Rule Seventeen | Learn to Adjust
School was something Bella realized she'd have to get accustomed to if she wanted to live a long and fruitful life. A terribly long one, she now knew, strewn with horror and, hopefully, some measure of peace.
What Rosalie had told her the previous day had become so much more clear now that she'd been made aware of it. For the last few weeks - months, even - her senses had been growing stronger. They'd worked their way up at a steady pace, enough for her to not notice until someone had pointed it out to her and then, in the way that one realized that they'd grown taller or lost weight, a light switch flicked on and cast those changes in a severe light, their shadows deeper and longer than anything one could previously imagine.
The scent of Forks High was a stagnant thing. It carried with it the faint plastic of cheap linoleum that upon its scuffed surface lay the mud and snow that blanketed the town. Cold, earthy, and still unable to drown out the mellifluous aroma of so much blood and meat packed into a single space. A ghoul's hunger was omnipresent, always lurking in the shadows but were it a real, living thing, its eyes would glow from within that dark and serve as a constant reminder of its existence. But Bella had dealt with hunger far worse than this, and it wasn't the hunger that bothered her. Instead, it was the way noises were becoming far too loud to bear, her shoulders perpetually tensed in preparation of an attack that would never come.
She found herself looking for danger where there was none, seeing every stranger as an enemy and every friend as something to cling to. It was confusing, to say the least, to deal with a lust for companionship that went beyond any human urge. Bella didn't want to just be found funny or interesting, she wanted to be labeled as family. So primal was this feeling that she hardly noticed the way she'd shuffle closer and closer to the Cullens in the hallways like an oversized cat, something that wanted to slink around their ankles and spread its scent all over them in an effort to mark them as hers.
The first time she did it, saying hello to them in the parking lot that morning, Bella physically recoiled once she'd realized what she'd done. It had begun with Alice waving, and the entire family - sans Edward - greeting her cheerfully. Well, Rosalie didn't do cheerful, but she'd said hello nonetheless. And then Bella, the idiot, had damn near picked Alice up when she'd hugged her.
She hugged her.
Bella didn't hug. She didn't embrace people. Except her dad, maybe, but that was her dad and the man had already gone through so much hell because of her that it would be bordering on psychopathy not to. No, Bella did firm pats on the back and grunts of affirmation, yet some part of her - a very loud and previously unnoticed part of her - seemed to really want to hug Alice. It wanted to hug all of them, really, except she managed to get a handle on herself (thank god) and waved the whole thing off like it was nothing. Or, she would have if Rosalie hadn't given her a knowing look and sniffed the air, quirking one eyebrow at Bella because damn her, she apparently knew everything there was to know about ghouls. Her and her mad scientist of a father.
Father figure?
Carlisle was an enigma. A cheery enigma, but an enigma all the same.
Regardless, her instincts were starting to drive her a bit mad even by the end of the school day. It didn't help one bit that Gwen was still searching for her and becoming quite a bit better at figuring out Bella's patterns. She was far too clever for her own good and, if it continued the way it had, Bella might have a real problem on her hands.
What she did was rude, yes, but she couldn't exactly stop Gwen in the halls, pull her into an empty room, and confess to what was nearly three dozen murders and the fact that she was a monster very successfully masquerading as a human. And once more her mind turned to the fact that life would be so, so much easier if she was a vampire. Yes, I may be a creature of the night but it may warm your heart to know that I, in fact, eat beef just like you, would be a hundred times simpler to explain than, I am a mad with hunger cannibal who will live, potentially, until the Earth is swallowed by the Sun, and I will spend my existence chipping at the human population.
Ghouls, to put it simply, were the boogeyman of humanity. As long as people had existed there were stories about ghouls. They ranged from tales meant to coerce children into eating their vegetables all the way to horror stories the likes of which were nearly incomprehensible except for the fact that they had been catalogued with unnerving accuracy. Even as far back as the Mesopotamian Empire there were stories of ghouls cutting through villages as a farmer would a cornfield. There were even cave paintings marked quite clearly by the use of red to denote the eyes of a ghoul alongside their bloodsoaked maw.
