Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight,
I made my way down the library corridor alone. Edward had ditched me to seek out his brother like he often did, not that I cared. I treasured my time alone without him hovering. Without him around I actually had a chance to look at the facts surrounding his death instead of having him hang off my shoulder, disputing every single detail.
I checked in at the desk, asking the old lady for the film that would contain his obituary and the weeks surrounding it. It was clear from the reports that Edward Cullen was beloved by the community, yet there was nothing done about his death. It was almost like it had been swept under the rug since two weeks after his falling through the sky light at the high school there was nothing more in the paper about it.
"What the fuck," I mumbled as I scrolled through paper looking for something more. There was no way that the death of a local teen would just drop out of the public eye that quickly. It made no sense. It was as if someone was trying to hide it.
"Excuse me."
I turned to see who was interrupting my research time to find a short dark haired man that I recognized from the other night here.
Aro Volturi, local sports writer and all around dick.
"Betty said that you have film with the Cullen kid's obit on it," he continued on as he pulled up a chair beside me. He wore a fake smile as he leaned closer to me, letting me smell the obnoxious body spray he was wearing, like that would somehow woo me into submission.
"I do," I replied back coolly and then watched him smile again.
"You said you were writing for the high school paper?" he questioned with a grin that almost made him handsome as he cocked his head at me.
"Yes, now if you don't mind..." I stated, pushing him on his way only to have him stop me.
"I do mind actually. I mind a lot since I have some questions for you," he countered with a loud shrill laugh that echoed off the surrounding walls.
"Why are you looking in to his death?" he asked me abruptly causing me to sputter for a split second before laughing at him. "You are, so don't bother denying it."
"High school kids typically could give a shit about the hall of fame or some dead student from thirty years back," he stated calmly as he moved his chair closer to me. "You know something, so why don't you be dear and just share it with me."
I watched as Aro waited for my response and it struck me how this could work for my cause. It was a risk, but one I had to make if I wanted to keep my promise to Edward. I was just a high school kid and who would believe me no matter what found or what I said? Aro was different though. He had credibility in this town that I didn't have and I could use that for Edward's benefit. I took a deep breath and then plunged into the unknown of dealing with Aro Volturi.
"How is it that you don't know something?" I countered back with a grin that made the man sputter for a moment. "I mean, look at how he died. No one, and I do mean no one, would purposely jump through a skylight."
"I thought that was different," he commented with a thoughtful look on his face that made me want to laugh out loud since to me how Edward died was the most obvious way of showing he it wasn't by his own hand. "He dropped twenty feet, which wasn't enough to kill him. Hell, I've seen people fall off their houses from about that distance and walk away without a scratch. He was a smart kid. He had to have known that."
"If the drop didn't kill him then what did?" I asked curiously since I hadn't researched how he actually died. I had questioned the drop since it was a relatively short distance, but knew that freak accidents happen.
"He bled out," Aro mentioned in a distracted manner as he pulled out a notebook. I watched him as he scribbled down notes.
"What?" I breathed out in surprise, not that Aro noticed as he continued to write whatever down in that beat up notebook of his.
"Yeah, the glass… it severed a femoral artery, and he bled out," he continued on without looking up at me.
"So he could have lived?" I asked him, but I knew the answer.
"Uhm…. yeah, I mean, he would have needed emergency care pretty damn quick since it take about ten minutes to bleed out like that. But to answer your question, yes, the kid could have lived," Aro rambled on mindlessly as he scribbled something on the paper.
"And this didn't tip you off that something was weird?" I tried to mock him, but the words felt weak as I thought about Edward dying needlessly in a deserted library beneath the night sky.
"Why is it that this has never been discussed?" he asked to no one with a far off look on his face before turning back to me. "Kid, I don't know who you are…"
"I'm not a kid," I spat at him, trying to cover my shock with a bravado that I could barely muster. It must have worked since Aro smiled wide and bright at me. "Don't look at me like that when you are maybe four or five years older than me."
"I'm twenty-six," he replied with a know-it all smirk. His age was about a meaningless as mine when it came to this crime.
"Big fucking deal," I shot back. "You couldn't put two and two together when it came to this, so I think you should dial down the superiority a bit."
Aro laughed loud and happily at me while shaking his head. I wasn't sure if his reaction was disbelief or amusement as he watched me.
"Okay," he chuckled while leaning back in his wooden chair. "You're right, but…"
"No buts," I replied as he continued to smile at me like the jack ass he clearly was.
"You really think the kid was murdered?" he asked me with a slight grin as if my theories amused him.
"You really think he wasn't?" I questioned as I tried to hide the trembling of my hand within my school bag as he sobered for a moment before turning back to me once more.
"It's pretty shitty if the entire town turned their back over it considered the kid once was a local star," he contemplated while I packed up my things. Shitty didn't cover it. It was horrifying to me that the town turned their back on Edward's murder.
"Weirder things have happened," I commented softly as I fought back the sick feeling in my stomach while listening to Aro's sigh of agreement.
