
'Meet me near the tall tree, its to the right.' I saw what she was talking about, the tree wasn't far from where I was.
Out of nowhere, Bella dashed out from behind the tree and… she fucking shot me. Three times. I heard her laugh before I lost her in the grass.
'That was a lot of fun.'
Fucking hell, I closed my phone. Fine, that was fine by me. She couldn't have gone far, where the hell was she lurking? It took me awhile, but I finally saw her through the grass, her back was to me. There was no mistaking her reddish brown hair, the white stripe across the back of my shirt. I crept up behind her, remembered the way she had reacted to Alice's sudden entry, and froze.
She turned and saw me, I instantly reacted. At least I had taken the brunt of the hit. We were peppered with sticky things as she disentangled herself from me.
"You tackled me?"
"You ambushed me," I retorted.
"So? I'm… well, I'm… a girl?" Even I had to raise my eyebrow at that one, that's the best she could do? "Yeah, I am a girl! You're not supposed to tackle me!"
"Stop fucking shooting us!" Little sticky pellets kept flying at us. What the fuck? I needed a minute to think, Bella looked seriously pissed. They hadn't stopped, shouldn't they have run out of fucking ammo by now?
I leveled a glare in their direction, Alice stopped shooting. Jasper, I thought, had quit, but I felt three hit my back. When I turned partially around to face Bella, another bounced off my goggles. I was going to kick the Texans ass. Bella started laughing.
"Not going to shoot me again?" I asked.
"I, uh, ran out…"
"Say sorry for ambushing me and I'll share some of mine."
"Share anyway," she grinned. "That'd be your apology for tackling me."
"Motivate me?"
o . o . o
Having left Bella with Alice, I still felt the effect of her… motivational tactics, and it was nearly three hours later. She grabbed my cock through my pants, pushed me onto my back in the grass, and kissed me steadily while maneuvering my gun away from me. Jasper and Alice had won, but only because they teamed up while Bella and I tried to take one another down. There was a rematch scheduled for sometime in the future.
"Edward," Mike Newton squeaked. "Hey! What's up, man?"
"I've got sixty, no change. Want to cut me extra?"
"Uh, yeah. Sure, c'mon in."
The fact that he lived in a basement didn't bother me. Alice and I had camped in worse places. The condition in which he lived, however, left much to be desired. Old ice-cream cartons were scattered around on the floor. One or two of them were growing mold. I side-stepped a half-eaten yogurt container. The spoon hadn't moved when it toppled over, that was fucking disgusting.
"You live like this?"
"Yeah, cool, huh?" Mike grinned. "I've got the entire floor to myself."
"I can see that."
The only clutter-free part of the room consisted of a foot-radius around his computer. Of course. I felt the need to shower.
"So, uh, you're a pretty tough guy, right? I mean, you- wham," he mimed picking someone up, throwing them. "Tyler, remember? I've kinda got this problem-"
"No," I said instantly. He seemed more twitchy than normal. Now I knew the reason. He wanted my help with something. Mike should have saved his breath, I had left all of that long ago.
"Just hear me out…"
"You going to give me what I paid for, or am I going to kick your ass?"
"They think I stole money from them," he said, rushing. "They're coming for me tomorrow night. It's only four guys, you wouldn't-"
"Last warning." I never bothered with warnings, but I really didn't want to touch him. His monitor hadn't reached screensaver mode. Whatever he had been doing before my arrival… yea, warning him was good.
"I'll pay you."
The magic words. I felt my dark side come to life. Somehow, I had snapped into business mode. It didn't mean that I would be taking the job, but I'd try to hear him out provided he didn't keep annoying me. Mike seemed to think it was a joke, he had some hard lessons coming to him.
"How much?" I inquired.
"Now we're talkin," he rubbed his hands together.
"Drugs, Mike." He passed me the clear plastic bag. I tucked it into one of the hidden pockets in my jacket, I had a bunch of them for exactly this reason. If I were pulled over, even if they checked my pockets and made me strip down, they wouldn't necessarily find anything.
Very small holes, barely large enough for the bag to fit through, were cut into the lining. With all of the crap I kept in this jacket, they'd never feel the three-inch wide baggie. It was a tried and true method, one that had served me well over the years.
"Bye."
"Wait, okay! I'll pay you six hundred dollars."
"No way."
"Eight hundred?"
This was laughable. I had been paid much more for less. That was New York, this was Forks. Maybe eight hundred was the best he could do? Not likely.
"Where are you supposed to meet them?" I sighed.
"Port Angeles."
"Get them to meet you in the school parking lot."
"Our school?"
"Port Angeles is fucking ridden with cops. I'm not getting caught for you. Here, in Forks, there are six men on duty. Total. Only two are on-duty per shift."
"And they never patrol the school when its closed, I get it."
Jesus christ. "Did you steal from them?"