Bella had been there, done that, and it ended with death. It always ended with death and would continue to do so until both humans and ghouls collectively sorted out their shit, which would inevitably require lab-grown human meat and a nightmarish swathe of social progress. It didn't help that half of ghouls were illiterate, nor did they think too highly of humans considering the hundreds of thousands of years of history between the two species. It was hard to convince anyone of your right to exist when your existence was predicated on their death and, not just death, but the defiling of their corpse.
People had a hard enough time rationalizing organ donations. She didn't expect them to accept their body being used to further the circle of life, twisted as it was. Hell, the last she'd heard there had been mass protests in Germany once they'd realized that death-row inmates were being fed to captured ghouls, high-rankers kept alive for information on the movement of their gangs. That or farm their kakuhou like chickens eggs, an organic machine that pumps out weapons for their investigators to use and capture or, more commonly, kill as many ghouls as they could.
No. It was pretty much impossible she thought, and nothing would ever come of giving it a moment's contemplation let alone attempting to make any change. The upheaval alone…
It wasn't worth it.
So Bella went through her day with one foot tapping, restless, and her electrified mind swimming with the want to surround herself with the Cullens and take away the stares that threatened to bore into her very soul. Attention had never bothered her, but now that her instincts were alight it was like fire on her skin. A bright red blinking light that screamed, 'They're onto you!' as a klaxon blared in the background.
She didn't even know where to sit during lunch, and it took Alice and Jasper's cheerful whispers to goad her over to their table, earning Bella a wild grin from Emmett, a huff from Rosalie, and a curious leer from Edward. That made her pause. The previous hatred in his eyes was now replaced by something… well, it wasn't hatred but she couldn't quite place it. Bella felt like she was being inspected, or vetted for something or other, the look in Edward's eyes more like the one her old boss had given her during the interview.
Bella didn't like it.
"I hate you," she shot out, sitting down between Emmett and Jasper and shooting a withering glare Rosalie's way.
"For what?"
"Making me notice all this." She waved around her head, as if gesturing at the sounds and smells that battered her senses. "It's annoying."
"Better to be told what's going on than be caught completely unawares. Don't you think?"
"Eh. You're right, but it's still annoying. And you said I had a month of this to look forward to?"
"Maybe longer."
"Wonderful."
"Puberty, huh?" Emmett laughed, poking her in the ribs. "Sure is fun, isn't it?"
"Fuck you."
"Aw." He leaned across her, cupping his mouth and whispering in Jasper's ear. "That's how she says I love you."
To Bella's dismay, even Rosalie snickered, while the rest of the table - sans Edward - laughed at her expense.
"Oh, c'mon. That wasn't even-"
"No, no. Seriously Bella, that was pretty good, you have to admit."
Bella's jaw dropped as Alice snorted, slapping her hand over her mouth.
"I knew I should've ditched this town the first chance I got."
"Hah! Bullshit. You're curious as hell, you didn't stand a chance."
"No. No I didn't." Hiding a smile, Bella glanced across the table. "Can I bring my truck over today?"
"Yes," Rosalie immediately blurted, before stifling her words with a short cough. "Yes, you can bring your truck over today."
Horny for cars.
Meanwhile, Bella blinked a few times, wondering whether she should say what popped into her head or just leave it be.
She decided to leave it be.
Rosalie's excitement over the truck was almost infectious, even those briefest flickers of it that Bella could hardly spy before they, inevitably, disappeared. They were fleeting but to her they went a very long way in showing her that Rosalie wasn't quite as scary as she tried to make herself out to be.
Not that Bella was scared of her. Of course not. Really, she thought she could take any of them in a fight except for Jasper, judging by those scars littering his arms and collar bone. She knew they were most likely etched into every inch of his skin, only hidden by that fine cotton that covered him from throat to wrist, the man hardly ever wearing anything that could be construed as 'revealing.' She doubted they were visible to humans, that silver shimmer just barely outside of the wavelength of visible light. But to ghouls and vampires? They stood out like the silhouette glare of a lighthouse, its sweeping gaze cast across the ocean and blinding those who dared look into its maw.
