Chapter 8 - Run, bitch!

When I pulled into the parking lot of the high school the next day, my eyes were immediately drawn to Edward's silver Volvo. My heart dropped and my stomach turned over. Oh no, he knows, I thought and took a parking space as far away as I could. From afar, I spotted his coppery hair and I was sure he must have heard the worst of the rumours by now.

What had made me seriously think yesterday that by creating a distraction, Edward would forget about my suspicious behaviour? It had just seemed so logical to me that if I spread the rumour of Edward being insane that Edward himself would believe that I thought he was just insane.

I knew that the vampire society had strict rules about who was allowed to know about them and who was not. I definitely belonged into the group that was not allowed to know. So, hypothetically, if the Cullens were to find out that I knew of their true being, weren't they obliged to either kill me or turn me into one of them? Were my worries of getting killed by Edward in my sleep unfounded? Trying to get them to believe that I was same old Lauren was the only way I could survive this.

Maybe I should turn around. I should probably turn around. I wanted to live, didn't I? My right hand, which has been resting on the gearshift, was ready to shift into reverse. Someone knocked on my window. I jumped at least three feet into the air, totally afraid that it was Edward, ready to finally kill me. Clenching my teeth, I turned around.

Alice was leaning against my car, looking elegant as ever. It was raining lightly, and a few stray water droplets had found their way into her hair, and some were running down her face. It was mesmerizing how intoxicating these damn vampires were.

I was betting on the left raindrop by the way.

Reluctantly, I let the window down but kept my hand on the gearshift. Just in case.

"Hey Alice, how is it going? Saving many lives these days?" I laughed a little embarrassed and forced a sheepish smile to my lips. What does she want from me?

"Hi Lauren. I just wanted to let you know that I approve," Alice answered and smiled brilliantly. Where are my sunglasses? Why is she so damn perfect? This isn't fair, I want skin as flawless as hers.

Wait a moment, did she just say that she approved? A thousand thoughts were racing through my mind, trying to figure out what exactly she meant.

"Approve? Of what?" I was conscious of the fact that my voice was at least an octave too high. Did she figure it out? "Oh, you mean the thing between Carlisle and me. Yeah, please don't tell your siblings. We are not ready to go public yet," I countered and cursed my rash mouth already.

Why, why in the heavens and the seven seas did I just say that? What possibly could have moved me to blur that, that out? I should move to Canada.

Alice's smile wavered and dimmed. I ruined it, again. And Alice was the cute one of the sisters. Now, I didn't have any chances left. Not that I could have landed with a vampire in any universe, but I could have at least tried.

"Lauren, please shut up and never say anything so outrageous again or I will pull every single one of your teeth out, by hand. We don't want that, do we?" She smiled sweetly and her sunny aura was gone. Left behind was something that made all my sensors go off and scream danger in my head.

I swallowed and nodded weakly, feeling paralyzed. As quick as it began, it stopped. Suddenly, all the fear that was holding me in place was gone again and Alice returned to her bubbly self.

"Edward is an ass, that is all I wanted to say," she added and turned around.

Normally, I would have looked out of the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of her butt but I was too shocked for that. What just happened? Did she see something in the future that I didn't know about?

Once I stepped into the school, I leeched myself onto Jessica. With an iron grip I held onto her arm and vowed myself to never let go. The Cullens couldn't kill me with a witness around. At least I hoped they couldn't.

Moving between classes, I had to look over my shoulder. Whenever I saw unnatural white skin, my heart skipped a beat. Whenever I saw bronze coloured hair, I started praying. Maybe I should start planning my move to Canada.

"What is up with you today? You are so jumpy," Jessica said while she tried to pry my hand off her arm.

I jumped at her suddenly loud voice next to me. I turned around and looked into her brown eyes which looked at me suspiciously. Her brows were knitted together, and her lips formed a thin line. She was not a happy camper. Definitely not a happy high schooler.

"Oh, geez Jessica. You scared me. How long have you been standing there?" I questioned her, biting my lip and throwing a quick glance over my shoulder. Had Edward closed in on me since the last time I checked?

