Chapter 3
Edward- My Own Worst Enemy- Saliva
Edward - Pushing Me Away – Linkin Park
EPOV
Monday mornings were always a bit of a challenge. Readjusting to the endless monotony of school after a carefree weekend of hunting and pursuing interests with my family was very anticlimactic. That all changed, of course, since the beginning of the year and fifth period English Lit with Miss Swan. Now I couldn't wait for Mondays.
I methodically made my way down the main corridor dodging teenage bodies on the way to my locker. I knew Bella would be heading to the teacher's lounge for a fresh cup of coffee and then to her tiny office to check her email and gather materials for her first period class. I knew her daily schedule and rituals by heart. Shameless. I had stopped a while ago trying to justify my behavior to my family, and to deny the title of "stalker" Alice had bestowed on me. I just owned it now.
I tried in vain to block out much of the droning mental noise.
I can't stand first period PE. I wonder if it' s too late to change my schedule?
Damn! That science report is due today. I really must learn to write due dates down!
Wow- Cindy is looking hot today, wonder if she has a date for the dance yet?
It was the same shallow, uninteresting dribble. My siblings and I tried hard to blend in and avoid any kind of attention, but with our white skin, unusual looks and demeanor, some attention was unavoidable.
Whoa! Check Cullen out today! LOVE me some of that!
That was the internal voice of Mandy Skinner. Despite the apprehension, most people admired my family for their unusual beauty, and of course, there were the few who developed crushes. We saw the pattern over and over in the various towns we took residence.
Most did not consciously know we were dangerous to them, but their instincts did, and, for the most part, stayed their distance. There were the very few that couldn't, for whatever reason, stay away. Bella had been one of those few, and I reflected how grateful I was at the time for that, how her curiosity and attentions had been welcome. Again, I was reminded how drastically things had changed.
Mandy Skinner, however, was just annoying. I opened my locker to retrieve my government text and hoped she would keep walking by. No such luck. She stopped right by me and casually leaned back into the wall.
"Hey, Edward! Have a nice weekend?" Mandy said a little too loudly. I had every intention of mumbling a quick "yes, thank you," and then move directly to class, but just then I caught a whiff of a very unmistakable scent of freesia and lavender.
I whipped my head around and caught Bella in my peripheral vision walking past me to the janitor's office down the hall. I think I may have said something affirmative to Mandy, because she suddenly had a huge grin on her face, and her mouth continued to move. I had no idea what she was saying because my full attention was diverted to the conversation Bella was currently having with the older day janitor, Bert Russell.
"Well, hello, Miss Swan. What can I do for you this morning?" Wow. That color blue really brings out her eyes. Wonder if Susan would wear a dress that color?
"Good morning, Mr. Russell. I'm sorry to bother you so early, but I have a small problem with the one electrical outlet in my office, and I really need it for my laptop. Do you think you or Mr. Cantel could look at it sometime today?"
"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," I was very faintly registering Mandy's continued drone. I put my "interested" face on while I continued to concentrate on the sound of Bella's voice.
"Of course. One of us should be able to stop by later this afternoon," Mr. Russell said. He gave a little inward sigh as he momentarily got lost in the soft depth of Bella's dark eyes.
"I'll be in a staff meeting later this afternoon. Do you need me to let you in?" Bella asked.
"No, my master key covers offices. We'll let you know when the problem's fixed.
Probably just a loose wire or something." He briefly thought through his morning schedule.
I think I can move the wax job on the science lab floor to later this afternoon. I need to get to Bella's outlet first. I absolutely don't want to disappoint such a lovely girl.
Mr. Russell seemed to shake himself out of his momentary stupor. The effort it took for him to get his mind back on the paperwork on his desk made me smile.
Apparently, Bella's charm worked on just about anyone with a Y chromosome. She was always charming and beautiful. Of course, the most charming and beautiful part was that she didn't know.
"Okay, thanks." Bella was already turning to step away from Mr. Russell's office. He was a very nice man, dedicated to his job and wife of forty years. Not to mention the community charities he and his family were always very involved in. Bella just had that effect on the male population. She always had.