Jasper was a dangerous man and she would never take her chances with him. If anything Bella was certain he'd give the Reaper a run for his money. Even in the US every ghoul had heard about Arima Kishou, the man who had crushed thousands beneath his pristine white heel. Bella had heard that he walked out of fights without a speck of blood staining the almost faithful cloth the CCG wore. Garbed in all white, they were the most militant and terrifying anti-ghoul force in the entire world, and therefore every single one of her kind had heard their name. They'd even run excursions in neighbouring countries, tearing through the east coast of China with a vengeance in their efforts to quell a ghoul uprising, and there'd been talk of them hitting the United States until… well, she just realized it was going to go down until she happened to appear.
Inadvertently stopping two genocides wasn't on her list of things to do in life, but Bella was quite pleased she'd done it all the same. She ignored the fact that it was only stopped because she'd put enough of a dent in the ghoul populace to make a military force and a secret, vampire cabal decide to stay their hand.
"I'll be driving you around this week?"
"Huh?"
Alice smiled at her. "I'll be your chauffeur for a week?"
"Is that how long it's going to take?" she asked, turning her attention to Rosalie.
"I don't know how long it's going to take until I get a look underneath the hood. Even then I might have difficulties finding parts."
"Yeah, uh- what am I going to owe you once all it's done?"
"Nothing."
Freezing, Bella's hand drifted slowly over the table, fingers brushing across its hardened surface.
"...What?" was her eventual reply, a deep frown etched into her brow. "No. Wait, wait a second, no- you're not doing this pro bono. Seriously? It's gotta' cost… I don't even fuckin' know… way too much money to do that kind of work. There's no way I'm letting you do that."
"You don't have to pay me-"
"Fuck that. I'm not not paying you. That'd be crazy. It's an old car and I dunno' if I'm reading you right but you seem like the kinda' person who'd want to do it all original. Right? So… more than a couple grand at least, if you have to replace the engine or something like that and, listening to the thing, it sounds like it needs that much work. I'm saying fuck that, Rosalie. I'm paying you."
"You're not paying me anything," she stated tersely. "Not a dime."
"Yes I am!"
"No, you are very much not."
Reaching across the table, Bella patted Alice on the shoulder frantically. "Alice, back me up here. C'mon."
Alice simply shook her head. "You're not paying."
"What the fuck? You too?"
"Bella, I don't think you understand the severity of what I offered you the other day. You basically became a part of our family the second I said that. Even if you don't accept… there's no chance we'd make you pay to have your truck fixed."
"But- but I can't let her do it for free! That's insane!"
"Just let her fix your truck. Really, Rosalie loves this kind of thing, don't you?"
Lifting her chin, Rosalie glanced away from Bella, cramming her face into a haughty, disinterested expression. "Automobiles are a passion of mine."
"See? It's basically her favourite thing! You'd be doing her a favour."
"And cost you guys ten grand or something?"
"Bella, look. Look at what I'm wearing. Do you know what this is?" Alice asked, extending her arm and pointing at her sleeve.
"It looks expensive, but uh- I don't know. Gucci?"
"God, Gucci." The word sounded like an expletive leaving Alice's lips, and she shook her head. "It's Balenciaga, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that we're not exactly worried for money, understood?"
"It really isn't anything to worry about."
Bella froze again, tearing her eyes away from Alice and wondering if her ears were deceiving her. She stared at Edward, blinking furiously, until she realized - damnably - that they weren't.
"It bothers me. Isn't that enough?"
"You're making a big deal out of a gift. A gift that Rosalie would enjoy every second of. Just… let her fix your truck, she'd love the opportunity to look at it. Trust me, please, she'd be quite happy to."
"I…" She didn't know what to say, seeing as this was the first time that Edward had properly spoken to her. Not without being a snippy asshole, at least. It was extremely strange to say the least, and it was why it took another few seconds for Bella to muster up a response. "Fuck it. Sure. Whatever. I'm just… I'm weird about money. Spent so long having to worry about it that, you know, anything that sounds too good to be true probably is."
Rosalie's voice was gentle when she spoke, casting a strange look Edward's way. "Don't worry about it. Alright? I… really would enjoy having the opportunity to work on your truck."
"Okay. Alright then. That's… that's fine. I'm okay with this. I'm not- I'm not freaking out about it or anything."
"Sure sounds like it," Emmett giggled.
"Whatever, man. I'm trying my best, okay? Shit's weird for me."
