Despite the conviction I had the night before to talk to Alice about whatever the hell is going on between us, I ended up being a coward and backing out. Instead, I spent the rest of the week pretty much the way I spent it Tuesday. I talked to Mike and Eric, who continued to escort me between classes. I sat with them, Angela, Jessica, and a few others I've finally learned the names of: Ben and that bitch Lauren who hit me with the volleyball. Her, I just ignore.
Edward still didn't come to school, so I was able to go to Physics without fear of being glared to death. Alice and I would talk about mundane things during Drama and on the way to Gym. I learned she doesn't have a favorite genre of music either, since she listens to pretty much everything. Her favorite classes are Drama, Music, and History. We managed to get on the same team on Thursday, and I was grateful for it because she played for the both of us, avoiding another catastrophe like Tuesday's. Despite her tiny stature, she is pretty fucking athletic.
After school I would start dinner, let Mindy out, and do my homework. Charlie gets home around the time that dinner is done, so we would sit mostly in silence while we eat. We would ask the usual question: How was work/school? And that was pretty much it for conversation. Neither of us minded, of course. After eating, we wash the dishes together and then Charlie would grab a beer and collapse on the couch, turning on the TV to whatever sport he decided to watch that day while I would do homework, play with Chip and Mindy, or listen to music while reading a book.
On Saturday, I spent about five hours cleaning the entire house. I swear, the house was never cleaned in the fifteen years since mom moved out. I had to empty the vacuum cleaner at least ten times just from vacuuming the living room. The bedrooms were a little better, but still pretty bad. There was at least a half inch of dust on most surfaces. By the time I finished, I had black dust smudges all over my arms, face, and hands. I blew my nose and nothing but black dust boogers came out. It was disgusting. I vowed after that to never let it get that bad again. Even if I have to hire someone to clean for Charlie when I eventually move out.
After I took a shower to clean the nastiness off, I went to the local library for something to do. I was highly disappointed in the selection, so pretty much just turned around and went right back out the door after walking in. On the way back to the house, I decided I would have to make a trip to Olympia or something to check out the book stores there. However, that just made me wonder what the gas cost would be, since the truck is pretty bad on gas mileage. I'm also not sure if it would even make such a long trip.
After getting home from the brief library trip, I got Mindy's leash and took her for a walk. I made it a few miles down the road to the local park, which actually doesn't look too bad. It has a small skate park, playground, some tennis courts, and a big grassy area. I let Mindy off her leash, since no one is around, and throw a ball for her to fetch.
After playing for twenty minutes, Mindy starts to take longer to come back with the ball, so I know she is getting tired. I look around more and notice there is a tank and a train engine on display, each under their own large wooden roof. Out of curiosity, and because I love history, I go over to read the plaque's in front of each display.
I start walking to the train first, and I suddenly think of a song. I get my phone out, open Spotify, and play The Locomotion by Little Eva. I sing along, goofy grin on my face, as I start looking over the plaque in front of the train. I'm disappointed, because the plaque is actually pretty boring. I thought it was going to tell a good story of some significance the train had in the town's history, but it really just explains what type of engine it is and how it was used for logging.
Not really the history I enjoy reading about. So, I move on to the tank. This one doesn't have a plaque that says anything about the tank itself, but instead shows that the display is dedicated to a Lance Corporal in the Marines who died during Vietnam. I say a silent thank you in appreciation for his service, and continue playing with Mindy for the next half hour, since she got enough of a break while I wandered around.
Not wanting to go home, I go to the playground and goof around on the monkey bars. It's been a while since I've been on these things, so I see if I can still lift myself and hang from my knees. I grab the highest bar with both hands, pull myself up a bit, and then swing my body back so I can wrap my legs around the bar. I'm surprised that I still have enough core strength to do it, since I haven't really worked out in a while.
I just lay there, hanging upside down, Mindy licking my hands as I let them just dangle limply toward the ground. After a few minutes, I start to feel the blood rushing to my head and decide to get down. Crap, how do I do this without hurting myself? Using all my core strength, I lift my self up to grab the bars, disentangle my legs from them (huffing a little at the effort), and manage to get back to the ground. Well, not necessarily on my feet. I lost my grip and ended up landing on my side.
I lay there for a few moments before I hear Mindy start barking at something from above me. I tilt my head back on the ground, and see someone walking toward me. As they get closer, I can hear them giggling. I'm guessing it's at me, considering the position I'm still in. Whoever it is stops a few feet away from me and scratches Mindy behind the ears. I look up again and finally recognize who it is, despite them being upside down from my position.
"Hey Angela, how are you doing?" I ask, finally sitting up and crossing my legs, remaining on the ground.
"Better than you I'm sure. I saw your oh so graceful landing from the other side of the park." Her giggling turning into fits of laughter.
"Ha-ha." I laugh sarcastically, glaring at her. "I slipped, you asshole. The bars are still wet from the rain yesterday. Anyway, what brings you here?"
"I'm sure the same as you. There's nothing to do in this town, so I just came here for something to do. What's your dog's name anyway? She's so cute and sweet!"
She made her way to sit next to me while she was answering me. The moment she sat down, Mindy started licking her face, streaking her glasses. She's using both hands to pet Mindy now, vigorously scratching behind an ear and her belly.
"Her name is Mindy. She is pretty awesome. Not much of a guard dog, though, apparently."
"That's because she knows I'm not a threat. Nothing to guard you against! Isn't that right Mindy?" She started baby-talking now. Oh geez, she is going to turn my dog into even more of a push-over.
"She is a pretty good judge of character. You know, I think this is the most I've heard you talk. You're usually pretty quiet in school, even at lunch." I say as I start grabbing at Mindy's leg, making her mouth my hand gently, playfully.
"I'm more of an observer. There are enough people at our table to keep conversation going without me needing to chime in. So, I watch and listen to everyone else. It's a good way for me to be able to help my friends, since I usually learn more about them that way than they do with their constant yammering about nonsense."
"I'm the same way, except it doesn't really help me with helping anyone. I'm good at listening when someone just needs to vent, but I suck at giving advice."
"Well, I hope you are good at taking advice. Because, I've been noticing things with you this week. I'm glad I ran into you, to be honest. I wanted to talk to you before, but it's hard to get you alone."
I sit up straighter and snap my head over to fully face her. "What do you mean?" I ask with a guarded tone.
I guess my reaction made her lose her confidence, because she hesitates and stutters a bit as she continues. "Well, I-I've noticed all week how whenever you walk into the cafeteria you glance at the, uh, Cu-Cullen's table... Not to mention Eric has told me that you seem to kind of... hold your breath when you walk into your Physics class. Look, I know Edward Cullen is some mysterious, model-type of guy. But trust me, don't waste your time pining over him. He will just break your heart like he has countless others. I don't want you getting hurt, Bella."
I try not to laugh as she finishes her rant. She actually thinks I'm interested in Edward? I guess I should be grateful she hasn't noticed who ACTUALLY has my attention. That would just make things more awkward. So, I just put on as serious a face I can and look in her eyes.
"Thank you Angela. I promise, I won't let Edward get to me."
"Good. I just don't want to see you go through the same things Lauren, Jessica, and countless other girls have gone through. You just got here. Don't want your first experience in Forks to be heartbreak now, do we?"