"Eh, since you threw yourself at me this morning?" She answered and tried again to shake my hand off, but I held on as if my life depended on it. Which it perhaps did.

"You need to help me, please. I think Edward is going to kill me," I whispered harshly and tried to put as much urgency into my voice as possible.

"Because of the rumour you spread about him being a schizo?" She asked, her voice raised and blasting through the hallway. The students close to us turned around and seized us with their eyes.

"Are you fucking crazy, shh!" I shushed her and pulled her closer. "I am serious," I whispered again, this time closer to her ear trying to avoid eavesdroppers.

"Ew, I think you spit into my ear," Jessica complained, rubbing it with her other hand. Now it was my turn to shake her.

"Are you not listening to me? We need to leave and hide so he won't find us," I urged her again, but she just shrugged her shoulders.

"Who again?" she asked me seriously. Was she not listening? Our lives could be at stake, and she was not paying attention?

"God damn Jessica, Edward of course," I cursed and pulled her through the hallway and the mass of students, always looking left and right and behind me.

"You mean this Edward?" she asked and nudged me. I looked up, and directly into the stoic face of the century old vampire.

While Edward's face didn't betray any emotion, his eyes did. An ice-cold fire of fury burned within them, and an aura of danger seemed to precede him. Why, again, hadn't I looked up and had reserved my paranoia for behind my back?

I needed to get away, I was too young to die. Oh no, my thoughts. I looked around without any orientation, looking for something familiar. Something that could save me. Something unexpected.

"Tyler," I screamed and ditched Jessica. I threw myself onto the tall and slim teenager, only slightly disgusted by myself. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Tyler, honey, let's go somewhere more private," I said and locked my arms around his torso.

Tyler, on the other hand, was delightfully surprised. His eyes widened, then narrowed and he licked his lips. His arms came up and embraced me. I definitely needed to shower.

"I know a closet not far from here," Tyler said hoarsely and started to pull me in the other direction and away from Edward. My feet barely could keep pace with a horny Tyler.

"Anything you want," I whispered in return, trying to seem genuine if only to fool Edward. To confuse him further, I imagined the closet Tyler had pulled me into last time in my mind. Now, there shouldn't be any doubt left for him.

I sighed in relief. Although I had Tyler to worry about now, I had successfully evaded Edward. I grinned, feeling suddenly very content with myself.

"Not so fast," a silky voice commanded. Edward had somehow cut us off as he was now standing in front of us. His tall stature was towering over us.

I backed away, taking Tyler with me undeliberately as we were still joined at the hip. I glanced behind us and was greeted by a shark-like grin from Emmett, showing teeth and an emotionless Jasper. I swirled around again, looking at Edward's smug visage. Shit, they had surrounded us. How could I have been so careless?

"Hi Edward, you, here? What a coincidence. But I really need to get going now," the excuse that I left my stove on wouldn't probably work twice, so I said "Tyler here and I have something planned and you are not invited. Sorry, hon," I explained, smiled and wanted to weasel past him.

Edward's hand grasps my shoulder, grabbing on painfully. His eyes were darker than ash. I flinched away, letting go of Tyler and stumbled backwards against a cold hard chest. I was a little afraid to look backwards but I forced myself to.

I looked into the smiling face of Jasper, who seemed somewhat friendly.

"Hi Jasper, how is it going?" I asked, somewhat frightened. I knew that my face was probably pulled in some kind of anxious grimace. I couldn't help it.

"Hello there Lauren. I am good but I don't think you will be if you continue to run," he advised me and smiled cutely, showing a little too much teeth. He gave me a little friendly shove and suddenly, I was within Edwards grasps again.

All my attention was focused on him once again. For the first time since, well now that I thought about it, since Emmett almost ate me not that long ago, I was truly afraid. Afraid for my life. They couldn't kill me in a high school hallway, could they? Could they?

"You better come with us," Edward commanded. What an utter asshole. Asshole, asshole, arrogant asshole, I chanted in my head and smiled sweetly back. Edward bared his teeth.

