Chapter Thirty
The day I was to go off to Seattle University everything seemed to speed up. I was always from the small forest infested town I had come to know for the past two years and now I was adjusting myself to the city. I had Alice with me though, and she came out of the house wearing the same styled university shirt that I had worn all those weeks ago, Emmett had bought her one too it seemed, a going away present for his sisters—a reminder of us being able to experience college with each other, while one of us was still human.
We left on one of the rare days where it wasn't raining, the whole family went with us. Charlie was beaming brightly; his daughter was heading off to college and with her best friend too. Without thinking, I had gotten my crest and put it on, knowing that it looked odd with Jasper's locket, but I couldn't give a damn. I was showing my love for Jasper and for my true family. Whoever had anything to say about them could have a stick shoved up their…well you get the jest.
Alice was skipping along on the sidewalk, the sprawling campus behind us—above the treetops we could see the church in the middle of the university. I couldn't help but roll my eyes fondly, turning and finding that the family gathered around me were staring at us with pride in their eyes. Edward was watching Alice with the same amusement that I had, though he had more pride for his mate/wife than anyone else. Carlisle was staring at us with a blinding love in his eyes, along with Esme. Rosalie was peering around her, taking in the scenery, there was no expression that was on her face. Emmett had his arm hung around her waist, but he shot me a thumbs up. Jasper was staring at me with the uppermost love he had ever given me.
I blushed as Charlie brought out the camera, he had brought with him, making sure that he had taken numerous amount of photographs so that he could email them to Renee and Phil. Again, they did not come to one of the most important moments of my life, maybe they would have if they knew my mortal life was set to be changed into immortality next year.
"No more pictures, please. You know how I feel about them," I begged, earning sighs but no protests. They must have had over a dozen pictures of me, so they were content that they had gotten some.
"Alice and I need to check in and get our schedules and map." I turned towards Alice; she nodded her head. She had told me she had never gone here before, so it was as new to her as it was for me.
They followed us to a good distance before we went up and got our freshmen packet, the guy that was behind the table was staring at Alice as though she was an elf that had decided to come out of hiding in the woods and enter the human world. She merely giggled and took her packet, he didn't bash a second look at me—he wasn't really paying attention to me, I had merely stated my name and he gave it to me while he was staring at Alice. I took it eagerly since I was wearing my sunglasses and he would have noticed the scars but not my eye.
"Of course, we're roommates! This day is getting better and better!" Alice gushed as she moved forward. I trailed after her, with the rest of the family, all of us moving towards the dorm building that we were assigned to.
Students went past us, with their parents and movers following them like shadows. The hallways were crowded, as we went up to the third floor, the windows sending out cloudy light throughout the dorm building. Alice moved as though she had lived here instead of back home in Forks. She must have known the path that she would take for she held this assurance that was captivating. People moved out of the way as though she was a queen walking through her castle.
The room she and I shared wasn't the biggest room, but we couldn't complain. It was college after all. There were two beds that were built as though they were bunk beds. There were desks that were provided underneath them for us to use for our work. Alice looked through out, nodding her approval. Everyone was clustered throughout the room, taking in the room.
"Which side do you want to take, Bella?"
Alice turned towards me, expectance in her voice, and I didn't think when I blurted out, I would take the left side. Alice went over to where her mattress was, climbed up the ladder and sat down. It was obviously her making sure that this mattress would suit her. I went over to my bed and did the same thing; it wasn't the most comfortable mattress, but I didn't have any issues with it.
"Oh! Decorating time!" Alice sang as she nimbly went down the ladder as though she had gone up and down it a thousand times. I sighed and began to go down mine, only to slip and fall backwards. I managed to squeak as Jasper caught me. At least the floor was carpeted and not concrete like some dorms were.
"Why don't you get the light weight things?" Jasper gently asked me, I nodded my head. I wasn't strong enough to grab things in the moving trailer that Charlie had rented for us. It was on the smaller side; we knew the dorm wasn't going to be big and Alice needed to be reeled in when it came to her need to decorate every square and inch of a place.