"Yeah, that would for sure put me off of staying here." I laugh out.
"God, that would suck. So far, you're the smartest girl at school, besides me and the Cullen's. It would get pretty dull if you left." She says with a grin.
"Aw, thanks Angela. You're pretty dope yourself." I say, smacking her arm playfully.
"Well, I should head home. You should too. It's getting dark, and this place gets some creeps that hang out at night." She shudders, looking over my shoulder.
I look behind me and see a middle aged man wearing a dirty, ripped coat who seems to be talking to himself and scratching at his arms. I grimace and feel myself shiver.
"Point taken. Want us to walk you home?"
"Sure, I live just down the road. I can drive you and Mindy home too. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to walk home now. Even with Mindy, it isn't safe." She stands, holding her hand out to help me up.
I accept her help, dust off my pants, and take out Mindy's leash. I attach it to her collar and start following Angela.
"Thanks, that's nice of you."
I walk with Angela to her house in a pleasant silence, with Mindy walking calmly by my side. She only lives a quarter mile down the road from the park, so we don't walk for long. When we get to her house, we get right into her car that is parked on the curb in front of her house. It's a pale green VW Bug. It's looks to be a newer model, maybe only a couple years old.
Mindy hops in the back, and I get into the passenger seat. Angela starts it up and immediately the radio starts blasting Monster by Kanye West feat. Jay Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver. Angela blushes and fumbles to turn it down, but stops when I start rapping Nicki's part, which just started playing.
"Pull up in the monster
Automobile gangster
With a bad bitch that came from Sri Lanka
Yeah I'm in that Tonka, color of Willy Wonka
You could be the King, but watch the Queen conquer
OK first things first I'll eat your brains
Then I'ma start rocking gold teeth and fangs
Cause that's what a motherfucking monster do
Hairdresser from Milan, that's the monster do
Monster Giuseppe heel that's the monster shoe
Young money is the roster and the monster crew
And I'm all up all up all up in the bank with the funny face
And if I'm fake I ain't notice cause my money ain't!
So let me get this straight wait I'm the rookie?
But my features and my shows ten times your pay
Fifty K for a verse no album out!
Yeah my money's so tall that my barbies gotta climb it
Hotter than a middle eastern climate
Find it, Tony Matterhorn dutty wine it, wine it
Nicki on them titties when I sign it
How these *people* so one-track minded?
But really really I don't give a F-U-C-K
Forget barbie fuck Nicki 'cause she's fake
She's on a diet but my pockets eating cheesecake
And I'll say bride of Chucky is Child's play
Just killed another career it's a mild day
Besides Ye they can't stand besides me
I think me, you and Am' should menage Friday
Pink wig thick ass give 'em whip lash
I think big get cash make 'em blink fast
Now look at what you just saw, this is what you live for
Ah, I'm a motherfucking MONSTER!"
Angela had joined in around the part about eating brains, and we both get into the song, gesturing our hands to certain parts of the song. I don't feel comfortable saying, you know, the N word, so I always replace it with another word. This time, I use people. Angela just paused for that word, apparently also not comfortable with the word. She turns it down when the song is over, and looks over at me with a smile and her eyes expressing wonderment. I can tell, she did not expect that from me at ALL. I feel the same way about her though, so I beat her to the comment I know she is going to make.
"Dude, I wasn't expecting that from you. I approve though, that was fucking awesome!" I had to say that last part, because I could tell Angela was feeling embarrassed, thanks to the bright red blush that started creeping up her face.
"Oh trust me, I'm in the same boat about you. You killed that solo!" She laughs, elbowing me in my side as she pulls into my driveway.
I get out and let Mindy out of the back seat. "Thanks for the ride. I'll see you in class tomorrow. Oh, and thanks for the talk too, I'll keep your advice in mind." I say, leaning down to talk to Angela through her window.
"No problem, Bella. See ya!" She waves out of the window as she starts backing out of the driveway.
I head into the house, Charlie still isn't home from his fishing trip that he left on early in the morning with Billy. I grab an apple from the fridge and plop down in front of the TV. I flip through the apps and settle on Amazon Prime, deciding I want to watch a movie. I don't know why, but I want to watch Underworld. I haven't seen it for a while, and Kate Beckinsale as Selene is pretty hot.
Okay, I guess I have been attracted to people before. Just not people I know personally. Celebrity crushes, not really peer crushes. And, now that I think of it, most of my celebrity crushes are women. Kate Beckinsale (obviously), Emma Watson, Laura Prepon, Piper Perabo, Gal Gadot... Do I even have a male crush? Huh, I guess not... Well, now I'm getting somewhere with myself.
By the time I finish the movie, Charlie is just getting home with a cooler full of fish. Apparently he caught some trout, salmon, and a catfish. He takes it to the kitchen, and starts cleaning them. The smell starts getting to me, so I head upstairs and lay down on my bed. Mindy and Chip must have been enjoying the smell, because they didn't join me. I close my door, trying to keep the smell out, and read Wuthering Heights while listening to Naked Pictures (Of Your Mother) by Electric Six.
The song is interrupted by a text notification on my phone, which I'm obviously using to listen to said song. I look at it and it is from Angela. I open it to see it is a video of her rapping part of Gimme Some More by Busta Rhymes. She actually did an amazing job, and I can't think of any reaction that would do her justice. So, I just send her a simple text back, not thinking of anything decent to say:
Dude, that was sick!
I fell asleep at some point, because next thing I know I am awake to a dead phone and the book on the floor next to me. I sit up, rubbing my face to wake myself up some more. I smell chocolate strawberries again, only this time it is stronger. I also notice this time that it smells different than normal chocolate and strawberries. I really need to find that neighbor and see if I can get some of whatever they are baking. While it smells too strong and not really all that pleasant, I think it's more because of the distance it's traveling to my window.
I open my door and Mindy jumps up and runs to my bed. She must have missed sleeping with me last night. I go brush my teeth and take a quick shower. On my way back to my room, I notice my door has scratch marks all over it. I frown, looking up at Mindy, who gives me a sheepish look as she lays her head down between her paws. She usually doesn't do things like this, so there must be something bothering her. Maybe she's still adjusting to the new environment? I shrug it off, deciding I'll head to the store and get some paint to fix it.
I get dressed, let Mindy out, feed them, and then head to the truck. I head to Forks Outfitters and grab a small pint of white paint from the Ace Hardware inside, along with a small roller and sandpaper. I get home, sand down and then re-paint over the parts that are scratched. I head downstairs, making sure to have Mindy and Chip follow me so they don't mess with the wet paint, and just watch TV all day. There really isn't anything better to do, since it is raining again.
Around 5pm I start making dinner. I decide on making some skinny chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. While I boil the water for the potatoes, I start up the deep fryer and start slicing the chicken into strips, about a half inch thick. When I've done that, I peel some potatoes and cut them into inch cubes. I grab a bowl and put some flour in it, mixing in some season salt. The water is boiling now, so I put in the potatoes.
I put all the chicken in the flour mix and coat them all, then put them into the fryer. I let them get to a nice golden color, then put them on a plate with a paper towel over it. I shake more season salt on them. While the next batch cooks, I boil the green beans in another pot. By the time I've fried all the chicken, the potatoes are done. I drain them, put some milk, butter, and seasonings into the pot, and start mashing them. I grab another small pot and make some gravy.
