Title: Vocalise
Author: pantheradraconis
Rating: T
Pairing: Bella/Rosalie
Summary: "From calm and serene to I want to rip you to shreds. Sometimes getting to the part where you can say I love you and never question it is a pain in the arse." - Review from ChesireMonkey. Alice saw a vision involving Rosalie and Bella. What did she see? And how will it affect everyone around them?
Vocalise
By pantheradraconis
Chapter 29: Angela
I don't even know where to begin. It seems like an entire lifetime has gone by since Prom and yet the night is not even over. I'm in an old truck; Jacob is driving and whispering out an argument with Bella in the front seat. I'm sitting in the back seat with Leah, who has already fallen asleep. How can you fall asleep in this old thing? And it's barely 9pm. At least she looks peaceful. Jacob and Bella are anything but; every once and a while I can make out small bits and pieces of what they are saying, but overall the argument is very secretive. I don't understand it. I don't understand anything that is going on anymore. I don't even know how I ended up a part of all this. Bella ran out of the gym in tears, I was the last to run out to her, after Jacob and Leah. I had expected Rosalie to be next, but she didn't. Why did she show up at the Prom, anyways? She said she had made a promise, but still, after all that had happened… I just cannot comprehend it all. I wouldn't leave Bella's side; she needed me, but… Oh my dear, I just invited myself along. Where are we even going? Why is Jacob driving so slowly? I can't believe I was so rude, but Bella. I'm pretty sure I'm here for Bella. Or maybe… Leah's head just fell over onto my shoulder. Something about this girl seems to lure me in. Or maybe it's not her, but… It's silly, I know, but I feel like a lost puppy that just wants to follow her home. What am I saying, this is ridiculous. I'm sitting in the back of an old truck on our way to the Quileute Reservation (I just heard Bella say the destination), in a prom dress, writing my thoughts down in someone else's school notebook; How am I ever going to explain this to my mom? I can't even explain this to myself. Okay, think Angela, think.
I guess I should go back to about a month ago. That's when Bella called me crying. She said she had an argument with Rosalie, wouldn't say what it was about, but that she left. Just up and left. I tried to calm Bella down, but nothing would work. She just seemed to collapse in grief. Well, Rosalie didn't show up for school the next Monday, or any other day for that matter. Bella tried to ask the other Cullens where Rosalie had gone, but no one would answer her. And Edward, Edward didn't show up either. They both seemed to have run off. Bella said the rest didn't know where they went to, but how could they not? I mean, if a couple of teenagers just run away like that, wouldn't their parents be up in arms and searching everywhere? But nothing happened. It didn't make any sense, but Bella wouldn't tell me anything. It was like she was pushing for answers, but refused to give any herself. It was the strangest issue. Well, after two weeks of it all, Bella comes over to my house on a Tuesday afternoon with this huge smile on her face. I figured she had heard from Rosalie, but she said no. I could tell she was still upset, deep within, because her smile faltered for a moment when I asked, but she covered it up quickly. She starts saying that she needed to become independent and that if Rosalie wanted to leave that was her own decision. She started sounding like a Lifetime special. Went on about how she didn't need Rosalie, she didn't need anyone but her friends. And that everything was going to be fine. I knew she was lying, but she needed it. It was like she was giving me this speech in order to convince herself that everything was fine. Well, I asked what caused the change and she said that since Alice was being so evasive, she had called Jacob. I still have no idea what Jacob and Alice have in common, before tonight I wouldn't have even thought they knew each other, but with how familiar Jacob and Rosalie were, I guess it makes sense that he also knows Alice. The whole Cullen family seems to come as a full package deal, but, I don't know. It's not important. I guess it's just another thing I know nothing about. But anyways, Bella goes on and on about how she is going to go to the Prom with Jacob and we should double, since I was going with Eric (who had finally asked me a week before the dance).
I asked about Jacob and when the two had started going out, but Bella's eyes just went huge at the question. She started stuttering that the two of them weren't going out; he was just a really good friend that said he would bring her to the Prom since she didn't want to miss out. Then she went off on this huge tangent about how she hoped Jacob didn't get the wrong impression, but I mean really, how couldn't he? It's obvious he's crazy about her, but whatever. I am not even going to touch on that subject. I don't know anymore, none of this makes sense. I've got to find some answers in this whole mess. We've still got a good half hour before we get to the Reservation so let me see if I can get out this whole night's mess of events before we get there.