"I, uh… well, I-"
"Didyou steal from them?"
"I... relocated some of their wealth. They owed me and didn't pay up. I was out almost five grand!"
"How much did you take?"
"Just what they took from me."
"Don't fucking lie to me. Do it one more time and I'll fucking walk."
"An extra thousand," he admitted.
"Fuck." I made sure to sound worried. Maybe it would clue Mike in to the danger he'd put himself in. His 'problem' wasn't a problem, not in my world. The risk of being caught was nearly nonexistent. If Mike acted as lookout, he was capable of that much, I'd have plenty of time to make my escape. Five thousand dollars wasn't a lot. The guys Mike worked for probably cleared fifteen grand a day, if my calculations were correct. Most of FHS was on something, it was a good business they had going.
"How many guys in their gang?"
"Gang? They're just a bunch of-" he reeled himself in as I leveled another glare in his direction. Gulping, he started hyperventilating, doing the nervous laugh thing that grated on my nerves. "Yo, chill. Maybe thirty of them? A lot are dorks or girls. They're carriers, like me. Jacob's the main guy."
"The Res? You pissed off people on the fucking Reservation?"
How the fuck had he managed to do that? The Quileute's never bothered anyone. They had their own little commune, away from us 'pale-faced degenerates.' We had several cultural differences.
"They grow shit out there! Forks police knows, I'm sure, but they have their own law. We don't interfere."
"Until you fucking did."
"Jake, Jacob, the new guy in the charge? He's a bastard. He'll probably meet with an accident, not a lot of people like him."
"Am I fighting him?"
"No…"
"Then how does that constitute as relevant information?"
"I don't know…'
"Remember what I said about lying to me. Answer me really fucking honestly. What is the likelihood that someone will come after you, or me, if I help you out?"
"Slim to none," he said confidently. "I mean, your job would be to get rid of them so they don't come back, right?"
"Oh my fucking-" Deep breaths. No, rescind that, it smelled like dirty laundry, rotting food. "If I do this for you, you never, I mean fucking never come to me with your problems again. You don't tell anyone else I helped you. I get free weed, and anything else I might need, for as long as we know one another. You pay me five hundred per guy, an extra hundred for every injury I sustain."
"Whoa, what? I-"
"You admitted to stealing six grand from people that would have no qualms when it comes to eradicating you. You're not poor. You aren't fucking destitute. Two thousand dollars is not going to break you. I could charge more, but I traded in the extra cash for free drugs. Now, do we have a deal or not?"
His computer was top of the line, I could tell by the sticker on the side. Mike had shelled out some nice cash for his gaming and pornographic needs. His phone was at least three hundred dollars, the monstrosities on his feet were in the one-hundred-range. He had the fucking cash, I really didn't like that he was trying to browbeat me over price.
"Okay, okay. We meet up tomorrow night, do this thing?"
"You meet me at the school. Text me with the time as soon as you arrange the meeting. You're not getting into my fucking car."
"Sure."
"I go to meet the guys you pissed off and negotiate. You stay near the fucking entrance. Don't fucking move from there until I come over to you. If the cops come, if you see anything fucking suspicious, flash your lights."
"My headlights?"
"Yes," I curtailed my anger. "Get the fuck out of there, I can handle myself."
"If you lose?"
"Your life is going to get a lot more fucking complicated."
I saw fear on his face. Good. Maybe next time he wouldn't be such a fucking colossal idiot next time. You never steal from the suppliers, he was such a fucking rookie. He was going to get himself killed if he weren't careful.
It was none of my business, he could do whatever he wanted. This was the last time I stepped in for him. If I weren't being paid two thousand, plus at least another six hundred, I would have walked. It wasn't a lot of money, but considering this was Forks, I was dealing with Mike, and the plan should work without any hitches, why not go for it?
"If you leave the car, if you try to taunt them, if you go back later and gloat, they can fucking have you. I'm not dealing with that shit. At no point during the night do you say my name aloud. I want to remain anonymous, and if you slip, I'll forget about the four guys I'm fighting and focus on you."
"Okay," he agreed, still nervous.
"Will they be carrying? Guns, knives, what?"
"I don't think anything… its not a professional thing they've got going on. Jacob's too new for weapons to have been implanted. All they do is sell drugs. Coke mostly. You seem to think its some covert organization, its just a bunch of dude's trying to make some extra cash."
"You're really fucking lucky. If you'd been caught anywhere else, they'd kill you. In the middle of the night, possibly during the day, people don't fuck around. Don't ever let me hear of you doing this shit again. Cut your losses and move on next time."
"Do you think you'll be able to take four of the Quileute's? They're kind of, you know, built."
"And?"
"Well, you're one guy. If-"
"You asked me for help. Do you have anyone else that would willingly step in to fix your fuckery?"
"No…"
"Then you'd better really fucking hope that I can."
