Chapter 21
Pranking and Protests Lead to Problems of Epic Proportions- Part 1
Liz POV
"So this is Port Angeles, huh?" I asked, looking over the small town as we drove by. It was more polished than Forks, in a way I expected was meant to attract tourists.
As if they had any competition with Forks, I though with a laugh. That place may well be cataloged as Snooze-Ville! That is, when it wasn't infested with the Supernatural.
And of course, if your name was Bella Swan, because in that case Forks was both the most dangerous and exciting place on earth.
Come to think of it, Forks was a pretty interesting place. Just not in my original world.
"Oh yeah," Emmett answered. "This is Port Angeles all right. Now, the local girls know to shop at the department stores that are further in the town, but the tourists all go to the picturesque stores up here which look fancier, but really are just more expensive."
"How do you know that information, and why is it relevant to us exactly?" I asked.
"Simple," Jasper replied in Emmett's stead. "Alice and Rosalie are our mates. We've heard it all before and then some."
"Exactly." Emmett chuckled. "And this particular information helps us because that way we get to choose who we'll be pranking. So what'll it be, locals or tourists?"
"Definitely tourists," Jasper answered quickly. "Imagine if we accidently run into Lauren…" He shuddered.
Emmett laughed. "Good point, o' brother of mine. Let's hope for some hot Russian long legs. Do you know if girls like them tend to tour the Olympic Peninsula?" He asked, as he turned the wheel, finding a good place to park the ridiculously flashy and expensive car.
"Oh hush!" I said. "You have Rose. She's got enough hot, long legs to last a lifetime."
"True that," Emmett replied. "But that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to look, right?"
"Only if you like getting castrated," Jasper said. "Remember that one time in New York where she almost—"
"I don't wanna hear it!" Emmet cried. "As far as I'm concerned that has never happened. Never ever." He opened the car door and stepped out, resulting in Jasper and I following him.
Jasper smirked. "So you're telling me that—"
"Enough!" I interrupted. "Would you please spare me my innocence? Please?"
"Oh come on, you don't even know what she did!" Jasper said. He was now leaning against the hood of the Ferrari, looking like he came straight out of a car commercial.
"Exactly! And I also happen to have this really strong feeling that I don't want to know."
"Yeah!" Emmet joined. "What she said! Just don't bring it up again."
Jasper pursued his lips in an obvious attempt to control his laughter. "I suppose if you really don't want to hear it…"
"I really don't."
"Then that settles it!" Emmett exclaimed. "Can we please get going with our plan now? Well my plan anyway."
I stuck my tongue out at him. I hadn't felt this care free in a long time. I usually was much more reserved, and doubly so after the whole Twilight mess which had left me reeling and unbalanced, but for some reason—mostly likely Emmett's own care free nature—I was currently in the best of moods.
"Very mature you two," Jasper said.
"Well," Emmett said seriously, wearing a straight face. "Let it not be said that I do not pride on my most remarkable maturity."
We all burst out laughing.
"Now, now," Jasper said, wiping pretend tears from his eyes. "I do believe we had some purpose when we came here. Shall we try to stay on track?"
"I suppose we could," I said, once I'd regained a semblance of composure.
"Of course we will!" Emmett cried dramatically. "Why, I think I may have just chosen our first victim!"
"Is that so?" Jasper asked. "And who might this unlucky person be?"
"She is to your right at two o' clock, red hair, and carrying a Gucci handbag."
Both Jasper and I immediately began casting surreptitious glances in the general direction, although we'd both caught sight of her at once thanks to our enhanced senses. I think we did it because it felt more human to pretend we weren't able to immediately pick her out once receiving Emmett's description.
"Got it," I said. "So what's the plan?"
"The plan? Eh, plans are too mainstream for the likes of Emmett Cullen," Emmett announced. "I say we wing it."
Jasper and I exchanged a look. To use our brains or to go after Emmett's lead? That was the real question.
Oh to heck with it.
"Sure, why not?" I shrugged.
"Excellent!" Emmett grinned widely, clapping his hands together.
Jasper didn't look persuaded. "What, we'll all just walk up to her? That sounds stupid. We need to have some plan."
Emmett frowned in thought, before suddenly brightening up considerably. "How's this; Liz will go up to her and start flirting with her, just enough to get her surprised and unbalanced-" his voice rose as his excitement grew, "- and then Jazz will come up, and play the part of the jealous boyfriend!"
I gaped. Jasper stared.
"Dude, that makes no sense. I think you've got it backwards."
I began laughing hysterically. "So this is why you didn't want to plan! Gosh, Emmett, you could have just told us you were out of ideas!"
"Am not! The great Emmett Cullen is never out of pranks!"
