When I wake up the next morning, I'm greeted by the familiar grey light outside my window. The sun is hiding again, dark clouds and a thick fog taking it's place. However, unlike before, this is good news to me. No sun means Alice should be in school, as she promised. After getting ready, I head downstairs to find Charlie has already left and actually cleaned his own dishes this time. Looking down at my phone, I curse myself when I see the time. I must have slept through my alarm and need to leave right away or I'll be late.
After grabbing a Strawberry Nutri-Grain bar from the pantry, I rush outside into the dense fog. Just as I get to my truck though, I'm stopped in my tracks when I see a yellow car blocking me in. Alice is getting out, and my eyes are drawn to her long, perfect jean-clad legs. She had a serious expression on her face before I looked down, but I caught a glimpse of her smirking when she saw what I was oggling at. Her serious look is back now though, after realizing my eyes are back on her face, and I feel my heart start to beat a little faster and harder in my chest.
"Bella, would you like a ride to school?" She says, moving over to her passenger door and opening it for me. I don't miss the hint of apprehension in her voice, which I am guessing is from wondering if I've come to my senses and decided to keep my distance, like she warned me to do, in the ten hours since we last saw each other.
"I'd like that, thank you. This is actually perfect, since there's a rather important matter we didn't get around to discussing last night." I say as seriously and straight faced as I can, walking over and settling into the seat. Alice closes the door once my feet clear it and is in the driver seat, starting the engine, before I've even made a grab for the seatbelt.
"Well, I'm pretty sure you have a few thousand questions for me. So, what's on your mind right now?" She says, turning the heat down, since it's starting to get pretty sweltering in her car, despite the cold outside. She starts twisting her hands around the steering wheel nervously. It doesn't escape my notice that she's actually doing the speed limit, meaning we have more time to talk.
"So, I was thinking we could have our first date this Saturday. I know you were going to go with me to Seattle anyway, but why not change that from friends hanging out to a first date?" I say, turning slightly in my seat to watch her reaction, letting my fake serious expression fall away.
"You still want to go out with me even after everything you've learned about me?" She asks, smiling slightly and not sounding as shocked as I got used to last night. She must finally be getting used to my reaction to her lifestyle as much as I'm getting used to... Well, her lifestyle.
"Of course I do. Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you don't deserve to be shown a good time! So, are you game?" I say, shifting around a little in my seat. I have a few ideas and want to get started on them as soon as possible. Friday is only two days away, after all.
"Well, considering I was already planning to spend the day with you and already agreed to go on a date... Yes, I'm 'game'." She says, smiling much more brightly. I'm happy to see the smile reaches her eyes as well this time.
"Excellent!" I say, beaming happily. I'll need to get started right away, but not in front of Alice. I get the distinct impression that with her powers, she isn't used to being surprised. I plan on changing that, and don't want to risk ruining it for her.
"Is that all?" She asks, disbelievingly.
"That was the most pressing matter, yes. I do have questions, but I think you deserve a break after yesterday. If you'd like, you can ask me questions or we can just listen to music." I say, not wanting her to feel bombarded by my curiosity.
"Just so you know, I don't mind the questions. Honestly, it's kind of nice talking to someone that isn't my family. Someone who isn't... like us." She says quietly, and I completely understand what she means. "I do have questions though. But, it'll have to wait until we don't have time constraints. So, I'll ask a simple one. Why do you wear that?" She points at my right wrist pointedly, where the leather bracelet I only take off for showers and sleeping is wrapped.
"Oh, this?" I ask, lifting my hand and twisting my wrist. "It's to avoid drama mostly. I don't want Charlie to catch wind of my secret." I say vaguely, waggling my eyebrows, teasing her.
"What could you possibly be hiding under the-" She gasps, and snaps her head over to look at me. "You don't... I mean, you didn't try to-to ki-"
"NO!" I yell a little too loudly when I realize where her thoughts took her. "No no no no no... I may suffer from 'mildly severe depression', but I haven't gone so far as to attempt suicide or cut myself or anything that extreme. No, I have a tattoo, that's all. Well, I have a few of them actually. This is the only one thats harder to hide." I pull off the bracelet to show her, then put it back on since we are pulling into the school parking lot now.
"Oh, I'm sorry Bella. I didn't mean to assume... I mean, I didn't think of a tattoo. Why would that be such a problem?" She asks, relaxing as she pulls into one of the only open spots at the back of the lot.
"Well, you have to be 18 to get a tattoo in Washington and Arizona. Arizona lets you if you're under 18, but have to have a parent present. My mom may be pretty laid back and lax with rules, but even she wouldn't agree to that. Besides, Charlie would be pissed though if he thought my mom let me get a tattoo without consulting him first. Not that she wouldn't, but I didn't want to cause any more strife between them. But, I realized way too late that the truth is just as bad." I answer, getting out of the car and swinging my bag over my shoulder. The bag hits my bruised side, which I forgot about until now, and I gasp in pain.
"Are you okay? Should I get Carlisle?" Alice has rushed to me and is hovering her hands next to my sides, afraid to put pressure on my injuries. While she worries over me, I can't help but notice she smells just as good as always, if not better, and it's distracts me from the aching in my side.
"I'm fine, I haven't felt any pain until now. I'll just have to skip out on Gym today." I say excitedly at the end, complete with fist pump, which makes her lower her hands and roll her eyes at me.
"So, what's the truth?" She says, still eyeing me suspiciously, walking beside me toward the main building, taking my bag from me and looking pointedly at my side when I go to protest.
"Jeana, my friend back in Phoenix, she's been drawing and painting ever since she got high praise in 2nd grade from our art teacher. Then one day she saw Ink Master and has since wanted to be a tattoo artist. She's always going on about how she can do better than the artists on the show and how she's going to be on it one day and win. So, I saved up all my money from mowing lawns, babysitting, and other odd jobs I did for a year. Then, for her 14th birthday, I got her everything she needed to get started on practicing. Tattoo machines, power supply, needles, an ink set, and a bunch of other stuff including some expensive practice skin I found online. She practiced for a year, and when she felt confident, she gave me my first tattoo on my 15th birthday. I was her first live test subject."