By the time we had gotten everything set up there were fake plants that were on the windowsill and the curtains were rose gold. The covets were white, but the pillows showed off our own style. Alice's style was more glamorous while mine were nautical. I still missed the beach and so had some tropical pillows against my white pillows. Strings of faerie lights were strung across the walls, letting in a soft glow. A corkboard was up, there were photographs of the Cullens and Jasper on them. It was perfect for me and Alice.
Alice beamed at the sight before her and I smiled, while everyone else was taking stuff in. Charlie smiled over at me, though it was sad. I knew this was the hardest for him, his only child was hours away at college. Alice being my roommate was probably calm for him, he knew that I was with my best friend and considered her my sister.
As much as he wanted to stay here it was time for him to leave along with the others. Rosalie and Emmett were in the hallway, both observing the students that were walking throughout the hallways. There was an emotion that came across Rosalie's face though—I knew only Jasper was the one who could understand what his sister was feeling, what she was going through.
Carlisle and Esme gave me kisses on the forehead before they went out in the hallway also. Jasper lingered in the background but once Charlie was out of the room, with tears falling down his face, Jasper came forward and titled my head up, his fingers lightly brushing against my pale chin. He kissed me softly, as though he was a butterfly that landed on my face. "I love you, sweetheart. I know that you will be strong, just Skype me when you're missing me."
If it weren't for me and Jasper having those months away from each other I was certain it would be harder. Thankfully, he had gone to get training for his bloodlust and now we could be apart. I knew I would come back during Christmas and I was blessed, I never imagined I would spend Christmas with Charlie alone, and now with a second family. Of course, it was even more memorable due to them being vampires.
Eventually, we followed everyone out and waved goodbye to them as they got into their cars. Once they were finished and were driving off Alice turned towards me and spoke, "well now that's taken care of, let's pick out our outfits so that we can go to the welcome party the college has for the freshmen."
I groaned, "we just got here, Alice. I would like to get some sleep before classes tomorrow. Can't you go by yourself tonight?" I knew that it was something that she wouldn't agree with because she sighed and shook her head, "fine, only because I can't say no to you. Besides, I don't want to overwhelm you more than you need to be."
I hadn't realized until now that my heart had raced in my chest at the thought of the welcome party the school held. Being in a crowd of people in an enclosed room without Jasper there to lighten my emotions, I knew it would be a disaster in the making. I had been spoiled by his gift, but now I knew it would be a living nightmare if I pressed my sociality here at college. I couldn't push myself; I didn't want to have to take time off my freshman year because I had too many panic attacks.
I did help Alice though when she pulled out a numerous amount of outfits, allowing me to see which outfit I thought she should wear. The deep gold cashmere sweater and black and gold checkered skirt along with some black simple high heels seemed to be what I liked, and she agreed, before she placed them on the desk underneath the top bunk bed. She came over and climbed up my ladder steps before she sat down with her back to the dorm door and her face towards me.
"So why did you decide to come with me, anyway? We're in a city…" I hadn't asked her this before, but she gave me a small laugh as though she was amused with what I had asked her.
"I'm a vampire, Bells. I can run to the forest closest to Seattle, get me a snack, and then come back. It won't take that long at all," she assured me, I blushed and looked down at the covet. Way to make me feel stupid sometimes, I quietly chided myself for asking a question with such an obvious answer.
As though she sensed this she scooted forward and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me to her. "It's okay, Bella. You're not stupid or anything."
A few tears began to arrive and fall down my cheekbones, which in return made me begin to break down again. It would be a good while before I would be around the whole family again. It would be a good while before I would be in Charlie's presence, I didn't want to imagine what it would have been like if he would find out that I was going to become a vampire by the end of next year. He would have one last Christmas with me, this year, and then I would have to leave forever.
So yes, everything began to hit me all at once. I shook, uncontrollably, and gasped when I couldn't breathe that well. She rocked me back and forth and began to tell me everything was all right. I slowly found myself calming down and pulling away from her, knowing that I was a mess.
I didn't know how long it took for me to calm down completely, but by the time I did so I was tired and wanted to just pull my bedsheets over my head and lie down for the rest of the night. Another part of me wanted nothing more than to Skype Jasper and ask him to come, but I knew I had to be stronger. He had spent all those months away without me, I knew I needed to show that I was strong too—that just because I was the one moving away this time that didn't mean I needed to go back to Forks with tears falling down my eyes and shame flooding me.