"Blah, blah, blah, blah," Mandy continued. Geez, did she even stop to take a breath?
Bella breezed by, and as she did so, caught my gaze. She quickly glanced at Mandy standing by my side, continuing her clueless monologue. Bella's face flushed a bright pink, and the familiar little "V" appeared between her eyes. She averted her gaze and quickly walked down the hall to her first period class. I watched her until she reached the end of the hall and turned right to walk up the stairs to the upper level classrooms.
"…so, will that work for you?" Mandy's drone had ended. She was looking at me expectantly.
"Uh, what was that?" I stared at her in confusion. Evidently, I had missed something important.
"The game Friday. Is it okay if I drive?" I just stared at her big blue eyes in horror. Evidently, I had just been asked out, and accepted an invitation to the football game this weekend. How did that happen?
Holy hell, he's got the most gorgeous eyes! "Don't worry about it now, class is about to start. I'll catch up with you at lunch, okay?" And with that, Mandy turned on her heel and quickly made her departure. I was left there feeling like I had the breath knocked out of me. I tried to go over our conversation, if you could call it that, but all I could recall was Bella's conversation with the janitor.
A date with Mandy Skinner? Ugh! I berated myself for being so unaware and unfocused. As I made my way up the stairwell, I contemplated various ways to get myself out of this unfortunate situation. I didn't attend school functions, and I certainly didn't attend them with Mandy Skinner.
Almost everyone was already seated when I arrived. Finding my assigned seat at the back of the class, I pulled my text out and flipped open my notebook. Props. There wasn't anything between those covers I didn't already know.
The government teacher, Mrs. Clark, walked in and was about to close the door when Emmett suddenly appeared just as the final bell rang. He looked at me as he made his way over to the seat next to me with a huge smile on his face. He sat with a graceful plop, grabbed his text and looked right at me.
With an exaggerated wiggle of his eyebrows, he casually asked, "And—how has your Monday morning been? Did I miss anything?" I suddenly caught mental pictures of him in compromising positions with my sister in the backseat of my car. Ew.
"Gross, Emmett, and no, you missed nothing," I lied. He arched his eyebrow as my agitated state tipped him off.
"Why are you getting all worked up then?" Thankfully, Mrs. Clark chose that moment to call everyone's attention. Like I would throw myself under the bus to Emmett. No doubt he would find my little "predicament" hilarious. I was not in the mood for his ribbing. I tried to forget about the disaster that was my life and concentrate on the one thing that held my interest.
Finding an attentive mind to watch Bella through was easy enough. Most of her students had no problem paying attention in her class. Most aspects of my vampirism I considered a curse but having a much-expanded compartmentalized mind was one of the few blessings. It was early in the year, and teachers would still call on me occasionally. I could keep tabs on my class while looking in on Bella in hers. It looked like the freshmen in her first period class would be starting The Great Gatsby today. Since I would be hearing more of Bella's lecture than Mrs. Clark's, I was looking forward to it.
I slowly made my way to the cafeteria at lunchtime, already hearing the thoughts of a certain group of students. Apparently, Mandy had shared the news of our upcoming date with her circle of friends, and news was traveling fast. Eyes followed me as I made my way to the back of the lunch line, and thoughts continued to blast through my head.
I cannot BELIEVE Mandy has a date with Edward FREAKING Cullen!
No way! Edward Cullen? Mandy HAS to be making that up.
Edward and Mandy are going out? Holy cow, maybe he's straight after all.
I paid the cashier for my sandwich and soda and inwardly groaned as I spotted my siblings waiting for me at our usual table. Emmett had a huge smile on his face, and his thoughts were already plotting the many ways he planned on torturing me. I sat down and looked at my lunch. Again, props. It didn't take long for Emmett to start in.
"Sooooo- we hear you have plans this weekend." Rosalie shot me an incredulous stare from Emmett's lap.
She gave an exaggerated eye roll as she flipped the page of her fashion magazine.
"Really, Edward? Mandy Skinner? Since when did you have an interest in high school football, much less Mandy Skinner?"