"Sounds like you care a lot about Jeana, going to so much trouble to get her such a nice and thoughtful gift. Do you miss her?" She asks, taking my bag from her shoulder and handing it to me as we get close to my locker.
"She's my best friend. The closest thing to a sister I've ever had. I do miss her, but she's only a phone call away so it's not completely unbearable being away from her."
"So, I'm guessing the truth you mentioned being worse is the fact that Charlie would question your mom letting you be friends with someone who's such a bad influence on you?" She questions as we stop in front of my locker. I notice she hasn't bothered to get any books herself.
"That and I think he'd call her parents and question them. Maybe even make a special trip down there to interrogate them." I smirk, imagining Charlie going toe-to-toe with Mr. Diaz, Jeana's MMA fighting, S.W.A.T. Captain dad.
"Hmm, and do you have any other tattoos?" Alice asks, looking me up and down as if she could see them through my clothes. Which, I guess wouldn't be surprising since she can see in the future. X-Ray vision shouldn't be much of a stretch at this point. I wrap my jacket closer around myself, suddenly self conscience, as I head toward my class, the two minute warning bell sounding above us.
"I have seven. Jeana did five of them. The other two were thanks to a fake ID I made. Another reason I don't want Charlie finding out." We are standing outside my class now, and I've just realized people are staring and pointing at us while whispering amongst each other.
"Do I get to see the rest of them?" She asks, ignoring the buzzing around us, and pushing me mockingly.
"So, X-Ray vision isn't another of your powers? That's a relief." She laughs loudly and shakes her head at me, not realizing that I'm mostly serious.
"Maybe if our date goes well Saturday you'll show me." She whispers to me with a wink, which makes me blush so much I can feel my face turning red. She looks like she is about to say something, but pauses when she gets a glazed look in her eyes. After a few seconds, she snaps out of it. "You better go, or you'll be late for some interesting conversations. I'll see you at lunch." She says, flashing me a mischievous grin before she turns away and heads down the hallway.
After standing there staring after her with I'm sure must look like a stupid puzzled look on my face, I walk into class and sit down just as the final bell rings, dropping my bag down on the desk. Looking up as I pull out the textbook, I see pretty much the whole class staring at me. It's like the first day all over again. I hope this doesn't become a normal thing. Mr. Mason calls attention to the class, thank goodness, sparing me from more staring.
Mike sidles into the seat next to me, which has been unoccupied since I started school here. Mr. Mason starts to discuss King Lear, which I've already gone over at my last school, so start doodling in my notebook. After having someone read the first few paragraphs of Act I, Mr. Mason turns to write something on the board. This, apparently, gives Mike the perfect opportunity to do what he does best, bug me about things that aren't really his business. He waits until Mr. Mason turns to write something on the board and then passes me a note. Trying my damndest to hold in a sigh, I open it up, using my personal copy of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare to block my movements.
How was P.A.?
Good. They found amazing dresses. Your jaw will drop when you see Jess.
Did she mention our date?
She did…
That bad?
No, I'm just messing with you. She had a great time. Keep up the momentum.
No pressure or anything, lol.
She really likes you. You'll be fine. :)
"Mr. Newton, care to share with the class?" Mr. Mason calls, causing Mike to jump and stuff the note in his pocket.
"No sir. Sorry, it won't happen again." He says, blushing and looking sheepish.
"You don't need to lie to me. Just make sure you read the play, because you're exempt from the bonus points on the next quiz." Mr. Mason says sternly, which earns Mike a grimace from me. I've seen his test scores, and from what I've seen he's only made it this far in school thanks to easy bonus points and extra credit work.
After class, I'm cornered by Eric at my desk before I even get my book put away. Mike, seeming unbothered now that he has Jessica to keep his attention from me (at least for now), leaves us be and walks out to his next class. Eric looks nervous, which has me worried about what's about to go down. I sigh heavily as I pick up my bag and let him walk me out of class. It's awkward, since he still hasn't said anything. Finally, I clear my throat and that seems to snap him out of whatever daze he was in.
"Uh, how was Port Angeles?" He asks, and I can tell it isn't the question he really wants to ask.
"It was a huge success. Jess and Ang found what they were looking for. That Italian restaurant Bella Italia was good, even if the name could use some work. The staff was a little annoying too." I say, feeling the ghosts of the marks from where I grabbed the fork after dealing with Austin. "But the food..." I end by kissing the tips of my fingers, with an overexuberant smack, and joyfully toss them in the air.
"Oh, really? That's good. Hey, could you tell me what kind of corsage to get Angela?" He asks, obviously not having cared about what I said. I can also tell when he asks about the corsage that his heart isn't really in it, which pisses me off. Angela deserves someone who makes her their first choice. Not the runner up. But, I'm not going to butt in… Yet.
"Yeah. Hmm… I think she'd like a nice white tulip one. I don't want to spoil her dress too much, but that would look amazing with it." I answer, thinking of how tulips seem like a very Angela flower.
"Thanks for the tip. Hopefully the florist has something... So uh, getting a ride from the Cullen's, huh?"
"A Cullen. Singular. Come on, Eric. You should know this, considering we literally just got out of an English class."
"Right. Sorry." He responds, chuckling awkwardly. "So, is something wrong with your truck? I can give you a ride home if you need one."
"Linda is fine, thanks. She's a beast, dude, nothing will kill her anytime soon. And I appreciate the offer, but I think I'm good. Thanks anway, Eric. I better get to class. I'll see you at lunch!" I say quickly as I run into Pre-Calc, which I thankfully don't share with Eric. Don't get me wrong, I'm doing my best to be nice. However, it's hard when he is obviously groveling over me when I have no interest and feel I've made that pretty clear to him.
"So, what happened? Give me all the details. Leave nothing out!" Jessica asks me the moment I walk through the door to Pre-Calculus, making me jump back at her suddenly close proximity.
"What are you talking about?" I say, sitting down and hoping, for the first time, Mr. Varner comes in soon.
"With Alice! Did you talk about Edward? What did you find out? Does he have a type? Does he prefer blondes? Shorter girls? Cheerleaders?" She rattles off so fast I almost can't keep up.