Alice got up from her spot and went down the ladder of my bunkbed before she drifted over to where her clothes were. She began to put them back on their hangers only for me to speak, "no, Alice. If you want to go, then go. I'll be fine. I'll probably find some movies I packed and play a few."
She gave me a long, calculating look before she nodded her head. "Fine, but I won't be that long. Besides tomorrow is our first day and I need to make sure that you wake up at an appropriate time."
I had just started one of my favorite movies, when Alice waved goodbye and headed out of the dorm, shutting the door behind her and locking it. I sighed and leant my head against my pillows, peering up at my ceiling of the dorm. The lights that were strung throughout the room were the only things that kept me from feeling as though I was being buried alive in a small box.
A part of me was still ashamed. Right when I thought that things would be better for me, I ended up being reminded how reality was. I could only be in that daze with Jasper for so long. Now I was being struck with my disorder so quick that I didn't know how I was going to deal with tomorrow—it was a good thing that Alice was my roommate or else I would have probably stayed in my dorm so that I could avoid my first day of classes.
I paused the movie when I heard the familiar ringing on my laptop, allowing me to know that one of the Cullens was wanting to see how I was. I answered without any hesitance, noting that Jasper was on the other end of the screen. His eyes were bright, alive, shimmering with life. It was obvious that he had just gone and hunted and now was satisfied.
"Is Alice helping you prepare for tomorrow? Edward helped me the first time I had gone to college," Jasper spoke, his soft and gentle voice bringing nothing more than warmth. I chuckled in response, "Alice is helping, but first she's partying. She wanted to meet the other freshmen. I'm not comfortable about it, but I'm fine with her going out and all cause she doesn't need sleep."
"That sounds like my wife."
Edward's voice drifted and before long he appeared, his bronze hair still stunning from the lights that came from the ceiling (Edward wasn't starting school for a few days). Jasper was in the living room, lounging on the couch, and I knew he was probably just reading or half watching some show. Edward on the other hand smiled when he saw me, warmth radiating from him, brotherly concern lighting his features a second later.
"Do I hear my daughter?"
Esme's voice was the next I heard, in seconds she was standing behind Jasper too, beaming when she saw me. Though she paused a moment later, knowing that I had just had a crying session. The dark lighting on my side did nothing to deter them, they could see as though I had all the lights in the room on, so it was pointless.
"Hi, Mom. Where's Dad?"
I probed, my eyes scanning the background of the living room, wondering where the golden haired and eyed vampire doctor was. I noted that Emmett was outside, I could see somewhat, and he seemed as though he was chopping wood. Rosalie was next to him, putting the wood in piles. Both looked natural in that setting, they were preparing for me to come home for the Holidays so I could have enough heat from the fireplace without them having to cut some more.
"At work, as usual, sweetie—"
A knock on my dorm door made me turn my attention away from the screen, "hello? Room Advisor! Just wanted to check in and see if you're doing okay."
Sitting the laptop down, I moved and went down the ladder, taking my time in making sure I wouldn't fall on my butt. Thankfully, there was a cute, designed rug that was in the middle of the room.
I opened the door, where a tall and stylish black girl was. Her dreadlocks were a variety of colors, all a different shade of a color than just the traditional color. She wore a plain hoodie with a pair of sweats and some tennis shoes since she wasn't going anywhere outside. A pair of clunky glasses finished off the look, reflecting the string lights in the dorm.
My eyes immediately focused on the wall behind her, knowing that looking at her in the face longer would have me almost running for the hills in nerves. "Hi, I'm Bella. My roommate is at the freshman party."
"Well I just wanted to introduce myself, I'm Shanna," she informed me, before we parted from each other. I shut my dorm door behind me, taking a deep breath before I went over to the ladder and went up it, crawling back to my spot that I had inhabited not that long ago.
"Sorry about that," I apologized before I focused my attention on my vampire family again. The back door of the living room opened, revealing Rosalie and Emmett. They took off their coats and their toboggans. Emmett turned his attention towards the laptop before he noticed me, waving brightly at me.