"Yeah, dude, if you're going to trash your non-date weekend record, you should set your sights on someone hotter," Emmett added, "at least you might get some action under the bleachers." Rose smacked him on the back of the head.
"Ouch! Take it easy, baby." He leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "You know I would never allow him to intrude on our special 'bleacher' time." I wondered if it was possible for vampires to get headaches. I turned to look at Alice and Jasper who had been remarkably quiet this whole time. They both were repressing smiles, and trying not to laugh.
"Alice, why didn't you warn me this was going to happen?"
"Do not blame me, Edward." She blurted on a giggle, "you know my visions aren't perfect. I didn't see anything until she saw you by your locker and made a quick decision. It was too late by then." Everyone suddenly became still and quiet. I could see Mandy approaching behind me from four sets of eyes. I looked up then to see her timidly watching us as she walked up to the table. She nodded a nervous hello to everyone as she pulled up an extra chair and sat beside me. Her heart was hammering.
"Uh, hi, Edward. I know you're busy eating lunch and all," she stammered as she stared at my unopened sandwich and soda, "but I thought maybe we could, you know, talk about Friday." Emmett was hungrily eyeing the scene.
"Um, yeah, Mandy, about that," I started. Suddenly, movement from the far end of the cafeteria caught my attention. I looked over to see Bella entering through the main hallway. She walked over to the lunch line, grabbed a salad and bottle of water, and stepped up to the cashier.
I looked across the table to my siblings with a "help" look plastered on my face. Emmett grinned wider. I was momentarily distracted by the hazy vision flooding Alice's mind. She and I were conversing amongst six other students in an unfamiliar large gourmet kitchen. We were wearing aprons and awkwardly chopping vegetables. I had absolutely no idea what this meant, but the unexpectedness of such a strange scene threw me off my current conversation. Mandy, of course, took advantage of my hesitancy.
"So, if it's okay, my mom prefers I drive so I can be sure to get home on time. And, there's a party at Freddy's house afterward that should be fun." I inwardly cringed at the kind of fun she was envisioning. I looked over to see the curious eyes of Mandy's friends boring into me. This little scene should make plenty of fodder for gossip for a while to come.
I watched out of the corner of my eye as Bella finished paying for her lunch and started making her way around the outside of the room, nodding hellos to her students. I panicked as she came closer. There was an uncomfortable moment as we both found each other's eyes. Bella stopped suddenly as she quickly glanced at Mandy, who was still looking at me, waiting for a response to her suggestion. Mandy had no clue of the side scene currently playing out. Bella again flushed a deep red and retreated down another hall making way to her office. Mandy took my silence as affirmation.
"So, here's my number, and I'll just plan on picking you up Friday around seven." She wasn't going to give up. "Talk to you later, Edward!" Her emphasis on "talk" made it clear she expected me to call her.
I looked at the number scrawled on the scrap of paper she shoved into my hand as she walked away. Emmett was practically jumping up and down in his seat. Jasper looked over at me with a surprised look on his face. He quickly composed himself, but not before I heard a quick "that was interesting" under his breath.
"Wow, who knew our articulate Eddie would be struck dumb talking to a girl?" Emmett bellowed. "Better get over that quick, Edward, or you'll never get to first base." I could hear his internal swearing as Rosalie smacked him yet again. The bell rang and we all stood and headed towards the main hallway. I caught Alice's attention.
"What was that vision you had earlier?" I asked at vampire speed.
I don't know, Edward. But I do know it had something to do with Bella, so I'll let you know as soon as I find out.
I knew Jasper had sensed something important. He was thinking of various battlefield attack strategies, so I immediately knew he was blocking me. I wasn't used to prying information out of people, especially my family. We had no secrets between us, I was already agitated, and Jasper's attempts to hide what he knew irked me further. He could put me off for now, but I would find out. Now was not the time, however. I took off for fifth period.
Bella was not yet in class when I took my seat. I preferred to sit on the far left of the room so I could get a good view of her as she entered. This was my favorite part of the day, as it was the only time Bella would allow me to be near her. As my teacher, she really had no choice in the matter, but still.