"Jess, we didn't talk about Edward. At all. We just ate and she drove me home. We didn't really talk about anything that would interest you." I say, trying hard to skirt the truth and not lie. I'm not particularly good at lying, so need to avoid it as much as possible.
"Oh." She responds, deflating as she sits down next to me, taking my neighbor's seat. "So, what did you talk about then?"
"Not much. We talked a little about school and she mentioned her mom being into art." I say, looking up and seeing my neighbor, Luke, walk into the room. After spotting Jess in his seat, he shrugs his shoulders and takes her seat instead.
"I've met her mom, she's really pretty and super nice. She did some interior decorating for my mom's office. My mom, she's a child therapist, she wanted to make the room all cheery to help the kids feel safe, happy, and want open up to her. Mrs. Cullen did an amazing job, too. Making a cheerful environment is not something my mom could pull off on her own. I mean, when I was six I asked her for a stuffed sloth I saw at the store, because I didn't have any stuffed animals. She told me I was too old for toys. Instead, she got me a Mozart CD." She says, deflating a little, and I start to get the sense she feels her mom worries more about other people's kids than her own. This seems to explain Jess' need to be the center of attention.
I look up in time to see Mike rush in and make a beeline to his seat, with Mr. Varner following close behind. Surprisingly, Jess doesn't make a move to go back to her normal seat and Mr. Varner doesn't say anything about it. While he gets to 'teaching', if that's what you can call him doing, I watch Jess through my peripheries while she rests her chin in her hand and writes in her notebook. I'm usually not one to stick my nose in things, but I see a tear trickle down her cheek, and it triggers me. I decide to help her take her mind off her problems by recruiting her to help me with mine.
"Hey Jess." I whisper so Mr. Varner doesn't hear.
"Yeah?" She answers with a small sniff, wiping her hand under her eye to catch the tears.
"Do you want to know the truth about what happened yesterday?" I say, hoping I'm not going to regret this too much.
"I knew you weren't telling me everything, spill." She says, perking up.
"I asked Alice out… On a date." I say, biting the inside of my lip, nervous at how she's going to react.
"No… Way…" She's dropped her pencil and is picking it up while I guess she searches for words. Something I get the feeling she doesn't usually struggle with. "So, uh… What did she say?" She finally gets out after sitting up, pencil back in hand.
"Surprisingly, she said yes." I respond, kind of surprised that she doesn't seem bothered by the fact I asked another woman out. Jess interrupts me by scoffing. "What was that for?" I ask, defensively.
"Why is that surprising?" She says, looking at me disbelievingly.
"I don't know. Compared to her, I'm not much to look at. And I'm certainly not all that interesting." I say, shrugging my shoulder.
"Bella, haven't you realized from the way the guys around here fawn over you that you are much more interesting than you give yourself credit for? And, despite your lack of personal fashion sense, which we'll need to work on before your date, you have natural beauty most of us would kill for." She says, making me blush. I guess now that I'm not a threat to her, she feels she can be nicer to me.
"Anyway… I'm having an issue deciding what to do. She was already going to come with me to Seattle, but I figured we can turn it into a date instead. I want it to be a night to remember, so don't want to do any of the typical stuff like dinner and a movie or whatever." I say, meaning the part about making it a night to remember wholeheartedly. I still don't fully know how old Alice is, but I know she's had to have had a lot of memorable moments, so this date needs to top them.
"So, what kind of things do lesbians like? I mean, you're the first one I've met. Small town, ya know." Jess says, still seeming to process my declaration.
"I have no idea. I don't really know if I'm lesbian or just… I don't know. I'd never really thought of my sexuality before. I guess we should just think of this as a normal date. Doesn't matter that we are both women. What's your dream date? Maybe we can start there for some ideas."
"I don't think my dream date could apply given we only have two days and, as far as I know, limited funds… Maybe we can get Angela in on it too? I'm sure between the three of us we can come up with something epic, yet affordable." She says brightly. "So, this explains why you don't drool over the guys like all the other girls around here." I'm glad that's a relief for her, and now for me too.
"Yeah, I guess so. If Angela isn't busy, think you two can meet up with me after school to go over stuff? I can ask her if she'll be free when I see her next period."
"I was going to go shopping with Lauren, but this is definitely more important. I'm in!" She says, a little too loudly, earing a stern look from Mr. Varner. "Sorry, sir."
"Nice one." I snort, and then wince when she discreetly smacks my arm when Mr. Varner turns his back to us.
We finish class in silence, but I could feel the restless energy radiating off Jess and saw her a few times scribbling madly away in her notebook. Not usually one to snoop, I couldn't help at one point but to look and see she'd already started a list of destinations in Seattle for Alice and I to go to, with a separate list next to it for her and Mike. Suddenly, I remember Alice's power and wonder if this was a bad idea. What's to stop her from seeing our date through a vision of one of them?
When the bell rings, Mike comes to the back and picks up Jess' bag for her and walks her out. Just as she is walking out the door, she looks over her shoulder at me and gives me the happiest smile I've seen on her to date, which I can't help but return to her with a thumbs up. After gathering my books, stopping by my locker to exchange them for the next few classes, I make a beeline to History. Of course, Angela is already there and waiting for me. While she isn't quite as gossipy or social as Jess, I can tell that she is still anxious for me to spill the beans about the night before.
"So… You gonna tell me or leave me in suspense?" She says after I've unpacked my bag.
"Well, it wasn't a date. Buuuuuut… I did ask her out. We're going out Saturday."
"I'm so excited for you! And surprised you did the asking. She seems much more the outgoing and bold type. No offense…"
"None taken, considering you're right."
"So, what are you two gonna do?"
"I have a few ideas but haven't decided anything yet. Actually, I was hoping you and Jess could help me out after school. Hammer out some details and whatnot. You down?"
"Duh, like you really have to ask. I just need to pick up my brothers after school and drop them off at home first. I can be at your house around 4:30, if that's okay?"
"That'll work. Oh, and Jess will be joining us. We talked in Pre-Calc last period."