"I bet it is. Lot going on for you all at once. Actually, speaking of which, got any news about Victoria?"
"No, I haven't heard a thing. Just the hand and Jesus that's still so goddamn weird. Are you sure that's normal?" she asked, turning back to Rosalie.
"It's very normal. Humans send flowers. Ghouls send body parts."
"And vampires?"
"Blood, of course."
"And I thought I'd gotten used to it all."
"It'll be some time yet before you learn everything, but I've got plenty of books on the subject if you'd like to read them."
"Illegal books?"
"Very."
"Sounds good to me."
Lunch went well after that, and though Bella still dwelled on the sudden courtesy extended to her by Edward, she was mostly relieved he wasn't behaving like an asshole anymore. That didn't mean her guard hadn't dropped. Anything but. She was simply pleased to know it was something she didn't have to put up with for the foreseeable future and, hopefully, something that wouldn't once again devolve into arguments on morality and what a dangerous, terrible thing she was. And what a hypocritical thing that was to say, coming from him. God, it still drove her mental that Edward had so quickly turned from his whole 'woe is me' diatribe over to damning her instead.
Fingers crossed.
The only real annoyance Bella had to deal with now was having to avoid Gwen, which was still obnoxious, but stemming more from the guilt she felt than anything else. It was foolish, she knew that, but that didn't stop her from wanting to apologize as quickly as she could and then continue avoiding Gwen, but even an apology would make her dog Bella's steps even more, and that was something she couldn't deal with.
To her surprise, even biology was painless. No snide comments from Edward nor any lingering glances. He behaved like any other student, quietly taking notes and occasionally pointing something out as they did their lab work. If Bella was honest she'd say it was almost unnerving how quickly his behaviour had turned on its head, and while she hoped that he'd actually listened to her and spent his second time running away actually mulling over what she'd said and learned from it, she assumed it was something else. Namely one of the Cullens had told him to figure his shit out.
Bella would put her money on Alice.
Wait, no.
Jasper. Jasper seemed the type to intervene on someone else's behalf.
And just like that the day was over, Bella hopping in her truck, tinny speakers blaring as she puttered behind the Cullen convoy. She had to admit she was a little bit happy to know her truck was getting fixed. Upgraded, even, if her assumptions about Rosalie were correct. She'd seen their cars often enough here at school to notice they looked expensive, to say the least.
She groaned aloud as the guilt came with that thought, gripping the steering wheel a little too tight. Damn her and her penchant for paying people back. It was a bad habit, one she'd had her whole life, and it hadn't served her well over the last two years. Renée had drilled it into her head from a young age to be thankful for what she was given, up to and more often than not including paying them back. It was basically a motto of hers, and while she was harebrained to the extreme and often forgetful, she never forgot to return the favour if someone had helped her in the past. It may have taken months, years even, but she'd get around to it when she could. So Bella had gone through her entire life with that motto instilled in her, and even after her ghoulification it wasn't a habit she found easy to break.
It was with that thought that she wheeled into the Cullens driveway, pausing as the garage door began to open and goddamn, is that-?
Their garage wasn't a garage. It was a garage. A whole mechanics shop running along the bottom half of the house decked out with lifts, walls of tools, and more luxury vehicles than you could shake a stick at. There was a pristine, shining Jeep alongside a bright yellow Porsche, and as Bella's eyes flicked left and right she spied a motorcycle tucked neatly into the corner, behind a convertible.
No shit they were rich. They were loaded. She knew that the first time she looked at their house but damn, having a car for each member of the family was a steep price to pay let alone getting them new, and very obviously top of the line.
Frankly, it was intimidating.
Bella didn't do rich. She ate rich, but that was another matter entirely. Far more literal and far more messy, though she was beginning to doubt that as she continued to scan the garage, taking in what must be tens of thousands of dollars in tools, equipment, and all manner of machinery all for the sake of a hobby. Rosalie wasn't out here making money with all this, she was burning it, and by the look of things the Cullens wouldn't even notice the dent it made in their coffers.
"Fuck…" came her breathy exclamation, startling when Rosalie tapped on her window and pointed at an open spot.