"This is a pretty fucked up town," he commented as he moved so I could leave him behind.
"Hey, what's your name?" he asked me while watching me put my folders away.
"Does it matter?" I questioned even though I knew the truth. It didn't matter. My name was meaningless. The only thing that did matter was the truth in this whole mess since it would be that truth that would set Edward as well as his brother free.
"Bella Swan," I stated with a smile as I offered him my hand in an obligatory handshake.
"Pleasure to meet you, Bella, I'm Aro Volturi," he greeted me happily as he took hold of my hand in his.
It was after the exchange of cell numbers, just in case we needed to get in touch. I wasn't about to hold my breath that I would ever hear from him again. It didn't matter. I had set the wheels in motion for another to look into the past and Aro could do the rest.
I drove back home, hoping like hell that I would find Edward waiting for me as I walked into the house, but instead it was just Dad that greeted me.
"So the weirdo twins finally left?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder to where I stood in the hallway.
"Yes, they did, no thanks to you," I yelled as I hung up my backpack.
"What?" he called back as I rolled my eyes over the sound of disbelief in his voice.
"You know exactly what I mean you coward," I called to him as I entered the room to face him. Dad had the decency to give me a guilty look, but it was meaningless considering how he ran out on me.
"Some paternal instinct," I snorted as he sputtered out his lame reasoning for abandoning me. "Remind me never trust you again."
"Alice is your friend," he whined as I shook my head at him.
"Uh, no," I laughed sarcastically as I flopped myself down on the couch across from him. "Alice is a whiny bitch and her mother is nuts."
"Why were they here then?" he asked I rolled my eyes as if the answer was obvious.
"Did you not know that I am bound to die," I laughed as he choked on the sip of soda that he had taken as I explained my pending doom. "Oh, that and somehow we are going to be family so try to keep it in your pants when you're around Madame Cleo."
"Wait…" Dad managed to say as he sat up as if sitting straighter would change anything that I had told him. "What did you say?"
"I've been told what a man whore you are, so I'm sure this will be difficult, but the world doesn't need any genetic mutants that would come from the union of you and Tanya," I groused as he stared at me in what seemed to be shock.
"I'm not… I have no plans to… hold up a sec here, Bella," he sputtered nervously. "What do you mean that you're dying?"
"You got me. It's just what Tanya saw," I laughed as I grabbed the unopened can of soda on the coffee table across from me. "I think we should take it with a grain of salt considering that it was a free reading, so she's probably looking for money or something."
Dad stared at me for a moment with an uncertain look on his face that made me laugh at him.
"You don't believe," I laughed as he shook his head at me.
"Of course, I don't, but it doesn't mean that I like hearing that," he explained with a scowl that only added to my amusement.
"Fine," I mumbled as I stood up to change once more before Jess arrived.
"Where are you going?" Dad asked as I made my way out of the room.
"I gotta get changed," I explained as he watched me. "Jess will be here soon for homecoming dress shopping."
"Okay, but where were you before?" he asked me with a curious look on his face that made me shake my head over his reactions.
"The library researching Edward Cullen," I explained and then waited for his reaction. Dad did not fail me. As soon as I mentioned Edward's name the smile he had faded a bit and in its place was a worried look. "You know, for the school paper."
"Yeah, I got that," he rambled softly as he looked out the front window that was on the other side of me.
"It's kinda weird, you know?" I continued on pressing him as I stood there watching my dad's sad expression. "I mean, to me it's pretty clear that something happened, but it's like no one wants to do anything about it."
My words set him off as he turned to look at me with a harsh look that surprised me.
"You don't think that I have looked over what happened that night a million times?" he barked at me in anger. It was clear I had struck a nerve with my comment, I just wasn't expecting it. "He was my friend, Bella. I grew up with the guy. Birthday parties, crazy nights out, everything. He was the reason I went into law enforcement. He wasn't some faceless name on a memorial plaque, so don't act like I wouldn't do something if I could."
I looked at my father and was surprised to see how hurt he appeared over my subtle accusation. The pain of it seemed to age him making him look older than his forty five years of age.
"Listen," he began slowly, catching his breath as he calmed down, but it was too late. I had seen the crack in his armor when it came to Edward. I could see how badly his death hurt him and it was almost as heart breaking as the sick expression that Edward would wear when he spoke of dying.
Almost.
"I'm sorry that I left you with those two. I won't do it again, but next time let me know so I can try to be better for you," he explained without saying another word concerning Edward. I nodded my head, needing our conversation to end so the pain my chest would pass. I waited for a moment to make sure that Dad was done before making my escape to my room.
AN:
Thanks for reading!
Thanks to Sarah for reading this over : )
Sorry to Anne & Lou for posting before you had a chance to respond.
There will be another update this week so maybe Thursday or Friday? Teaser for ch 36 will be sent out in review replies and on Facebook with an extra teaser being posted in my group.
XOXO
Mamasutra