"You sure that's a good idea? I feel like her idea of a first date would be something over the top. Something like a horse drawn carriage to pick her up and take you to the Opera or something. Followed by dinner served personally by a five-star chef on the beach."
"Well, that sounds more like an anniversary type deal. That's why I'll have you both. We can both keep her grounded, but she can also help us think outside the box. Ya know?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Just then Mr. Jefferson walks in, making Angela change her focus to class. This gives me a chance to turn my focus on figuring out how to avoid Alice learning of the plan from Angela and Jess's future. After some time, and rather silly deflection ideas, I figure maybe if I don't tell Angela and Jess what I decide, Alice won't see anything. But I'm hoping whatever blocks her from seeing me will block her while I'm with them.
When class is over, I walk into the hallway and am surprised to see Alice standing outside waiting for me. Angela, who is next to me, winks and walks away without a word. I start walking to my locker, with Alice falling into step next to me.
"Just couldn't wait 'til the lunch room to see me, huh?" I joke while I switch out my books.
"Now how can I resist seeing your gorgeous face any chance I can? Besides, I'm excited to know how things went with Jess…" She responds, and I notice at the end that she is hedging.
"So, that's what that glazed-over look was about. You saw what Jess and I talked about?" I ask, now even more worried that my keeping Alice from seeing my plans will be futile.
"Maaaaybe. But don't worry. I didn't really see what came of it. I just saw that she was planning to ask you what we talked about. So, what did you tell her?"
"Why are you asking? Did you not want to snoop, or could you not see?" I ask, trying to figure out more about how her visions work so I can hopefully learn how to keep her from seeing things I don't want her to see.
"I didn't want to snoop, but I don't think I would have seen anything even if I had wanted to." She says, eyeing me suspiciously.
"So, are you saying I block you from seeing other people's futures too, if I'm involved?" I ask, trying not to be too loud, since the hallway has become crowded.
"I think so? I haven't figured it out yet. Carlisle is curious though, after everything I've told him. He's extremely excited to meet you again, on more pleasant terms than the last time you met." She says with a grimace.
"Wait, does that mean you didn't see me getting crushed by Tyler's van in a vision? If that's the case, how were you able to get to me in time?" I ask, confused even more so than I was when I first tried to deduce how she saved me, before I found out about her visions.
"Well, I'm amazingly fast and have enhanced senses. Let's leave it at that for now, until we get to lunch. We can find an empty table and sit together, just the two of us. That okay?" She says, leading me to the lunchroom after I close my locker.
"Yeah, I'd like that." I say, smiling and blushing slightly despite myself.
When we get to the cafeteria, she leads the way to the line for lunch. Today is one of my favorite days, chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes day. Alice grabs a tray and follows behind me, mimicking my choices. When I go to pay, she gently pushes me aside and hands the lunch lady a bill and tells her to put it on my account. Since there are barely 450 students at Forks, and two lunch periods to separate us and give the cafeteria workers time to replenish the stock, there are several empty tables littering the room. Alice leads the way to one towards the back in a corner that is the furthest away from the other kids.
"Alright, you start eating and I'll start talking." Alice says, pushing her tray toward me.
"I have a couple questions first. What happens if you eat food? Like, if someone, besides me, caught on to you guys not eating. Could you eat something here that would throw them off?" I ask, pouring honey mustard onto my mashed potatoes and mixing it up.
"It doesn't settle well in our stomachs, but we can handle small portions long enough to curb curiosity." She says, taking a nugget and popping it in her mouth, making a subtle face of disgust.
"Hm, that's kind of sad. There are so many varieties of food and so many smells and flavors. I would definitely miss that." I think aloud, putting some of my potato mixture between two halves of a roll and making a sandwich.
"Well, it's not something I miss since I don't remember what food tastes like. Or anything from when I was human." She says quietly, sadly.
"That's right. I'm sorry about that. Do you know why you can't remember your pre-vamp life?" I ask, eating my potato sandwich roll.
"Carlisle suspects it has to do with trauma when I was human, but we don't know for sure. Do you mind if we talk about something else?" She says sadly, picking apart the roll from her tray.
"Of course, I don't mean to bring up anything that upsets you. I was simply curious." I say, laying my hand on hers and squeezing, well as best as I can considering it's like squeezing a hand-shaped rock. "Well, my other question I kind of already asked, but I got the feeling there was more to your answer than you let on. So, you said your family can't see the future like you do. Do they have other powers?"
"Not all of them, but yes, a few do. I can't really tell you what since that's their business to tell. I get the feeling you know who one of them is. And maybe even what." She says, giving me a pointed look.
"Yeah, I think you're right." I say, turning my head to look over my shoulder, spotting Edward across the room, to which Alice subtly nods her head. "So, do their powers work on me? Since yours don't." I ask, hoping beyond hope that the answer is no.
"I'm not sure of one of my siblings, but I know the rest don't. It is amusing to see how frustrated it makes him, though."
"Can they hear me if I whisper?" I ask her, leaning forward and whispering, looking up to the table the rest of the Cullen's are sitting at in hopes to test them. I see a few of them slightly turn toward our table, just barely noticeable to anyone else. I'm watching them very closely though, so it doesn't escape me.
"A little quieter and they won't hear you over all the noise in here." She leans forward and whispers so quietly I can barely make out what she says.
"I know it isn't your business to tell me. But if you can just give me a hint if I'm close. It'll ease my mind a little." I say, even quieter than her, but knowing she can hear me considering how close we are. She nods to me, urging me to continue. "Some things my favorite brother of yours has said have kind of given me an idea of his power too. Just an FYI, you both need a lesson in being more subtle when talking to us mere humans. You are bad at hiding things to people who actually listen. Anyway, I have a couple ideas." I watch her carefully as I prepare to list my suspicions, ready to catch any hint she gives me to how close I am. "Lie Detection? Claircognizance? Telepathy?" She keeps absolutely still when I say the first two, but when I get to telepathy, she just very slightly twitches her mouth downward. "I see. I'm glad that doesn't work on me. Wait, does it work on you?" She frowns a little further. "Eeesh, I'm sorry. I can't imagine not being able to even keep your own thoughts to yourself."