It was with the gentlest flex of the ankle that Bella drove into the garage, worried beyond belief about knocking into anything. Hell, her palms sweat a little bit and that made her more than a little confused. She'd murdered and eaten people, and here she was losing her shit about trading a little paint.
Priorities, Bella, she reminded herself, putting the truck in park and brushing down her pants as she stepped out of it, trying desperately not to show her worry.
If Rosalie noticed she was kind enough not to say anything, instead pointing to the door and saying, "You can go now."
"What?"
"I said you can go?"
"Not a chance, I want to see you work."
"You… want to see me work."
It was a question as much as it was a statement, and Rosalie looked genuinely confused at Bella's words. So confused that she had to mentally regroup, pausing and blinking once as she digested what Bella said, before huffing and shrugging at her. "Sit over there," she said, jerking her chin towards a little barstool with wheels. "I need to change."
Awkwardly, Bella planted herself on the stool, kicking at the concrete floor. Her head tilted as she listened to the Cullens above, laughing and talking amongst themselves, some strange taunt in the way that Emmett spoke to Rosalie, who swore at him. Regrettably, they were just quiet enough that she couldn't hear their words, only their tone, which made it even more confusing.
By the time Rosalie made her way back down to the garage Bella was spinning in her chair, kicking off the ground only to stick her legs out and hold onto the bottom of the seat for dear life as it whirled round and round. Her heels skidded across the concrete as Rosalie walked in, the chair nearly toppling over as Bella screamed to a halt, staring at her wide eyed.
"I got bored."
"How lovely."
She'd changed into something simple, and Bella was absolutely aghast at the transformation. Not in a bad way, it was just… she'd never seen Rosalie in something that wasn't meant to make her even more intimidating than she already was. It was always heels, boots, tight pants and flowing tops. Even her jackets were scarily sharp, cutting a severe figure with the padded shoulders and high lapels she was so fond of. But now she was standing there in front of Bella in a plain white tee and sweatpants. Hell, even her shoes were simple, a pair of high tops that were properly scuffed, not her usual affair with an almost scary level of cleanliness.
It was humanizing.
"Will you be quiet while I work?"
"Well, I'll ask questions. Can I not ask questions?"
Picking up a cloth and walking over to Bella's truck, Rosalie slipped her finger beneath the hood and pulled a latch, springing it open. She quickly propped it up and turned to Bella, scanning her up and down. "I'll explain what I'm doing as I go along. I'm going to diagnose your car, not cure it. That comes later."
"Alright."
Scooting over on her little stool, Bella listened attentively as Rosalie worked. She didn't notice how she'd shift closer and closer as the slow and measured candor of Rosalie's voice drifted across the garage, her hand drifting over the engine and whatever other parts made up her truck. Bella didn't really know what it was she was looking at, the knot of pistons, cables, bands, and god knows what else all a mess to her. She couldn't make heads or tails of it all, but that didn't stop her from listening as attentively as she could.
If Bella were paying any attention to her behaviour at all she would realize how strange it was for her to be so silent, her temperance patient as could be as she simply sat, watched, and waited while Rosalie expertly maneuvered her way around Bella's truck. It was an art in and of itself, and she stayed quiet through it all bar the occasional question as she tried to make out what in the hell Rosalie was actually doing. The longer it went on the more Bella realized that mechanics were not and never would be her strong suit, which was really just fine now that she thought about it.
An hour went by. Then another. By the time Bella realized how long she'd spent sitting, her ass was beginning to sting and her hands were numb because she'd sat on them the whole damn time. Rosalie was in the middle of talking when she stood, toppling over as the sensation of pins and needles wormed its way up her legs.
"Oh shit-"
Arms windmilling, eyes wide, Bella's kagune nearly shot out of her back in an effort to hold herself up were it not for the arms that reached out to grab her. A gasp left Bella, teeth clacking together as she grabbed onto Rosalie's forearm, her back bent as if a dancer. The two of them froze, Rosalie staring down at her with a stunned expression, and all Bella noticed was the smudge of oil across her cheek and the way a few locks of hair had sprung out of her already messy ponytail.
"Goddamn."
"What?"
"I'm still clumsy."
Rosalie scoffed and let Bella go, a surprised grunt echoing in her chest as she flailed, smacking into the ground with a groan. "Oh c'mon," she cursed, rolling onto her side. "Really?"