Charlie is home now, and he fixes himself a plate. He eyes it funnily, then looks at me with a puzzled look on his face. I guess he has never had Skinny Chicken before. I sit down and start eating. When he sees I haven't been poisoned from the food, he digs in. I hear him moan after he takes a bite, I'm guessing he approves. We eat in relative silence, like usual, and do the dishes together, like usual. He grabs a beer, turns on the TV to a game. I head upstairs, checking the door as I go to see it's dry now. I grab my book off the floor, plug my phone in, having only charged it this morning while I was in the shower.
Mindy and Chip join me again, and I absentmindedly pet Chip while I read Wuthering Heights, leaving where I left off the night before. After I notice I'm falling asleep again, I put a scrap paper in the book to hold my place, place it on my night stand, and turn off the lamp. I got back in to pajamas as soon as I got home from the store earlier, so I don't need to change. I just lay down and go right to sleep, looking forward to going to school tomorrow. Not because I actually want to learn anything. If I'm being honest, I'm looking forward to seeing Alice again. I missed talking to her this weekend. I didn't call or text her during the weekend, worrying she would think I'm clingy or something... Although, I'm probably being stupid.
I get to school the next day and the first thing I notice is the silver Volvo. I groan, knowing this must mean Edward is back. I don't see the Cullen's though, so I guess they are already in the school. I'm mostly glad, although I was looking forward to seeing Alice first thing. I head inside and go to class, talking with Mike, not really paying attention to our conversation.
When the class starts, I'm the only person who doesn't groan when Mr. Mason announces a pop quiz, glad for the distraction. I need something to keep me from thinking of what is going to happen when I get to Physics class later today. The quiz is over Wuthering Heights, making me chuckle a bit to myself. I'd been reading it over the weekend (and it's one of my favorite books) so I manage to make it through it feeling confident I got all the answers right.
Mike walks me to Pre-Calculus, asking me how my weekend was and telling me about his. He worked at his parent's store and hung out with some of his friends. He had almost as boring a weekend as me, apparently. Eric greets us at the door, telling us about his weekend, which was pretty much the same as Mike's, minus the working. Class starts, I take notes as Mr. Varner lectures, write down the problems he gives us for our homework, and the bell rings. Mike and Eric walk me to History, greeting Angela as she walks in, and saying bye to me while they head to their next classes.
I smile at Angela as I take my seat next to her. "What up Lil' Ang?"
"Not much, MC Bells." She smirks.
The bell rings and Mr. Jefferson calls roll, then proceeds to give us a pop quiz too. Did the teachers all plan to give their classes pop quizzes on the same day? Thankfully, I had already read most of the textbook and the questions are all pretty much taken from the end chapter questions. I finish before everyone else, save for maybe Angela. I think she finished at the same time as me. While we wait for the other students to finish the quiz, we start singing This Is How We Do It by Montell Jordan under our breath. I look over her shoulder to the window outside after Mr. Jefferson starts his lecture, having collected all of the quizzes.
When I see what's outside, I groan. Angela looks up at me puzzled, and seeing where I'm looking, looks over her shoulder. She looks back at me, even more puzzled, obviously wondering why I'm not excited for the snow that is falling outside. She must have decided I have my reasons, so doesn't press me about it when class is over. Instead, she just walks with me silently to the cafeteria. My eyes travel to the Cullen table automatically, only this time they don't look away almost immediately like usual. Instead, I stop and look on with a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
Usually when I look over at their table, they're all just talking quietly to each other or staring off in different directions. This time, however, they are all laughing and smiling. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward's hair are all soaked. They look like they were taking advantage of the snow, I can see some snow flakes on Emmett's dark hair. Just then, he shakes his head, sending water everywhere. Rosalie and Alice lean away from him, Alice laughing along and Rosalie glaring at him.
I can't help but stare at Alice, her beautiful smile captivating me and making me smile along with her. She looks up, still smiling, and catches my eye for a brief moment with her smile growing bigger (if that's even possible) before I look away and get into the lunch line.
Angela noticed me looking, and frowns at me. Shit, I forgot she gave me "advice" the other day about me staying away from Edward. I guess I need to explain to her I have no interest in him at some point. Not now though, I want to tell her when Mike and Eric aren't around, since they just joined us in line and are seemingly excited about the snow. They're planning a big snow fight after school. I roll my eyes, and tell them to count me out. That gets Mike to frown at me and pout.
"What's wrong Bella?" He asks.
"Snow? Ew... I have no interest in playing in the snow, especially having it thrown at me." I grimace.
"You don't like snow... How do you not like snow!?"
"Snow means it's too cold for rain, dude. Besides, I thought that snowflakes were supposed to be unique. These just look like someone tore apart some cotton balls. And why is it snowing now? It's March, for fucks sake!" I say, looking out the window as we walk past it to head back to our table that's by the wall near the entrance to the cafeteria.
"It doesn't usually snow this late, but it does happen sometimes. Have you not seen snow before?" Eric asks me this time.
"Sure, on TV." I shrug. When I see their faces, I roll my eyes and explain further. "Guys, I'm from Phoenix. You know, the desert? It doesn't exactly snow in the desert."
They both nod, and Angela is just grinning at their stupid, dumbfounded looks. I mean, really, is it that surprising someone hasn't experienced snow before? The rest of lunch passes with Eric, Mike, Angela, and Lauren planning the "ultimate snow war" after school and the trip to La Push this weekend. I tell them I'll try to make it, but I'm still not going to participate in the snow war. I manage to be distracted for almost the entire lunch period, only looking up at the Cullen table once.
That one time I did though, I got a different sight than the one I was expecting. Instead of Edward giving me the death glare, he looked at me with a small smile adorning his face. I don't know why, but it kind of creeps me out. The creepy feeling passes though, the moment I look past him to Alice, who is talking to Jasper. Instead, I start to feel... Jealousy? Anger? I don't know, but something about the way Jasper is looking at Alice unsettles me.
Eric and Mike escort me to Physic's again, and I make my way to my desk. I got so used to Edward not being around, I jump when the chair next to me screeches back and he sits down in it. I look over and he is looking at me apprehensively, which confuses me, considering it should be me that should be apprehensive. I'm not the one that treated the new student like she just kicked their puppy. I ignore him, taking out my textbook from my book bag on the floor.
"Hello." I'm startled by the musical voice that speaks next to me. His voice is beautiful, but not nearly as captivating as his sister's. I look over and see Edward is sitting as far away as he can get from me, but his chair is angled toward me. He is smiling at me, open and friendly. His eyes, however, are guarded.
"H-hi..." I stammer out.
"I'm Edward Cullen. I'm sorry I didn't get to introduce myself last week. I wasn't feeling well. You're Bella Swan, correct?"
"How do you know my name?" I ask, confused.
"Well, you're the talk of the school right now. This town doesn't get many new faces. Everyone was just waiting for you to finally arrive." He says, amused.
"No... I mean, how do you know to call me Bella? I swear, Char- my dad calls me Isabella behind my back. Everyone else called me that on my first day before I could correct them." I mentally smack myself.
