*~*Twenty Four*~*
A.N. Hi! This is another rush update so sorry if there's any mistakes! Check out the poll on my profile, I kinda need the results for the next story!
Enjoy!
MicroSpider XD
When we'd finished our suicide notes we walked out to find Alice lent over the desk gripping it with both hands.
"Alice?" Bella asked her curiously.
She didn't react when she called her name, but her head was slowly rocking side to side, and I saw her face. Her eyes were blank, dazed.
Bella hurried to her side, reaching out automatically to touch her hand.
"Alice!" Jasper's voice whipped, and then he was right behind her, his hands curling over hers, loosening them from their grip on the table.
Across the room, the door swung shut with a low click, "What is it?" he demanded.
She turned her face away from us, into his chest, "Bella, November," she said.
"We're right here," I replied to her words.
Her head twisted around, her eyes locking on mine, their expression still strangely blank.
I realized at once that she hadn't been speaking to us, she'd been answering Jasper's question.
That can't be good.
"What did you see?" Bell said, there was no question in her flat, uncaring voice.
Jasper looked at her sharply, she kept her expression vacant and waited.
His eyes were confused as they flickered swiftly between Alice's face and Bella's, feeling the chaos... I could guess what Alice had seen now.
I felt a tranquil atmosphere settle around me, obviously for Alice to recover.
"Nothing, really," she answered finally, her voice remarkably calm and convincing, "Just the same room as before."
She finally looked at myself and Bella, her expression smooth and withdrawn, "Did you want breakfast?"
"No, we'll eat at the airport," I was very calm for the current situation. Bella went to shower and I decided that I might as well sit and watch TV in her room.
Almost as if I were borrowing Jasper's strange extra sense, I could feel Alice's wild, though well concealed, desperation to have the pair of us out of the room, to be alone with Jasper. So she could tell him that they were doing something wrong, that they were going to fail...
When she was done, Bella dug through her bag until she found her sock full of money, then emptied it into her pocket.
She was anxious to get to the airport, and glad when we left by seven.
We sat in the back of the dark car, Eris on my left and Bella on my right. Alice leaned against the door, her face toward Jasper but, behind her sunglasses, shooting glances in our direction every few seconds.
"Alice?" I asked indifferently.
She was wary, "Yes?"
"How does it work? The things that you see?" I stared out the side window, and my voice bored.
"Edward said it wasn't definite... that things change?" Bella finished my question, struggling to keep composed.
That must have been what alerted Jasper, why a fresh wave of serenity filled the car.
What's up with you guys?
Doesn't matter, but I'm going to need your help later.
Uh, sure?
Thanks.
"Yes, things change..." she murmured, hopefully, "Some things are more certain than others... like the weather. People are harder. I only see the course they're on while they're on it. Once they change their minds, make a new decision, no matter how
small, the whole future shifts."
I nodded thoughtfully, "So you couldn't see James in Phoenix until he decided to come here."
"Yes," she agreed, wary again.
That's stupid.
She hadn't seen us in the mirror room with James until we'd made the decision to meet him there. They would be watching us twice as carefully now, anyway, after Alice's vision. This was going to be impossible.
We got to the airport. Luck was with us, or maybe it was just good odds. Edward's plane was landing in terminal four, the largest terminal, where most flights landed, wasn't surprising that his was. But it was the terminal we needed: the biggest, the most confusing. And there was a door on level three that might be the only chance.
We parked on the fourth floor of the huge garage. Bella led the way, for once more knowledgeable about our surroundings than they were. We took the elevator down to level three, where the passengers unloaded. Alice and Jasper spent a long time looking at the departing flights board, Eris lingered around making 'sexy' faces at some punk guy with a Mohawk and a cute ass. I could hear them discussing the pros and cons of New York, Atlanta, Chicago.
I would kill to go to New York.
New York fashion week!
We waited for our opportunity, impatient. We sat in the long rows of chairs by the metal detectors, Jasper and Alice pretending to people, but really watching the two of us.
I pulled the unmarked envelope out of my pocket and set it on top of Alice's black leather bag at the same time as Bella, she looked at us, "Our letters," I said.
She nodded, tucking it under the top flap.
The minutes passed and Em, Conner, Carlisle and Edward's arrival grew closer.
Several times Alice offered to go get breakfast with us. Later, Bells told her, not yet.
We stared at the arrival board, watching as flight after flight arrived on time. The flight from Seattle crept closer to the top of the board and then, when we had only thirty minutes to make our escape, the numbers changed. Their plane was ten minutes early.
We had no more time, "I think I'll eat now," Bella said quickly.
I nodded too, "Yup same."
Don't come.
I want some bacon!
Please?
Fine.
Alice stood, "I'll come with you."
"Do you mind if Jasper comes instead?" Bella asked, "I'm feeling a little..." She didn't finish the sentence, her eyes were wild enough to convey what I didn't say.