"I've never seen a clumsy ghoul before."
"I had fuckin' pins and needles. Jeez. I'm the only one with muscles that aren't made out of friggin' stone in this house."
"Excuses."
"Are you making fun of me?"
As if affronted, Rosalie pressed a hand to her chest, gasping. "Me? Of course not."
"You're making fun of me."
Rosalie scoffed at her. "That's beneath me."
"Ass."
"You're like a newborn fawn."
"You are making fun of me!" Hopping to her feet, Bella grinned. "I like it."
Rosalie's head moved so quickly it should have snapped off, her mouth open and her eyes squinted in confusion. "What?"
"I thought you'd glare at me forever or always throw out the fact that you know everything about everything. I'm glad."
"Why?"
"I don't know? It makes you more human?"
Lips curled into a snarl, Rosalie took a step forward, the rag she was holding twisting in her grip. "I am anything but human."
"Well, we all sort of are, aren't we? Just… offshoots or something. Vampires and ghouls had to come from somewhere, right? It's not like we shot out of the ground one day and started existing."
"Are you high again? Did you take a bite out of me when I wasn't looking?"
"I'm just talking! Am I not allowed to talk?"
"Lord above, this is just what I need. A ghoul stuck in her bonding phase."
It was Bella's turn for her jaw to drop. "This isn't- this isn't some weird ghoul thing. This is me trying to make friends."
"This is how you make friends?"
"Well, I haven't really had the chance to talk to many people since I've been, you know, trying not to die for the last two years! Jesus." Bella huffed, running her fingers through her hair. "I'm trying to be friendly, for fuck's sake. I'm not allowed to be friendly?"
"Friendly gets people killed." Lip curling, Rosalie turned away. "Be friendly. Just not here."
"You let me watch you work!"
"Well that was a mistake now, wasn't it?"
"All I said was I'm glad you're comfortable enough to joke around with me! That's it!"
"Leave!" Rosalie roared, throwing her rag to the ground so hard that Bella felt it reverberate through her sneakers.
Throwing her hands up in surrender, Bella stomped out of the garage and made her way upstairs, shooting a withering look Alice's way once she'd gotten to the living room and sitting down next to her, letting out another huff. She sat there for a moment, quiet, before groaning again.
"What the fuck was that?" she finally shot out, looking around the room. "You all heard that, right?"
Alice winced, sucking air through her teeth. "Rosalie is lovely, she just has a hard time making friends sometimes."
"Shocker."
"She is kinda' right, though," Emmett added, looking over his shoulder as he paused his game.
"How."
"You're acting different. It's not bad, but it's different."
"How am I doing that?"
"You're way more comfortable around us. It's crazy how quick you went from avoiding everyone to spending time at our house without even flinching. I mean, shit, the last time you were over you'd just eaten someone and you were freaking out. Before that we told you we were vampires and there was even more freaking out." He waved in no general direction, lips thin. "Now you're hanging out with us at lunch, saying hello in the parking lot… you're acting different."
"Okay, okay, so maybe I am going through some weird ghoul stuff, but that doesn't mean I don't actually want to get to know you guys… right? Or… shit, is this some instinctual thing and I don't actually mean it? I'm just doing what these fuckin' things-" she patted the small of her back. "-Are telling me to do?"
"Just because it's instinct doesn't mean it's not real. That'd be like saying that what Alice and Jasper have isn't real because they're vampires."
Real, true panic set in and Bella whirled on Alice. "I don't mean it that way- you know I don't mean it that way, right?"
"Of course I don't. Are you- are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm just- shit am I freaking out again?"
"Her instincts are going haywire," came a voice from the stairs, and Bella looked up to see Rosalie standing there. "She's already forming a bond with all of us and she's worried it's breaking."
"Fuck." Putting her face in her hands, Bella sighed. "This sucks so much."
"You should head home and get some rest."
The thought alone made Bella swallow, nausea brimming in her throat. She choked it down, inhaling sharply, and nodded once. "I think I should."
"I'll drive you."
"What?" Awkwardly, she looked past the lattice of her fingers at Rosalie. "Are you sure?"