The first rule of being kidnapped is not to let yourself get dragged to another location. It was over then, niente, nada, dead Lauren. I was ready to fight.

"What are you doing to my girl?" Tyler chimed in, puffing his chest and making him look taller. This was his alpha ape moment. I was even a little impressed, he must feel the danger seeping off those three kidnappers.

"I am nobody's girl," I protested. Tyler was an arrogant asshole too, maybe he and Edward could become besties.

"Tyler, don't get involved. You are better off if you leave now," Emmett said in a serious tone. He sounded rather intimidating.

"No Tyler, baby, don't go," I said almost instantly and couldn't keep the desperation out of my voice. He couldn't leave me, couldn't leave me alone with these crazy men who will, did I have to mention it again, probably kill me.

Tyler pushed me behind his back, I fisted his T-Shirt and buried my head into his back. I would not look up; I would not look any of them in the eye again. The noise surrounding us suddenly seemed to increase and there was a commotion.

"This is your last chance!" Edward insistent, his voice dangerously low. "You are making a big mistake here. Next time I see you, you will regret it."

"You better go now before I decide to tell the principal about this, it wouldn't look good for you," I threatened from behind Tyler's back as if it held any meaning. That will show them.

"Edward, dude, you are overreacting. I agreed to scaring her a little but this? I think this is going too far. Look, she is shaking." I recognized Emmett's deep voice and Edward's angry hissing after the words. That was so rich coming from a guy who had tried to eat me just days earlier over a few scraps. And I was also not shaking, just for the record.

It was a teacher that saved me in the end, and not my threat, but I liked to imagine otherwise. The Cullens could piss off and die. Oh wait, they were already dead.

That was the last I heard of the Cullens for the rest of the week, luckily. I seriously wondered if Edward would kill me in the cafeteria while I was eating a slice of pizza. It was something I wouldn't put past him. At night, I was afraid to sleep and had to put the blanket over my head to get even a little rest. Luckily, there was a party today and I could drink my sorrows away.

I was considering lying to Jessica, saying that I changed my mind about the party, but only for the sole reason to be mean. Jessica just had that charming talent that whenever she talked to me, it just made me want to punch her in the face. And after she left me hanging in the hallway the other day, she deserved it. But apparently, I had to come because I brought the key-ingredient to every party, alcohol. And to be honest, didn't I deserve a drink, or two or three or eight? I definitely did after surviving in Lauren's body for so long. Or for surviving at all.

And hey, it wouldn't be my liver I destroyed tonight.

And bonus points, I got a chance to see the hot half-naked guys of La Push, who could say no to that? They could lighten my mood. Oh, and I could punch that asshole who left me injured in the forest in the face. And then running away when that bloodsucker came and wanted to make me his dinner. What a coward, a single wispy vampire could scare him into running away. All of this started because of that.

I turned onto the parking lot and saw that it was nearly full already. Two things went through my mind, first where am I going to park? Second, did I bring enough alcohol? Surely, I wasn't the only one who had brought something. I hoped I wasn't, because I was counting on drinking at least half of that bottle of tequila.

Near the end of the parking lot, I saw a space and pulled into it. Turning the engine off, I just took a breath. Why was I so nervous all of the sudden? Truth was, I didn't want to go to the beach, party or any at that. I just wanted to hide under my blankets and wake up in my own body again.

Before I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity, I quickly got out of the car, careful not to put too much weight on my ankle. It has gotten a lot better but still hurt a little. A cold breeze was making me shiver and I rubbed my arms. Good thing I bought a sweater. It was black, can you believe it? I found it in the back of Lauren's closet and had pulled it out like one of Arthur's knights if they had found the holy grail. Next to the sweater had been jeans, get this, blue jeans. The cut was awkward, but I didn't mind it too much. Everybody was walking around looking like a weirdo, at least to me.

I pulled out my bag with the "juice" out of the trunk and locked the door. I had found two bottles of each. From afar, I could already see a fire lightening up the beach and the voices of many teenagers were being carried over to me. Now or never.