"Oh. Alice told me she talked to you. When I called you Isabella, she corrected me." I can't help but smile when he tells me Alice corrected him.
Before he can say anything else, Mr. Banner starts class. Everyone is excited today. We get to do some Physics experiments. It's nothing super exciting, we do some quick experiments and then write down why the result happened. I've done these before, I can tell by the objects on everyone's desks. We were a bit ahead in Phoenix, and I also have seen some YouTube videos about these kinds of things. This is going to be a breeze.
"Ladies first?" Edward offers.
I smirk, "Go ahead then."
He laughs and starts the first of the five experiments on the desk. It's a simple thermodynamics experiment. You take a glass bottle that has a plastic tube going through the lid, put it in boiling water (which was achieved thanks to an electric kettle that was already filled with water and set to boil when we walked in), let it heat up, then tip it upside down over a bowl of cool water. This makes the cool water suck up into the bottle.
"So, heating air causes it to expand and cooling it-" Edward starts, but I cut him off.
"causes it to contract, I know. The boiling water in the bottle causes the glass to get hot, so the air inside the glass also gets hot causing it to expand. When the bottle is put into the cold water it quickly cools, causing the air inside to contract rapidly. That creates a vacuum and sucks the water up."
He smirks at me, and writes down our answer. He gestures for me to do the next experiment, which I do. It's two metal cylinders and a metal pipe that is fixed into a wooden holder. I put one of the cylinders into the pipe and it immediately falls. I drop the second one in and it takes a good ten seconds to fall, spinning around in the pipe as it slowly swirls down. I see Edward is about to say something, but I beat him to it.
"It's Faraday-Lenz's law. The magnet being dropped in the aluminum pipe caused a change in magnetic flux. The change in flux created a current in the pipe, which opposed the change and slowed the magnet down in order to reduce the change in flux." At least, that's the gist of it. No need to go into details, it's just high school after all.
I was going to write down the answer myself, but I saw his handwriting from the first experiment, and decided not to ruin the paper he had written on in an elegant scrawl with my chicken scratch. We finish all of the experiments well ahead of everyone else, who I look around and notice are still just on their second ones. Mr. Banner notices and comes over to us, not looking very pleased. I am worried at first, but his glare is directed toward Edward, which makes me feel just a little satisfaction.
"Mr. Cullen, don't you think you should have given Miss Swan a chance to figure out the experiments?" Mr. Banner asks, a slight tone of annoyance in his voice.
"Actually, sir, Bella explained three out of five of the experiments." He answers, cheerily.
"Have you done these experiments before?" Mr. Banner asks after a brief pause, directing his gaze to me.
"No, sir. I've seen them done in videos though..." I answer truthfully.
"Were you in an advanced placement class at your last school?" He guesses.
"Yes, sir." I answer sheepishly.
"Well, it's a good thing you two are partners then." He mumbles as he walks away to watch the other students.
We sit in silence for several minutes before I suddenly suffer from word vomit and ask Eddie what's been on my mind for a while now. "Do you and your siblings wear contacts or something?"
He seems taken aback by my question. "No, why?"
"Yours and your sister, Alice, eyes were dark, almost black last week. They're like a bright gold color now." I say, looking up at his eyes, which I notice harden as I finish.
"Oh, it's um... The fluorescent lights. They make our eyes seem different colors sometimes." He answers, but I can tell he is lying. Why would you lie about something so simple?
It's silent again for a few more minutes. This time, it's broken by Edward. "So, it's too bad about the snow, isn't it?"
I look up and see him looking out the window. I look out past him and am happy to see it's raining and the snow has been washed away. "Not at all."
"You don't like the cold." He states, rather than questions.
"That or the wet." I answer.
"This must be a difficult place to live then."
"Oh, you have no idea." I groan.
I look up and he is looking at me, a slight smile on his face, apparently pleased with the way our conversation is going. It gives me a funny feeling, and I don't mean in a good way. "So, what made you move out here?"
"What, did Alice not tell you?" I ask, wondering why everyone is so enraptured with my story.
"No. Have you two talked a lot?" He asks, a slight edge to his voice.
"Yeah, we have the last two periods together. And to answer your original question, it's because my mother remarried and I felt it would be good to spend more time with my dad." I answer, not feeling comfortable giving him the full story.
"I'm sorry if you feel I'm being invasive. Your... difficult for me to figure out. I'm usually good at reading people, but you are a bit of a puzzle for me..." He says. What is it with people finding me hard to read? I'm not exactly interesting or trying to hide much. Hell, I'm not good at lying either. My mom fondly calls me her open-book.
"It's okay, it's just you and Alice are the only ones that seem interested in why I moved out here." I shrug.
"So, do you not like the guy that your mother married?" He asks, sympathetically.
"No, I actually really like Phil. It's just, he is a minor league baseball player and he travels a lot. I could tell my mom wanted to travel with him, but she didn't want to make me move around with her, not being able to make steady friends. So, she stayed home with me for a while. I could tell she missed Phil though, so I decided to move out here with Charlie. Now she gets to be happy on the road and seeing more of the world." I say, trying not to let the sadness show in my voice and failing. I also failed at not revealing my private life. I hate that I can't seem to evade questions like most people.
"So, now you're unhappy. That doesn't seem very fair." He states.
"Dude, didn't anyone tell you? Life isn't fair." I chuckle.
"I think I've heard that before." He says quietly, almost like he's talking to himself.
Mr. Banner calls the class to order now, having collected everyone's papers. He goes over the answers to all of the experiments, finishing just as the bell rings. Edward jumps up and walks by me, and I suddenly get a whiff of that same chocolate and strawberries smell from before. I get an uneasy feeling as I get up and collect my book bag off the floor. Eric and Mike head over to me, bickering about the disappearance of the snow. I smirk, thankful I've dodged that bullet.
"So Bella, Cullen seemed friendly today." Mike says, and I can hear a bit of jealousy in his voice. Oh boy...
"Yeah, I wonder what was up with him on Monday?" I muse. "Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Sorry about the snow wars!" I say, not meaning it.
I make my way to Drama, the excitement of seeing Alice again temporarily putting the weird feeling I have about Edward from my mind. She's in her usual seat looking gorgeous in a pair of skinny jeans, knee-high black boots, a purple and black flannel shirt that is unbuttoned and showing a white tank top underneath. She doesn't look up as I walk through the door like she usually does, instead looking down at her feet, lost in thought.
I sit down in my usual seat next to her, setting my bag down under the chair. "Hey Alice, you okay?" I ask.
"Hey Bella. Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about some stuff." She says, giving me a smile, showing some of her perfect, white teeth.
"Well, if you ever want to talk, I'm a good listener." I say, not wanting to push her.
"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind... So, how was your weekend?" She asks, not ready to talk about whatever is bugging her now.
"Pretty boring. I just cleaned the house and then went to the park on Saturday with my dog Mindy. Sunday, I just watched TV at home. How about you?" God, I am so boring.
"I didn't do much either. I went hiking in the woods behind my house on Saturday. Sunday, Rose and I went shopping in Seattle." She got a twinkle in her eyes when she mentioned the shopping, so I decided to keep the conversation in that direction, hoping to cheer her up.