"I've learned to keep him out of my head, most of the time." She whispers, and then continues louder, ending the private part of our talk. "Now it's my turn to be Captain Curious, Miss Swan. Are you going to tell me what you told Jess? I saw her decide to confront you to get you to 'spill' about last night. That was as far as I got though. Care to tell me what you told her?" She says, interlacing her fingers and resting her chin on top of them, grinning.
"She just thought I was trying to get dirt on Eddy-boy. She was disappointed when I told her we didn't talk about him." I say, still debating on if I want to tell Alice about everything else.
"That's it? Why does she think we would talk about him?" She says, looking disappointed.
"She thinks I, like 99% of the other girls that go to this school, are interested in him. She knows better now though." I say, winking to her as I dip a nugget in the leftover mashed potatoes and take a bite.
"Ah, so you told her about our date." She states, rather than asks, while looking over my shoulder and smiling.
"What are you smiling at?" I ask, looking over my shoulder to see where she is looking.
"Jess and Angela are making plans to go to your house after school, apparently. To discuss options, it seems. Does this mean you won't need me to drive you home?" She asks, grinning mischievously.
"So, when you said all of your senses are enhanced you really meant it. That's really not fair, you know." I say, frowning slightly at her advantages that may ruin the surprise of our date.
"I'm sorry. I can try to focus on something else if you'd like?" She says, spotting my pout.
"Just this once, I'd appreciate that. Any other time, I really wouldn't care. I just… I want to surprise you. I get the feeling you don't experience that often." I say, trying not to sound too whiney.
"That is true. I've only ever really been surprised a few times in my life. None of them were particularly good surprises. It'll be nice to have a pleasant one for once." She says, smiling slightly.
"I hope so. And I'll still need a ride. Angela has something to do before coming to my house and Jess' driving scares me more than yours. Isn't it your turn to ask me questions, by the way?" I say, taking a sip of my vanilla milk.
"True, it is. So, what was Phoenix like? We have lived all over, but always places that have the least amount of sunlight. So, Phoenix isn't on that list." She asks, leaning forward slightly and resting her forearms on the tabletop.
"Very dry and sunny. Almost always hot. More brown than green. There is always something to do, no matter the time of day. I'm sure it isn't as busy as places like New York or Los Angeles, but there is still always something to do. It's pretty much the complete opposite of here." I say, not sure what else to add.
"Sounds like you miss it."
"I do, but it's not as bad here as I thought it would be. Forks has some… Redeeming qualities." I say, smiling brightly.
"Have you been hiking yet?" She asks, and I can tell she has something up her sleeve.
"Not out here I haven't. I don't know if you've noticed, but when I don't have anger driving me, I can be pretty clumsy." I say, starting to worry about what she is planning.
"Well, there's somewhere I'd like to take you sometime. And don't worry, you don't have to do much walking if you don't want to. And if you do, I won't let you fall." She says, smiling sweetly.
"I'll think about it. Why don't we get through Saturday first and see how that goes?" I say nervously.
"Deal. But we should get going. The warning bell is about to sound." She says, and right on queue the two-minute warning bell goes off. Looking around, I see we are some of the last few in the cafeteria.
"Wow, time sure does fly." I say quietly to myself, earning a chuckle from Alice.
We dispose of our trays and head out to the hallway. Usually Alice walks in the opposite direction, but this time she escorts me to class, carrying my books for me. I notice she still isn't carrying any textbooks or a bag herself. When we get to the door, she hands me my books and lightly touches my hand.
"Aw, thank you. Such a gentleman." I say sincerely, but with some sarcasm thrown in.
"That's gentleWOman. Get it right. I'll see you in Drama."
As she turns to walk away, she stops and glares inside the room. I look inside and see Edward glaring back. When he notices me, he attempts to soften his features. I watch Alice walk away and then go inside. I sit down next to Edward, who immediately scoots away from me, toward the window. Mr. Banner comes in and passes out a blank pop quiz to everyone as the bell rings. I take mine and start filling in answers, super conscious of Edward staring at the side of my head. Using my hair as cover, I decide to go ahead and let him ask whatever it is he seems to be burning to ask me.
"You havin' a hard time with one of these questions or do you just enjoy making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up?" I whisper, so Mr. Banner doesn't hear.
"I'm trying to find out how much of a threat you are to us. Now that Alice told you our secret, the idiot." He whispers back, and I hear the pencil in his hand snap.
"First of all, Alice is not an idiot. If I wasn't worried about getting suspended or expelled, I'd smack you for that. Second, I'm not a threat. How could I be? I can barely walk on a stable, flat surface. Let alone be a threat to your whole family."
"You're right, Alice is a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. More like, impulsive. She should have consulted us before telling you everything last night. And I didn't mean you physically being a threat to us, as if you could be. I meant more along the lines of how much longer we will get to live here before you let slip our secret." He says, alternating between amused and annoyed in his tone.
"I know what you meant. Despite what you may think, I'm not stupid either. I know the importance of keeping secrets. I also know the panic it would cause if people found out you guys actually exist, and that's if anyone actually believed me. Which, by the way, no one would. So, calm down, I'm not telling anyone. You don't need to worry about me." I say, continuing to answer the questions in front of us, thankful that they're easy and don't require a lot of concentration on my part.
"I wish I could believe you. I've always been able to prevent this from happening since I joined the family. We're in uncharted territory here, and I don't like it."
"There's a first time for everything. You just gotta learn to roll with it."
"Unfortunately, against my advice, that is what my family has decided to do. That isn't all that worries me though."
We sit in quiet for a while, and Mr. Banner comes around to collect our filled tests. Somehow, Edward managed to fill his in without me having noticed. I half-listen to Mr. Banner lecture about Gauss' Law, still glancing at Eddy occasionally. After a while, he speaks up again.
"You and Alice, I've noticed you have become rather… Close."
"Yeah, what of it?"
"I hope you've considered the danger you're putting yourself in. Alice may not care for your safety, but you should."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, if you knew better, you'd keep your distance from Alice. From all of us. You know what our diet consists of, do you not?"
