A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.
Chapter 13-
Bella's POV- Can't keep a thing in my stomach
"Where have you been?"
Tch- Tch, Joy!
No 'Hi'. No 'Hello'.
No 'how have you been'.
A direct jump to the hard questions.
What's with the lack of manners?
I expected more from you.
An internal sigh of sheer disappointment accompanied.
"Why are you laughing? What is so funny?"
Your face!
Of course, I didn't say that out loud. I do have a functional set of brains on me, thank you very much!
"Isabella Marie Swan, you better do answer me right this…."
"Mom, she was with me."
What the….
I turned to look at my savior, Quil, raising an eyebrow in question and utter disbelief.
Why was he lying?
Why was he trying to protect me?
If that was even what he was attempting to do?
"It is ten-thirty in the night, Quil. You returned home more than an hour ago." Joy gave him a stern look, clearly not buying the bullshit presented on a silver platter in front of her.
"Yeah, mom," Quil rolled his eyes in ultimate annoyance, similar to every angst- ridden teenager out there, "But I forgot something back at the beach and Bella was kind enough to go back to get it for me."
"What exactly did you forget?" Joy demanded to know, refusing to back down for any less than the honest answer.
"Um," Quil fumbled over his words, obviously not having any answer to provide her with, looking around him in impatience and worry.
Come on, Quil. You can do this!
My life is in your capable hands now.
Do it justice! Do me justice!
"My…my history textbook," Quil smiled in accomplishment. "I have a test tomorrow first thing in the morning and I had been studying back at the beach. In a haste to come back home, I accidently left it there behind. And Bella was nice enough to go back for it."
Yes!
I knew it!
He would be able to get us out of this mess….
"Isn't that your history textbook that is lying on the coffee table unattended?"
Oh. Shit.
Idiot.
Couldn't he have thought of something better- anything better?
At least he tried, my mind strongly argued.
"Um, about that," Quil ran a nervous hand through his hair, turning to look at me. "Bella, how did it reach there?"
What do I know?
Why are you looking at me?
"I…" I grimaced, Quil glaring at me to continue, having thrown the ball in my direction. "I just kept it there. Yeah. It was me."
Please believe me.
Please believe me.
Please…
"If I remember clearly…."
"Mom." Quil childishly whined, nearly stomping his feet in impatience. "Can I be dismissed now? I want to study for my test. I am pretty sure Ms. Russell is going to set the toughest question paper we have seen in a while; you know how she is? She enjoys tormenting us."
Yeah.
From the expression on Joy's face, I was confident that she had no idea who Ms. Russell was, forget knowing how she was or what she was capable of doing.
"Well?" A raise in the eyebrow followed when she was yet to answer nearly two and a half minutes later.
Not that I was keeping count or anything!
"Of course," Joy forcibly smiled. "Studying is important. Very. You must study and make something out of your…um…why are you still standing here? Go to your room."
Quil innocently- the devil in disguise- nodded his head, walking in the direction of his room after grabbing that very history textbook of his.
I quietly began to follow, my footsteps as light and invisible as possible…
"Bella, can I talk to you?"
I grimaced to myself, resisting the heavy urge to shake my head and run to my room.
I was an adult now.
Adults did not have the liberty to run from difficult situations…
Unless you are Renee Swan, that is. She has all the liberties in the world, especially when the choice is between having a mature decision and running away like an immature kid.
"I know that Quil is…"
"Mom." Quil once again interrupted, appearing in front of us- like the angel he was proving himself to be with each passing moment. "I need some help. Can I take Bella with me? She is older and obviously knows this stuff."
And then, without waiting for an answer, he grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of his room, an open- mouthed Joy staring at our retreating forms, helplessness and shock visible in her eyes.
I stared at him, letting him take the lead- obviously he knew what he was doing, finally taking a deep breath in when we stopped in his- messy- I must mention- bedroom. Seriously, where was the floor in here?
And why couldn't I find it?
And…most importantly…we had had cheesecake three days ago for dessert…
Why could I still smell it in here?
What impossible magic was this?
"Don't mind the mess." He shrugged, throwing a ball in the basket attached to the back of his door, turning to look at me briefly.
I nodded my head at that, knowing well that it was not going to be that easy to 'not mind the mess'.
Everywhere I looked I could see clutter.