"Shopping, huh? How many new outfits did you snatch up?" I ask, and I'm glad I went with asking about the shopping trip. She instantly perked up when I asked about her new outfits.
She went on for pretty much the whole class, describing in great detail all eleven of her new outfits. Even after Mrs. Goff started class, she continued to whisper to me. When she finished describing her new clothes, she went on to the seven outfits Rosalie bought. Despite the fact I have no interest in fashion or shopping, I love listening to Alice talk about it. She has such a passion for it and gets so animated, I can't help but get excited with her. And she is pretty fucking adorable, the way she lights up.
"Oh man, I just realized I've been talking for an hour about clothes. I must be boring the crap out of you. I'm sorry!" She says as we are walking to gym.
"Not at all. It's nice hearing you talk about something you're excited about. It's kind of contagious." I shrug, giving her a small smile.
"Well, thank you. I do love fashion and shopping. I just think fashion is one of many ways people can reflect what their personality is like so others can see. I love seeing what designers come up with, trying to guess what was going through their minds when they designed them." She says, looking down in embarrassment.
"I get it. I feel the same way about tattoos. Only, you know, tattoos are a little more permanent." I chuckle a bit at the end of my statement.
"Yes, that is true." I can hear the grin in her voice. "So, I'm guessing you're glad the snow got washed away?"
"Did you talk to your brother or something?" I laugh.
"No, I just remember you telling me how much you hate the cold and rain. I figured snow is a combination of both, so must be ten times worse than either of them separate... Was my brother nicer today?" She started off sounding amused, but when she asked about her brother, her voice got a hard edge to it.
"Yeah, he was a lot more... pleasant. Did you talk to him or something?" I get the sense she did, from her tone and the way she asked me if he was being nice to me.
"Sort of..." She says, obviously not wanting to elaborate.
I don't push it, especially since we have made it to the locker room now and need to get changed. I follow my same routine, which Alice seems to have caught on to. I wait until everyone has left and change into my long sleeve sweats and then head out to the gym. We have moved on to basketball now, which is way better than volleyball. The team I am on still doesn't pass me the ball, but I don't complain. I'm not that bad at basketball, but I still don't want to play in front of the class. Mostly, I'm worried I'm going to trip at some point. That's typical for me when I'm in front of people.
Angela and I are on the same team again, going against Lauren's team. Alice is playing on the other side of the court as part of a separate team. I can't help but glance over at her, and I find my eyes traveling down to her ass. I'm surprised that she has a pretty nice one, despite her size. Most women her size have a pretty flat ass, but hers looks like it's firm and round.
Not too big, obviously, but definitely bigger than you would expect for someone so tiny. I realize I'm staring at Alice's ass, so force myself to look away. Just as I'm looking back to the game, I get shoved to the side by Lauren. I land on my side and hurt my left wrist in an attempt to lessen my fall. This bitch is starting to piss me off, and I decide I'm not gonna take her shit again.
Angela is helping me back up, so I whisper to her angrily, "Give me the ball." This earns me a confused look, but I guess something she saw on my face told her to trust me.
The next time Angela gets the ball, she passes it to me. It was made easy since no one is blocking me, having not participated for the last week in any of the games we've played. Lauren smirks and comes over to guard me. I dribble the ball, turning my back to her. I take the ball in my hands, starting to pivot on my feet to the right, making Lauren lunge for the ball. I feigned though and instead pivot to the left, making Lauren land on her face. I jump and flick the ball from my hands, the ball going perfectly into the net without touching the rim, scoring my team a three pointer.
I look over to Lauren, who had gotten up, and she is looking at me with her jaw hanging. I smirk, bumping into her as I walk past her to get ready for her team to check the ball. I steal a glance at Alice who is literally rolling on the floor laughing, clutching her stomach with her arms, which I can't help but laugh at the sight of. I look back and Lauren is giving me a death glare, and I can tell she is about to try the rest of the game to get me back. She gets passed the ball, and I go over to defend her. We are about the same height, so she can't use that to take advantage of me. Instead, she keeps hip bumping me to try to knock me down. I'm prepared this time though, and after she does it a few times, I sidestep her.
She loses her balance and trips, losing grip of the ball. I grab it and sink it into the net before she even has a chance to recover. After she realizes what happened, she shoots daggers my way. I decide to rub salt in her wounds now, to get her more riled up. I lick my left index finger, hold it in the air for a second, then bend it down. She glares at me so hard her eyes become slits, and I just smirk at her, taunting her some more. Someone on her team checks the ball and when they go to pass it to someone else, Angela steals it and passes it to me. I dribble it, and decide to show off a bit for Lauren. I dribble the ball behind my back and between my legs, calmly walking toward the net, Lauren getting in front of me.
Suddenly, I make a dash to her left, and one of her team-mates tries to cut me off. I slide on my side, still dribbling the ball as I'm sliding on the court past them, and use my arm to push me back up and shoot the ball, scoring another two points. At this point, everyone on both of our teams is looking at me, dumbstruck. I look over and even some people from the other teams playing at the other end of the court are looking at me.
Alice is one of them, and she has the biggest grin I think I've ever seen on her face as she looks at me. Then she looks somewhere over my shoulder and her grin turns smug. I turn around and see she's looking at Lauren, who I'm pretty sure by now hates my guts more than she did before. The bell rings now, and Angela runs over to me, everyone else heading to the lockers. She stops in front of me and just stares at me for a moment, looking at me awestruck.
"Bella, where the hell did that come from?" She gasps.
I shrug, starting to feel a little uncomfortable now with the attention. "While my mom would be doing her Yoga or Spin classes at the YMCA, I'd go to the basketball court. There was a retired Harlem Globetrotter that would give lessons, so I learned a few dribbling tricks." I shrug, not able to hold a sheepish smile back.
"Well, you definitely showed up Lauren. Although, you know this means she is going to make your life hell. Not just in gym now." She warns.
"Trust me Lil' Ang, I've dealt with worse..." I say, trailing off at the end as the memories come back to me.
We get back to the locker room and Alice has already changed and is waiting for me, shaking from excitement it seems. Everyone except Angela has already changed and left, so I send a few quick texts to my mom. She apparently lost her phone charger, so she may not answer back due to a dead phone. I text her that there is a spare charger in her nightstand, but she may not get the message now, since she told me about her dilemma while I was in History and her phone is probably dead by now. Angela has left by now and Alice has her phone in her hands and her back to me, giving me the privacy she knows I want.
After I get changed, I tap Alice on the shoulder and gesture over my shoulder toward the exit doors. She gathers her things and we walk outside, pulling up our hoods since it is sprinkling a bit with rain. It's quiet as we walk, but I can tell Alice wants to say something. I decide she is probably working on how to ask or say whatever it is, so I just keep quiet until she figures it out. She finally does when we are halfway to the parking lot.
"Hey Bella?" She asks hesitantly.
"Yeah?" I ask apprehensively.
"Where the fuck did that come from?" She laughs out.
"Lauren was pissing me off." I shrug, knowing that's not exactly what she meant and a little shocked at her swearing. She hadn't done that since we started talking, besides when she called Lauren an asshole. That doesn't count though, because it's true.
