Chapter 36: Gone with the wind

Death ends a life, not a relationship.―Mitch Albom~

I didn't expect Jane's birthday party to be Hello Kitty themed, but I didn't expect it to be so wild either. As I stepped inside Jane's scantily lit crowded house, a cold feeling washed over me.

"Is it too late for us to go back? You can give the gift to her at school." Edward suggested, nervously tugging at his shirt collar.

He looked pale and uncomfortable in the dim red light bouncing all over the room. Bodies danced and swirled around crazily, while people splashed beer and God knows what else on others without a care in the world.

Where were our parents when we needed them? I wasn't exactly in the mood to let loose and go crazy.

"Let's just find her and give it to her. Then we can leave." I muttered as Edward pulled me through the crowd.

A redheaded girl stopped us when we were passing the packed kitchen. I had seen her couple of times at school but I had never spoken to her.

"Yo, Edward! Wait up!" she shouted over the music.

Edward frowned when he caught sight of her. Who is she? I mouthed to him. He shook his head and pressed his lips together in a thin line. That girl reached us and smiled tipsily, evidently drunk as hell.

"Have you been avoiding me?" she slurred. "We do have a project to finish, ya know."

My confusion turned into realization and I relaxed just a little. A few days back, Edward had told me that he was grouped with a girl for a Science project. He was constantly either with me or his family and so he had yet to find the time to finish it.

Edward cracked a smile. "I'll meet you at the study hall tomorrow, Claire."

Claire pouted and her light eyes darted to me. She didn't seem to like me, as her smile turned into a scowl and she flounced away.

"What is her problem?" I wrinkled my nose. "Does she just hate me or all the girls in general?"

He chuckled tightly and continued walking. When someone tried to grab me for a dance, Edward's face darkened and he quickly led me out to the backyard. His tightened his grip on my hand.

We found a swing outside and Edward pulled me into his lap. I nestled my cheek into his chest and sighed.

"She's suicidal," he whispered softly into my ear.

"What? How do you know?" I twisted around in his arms and he pushed back the loose strands from my face.

"It's not hard to know. I had a feeling and she also kept on talking about death and stuff like that when we were doing our project." He sighed, dissatisfied.

"Wow, talk about depressing." I stroked his warm cheek. "Did you talk to her about it?"

"I tried to. I thought it wouldn't work but turns out she was waiting to talk about it to someone the whole time. She didn't have a good upbringing and she is feeling the aftermath now. I should have never asked about it. She got the wrong idea and assumed I had...feelings for her. Now, everything is a disaster." His shoulders fell.

"Is that why she looked at me like she was going to kill me? Oh! Wait, does she think you're going to tell someone about her? That's not true. You've got to tell her that." I cooed, hoping he would be soothed.

We were quiet for a while, listening to the loud sound of the partygoers inside the house.

It was ironic, that Claire wanted to take her life while the Undead were fighting hard to keep their lives. It was kind of sad, even though they were doing bad things to stay alive.

To distract myself, I wondered whether my friends had made it yet. I looked around, hoping to catch Jane's blond head but there were just a few seniors and people I didn't know.

"Did I tell you how insanely beautiful you look?" Edward asked unexpectedly. His tone had lost the darkness from the previous topic and it was light now.

"Only about a hundred times," I laughed and leaned back on his chest.

I smoothed down my short flowing turquoise dress just as Edward ran a hand to run through my sleek ponytail.

"You look like something out of a fairy tale," he admitted with a cheeky grin. "How about the modern version of Cinderella?"

"Well, that makes you the old version of Prince Charming." I giggled at his faltering cocky expression.

His long fingers ran over the exposed skin of my lap and a shiver erupted through me. Suddenly, he froze.

"When are you going to wear your ring?" he asked quietly.

I sat up straighter. "Edward, we talked about this. If people find out about our engagement―"

"Your dad would shoot me, then bring me back to life and then shoot me again. Yeah, I know." He snorted, showing his rare side of arrogance.

"It's the truth," I insisted firmly. "Let's wait till I graduate. Then we can do whatever you want."

He sighed and kissed my eyelids. "Why didn't I meet you during my time? It would have been so much better, less complicated. Your father would have been more than happy to marry you off with me."

"That isn't sexist or anything." I muttered drily.

"What I'm saying is," he rolled his gorgeous green eyes, "everything was easy back then."

Just then, a flash of gold caught the corner of my eye. Instantly, I jumped to my feet and adjusted my dress.

"I think I saw Jane. Stay here, will you? I'll talk to her and come back." I said.

"Let me come with you." He rubbed his face tiredly and stood up.

"No, no. I'm fine."

Edward frowned a little, obviously concerned but nodded after a beat. He settled back into the swing and proceeded to watch everyone around him. I blew him an air kiss and quickly followed the path I had seen her go in.

At the far end, a lonely room gleamed in the moonlight. No one milled around and it was eerily silent.

The door of the guest room was slightly open, leaving a ray of light outside. As I neared it, voices reached my ears. Hesitating a little, I gave the door a small nudge and it gave away slowly.

Jane wasn't alone. Two boys surrounded her, tall and intimidating next to her small form.

"Jane?" I called, confused as to what she was doing here alone with them.

They turned to look at me and I automatically took a step back with a loud gasp. The unknown boys were none other than James and Jacob. Oh, good Lord.

"Isabella, what a lovely surprise!" James said in astonishment, his blond hair flopping onto his forehead.

"Yes, a lovely surprise indeed." Jacob leered at me .