"You know I do. And I don't think there is any danger. I know Alice won't hurt me. You'd think you'd know that too, since you can see into her head." I say frostily, which takes him aback. I guess Alice wasn't lying about having ways to keep him out of her head.
"It's bad enough she told you about what we are, but she told you of our abilities?" He says, straining to keep his voice low enough to not be heard.
"She didn't tell me anything. I figured that out for myself too. I told you, I'm not stupid. If you're worried about your secret getting out, it won't be because of me. You guys, despite what you think, aren't exceptionally good at playing at being normal."
"What else have you figured out?" He asks, clenching his hands together, making me nervous.
"Back to what you said about your diet, I know you guys don't feed off of humans. Even if you did, I wouldn't be afraid of Alice. And I know your powers don't work on me, for whatever reason. Is that why you can't decide if you like me or hate me?"
"That is… Part of the reason. We aren't discussing me though; we are talking about you and what your being part of my sister's life means for the rest of us."
"Well, she and I haven't even been out on a proper date or anything. I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself there."
"Date? I just meant being friends. What are you talking about?"
"Well now, that's none of your business. I think I've told you enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe that was the bell."
Standing up, I look over and see Edward's already standing and has my books in his hands, holding them out to me. Stupid vampires and their super speed. I snatch them from his hands and head to the front of the room. I rush out of the room, where Alice is waiting for me. Seeing her brightens my mood, especially when I spot Edward out of the corner of my eye frowning and stalking off.
"Looks like class went well, eh?" She says, trying to hide a snicker as she watching Edward stalk away.
"It went splendidly. I think I aced that quiz, despite your gloomy-gus brother playing the role of Big Brother."
"I didn't see him planning to talk to you. What happened?"
"Mostly he insulted mine and your intelligence, whined about me finding out your guys secret, warned me about the 'danger' I'm in being close to you, and got confused when I told him we haven't gone out yet." I sum up as we walk into Drama.
"So, you had an eventful class. Must have made the time fly." She jokes as we take our seats at the top of the stairs.
"Definitely made time fly. So, what's his deal?"
"He fancies himself our protector. Before I joined the family, he was the one who found out when people started to piece things together so they could get out before they became a problem. Now, that job has fallen to me. While we have always gotten along splendidly, I've always suspected he's resented the fact that I've been more useful in preventing things. He doesn't think about the fact that he is better for in the moment situations."
"I get the feeling that isn't the only thing he resents about you lately." I say, thinking about how he looks at me sometimes.
"Yeah, I have the same feeling." She trails off when class begins.
We don't get the opportunity to talk anymore, since we have started with preparations for the play. In my case, this means working on lighting cues and other computer-controlled effects. Alice is working on costumes in the corner, where there is a sewing machine and some pretty gaudy looking materials that were no doubt in the clearance bin of a department store.
At the end of class, I wait for Alice to finish part of what looks like the beginnings of a dress. I help her put things away and we walk together to gym. We don't talk much, which on my part is due to the fact that for the last hour all I haven been able to think about is ways to keep Alice from seeing what plan Jess and Ang are going to help me come up with. When we get to the door to the locker room, I realize Alice hasn't said a word either and I begin to wonder what she's thinking. I don't get the chance to ask though, because we are already running late and have to hurry to get changed.
There are four nets set up on the gym floor, with four badminton rackets and a shuttlecock below each one. There are twenty students in the class, so I'm hoping to be one of the four that doesn't have to play. Of course, I'm not so lucky. I'm teamed with Lauren to go against Alice and Jessica, the latter of which keeps grinning at me goofily and not-so-subtly pointing at Alice.
Sighing, I listen to Coach Clapp remind us of the rules and how to properly serve and hit the shuttlecock, then grab my racket. Alice serves first and takes it easy on me by sending it to Lauren. She hits it back as hard as she can, obviously not realizing the design of the birdie slows it down faster than a tennis ball would. Jessica easily hits it back toward me. Unfortunately, I trip on nothing and miss it, causing us a point, which doesn't make Lauren happy.
"Is it even possible for you to not suck at something? Besides all the dick around here, I mean." She whispers as she walks close to me to retrieve the bird.
I look up and see that Alice heard what she said, since it's not as loud in here as the cafeteria was, and Lauren obviously didn't whisper quietly enough. Alice has an impassive look on her face, but I can see in her eyes that she is formulating an attack plan. I do a subtle motion with my hand, which catches her attention, and slightly shake my head no at her.
"I have a plan, trust me." I say quietly, knowing she can hear me.
Lauren tosses the bird to Jessica, who serves it. As Lauren walks back to rally it when it starts coming down, I hit her in the back of the head with the racket, making her fall to her knees and glare at me. She misses the birdie, costing us another point. Angela, who was one of the four to not play, is our scorekeeper and struggles to stifle a laugh as she marks the point for Alice's team. I toss the bird to Alice and point to my mouth and look pointedly at Lauren, who has recovered and is dusting off her shorts.
"I'm sorry, I just figured you were trying to tell me you wanted some pointers. Step one, the best way to position the knees, since you'll be on them a while." I say, causing Lauren's mouth to drop. And with the perfect aim I was expecting of her, Alice serves the shuttlecock, hitting it right into Lauren's open mouth. "Step two, insert the cock into your mouth. See, you've got it!"
Everyone around us starts laughing after hearing what I said and seeing Lauren hastily taking the birdie out of her mouth. I can see tears forming in her eyes, which causes my smug smile to falter. She looks around at everyone laughing, turns bright red, and takes off to the locker room. Coach Clapp, who was on the other end of the court giving a girl who's name I don't know some tips, comes over to see what all the fuss is about.
"What's going on over here? Where did Lauren go?" She says, making everyone around us sober up.
"She wasn't feeling well, Coach. I'll go check on her if you don't mind." I say, starting to feel like maybe I took things too far.
After her nod of approval, and a worried look from my friends, I head to the locker room. I hear sobbing as soon as I open the door, and immediately feel I shouldn't have come in here. I am not good with emotions and have no idea what I'm going to say or do when I find Lauren. Deciding I can't really make anything any worse, I round the corner to the showers and find Lauren sitting in a corner with her face in her hands.