"Bella, I got the impression that you were terrible at sports, by the way you have been acting since you started here in gym. Then you go and pull that off! What else are you hiding up your sleeve?" She shakes her head in wonderment.
"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" I say with a wink. I don't know where that came from, I'm not usually one to be... flirty. But, it doesn't seem to phase her. Maybe she does feel a little of something towards me too?
"Yes, I would. Maybe I'll figure it out someday." She says, biting her lip and looking up. Raindrops land on her perfectly chiseled face, rolling down her cheeks. My stomach clenches at the sight. And not in a bad way, let me tell you.
"Uh, yeah... Well, I'll see you tomorrow." I say, clearing my throat halfway through, shaking my head.
"Alright, I'll talk to you later!" She says, heading to the silver Volvo where her family is waiting for her.
After school, I did my usual routines. Played with Chip and Mindy, work on cooking dinner (red beans and rice with cornbread today), took a quick shower, and I'm now working on my homework with music playing in the background on Charlie's speaker system he has for his TV. I finished the English, Physics, and History homework and am currently working on Pre-Calculus.
I'm starting to have a hard time now, for three reasons: 1) I hate math with a passion, 2) We finally got past the point that I left off in Phoenix, where we were slightly ahead, and 3) Mr. Varner is a shitty teacher. He is one of those teachers that gives you the easy problems as examples, then expects you to answer problems that are ten times more complicated for the test. Same goes for the homework.
Just as I'm about to throw the book against the wall, my phone rings. Without looking at the caller ID, still extremely frustrated, I answer "HELLO?" in an angry tone.
There is a pause on the other end, before a soft, angelic voice answers hesitantly. "I'm sorry. Did I catch you at a bad time?"
"Alice? Shit, no I'm sorry. I'm working on my math homework and having a bit of trouble with one of the problems. I didn't meant to snap at you..." I say as I face palm myself.
"... Are you listening to Valee? I'm sure that isn't helping." She asks, sounding amused now.
I pause, listening to the song playing on the speakers. I was only partly listening as I was contemplating where the nearest pig farm is to dispose of Mr. Varner's body. I usually listen to music in a certain order, but since I needed to concentrate on my homework and not fiddle with my phone, I just played some music on shuffle. Now, I pay attention to what is playing and fight the urge to follow along to the lyrics out loud:
Bitch look like Wonder Woman, high fashion don't cost nothin' (no)
Bought that bitch some acid, yeah, I brought back the fun, fun
Even though her weave undone, I fucked her twice, cum, cum (yeah)
I spent 700, then met the bitch in London (London)
I just bought some Balmains and since day one they looked undone (undone)
Like Chip Foose, my whip custom, my tooth chipped, think I lost one
I spent 700, fucked that overseas stunner (stunner)
If she a slut, I'll find out, I'll meet that bitch mañana
Womp, womp, womp, womp, she give me what I wanna
Ball so hard, need a warm up, I bagged her at the Walmart (yeah)
Big timer, stunna, I'm out here on the come up
I beat the pussy, drummer, I roll up, no more drama (yeah)
Womp, womp, womp, womp, she give me what I wanna
"Oh, yeah. Well, I'm barely paying attention, so don't go blaming my music for my lack of math knowledge... Wait, you know Valee?" I ask, kind of surprised. I don't know many people who know Valee.
"I listen to all kinds of music, Bella, remember? Anyway, would you like some help with your homework? I'm actually pretty good at math." I can hear the smirk in her voice, most likely aimed at my reaction to her music tastes.
"That would actually be awesome. I'll snap a picture of what I've got so far, hold on a sec." I open up my camera, snap a picture of my notebook paper with my weak attempt at trying to figure out the third of ten problems I have to finish, and send it to her.
"Got it, give me a minute to see what you've got so far." She says, getting quieter at the end, I'm guessing from pulling the phone away to look at the picture.
2x⁴-5x³+3x² over (x²-8x+16)(3x²+5x-2) ≥ 0
"Okay, so I see why you're having issues. You almost had the factoring right, you just forgot one of the squared symbols. It should read x²(2x-3)(x-1) over (x-4)²(3x-1)(x+2) ≥ 0. Now try to solve it."
I did as she said, and with that drew a line and marked off -2, 0, 1/3, 1, 3/2, and 4.
"Okay, so the solution should be... (-∞,-2) U (1/3, 1) U (3/2, 4) U (4, ∞). That right?"
"Well, don't forget x=0. But yes." She says, sounding pleased with herself.
"Awesome, thanks. I think I get it a bit better now. Mind giving me a minute to work on the next problem and looking over it for me?" I ask, Numb by Linkin Park starting to play.
"Of course, just send it to me when you think you got it." She says, and I can hear her rustling something in the background.
"Cool, give me a few minutes." I turn on speaker phone and set the phone on the arm of the couch as I work on the next problem, which seems a little less difficult than the last one. x 15/x. That should be... (-∞, 4) U (0, 4). I snap a picture and send it to Alice again. "Alright, I think I got this one. I just sent it to you."
"Got it, let's see... That's right, great job. Do you think you still need my help? It seems you are doing fine now."
"No, I think I got it now. I guess I just needed a fresh pair of eyes for that other problem to find my mistake. I was going over it for ten minutes before you called trying to figure out what I did wrong." I sigh, throwing the pencil down to take a break. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you didn't call to help me out with my homework. Did you want to talk about something?"
"It's not a problem, Bella. That's what friends are for, right? And no, I just called to talk. Not really about anything in particular. I'm waiting for Rosalie to get home so we can have some sister bonding time."
"Oh, so I'm just a tool to escape boredom, huh?" I say, trying to sound serious and failing.
"Despite what Lauren may think, you are far from a tool Bella Swan." She says, silvery bell like laughter sounding through the phone.
"Good to know you don't think so. So, what does sister bonding time entail with the famous Rosalie Hale and Alice Cullen?" I ask, getting up and going to the kitchen to stir the food.
"Well, typical girl stuff. Painting our nails, doing each other's hair, breaking out the Ouija board for a séance, gossiping... The usual." She says, and I can hear her grin through the phone.
"You know, you'll get better results with your séance if you have more than two people. Maybe you should make it a family affair and get all your siblings in on it. Don't forget the white candles and to light up some Sage. Who would you be contacting?" I ask, going along with the joke.
"Of course, of course. Can't forget the candles and sage. Maybe some incense too... Well, I've always wanted to talk to Josephine Baker. She is fascinating to me. She was beautiful, kind, funny, strong-willed, and a true activist for the rights of others. She's inspiring to me." She says, and you can hear the awe in her voice. Seems we've gotten serious now too.
"Oh, let me know how your conversation goes. I wouldn't mind hearing what she has to say. Who do you think Rosalie is going to summon up?" I ask, starting to get a little more serious too, due to curiosity.
"Hmmm... Rosalie will probably contact Zora Neale Hurston. She loves Their Eyes Were Watching God. She kind of relates to Janie in a way and I think she would like to know where Zora got her inspiration from..." She trails off, giving me the feeling she wants to say more about it, but can't.
"That's a good book. I've read it a few times, and seen the movie several times. Halle Berry does an amazing job playing Janie. Michael Ealy is a good Tea Cake too." I say, trying to hide the curiosity I feel about what she said about Rosalie relating to Janie. But, I feel like she didn't continue because it is Rosalie's business, not mine, so I steer clear.