I knew we would be starting a new book today, The Grapes of Wrath. I was looking forward to learning Bella's views of Steinbeck, and thus learning a bit more about her. I was a bit nervous about seeing her after the unfortunate scene in the lunchroom. It had only just occurred to me that that was the second time Bella had seen me in Mandy's presence. I was hoping she wasn't getting the wrong idea. It would be just my luck for my one shot at getting Bella back to be blown over a silly misunderstanding.
All my worries melted as Bella walked through the door. I watched with rapt attention as she removed her jacket, draped it across the back of her chair and turned to the class with a radiant smile.
I have never seen anything more beautiful. She's got to be around the age of my sister's friends. I wonder if she would go out with me if I asked.
I heard similar thoughts almost every day, but Jeffrey Manson's thoughts were concerning. I turned and gave him a menacing stare.
He shuddered. What is up with Cullen? I cannot believe Mandy asked him out! What was she thinking? Sure, I guess he's okay looking, and his family has money and all, but I feel sorry for her if she has to sit through an evening with a freak show like that!
My little show of intimidation worked. The nature of his fantasies was becoming more and more forward, and his interest in Bella was moving beyond the surface.
Jeffrey's position as basketball captain gave him a bit more swagger and confidence than most young males, but I wouldn't put it past him to actually work up the nerve to ask her out. I knew that it would never happen no matter his age. Bella was his teacher, and that put a barrier on any kind of relationship even if she did have an interest. I knew Bella was mature enough to handle any such situation with aplomb, but I also knew it would embarrass her. She had always tried to avoid attention. Jeffrey reminded me a bit too much of that dolt, Newton.
Again, consciously, I knew all this, but I still found it difficult to repress the sudden need to assert dominance. I wanted nothing more than to run to the front of the class at vampire speed, grab Bella and rub my scent all over her. I needed to leave no doubt to anyone that she was mine.
The sound of Bella's voice immediately grounded me. "Good afternoon, class. Today we will be starting a new book by John Steinbeck. Jeffrey, could you please help me pass these out?"
Jeffrey shot me a cocky smirk as he stood up and made his way to the front of the room. He was pleased that Ms. Swan had shown a preference toward him, and he was more than happy to rub my nose in it.
His eyes never left her face as she handed him a stack of books and politely asked him to start handing them out on the far side of the room. His ego boosted, he resolved to find out if Ms. Swan, Bella, he corrected in his mind, would be at all interested in him. He knew he was young, and she may see that as a strike against him, but he reasoned he could show her how his other abilities could easily make up for that.
I repressed a growl. Jeffrey's opinion of himself was going to get him hurt, or worse. I couldn't help a small smile as I thought of a myriad of satisfying ways I could hurt Jeffrey. I would have to keep a tight restraint on my behavior and a closer eye on Bella.
I suddenly became still as a realization hit. Is this why Bella refused to talk or even look at me? The fact that she was my teacher and thought that there couldn't be anything more between us? Cripes, I wasn't any better than that moron, Jeffrey!
Sure, at 110 I was hardly a boy, and more mature and grounded in reality than any human male here, but the fact remained that she was my teacher and those lines of authority were clearly drawn. Didn't she know that at the slightest hint of consent I would move heaven and earth to make everything work? I would drop out, move to a different locale, and take on a whole new identity if she would only accept my phone calls and messages. Hearing her voice express love and adoration would be worth any inconvenience it would cause. I would stay far away from her as possible during the day, showing nothing towards her if she would allow me to visit and hold her at night. Anything, in any way she desired, and I would take it with a smile and a grateful heart. I needed more than ever to talk with her.
I was lost in these thoughts as her scent breezed up from behind. It bloomed around me as she paused to hand me my book. I took a deep breath, pulling in as much of her scent as I could as her hand stretched out to place the book in mine. The tips of her fingers brushed my palm and the unmistakable jolt of electricity hummed between us for the briefest moment. Bella jumped back slightly, surprised at the contact. Her eyes met mine for the third time that day but were just as quickly averted as she blushed and stammered for the class to please open the books to the first chapter as she continued handing out the last few.