"It's okay, don't worry about it," Esme assured me, before my eyes went down to where the clock was on the bottom of the laptop screen. My eyes widened as I saw that it was later than I thought it was. It was nearing a half past ten. I needed to sleep before I would end up dragging myself out of bed.
"I need to get something to eat before bed," I confessed, before they noted what time it was too.
Saying goodbye to them, I got out of my bed and went out of the dorm and down the stairs and to the hallway of the first floor to the dorm kitchen and lounge area. There weren't many people that were hanging out, so I didn't have to worry about having many eyes on me. It was easy for me to head towards where the ramen noodles were.
Pulling a cup out, I began to put water into the container and then place the cup into the microwave. As it started, I almost jumped when someone came up to me to grab something to drink from the soda machine not that far from me. It didn't help that it was to my right side, so I didn't have any idea who it was.
"That's a cool necklace," someone commented, making me turn my attention towards the person that was next to me. A guy was leant up against the counter with his soda can clasped in his hands. It looked to be Dr. Pepper. He wasn't anything special, he was on the average spectrum of looks.
My fingers went up and brushed against my crest that was still hanging around my neck. I completely had forgotten that I was still wearing it. Something about moving to the city made me weary, and I had to make sure I was wearing the crest in case there were any rogue vampires remaining in Seattle. Last I heard, the vampires that were roaming the city had decided to move to another city, Alice hadn't seen any vampires here anymore when I was in Volterra with Jasper and Carlisle.
He stiffened when he saw my scars and my milky eye, studying me before he chuckled awkwardly and walked away. I sighed and turned my attention towards the ramen cup when the microwave beeped. Grabbing a rag, I pulled out the cup gently, making sure that I wouldn't burn my hands due to the heat.
Putting the cup into a bowl, I went over to where one of the tables that were off to the side were. I sighed and sat the bowl down onto the table before I heard the doors that led into the room open. Alice came through with a few students flocking after her, she seemed to have bewitched the school already.
I couldn't help but laugh a little to myself, Alice just had that power. I knew she would have still had gotten a lot of attention anyway if she were still human because she just held this confidence in her. She came gliding towards me, sitting down at the end of the table with content washing through those golden orbs of hers.
"So how was the party?" I probed as I waited for the noodles to cool down some more, well that and I wasn't really in the mood to eat the noodles. I stirred them around with the plastic fork that I was holding.
She shrugged, "they aren't as great as they were in the mid-twentieth century, but I can't complain. You should have seen how amazing the parties were," Alice sighed, as she thought back on the last century. I took a bite of my noodles, this time sighing because it was the last thing I wanted to eat.
She glanced down at the meal that I was eating before she whispered, "I can go and get some groceries for us in the middle of the night sometime this week. I know that you can't live off just ramen noodles."
Smiling softly at her, I knew Alice would go ahead and get some groceries for me in the middle of the night. There was nothing else that she would do, she'd probably spend her night doing random things after she would study. We weren't really knowing what we were going to major in, mainly because I was just getting my associates degree and then I would become a vampire.
Alice on the other hand, I didn't know if she would continue college or leave with me. She had a few degrees lying somewhere, along with Edward, but the one person that had a multitude of degrees was obviously Carlisle. Apparently one of his walls in his office was covered with his degrees. I hadn't gone in the office before, nor was I interested in doing so, that was his space.
"Go ahead if you want to. You might as well buy the whole dorm food," I remarked, earning a nod from her. She was the richest girl at school right now, I wouldn't be surprised if she would donate some money for the school after we would graduate with our associates. She'd probably do it with an anonymous name, but she would still do it, nonetheless.
She stayed with me while I finished off my ramen noodles. Some of the freshmen were still chilling in the lounge area. A few of them were watching some random Adult Swim show that I wasn't interested in, while others were reading. These were apparently the insomniacs or ones who just didn't care about tomorrow being the first official day of college classes.
Getting ready for bed, I took a deep breath, knowing that I needed to not put my toe into the waters of this new stage of my life. I needed to plunge in and focus entirely on making sure that I would make the most of the time I had left before I would become a vampire.
author's note: I only have four more chapters to write and then I am finished with this fanfiction. I can't believe it's taken me almost two years to get here. Can you believe that? Of course disclaimer, Twilight doesn't belong to me.
-Emmy