It was…disgusting.
And such a cliché.
"You are welcome, by the way." he winked at me, a smirk on his face.
"Um," I blushed, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Why…why did you…"
"Help you out?" he offered.
"Yeah." I shrugged in agreement.
He sighed, giving me a pointed look. "Because that is what family does. We cover for the other, being a united strength instead of mere individuals in front of the opponent, or mom, however you look at it."
"Wow." I gave out a nervous laugh. I hadn't known that he had it in him. "That was rather….poignant?"
"Are you asking me or telling me that?" he grinned in amusement.
"I…don't know." I shrugged. "Honestly, I feel like my brain is all mushy and gooey and filled with shit at the moment to think rationally, but anyhow, I do realize that a thank you is in order…."
He waved me off. "Like I said, we are family."
I smiled at him, giving him a brief nod.
"So, where were you?" he tried to look disinterested, 'tried' being the operative word here.
I gave out a humorless laugh, shaking my head to myself. "You don't want to know that, believe me! It will feel like I have betrayed you, especially after what you did for me down there…."
"You were at Sam's."
It wasn't a question.
I shrugged at him, turning to look away in guilt.
"I know that he is your enemy…"
"He is not my enemy." He scoffed in disbelief. "Enemy is too…strong a word to use. Do I like the man- heck no, but that is only because he took my friends away from me; I have nothing personal against him."
"Wow." I let out a sigh, out of words to use in the current situation.
What does one even say to something like that?
"But I am slightly confused, I have to admit." he continued, "Had you been brainwashed like Jake and Embry are, you would have spat on my face and walked away, which obviously you haven't done…."
"He is not brainwashing them." I was quick to interrupt, making my place on the stinking bed as I attempted to make myself comfortable for this long ass discussion that was bound to happen. "And neither are they on steroids."
"They aren't?" his eyes were wide in disbelief, similar to a small clueless child who was just told that Santa Claus isn't real.
"Nope." I warily smiled. "It is all a matter of genes."
"What?" he frowned in confusion, as was expected.
And then, despite knowing better, I told Quil everything that I had learnt today, including the fact Paul had imprinted on me.
Sure, I knew that I was breaking the rules. That this was not allowed and I could face shit for doing this.
But. Eh.
Who cares?
Quil was family, hadn't he just mentioned this?
And I needed honest advice.
Like really, really did!
"Oh." He finally mumbled when I had finished speaking, deep in thought. "Now that I think about it, it makes sense in a weird way."
I nodded my head at that.
"So, they are all shape-shifters?"
"Yup." I admitted, my eyes still wide in disbelief and horror.
"That is so…"
Creepy?
Unnatural?
Out of a horror movie?
"Cool!"
Say what now?
Did I hear that wrong?
Had Quil just stated that being a shape-shifter was 'cool'?
What was wrong with the kid?
Who found this stuff cool?
It was literally the creepiest thing ever.
After vampires and zombies, that is.
Ew!
"Will I also be one?" He enthusiastically pleaded. "This is so cool! I want to be a wolf."
"You are insane." I stared at him in shock, half-wondering if I should run in the opposite direction, too concerned for my life.
He laughed loudly at my words, a sudden happiness visible in his eyes, relief too added in there.
"Let's confront them."
"What?" I frowned in surprise. "Quil…I don't think…."
This was a bad idea.
This was a horrible idea.
"Only Jake and Embry," he added in haste. "They will understand. We play pranks on each other all the time. How is this any different from that?"
"I don't know." I shook my head in uncertainty. "If this goes bad…"
"It won't."
He sounded so very confident of his answer.
I gulped to myself, his eyes pleading with me to reconsider.
"Ok." I finally sighed, giving up.
Jake and Embry would understand.
Yeah, they would.
Hopefully.
"Yes!" he cheered to himself, almost jumping at his place in joy. "Let's start the planning and plotting then." He gave me the evil-eye, excitement thick in his tone.
"Wait." I hesitantly spoke up. "Don't you have to study for your test?"
It was supposed to be a tough one, wasn't it?
"Eh." He winked. "What test? I don't even have a history teacher named Ms. Russell. And more importantly, all my history teacher does in class is snore loudly and disturbingly."
I could not control it then.
I laughed my ass off, slightly, strangely excited for the near future.