At the front of the room, newly composed, she started on her lecture as though nothing had happened. I knew she felt the contact, and she knew I knew. What I wouldn't give to know what she was thinking right then!
Watching Bella teach was an exquisite torture. She was smart, authoritative and creative in her approach. Her students and colleagues respected her, and it was easy to see how much she loved her chosen career. Normally I would lose myself in her easy movement and the sound of her voice. My eyes were trained on her, as always, but my mind was far from her introduction of Steinbeck.
She worked hard for this position. This was a prestigious school. "Charter" was the new term. Westmore High was one of the best public schools in all of New York. Employment at this particular school would look good on the resume of any teacher or administrator fortunate to work here. Educational standards were higher, dress codes stricter, and economic standing of the student's families were higher as well.
This is why Carlisle insisted we attend this particular school. Most of the graduating seniors were expected to attend ivy league colleges. It would seem natural that a well-established and successful doctor's family would be educated here. With stately older buildings and immaculate grounds-keeping, it resembled a precursor to many respected colleges. Securing a position of employment was difficult and remarkable.
According to Bella's employment history and college transcripts, she was completing her graduation requirements at the University of Arizona when a position for teaching English Literature opened at Westmore. She received a glowing letter of recommendation from her department head, and after acing the required set of interviews, had beat out over 30 other applicants. I was proud of her tenacity and aggressiveness, but if I was being honest with myself, I wasn't really all that surprised. She was always destined for great things.
Despite the obvious discomfort of having me in her class, she was always poised and professional. She called on me occasionally, but no more than any other student. It hurt that she still avoided eye contact, but I could hardly blame her for that. I was still looking for my moment to speak with her. I would not give up on that as my desperation continued to grow.
I was decided that if I couldn't find an opportunity by Friday, I would wait for her by her car after school. Of course, my phone buzzed right away.
Not a good idea, Alice texted. She was down the hall in her chemistry class.
I took a peek at the vision in her mind. Bella and I were exchanging heated words in the parking lot, tears streaming down her flushed face as I angrily punch a deep dent in the back of the car next to hers. As the vision faded out I cringed. Apparently, this conversation wasn't going to be easy.
I needed to pick my approach very carefully. I wanted to apologize and profess my love to her, not upset her. That was unacceptable. Did I preface my approach with a note? Leave a flower on her desk to set the tone? Bella never appreciated gifts, especially ones from me.
I couldn't help but think of the last gift I gave her – the CD I made for her eighteenth birthday. I remembered how much she loved the compositions, and the tears she shed as she listened to her lullaby. That night I had held her, inhaled her scent, and burned everything I could about her in my memory. I knew it would be my last night with her, but I was resolved. I believed that leaving was the only honorable thing I could do; telling those ridiculous lies the only way to do it. How idiotic I had been! If only I had known then what I knew now. The most hurtful, ironic thing of all is that the plan worked. She had moved on, had a family, and built a happy life for herself and her child. She had forgotten all about me.
Strangely, I wondered if the CD, pictures and other gifts I had hidden were still under the floorboards in her room back in Forks. Had she found them sometime over the course of the last few years? If so, was she pleasantly surprised to have them back? I had hoped so, picturing her listening to the music, looking at the pictures and remembering the wonderful summer we had together before the incident had occurred. But, most likely, she would have tossed them all in the trash, cursing me as she did so.
I had been tempted more than once to return to her home during the darkest moments of my grief to retrieve the pictures. I had convinced myself the torture would be easier to bear if I could at least have her image to look at. Thankfully, some sane shred of consciousness knew that if I returned, I would never leave, so I resisted.
The hour was coming to a close. Most of the other students were gathering their things, making quick glances at the clock. Even Bella was assigning homework as she was shoving papers into her bag, preparing for her departure. She never left the room before the students in any of her other classes, except this one. Every day she practically bolted out the door before the bell finished ringing. I knew why, of course. Allowing the students to leave first would make it too easy for her to be caught in here alone with me.