I was confident, for the most part. Only an idiot went into a fight not expecting to be hurt. If I didn't have an extensive background that dealt with fighting rings, underground matches, and going up against more than four people on a regular basis…I should be fine.
I'd had backup, granted, and it had been awhile since my last fight- no, thinking like that wasn't in any way conducive. It was a recipe for failure, among other things. The location, seeing them, sizing them up, getting a feel for their fighting style, nothing else mattered.
"Thank you, by the way. I didn't think you'd-"
"Don't thank me until its over. There are a bunch of ways this could go down, I don't give you any guarantee that I'll stick around for the fight. I'm not risking exposure or getting my ass handed to me because you were stupid enough to steal from them. Wait until we get there, you'll find out soon enough if I plan to stay and see this through."
"Uh… okay…"
I left, what the fuck else was there to say? Mike was sweating, I had what I came for. How the fuck had I gotten rooked into this whole thing? Money. Always money.
My bank account was still well-stocked, but I couldn't shake the feeling of having nothing. Any chance I got to make a lot in a short period of time, I took. This was my first opportunity here. Mike wouldn't spread rumor around, he had waited to ask me, personally.
'Where are you?' I received the text from Alice. Shit. Alice was going to flip the fuck out, and rightfully so. Goddamnit.
Authors Note:
And there we go. I have no idea why, or when, this idea spawned. Seemed as good as any though, right? Maybe I wanted to show the difference between the way Edward and Jasper fought versus the way he normally fights? I've no idea if this is really happening yet, but hope you liked the chapter!
Authors Note 2:
Sarix Angel-
Wow, incredibly high praise, and I thank you for it! What was your prom like? Mine was boring as hell, I skipped out halfway through and went to find a real party, lmao. Do you participate with your friends, boxing? It sounds like a lot of fun. ^_^ And I'll do my best to bring Emmett in for you, I've got the rest of the gang in anyway, right? Wouldn't be the same without some Emmett-love. =P
Bundysarah, DevilishAngel78, xNOMx, Acw1, Tina062093, Karen4honor, Angel04une, Inb2107 (sorry if you used an l instead of I… =/), luvinJazz-
Thank you to everyone who reviewed! And anyone who added me to any fanfic lists, thanks very much, guys!
Ccaajjaa-
I'm sorry! That sucks majorly, I hope you managed to have some fun despite the canceled flights and… volcano. O.o. Thanks very much for reviewing, sorry again. =/
AngelaSampedro99-
Hehe, thank you! I hope you're well-rested after napping!
Tahughes-
I was actually sort-of sad to make James the bad-guy. I know that's what his role is, but I always, shh, kinda liked him. He's very aesthetically pleasing. Victoria, too. I'm still really pissed that they weren't able to bring her back! Nuuuuuu! Red head! Gorgeous! New actress = O.O
Fliberty-
Thank you, and that's what I was trying to show, =D. Different sides to relationships, how different things work for different people. Cool name, by the way!
Dazzeld Mom-
Hell yes! I'll gladly share! He has a penchant for brooding, just want to give you a heads up before I send him over. =P
Spunk-ransom-lover1981-
I'm really glad you liked the music! I wonder sometimes if the songs I pick are a little… uh… intense, maybe, for them, but I don't know what else Edward would listen to, 'specially with all the leather, tatt's, etc. I try to lighten it a little in Bella's POV, but I'm really happy you liked them. Not emo and depressive, thanks! =D
MizzezPattinson-
Awesome! And I can't thank you enough for Twittering 'The Handcuff Bracelet.' Honestly, wow!
VAVikingGIrl-
I wonder that all the time- whether things would be different if I had chosen another path. Maybe something more clean-cut, white-collar? Or if I'd continued on my path to utter self-destruction... Its weird, y'know? Well, yeah, haha, you get that. =D. Thank you very much, VA, I appreciate any and all input you give!
Kitasky123-
You'll still have readers! And, if not, you'll make new ones! I'm glad you liked the fight, I was a little iffy on it, but figured, what the hell. They're guys, an aggressive song was playing. Heh.
AngelofRosesCullen-
Thanks! Mmm, I love dreams like that. =)
My4kids-
Some really good friends of mine are unconventional mom's. I don't mean that in a bad way, they're all interesting, passionate, and I think they make better parents because of it. My parents were very straight-edge. Whole 'nother story there, haha. I agree with you, for the record. The people I've known that dress, and act, as 'Edward' does… I found them to be more insightful, and a lot more compassionate, than some of the 'normal's.' Your kids sound awesome, and because of your experiences, you're probably able to relate to them more?
Mercedesfrk1121-
Thank you, thank you! And yea… haha, I know. Neon Angel and The Runaways? I'll have to look them up, thanks for the recs!
The Blessing And The Curse-
Wow! O.O! You're amazing, thank you so much!