"Bella, come meet James and Jacob." Jane giggled, flushed. She was totally wasted.

My heart started pounding loudly in my chest and my palms started to sweat. Shit, I should have come here with Edward.

"Oh," I giggled nervously. "Your names are awfully alliterative, don't you think?"

They both guffawed while Jane frowned, not understanding my joke. I didn't expect her to anyway, with the amount of alcohol in her blood stream.

"So, I'm just going to take Jane and get out of your hair." I said, pulling Jane with me.

"With all due respect, Isabella, we can't let you do that. We need her." James disagreed, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed and ran for the door, tugging Jane behind me.

Jacob blocked the way and shut the door with a loud bang.

"You both are not going anywhere." James snarled, a little too threatening for my liking.

"Come on, James, let's be nice. Edward is just nearby." I forced a smile. "He can hear me if I scream."

The atmosphere was cold and tense and goose bumps broke out on my skin. James's eyes tightened and his hands balled into fists. I was so dead.

"If you scream." James put in calmly.

With a deadly speed, he crossed the room and caught me on the shoulder. Jacob threw Jane on the bed and rummaged in his coat pocket for something.

"Let her go! Don't touch her, you dead freak!" I struggled against James's hard arms.

Every muscle in my body froze when Jacob pulled a huge decorated knife―the kind that you see on scary movies―and rubbed it on the bedspread, like he was making sure it was clean or something.

I managed to shriek very loudly once before James's palm closed over my mouth. Jacob took Jane's arm and started making a cut on the wrist. I tried to scream but my voice was muffled. Tears started to run down my cheeks.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a heavy force and James threw me to the side. Edward appeared inside with a furious expression on his pale handsome face. When he saw me, crying and held captive by James, he turned murderous and punched James on the face.

Blood spilled all over from James's nose but he didn't get the clue. While he and Edward got into a fistfight, I ran towards Jane. I prayed Edward would be okay dealing with James.

Jane groaned. "What is happening here?"

"Jacob, let her go. Please, don't do it." I pleaded with him. I looked around, hoping to find something that I could use as a weapon.

"I have to," Jacob sighed, irritated at the fight that was going on. "Jane's blood is important."

I froze and I started breathing at a rapid rate when I finally understood. It was all my fault. All of this was my fault. I remembered mentioning to Edward that Jane was a virgin at the store this morning when someone had been near me.

That someone was Jacob and he had heard me. That was why James and Jacob were after her. They were after her virgin blood.

"She's innocent. How could you do this to her?" I wiped the flowing tears.

"Because I want to live! That's why. We're already starting to die, Isabella. There's no time left for us. Three men from our group have already died." He looked tormented.

My eyes widened at this new piece of information.

I started this and so it was my responsibility to end it too. Without thinking about the consequences of my action, I pulled free a night lamp from nearby and slammed it on Jacob's head. Glass shattered all over.

He yelped startled and fell down, unconscious. At the same time, two other persons burst in through the door.

"Bella, are you alright?" Randall asked urgently as he pulled me into the safety of his arms.

I was shaking all over but I managed to nod slightly. Edward yelped in pain and I tried to turn my head to see him but Randall caught my face in his hand.

"Edward and Carlisle are taking care of James. Trust me, you don't want to look." He let out a breath, staring down at Jacob's still form.

"Is he dead?" I choked out.

"I don't think so. But we are very delicate in nature." He replied.

He held me for some more time, while groans filled the room. It stopped suddenly and silence followed. There was a heavy thump and the door shut softly.

"Bella," Edward rasped when he reached me.

"Oh, Edward!" I leaped into his arms and sobbed into his chest.

"It's okay, you're alright now." He hugged me tightly. "Thank you, Randall."

"Anything for you, mate." Randall said and I felt him leaving the room.

"You're hurt, love." He tenderly caressed my hurt arm. A piece of glass was stuck on the inside of my wrist but I was too numb to notice it.

"What did you...did you...do to James?" I shivered uncomfortably.

"You don't need to worry about the details but the good news is he's gone." Edward touched my cheek and kissed my forehead affectionately.

"You're bleeding." I traced the cut on his cheek.

"Come on, let's go home. I'll do the stitches." Carlisle said, dusting his white―expensive―shirt.

"Carlisle, wait, I have to tell you something." I said. I told them about what Jacob had told me about his people dying.

"It has started." Edward whispered, his shoulders falling in defeat.

Suddenly, Carlisle's cell phone rang. Edward tensed next to me, as if he knew something was up.

"Hold that thought." Carlisle pressed the phone to his ear. "Yes? What?...Rosalie, you're not making any sense. No...yes...but? Wait! Okay, let me give the phone to her."

"Here, Bella, Rosalie wants to talk to you." Carlisle gave the phone, looking extremely distressed.

I took the phone from him, curiously. "Hello?"

"Bella, it's Rosalie." Her voice cracked.

"Rose, is everything okay?" I shot Edward a glance.

"I didn't know it would happen so soon," she sobbed. "He was so normal. We were having a very good time...I can't believe it...It is so soon."

"Is it about Emmett? Is he okay?" My heart started pounding loudly. Something was wrong. I had never heard Rosalie sound so heartbroken.

"E-Emmett's...d-d-dead, Bella. He passed away!"

Hey guys,

As one can see, the story is about to end. I want to keep continuing but someone has reviewed, saying that this story is dragging on. I don't know how many of you feel this way, so I'm going to end it.

BEJL