Just as the bell rang, so did Bella's cell phone. She never received calls at work, but the little crease between her eyes as she looked at the caller ID told me the call was important. She took the phone over to the window, trying to gain a bit of privacy as the bell rang and students filed out. I smiled. I wasn't about to waste this opportunity. I took a bit more time to put my book bag in order, hanging back in my seat. I could easily hear both sides of the conversation over the noise and chatter.
"Hey, Jake, I'm surprised to hear from you. What's up?" Bella said in an uneasy tone, clearly expecting bad news.
"Uh, yeah, so sorry to call you at work. I was expecting to leave a message. Anyway, I told you I would call when there was news. I'm so sorry to tell you this, Bells, but we lost Billy last night." This was a man's deep voice. It was still youthful, but a bit strained. Bella let out an audible gasp. I could see tears pooling in her eyes through the reflection in the window. Her hands started to shake.
"Wow, I can't believe it happened so soon." Her voice had a catch in it.
"Yeah. He was pretty stable up until last night. He started crashing, then it went fast after that." Bella stared unseeing out the window. She had wrapped her left arm around her middle.
"I just can't believe it. How are you holding up, Jake? You sound exhausted."
"We're doing OK, considering. Rebecca and Rachel are here, and you know how everyone comes together at times like this. I expect by tomorrow night, we'll have more casseroles than we'll know what to do with."
"Jake, give me the afternoon to get a sub arranged, and we can be out of here on the next flight…"
"No, Bella. That's another thing I need to talk to you about. We'll plan on a burial this next week, but we're going to hold off on the official sendoff ceremony until Thanksgiving weekend. You'll be here then and so will Leah and Colin and a few others. It will be more convenient, you know, since everyone will be here."
"Only if you're sure, Jake." Tears were falling freely down her cheeks.
"I am. Thanks, Bells. You know we miss you like crazy."
"I miss you all, too. Please take care of yourself, Jake. You need to get some rest."
"Sure, sure. You know Julie always takes care of me. I need to go. Give that little man a hug for me."
"I will. Give my love to everyone. Bye, Jake."
"Bye, Bells."
Bells. The only other person to use that endearment was Charlie. The young man on the phone certainly wasn't Charlie. He must be someone close, then.
During the course of Bella's conversation, I had slung my bag over my shoulder and slowly made my way to the front of the room. I was only a few feet behind Bella, and had just realized my hand was outstretched, ready to put my arm around her shoulders in comfort. It was a completely unconscious reaction. I was about to address her when she flipped her phone shut, wiped a hand over her eyes and nose and turned around to face me.
"Edward!" She nearly jumped out of her skin. I quickly jerked my hand back and grabbed the shoulder strap of my book bag. I listened as her heartbeat spiked.
"You startled me. I had no idea anyone was still here." As her pulse slowed, she stared at my hand around the strap and narrowed a look at me.
"Did you have a question about the homework assignment?" she asked suspiciously.
"Um, no, Bella. Look, I know this must be a bad time for you, and I'm sorry about that, but I really would like some time to talk with you. There are some issues we need to discuss."
She looked me in the eye. "Does this have anything to do with the class or your grades?" She was carefully affirming the nature of the "conversation" before granting time with me.
"No," I answered simply, giving her a meaningful look. Understanding of my intent registered on her face. She bit her bottom lip then pointedly turned a hard look at me.
"Really, Edward?" She said with a slight tone of incredulity. Tiny droplets from her tears were clinging to her eyelashes. Her cheeks were flushed. "I don't think we do. You made it perfectly clear years ago what you wanted and where we stood. I don't think there is anything at all that we need to discuss. Now, if you will excuse me, there has been a family emergency I need to see to." She turned to grab her coat and bag and marched out of the room.
The memory of the last time she huffed out of a classroom flashed through my mind. She had tripped over the doorjamb and dropped her books. There was no such mishap this time. She was, however, just as stunning in her anger. The door hadn't yet closed and she had flipped her cell open and pressed a button. Halfway down the hall I heard her talking to a familiar voice.
"Dad? I just talked with Jake. I am so sorry."