Eric picked me up at 5pm. We then picked up Bella and Jacob at Bella's house. The two looked awkward together, but certainly happy enough. In fact the two actually reminded me of the way Rosalie and Emmett always were. To an outside eye, it looked like the two were such good friends, and were always touching, so you just assume they were going out. If Jacob really did like Bella more than friends, then she was leading him on. No mistake about it. Well, we all drove to Pacific Pizza for dinner. It made me laugh that so many other couples from school were there, but Jacob and Bella picked a booth away from the large groups. Eric got up several times to mingle with the other students, so I joined him on a few occasions. But overall I spent my time trying to talk to Bella, but unable to because Jacob never left her side. Doesn't a boy have to use the bathroom after the two pizzas and gallon of pop he finished off by himself?
We got to the school at 7:30pm; a half hour after the dance had begun. The place was already half full, but it's not a very large gymnasium. I looked over at Bella when we entered the decorated space. Her face nearly lit up in recognition of how beautiful it all was. I was so glad to see that reaction; it felt like the first real reaction the girl had shown in the last month. I was also glad all of our hard work was being appreciated. It took all day for the Prom committee (myself included) to decorate the gym and the gazebo outside. The theme this year was the night sky. There were hundreds of clear Christmas lights strewn up across the ceilings, walls, and even the walkway out to the gazebo. It really did look amazing. Too bad the dance didn't seem to last very long for us. Eric wouldn't dance with me; something I was very upset about, but what could I do? We were there for five minutes before he went off to the DJ booth with Tyler and some other friends.
Bella and I walked out to the gazebo and were chatting quietly about how well the decorations came out and how someone had already spiked the punch bowl. It was strange, but when Jacob came back through the gymnasium out to the gazebo, he had Leah in tow. She was dressed in a light grey dress with green trim. It looked quite… beautiful. And she smells really nice too. But the shoes she's wearing, the girl showed up in low cut Converse sneakers. At least they're green and grey. Her body is so warm leaning up against me; I might open a window…
Anyways, I don't know how Jacob got Leah in, but Bella didn't seem to be surprised at all to see the girl. In fact, she jumped up and clapped her hands together when Leah made her appearance. The Quileute girl tried to shake it off and act like she always walked around in a summer dress; the way the girl kept trying to pull the skirt down around her knees proved quite the opposite to be true. Either way, Leah's presence certainly took my mind off Eric's absence.
It was when the four of us re-entered the gym that everything just went to hell. It was Rosalie. She was standing just past the door, wearing the most beautiful deep red dress, no, it had to be considered a gown, that I have ever seen. Her blonde hair was cascading around her shoulders and the sparkling jewelry was just, wow. Even now I can barely describe just how Red Carpet this girl looked. It seemed as if the entire dance had stopped to look at the model that had just walked in, but Rosalie, even then, after all she had put Bella through, didn't seem to notice. It was obvious she only had eyes for Bella.
And it was even more obvious that Bella only had eyes for Rosalie. Without a second's thought, Bella reached out and grabbed my arm. When I turned it looked like she was about to faint. I tried to make eye contact with her, to tell her that it was true, that Rosalie was really there, but Bella didn't even blink. No one seemed to move as the two girls stared at each other. It was such a movie moment. Even more so when it was Jacob that walked around Bella, straight up to Rosalie, but still a few feet back, and yelled, actually yelled, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Those words were what brought time back. Everyone seemed to shift with unease even as the music kept pumping out the oversized speakers. Bella's grip tightened on my arm, it actually hurt a little; I won't be surprised if I have a small bruise tomorrow. But Rosalie, she actually ignored Jacob, walked right past him, and directly up to Bella. She had the audacity to reach out to my friend as if nothing had ever happened. As if she had meant to be there all along. As if she hadn't disappeared for a month. I mean, really, who did she think she was? It still bothers me that she could be so thoughtless. However, now that I am thinking it over, the tenderness in Rosalie's eyes seemed to beg for forgiveness. For the entirety of the conversation that incurred, Rosalie's very body seemed to ache with regret. A part of me really does feel bad for her. But still, the conversation, it was amazing.
Bella was the first to speak, but barely a whisper came out. I don't know what she said and I was standing right next to her, but Leah and Rosalie both seemed to stiffen and even Jacob walked back over to the confrontation. He placed his hand on Rosalie's shoulder, but quickly removed it when, and I'm not exaggerating, the girl actually growled at him. She then turned back to Bella and said, "Chief Swan told me you were already here. I am here because I am your date to the Prom."