Jasper stood up, Alice's eyes were confused, but not suspicious, she must be attributing the change in her vision to some maneuver of the tracker's rather than a betrayal by us two.
Jasper walked silently beside us, his hand on the small of my back, as if he were guiding me.
I'm not a fucking dog dearie.
We pretended to have a lack of interest in the first few airport cafes, our heads scanning for what Bella really wanted and apparently there it was, around the corner, out of Alice's sharp sight: the level-three ladies' room.
Why do we need that?
"Do you mind?" Bella asked Jasper as we passed, "I'll just be a moment."
"I'll be right here," he said.
As soon as the door shut behind us, we were running. I remembered the time I had gotten lost from this bathroom, because it had two exits.
And bingo was his name-o!
Huh?
I'll tell you later.
Outside the far door it was only a short sprint to the elevators, and if Jasper stayed where he said he would, we'd never be in his line of sight. I didn't look behind me as we ran.
This was the only chance, and even if he saw us, we had to keep going. People stared, but we ignored them.
Stupid staring twats.
Around the corner the elevators were waiting, and I dashed forward, throwing my hand between the closing doors of a full elevator headed down. We squeezed in beside the irritated passengers, and checked to make sure that the button for level one had been pushed. It was already lit and the doors closed.
As soon as the door opened we were off again, to the sound of annoyed murmurs behind our backs, especially from a orange faced XXL lady with long fake claws.
Well your no prize either love, if you got out nobody would be squished. Just a thought!
We slowed as we passed the security guards by the luggage carousels, only to break into a run again as the exit doors came into view. We had no way of knowing if Jasper was looking for us yet.
We would have only seconds if he was following either of our scents. We jumped out the automatic doors, Bella nearly smacking into the glass when they opened.
Klutz.
Along the crowded curb there wasn't a cab in sight.
"Balls, what are we going to do?" I asked her.
"This way!" She grabbed my hand and dragged me, a shuttle to the Hyatt was just closing it's doors a few feet behind us,
"Wait!" we called, running, waving at the driver.
"This is the shuttle to the Hyatt," the driver said in confusion as he opened the doors.
"Yes," Bella huffed, "That's where we're going," we hurried up the steps.
Most of the seats were empty. We sat as far from the other travelers as possible, and watched out the window as first the sidewalk, and then the airport, drifted away.
In front of the Hyatt, a tired-looking couple were getting their last suitcase out of the trunk of a cab. We jumped out of the shuttle and ran to the cab, sliding into the seat behind the driver. The tired couple and the shuttle driver stared at us.
Bella told the surprised cabbie Mom's address, "We need to get there as soon as possible."
"That's in Scottsdale," he complained.
Just drive you prick!
Where are you two?
Timbuktu!
What the fuck? Where are you?
I'll tell you later!
She threw four twenties over the seat, "Will that be enough?"
"Sure, kid, no problem."
I smiled at Bella, "We're going to be fine. I know it," I told her in a whisper.
She shook her head, eyes watering, "How do you know that?" She asked, closing her eyes shut.
I laughed lightly, "I have my ways."
"Hey, what was the number?" The cabbie questioned, knocking Bella out of a daydream.
"Fifty-eight twenty-one," she replied, sounding like a strangled cat.
Not that I know what a strangled cat sounds like.
"Here we are, then," He was anxious to get us out of his car, probably hoping we wouldn't ask for change.
"Thank you," I told him.
We ran to the door, reaching up automatically to grab the key under the eave. Bella unlocked the door. It was dark inside, empty, normal. We ran to the phone, turning on the kitchen light on the way. There, on the whiteboard, was a ten-digit number written in a small, neat hand. Bella's fingers stumbled over the keypad, making mistakes.
I had to hang up for her and start again. The pain in my head was fuzzing, my veins and arteries were tingling. I could feel the venom fusing itself with my body.
Not now!
Where are you? Edward's, freaking out and Emmett is seriously fucking pissed!
Balls, I'll tell you soon. Very soon!
I held the phone to my ear, It rang only once, "Hello, Girls," that easy voice answered, "That was very quick. I'm impressed."
"Is our mom all right?" I spat at him.
"She's perfectly fine. Don't worry, November, I have no quarrel with her. Unless you two didn't come alone, of course," he sounded light, amused.
I'M GOING TO RIP HIS FUCKING COCK OFF!
Who are you going to molest?
NOT NOW ERIS!
"We're alone," I muttered, seriously wishing we weren't.
He chuckled, "Very good. Now, do you know the ballet studio just around the corner from your home?"
"Yes. I know how to get there," mouthing 'ballet studio' to Bella, who nodded.
"Well, then, I'll see you very soon."
I hung up.
We ran from the room, through the door, out into the baking heat, Bella dripping with sweat.
That girl really hates running. So do I, but it doesn't make me feel like I'm going to die. Bad choice of words...