"Lauren?" I say quietly, which still is loud when it echoes in the empty locker room.
"What do you want? Come to give me more lessons?" She says, sniffing back the remainder of her tears and looking up at me.
"No, I think you've learned enough. At least, in that regard you have. I just wanted to say… I'm, uh, sorry. I guess I took it a little too far." I say, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.
"Gee, you think?"
"Well, can you really blame me? You have done nothing but been a complete asshole to me ever since I got here. The moment you laid eyes on me you made assumptions about me without even talking to me." I say, starting to feel a little less bad for her.
"Yeah well, I'd heard about you long before you got here. My cousin goes to North High School in Phoenix, you know. I didn't need to talk to you to know all about you. I know enough about you from what she told me. About how you slept your way through half of the football team. How you seduced the teachers to get your high grades. What'll your daddy think when he hears about it?" She says, standing up and shoving past me and outside, not bothering to gather her things.
I stand there, shocked, rooted to the spot. Of course, I know about all the rumors that spread about me back home. It's part of the reason it wasn't as hard for me to move out here as it should have been. The only good thing about school was Jeana, but at least I can still talk to her whenever I want to. This was supposed to be a fresh start for me, and now I get the feeling Lauren is about to turn this school against me, like Gabe did.
The bell rings and Alice comes flying through the door, saving me from my mental spiral. She gets one look at me, grabs our things, and leads me out the door and toward the parking lot. She doesn't say anything as she leads me to her car, opens the door for me, and helps me in. We're the first to leave, so she doesn't have to wait to get out the lot and on the road.
"What did she say to you?" She says when we've made the first turn away from school.
"Nothing I'd care to repeat. I'm sure you'll hear about it tomorrow, though." I say, wiping my finger under my eye to catch a traitorous tear.
"I knew Lauren was hateful, but I didn't know she could be that much of a bitch." She says after she has a vision, I'm guessing of Lauren spreading the word.
"So, she is going to tell everyone?" I ask and get confirmation from Alice when she nods slightly. "Figures, it was a fool's fantasy to think I could get away from my problems and start over out here." I say, leaning back in the seat and closing my eyes.
"I don't know what happened to you in Phoenix, but I promise we won't let it happen here." She says, brushing her fingers over my hand.
"We?" I ask, not believing she is talking about her family. Emmett, maybe, but the other's I feel couldn't care less what people say about me.
"Yes, we. Jessica, Angela, Mike, Eric, Ben, Katie, Emmett, Rosalie, and myself. The benefits of this being a small town, and therefore small school, is you already have the support of most of the 'popular' kids. We won't let Lauren tarnish your reputation with her baseless lies."
"You really think everyone, and I'm thinking mostly of Rose here, will back me up?" I say, starting to gain a shard of hope.
"Despite what you think, Rose doesn't take kindly to people spreading nasty rumors. Especially the kind Lauren has planned." She says, smiling over to me.
"So, does this mean you don't believe her?"
"That you slept your way through most of the guys at your last school? Yeah no, not at all." She says chuckling.
"Do you really think you guys would be able to stop Lauren from telling the school everything?" I ask, not getting my hopes up.
"I promise you. Especially since the first person she's going to is Jessica. She thinks since Jessica is the gossip queen, and she thinks you two still aren't friends, that she will get the ball rolling fastest. I saw Jess smack her down, though. I'm actually quite proud of some of the things she says. I doubt after that happens Lauren would try again." She says after having another quick vision.
"I guess it's stupid to get worked up over things that aren't even true, huh?" I say, sniffing and smiling slightly.
"I didn't say that, Bella. Whether or not it is true, it still hurts to have someone say those things. I don't blame you for getting upset."
"What even are the chances that someone here, in this town that doesn't even have a freakin' McDonald's, would have a cousin that went to the same school as I did?"
"Yeah, that is weird. I guess coincidences do happen though." She says as she pulls into my driveway. "Are you going to be alright until your friends get here?" She asks, looking at me concernedly.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I really feel a lot better now, thank you. And I know what you're trying to do. No eavesdropping! Not with your super hearing or your premonitions. Promise?" I say, pointing a finger at her sternly.
"Fiiiine, I promise." She says, pouting and crossing her arms.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for the ride. And the pep talk."
"Anytime, for the ride and the talk. Don't forget to set your alarm this time. I was waiting out here a full twenty minutes for you to come out. It was excruciating." She says dramatically.
"Wow, I'm so sorry you had to keep still for twenty minutes out of your eternal life. Poor you." I say, rolling my eyes. "Does that mean you plan on picking me up again tomorrow?"
"If you don't mind. I rather enjoy our morning conversations." She says, smiling sweetly.
"Alright, I'll see you in the morning. Have a good night, Ali Cat."
I head into the house and let Mindy outside while I fill their food bowls. I make sure we have some snacks for when Jess and Ang come over, and let Mindy back in. Since the dance is coming up soon, most of the teachers aren't assigning homework for the last few days of school this week. Mr. Varner is the only one of mine that assigned anything, so I knock that out while I wait.
I finish just in time for Mindy to start barking at a car pulling into the driveway outside, making Chip sit up in alert and look out the window. I look outside and see Angela getting out of her Bug and coming to the door. Jess pulls in right behind her, and I open the door the let them in. Jessica hasn't dealt with Mindy one-on-one yet, so dashes back toward her car when Mindy comes running up to her while barking. Angela and I get a good laugh when Jess finally realizes Mindy is just saying hi.
"Jess, do you really think I'd let loose a vicious dog on you?" I'm barely able to ask, I'm laughing so hard.
"Oh, shut up." She says, shoving me out of the way so she can come in.
"You guys want anything to eat or drink?" I ask as they plop down on the couch, Chip jumping into Jess' lap and Mindy resting her head on Angela's.
"Whatcha got?" Jess asks, scratching Chip's chin hesitantly.
"Nothing fancy. You guys can raid the kitchen and get whatever you want." I say and they immediately go to the kitchen. I guess they haven't eaten since lunch either.