"You have no right to be here." Bella's words were filled with disbelief, but were shy of the hatred she was trying to express.
Leah shifted behind us and said, "What makes you think she'd want to be your date now, Blondie?"
"I promised." Rosalie spoke so softly, so delicately. It was like if the summer breeze carried words. Wow, that was corny. Definitely need to stop reading so many romance novels.
"You promised." Bella started shaking. "You promised. You promised. You promised." It was almost like a chant. "You promised?!" She let go of me and took the two large steps between Rosalie and herself. "Is that the only reason you're here?!" The last few words were almost screamed, even with all the noise around us.
Rosalie looked at the ground. "You don't understand."
"No, I don't, but what else is new?"
"I…"
"No, you don't get any more chances, Rosalie." Bella cut her girlfriend off. Was she still her girlfriend? Actually, in all of the last month, Bella had always still called Rosalie her girlfriend, never her ex. I wonder why. Again, there must be so much more to this story that I, even being there in the middle of the argument, have no knowledge of. "Your words, your promises, are nothing to me. Nothing." Bella was shaking her head as she spoke, almost like she was forcing herself to say the words. "It's your actions Rosalie, what you have done that speaks volumes."
"I promised I would be here. I am here." Even as she said it I think Rosalie knew what she was saying was the wrong thing. But I don't know, maybe it was the only thing she could say. Does that even make any sense?
"Just leave Leec… Just leave Blondie. No one wants you here." It was Jacob this time; I don't know what he almost said at first, but if I had to guess it would be leech. But why would he call Rosalie a leech? It's not like she was any type of mooch. As best I knew she actually lavished Bella with gifts. Unfortunately, the willingness to buy everything Bella had ever wanted, ironically, wasn't what Bella wanted from her girlfriend. I really wish I could tell Rosalie that, even now. During the whole argument it didn't seem like anyone was there to back her up when Bella had two other people arguing for her, and even me to lean on, literally.
"Why did you leave?" Bella was begging. It was then I realized how much the two girls contrasted each other. Rosalie was standing in her bold, red gown, wearing stilettos, looking absolutely stunning, yet she was slouched. I had never seen her slouch before. It was as if she already knew she was defeated. And Bella, she was wearing a beautiful, but obviously homemade blue dress and some short heels. But Bella was standing tall and proud. The two were almost eye to eye despite their differences in height.
"I can't… I can't tell you here."
"You owe me an explanation."
"I know, and I want to, but…"
"But you have a million and one excuses, don't you? I don't need to know, I shouldn't know, it's none of my concern, you just want to keep me safe, your past isn't my business."
"I…"
"We're done here, Rosalie. I'm leaving. I'm leaving now with Jacob. You take your time. You take all the time you need." Bella spoke with such finality, how could anyone respond to that? But what she didn't know was that Rosalie hadn't stopped talking. Just after Bella had been listing off such an odd assortment of excuses that apparently Rosalie had used in the past, Rosalie had whispered 'I'm sorry. I am ready.' But Bella didn't hear her. Instead Bella just walked away. Jacob swayed slightly before following and Leah was quick on his heels. I wanted to stay; I wanted to talk to Rosalie, to hear her side. She looked so broken.
But I couldn't, I don't know what it was, but something took me away. I followed Leah. I followed her out to, what I assume was her truck, and jumped in before anyone could even question my being there. Leah seemed like she was going to say something, but she kept quiet and eventually fell asleep. Jacob and Bella were too busy arguing. I think he heard what Rosalie had said too because at first I thought he was going to drag Bella back into the dance, but she wouldn't budge.
And now we're here. Driving down a dirt path past some tiny homes that look old, but loved; I really sense a feeling of family within this community. I wonder which house is Leah's. Jacob is pulling over, I should
Angela dropped the pen in her hand as she saw a young boy, or possibly a young man, walk up to the truck. As they made eye contact, Angela immediately believed this was the kindest, sincerest, purest face she had ever seen. And she was unequivocally in love.
A/N: Oh the suspense! So I know you all want to hear Rosalie's side of these events, but guess what? You aren't going to. Not yet. It gives too much away and I love to leave you guys guessing. [insert evil laugh here]
So tell me, where do you lovely readers think this is going?
