Chapter 37
I must have noticed it out of the corner of my eye, because I had no reason to look to my side at that moment, but once I did my own eyes widened and I glanced around nervously. Alice was in a vision, in the middle of History class.
"What is it, run away day?" Alice muttered under her breath as she came out of it and I could see her fist clenched at something she'd seen.
"I won't." I hadn't made any decision to run now, so I had no idea why she was seeing that.
Alice gave me a tight smile, before looking at the teacher again, like we were supposed to be doing. "Not you, Edward is thinking about running to Alaska." I almost turned to stare at her with that. "Apparently while we were talking he met his singer, from what I can see."
"Is that a problem?" I asked even more quietly, which wasn't necessary because already human's wouldn't be able to hear us.
Her hand rested on my thigh for just a moment. "You have no idea how grateful I am that you aren't human anymore. It could have been a big problem. He is still debating about going to her house and killing her."
"What?!" My eyes widened in shock and my voice, sadly rose. I blushed as every eye turned to me, but still I felt myself reeling in shock to think one of MY vampires was thinking about killing someone. What the hell would I do if he did that? I'm still a wolf, I'm still supposed to protect humans, but he's one of MY vampires.
"Diana? Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" The teacher spoke and I struggled to remember what he'd been talking about so I could claim a question. I had no idea what had gone on in class for the last twenty minutes though, I'd been distracted.
"You're getting too quiet. I'm having trouble hearing you back here." I muttered and was relieved when that earned me an odd look, but he just spoke up and continued with his lecture.
I had to stare at him and pay perfect attention for a while, before I felt I could risk a glance to my side. Alice didn't look nearly worried enough for the stuff that had come out of her mouth. I was trying to decide if I should run out of class and hunt Edward down to stop him, and she was busy pretending to follow along in our book.
"He's decided on Alaska." Alice told me and I let out a breath in relief. "There is going to be a family meeting tonight, see if you can get off work early. We have to wait for Carlisle anyhow, but I don't think they'll want to wait much longer than that." I nodded, and started to plan.
As soon as the bell went off Alice left, and I would have felt abandoned if I hadn't seen the worry on her face. I wished I didn't have to work at all, but I grabbed my bag and hurried out myself.
Three hours later I was stepping out of the woods and onto Cullen property. I glanced around, and sniffed, trying to determine what I was walking into, as I made my way to the steps. I noticed Edward's scent was missing, so he hadn't been this way recently. I took a deep breath before getting to the door, but then I had a dilemma. I lived here, kind of. Did I knock or let myself in? I don't think we'd talked about that, and I stood there a moment trying to decide.
The door opened suddenly and I noticed the blonde hair a moment before I heard her speak. "Did we need to put in a doggy door, or will you just scratch up the front door to be let in?" I let out a breath, as I found Rosalie and I were alone in the entry way. "Just walk in, if you have to come in." Rosalie muttered, opening the door wider for me to get in. Her last words were softer, and I was going to thank her quietly, but she was already closing the door and walking away. I followed her into the living room, where all but Edward sat.
I wondered if it meant you were really a member of the 'family' if no one bothered more than a slight nod when you walked into the house, because they just acknowledged me and then focused on Carlisle again. I looked around and then resorted to sitting on Edward's piano bench, facing the others.
"So it looks like we wait." Carlisle sounded like he was finishing up, so I knew he'd come home early too, making my arrival too late for whatever happened at these meetings. I watched him glance at Alice. "You're sure he'll be okay?"
"He hasn't made any decision on when to come home, and occasionally he's thinking about visiting her house, but he isn't acting on it." Alice told us quietly and I felt my body tense a little. I did what I could to relax, but I still didn't like this.
"You had some weird 'feeling' about the girl." Rosalie turned eyes to me and I watched her eyes narrow. "Didn't you? That's why you came to school late, and skipped lunch. Why?"
I grimaced as all other eyes turned to me. "I'm guessing I was late so no one would see me trying not to shift while staring at my cousin's truck." I felt my body shake again at that remembered pain. I looked away from golden eyes to stare at the wall. "As for lunch, I don't know." My hand rubbed at my eyes a little too harshly as I let out a deep breath. "I'm fate's bitch, not the other way around. I don't know why I do what I do all the time. It doesn't always make sense right away. Maybe in a month or two I'll know why I couldn't eat with you all today, or maybe I'll never know." I removed my fingers from my eyes and looked around at my vampires, and I didn't like the disappointment in their eyes because I had no answers.
"Okay, so we'll just wait and see if Diana or Alice get anymore feelings or visions." Carlisle spoke softly and a few of them got up to wander off, but I stayed sitting.
Alice's shoes came into my field of vision and I felt her hand brush through my hair. "Diana?"