I've finished the last of the math problems by now and am turning off the stove, letting the red beans and rice cool. Alice starts to say something, but is interrupted by Charlie slamming the front door shut.
"Damn Bells, that smells good. Whatcha making today?" He yells as he takes off and hangs his belt onto the hook by the door, slipping his boots off by the door at the same time.
"Oh, I guess I should let you go now. I'll see you tomorrow at school. Maybe we can have lunch together?" Alice asks uncertainly.
"I'd like that. You have a good night, Alice. I'll see you at lunch tomorrow." I say, not able to hold back my smile.
"See ya, Bells." She laughs, apparently deciding to adopt Charlie's nickname for me.
I hang up the phone and pull down some plates and cups from the cupboards just as Charlie walks in and sniffs at the pot on the stove. Grabbing the oven mitt from the hook on the side of the fridge, I take out the cornbread from the oven and turn it off. I glance at Charlie and see him drooling a bit at the smell, which I can't help but feel a little smug about. I motion for him to sit down, and fix us both plates. I pour us each a cup of milk and set his plate and cup in front of him, then take my spot across from him.
"To answer you from when you so rudely interrupted me while I was on the phone, barging in like one of the criminals you made a career of stopping, it's red beans and rice. We had it when we visited that Dooky Chase's restaurant in New Orleans, remember?"
"First of all, it's not barging in if it's my house. Secondly, yes I remember. That was some good eating there." He takes a bite now, closing his eyes as he savors it. "And you did just as good, if not better, than the chef there did. What was that woman's name? Leah something?"
"Leah Chase. And thanks, I did tweak the recipe a bit." I say, blushing a little at the compliment.
"Well, whatever you did, it's delicious." He dips the cornbread in the sauce and we continue to eat in silence for a bit while Charlie shovels the food in his mouth, barely coming up for air.
"So, how was school? Learn anything?" He asked as he scooped a big helping of seconds onto his plate and grabbed two more squares of cornbread.
"School was fine. I talked to Edward Cullen a bit, he had been out last week cause he was sick, I guess. Played some basketball in gym. Didn't really learn anything new yet, except one of the girls at school is kind of a bit- I mean, she isn't very nice." I corrected myself, not sure how Charlie would feel about me swearing.
"Who is it? Maybe I know her." He asks, glossing over my slip-up.
"Lauren Mallory." I say with a hiss.
"Hm, yeah I know her. Well, I know her dad. He's a bit of a prick himself. He's one of those accident lawyers. I've had to deal with him a few times when he's represented someone. We have to give him copies of accident reports and things like that sometimes. He never asks for them nicely. He demands them, never thanking my staff for their help. I've almost clocked him a few times, rude punk..." Charlie growls out.
"Well, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It's okay though, said apple is probably bruised now. At least, her ego should be..."
"Oh, how so?"
"Well, I sort of made her fall a few times when we were playing basketball. I didn't touch her!" I emphasize when I see he is about to say something. "I just dodged her when she lunged at me and moved out of the way after I got tired of her hip-checking me..."
He looks just as dumbfounded as Angela did for a moment, before breaking into a huge grin. "Hell yeah Bells! I wouldn't have thought you'd have something like that in ya."
"Usually I don't, but I was sick of her bullying me. Thank mom and her hobbies for it. I wouldn't have learned to play if I didn't get dragged out to the YMCA with her and wandered off to the basketball court."
"I'll be sure to do that next time I talk to her... So, do you only play the game or do you watch it too? I know you've sat with me while I've watched some games, but I didn't get the impression you were interested in them. Still, maybe we can go to a Storm game sometime?" He trails off at the end, and I can tell he wants to spend time with me doing something we can both enjoy.
"Honestly, I don't watch it much. But, I think it would be cool to go to a game together." I say, giving him a huge, dimply smile.
He starts turning red at that, but still manages to say "Well, the season only hasn't even started yet, so it shouldn't be too hard to get tickets. I'll have a look tomorrow at options."
I get up, putting my hand on his shoulder and kissing the top of his head. "That sounds great. I'll hold you to that. Maybe I'll get a jersey to show my team spirit before the game." I grab our plates and head to the sink.
He gets up and joins me at the sink to help me with the dishes, bumping his hip to mine and giving me his eye crinkling smile that makes him look years younger. I'm glad I can do some kind of small gesture to make him happy. I realize I haven't been the best daughter over the years, and vow to make up for it. Even if that means having to endure a live basketball game surrounded by drunk guys screaming and uncomfortable seats that are probably sticky with spilled beer, thanks to said drunk guys.
After the dishes, dad decides to forgo the sports and watch a movie with me instead. We settle on Black Panther, which he hasn't seen yet. I've seen it three times myself, but it's an excellent movie, so I don't mind watching it again. It's late by the time the movie finishes, but I stop Charlie so he can see the end credits scene. We talk a little about what he thought of it (he loved it) and then we say goodnight and head to bed, both of us yawning as we head up the stairs.
When I wake up the next day, I feel like something is off. Looking out the window, I notice that things look a little clearer. It's still a little dark from the usual cloudy sky, but it's not foggy like it usually is at this time of the morning. I get up and look outside, and groan when I notice the frost on the grass, the cold air having frozen the usual morning dew. I get dressed, brush my teeth, then head downstairs for some breakfast. Charlie already left for work and kept up with his offer to let Mindy out for me so I can sleep in, thank God. I fix myself a bowl of cereal and scarf it down.
After putting my bowl in the sink and gathering up my school things that I forgot in the living room the night before, I head outside. It's even colder than I thought it would be, but I didn't think it would be cold enough to freeze the rain from the weekend into an invisible layer of ice. I found out the hard way that it is cold enough for just that, as I promptly fall on my ass halfway to the truck on the walkway.
I tried, and failed, several times to get back up, but kept slipping around on the ice. Finally, I just rolled over to the grass and get up there, walking slowly and taking care to not step on ice again. After a few minutes, I manage to make it to the truck and hop in, immediately starting it up and turning the heater on to full blast.
I was worried about driving on the ice, having not had to do so before, but it ended up not being too bad. It was suspicious, but I figure maybe I'm a better driver than I give myself credit for. I made it to school and when I got out of the truck, something catches my eye from my tires. After closer inspection, I see snow chains on them. Charlie must have gotten up early and put them on for me, which causes a tug at my heartstrings.
He really is great, and trying really hard to make sure I'm happy here. While I debate ways to repay Charlie for keeping me from landing in a ditch, I look around the parking lot and see Alice and her siblings standing by the silver Volvo, chatting animatedly with each other, about twenty cars away on the opposite end of the lot.
Just as I was waving to Alice, who had looked up with a smile when she saw me looking, I heard tires screeching. I didn't pay it any mind at first, figuring it was the usual high schooler trying to show off. It also didn't help that Edward had caught my attention, standing behind Alice and giving me a small smile that gives me the creeps. I'm finally pulled away when I hear the screeching again and a horn honking.
I look over and barely have time to register what is happening. A grey van, the windows covered up, reminding me a bit of Kelso's van from That 70s Show, had just swerved to avoid hitting a car that had been backing up. Whoever is driving hit a patch of black ice, lost control, and is now skidding right toward me.