"I wouldn't offer otherwise." Crooking a single finger, Rosalie canted her head towards the driveway. "Come on, let's get you home."
"Sure. Uh- sorry guys-"
"Don't worry about it!" Emmett effused. "Trust me, we've all done worse."
"Tell me about it next time, alright?"
Smiling thinly at everyone, Bella stumbled to her feet and followed after Rosalie, practically holding her breath the whole time. To her embarrassment they walked out the front door just as Carlisle and Esme arrived, the two immediately trying to strike up a conversation with her.
Bella opened her mouth to reply when Rosalie put her hand up. "Sorry you two. Have to get this one home."
They both paused and Carlisle looked her over, his eyes widening and nostrils flaring. "Of course. Good seeing you Bella."
"Uh- yeah, you too."
The sound of a beep and the shifting latch of a lock got her attention, and Bella nearly tripped over her own feet as Rosalie beckoned her over to the Volvo, the door already open. She slumped against the seat as soon as she was inside the car, seatbelt drawn across her chest with mechanical stiffness and another heavy sigh slipping past her lips. Bella grit her teeth as Rosalie turned the key in the ignition, the quiet rumble of the engine meeting her ears and, dimly, she noticed that whatever this Volvo was, it wasn't stock.
Of course it wasn't.
She refused to speak as they drifted down the gravel driveway and slowly pulled onto the main road, Bella's gaze locked to the passenger window and the whirl of green as they picked up speed. Beside her Rosalie cleared her throat, and it took a second for her to remember that vampires had no need to clear their throat, because they were perfect physical specimens and had no need for such trifles.
Her head listed over to the side, frowning, and Bella spoke. "Yeah?"
"I want to apologize for my behaviour."
"You… what?"
"It was unbecoming of me and I know better than to act that way," Rosalie stated, shouldering on. "You were simply trying to get to know me, and attacking you for it was entirely uncalled for."
Slowly, Bella nodded. "Thanks."
All Rosalie did was nod in return, glancing across the dash and giving Bella a knowing look, before turning her attention back to the road. There was no music to tide them over. No small chat. Only the wine of tire on tarmac and the steady hum of the engine as they swept down the street. Halfway through Rosalie began to pat a quiet beat against the steering wheel, and though she didn't hum along to anything Bella knew a song danced behind her steeled eyes.
They reached her home both quicker and slower than Bella thought they would, and as she did her best to look only at the faded paint along the wooden panels lining the little two story house, she also tried desperately to quell the almost painful embarrassment she felt. With a clenched jaw, Bella turned to look over at her traveling companion and pulled her lips into a poor facsimile of a smile.
"Thanks for helping me out with my truck."
"Don't thank me yet. I've got a lot of work to do to get it into shape."
"Gonna' take you a while?"
"A week or two depending on shipping, but I have a good idea of what needs done."
Canting her head, Bella hummed. "It means a lot… thought I'd let you know."
"Don't worry about it." Pausing, Rosalie clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, before her jaw quirked. "I've always loved working on cars. It's been a passion of mine for the last sixty years."
"Damn. Well… I hope I find something that captures my attention like that in the next couple years, otherwise I'll have a boring life ahead of me."
"...You'll find it."
"You think?"
"You've got nothing but time now. That's all you need to find something you're passionate about."
"Nothin' but time, huh?" Slapping her leg, Bella jerked her head in no particular direction. "I'll keep that in mind. Uh, thanks again for the ride."
"You don't need to thank me for every little thing."
"Yeah, I know, it's a habit though. Uh-"
"If that's another thank you, I'll never speak with you again."
"Alright, alright, I'm going," Bella said, putting her hands in the air. Stepping out of the car, she slapped her palm on the hood and leaned down, beaming at Rosalie. "Thanks for the ride."
Holding back a whoop, she slammed the door shut and high-tailed it into the house, only shooting one backwards glance towards to see Rosalie stuck between a scowl and a smirk.
That was a win in Bella's books.
She giggled to herself, softly shutting the door behind her and saying hello to her dad as he peeked his head out of the kitchen.
"You eat at the Cullens?"
"Yup."
"Well, sit down and have a cup of coffee, tell your old man how your day went."
Unbidden, a grin crept across her face and Bella hummed to herself. "Sure thing."