"Obviously," Jasper drawled. "Because that was one heck of a stroke of brilliance back there, bro. Never seen anything like it."
"Umm, guys? We're losing sight of our target."
"Well, shit."
"What do you propose we do, genius?" I asked.
"I say we go back to Plan A, and wing it."
Jasper sighed. "Better than sitting around here I suppose. Who wants to go first?"
A staring contest evolved between the three of us. I broke first. Curse myself for being soft.
"Fine, I'll go. Who knows? Maybe I'll take a leaf out of your book and flirt with the poor girl after all."
"Good luck with that!" Emmett shouted behind me as I turned to leave. I visibly flinched, since as close as I still was to Emmett there really was no reason for him to shout, and he'd obviously done it to get ourselves a bit of attention. There was a fair amount of people around for this time of the evening, and I wondered if there was an event in town—concert or the like—to explain it. Not likely, I thought. This was Port Angeles after all.
I began walking in the direction of our chosen redhead victim, but slowed once I actually began nearing her, as I had yet to decide what I actually wanted to do once I'd reached her.
Winging it suddenly sounded so much harder than it had five minutes ago.
"Say, Jazz, think it might have been a stupid idea to send Liz to prank the woman alone? I mean, we're supposed to be keeping a really close eye on her…"
"She's right there, bro, just a few dozen feet away. I can hear her muttering to herself that she's going to get us back for this. It'll be fine as long as she stays in our sight, and the girl's smart enough to know she shouldn't suddenly go wandering off."
"Yeah I know that, but I have a bad feeling about this—it sounds as though a lot more people are heading this way. What is that?"
"Oh shit." Jasper cursed, as he heard the cause of Emmett's unease. It seemed trouble was out to get them. "I'm going to check it out." He decided. "Stay here and keep a watch on Liz."
He walked quickly to the end of the line of stores, where the road turned and entered town. It was in the opposite direction of where Liz had gone, and that left him slightly nervous. He trusted Emmett, but this had too much of a potential for disaster.
He couldn't see much of anything unusual in the streets, but the noise was still there, and Jasper had a creeping suspicion as to what it may be. He wished no humans had been around so that he'd be able to run in full speed to the source of the noise, so he could solve this and go back to Liz and Emmett.
It had started silently, almost unheard, even to vampire ears. But the shouting was gradually getting stronger, to the point where even the humans around them were looking around, searching for the source of the noise.
It had escalated much too quickly for Jasper's comfort. He hadn't wanted to jump the gun and demand they get out of there as quickly as they could, as they'd all been having a pretty good time before the shouting had started, but he was coming to regret that decision.
"Jazz, listen to the words they're shouting. This sounds like a protest, a big one," Emmett shouted to him.
"We need to get Liz out of here," Jasper replied immediately, running to Emmett's side.
"That might prove to be harder than you think…"
"—what?" Jasper turned his head quickly, looking back to where Liz had been standing last—only to see nothing. "How could you let her out of your sight?!"
"I didn't! Well, not really anyway! I mean, she was right there, talking to the chick a second ago!"
"Emmett—" Jasper growled. It was at moments like these that he wondered what the universe had against him. Not only was there a fucking protest headed their way, which meant chaos and crowds, but he'd managed to lose the newborn! What was wrong with him? He was definitely losing his touch.
"Look, we can find her, all right? We just need to start searching, and we need to move now, preferably before she finds herself ruining her pristine record, or exposing the vampire world. No biggie," Emmett said.
Jasper didn't even bother answering; he was already off to the nearest alley, jumping onto the roof, before starting to run at a vampire pace, jumping from one roof to the next in a parkour fashion.
His hawk-like eyes were scanning the street below for a glimpse of the young newborn, and his nose perked up in hope of catching a whiff of her scent.
He moved quickly, but he couldn't help but feel that everything he did just wasn't enough- so much for being the ultimate newborn care taker. His brothers were never going to let him forget this one…
A/N- And I've finally updated! Aren't you proud? LOL.
Le bIG qUEStioNs! (LET'S SEE WHO ANSWERS THIS ONE RIGHT!) What was Liz thinking going off on her own? And will Jazz be coming to the rescue? In any case, she's in SOO much trouble.
I'm honestly sorry for the long wait for an update (heh, it rhymes!) but I fear it's about to get much slower. Such is life when you're in high school, and have horribly annoying end of the year exams. Big History test tomorrow if we're already at it. Wish me luck!
I know this sort of a cliff-hanger, and I'm awfully mean to be leaving you hanging, but I prefered uploading what I had rather than not uploading at all, and I'll stick by my decision :) Feel free to ask me what's going on with the story when it's been entirely too long, if we get there.
I really do want to finish this story.