I stood by her desk for the next few moments trying to gather myself and examine what had just happened. Fate had decided to finally give me a reprieve from the torture only to yank the rug out from under me. I could almost hear the bitter harpy laughing. I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. This day seemed impossibly long, and there were still two more classes to go. I didn't know much about this whole screwed up situation, but I did know I couldn't stand two more hours in this school. Like a coward, I hid in my car. Again.
I slammed the door shut as hard as I could without breaking it. Nothing would feel better than punching my fist through the windshield a few dozen times, but I resisted knowing it would only draw attention. Instead I put in my favorite calming CD and laid my head back against the headrest.
Had I really just approached Bella after an upsetting phone call? She was in tears and clearly distressed. What was I thinking? I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. I actually had my hand out ready to touch her! I was an ass.
I momentarily set my feelings aside to think about Bella's phone call. Who was the voice? She had called him Jake. The man they lost was "Billy." He had also mentioned something about a sendoff ceremony.
I remembered Charlie's friend, Billy Black waiting for her and his accusing stare the day I brought Bella home from my house. His countenance was stoic, but his thoughts were filled with anger, distrust and intense fear for Bella. I smirked as I remembered how I had kissed her neck before I left to intentionally get a reaction from him. The treaty was the assurance of peace, but there was certainly no love lost between the Quileute and my family.
I recalled a young boy with him at the time. Was this the Jacob Bella was speaking to? They seemed very close and familiar with each other. Was it possible Bella knew their secret? It seemed unbelievable to me that Bella would intentionally associate with the tribe knowing what they were, but then she never seemed to have an aversion to hanging out with vampires, either. She was a danger magnet.
The Quileute liked to fancy themselves "werewolves." Their true nature, however, was more along the line of "shifter." The Children of the Moon, true weres, were hunted and driven nearly to extinction by the Volturi. Small packs still existed, but I had no doubt the tribe, and all within range of the reservation, would be exterminated if they were brought to the Volturi's attention. Moon Children were capable of far more power and still fared poorly. This pack didn't stand a chance. Bella's life, it seemed, was threatened from far greater reach than the pack itself. Aro had only to touch one of these wolves, and her life would be forfeit. Danger magnet indeed.
I was glad she was far away from the pack now, but her caller mentioned coming back for Thanksgiving. I spent some time considering changing my own plans to be in Forks at that time as well. If she still refused to see me when the time came, I would stay hidden. She would never know I was there, but I had to ensure her protection. I would not abandon her when she would need me most.
The passenger door suddenly flew open and Alice jumped in next to me. A few seconds later Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie all smoothly slid into the backseat. I was so absorbed in my mental musings I didn't notice students slowly filtering through the parking lot.
"Missed you last hour, dude," Emmett shot at me.
"The angst rolling off of you is thick enough to cut with a knife, Edward, what the hell happened fifth period?" Jasper asked. I could bluff and lie my way out of an uncomfortable situation with almost anyone except Jasper. Feelings don't lie.
It didn't take long for Alice's mental voice to start in.
I saw you in Forks, Edward. I glimpsed the vision as it zipped through her memory. I was sitting in Bella's room staring at her sleeping figure. She rolled over in her small bed and sighed. Everything suddenly went black. I shook my head in confusion, and frustration. When it came to Bella it seemed my rock-solid determination was just as flimsy in Forks as it was here.
"What does it mean, Alice?"
I don't know. I can only get bits and pieces, and there are large chunks that are missing.
"Missing?"
Yeah. Just nothing. I don't know what it means, but I'm worried about her, Edward. Something could happen to her, and I can't see it.
Jasper leaned forward and put his hand on her shoulder. "Alice, what is going on? You're panicking."
Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Would you two stop! You know we can't stand these mental conversations. Just tell us what the hell is going on."
Just then I caught sight of Mandy in my peripheral vision. She flashed a huge smile as she held up her thumb and pinky finger up to the side of her head and mouthed "Call me!" The two girlfriends she was walking with giggled as they passed. I had completely forgotten about the mess with Mandy. Crap. I looked at Alice and could see the defeated look on my face in her mind. She stifled a giggle. Emmett shot Jasper a knowing look and a snide smirk. Great.
I'm sure it will be fine, Edward.