"They want me to use my powers." I whispered, and looked up into her eyes. Was I taken in for my powers? What if they realized I couldn't use them on command like Alice, would that make me seem worthless, weak?
Her voice softened. "I'll take care of the visions and you just let your power come to you when it wants to." Alice kissed my forehead and pulled back. I blushed as I noticed Esme standing in the kitchen doorway watching us quietly. "We didn't take you in to be our guard dog, puppy. Sometimes it's not about what you can do, but who you are." Alice spoke a bit more, and my embarrassment grew at Esme's nod of agreement.
"Dinner is ready." Esme spoke softly. I got up and started walking toward her and the kitchen, but she stopped me from moving past her with a gentle hand on my shoulder. "You did use your power to save Rosalie. I'm sure if there were any real danger, you'd sense it. If you sense nothing, then I feel reassured. Sometimes no news is good news. We're not used to your power, but I'm sure if Carlisle had been thinking about it he would have realized that."
I nodded my thanks, and took her hug. It wasn't until I left her behind to eat my dinner in the kitchen that I realized I hadn't noticed her scent at all. A small smile crossed my lips at that one moment, but now I could smell Esme on me. It wasn't bad really, just Esme.
The evening was a little tense and I left for my own place a little earlier than normal to get away from it. I didn't really think it was Jasper's empathy making it like that, but there is a point when anyone can feel the emotions of a place and the uncertainty was uncomfortable. I did notice Jasper left too. All I could figure was that this was very unusual, Edward's running off or the reason he did it.
It felt strange as I sat on the couch in my own space and watched the television. I hadn't been able to do that in so long I found it hard to understand why I'd want to now. Eventually I gave up and turned it off and grabbed a book to read.
"Oh that's so cute." I barely registered the voice, only acknowledging it with a groan as I shifted a little. I felt cool fingers touch my hand and something was pulled from me. "But you can't sleep here. I hear it is bad for your back." I opened my eyes to see Alice softly smiling at me.
"What time?" I groaned at the thought of getting ready for school.
"A little after one." Alice spoke and I glanced at the window to verify she meant in the morning. It was dark out. "Come on furball, you have that bed, no need to sleep on the couch." I was tugged to my feet and Alice moved ahead of me to pull my blankets down on the bed. I was surprised that she seemed to be waiting for something as I stood there for a moment, before she sighed and with a smile turned away. "Come on, get those pajamas I bought you on and get in bed."
I was tucked in by my vampire and I sighed with contentment when she moved to lay on top of the covers on the bed beside me. I was so tired I didn't question her, I just enjoyed it and fell back to sleep. Her scent so close to me was soothing.
The next morning I thought about the cars and a 'no' feeling hit me again. I just sighed and looked up at Alice from my breakfast. "Can't come with you."
"Well, fine, then we don't all have to smell like dog all day." Rosalie muttered as she stepped into the room and I glanced at her. "Gonna have to get you a car at this rate." Rosalie spoke a little louder, and actually looked at me.
"I don't need that." I could walk. They'd given so much already, and I knew that they'd object to a merely okay car, but if I had an expensive car I might have to deal with cops pulling me over on every trip to make sure it wasn't stolen. It would also make me the center of attention, and I couldn't afford that. They couldn't either, but they couldn't give up their fancy cars to blend in. It was a family wide addiction really.
"What don't you have a license? I mean a drivers license, not a dog license." Rosalie smirked and I blushed.
"I can drive, just don't need to." I took a step away the kitchen counter with my plate to rinse it off. After Rosalie left I whispered to Alice. "She wants to buy me a car?" Rosalie was the one to buy me my fancy phone. Why was she throwing money at me? I wasn't imprinted on her.
Alice smiled at me and moved closer, her voice even quieter than mine had been. "Maybe your rushing through Port Angeles to save her made a good impression on her. It could happen."
Rosalie's voice entered the room, even when she stayed in the living room. "Or she could just like the idea of not getting dog hair in her own car." I turned to stare at the doorway, blushing at having been caught talking about her behind her back.
"I'm gonna head off. I have to visit the office too, and I'm sure that'll be a treat." I couldn't imagine that they would just take my note and leave it at that. I'd have to go into my story, yet again, to explain why I had no parent to do this. I wish they'd just remember and send out a memo.
"If you have too much trouble, call me." Esme's voice reached us from somewhere upstairs and I sighed at yet more proof there was no privacy in this house. I smiled anyhow, at the motherly concern.
"It doesn't hurt. She was turned older than most of us." Alice muttered quietly. "We've all had to call her in to deal with the schools at one point or another. They prefer dealing with 'adults'."
"Well, legally, I am." I left after that, thinking about how I'd been rather responsible about reporting the truth, as much of it as I could. It would have been easier to lie, but I didn't. I wrote that seeing that truck upset me. I felt weird about admitting it, but it wasn't supernatural, so I went with it.