I have just enough time to get out of the way, but as I turn to run, I slip on some ice and fall, smacking my head on the side of my truck hard enough to see stars. I don't have time to get out of the way of the van now, so I brace myself for the impact. However, the only thing I feel are strong hands grabbing my legs and swinging them, and therefore turning me, to the side so I am parallel to the truck in a quick motion.
Right after, I hear the groaning of metal being warped on the left side of my head and in front of me. This happened within a few seconds, so when I realize the impact I was expecting isn't coming, I open my eyes. When I do, I'm staring into the black eyes of Alice, who's face is only inches from mine. I take a deep breath and am hit with the most amazing smell. It is a mixture of vanilla, blueberries, and... Cactus blossoms? It sounds like a strange mixture, but it is mouth-watering.
I don't think I've ever smelled anything so wonderful. I'm snapped out of it when I remember I was almost the middle of a deadly vehicle sandwich. I look behind Alice and see the van behind her... But, it's stopped a few inches behind her, as if it stopped just in time to avoid us. Not only that, but there is a dent in the sliding door of the van that is the perfect size of Alice's torso.
I look back at Alice and she is lowering her right arm from the side of my head, which makes me look over my shoulder. There, in the rear bumper of my truck, is a small dent just a few inches from my head. Gazing at it closer, I can see it's at least two inches deep and I can see the mold of a small hand in it. There is shouting now, and I can hear people rushing over to us. I tune them out though, instead looking back at Alice. She's biting her lip again, her eyes glistening with something I can't place. Just as I'm about to tell her everything is okay, she rolls under my truck and disappears behind it.
No one seemed to notice Alice having disappeared, if they even noticed that she was with me to begin with. There are so many people yelling and screaming, I can't single out anything anyone is saying. Someone managed to help the driver of the van out, which was Tyler Crowley. An ambulance was called, which showed up within ten minutes. Coach Clapp and Mr. Jefferson managed to push the crowd back and give us space, which helped me begin to process what was going on. Tyler and I end up being taking in the same ambulance to the hospital, despite my protests that I'm fine.
Charlie was waiting at the hospital, I'm guessing one of the teachers called him when they found out I was involved in the accident. As soon as he saw me come through the doors on a gurney, which I told the paramedics repeatedly I didn't need, he came running over to my side and followed us to a bed in the emergency room, talking all the while.
"Oh my God, Bells! Are you okay? What happened? Who did this?" He asks in a rush, a worried tone dripping from every word.
"I'm find dad. Tyler lost control on some ice and almost hit me when I was standing behind my truck. He didn't hit me though, so stop giving him that look. I'm fine, I promise." I tell him, grabbing his arm to bring his attention back to me after I mentioned Tyler's name and he glared at him in the bed next to me.
"Are you sure you're okay? From what Corine told me, it sounds like it was bad..."
"Yes, I'm fine. They're making a fuss over nothing. Who is Corine, anyway?" I ask, bewildered.
"Oh, I guess you know her as Coach Clapp. I'm glad you're okay Bells." He pulls me into a hug, and I take in a sharp breath when his forearm brushes against the back of my head. "I thought you said you were fine? That doesn't sound fine, Bella. I want Dr. Cullen to look you over. He should be over here any minute." He says, getting worry lines in his forehead.
"I just bumped my head when I slipped on some ice. Really dad, it's just a bump. It's not from the accident and I'm fine."
"I still want ya looked at."
"Ugh, fine!" I groan out, slamming my back into the bed.
Just then, the door to the room swings open and a man in a white lab coat glides through, a small gasp escaping me. This has to be Dr. Cullen. He is just as unnaturally beautiful as his adoptive children, with the same pale skin and dark circles under his eyes. His hair is medium length, cut into a bro flow style, and is a shade of dark honey, much like his eyes. He spots Charlie and makes his way over to us, sporting a gorgeous smile.
"Hello Chief Swan. I heard your daughter was here, so came over straight away. I understand you were involved in an accident with a van that lost control on some ice?" He says, shining a light into my eyes from the sides, holding his finger in front of me to focus on.
"Yes, but I'm fine. It didn't hit me at all. So can I go?" I sigh out of exasperation.
"Not until he looks you over, Bella. Hey doc, she did hit her head. I accidentally touched the back of her head and she winced at me." Charlie says, looking over at Dr. Cullen.
"Dad, I just bumped my head. I'm fine, Jesus Christ!" I throw my hands up, frustrated at the situation.
"Well Bella, I still think we should get a scan, just to be safe." Dr. Cullen says, but I can see he isn't too worried. I get the feeling he is more trying to appease Charlie's worried mind than mine.
"Fine, can we make it quick? I want to get back to school."
"Actually, it looks like most of the school is in the waiting room, so I'm guessing there won't be anything to go back to today." Dr. Cullen says, trying and failing to hide a grin at the face I can feel myself making.
"Great, just great..."
Dr. Cullen had taken me to get an X-ray and, finding nothing in the scan, let me go. Charlie was hesitant to let me go, trying to convince Dr. Cullen to keep me overnight, just to be safe. Thankfully, Dr. Cullen assured him that I'm fine and moved on to taking care of Tyler, who managed to make it out with just a few shallow cuts on his face and hands. When his van hit "my truck", the front of it hit the car next to mine, crumpling his front bumper, hood, and shattering his windshield. He had put his hands up to protect his eyes, so that's why they are cut up too.
When we got home, Charlie looked at me sheepishly and told me I should call my mom. Apparently, he told her what happened. I called her right away, and had to turn down the volume on my phone, her screaming aggravating the headache that started forming on the way home after the adrenaline started wearing off. It took me 45 minutes to convince her I am fine and not to book the next flight up, at which point I finally got her to hang up.
Charlie made me go straight to bed after that, him having taken the rest of the day off from work to watch over me. I took some Ibuprofen before I went to my room, hoping it would ease some of the pain in the back of my head. Charlie wouldn't let me up at all, not even to fix dinner. He checked up on me every half hour, having taken the day off from work. I ended up staying in bed all day, reading and listening to music. Alice never text or called me, which made me a little worried.
I mean, she saved my life. Wouldn't she want to check on me to make sure I'm okay? I guess her dad would fill her in. But, if it was me, I'd want to hear from the person I saved myself that they're okay. I started to think that maybe she regrets saving me, but now that I've got time to reflect on things, I know that isn't the case. I finally identified the look she had in her eyes before she left me. It was a combination of relief and apprehension. I know the relief is for my sake, that I wasn't hurt. The apprehension, I'm not sure about. But, I know it isn't to do with second thoughts to saving my life. That much I'm absolutely sure about. I don't know why I know that, but I do.
Another thing I know? I'm going to find out how she saved me. She was on the other side of the lot not fifteen seconds before the van hit. There's no way she could have run to me in time. Not even Usain Bolt could run fast enough for that. Furthermore, while I can't believe she could stop the van with her tiny frame, it's kind of hard to ignore the dents in both vehicles that match her hand and back perfectly. After resolving myself to confront Alice at school tomorrow, I let my thoughts wander to other things and finally drift off to sleep.