"Alright, what have you come up with so far on your own?" Jessica asks through a mouthful of pizza roll.
"Our original idea was to go to Seattle, so I was thinking of sticking to that and finding something fun for us to do there. I figured it would be a nice change of pace from here, where the only 'fun' thing to do is hiking or hanging out at the diner." I say, after washing down my sandwich with some juice.
"That's a decent idea. Dinner and a movie is so played out." Angela says, and I stifle a snicker with a cough. Dinner couldn't have been an option anyway, considering Alice's dietary restrictions.
"I've been trying to look up things to do in Seattle or just anywhere around here, but don't really know what would be good. I've never really been on a date, so haven't really thought about what would be a good date idea before. I was thinking of taking a boat ride, taking a walk through one of the parks, or something like that. What do you guys think?" I ask, suddenly hyper aware that I should have known better than to think I could plan a date by myself.
"Those sound fun and all, but I think you're forgetting something." Jessica says, and I look at her with a puzzled expression, wondering what I could be 'forgetting' when we haven't done much discussing. "Are those things that Alice would enjoy doing? You know her better than us, but from the little I've noticed from hearing her talk when she's sat with us at lunch, those don't really seem like her speed."
"Oh, yeah I guess you're right. I think I've watched too many movies." I say, surprised at Jessica's suddenly serious and decent advice. "Alright, so let's brainstorm. I know she likes art, music, and is a closet nerd..."
A few hours later, we've narrowed down a list of over a dozen options to five great ideas for me to pick from. I decide to not nail it down to one just yet. I especially don't want to tell Jess or Ang what I decide on, to make sure that Alice can't see. We actually came up with everything in the first hour, so have spent the last two talking and joking around. When she's relaxed and not worrying about what the who school thinks of her, Jessica is actually pretty smart and funny.
"I really appreciate your help guys. I would definitely have screwed this up without you. I think I'm all set for this weekend now." I say, giving them both big bear hugs, lifting them and all. "I'm gonna make a few calls tomorrow to nail things down."
"You know you have to call us the moment it's over. Well, maybe call on Sunday. I don't want you interrupting our night if things go well between Mike and me." Jessica says, getting a faraway look in her eye before shaking her head clear, giving me one last hug, and then going to her car.
"I'd say same, but I don't expect things to get anywhere with me and Eric. So, you can call me whenever." Ang say, hugging me before walking out the door to her Bug.
"Did you guys have fun, getting all that attention?" I say as I pet Mindy and Chip, who are lounging on the couch.
It's late and Charlie still hasn't made it home yet. I'm a little worried, so decide to give him a call. He doesn't answer, which makes me even more scared that somethings happened. I wait a few minutes and call again, this time leaving a voicemail when he doesn't answer. Mindy and Chip are starting to sense my unease and snuggle closer to me, whining and purring quietly. A few minutes later, I hear a car door close outside and rush to the window to look outside, sighing in relief when I see dad walking up to the door.
"Dad, why haven't you been answering your phone? You could have been dead in a ditch or something? I've been worried sick, young man!" I say, trying to be humorous to help calm me down.
"Jesus Bells, I'm sorry. I sorta forgot to take my phone outta my pocket before I went wading through the Sol Duc River chasing down a kid that decided it would be funny to spray paint my squad car." He says, his boots squelching as he goes to take them off.
"Don't you dare track all that water in here. I just got this place cleaned up. Go back outside, around to the back door, and I'll bring you a towel and your robe." I say sternly, knowing he won't do a good job of cleaning after himself if he got water everywhere.
"Alright, alright I'm goin'." He says, raising his hands in surrender and going back outside.
I run upstairs and grab his robe from the hook on the back of his bedroom door and a clean towel from the bathroom. When I get to the kitchen, I grab a large plastic bag and then meet him at the door. I hand him the towel, robe, and instruct him to put the wet clothes in the bag so I can take them to the laundry without them dripping everywhere. I close the door, so he has his privacy and because I don't need to add seeing my dad naked on the list of shit I didn't want to deal with today.
"Alright Drill Sergeant, here's the bag. Satisfied now?" He says, coming back in and going straight up the stairs toward the shower, not even letting me give a witty response.
"Did they at least write something funny or cool on your car?" I ask after he's come back down, clean and dry. We are eating dinner now, Charlie's uniform in the wash and himself feeling refreshed and a little more chipper now that he's showered.
"Not even. They're never original. Just the usual 'Pig' written in big letters or in this guys case 'oink, oink'. They hardly ever not reference pigs." He sighs, taking a bite of his hot dog (I'm not feeling up to cooking today, sue me).
"Such a shame. Kid's these days, I swear." I say, shaking my head and trying to keep my features composed.
"So, anything interesting going on in your world?"
"Not really. Angela and Jessica came over after school and we hung out. Besides that, it's been the same old, same old." I say, not wanting to go into details of why we were hanging out.
"I'm glad you've made friends Bell's. I know you don't really want to be here, so was kinda worried you'd intentionally shut people out. Maybe you realize now that Forks ain't so bad." He says cheerily, at least in his own way.
"Yeah, the kids at school are definitely nicer than the ones back in Phoenix. And it's nice being close to the beach, even if it is too cold to really enjoy the water except during, a total of like three days out of the year." I say, shrugging my shoulders.
"Alright, well I'm heading off to bed. I need to head in early tomorrow for a conference call with some of the surrounding towns police and sheriff offices. I'll be sure to stop by and get a new phone while I'm at it too, so I don't freak ya out again." He says, getting up and clearing his dishes from the kitchen table.
"Is it about that animal? Has it been caught yet?" I ask, clearing up the rest of the dishes.
"Not yet. There haven't been any attacks for a couple weeks now. We're wondering if it's been killed or something. We're pretty much just gonna discuss what we think we should do since there's been no activity."
"Oh, well I hope things work out and calm down for you. It's nice when you're home more." I say, genuinely.
"Thanks kiddo, I'll try my best to get home more." He says, his neck and ears turning red. "I'll see ya tomorrow. Good night, Bells."
'Night." I say, washing the dishes and letting Mindy out one last time before I head up for a shower and bed.